Superman's Best Crossover In Years Changes DC's Strongest Family Forever In The Perfect Way

Published Oct 4, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT Mark has been a comic book journalist for over 15 years and has interviewed comic book creators like Gail Simone and Caspar Wijngaard. And when he's not writing, he's working on beating his record of 1,200 comics read in a year. Sign in to your ScreenRant account One of DC’s most important characters in and outside comic books is the Man of Steel, Superman. Beyond being the epitome of right fighting wrong, Kal-El is beloved by fans worldwide. Even people who think that he’s too much of a goodie-two-shoes acknowledge that he’s everything that a hero should aspire to be. That thought was proven once again during the recent DC Comics event, Kingdom of Zod. The Kingdom of Zod event featured the big Superman family titles Supergirl (written by Sophie Campbell), Action Comics (Mark Waid), Superman Unlimited (Dan Slott), and Superman (Joshua Williamson). It also featured the return of Clark Kent, who’s been gone since the finale of DC K.O. Of course, Kal-El couldn’t return to peace. Longtime enemy of the House of El, Dru-Zod, returned to Earth to get his powers back from Lois Lane and finally kill everyone connected to the family he hates. Oh, and he obviously wants to take over the world. To do so, he used the asteroid of Green Kryptonite that fell to Earth in Superman Unlimited #1 to infect the entire planet with an illness that no one was immune to. After nine hard-fought chapters, which involved time travel, curing the world in less than 200 seconds, almost dying, and more, the heroes saved Earth. More importantly, for comic book fans, it was the perfect example of how heroic the Super Family is. It’s also a great starting point for new readers. Kingdom Of Zod Is A Great Jumping-On Point DC Comics Discovering a starting point with comic books can be difficult. There are hundreds of classic storylines (with new ones coming every year) and a finite amount of time in the day to read them. The only thing a new fan can do is find a project to start with and follow it. While it has a bit of a learning curve, Superman: Kingdom of Zod does that for anyone who wants to know about the Super Family and the Last Son of Krypton in the modern continuity, and understand what's next for each member. For Superman, it was his return after being away from comics for almost a year. Like always, he comes back like a god, prepared to save the day. However, he’s returning to a world that’s been infected with Green Kryptonite, and one of his worst enemies is in power. Despite having everything going against him, he finds a way to save the day. It shows that he will always fight regardless of the odds. None of this is shocking because it's what he does. Nevertheless, he was still impressive. For example, there's a moment when Supes takes precious time to save one of his villains, Metallo. When his cellmate asked why he’d do that, the response was simple. “Because he’s Superman.” It was everything that fans know about the Man of Steel, and something even some of his villains understand. The Super Family's New Storylines Set Up Radical Changes Throughout writer/artist Sophie Campbell’s Supergirl, she’s made Kara Zor-El a relatable character. This isn’t difficult because she’s essentially a god. Campbell does so by showing Supergirl's desire to help everyone. This is very much like her cousin, Kal-El, but Kara does things differently. She balances a social life, and this shows her friends she cares about them. Clark Kent does this too, but he’s not always great at balancing his two lives. One of the tragic things that came out of Kingdom of Zod was Superboy aka Conner Kent getting impostor syndrome in the face of feeling increasingly sidelined. To add to his troubles, Superboy-Prime’s attempt to become a better hero and man left Conner furious that people have given Prime a second chance after he killed Conner in the events of Infinite Crisis. That resentment and self-doubt led him right into the arms of his father, Lex Luthor, who says it’s time they talked, father to son, possibly setting up a darker, or at least more complicated chapter in Conner's story. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN Lastly, there’s Jonathan Kent. After going by Superman for years, he adopted the new name, Tomorrow Man. After a talk with Booster Gold, Jon learns that his new alias becomes legendary in his timeline, opening doors to new adventures with a sense of agency as the young son of Superman steps out of his father's shadow. This likely removed any insecurities and hesitations Jon may have had about leaving the Superman name behind, and it shows in the final special issue. All of these new storylines are fantastic entry points if you want to jump (or fly) into Superman or Super Family titles. Not only are the characters wonderful, but the writers and artists have made this something special. Any fan, new or old, can get into this part of DC Comics and leave happy every new comic book day. Movie(s) Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman, Man of Tomorrow TV Show(s) Adventures of Superman, Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series, My Adventures With Superman Comic Superman (2023) First Film Superman Genres Superhero, Action Cast Christopher Reeve, David Corenswet, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin, Margot Kidder, Rachel Brosnahan, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Gene Hackman, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg