Alternative versions of Superman establish a new continuity for DC, affecting not only Superman, but all of the DC Comics characters. The versions of Superman from this time period are traditionally divided into three main periods. The first version of Superman began being published by DC Comics in 1938 appearing in "Action Comics" #1. To explain discrepancies in the aging of Superman across several decades, his earliest stories were retroactively portrayed as having taken place on an alternative world called Earth-Two. These stories take place from 1938 until the late 1950s, although the exact dividing line is unclear and some stories happened identically to
The Death of Superman retailers say "The Adventures of Superman" #500 was the beginning of a decline in the comic industry. Retailers and distributors were stuck with unsold copies, and thousands of stores closed. Additionally, those who bought "Superman" #75 could only sell first printings for cover price a few months after its release. Some commentators have retrospectively dismissed "The Death of Superman" as little more than a publicity stunt to give the Superman comics a brief surge in sales. Indeed, each series' sales immediately declined following Superman's resurrection. While most fans figured the death was only temporary, those who did not felt deceived.