For decades the secret identity of Superman was a closely guarded secret and many people, fans included, thought this was for the best, but Superman coming forward with his identity may have just prevented one of DC Comics' darkest futures.
Superman is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, his presence alone has stopped countless apocalypses from occurring, and his heroism is undeniable. This is especially all the more impressive considering the fact Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton who crash-landed on Earth, where he was raised by Martha and Johnathan Kent. They instilled in him the core values of humanity, which is why he ended up as such a hero. When Superman decided to reveal his secret identity, many fans were against the idea, but it may have helped prevent yet another apocalypse, albeit unintentionally.
In Geoff John's and Gary Frank's 2008 issue Action Comics #859, readers are shown a twisted future where aliens are either put into internment camps or forced to leave Earth. These policies are enforced by an evil Justice League, made up entirely of super powered humans and run by the sadistic Earth-Man. Earth-Man has managed to conquer the planet and get everyone to submit to his rule by making the argument that he's only following in the footsteps of Superman. Obviously the readers know that Superman himself is an alien, but Earth-Man claims to have found an ancient artifact that details Superman's entire life history, such as how he was born on Earth and was given powers by the planet to be her protector. This allows Earth-Man to stoke the fires of xenophobia and paranoia among the people of Earth, eventually putting him in full control of the planet. But Superman recently did something in comics that completely prevents this entire future.
Superman Revealing His Identity Saved The Planet
Superman manages to avoid one of Earth's darkest potential futures by revealing his identity in 2019's Superman #18 by Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis. By doing so, he manages to inadvertenly stop Earth-Man's plan nearly a thousand years before they happen. Given that Superman has saved the world hundreds of times, a press conference where he reveals his identity would be the most reported on event in history. The only reason Earth-Man's plan works is due to the fact the public has no idea who Clark really was. But after this press conference, there would be absolutely no way Earth-Man could ever twist history like that.
The choice for Superman to reveal his identity to the public, something that put both his wife and his child in danger, was widely criticized by fans. However, there's no denying that this choice also prevented one of DC Comics' darkest futures, all because Superman didn't want to hide who he is anymore.