Since, in American Superhero comic books, the planet Earth is constantly threatened of being destroyed by villains, entities with superpowers – Superman, Green Lantern or the X-Men – come to the rescue to prevent some apocalypse from happening. Does that mean that the ending that Superheroes go against is only a partial abolition and that death ends up being an unreal threat ? The meaning of that eschatology probably does not lie here in a straightforward retelling of founding stories, as the powers trying to get rid of humanity don't do it to punish it of some fault, contrary to the common example given by mythology. If the end of the world really is t h e recurring motif in Superhero comic books, it remains to be seen to what extent it does structure the medium.
