It was the superhero storyline that made headlines. In 1992 DC killed off their flagship hero in “The Death of Superman,” a sprawling saga that sent shockwaves through the comic book community. Superman #75 by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding chronicled the climax of a brutal battle that had played out over several preceding issues, with Superman fighting a rampaging monster called Doomsday. Eager fans lined up around the block at comic shops in hopes of purchasing the black bagged issue where Superman met his match. Some envisioned the limited-edition comic putting their kids through college. Many just wanted to know how the Man of Steel could possibly die. Everyone felt like they were experiencing a piece of history.

You can’t keep a good hero dead for long, especially when they’re a comic company’s cash cow. In the months that followed, four ersatz Supermen appeared on the scene, each teasing the possibility that they were somehow a reincarnated version of the original. These newcomers included John Henry Irons and his suit of steel armor; a Kryptonian artificial intelligence known as The Eradicator; a super-powered cyborg with dubious intentions; and a teenage clone who didn’t appreciate being called Superboy.

Ultimately, none of the members of this super-powered quartet proved to be the real deal. Superman did eventually return to life, resurrected by some advanced technology in the Fortress of Solitude and sporting a new shoulder-length hairdo. (Artist Dan Jurgens has repeatedly insisted it was NOT a mullet.)

The storyline has remained a fan favorite for decades and has inspired or been adapted into novels, video games, trading cards, action figures and more. It should come as no surprise that it has influenced many of the Superman movies and TV shows that have followed in the years since 1992. Let’s take a look at some of these projects. We’ll even tell you where you can watch most of them, but keep in mind that these streaming services are subject to change!

“LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN” (TV SERIES)

SUMMARY: Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain brought the super-couple into the 1990s in this “love triangle with two people.” The series focused less on action and adventure and more on romance and reporting as Lois Lane and Clark Kent’s careers at the Daily Planet were front and center.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Somewhat surprisingly considering the show was a contemporary of the “Death of Superman” comics, they never attempted to incorporate any of that storyline. (Doomsday surely would’ve killed ABC’s budget long before he killed the Man of Steel.) However, a New Krypton storyline late in the series did have Dean Cain sporting a black suit that was reminiscent of what Superman briefly wore post-resurrection in the comics.

WHERE TO WATCH: All four seasons are included with a Max subscription, and they are also free to watch on Tubi! For the black suit episodes, check out the season three finale “Big Girls Don’t Fly” and the season four premiere “Lord of the Flys.”

“STEEL” (FILM)

SUMMARY: When a weapons designer learns that his inventions have fallen into the wrong hands, he dons a suit of armor to fight back against corruption and make the world safe again. No, we’re not talking about “Iron Man.” A decade before Robert Downey Jr. suited up as Tony Stark, Shaquille O’Neal played John Henry Irons, a character from the Reign of the Supermen comics who took the idea of a “Man of Steel” quite literally.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Beyond the name of the character and the concept of a steel super-suit, essentially none. Any ties to Superman or his supporting cast are noticeably absent from this flick.

WHERE TO WATCH: It’s not currently included on any streaming services, but can be rented or purchased on Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, etc.

“SUPERMAN LIVES” (CANCELED FILM)

SUMMARY: A film that never quite took flight, “Superman Lives” (originally titled “Superman Reborn”) was an attempt to bring the Superman franchise back to life beyond the Christopher Reeve movies by adapting the death and resurrection of the Man of Steel.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: The script, which went through multiple drafts by writers including Kevin Smith, Dan Gilroy, and Wesley Strick, loosely followed the Death of Superman arc in that Superman would die fighting Doomsday (with Brainiac and Lex Luthor pulling strings behind the scenes) and then come back to life via Kryptonian tech. Tim Burton was set to direct, Nicolas Cage was signed on to play Superman and even did some costume tests, and other names circulating were Sandra Bullock for Lois Lane and Chris Rock for Jimmy Olsen. Burton wanted Christopher Walken for Brainiac. Producer Jon Peters famously insisted that Superman should fight a giant spider in the last act of the film.

