The previous regime of heroes—the Justice League—returns under dire circumstances, which sets up a battle of the old guard against these uncompromising protectors in a conflict that will define what heroism truly is and determine the future of the planet.

Ross wrote a 40-page handwritten outline of what would become Kingdom Come and pitched the idea to James Robinson as a project similar in scope to Watchmen (1986–1987) and Alan Moore's infamous "lost work" Twilight of the Superheroes.

Notably, 10 years ago, a superhero named Magog kills the Joker in retaliation for a mass murder of the Daily Planet staff, including Lois Lane.

Magog being acquitted during the trial and subsequently gaining public support prompts Superman to retire and Wonder Woman to be exiled from Themyscira, with other superheroes following suit.

With the apocalypse drawing near, the Spectre recruits minister Norman McCay, having received visions from a dying Wesley Dodds, to help pass judgement when the moment arrives.

[5] He begins recruiting several heroes to his cause, stopping battles around the world while facing opposition from Wonder Woman's militant leadership style.

In response to Superman's idealist notions and embittered by his decision to abandon humanity, Batman forms his own network of heroes called the Outsiders, and Lex Luthor organizes the Mankind Liberation Front (MLF), a group of classic and third-generation villains who works to take back control of the world from heroes, with defeating the Justice League as its priority.

Superman's Justice League gathers more captives than converts, and after talking to Orion, who has succeded his father Darkseid as the leader of Apokolips, he builds a prison on the wastelands of Magog's fight with Parasite.

His attempts to convince the inmates to redeem themselves fails, and pressure starts to build between the heroes and villains locked inside.

While Wonder Woman leads the Justice League to stop the prison riot, Superman confronts Batman and tries to convince him one last time to fight.

Seeing the third one about to land, Superman plans to stop the last bomb, and reverts Captain Marvel back to Billy Batson.

Wonder Woman's exile ends as she helps rehabilitate the surviving metahumans, and Batman gives up his crusade on crime and turns his manor into a hospital.

Superman begins restoring the farmlands destroyed by Magog in the battle with Parasite, reconciling with his past after being gifted a pair of glasses by Wonder Woman.

In an epilogue scene, Clark Kent and Diana Prince meet with Bruce Wayne at the superhero-themed restaurant Planet Krypton.

Bruce agrees, and as the three leave the restaurant, he notices Norman and Jim Corrigan, the Spectre's host, discussing a menu item named after him.

To prove himself, Gog heals certain JSA members such as Starman, Doctor Mid-Nite, and Damage, and he resurrects Lance to make him his successor, Magog.

[7] A major subplot of Judd Winick and Keith Giffen's 2010 maxiseries, Justice League: Generation Lost concerns the events of Kingdom Come.

To drive the point home, the Entity shows Lord a series of visions taken directly from Kingdom Come, including Magog and the Justice Battalion attacking Parasite.

In the second arc of Batman/Superman: World's Finest, entitled "Strange Visitor" and written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Dan Mora, a young boy named David Sikela arrives on Earth-0, where he is found by Batman, Superman, and Robin.

They quickly realized the unique properties of David's biology give him powers upon exposure to the Earth's sun, and is brought to Kandor to be examined by the Kandorian scientist Kim-Da.

The original trade paperback from 1997 collects the entire series along with twelve additional pages by Ross, including the epilogue.

Hachette Audio released an audio dramatization of the story, adapted from the novelization, featuring the voice talent of Mike Mearian, Don Peoples, Garet Scott, John Cunningham, Kent Broadhurst, Jeff David, Chuck Cooper, Harry Goz, Barbara Rosenblat, Craig Zakarian, Mike Arkin, Bob Lydiard, Peter Newman, Birgit Darby, Mark Finley, Igot Goldin, Macintyre Dixon, and Chloe Patellis, along with the guest voices of Dennis O'Neil, Mark Waid, Mike Carlin, Dan Raspler, Charles Kochman, Peter Tomasi, Greg Ross, Janet Harvey, Elisabeth Vincentelli.

An action figure of Superman based on Kingdom Come's artwork was released as part of Wave 10 of Mattel's DC Multiverse toyline.