Fate of "Prime Earth" (New 52) Superman Speculation

[suemorphplus209]

I am not sure what makes anyone think they will ever bother bringing back New 52 Superman, it looks to me like they are really trying to wipe him clean out of the picture. Yeah, it's disappointing that they don't seem to do much with him on his own but figure that hey, let's dump truth on him, let's dump Doomed on him, etc. Looks like DC hates the guy and just used him to get some interest in the character.

[manofsteel1979]

My latest idea is that Solarman is going to lose it completely and try to set off a solar flare that would kill anything in a significant radius. Superman grabs him and takes the two in the air, and once they get out of the atmosphere the flare goes off, seemingly killing them both, but not leaving any physical remains behind. The power that Solarman was wielding will then turn back into pure energy and falls back to Earth and picks Lois as a new host. The criminal is dead but Superman's simply disappeared, leaving most thinking he just disintegrated but leaving the door open for other possibilities of his fate.

I think this is VERY likely.
Perhaps the only thing left behind is pieces of the kryptoarmor or even the tattered cape, since we are going through The death and return of Superman saga 2016 anniversary remix , may as well bring back the most indelible image of that era, I.e. the tattered cape fluttering in the wind.

[Sacred Knight]

If the cape survives maybe Lois can wear it as Superwoman. I thought one cover of the Super-Man showed Kenan holding what looked like the S shield, but I don't know if that's to be taken literally yet.

Then in a few months down the road they can show that before the flare went off something pulls Superman into a vortex to places unknown (the Zone, the future, something like that). I personally think it'd be boss if it were Mon-El, but I don't quite get the feeling there's a whole lot of interest in him anymore, especially with the Legion out of publication. But hell, Superman's return would be a great time to get them going again too.

[DieHard200904]

I am not sure what makes anyone think they will ever bother bringing back New 52 Superman, it looks to me like they are really trying to wipe him clean out of the picture. Yeah, it's disappointing that they don't seem to do much with him on his own but figure that hey, let's dump truth on him, let's dump Doomed on him, etc. Looks like DC hates the guy and just used him to get some interest in the character.

1) We are coming up on the 25th Anniversary of the Death and Return of Superman
2) We are having a run with characters of Steel, Eradicator, etc. who showed up during reign of the Supermen
3) Personally, since DC does not know what to do with Superman and tries about every sales gimmick there is, I wouldn't put it beyond them to be running around with two Supermen from a point of return until the end of rebirth, because that's a gimmick that appeals both ways.
4) Death and Return of Superman boosted sales of the Superman titles, I doubt that they would be discouraged from trying it again 25 years later.
5) Death and Return spawned spinoff characters.
6) If DC wants to sell like crazy, it's certainly an option to have two Supermen, they did it before. If myself and the others who think he is having a special anniversary for the Death and Return of Superman are wrong, then fine, we're wrong, but I see the fact that they are doing all these similar events stinks of a sales gimmick being repeated, with some modifications.

[vasir12]

If the cape survives maybe Lois can wear it as Superwoman. I thought one cover of the Super-Man showed Kenan holding what looked like the S shield, but I don't know if that's to be taken literally yet.

Then in a few months down the road they can show that before the flare went off something pulls Superman into a vortex to places unknown (the Zone, the future, something like that). I personally think it'd be boss if it were Mon-El, but I don't quite get the feeling there's a whole lot of interest in him anymore, especially with the Legion out of publication. But hell, Superman's return would be a great time to get them going again too.

I really think this idea of yours is the most likely. Doesn't explain the nature of the flare, but I think we'll all have to wait until the possible return for that.

[Sacred Knight]

I also wonder if they might pull a swerve after all and keep Hank Henshaw a good guy in this verse...and have Solarman be the guy who actually becomes the new Cyborg Superman. If he still exists after this story and his essence comes in contact with the current cyborg body for example. I'd still prefer Hank but this guy could work. It'd also give him some extra cache because, if my above theory turns out right, no way they have some no-name (literally, this guy not only has no official codename, I don't think his real name has even been given yet), one-off character be responsible for something like "killing" Superman. Even if we all know he's not really dead. Doomsday at least had tons of hype physical presence to him even though he was brand new. Solarman has been, to date, treated as little more than a nuisance.

[vasir12]

Still don't see a reason to change the identity of Cyborg Superman. Him being Zor-el give emotional weight to Kara

[Sacred Knight]

To each their own, but I still think its goofy. He's a Superman villain and should stay as such if he's going to be around at all. And to me its a disservice of to the character of Zor-El to have him essentially a villainous zombie trapped in a mechanical body. I like when he's characterized as having been a little more eccentric than Jor-El, but I've always hated attempts to make him border on villainy even before this. It doesn't work on any level for me, and I'm hoping his return to Supergirl for Rebirth is specifically to end it and have the real soul inside die a hero.

[Flash Gordon]

Still don't see a reason to change the identity of Cyborg Superman. Him being Zor-el give emotional weight to Kara

Yeah, I actually think there's a lot of meat there for good stories.

[CowGirl]

My latest idea is that Solarman is going to lose it completely and try to set off a solar flare that would kill anything in a significant radius. Superman grabs him and takes the two in the air, and once they get out of the atmosphere the flare goes off, seemingly killing them both, but not leaving any physical remains behind. The power that Solarman was wielding will then turn back into pure energy and falls back to Earth and picks Lois as a new host. The criminal is dead but Superman's simply disappeared, leaving most thinking he just disintegrated but leaving the door open for other possibilities of his fate.

After reading the latest issue I thought something very similar. I found that Superman "dying" because of this will be underwhelming but we have just a few issues ahead and there's no other impending threat. Definitely Lois will get her powers from this Superman (a part of them at least).

[DieHard200904]

Does anyone have anything about the two Superman era Pre-Crisis? Thanks.

[Prime]

Does anyone have anything about the two Superman era Pre-Crisis? Thanks.

Earth one and Earth two?

[adrikito]

1) We are coming up on the 25th Anniversary of the Death and Return of Superman
.

My only hope.. this anniversary.. which month of 2017 is the anniversary? October or November?

although .. if this is not true. It would be my last disappointment with superman.. Now I hate the superdad.

[DieHard200904]

Earth one and Earth two?

Yeah, that one.

[DieHard200904]

My only hope.. this anniversary.. which month of 2017 is the anniversary? October or November?

although .. if this is not true. It would be my last disappointment with superman.. Now I hate the superdad.

Well, don't. All I am saying is that hating that character doesn't mean much. DC COmics were the ones who put him through Grounded, made him "lose" his universe, and act in a somewhat unrelatable way of hiding and making the world somehow not know that there is a second Superman. I mean, if I was Pre52 I can tell you what I would do, because I have a marriage and a son, soon to be two sons, and I have already done it in the sense of going out of my way to render assistance, but if I was Pre52, I would feel that great urge to go to N52 Superman and let him in on the fact that I existed in that universe, and that he could come to me for help, at that point, it's clear that he has his own SID business to keep. But honestly, my own rage is at DC COmics, because they are the ones who didn't really plan this whole thing out, they just throw at the wall to see what sticks. If I were at DC, I would run some New Earth stuff every now and then, and if the New Earth material did well enough, well, build on it.

What also has been pointed out by multiple people is that N52 Superman is at a similar point in his publication history to where the "death" occurred. (6 years P52, 5 years N52).