Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely did something dangerous with After All-Star Superman. They ended it. They didn't just end a story arc; they essentially closed the book on the Silver Age version of the character, leaving fans staring at that final golden panel of Superman creating an artificial heart for the sun. It was beautiful. It was tragic. And honestly, it left a massive, sun-sized hole in the DC Universe that readers have been trying to fill since 2008.
If you just finished the book, you're probably feeling that weird mix of awe and "Wait, that’s it?" Because Superman is effectively dead. Or at least, he’s gone. He’s evolved into a solar consciousness, busy keeping the lights on for the rest of humanity. But the story of what happens after All-Star Superman isn't just about a vacant cape. It’s about how DC Comics handled the "Post-Morrison" vacuum and how the actual continuity of that specific universe—the "All-Star" universe—continued in ways you might have missed if you weren't looking closely at the fringes of DC's multiverse.
The Solar Ego and the 853rd Century
Look, Morrison didn't just pull that ending out of thin air. To understand the legacy of the character after All-Star Superman, you have to look backward to a 1998 event called DC One Million. Morrison basically wrote the ending of Superman's life ten years before they wrote the "All-Star" series. In that timeline, Superman (the original Clark Kent) stays in the sun for 15,000 years. He emerges as Superman Prime—a golden, god-like being with power levels that make the modern version look like a toddler.
So, when you see Superman fly into the sun at the end of All-Star, you aren't seeing a funeral. You’re seeing an origin story. It’s the birth of a deity. This realization changes how you read the final pages. He isn't "dying" of solar radiation poisoning; he’s essentially marinating. He is becoming the ultimate version of himself to ensure that life continues.
But what about the world he left behind? That’s where things get really interesting and a bit messy.
The Leo Quintum Theory: Who Replaces Him?
The biggest question lingering after All-Star Superman revolves around Leo Quintum. You remember him—the green-haired super-genius at P.R.O.J.E.C.T. who seems just a little too prepared for Superman’s departure. Fans have spent nearly two decades theorizing that Leo is actually a reformed Lex Luthor from the future, or perhaps a clone, or even a literal replacement for the divine spark Superman left behind.
Leo Quintum represents the transition from a world of "Gods" to a world of "Science." In the wake of Superman's departure, Quintum takes over the role of the world's protector, but through the lens of human ingenuity rather than alien biological superiority. He's working on "Superman 2," a genetic successor. This is a massive thematic shift. The world after All-Star Superman is one where humanity finally has to grow up. We see this in the final issue where Quintum looks at a DNA sequence and says, "To be continued."
🔗 Read more: Blink-182 Mark Hoppus: What Most People Get Wrong About His 2026 Comeback
That "To be continued" isn't just a teaser. It's a directive. It suggests that the myth of Superman is a virus—a good one—that infects human culture and forces us to be better. Lex Luthor, for all his brilliance, couldn't see it until the very end when he briefly gained Superman’s perspective. "If it means so much to you," Luthor says while weeping, "I'll save the world." That moment of clarity is the true inheritance of the All-Star world.
Why DC Couldn't Just Leave it Alone
Comics are a business. You can't just have the perfect ending and walk away. Or can you?
Surprisingly, DC has been remarkably protective of the All-Star Superman "bubble." Unlike The Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen, which have been strip-mined for sequels, prequels, and "Before" series, the world after All-Star Superman has remained relatively untouched. This is likely due to the sheer reverence creators have for the work. It is widely considered the "definitive" Superman story, and trying to write a sequel is a fool's errand.
However, the DNA of the book is everywhere. You see it in the Superman: Rebirth era by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason. You see it in the way current writers like Joshua Williamson treat the relationship between Clark and Lex. They’ve moved away from the "angry businessman" Luthor and back toward the "mad scientist who is jealous of God" Luthor that Morrison revitalized.
The Multiversity Connection
If you want the "official" word on what happened to that specific Earth, you have to dig into Morrison’s later work, specifically The Multiversity. In that map of the DC Multiverse, the world of All-Star Superman is designated as Earth-42.
