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 Superman" (). DC published another collection, "Superman: Doomsday", around the same time; it compiles comics that feature Doomsday's return (). "The Death of Superman" is divided into a trilogy of story arcs; the first is known as "Doomsday!", which leads to Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday. The second story arc, "Funeral for a Friend", which focuses on the immediate aftermath of Superman's death, began with "The Adventures of Superman" #498 (January 1993). The final story arc, "Reign of the Supermen!", began with a prologue in "The Adventures of Superman" #500 and introduced the Supermen. The title of this