Does 1992's Superman Special Hold Clues To Reborn?

[Atomic Man]

If you're as old as I am, you remember the hype that surrounded the Death of Superman even before the first issue hit. Doomsday's origin was speculated on by many, along with how Superman would return from the dead, if at all. Speculation abounded that DC had quietly introduced the means for Superman's return via the Walt Simonson Superman Special, which updated the Sand Superman storyline by Dennis O'Neil and cemented it as part of the post-COIE canon. At the climax of the issue, the art and dialogue is vague as to which Superman survived the battle: the original, or the sand duplicate, which had now fully become Superman.

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DC didn't acknowledge the story in the main Super titles, but speculation has arisen over the last few years that the Superman who died fighting Doomsday only to later return to life was the Sand Superman. Fans of this theory suggest this is why Superman's powers were out of wack for a long time following his return, including an arc that saw his powers make him too dangerous to remain on Earth. That arc eventually resolved, but Superman lost his powers during Final Night, which eventually fed into Superman Blue.

This article makes a number of interesting points in its suggestion that the real Superman died in 1988 and was replaced by a doppelganger that was, for all intents and purposes, really Superman. The fact that he wasn't, however, means that there were various power issues and that kryptonite played a role in restoring him to full power in Superman #82.

Let's consider for a second that the real Superman survived the battle with the Sand Creature. We never see what happens to it after it fully becomes Superman and is knocked unconscious or killed. Did Superman keep the body in the Fortress? Did the body return to a sand-state?

The story was never referred to again, and the only reference to the Sand Superman saga (pre or post-COIE) came during the Action Comics Future's end tie-in. The issue was written by Sholly Fisch, but the series itself was overseen by Dan Jurgens. The Sand Superman in this possible future imparts a measure of Superman's powers to regular people because the real Superman has given up his superhero career.

Whether or not the Future's End issue has any bearing, could it be that Manhattan, needing a Superman for his New 52 revision of the DCU, used the replica Superman in the Fortress? This would explain New 52 Superman's appearance after his death. This would also mean that New 52 Superman is still a duplicate of Superman, a la Superman Red, but has not only lived his New 52 life, but also shares a good portion of the post-COIE, pre-Flashpoint Superman's as well.

Let's go another way with this theory: what if the real Superman did die? The climax of the Special certainly makes it seem as if that's what happened. If Zero Hour and the other temporal crises that followed didn't erase the story, have we been dealing with a fake Superman all this time? If so, the Superman that became the New 52 Superman would be the real guy, assuming any of this plays into Rebirth and Superman Reborn.

[Truman Burbank]

A version of Sand Superman showed up in the Truth storyline. Easy to miss because of how awful the story was, but there was a reappearance.

[Kuwagaton]

I really dug that story as a one shot more than the original arc. But I have to doubt that it'll ever be that relevant.

[David Walton]

All the clues point to Rebirth involving the Electric Superman storyline from the 90s. So unless they somehow tie that into the Sand Superman one-shot, I doubt it has any bearing.

I never actually read the issue. I do remember seeing an interview with Simonson where he said the intention was never to imply that Superman had been replaced. Of course, things change.

[Atomic Man]

All the clues point to Rebirth involving the Electric Superman storyline from the 90s. So unless they somehow tie that into the Sand Superman one-shot, I doubt it has any bearing.

I never actually read the issue. I do remember seeing an interview with Simonson where he said the intention was never to imply that Superman had been replaced. Of course, things change.

I highly recommend the issue. It's a great story with even better art by Simonson and it's definitely intended to be a part of the canon, as Luthor is the post-COIE version and has the cybernetic hand he used after getting cancer from his kryptonite ring. If I remember correctly, Simonson has said the issue was intended to be released in '88 but was delayed when DC moved away from annuals and specials. He also told a fan when asked about the implication that the real Superman died and was replaced by the Sand Superman something along the lines of "if that's what you want it to mean." His art clearly shows the Sand Superman thinking he's the real deal at the climax and then cradling the dead (or unconscious) Superman in his arms.

Jerry Ordway entirely dismissed the notion that the issue had any relevance to the Death and Return saga, but that doesn't mean it had some relevance prior to the Clone Saga happening nearly the same time at Marvel.

[Atomic Man]

I really dug that story as a one shot more than the original arc. But I have to doubt that it'll ever be that relevant.