WHERE TO WATCH: You can’t, because the project (appropriately?) died in pre-production, but there is a great documentary called “The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?” which can be found on YouTube. And if you want a glimpse of what Nic Cage’s Superman might have been like, he has a cameo in the movie “The Flash,” which is available on Max. And yes, Jon Peters got his wish.

“JUSTICE LEAGUE” / “JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED” (ANIMATED SERIES)

SUMMARY: Spinning out of the world of “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Superman: The Animated Series,” Bruce Timm and co. brought together the most powerful members of DC’s catalog of characters for large-scale adventures too big for any one hero to handle.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Interestingly, “JL” did a storyline where Superman died and they did a Doomsday storyline but they were not one and the same. In the two-part “Hereafter,” Superman is believed to be killed by a group of villains (don’t worry, he’s actually just time-displaced), and a mourning Metropolis holds a funeral and erects a memorial to him not unlike the “Funeral for a Friend” comics that followed Superman #75. Then in part one of “A Better World,” Doomsday arrives on Earth, but is lobotomized by a more ruthless Superman from an alternate universe. (There was a lot going on.) Doomsday returned once more in the follow-up series “Justice League Unlimited,” slugging it out with Superman inside of a volcano after being restored to full power in the episode “The Doomsday Sanction.”

WHERE TO WATCH: All seasons of “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited” are on Max.

“SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY” (ANIMATED FILM)

SUMMARY: One of DC’s first forays into the world of Direct-to-DVD animated films was this attempt at adapting the Death of Superman story.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Although the broad strokes were there, the 77-minute runtime meant that the story was quite condensed. Superman (voiced by Adam Baldwin) is killed by Doomsday, but instead of four newcomers taking up the mantle, he’s replaced by a solitary clone created by Lex Luthor. When the clone turns out to be missing the Man of Steel’s morality, the real Superman returns from the grave to reclaim the cape.

WHERE TO WATCH: It’s not currently included on any streaming services, but can be rented or purchased on Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, etc.

“SMALLVILLE” (TV SERIES)

SUMMARY: These are the tales of a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling), coming of age while coming to terms with his burgeoning super powers. Despite being set in a decidedly pre-Superman era (flights and tights strictly off limits), many members of the Man of Steel’s future rogues gallery show up in some way, shape or form throughout the course of the show’s decade-long run.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Doomsday is the primary antagonist of the show’s eighth season, but with a twist: he isn’t always a monster. In his humanoid form, Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer) is a paramedic for Metropolis General Hospital with a soft spot for gal pal Chloe Sullivan. Although Doomsday doesn’t succeed in killing Superm— uhh, we mean, the Red-Blue Blur… Davis does kill someone close to Clark, and the monstrous side of his persona is buried underground for a presumable rematch in the future.

WHERE TO WATCH: All ten seasons of Smallville are on Hulu. For some prominent Doomsday-centric episodes, check out the season eight episodes “Bride,” “Infamous,” “Eternal,” and “Doomsday.” (For bonus points, season ten has a Superboy that’s at least somewhat inspired by the Reign of the Supermen comics. Check out the episode “Scion.”)

“BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE” / “JUSTICE LEAGUE” (FILMS)

SUMMARY: Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) attempts to resurrect the late General Zod using Kryptonian technology, only to wind up unleashing a mindless monstrosity that begins destroying Metropolis. Despite the best efforts of not-quite-superfriends Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman (Henry Cavill), Superman dies felling the beast in the final act of “Batman v Superman.” The heroes of the nascent Justice League revive him to help stop a coming invasion in the follow-up film.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: The death storyline feels almost like an afterthought here, being tacked onto an already overstuffed “Batman v Superman.” His resurrection in “Justice League” comes from a combination of a Mother Box, a Kryptonian ship, and the Flash’s lightning rather than the Fortress of Solitude. Depending on which version of “Justice League” you’re watching, Superman may come back wearing a black suit like he did during the Reign of the Supermen comics, or he might come back with an odd-looking upper lip.

