History ComicBook / KingdomCome

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} The greatest superhero epic of tomorrow!]]]]

That is, until a tragedy strikes in Kansas. The death of ComicBook/CaptainAtom causes a nuclear explosion that destroys most of the American Midwest. This loosens the last bounds of restraint among the new generation of metahumans, who begin to fight one another with abandon. Superman returns, reassembles the Justice League and tries to take back control, with dire consequences.

** 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 with the same intent as and for the same xenophobic reasons the DCEU Batman did, sans the HeelRealization that stopped the DCEU Batman from going through with it]].

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 follow 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 pessimistic and hopeless, but nevertheless seems to keep turning.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} The greatest superhero epic of tomorrow]].]]

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[[caption-width-right:350:''Pretty awesome''.]]

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** Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) says the trope nearly word for word when it's revealed that the figure of Captain Marvel that they've all been scared of is actually [[ Billy Batson grown to adulthood]].

* XanatosSpeedChess: While the whole world burns with the question of what to do with the superhumans, the "Mankind Liberation Front" (led by ComicBook/LexLuthor and his gang of Silver Age villains) are plotting to exploit the events to wrest all power from the superhumans. [[spoiler:For this reason Lex manipulated Billy Batson to do his bidding. Not if Batman has anything to say about it.]] Luthor even states that Superman's unexpected return accelerated his plans.

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: Norman's reaction to the The Spectre stating their job was done after the bomb dropped on the metahumans, leaving one '''''very pissed''''' Superman in its wake.

* TheVoiceless: A lot of characters have no speaking parts, but two really stand out - Hawkman, who is mute, since he's very anthropomorphised, and ComicBook/TheFlash, who was only meant to be audible to Superman, but ended up simply without speaking lines.

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

* TheUnfought: After two full chapters hinting that Superman and his "successor" Magog were destined to have a huge, all-out battle, their eventual confrontation consists of Magog blasting an unfazed Superman, then breaking down in tears before he surrenders.
* UngratefulBastard: Swastika survives the massacre and is sent to Themyscira to be healed (and most likely to be set straight); he shows his gratitude by spitting during an important Amazonian function. Fortunately Magog, the new Dean of Students there, [[DopeSlap gives him a hard clout]].

* UngratefulBastard: Swastika survived the massacre and sent to Themyscira to be healed (and probably to be set straight), he showed his gratitude by spitting. Fortunately Magog, the new Dean of Students there, [[DopeSlap gives him a hard clout]].

** After Norman gives his speech during the climax, The Spectre removes him from the scene, leaving confused Superman, and frustrating Norman, who wanted to talk to him more. Norman muses that The Spectre had a better sense of drama than Norman did.

** Wonder Woman's winged armor made her look similar to Winged Victory, herself a CaptainErsatz of Wonder Woman.
** Joker's Daughter's clown motif and red-and-green, diamond-shape pattern costume made her look like a DistaffCounterpart to Jack-in-the-Box.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When Superman retired, ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' and Superboy decided to leave the present and join the ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' in the 30th Century.
* SecondComing: Superman's return from his self-imposed exile to deal with Magog and his generation of heroes was first seen as this by [=McCay=]. However, [[spoiler:the visions [=McCay=] has seen reveal that Superman's presence would catalyze the coming doom, not avert it.]]

* RefusalOfTheCall: Norm in the {{Novelization}}, when he learns The Spectre won't prevent the upcoming Armageddon, and merely wants Norm to judge the guilty. Norm quickly judges The Spectre and basically [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu flips him off]]. In a powerful subversion of the trope, there isn't even a TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive. After realizing Superman was the catalyst of the impending disaster, Norm realizes that it's going to happen anyway and ''maybe'' he can help avert it in some way. [[spoiler: He does, and it's implied The Spectre knew he would.]]

* PsychoticSmirk: Bruce Wayne sports one throughout as a sign of his apparent FaceHeelTurn, quite unusually considering Franchise/{{Batman}}'s PerpetualFrowner reputation.

* OrderVersusChaos: The Justice League stands as the order to the anti-heroes chaos.

* OldSuperhero: Batman is now so old and battered he needs machines to help him walk, but he's still as sharp as ever, able to execute a classic BatmanGambit and then has the guts to punch Captain Marvel.[[spoiler: Who is really Billy Batson.]] It's stated that Batman in this future basically abandoned the Bruce Wayne "personality" altogether.

** Norman's reaction to Superman's return, when he realized it was [[OnceMoreWithClarity a key part of his vision of armageddon]].

* 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, other than that Orion doesn't actively oppress his people the way Darkseid did, viewing himself as more of a prison warden, and lets Barda and Scott Free preach liberty and revolution in the vain hope that they'll succeed where he failed. The experience has effectively broken Orion, who wearily wonders if all sons are doomed to become their fathers, and offers to help Superman by taking on all his prisoners, as they can't possibly be worse than his current subjects.

* NotTheIntendedUse: Captain Marvel summons magic lightning by saying [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull "Shazam"]]. Normally he's struck by it and transforms, but in the final battle he repeatedly dodges his own lightning with his SuperSpeed (Speed of Mercury) to blast Superman, who can be hurt through magic. This only backfires on him when Superman tanks one blast to hold him in place so he transforms back to Billy.

** 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 Apokolips, Superman finds Orion had overthrown {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} but is not much different in how he rules his world - which he rules because the slave population found freedom just as terrifying a prospect as fascism, and promptly elected him as their leader - other than that he seems to view himself more as a prison warden, keeping the worst of the 'lowlies' in rather than inflicting them upon the rest of the universe, and he lets Barda and Scott Free preach freedom and revolution (presumably in the hope that they'll succeed where he failed).
** Shortly after meeting Orion, 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.
** The Spectre tells Norman after all the events are over that he and the superheroes he just saved were [[InvokedTrope not so different]]: both existed to bring hope.

* TheMole: [[spoiler:Franchise/{{Batman}} refuses to rejoin Superman, and instead he and his "Outsiders" infiltrate ComicBook/LexLuthor's "Mankind Liberation Front" and stop them from exploiting the metahuman civil war for their own ends.]] [[spoiler: Ibn al Xuffasch is the actual mole in the MLF. Bruce suspected Ibn was his biological son, but it wasn't confirmed til the very end.]]

** Hawkman is now a humanoid bird and wears very little.

* 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 in the {{Novelization}}.) 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...)

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Orion's segment in Apokolips serves as a warning to Superman and the Justice League of the unforeseen ramifications their actions might lead to and how their noble intentions could backfire in the worst way possible.