Reflexes
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DC Comics in 2023 has produced compelling Superman stories like Red Son, The End of the Earth, Metropolis, Son of Superman, and Kingdom come.
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These tales explore alternate universes, post-apocalyptic landscapes, future class struggles, and Superman’s progeny grappling with his legacy.
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From Russia to an apocalyptic Earth to the future Metropolis, Superman stories showcase his lasting impact and heroism.
Superman He is the father of all superheroes, the face of DC Comics, the leader of the Justice League, the Man of Steel, the star man waiting in the sky. Since his first comic, Superman fans have seen him use his wide range of abilities to act as a symbol of hope for civilians and heroes alike.
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Whether in one world or another, The Last Son of Krypton is always doing something tremendously heroic or impressively powerful, even in stories that exist outside of the DC Universe canon. Here are five of the best Superman Elseworlds comic stories.
5
Superman: Red Son
The man of steel of the USSR
- Publication date: 2003
- Focus Characters: Superman, Batman, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman
In Superman’s classic origin story, we see the last son of Krypton land in rural Smallville, America, where he was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent. But what if Superman hadn’t landed in the United States? What if, instead, Superman landed in the USSR and was raised by the Soviet government? That’s the interesting question Superman: Red Son answers.
This intriguing Superman story takes place in an alternate universe where we see different versions of characters from the main DC canon, such as Batman, Lex Luthor, and Wonder Woman, as well as famous figures from our world’s past, such as John F. Kennedy and Joseph Stalin. . The story unfolds over five decades and traverses many real historical themes, with the Cold War struggle between the USSR and the US and the concepts of socialism and Stalinism taking center stage.
In this three-issue miniseries we see DC villains working with the CIA, otherworldly powers helping the KGB, powerful aliens affecting geopolitical conflicts, and the social collapse caused by all of them combined.
4
Superman at the end of the Earth
DC Apocalypse
- Publication date: nineteen ninety five
- Focus Characters: Superman, The DNA Dictators
When one thinks of the story of Superman, what comes to mind are often images of hope and beauty, the Man of Steel making a world that has the potential to be brilliant even brighter with his presence and actions. However, some stories see Superman forced to deal with the utter darkness into which he can descend the world. One of these stories is Superman at the end of the Earth.
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The story of At the end of the Earth takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape plagued by a mutation that threatens to further destroy this already struggling world. Superman’s closest companion in the Justice League might be Batman, but the hordes of Bat-Men roaming the Earth were a much less pleasant sight. This ‘Elseworld’ is also interesting for featuring an elderly, white-haired Superman with a more gruff appearance than usual to fit with the apocalyptic themes present.
The story acts as a sequel to the miniseries. Kamandi: at the end of the Earth, another DC Comics story. It follows events such as Gotham City facing nuclear threats, the death of Batman, the emergence of the image of Adolf Hitler (precisely) through the leaders of a strange group of villains known as the DNA Dictators.
3
Superman’s metropolis
Problems in the big city
- Publication date: nineteen ninety six
- Focus Characters: Clarc Kent-son, Lutor, Lois Lane
While he may have grown up in Smallville, Metropolis is Superman’s home. It is the city where an adult Superman and most of his companions and allies reside, where he works as a journalist for the Daily Planet, sometimes alongside Lois Lane. A story named after the Man of Steel’s home would surely make for an intriguing Elseworlds story.
Superman’s metropolis takes place sometime in the future and sees a division and class struggle between those considered high and low in the city. Of course, Superman would want to rectify any perceived inequalities. Clarc Kent-son, son of Jon Kent (Master of Metropolis) interacts with lower-class workers to see what it’s like to walk a day in their shoes. While this is happening, a corrupt scientist known as Lutor controls the city and wreaks havoc. When Jon and Lutor develop feelings for the same woman, who ends up choosing Jon, Lutor uses hypnosis to transform Jon into a puppet that he can use to restrain Metropolis.
The Metropolis of this alternate universe is rife with chaos, with Lutor carrying out kidnappings, social drones in motion, and members of the Kent family getting bloodied on their hands.
2
son of superman
The Adventures of Jon Kent
- Publication date: 1999
- Focus Characters: Jon Kent, Superman
This is another story that deals with Superman’s progeny and another Elseworlds story in which a character named Jon Kent plays a very important role. Whether they are Superman’s biological children or Man of Steel clones, it is often a major plot point that those who come from Superman’s lineage must fight to fill the shoes of the world’s greatest superhero. son of superman is no different.
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A teenage Jon Kent accepts the fact that he is Superman’s son, as the title suggests, and develops the Blue Boy Scout’s astonishing list of superhuman abilities. This also takes place up to fifteen years after Superman’s demise, to make things more controversial. During this story, Jon continues the work of his missing father by fighting against a United States government that is in the process of enacting an economic segregation plan.
Jon helps the rebel organizations and eventually finds Superman, freeing him from captivity. The Justice League helps defeat the terrorists and thwart Lex Luthor’s plans to harness Superman’s powers. The story ends on a healthy note, where we see Jon wearing his father’s uniform.
1
kingdom come
metahuman war
- Publication date: nineteen ninety six
- Focus Characters: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Shazam
Among the best Elseworlds stories is the 1996 story. Kingdom come, one in which readers will not only see the adventures of Superman, but also the adventures of an alternate Justice League as a whole. He shows that the future of his planet is at stake as a new generation of heroes emerges.
Superman serves as the main character of this Justice League story, the man in the lead as the old generation of heroes confronts the different values of these new heroes that make the future of their world uncertain. Following the rise of Magog, metahumans willing to kill, Superman and the Justice League renounce their positions as superheroes. This leads to the emergence of a new wave of superpowered metahumans. Much of the United States is at risk of being destroyed by radiation, and death and destruction are common.
The Justice League is forced back into the fold, and Superman reforms them again after abandoning Earth for years. In the conflict that follows, Superman and his side capture the enemy and influence others to fight for his cause. Bombs are dropped, super-powered attacks are unleashed, and the United Nations is involved, making this easily the most entertaining of Superman’s Elseworlds stories.
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