WHERE TO WATCH: Both movies are included with Max. (Actually, there are THREE versions of “Justice League” on there, but that could be another whole article. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is the version recommended by the author of this column… although that may not reflect the thoughts and opinions of KryptonSite as a whole!)

“THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN” / “REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN” (ANIMATED FILMS)

SUMMARY: In order to right the wrongs of the first animated movie adaptation, DC attempted a more faithful retelling spread out over two films instead of just one.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Probably the most faithful page-to-screen translation of the comic book storyline that we’re likely to get. Although a few liberties are taken in order to align this film with some of the other DC animated outings (Superman is in his “New 52” costume, and the Justice League features a more contemporary roster than the original storyline, just as a couple of examples), the meat and potatoes are here and die-hard fans are sure to eat them up. “Reign” even gives us all four of the stand-in Supermen: John Henry “Steel” Irons (voiced by “Black Lightning” star Cress Williams), The Eradicator (Charles Halford from “Constantine”), the Cyborg Superman (“Better Call Saul” alum Patrick Fabian), and don’t-call-me-Superboy (Cameron Monaghan of “Gotham” fame).

WHERE TO WATCH: “Death of…” is included on Max. “Reign of…” is not, but can be rented or purchased on Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, etc. Some platforms also offer the two movies edited together into one long super-movie as “The Death and Return of Superman.”

“TITANS” (TV SERIES)

SUMMARY: Not to be confused with the zany kids’ show, this more mature version of the teen heroes has a level of violence and swearing that would never fly on Cartoon Network. (Robin defiantly exclaims “F*** Batman!” in the first episode.)

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Although we don’t get a Doomsday storyline here, we do get a Superboy that’s very comic-accurate to the one that was introduced during the Reign of the Supermen. Conner (Joshua Orpin), a clone who shares some of Superman’s DNA, escapes from CADMUS Labs in search of answers about how he came to be. But there’s not just Kryptonian chromosomes in the mix… the other half of those helixes belong to Lex Luthor.

WHERE TO WATCH: The whole series is on Max. For Superboy’s introductory ep, check out season two, episode six, “Conner.”

“KRYPTON” (TV SERIES)

SUMMARY: If you thought “Smallville” was a deep dive into Superman’s past, you ain’t seen nothing yet. “Krypton” chronicled the Man of Steel’s homeworld well before it exploded, giving us new insight into the House of El with a focus on Kal-El’s grandfather, Seg-El.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: Kryptonian soldier Dax-Baron (Staz Nair) is subjected to repeated deaths and resurrections to evolve into what is easily the best-looking live action Doomsday in any media. (And no, we don’t mean he’s winning any beauty contests!)

WHERE TO WATCH: The two-season run of Krypton is available for free on Tubi. Be sure to check out the episodes “The Phantom Zone,” “Ghost in the Fire,” “In Zod We Trust,” and “Zods and Monsters” for plenty of Doomsday content.

“CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS” (CW TV CROSSOVER)

SUMMARY: Cameos aplenty in this 2019 crossover of the various CW “Arrowverse” shows, including “Supergirl,” “Batwoman,” “The Flash,” “Arrow,” and “Legends of Tomorrow,” which saw heroes from every corner of the DC multiverse come together to save all of reality.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: While on Argo, Lois (Bitsie Tulloch) refers to Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) having faced off with Doomsday. And on an alternate Earth’s version of Metropolis, we see Lois crying over Superman’s dead body while his cape flies like a memorial flag in a recreation of the final page of Superman #75.

