History ComicBook / KingdomCome

* ManlyTears: In the {{Novelization}}, Bruce and Dick hug and sob - the first time in decades for Bruce.

** Americommando is visually based on ComicBook/JudgeDredd, with a hint of [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} The Comedian]].

* HiddenDepths: Magog. He's a WellIntentionedExtremist, but he quickly becomes TheAtoner. For example, he's the only character who goes to The Gulag to simply introspect, spending his time in his room doing nothing but thinking. By the end, he's learned his lesson and has become a true hero (and teacher).

** Karma's laser is further guided by the relative sins of the various members of the Front. For example, Selina Kyle, Edward Nygma and Joe Carny, who were basically glorified thieves with a gimmick, have fairly light duties at the hospital which appear to involve mainly minor nursing / orderly duties for the patients. Would-be world-conquerors and megalomaniacs like Luthor and Kobra, however, have more demeaning and menial duties such as cleaning the floors and, in Luthor's case, washing out bedpans. Savage, meanwhile, uses his extensive medical knowledge to help with burn victims. Ibn also helps, but he's the only one without a restraining collar [[spoiler: since he's a mole.]]

** The same crossover event also features a version of Franchise/{{Batman}}, played by Creator/KevinConroy (who has been voicing the character regularly in various media since ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''), wearing the [[ManInTheMachine exoskeleton]] used by the comic's incarnation. However, this Batman is not a straight adaptation but a CompositeCharacter with elements of the incarnations from ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'' and ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', [[spoiler:both of which it heavily {{deconstruct|edCharacterArchetype}}s by turning him into an EvilCounterpart who went after Superman with the same justification the ''Dark Knight Returns'' incarnation did and for the same xenophobic reasons Batfleck did, sans the HeelRealization that stopped Batfleck from going through with it]].

** The same crossover event also features a version of Franchise/{{Batman}}, played by Creator/KevinConroy (who has been voicing the character regularly in various media since ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''), wearing the [[ManInTheMachine exoskeleton]] used by the comic's incarnation.

* The comic's incarnation of Franchise/{{Superman}} appears in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an [[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 adaptation]] of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''), with a bit of CanonWelding to move the events of ''Kingdom Come'' to the timeline of ''Returns''. The same crossover event also features a version of Franchise/{{Batman}}, played by Creator/KevinConroy (who has been voicing the character regularly in various media since ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''), wearing the [[ManInTheMachine exoskeleton]] used by the comic's incarnation.

* DesignatedHero: Invoked; this is a reality where the {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es have gone so far, many have become no better than the villains they fight despite still claiming to be heroes. Standouts include Americommando, whose solution to illegal immigration is taking an Uzi to the immigrants in question, proud Neo-Nazi Von Bach, leather-clad TortureTechnician Pinwheel, and the briefly-mentioned Genosyde, who apparently gets his jollies blowing up prisons full of already-convicted criminals.

* {{Troll}}: Edward Nygma, naturally. In the {{Novelization}}, Mera, who brings up an old rumor that Arthur and Diane were to marry to unite Themiscyra and Atlantis. When Wonder Woman and Superman is pleading their case, Mera is giggling, Atlantean-style (bubbles coming from her lips.) Neither Superman nor Wonder Woman understand the significance, but Arthur does.

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), elements of the comics have made it to live-action:

* The golden armor of Franchise/WonderWoman that first appeared in this comics makes its cinematic debut in ''Film/WonderWoman1984''.

* The comic's incarnation of Superman appears in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an [[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 adaptation]] of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''), with a bit of CanonWelding to move the events of ''Kingdom Come'' to the timeline of ''Returns''.
* The golden armor of ComicBook/WonderWoman that first appeared in this comics makes its cinematic debut in ''Film/WonderWoman1984''.

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), the comic's incarnation of Superman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an [[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 adaptation]] of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''), with a bit of CanonWelding to move the events of ''Kingdom Come'' to the timeline of ''Returns''.

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), the comic's incarnations of Superman and Batman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an [[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 adaptation]] of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow''), with a bit of CanonWelding to move the events of ''Kingdom Come'' to the timeline of ''Returns''.

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), the comic's incarnations of Superman and Batman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an [[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 adaptation]] of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'') and Creator/KevinConroy (who has voiced the Caped Crusader since ''Batman: The Animated Series'').

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), the comic's incarnations of Superman and Batman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an adaptation of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who played him in ''Film/SupermanReturns'' and also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'') and Creator/KevinConroy (who has voiced the Caped Crusader since ''Batman: The Animated Series'').

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), the comic's incarnation of Superman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}'s 6th CrisisCrossover, an adaptation of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]] in ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'').

