

Superman returns, reassembles the Justice League and tries to take back control, with dire consequences. This loosens the last bounds of restraint among the new generation of metahumans, who begin to fight one another with abandon. The death of Captain Atom causes a nuclear explosion that destroys most of the American Midwest. That is, until a tragedy strikes in Kansas. With the absence of the old heroes and the abundance of a new, more reckless generation, the world has become a bit grimmer, a bit more pessimistic and hopeless, but nevertheless seems to keep turning. The Silver Age superheroes follow him, in some cases retiring completely, in others sticking to their own small areas.

Written by Mark Waid and beautifully painted by Alex Ross, Kingdom Come depicts a dystopian future in which Superman has retired due to the public's preference for heroes who will use lethal force. A DC Universe and Elseworlds graphic novel, published in 1996.
