DC Retroactive: Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 2011. It was published on August 10, 2011.
Synopsis for "New Day, Final Destiny"
After saving a cruise ship from a bizarre whirlpool, Superman settles in for a good night's sleep. "Destiny" interrupts this by declaring that it is time and Superman's fate must be decided today. At first the Man of Steel tries to go back to sleep, but Destiny isn't having any of that. Destiny informs Superman that he must decide between two evils; one that leads to destruction and the other that leads to despair. Superman is suddenly in Metropolis where he is faced with a giant named The Dread who is busy laying the city to waste. The Dread blames the destruction on Superman, as the Man of Steel has thwarted his other attempts to destroy the world. When Superman fights back, the Dread gives him a choice; serve as his soldier allowing the people of Earth to live albeit as mindless, obedient slaves or, fight and the world dies. Destiny freezes time and shows Superman images of what the world would be like if he fought back including; Batman being broken, Hal Jordan going insane and Superman dying at the hands of a rampaging monster. Destiny even reveals that Supergirl would die as well.
Superman refuses to believe those are the only two options and swears that he will fight for the people of Earth as long as he can. He also figures out that the Destiny he has been speaking with is not the Destiny he encountered before.
Destiny believes that they have made the right choice and returns Superman to his apartment. Superman thinks that it was all just a dream. "Destiny", actually Harbinger in disguise, returns to the Monitor's satellite and they discuss Superman's actions and how the Dread may or may not exist someday. Meanwhile Superman calls his cousin to tell her about his dream and that she should be careful. Kara is confident that there isn't much that can hurt her and notes that there probably won't be any rampages today because a bad storm is moving in complete with red skies.
Appearing in "New Day, Final Destiny"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Dread (In dream sequence only)
- Bane (In dream sequence only)
- Joker (In dream sequence only)
- Catwoman (In dream sequence only)
- Penguin (In dream sequence only)
- Haley Quinn (In dream sequence only)
- Riddler (In dream sequence only)
- Mr. Freeze (In dream sequence only)
- Poison Ivy (In dream sequence only)
- Scarecrow (In dream sequence only)
- Two-Face (In dream sequence only)
Other Characters:
- Monitor
- Supergirl
- Hippolyta (In dream sequence only)
- Amazons of Paradise Island (In dream sequence only)
- Batman (In dream sequence only)
- Firestorm (In dream sequence only)
- Blue Beetle II (In dream sequence only)
- Zatanna (In dream sequence only)
- Captain Boomerang (In dream sequence only)
- Wonder Woman (In dream sequence only)
- Maxwell Lord (In dream sequence only)
- Hal Jordan (as Green Lantern and Parallax)(In dream sequence only)
- Green Lantern Corps (In dream sequence only)
- Guardians (In dream sequence only)
- Doomsday (In dream sequence only)
- Kid Flash (In dream sequence only)
- Flash II (In dream sequence only)
- Black Lantern Corps (In dream sequence only)
- A griffin (In dream sequence only)
- Some Pegasi (In dream sequence only)
- A demon (In dream sequence only)
- A bicefalous dragon (In dream sequence only)
- Dr. Light II (On a TV or computer screen)
- Amazing Man (On a TV or computer screen)
- Starfire (On a TV or computer screen)
- Nightwing (On a TV or computer screen)
- Elongated Man (On a TV or computer screen)
- Shining Knight (On a TV or computer screen)
- Winged Victory (On a TV or computer screen)
- Colossal Boy (On a TV or computer screen)
- Bat Lash (On a TV or computer screen)
- Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman (On a TV or computer screen)
- Endless (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- December 31, 1984
- Earth-One
- New Earth (In dream sequence only)
- Washington, D.C. (In dream sequence only)
- Gotham City (In dream sequence only)
Items:
- Book of Souls
- Two-Face's Coin (In dream sequence only)
- Brother Eye (In dream sequence only)
- Lasso of Truth (In dream sequence only)
Synopsis for "Day of Destiny!"
This story is reprinted from Superman #352.
Superman rescues a group of people from a fire blazing through a tenement building in Suicide Slum. Fire fighters are present to contain the blaze, but everyone is grateful that Superman could lend a hand. After performing several more heroic deeds, Superman meets Father Pérez who asks him to help build an orphanage for Hispanic children called "Superman House". Superman is only more than happy to help out.
Returning to his apartment, Superman finds the robed figure of Destiny waiting for him. Destiny tells Superman that humanity has become too dependent from him, and that he must cease functioning as Superman. Superman of course, refuses, but soon finds that he is unable to use his powers when he needs them the most. Reluctantly, he is forced to broadcast a public video announcing his retirement.
Later, two slum lords named Rose and Stone begin antagonizing Father Pérez and the other workers at Superman House. It is revealed that these men set fire to their own building in order to collect the insurance money. They attempt to sabotage the citizens' efforts to build Superman House, and Superman tries to stop them. Every time he attempts to use his powers though, Destiny intervenes. As it turns out, the citizens are able to solve their own problems without Superman's help. Superman realizes that sometimes it is better for normal people to solve their own problems without relying on Superman to get them out of every situation. Once Superman comes to accept this, Destiny enables Superman to use his powers again.
Appearing in "Day of Destiny!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Destiny
- Jimmy Olsen (Cameo)
- Josh Coyle (Cameo)
- Lana Lang (Cameo)
- Lois Lane
Antagonists:
- Barney Rose (Single appearance)
- Frederick Stone (Single appearance)
- Hostage Taker (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Two Criminals (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Citizens of Metropolis
- Metropolis Fire Department
- Metropolis Police Department
- D.A. office worker (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Lawyer (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Judge (Unnamed) (Cameo) (Single appearance)
- Father Perez (Single appearance)
- WGBS employee (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Justice League of America
- Flash (Cameo)
- Green Lantern (Cameo)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Suicide Slum
- el Barrio
- Lois Lane's Apartment
- Courtroom
- Metropolis Tower Restaurant
- Metro Park (Mentioned only)
- 344 Clinton Street
- Clark Kent's Apartment
- Superman House (under construction)
- Galaxy Communications Building
- WGBS Studios
- Daily Planet Offices
- Suicide Slum
- North Pole
- Fortress of Solitude (On a TV or computer screen)
Items:
- Book of Souls
- Daily Planet Newspaper
- Morning Herald Newspaper
Vehicles:
- El Train
Notes
- New Day, Final Destiny is a "lost tale" from the 1980s featuring Superman of Earth-One. It appears to take place immediately before Crisis on Infinite Earths #1.
- The "dream" where Destiny (actually Harbinger) makes allusions to various New Earth events, includes: Amazons Attack, Identity Crisis, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Blackest Night, Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight, Batman: No Man's Land, Infinite Crisis, Batman: Knightfall, Death of Superman and Last Stand of New Krypton.
Trivia
- Although the reader may be comfortable with the Harbinger/Destiny conversation, an Earth-One character like Superman would be confused. When Superman met the real Destiny in the pre-Crisis Multiverse, the entity never mentioned the existence of the Endless, which Harbinger does. There is no Bane or Harley Quinn in pre-Crisis continuity. Apparently, Harbinger wants to test Superman to see if it's worth fighting for the post-Crisis universe.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the DC Retroactive: Superman series
- Images from DC Retroactive: Superman-The '80s Vol 1 1
Recommended Reading
- Amazons Attack
- Knightfall
- No Man's Land
- Identity Crisis
- Infinite Crisis
- Emerald Twilight
- Crisis on Infinite Earths
- Death of Superman
- Last Stand of New Krypton
- Blackest Night