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Reign of the Supermen

One of the most marketed runs of all time, The Death of Superman was a response to fan reception, a statement by DC comics that nobody in life is invincible and people shouldn't be taken for granted. The series, broken into three (then, retrospectively, five) parts, indicates the importance Superman has not just within the DC universe but as a cultural icon as well.

Reign of the Supermen brought in four imposters of Clark Kent, each one meant to represent a part of the whole. Steel was a visualization of the "Man of Steel" moniker, and also represented Superman's humanity. In contrast, Eradicator was supposed to portray his Kryptonian part, particularly his status as the "last son of Krypton". Cyborg Superman, the antagonist of the series, was the "man of tomorrow" and also the power portion. Superboy represented Metropolis and the people.

Each of the Supermen was powerful in their own right, but none of them could properly replace the character himself, which was the intended theme of the story. It would be touching if the writing were slightly tighter. Instead, too much time is wasted on an underground sub-plot involving some kind of tentacled alien invasion with lots of spikes and teeth (it was the early '90s after all) and a gang war of sorts. When Cyborg Superman finally does make his move and the real Superman returns to stop him, it is almost too late to recapture interest. The intentions were pure, but the execution was not.

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