WHERE TO WATCH: Frustratingly, the shows that comprise the Crisis crossover are not all on a single streaming service. For the moments we mentioned here, check out “Supergirl,” season 5, episode 9 on Netflix, and “Batwoman” season 1, episode 9 on Max. (For bonus points, Tyler Hoechlin wore a black Superman suit in the “Elseworlds” crossover the year prior; see “Arrow,” season 7, episode 9, and “Supergirl,” season 4, episode 9, both on Netflix. Whew!)

“SUPERMAN & LOIS” (TV SERIES)

SUMMARY: A married Lois and Clark return to Smallville, Kansas to raise their twin sons Jordan (Alexander Garfin) and Jonathan (Jordan Elsass in seasons one and two, Michael Bishop in three and four). But maintaining a secret identity in a rural setting isn’t as easy as one might think, and balancing super heroics with family time turns out to be super-complicated. The Kent Family’s safety is further threatened by the return of an old enemy with a long-standing grudge when Lex Luthor is released from prison.

COMICS CONNECTIONS: The show had been teasing a “Death of Superman” payoff since the beginning. John Henry Irons was a main character from season one, and Bizarro’s arrival in season two was a direct homage to Doomsday’s debut. Heck, the show even did their version of The Eradicator, and one of the Kent sons could’ve easily become a new Superboy… in fact, the Jonathan of an alternate Earth had a costume much like the one worn by the Conner Kent Superboy of the comics, complete with a “Death of Superman”-style “S.” As season three came to a close, Lex Luthor repeatedly resurrected Bizarro to force him to mutate into a Doomsday-like form. With the premiere of season four, the Bizarro/Doomsday creature did indeed kill Superman in a fight scene that pushed the limits of what could be shown on the CW. Clark’s revival a few episodes later was made possible due to a heroic sacrifice by Sam Lane that could only be described as heartbreaking.

But the series had one last surprise in store that few fans could’ve seen coming. Superman died again (is that overkill…?) in a flash-forward in the series finale. This time it wasn’t Doomsday, kryptonite, or a supervillain that did him in. Predeceased by Lois, Clark passed away quietly at home with his super-powered sons by his bedside. This was a first for any adaptation of the Superman mythology, as no other version has ever given his story such a definitive conclusion. The closest thing we can think of is Alan Moore’s classic “Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow?” comic book. But, as Mr. Moore famously said, that was an imaginary story… aren’t they all?

WHERE TO WATCH: All ten episodes of the show’s final season are currently available for free on the CW app and CWTV.com. You can catch up on the three previous seasons on Max.

Please note spoilers for the Superman & Lois SERIES FINALE “It Went By So Fast” are being dicsussed in this interview! If you’re on the West Coast and/or haven’t watched yet, now is a good time to stop reading!

Well, we’ve reached that end point. Superman & Lois has ended, we have glimpses of the future, and while some characters were reunited in the afterlife, there were, of course, some who won’t be around forever. Hopefully you had tissues handy for those final moments.

After screening the S&L finale KryptonSite’s Craig Byrne was able to interview showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher about the finale, and we touched upon some things audience might just be wondering. It’s likely our last S&L interview with this duo, and we thank them for frequently being available to talk to promote the show. Enjoy, and remember you can discuss the finale on our Superman & Lois forum!

KRYPTONSITE: Was it intentional to fill the final episode with tie ins back to all four seasons of the show?

BRENT FLETCHER: Yeah. We wanted to honor everything that came before, and then tell a life to come, so we felt like it was important to highlight that stuff.

There were obviously some things that we would have liked to have added. We missed Tal-Rho (Adam Rayner) we would have liked to have had him in there. You have constraints based on budget and time and personnel, but we wanted to kind of honor the whole breadth of the series in that moment.

Beyond Tal-Rho, is there any guest star you had hoped you can make it into the finale that you just couldn’t make happen?

TODD HELBING: I think we would have ideally had Dylan Walsh back in the moment when Lois says “Daddy.” I think also it would have been nice to get Lucy (Jenna Dewan) back for the last season.

