Was the Death of Superman a big deal?

[Deset Gled]

This thread got me thinking about something.

When Superman died in the 90s, it was big news. A complete game changer that threw the nerd world for a loop and had lasting effects on multiple series of comics. Such a big deal that knowledge of it crossed into mainstream media. I remember it even making it to the nightly news. But nowadays, the trope is heavily overused. The death of a super hero is now so common it's groan-worthy to hear about.

The thing is, don't know if the above synopsis is accurate. I know superheroes died before the Superman comic arc. I think Superman even had an earlier TV episode where he "died". And I know the "not really dead" trope is much older than I am. And some current comic fans must still like that kind of story, because it seems to still sell.

So my question is: Do you think the Death of Superman story was historically significant? How much of my memory is accurate and how much is tint from rose colored glasses? Have there been any other franchise character deaths (not necessarily comic/super heroes) before or since that have had the same impact?

 

[billd91]

I'm not sure it constitutes history as far as being a major game-changer in the industry. Maybe it was significant in that even the biggest icon in the industry was subject to sensationalist gimmicks to raise sales.

 

[Umbran]

So my question is: Do you think the Death of Superman story was historically significant? How much of my memory is accurate and how much is tint from rose colored glasses? Have there been any other franchise character deaths (not necessarily comic/super heroes) before or since that have had the same impact?

In comic book history? It wasn't precedent setting, if that's what you mean.

The "hero dies and that spurs major events through the comic universe along with their rebirth" was done with Jean Grey/Phoenix/Dark Phoenix in 1977 - 1980..

 

[Ed_Laprade]

And the only reason his death became a big deal in the news media was that it was a slow news day when that issue hit the stands. A reeaallly slow news day.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Yes, though it did mean that several spin-off characters became the stars of the Superman comics for about a year, including Steel and Superboy (a pre-pubescent clone).

 

[Morrus]

For me, on another continent before the Internet existed, this was in newspapers. It was a big deal to me. But I was a giant geek.

It made the papers (not page one, obviously).

Comic book characters died. But this was before Marvel made Iron Man big (I'd never heard of him before that). Superman dying was the biggest event comic books could possibly conjure.

It was the only thing to make it into newspapers halfway around the world. Take that as you will!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

It really was big.

Sure, other major characters had died, before and since. But Supes is THE superhero. The icon that most think of when the word is bandied about. One of the few who had newspaper syndication. The "super American" in so many ways.

And it wasn't just media hype. There was also collector hype and hype fr the regular fans.

I was still buying comics in those days, and I remember standing in line so I could buy no more than 3 copies of the issue (I bought only one). And while I was standing in line, there were customers who took their multiple copies and were selling their surplus issues at $200 per comic.

...and were getting it.

Unlike any other character death before or since, Superman's demise spawned a host of clones & shadows. Not just in DC's storylines, or Marvel's, but in the superheroic continuities of virtually every other company in the market at the time.

 

[Ryujin]

I would say that the death was news, because it was one of the original greats who was getting the axe. That made it more significant than things like the Dark Phoenix arc. There are well loved characters and then there are icons, that set the bar.

The real game changer was when something that was so hyped became just another sales gimmick. Character death became completely meaningless. That's why you hear people pulling out that trope constantly.

 

[Tonguez]

It was big news because lets face it, before the 2000s and until the Marvel Movieverse happened Superman was the only superhero that was well known outside of the target audience.

Supermans death made news around the world and the whole question of how could the indestructable man of steel be killed actually was a soundbite on mainstream TV. The hype was huge

The influence was mediocre and the significance negligible. especially once everyone realised that Superhero deaths weren't final and God-level saviours like Supes fell out of fashion in the new millennium where Batmans gadgets are sold at KMart and Ironmans armoured suit is about to be standard issue in the armed forces...

 

[Deset Gled]

It was the only thing to make it into newspapers halfway around the world. Take that as you will!

Was Superman as intensely American when he made news over there? I remember noticing that at some point his slogan changed from "Truth, justice, and the American way" to "Truth, justice, and peace for all mankind". Now I'm tempted to research when that happened.

The influence was mediocre and the significance negligible. especially once everyone realised that Superhero deaths weren't final and God-level saviours like Supes fell out of fashion in the new Millennium where Batmans gadgets are sold at KMart and Ironmans armoured suit is about to be standard issue in the armed forces...

Those statements seam contradictory. If Superman dying was the story that showed the world that superhero deaths weren't final, and was the last time people cared to hear about infallible heroes, it sounds pretty darn influential. Just not in a positive way.