Superman: The Dark Side is the title of 3 issue limited comic books series. It was published in 1998 by DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 as one of their "Elseworlds

Elseworlds

Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...

" titles. The story relates the Superman story imagining he had landed on Apokolips

Apokolips

In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....

 instead of Earth.

Publication history

Superman: The Dark Side was originally published in standard format comic book from August to October 1998. It was subsequently republished in trade paperback in 1999 (ISBN 1563895269).

Plot

Kal-El's rocket is diverted from Earth to Apokolips

Apokolips

In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....

, and Superman is raised by Darkseid

Darkseid

Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....

. Superman becomes an eager participant in the destruction of New Genesis

New Genesis

New Genesis is a fictional planet in the . This planet, along with Apokolips, is speculated to be near the constellation Orion...

 and a willing disciple of Darkseid. During this comic he wears black and red armor similar to that of Darkseid

Darkseid

Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....

's son Orion

Orion (comics)

Orion is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in New Gods #1 , and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.-Jack Kirby Era:...

. This armor has a unique Superman logo on it. It is two thunder bolt-shaped S's that form another thunder bolt-shaped S (reminiscent of the logo of the Schutzstaffel

Schutzstaffel

The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...

 - i.e. the SS).

See also

• Alternative versions of Superman
• List of Elseworlds publications