Adventures of Superman # 500 First Printing Polybagged Opened 1993 NM-

Opened Polybagged and card included.

Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) (released in June 1993) is a massive, landmark key issue that serves as the essential bridge between the "Funeral for a Friend" mourning period and the iconic "Reign of the Supermen!" saga. The issue is most famous for featuring the first appearance and cameo introductions of the four new replacement Supermen.

The Core Plot

The main story, titled "Life After Death!", is a supernatural and emotional transition piece written by Jerry Ordway:

• The Spiritual Battle: Following a massive heart attack, Jonathan Kent slips into a coma and enters a dream-like purgatory realm. There, he encounters the soul of his dead son, Clark, who is being pulled toward the afterlife.
• The Rescue: Defying cosmic entities like the demoness Blaze and the cosmic guide Kismet, Jonathan refuses to let his son pass on. He fights through a facade of Krypton to drag Clark's spirit back toward the living world. Jonathan suddenly wakes up on his hospital operating table, gasping out to Martha Kent that he has successfully brought Clark back.
• The Empty Grave: Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Lois Lane and Inspector Henderson discover a horrifying reality: Superman's tomb has been broken into, and his physical body is completely missing.

The Dawn of Four Supermen

The final pages of the issue set up the next major phase of DC history by introducing a quartet of mysterious new heroes who have arrived in Metropolis to claim the Man of Steel's mantle:

• The Man of Steel (Steel): John Henry Irons, an armor-clad ballistics engineer inspired by Superman's legacy.
• The Metropolis Kid (Superboy): A brash, teenage clone created by Project Cadmus.
• The Last Son of Krypton (The Eradicator): A cold, visor-wearing energy-manipulator.
• The Man of Tomorrow (Cyborg Superman): Hank Henshaw, whose consciousness has hijacked a half-Kryptonian cybernetic body.

Key Comic Book Details

• Creative Team: Written by Jerry Ordway, with interior pencils by Tom Grummett, inks by Doug Hazlewood, and colors by Glenn Whitmore.
• Collectible Polybag Versions: To replicate the success of Superman #75, DC shipped this issue inside a white plastic collector's bag. Opening the bag revealed a special translucent overlay cover that showed Jonathan Kent's ghost reaching out to his son. It also included a limited-edition Bloodlines comic trading card featuring the four replacement Supermen.