Superman (Kingdom Come)

Superman
Kingdom Come Superman on the cover of Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #10. Art by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Kingdom Come #1 (May 1996)
Created by	Mark Waid Alex Ross (based upon the original character by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)
In-story information
Alter ego	Kal-El
Place of origin	Krypton (in the universe containing Earth-22)
Team affiliations	Justice League (Earth-22) Justice Society of America
Notable aliases	Clark Kent
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, senses, intelligence, regeneration, and longevity; super breath, heat vision, x-ray vision, invulnerability, and flight

The Superman of Kingdom Come (usually referred to as Kingdom Come Superman) is a fictional character, an alternate version of Superman in the DC Comics universe. First introduced in Kingdom Come #1 (May 1996), Kingdom Come Superman was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross.

The Superman of Kingdom Come first appeared as the main character of the 1996 Elseworlds miniseries Kingdom Come written by Mark Waid and Alex Ross with art by Ross, set in the future of the DC Universe. In 1999, The Kingdom, a sequel to Kingdom Come written by Waid but without the involvement of Ross, was published. This series again featured this version of Superman as a central character. In 52 #52, the Kingdom Come universe is shown in the DC Multiverse as becoming, for the first time, a part of the mainstream DC continuity. Starting with Justice Society of America #9, Kingdom Come Superman appears as a member of the Justice Society of America. The character also received a solo one-shot, Justice Society of America: Kingdom Come Special: Superman.

Ten years prior to the start of the events of Kingdom Come, the Joker floods the offices of the Daily Planet with Joker venom, killing all the staff except for Lois Lane, who finds a gas mask. Lois tries to attack the Joker, who fractures her skull in retaliation. Superman returns as Lois succumbs to her injuries and dies. As the Joker arrives for his trial, he is killed by a new superhero named Magog. In an instance of jury nullification, Magog is acquitted for his act. Superman is appalled by the public embracing a killer as a hero. Already disheartened at the death of Lois Lane, Kal-El abandons his life as Superman and retreats to his Fortress of Solitude, where he spends the next decade. During Superman's absence a team of new heroes, led by Magog, attempts to capture the Parasite, which results in the irradiation of the entire state of Kansas and much of the surrounding area when the Parasite kills Captain Atom.