Warning: Spoilers for Superman (2023) #21 ahead!
Doomsdayis back in Metropolis, and try as he might,Supermancan’t hold off their upcoming confrontation forever. When a new Dc Comics villain appears and demands to take Doomsday into custody, their connection to Superman’s killer has shocking implications for one of themost famous comic book stories of the 1990s.
InSuperman (2023)#21 – written by Joshua Williamson and with art by Dan Mora, – Superman struggles to enjoy his date night with Lois, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before Doomsday breaches his containment at Supercorp. Just as Superman manages to attain some level of calm, a new villain calling themselves the Aftermath appear over Metropolis and demand Doomsday be remanded into their custody.
Although the Aftermath declare their attire to be their traditional funeral garb,lore-savvy readers will notice that they wear the exact same containment suits Doomsday wore in his debut.
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Superman#21 – Written By Joshua Williamson; Art By Dan Mora; Color By Alejandro Sánchez; Lettering By Ariana Maher
Doomsday first appeared inSuperman: The Man Of Steel (1991)#18 – written by Louise Simonson, with art by Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke – where he smashes through countless steel walls to break into the outside world.Doomsday’s form is an enigmaat first, as he wears a strange grey-green suit wrapped in odd alien technology; it is only after his suit is damaged in a fight with the Justice League that readers finally see the rocky monstrosity within. Although the reveal is dramatic, no explanation for the suit is given throughout the rest oftheDeath of Supermanarc.
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Doomsday’s strength is legendary, but Superman’s killer has only gotten stronger and he’s about to come back for one hell of a rematch.
Doomsday’s origins were finally revealed inSuperman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey (1994),written by Dan Jurgens with art by Brett Breeding). In issue two, it was revealed that Doomsday is actually an ancient bioweapon known as “the Ultimate,” genetically modified on Krypton. When the Ultimate broke free, it went on a galactic killing spreeuntil it is finally stopped on the planet Calaton,where its body was bound in their funerary customs, before being ejected into space– and subsequently crash-landing on Earth. Doomsday eventually broke free after thousands of years, kicking off the events ofThe Death of Superman.
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The Calatonians' Re-Emergence Has Major Lore Implications
This confirms that the Aftermath are in fact the remnants of Calaton, joined with the descendants of Doomsday’s ancient reign of destruction. This is a deep cut into DC’s cosmology, bringing a player back onto the intergalactic stage lost for hundreds of thousands of years. Although The Aftermath are a major threat to Earth, their presence is potentially a major boon instead: as the first civilization to successfully thwart Doomsday, their input could be vital for helping Superman and his family stop Doomsday once and for all.
The Aftermath are a major lore deep-cut, connected to bothThe Death of Supermanand Doomsday’s origin, tying contemporary Superman to some of the greatest adventures of his past.
The Aftermath represent a major callback to decades-old Superman lore, which is great to see: contemporary comics are often so preoccupied with creating their own storylines that they reject or outright contradict what has come before. The fact thatSuperman (2023)can seamlessly weave such old storylines meaningfully into modern issues shows great appreciation and care forSupermanlore, and is a good sign moving forward. The Aftermath are a major lore deep-cut, connected to bothThe Death of SupermanandDoomsday’sorigin, tying contemporarySupermanto some of the greatest adventures of his past.
Superman (2023)#21is available now from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
