So what is DC Comics’ Doomsday Clock? And does it spell the end for Superman?

DC is prepping what might be the biggest event in their recent history. And it’s all going to come down to Superman and Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan.

Here’s what we know

The other day, DC’s chief creative officer Geoff Johns tweeted out that he was working on something big, something called “Doomsday Clock”. This ominous message was joined by an equally ominous pic, that of the famed Watchmen clock, but with the Superman shield at the top.

What might that mean? Could it be the end of the Man of Steel? Some odd melding of the DC timelines? A(nother) new DC timeline? A mega-event book with dozens of crossover issues and spinoffs and one-shots galore?

Well, sort of ‘yes’ to some of that, but a whole lot of ‘no’.

The facts of a major/minor event

I’m going to say it right up front here – I love how DC is planning to lay out Doomsday Clock. It’s fantastic. There isn’t a ton to buy, and the series itself is only four issues long. No muss, no fuss. And yet, even with the limited nature of it, Doomsday Clock will be a major happening, and (according to Johns) will affect the DCU for years to come.

This all comes out of a terrific interview that Johns gave to the Syfy Network, written up by Aaron Sagers. It’s there that he pretty much laid out what’ll be the nuts and bolts of Doomsday Clock, without giving anything away of course. So what should we take away from it? Plenty, and more than enough to give worried fans a breather.

For starters, Doomsday (the villain) has nothing to do with the story. So, for those of you who might be thinking he’s a factor, forget it. Secondly, and somewhat related to the aforementioned, this isn’t Death of Superman or anything like that.

Johns pretty much came out and said so, when he commented on “Doomsday” being in the title. Said Johns, “People will think the last time they heard Doomsday and Superman, he died, so what is this going to be? What is he going to go through this time? And how will it affect them going forward?”

While it’s never a safe bet in comics, I think it’s pretty much assured that this won’t be a Death scenario. Doc Manhattan is basically a god, but it seems like Superman’s life -at least- is safe. Though it sure does feel like he’ll be a changed man to some degree on the other side of Doomsday Clock. I doubt we’ll see anything major happen to his character, which just saw a revamp and seems to be well received by fans, but there’ll definitely be something different…

It also seems like the DCU itself will be different. Again though, to what degree is uncertain as of now.

Having the abbreviation for Doomsday Clock actually be DC though, could be telling. Perhaps we’ll see a melding of the grittier DCU and the more hopeful one that we got with Rebirth? Could be that DC is trying to strike a balance between the two.

If that’s the case, and DC will be changing its core universe yet again, then I’d like to see some more classic characters and stories return to canon. Namely, the Justice Society and the LEGION. It seems like both might be already on the way, but I had to mention them, as a long time fan myself.

So some telling stuff here, and honestly the whole interview is worth reading. Johns reveals quite a bit, including some spoilery stuff if you haven’t read Flash #22 yet. It’s a big issue with plenty of elements that will weigh heavily when Doomsday Clock starts. So you might want to check that out before you read through the link below. Just a suggestion.

Check out the full interview right here.