BRENT: And the Mannheims! Peia and Mateo… we would have found a way to use them, for sure.

Speaking of guest stars, as that Bitsie Tulloch’s husband David Giuntoli is adult Jonathan?

TODD: That was David. We reached out to him, and he was so gracious to do it. And then, we really wanted to cast somebody that looked like Alex. Both of them got older, showed up, and had to cry, basically. So that was some awesome work.

Can you talk about bringing Bruno Mannheim (Chad Coleman) in for both of the final episodes?

TODD: He said in season three to Superman, that basically he hadn’t made any real change. Clearly, that sat with [Clark] for a long time, and we really wanted to hit this. We talked about that idea in the room quite a bit, so we really wanted to infuse that in the last season, so it felt like bringing Bruno back to tee that up was was the right move. Chad Coleman was just so fantastic, as always.

Can you talk about all the good that Clark and Lois are doing in Smallville even after he no longer has his powers.

BRENT: We kind of saw it as, again, to what Bruno had said, He has been reaching out and doing diplomatic stuff ,and doing economic stuff ,and trying to help in ways that don’t involve strength. They involve organization ,and participation, and getting other people to join. So we felt like That was kind of an interesting thing, for a man that had once had all this power, to then have power in a different way, but also still doing great good.

Are we to assume that there was never a Justice League in this world?

TODD: Yeah, very likely not. Not in the way that you historically think about it.

So does that imply that Jonathan and Jordan are the main heroes of this world?

TODD:

Jon, Jordan… Nat is part of that….. John Henry, too.

Are Clark and Lois still alive on Earth-Prime?

TODD: [Laughs] You know, I would assume that yeah, probably… I feel like it.

Was it surreal to have been the custodians of Superman and Lois Lane, telling their stories in such a unique way for the last four years?

TODD: Whenever you’re you’re writing stories for a property as big as this and as beloved as you know both of those those characters are, and trying to put your own spin on it and do something a little bit different than what people are used to, there are inherent pressures that come with that. But I think from the get go, we got such great response from people, and that response grew and grew. I’m just really proud to have been a part of such a special property.

BRENT: My first day of work, I was driving to Burbank, and the car in front of me had a big Superman “S” on it. And it really struck me “oh, this thing is big!” This person cared enough to put that emblem on their car, and I’m about to contribute to this… so I think you have to be very mindful of that, but it’s also kind of thrilling, because you get in there andyou can’t be subservient to it. You have to want to put your own spin and have a thing to say. Todd and Greg [Berlanti] had built a really great pilot that had such a great engine, and it was such a degree different than what I had seen before, with the family element and just struggling to be parents, with these great heroes… I felt like we always served that idea, and that made it its own unique thing, but felt worthy of the umbrella of all the other [Superman media].

It’s daunting, but it’s also thrilling to be part of that. You think “where did I make a good life decision that allows me to be a part of this?” And that’s fun.

TODD: At some point in one of the early pitches, it was said that the Superman crest is the second most recognizable icon in the world, next to the Christian cross, which when you think about it in those terms, it’s a little like “holy moly!”

I believe I read an interview you guys did where you said that you wanted this finale to be different from any other Superman type finale that we’ve ever seen before. Can you talk about that?

TODD: We watched a lot of series finales, and we know how important it is as audience members and fans of other shows, when you get to that moment, you just want something that emotionally resonates with you and has a lasting effect, so we approached it that way. We had an idea what we wanted to do, but the way it was going to be doled out, we took some time with, and did many versions. Hopefully, what people walk away with at the end is something meaningful to them, because you can interpret the ending in many different ways.

BRENT: You want it to feel earned, and like Todd said, you want to think about it afterwards. You also want it to also be reflective of what the show was, and what the show meant. We tried to basically tie everything up, but make it feel earned and emotional. Hopefully we were able to accomplish that.

The title of the episode is “It Went By So Fast.” Is that the feeling that you are personally having now that the show is almost finished airing?

