Plot

Screenwriter Max Landis accounts DC's 1992 multi-issue story arc "The Death and Return of Superman," pointing out various plot holes and featuring a number of celebrity cameos.

While drinking Johnnie Walker mixed with water, Max Landis talks about Superman and how he influenced the world of comic book superheroes until his fading popularity in the 1990s. DC Comics executives concluded that for Superman (Morgan Krantz) to be relevant again, he had to die. Landis describes the birth of Doomsday (Elden Henson) and the events that set up his battles with Superman until the deaths of both combatants. DC Comics shipped three million copies of Superman vol. 2 #75 worldwide, nearly all of which sold out within the first day of release.

A news report bulletin states a monster of alien origin (Doomsday) is leading a path of destruction towards Metropolis, and the Justice League (Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Eagle) were unable to stop the creature. Doomsday arrived inside a meteor. Lex Luthor tracked its arrival at the Atlantic ocean and saw it defeat the Atlantians before emerging on dry land and heading towards Metroplois. Lex theorizes that an alien civilization has sent Doomsday to defeat earth's greatest warriors before a land invasion. The titanic struggle between Superman and Doomsday reached a conclusion when the two delivered each other the killing blow. Superman succumbs to his injuries as he dies, as well as Doomsday.

After the death, DC Comics published the "Reign of the Supermen!" story arc, which introduced four characters claiming to be Superman (Superboy (grown by Lex Luthor as a clone of Superman), A Steel Armour Superman, Green Rays Superman and the Cyborg Superman). In absence of any real competition, they start fighting each other for dominance over Metropolis. One was Hank Henshaw, a cyborg version of Superman who defeated the other three and destroyed Coast City, causing Hal Jordan to lose his sense of reasoning and kill fellow members of the Green Lantern Corps. The Cyborg Superman continued his reign of terror until the real Superman appeared and defeated him.

Lex wants to use Superboy to further his marketing interests in the US but is betrayed as the US public accepts the Cyborg Superman as the true reborn incarnation of the original Superman. But it turns out that the Cyborg Superman is being controlled by an alien race, who order it to attack the Earth. Turns out that the Cyborg Superman was Hank Henshaw (Elijah Wood). Hank was an astronaut aboard a spaceship along with his wife Terri Henshaw, which was ripped apart when the Doomsday asteroid hurtled towards Earth. Terri died, but Hank's body survived. The same race which sent Doomsday, then harvested Hank's body to create Cyborg Superman.

On Cyborg Superman's watch mysterious alien creatures attack the Earth through a portal which destroys all members of the Justice league. It turns out later that they weren't really destroyed but transported to an alien asteroid. Cyborg Superman then recruits new volunteers for his new league and gives them superpowers through alien technology. This all turns out to be part of a master plan of the alien race to destroy Earth. Meanwhile Steel Superman figures out that the Green Ray superman is just a hologram and is protecting the body of the real superman, who is undergoing ion treatment at a secret facility deep on the Antarctic continent. His body was automatically transported there after his death by his spaceship, in which he arrived on Earth. Superman awakens as Steel Superman starts fighting the Green Ray Superman. Together they figure out the alien's plans and head to metropolis.

At the right time the Alien's activate Cyborg Superman who activates a portal that allows the alien race to push its armies onto Earth. It was revealed that Superman had emerged from a "healing coma", identical to death except temporary. Superman's resurrection was met with outrage from fans who felt betrayed by DC Comics; sales of Superman's comics declined and have never recovered ever since.

Hank Henshaw had faith in Superman before he died in his spacecraft and now wanted revenge on Superman, who never came to save him or his wife Terri. He is devastated that the aliens broke their promise to let him kill Superman. He frees himself from their signal and closes the portal. He turns his minions on Metropolis.

Lex Luthor uses his mother box to activate another portal to bring the Justice League back, who help defeat Cyborg Superman's minions. Superman intervenes before Cyborg Superman can attack Lois. After a protracted battle Superman kills the Cyborg Superman. Superman's resurrection was met with outrage from fans who felt betrayed by DC Comics; sales of Superman's comics declined and have never recovered ever since.

As he pours himself another drink, Landis recalls a lesson learned from his father John Landis about how to kill a vampire. After the younger Landis lists ways mentioned in vampire literature like a stake through the heart and sunlight, his father explains that writers can kill vampires any way they want because vampires do not exist. In essence, the "Death of Superman" story arc did not kill Superman; instead, it made death irrelevant in comics, as hundreds of comic book characters would die and resurrect multiple times in the years to come.