For a hero who’s often seen as nearly invulnerable,Supermanhas a surprisingly long history of dying. Time and again, the Man of Steel has been pushed to the edge, and sometimes even beyond. But who are the rare characters powerful or cunning enough to actually bring Superman to his knees, or even claim his final breath?
Doomsday is arguably the most infamous namelinked to Superman’s death, and Batman has proven he can push Clark to his limits, even if he never delivers the killing blow. Butthis list looks far beyond the usual suspects.From surprising villains to shocking heroes, these are the characters who have either killed Superman or come alarmingly close, some of whom fans may not expect.
10Batman Proved He Could Kill Superman Even as a Geriatric (Assist from Green Arrow)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns#4 (1986) by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley
Various Batman storylines have proven that the Dark Knight has more than enough to take on the Man of Steel(and win) if given enough preptime, of course. One of the most famous examples of Bruce Wayne proving he could defeat Superman comes from Frank Miller’sBatman: The Dark Knight Returns(1986).
In the final chapter of this four-part saga, the Man of Steel and an elderly Caped Crusader come to blows in Gotham, with Bruce donning a mechanized armored Batsuit. Thanks to an assist from Green Arrow, who fires a Kryptonite arrow that weakens Superman, Batman manages to defeat him despite being well past his prime. However, just before delivering the final blow,Bruce fakes a heart attack and ‘dies,’ ending the fight without having to outright kill his old friend.
9DOOMSDAY: The Villain Who Earned His Fame by Killing Superman
Superman: The Death of Superman(1992) by Dan Jurgens, Brett Breeding, and More
Superman’s fight with Doomsday in Dan Jurgens’ famousSuperman: The Death of Supermanstoryline is without a doubt the most widely known and popular instance of the Man of Steel’s death, cementing Doomsday as one of his most iconic and infamous villains.
This battle between the two Kryptonians took place in Metropolis, nearly leveling the city and pushing Superman to his absolute limits. In a final Hail Mary to end the fight, Clark puts everything he has into one last punch, killing Doomsday, but at the cost of his own life.Superman, of course, would eventually return after being revived by Kryptonian technology, but many still count this as a definitive death.
8A Random Thug Nearly Killed the Man of Steel (Assist from Amanda Waller)
Absolute Power#1 (2024) by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez
Many will be surprised to learn thata random thug nearly ended Superman’s lifeand perhaps would have, if not for the intervention of Jon Kent and Conner Kent. In Mark Waid’sAbsolute Powerstoryline, Amanda Waller unleashes a task force of power-stealing Amazon robots on DC’s metahuman population, with each Amazo modeled after a founding Justice League member.One of the Amazos targets Superman from afar, draining his powerswithout his immediate knowledge.
During this process, a criminal fires a gun at Clark. Used to being bulletproof, Superman doesn’t dodge, and learns the hard way that his invulnerability has been stolen. Soon after, he loses the rest of his powers, including flight, and plummets to the ground. He’s only saved by Superboy and his son, and requires life-saving surgery. In the end,a random criminal with a gun nearly killed Superman.
7Yes, One Wacky Story Let Lex Luthor Live His Best Life and Kill Superman
Superman#149 (1961) by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, and Sheldon Moldoff
Lex Luthor has perhaps been the most consistent villain in pursuing his lifelong goal of killing the Man of Steel, as no one else has tried to kill Superman as often as he has. And while Luthor has come close multiple times, delivering his fair share of beatdowns,he has never succeeded… except in one wacky non-canon storyby Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan, and Sheldon Moldoff.Superman#149,“The Death of Superman!",features a non-canon and bizarre tale in which Luthor appears to reform, curing cancer and even befriending Superman.
However, this is all part of his master plan.He catches Superman off guard and kills him with a Kryptonite Ray, earning himself a life sentence in the Phantom Zone. In this one alternate universe, Lex Luthor gets to live his best life and finally accomplishes the goal that has defined his character for decades.
When it comes torogues who have taken on Superman and won, most fans would be shocked to see Killer Frost on that list, as this typically Flash-associated villain is often overlooked and underrated. Yet she proved her mettle in Joshua Williamson’sJustice League vs. Suicide Squadcrisis event, which took place during DC’sNew 52reboot and featured a new iteration of Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad, with Killer Frost among the ranks.
