The Death and Return of Superman sees the arrival of "Doomsday", the nemesis of Superman , who proves to be too powerful for him. As a result, Superman meets his demise. However, this leads to four other characters emerging, each claiming to be the true hero: Steel, the Eradicator, Cyborg, and Superboy. The story begins with Superman , followed by these alternate heroes.
The gameplay in The Death and Return of Superman follows a traditional beat-em-up format, featuring punches, throws, and special moves for each character to employ during the game.