TODD: Oh, yeah, a for sure. We started this during COVID, but it feels like yesterday. think as you get older, it’s something that everybody says at some point in their life, right? “It went by so fast”…. or “I can’t believe how fast time is going”…. and hopefully, it’s something that people look at and it helps or reminds them to appreciate moments more, and to slow things down a little bit.

BRENT: As you get older, your relationship with time changes a little bit. Like, you’re in high school and you can’t wait for the clock to run out so you can get out of school, and then you’re my age, and I’ve got kids, and all of a sudden they’ve jumped a grade, and it seems like that was in two days,. It’s funny how the older you get, the relationship with time, and your life, and your perspective changes. That was always hanging on the wall at Martha’s house, and we both relate to that being at our stage in life as parents, and we’re pretty sure that as we keep going in life, it’s going to keep hitting us over the head how fast things are going. So we felt like it was apropos as we said goodbye to Lois and Clark, that they would be feeling that as well.

Superman & Lois Season 4 should soon be streaming on Max, but will be well remembered by all.

Last summer at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, it was hinted that some surprise guests would be showing up in the series finale of Superman & Lois which airs tonight (December 2) on The CW. While this post isn’t meant to confirm or deny any fan speculation, there has been a lot of it in the past week, and this post is a way in which we can share what’s been talked about… you know, in case one of these actually does happen.

We can tell you that almost all of the former series regulars for Superman & Lois are confirmed to return — a list that includes Emmanuelle Chriqui as Lana, Erik Valdez as Kyle, Inde Navarrette as Sarah, Wolé Parks as John Henry, Tayler Buck as Nat, Sofia Hasmik as Chrissy, and possibly more.

For what it’s worth, though, here’s some of the speculation, in no particular order, plus a few extras we threw in for this post. Enjoy:

Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin) or Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell): Since the finale of Superman & Lois is the effective end of the Arrowverse (even if it’s not on Earth-Prime), what if the show revisits one or both of the heroes who started it all? Barry could surely find a way to travel Earths and Oliver is still the Spectre last we checked, so… maybe? Though they might not be as likely as….

Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist): It was her show that first introduced us to Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman. Is there a Supergirl on this show’s Earth? Now is as good of a time as any to find out.

John Diggle (David Ramsey): He was there at the start of the Arrowverse ever since the first episode of Arrow, and unlike those folks up above, he has appeared on Superman & Lois. If he does show up, though, he better have a green ring!

The Justice League: Peacemaker ended with a Justice League we’ve had to say goodbye to; what if Superman & Lois does the same thing, either with established characters, or folks just cast as a special one-shot treat?

Bruce Wayne (David Giuntoli?): Bitsie Tulloch has hinted that Grimm fans should be sure to tune in, so we’re assuming a Grimm cast member, most likely her real-life husband David Giuntoli might be appearing in the finale. Popular speculation has him playing Bruce Wayne if he was to show up.

Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan): Jenna Dewan is super busy with The Rookie but since she missed Sam’s funeral, maybe she’ll be back for the show’s last hurrah at least?

Tom Welling: Because why not.

Jon-El (Jordan Elsass?): The Bizarro World version of Jonathan Kent is still out there, as far as we know, and that storyline was revisited as recently as the penultimate episode. What if this other Jonathan still looks like the first actor to play this role, Jordan Elsass? Or could we see Michael Bishop donning the 1990s-inspired suit and red pants?

Tom Cavanagh (Again): We saw Tom Cavanagh as recently as episode 7 this season, playing Gordon Godfrey, but considering how many characters he played on The Flash, surely there’s one more in the tank before all is said and done? A Wells, a Thawne, a Pariah…. there are lots of possibilities out there.

What do you think? Are any of these speculations correct or are we BS-ing you this whole time? Leave your speculation in the comments below and ENJOY THE FINALE tonight at 8PM ET/PT on The CW!