It's definitely better than the original, even as much as I love O'Neill and Swan. I don't know if it will be relevant either, but there has to be something going on with the sandy remains of New 52 Superman and Lois.

[Kuwagaton]

It was actually my initial reaction to the 2016 death of Superman. Dude's name was Denny Swan after all. It feels strange to have readers trek back to an obscure 1992 one shot, but anything is possible.

I won't say Simonson outdid Swan, but I think he was certainly a more natural Superman writer than O'Neil. I think he would have done more if Kirby had done more.

[David Walton]

I highly recommend the issue. It's a great story with even better art by Simonson and it's definitely intended to be a part of the canon, as Luthor is the post-COIE version and has the cybernetic hand he used after getting cancer from his kryptonite ring. If I remember correctly, Simonson has said the issue was intended to be released in '88 but was delayed when DC moved away from annuals and specials. He also told a fan when asked about the implication that the real Superman died and was replaced by the Sand Superman something along the lines of "if that's what you want it to mean." His art clearly shows the Sand Superman thinking he's the real deal at the climax and then cradling the dead (or unconscious) Superman in his arms.

Jerry Ordway entirely dismissed the notion that the issue had any relevance to the Death and Return saga, but that doesn't mean it had some relevance prior to the Clone Saga happening nearly the same time at Marvel.

I guess part of the fun of comics is that these things can take a life of their own and then come back with a vengeance.

Marvel never intended for there to be any ambiguity about who was the clone and who was the real Peter Parker when they concluded the original Clone Saga. But intentional or not, they blew that door wide open when Peter never even looked at the results of Connors' tests, deciding that because he loved Mary Jane he must have been the original.

So, yeah, it could come into play. Maybe they'll even tie up some loose ends about what exactly happened in the Electric Superman saga from the 90s, because it was never entirely clear.

[Jim Kelly]

There had been speculation that the Simonson Sand Superman would be a way to undo the marriage, as Lois had married the Sand Thing not the Superguy. Which would be cool. But I think the time to do that was around 2000 (around when they were trying to find a different direction for Superman). I think, as more time went by, the Sand Superman was less likely, because it would ask too much from readers to bring in a story now so old (and largely ignored).

I'm glad though that this fan theory hasn't been forgotten--I thought I was alone in remembering it.

I've always liked Walt Simonson's art, but to say that his work is superior to the original Swanderson Sand Superman Saga (that stretched over nine months, not just one Special) is something I just can't agree to. Curt and Murph's art was Amazing! Denny O'Neil never knew how to write Superman, without taking away his powers, but the Sand Superman Saga is the thing that brought me back to Superman--and it occupies a special place in my heart.

[Kuwagaton]

I'd never visited your blog before but that was an excellent read. Thanks for sharing, Jim.

I think revealing that Doomsday killed the Sand Superman (or however that was supposed to work) is alright in concept but would have been carried out poorly. The comic stretch from 1988 to 1992 was very big and very good so discarding all that stuff would have felt cheap. If Sand Superman was basically the same guy then it wouldn't dissolve the engagement, either, unless Lois decided to walk away from that whole creepy thing. The worst part is that the special didn't even come out in 1988, so instead of being a seeded story it would have been a last minute add-on.

[RedWhiteAndBlueSupes]

Wow, good post Atomic Man, this is certainly interesting, the thing being so many writers/editors have come gone since then I think it would be a stretch, but its not impossible to have Johns pull something like this out of obscurity. And I wouldn't be surprised if having the Nuperman turn into sand bears some foreshadowing

Whether or not the Future's End issue has any bearing, could it be that Manhattan, needing a Superman for his New 52 revision of the DCU, used the replica Superman in the Fortress? This would explain New 52 Superman's appearance after his death. This would also mean that New 52 Superman is still a duplicate of Superman, a la Superman Red, but has not only lived his New 52 life, but also shares a good portion of the post-COIE, pre-Flashpoint Superman's as well.

Uh....Somewhat likely, or maybe he never came back to life after ROTSM but just was hangin in the fortress the whole time? Or maybe he's the original pre-crisis sand superman?

Let's go another way with this theory: what if the real Superman did die? The climax of the Special certainly makes it seem as if that's what happened. If Zero Hour and the other temporal crises that followed didn't erase the story, have we been dealing with a fake Superman all this time? If so, the Superman that became the New 52 Superman would be the real guy, assuming any of this plays into Rebirth and Superman Reborn.

I think that would be pretty unlikely, but food for thought for sure.