Despite all his amazing gifts, Superman is not unbeatable. Having said that, he certainly claims victory in the vast majority of battles he engages in and challenges he faces. His many victories are what make the loses more heartbreaking, particularly ones that hit closest to home for the Man of Steel.
While the lives of others are always at stake, sometimes Superman is simply physically outmatched. But the most gut-wrenching losses came, not when Superman merely lost a battle of strength and power, but when he couldn’t save those around him. It’s rare in comics and because of that, Superman’s physical, emotional or moral losses are usually memorable.
10 A Legendary Heavyweight Matchup With Muhammad Ali
Written by Dennis O’Neil and illustrated by Neal Adams, Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali was published in 1976 and featured a legendary fight between Superman and Muhammad Ali. The story is quite ridiculous on paper, but very memorable in execution. The cover alone, with its plethora of cameos and easter eggs is easily recognized among fans.
Superman and Ali fight to determine which of them will represent Earth in a subsequent fight to save it. Superman, depowered to make the contest fair, ultimately loses to “The Greatest.” Ali would go on to defeat the invading aliens’ champion and save the world with Superman’s help.
9 The Unending Rage Of Superboy-Prime
The ending of the original Crisis On Infinite Earths saw the collapse of the multiverse into one singular universe with a shared history and characters. This, however, entailed some heroes and villains of past universes forgotten, such as Superman and Lois of Earth 2 and Superboy of Earth-Prime.
During the sequel, Infinite Crisis, by Geoff Johns, these forgotten characters escaped their pocket dimension. Superboy-Prime, angered at the state of the now dominant universe, sought to kill Connor Kent and take his place, leading to an explosive battle in which Superboy-Prime was able to defeat the Superman of Earth 1.
8 Determining Who The Fastest Man Alive Is
Who’s the fastest superhero in DC Comics, Superman or The Flash? It’s a debate that used to have more weight before writers eventually favored one victor. Not surprisingly, The Flash. With his access to the Speed Force, and often being able to reach lightspeed and time travel, is now seen as the fastest, no question.
But back in 1967 in Superman #199, Superman and The Flash raced for charity. It ended in a tie, leaving readers to still guess who was the fastest. This contest would lose merit over time, with Geoff Johns finally ending the debate once and for all in Flash: Rebirth where Barry Allen admits that Superman had only ever won because he let him.
7 Pushing Superman Over The Edge
The Injustice universe differed from the mainline universe in small, inconsequential ways until the Joker committed one of his most heinous acts against Superman. Tricking the Man of Steel with a combination of fear gas and kryptonite, Superman believed he was killing Doomsday when he was actually killing Lois.
As if things weren’t horrible enough, the Joker had tied Lois’s heartbeat to a bomb in Metropolis. Once her heart stopped, the bomb activated and Superman’s wife and home died on the same day. The losses piled up when Superman learned Lois was pregnant. These are arguably the greatest losses Superman suffered. The toll on his mind and spirit led to the events of Injustice.
6 The Destruction Of Kansas In Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come is one of the books that every fan should have on their shelves. Not only is it a cool, original exploration of a possible future in the DC universe, every page drawn by Alex Ross could easily be in an art exhibit for its detail and beauty.
A new generation of heroes rises as the old generation retires. In a battle with Parasite, Captain Atom’s shell is ripped, causing a nuclear explosion that destroys Kansas. Superman feels that had he been there he could have possibly prevented it. This act, as well as the growing violence among the new heroes, forces Superman out of retirement.
5 Taking The Goal Of Killing Superman To The Extreme
Connected to Kingdom Come, Mark Waid wrote The Kingdom, which acted as a prequel to the original. Here, the villain Gog intends to travel back in time and accelerate the Kansas disaster seen in the original. It features time traveling and universe-hopping with multiple versions of classic DC heroes, as well as appearances from cosmic beings like Phantom Stranger.
Ultimately, Gog gets his wish of killing Superman of the Kingdom Come universe. He travels back in time a day earlier to kill that Superman too. He repeats this process, accumulating more and more Supermen deaths, unsatisfied with each one.
4 Alfred Gets His Hands Dirty In Injustice
Alfred Pennyworth filled the role of mentor, teacher, father, confidant, and friend to Bruce and the rest of the Bat-Family. He’s filled these roles for other DC universe heroes as well, even Superman. In Injustice: Gods Among Us #36, Superman breaks into the Batcave, breaking Bruce’s back. Alfred ingests a pill that grants him a Kryptonian’s strength and proceeds to beat Superman to a bloody pulp.
There were enough signs that Superman’s actions had gone too far. What he’d done after Lois’ death was more villainous than heroic. After pushing Alfred to his breaking point and forcing his hand, it should have been enough to convince Injustice Superman of his misguided ways. Ultimately, it was not.
3 Superman Joins The Dark Side
In an Elseworlds limited series titled Superman: The Dark Side, written by John Francis Moore and illsutrated by Kieron Dwyer, Kal-El’s ship crashed on Apokolips instead of Metropolis. There, he’s raised by Darkseid and becomes his disciple in the destruction of New Genesis.
As with many Elseworlds stories, The Dark Side is a fun exploration of how Superman differs depending on his environments. Many mainline comics explore the importance of Superman’s upbringings, but it’s comics like The Dark Side that solidify the Kent’s influence on Superman’s ideals and morals. This loss is not so much a physical one as a moral one. Superman missed out on the best version of himself.
2 “I Want You To Remember The One Man Who Beat You”
Frank Miller crafted one of the most defining and influential graphic novels ever in The Dark Knight Returns. The story is revolutionary and the art is beautiful. The world has turned its back on superheroes and Bruce Wayne has turned his back on the world. After donning the cape and cowl once more, the government sends Superman to apprehend the vigilante Batman.
This sparks a confrontation between Superman and an armored-up Batman. With the help of some gadgets, a kryptonite arrow, and the fact Superman just survived a nuclear explosion, Batman defeats the Man of Steel, before faking his own death. It’s a loss that Superman needed as he reconsidered his role in the world.
1 The Death Of Superman By Doomsday’s Hand
Though Superman had “died” in comic books before, those deaths were either extremely short-lived, retconned or fantasies. In 1993, in Superman #75, Superman died fighting the seemingly unstoppable monster Doomsday. With two seismic blows, Superman and Doomsday killed each other in the destroyed streets of Metropolis.
The death was real, and although it would eventually be reversed in the following year of stories, Superman’s death severely impacted both the DC fictional universe and the real world as well. The world reacted as the fictional one had, printing news articles, features on talk shows, and sporting Superman apparel, all to pay tribute to the character they love.
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About The Author
Cole Kennedy (19 Articles Published)
Cole spends most of his free time reading comics and fantasy novels, or watching TV and movies. If there’s capes and superpowers involved, he’s interested. He will forever debate which fictional characters would win in hypothetical fights, no matter how detrimental to his social life.