Superman [Return] (DC Comics | Justice League)

The black suit version of Superman represents a pivotal phase in the character's history within DC Comics, emerging from the landmark "Death and Return of Superman" storyline that spanned 1992–1993. Following Superman's fatal battle with Doomsday in Superman #75 (January 1993), the world mourned the loss of its greatest hero, leading to the "Funeral for a Friend" arc and subsequently "Reign of the Supermen," where four new figures—Steel, Superboy, the Cyborg Superman, and the Eradicator—vied to claim his legacy. The true Superman, Clark Kent/Kal-El, was resurrected through a Kryptonian regeneration matrix in the Fortress of Solitude, facilitated indirectly by the Eradicator's technology, marking his triumphant return as a symbol of hope reborn amid profound loss.

This iteration of Superman first appeared in his distinctive black recovery suit in Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993), though partial glimpses occurred earlier in issues like Action Comics #689. The suit, also known as the Regeneration or Solar Suit, featured a sleek black bodysuit with silver accents, including a metallic pentagonal shield emblem bearing a stylized "S," and was designed to maximize solar energy absorption to accelerate Kal-El's healing process after his near-death experience. Accompanied by longer hair grown during regeneration—a stylistic "mullet" that became iconic—this costume reflected his weakened state initially, with powers returning gradually, and emphasized themes of recovery and resilience.

Throughout the "Reign of the Supermen" arc, this black-suited Superman confronted impostors, notably battling the treacherous Cyborg Superman and Mongul, who destroyed Coast City, an event that catalyzed Green Lantern Hal Jordan's descent into paranoia as Parallax. As his strength fully restored, Superman shed the black suit for his traditional red-and-blue attire, signifying complete renewal. The recovery suit has since recurred in later stories when Superman faces power depletion, underscoring its enduring significance as an emblem of rebirth and the hero's unyielding capacity to overcome even death itself.

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