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Magog]]. In the comic, Magog can be seen sitting calmly in his cell, downbeat and presumably mourning the deaths he accidentally caused. Unlike the other residents of the Gulag, Magog is the only rogue superhero to ''walk up to the gate'' and ''knock'' - and ''patiently'' waits for someone to come out. What follows is both humorous and touching in the {{Novelization}}:
-->Eventually Comet walked up behind Magog in the shadow of the Gulag. Magog turned and smiled lightly, putting his helmet and energy spear on the ground as the older man approached.

-->“I’m Magog”, the caller said. He extended his own hand to take Comet's, the first-time someone had shaken his hand in years, he thought. “I need a place to think. I need a place out of the sun. I understand that this is the village of the damned. I understand that this is a place where I might be welcome.”

* AmicableExes: A middle-aged Ice can be seen at the superhero-themed bar asking if owner ComicBook/BoosterGold is around. According to the {{Novelization}}, they used to be together.

* LiteralMetaphor: Aside from being a reference to a passage in the book of Isaiah, the motto of the United Nations, where superhumans and humans finally reach an accord, is "And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (In fact, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman have their picture taken in front of the plaque that bears it.) The end of the book as Superman using a ''giant'' plowshare, to indicate there will be no more war. (One wonders if Superman literally forged it out of swords. Knowing Supes...)

Although no animated adaptation has been made (and likely will never be, due to Warner Bros considering the art style of Alex Ross too hard to replicate), it's been announced that the comic's incarnation of Superman will appear in the Series/{{Arrowverse}}[='=]s 6th CrisisCrossover, an adaptation of ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', portrayed by Creator/BrandonRouth (who also portrays [[ComicBook/TheAtom Ray Palmer]]).

** A primary theme throughout the story. In flexing their strength to bring the metahuman population under control, the reformed Justice League is making the exact same mistake that the current generation of anti-heroes made. In a brief visit to Apokalips, Superman finds Orion had overthrown {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} but is not much different in how he rules his world as the slave population found freedom just as terrifying a prospect as fascism. Superman ended up forced to build an immense [[TailorMadePrison metahuman prison]] called the Gulag and the narration mentions how familiar it looks, particularly it resembles the LegionOfDoom's skull-shaped headquarters.

* NotUsedToFreedom: PlayedForDrama. At some point during the other heroes' retirement, Orion finally defeated and killed his monstrous father. However, when he attempted to free the enslaved population of Apokolips, the people long since broken by Darkseid's tyranny couldn't handle the concept. As such, they forced Orion to become their new dictator, and overall nothing has changed. The experience has effectively broken Orion, who refuses to help Superman and wonders if all sons are doomed to become their fathers.

* RedEyesTakeWarning. Superman is none too pleased after the nuke is detonated.

* SherlockScan: Batman does this to Diana to find out that [[spoiler:she is pregnant.]] May be Averted: one of the last few panels shows a curious bug-like device.

** Played straight at the end, when Clark muses how it was possible that Bruce is able to sneak up on them at a restaurant, even with his superhearing and X-Ray vision.

* TurnOutLikeHisFather: [[spoiler:Orion ends up as the ruler of Apokolips after defeating Darkseid for good.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Superman:''' You're more like Darkseid than ever, Orion.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Orion:''' So it was written to be. Our story has always been a generational one. It is said that many men eventually become their fathers.]]
** It can be argued that this happens to Superman and Batman as well. In the beginning, we see Kal-El having retreated to an artificial farm to live out his exile, and in the end, as Clark Kent, he uses a gigantic plow in his attempt to revitalize the irradiated fields of the Midwest. And Bruce Wayne, son of noted doctor Thomas Wayne, has converted the family mansion into an ad-hoc hospital facility.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Magog. He goes down without Superman touching him. He just collapses to his knees at the weight of the guilt of the destruction of Kansas.]]

* WhenHeSmiles: After the events are over, in the {{Novelization}}, the President asks Superman if he's okay, because he hasn't smiled, and the Superman everyone loved always had a warm smile. Superman tells her he will again, but not now. In the comic and the Novelization, after Wonder Woman gives him a pair a glasses "to see a little clearer", he finally gives a very Superman-like smile as he pulls a gigantic plow in Kansas, ending the main story.

A [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] and {{Elseworld}}s [[ComicBook graphic novel]], published in 1996. Written by Creator/MarkWaid and beautifully painted by Creator/AlexRoss, ''Kingdom Come'' depicts a dystopian future in which Franchise/{{Superman}} has retired due to the public's preference for heroes who will use lethal force. The [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] superheroes followed him, in some cases retiring completely, in others sticking to their own small areas. 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 hopeless, but nevertheless seems to keep turning.