During the battle between the Suicide Squad and the Justice League,Enchantress uses her magic to weaken Superman, allowing Killer Frost the chance to drain his energy.She appears to completely take Superman out, leaving him nothing more than a lifeless husk. By all appearances, Killer Frost has killed Superman. However, he is later seen awakening in one of Waller’s cells, suggesting this was only an"almost kill.”
5Superboy-Prime Killed the Superman Of Earth-Two DuringInfinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis#7 (2006) by Geoff Johns, George Pérez, and More
Geoff Johns’Infinite Crisisis one of DC’s most famous and influential storylines. It explores how the current DC Universe at the time (“New Earth”) had lost its way, with its heroes becoming misguided and divided. Classic heroes from the pre-Crisis Multiverse return and attempt to restore peace on Earth and correct the mistakes of New Earth’s wayward heroes.Their clash ignites a devastating conflict that pits hero against hero in a war with catastrophic consequences.
In the climactic battle ofInfinite Crisis,Superboy-Prime fights both Kal-L(Earth-2 Superman) and Kal-El (main continuity Superman).While Kal-El ultimately defeats Superboy-Prime, Kal-L succumbs to his injuries and dies.Even though this wasn’t the main universe Superman, it still proves that Superboy-Prime was more than capable of killing the Man of Steel.
4Darkseid Nearly Ended the Man of Steel with the Anti-Life Equation (Assist From Flash)
DCeased#5 (2018) by Tom Taylor & Trevor Hairsine
Tom Taylor’sDCeasedstoryline is best described as a zombie-apocalypseElseworlds, whereDarkseid unleashes a tech-bio hybrid virus on Earth, infecting the population through both technology and bites from the infected. Superman initially avoids the first wave of infection. However, after learning that Flash (Barry Allen) has been infected and is spreading the virus at a catastrophic rate,Superman flies through him to kill him.
In doing so,he is pierced by a piece of infected bone, which infects himand causes him to become one of the undead, essentially ‘killing’ him. A cure is eventually created, and Superman is saved. So, while Darkseid came close to ending the Man of Steel through the Anti-Life equation he unleashed, Clark ultimately prevailed thanks to the efforts of DC’s other heroes.
DC vs. Vampires: All-Out War #6(2022) by Matthew Rosenberg, Pasquale Qualano, and More
Deadman is one of DC’s more underrated characters, and his name may not be immediately recognizable to some casual fans due to his lesser prominence compared to other heroes. However, the important thing to know about him is that he is a ghost with the ability to possess people. This ability proves vital inMatthew Rosenberg’sDC vs. Vampires: All-Out War, a sequel to his vampire apocalypseElseworlds talethat follows Deathstroke, Booster Gold, Azrael, and Mary Marvel as they struggle to survive and end the vampire apocalypse.
The story culminates in a battle with the vampiric Superman, who kills both Booster Gold and Deathstroke during the fight. However,Deadman then possesses Deathstroke’s body and sneaks up behind a distracted Superman, impaling him in the chest with a Kryptonian-killing sword. This stands as one of the most surprising and badass Man of Steel kills to date.
2Alfred Pennyworth DESTROYED Superman Emotionally & Physically
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Year One#36 (2014) by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and More
Is Alfred’s violence or his disappointment worse?This is a question Superman may be particularly qualified to answer, as he experiences both in Tom Taylor’sInjustice: Gods Among Usseries. ThisElseworldstale sees Superman become a tyrannical authority over Earth after the Joker tricks him into killing Lois Lane and their unborn child. The tragedy fractures the hero community, with some siding with Superman’s rule and others joining Batman’s resistance.
After a confrontation in the Batcave, where Superman critically injures Bruce, Alfred steps in, having taken a superpower-giving pill. He tells Clark how deeply disappointed he is before headbutting and beating him into the cave’s floor.Alfred arguably could have killed Superman in this moment, but chose not to.
1Wonder Woman Killed Superman (& Then Used His Spine as a Weapon)
Daniel Warren Johnson’sWonder Woman: Dead Earthis a Black Label story set in an alternate universe where humans unleash nuclear war on the Amazons, obliterating Diana’s people. Wonder Woman had previously urged Superman to intervene more directly with the humans, but Clark assured her that the conflict would not escalate to nuclear war.
When the Amazons are wiped out, Wonder Woman channels her grief, pain, and anger into a no-holds-barred fight against Superman that destroys what remains of the Earth. The battle culminates with Diana, holding a piece of Kryptonite, pummeling the Man of Steel to death. Later, the story shows her wieldingSuperman’s spine as her latest weapon, preparing to save the Earth she andSupermandestroyed.