Wait. Actually, it's more complicated than that.
💡 You might also like: Why Grand Funk’s Bad Time is Secretly the Best Pop Song of the 1970s
Earth-42 is a world of "chibi" or miniature heroes, but the All-Star aesthetic and the "Superman Prime" version of the character frequently pop up in the background of Morrison’s cosmic stories. The character isn't gone; he’s just moved to a higher plane of existence. He has become a meta-textual figure. He is the idea that inspires other writers to keep the character hopeful rather than "gritty" or "grounded."
The Lex Luthor Problem: Redemption or Ruin?
Let’s talk about Lex. Honestly, his ending in All-Star is probably the most poignant part of the whole book. He spends his life trying to prove that Superman is a parasite holding humanity back. Then, for twenty-four hours, he sees the world through Superman's eyes. He sees the atoms, the soul of the universe, and the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.
What happens to Lex after All-Star Superman?
In the story, he's sentenced to death (or at least, he's heading to the electric chair). But his legacy is the serum. He proved that humanity can be like Superman, if only for a day. This creates a paradox. If everyone can be Superman, then no one is Superman. The "Post-All-Star" world has to grapple with the fact that their greatest villain was the one who briefly held the keys to heaven and then lost them. It’s a tragedy. Lex's realization—that he could have saved the world years ago if it hadn't been for his ego—is the ultimate punishment.
Practical Takeaways: How to Read "After" All-Star
If you're looking for more content that captures that specific "All-Star" magic, you shouldn't look for a direct sequel. You won't find one. Instead, follow the thematic trail.
- Read DC One Million: This is the chronological "end" of the story Morrison was telling. It shows the Golden Superman returning from the sun to reunite with Lois Lane (who is now in a silver robotic body). It’s the happy ending the main book only hints at.
- Check out Superman: Brainiac: Written by Geoff Johns, this story has a similar "classic but modern" feel and was heavily influenced by the success of All-Star.
- Watch the Animated Movie: It’s a condensed version, but the voice acting by James Denton and Anthony LaPaglia adds a different layer to the "final days" vibe.
- Look into "Superman: Lost": A more recent 10-issue series that deals with the psychological toll of being away from Earth for a long time, echoing some of the isolation themes found in the latter half of All-Star.
The legacy of the book is really about how we view the character. Before All-Star, Superman was struggling. People thought he was "boring" or "too powerful." Morrison proved that his power isn't the problem; our lack of imagination is.
📖 Related: Why La Mera Mera Radio is Actually Dominating Local Airwaves Right Now
The Actionable Truth
The reality of after All-Star Superman is that the book changed the industry's approach to the character. It stopped the trend of trying to make Superman "cool" by making him edgy. It reminded us that Superman is at his best when he is a sci-fi explorer, a gentle teacher, and a literal sun god.
If you want to apply the lessons of the book to your own comic consumption, start looking for "evergreen" stories rather than "event" stories. All-Star works because it doesn't care about the 700 issues that came before it or the 700 that came after. It is a closed loop.
To truly follow the story after All-Star Superman, you have to look at the real world. You have to look at the creators who were inspired by it to bring hope back to the genre. The story didn't end in the sun; it moved into the hands of every reader who realized that we don't need a cape to do what's right. We just need to see the world—the atoms, the people, the connections—the way Clark did in those final moments.
Basically, the "To be continued" on the final page wasn't a promise of another comic book. It was a challenge to the reader to keep the myth alive through their own actions.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Locate a copy of DC One Million (The Omnibus or the Trade): This is the only way to see the "Golden Superman" in action and understand the full scope of the 853rd-century timeline.
- Compare the final issues of All-Star to the ending of Morrison’s Flex Mentallo: You’ll notice striking similarities in how they treat the concept of fictional characters "saving" the real world.
- Track the "Solar Superman" cameos: Look for a golden figure in the background of major DC crisis events from 2010 to 2024. He’s often there, watching from the sun, a silent guardian of the multiverse.