Reign of the Supermen Page #3

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and you blew it!

Come along, son.

Lex, is...

Hey, I did what you told me to do.

Everything I'm capable of doing.

And you still lost.

I gave you every

advantage Superman had,

and more.

And I appreciate...

Wait, more?

Wait here.

I remember this place.

There you are.

Dr. Donovan?

What happened to you?

You father is a...

Hard man.

My father?

Do you mean Superman?

I don't work for Super...

Oh, no.

I thought he would've

told you. I, uh...

I didn't mean to...

Well, look who's talking.

Again!

Mr. Luthor, please!

What's going on?

It's all right, Dabney.

Tell him.

What difference

could it make now?

- I don't think I...

- Tell him!

The DNA, your DNA,

- its...

- Superman's.

Yes, but also...

I told you I gave you more.

All of Superman's strength, plus

all the Luthor intellect.

Supposedly.

He just needs guidance.

Please! We got so much

closer with this one

than any of the others.

You're right, Dabney.

The current model really is

leaps and bounds

ahead of his brothers.

I don't know what I was thinking.

Let's go.

And Dabney,

you're fired.

No! No!

Still can't keep his mouth shut.

If you're through indulging

in this emotional nonsense,

we have work to do,

Superman.

Yes, master.

It was him.

Well, half of him, anyway.

Was he with anyone else?

Only her.

Terri Henshaw.

He was pretty out of it.

Stood there half the night

talkin' to the air.

Looked tormented.

'Course, that's not

unusual around here.

It is for Superman.

It's about time you showed up.

What the...

Yeah, you shouldn't leave

your bathroom window open.

Anyone could get in here.

So, I got a lead at the cemetery

that I think we should...

John?

You know that

I know you're Steel, right?

And I'm literally the

worst at secret identities.

I mean,

if you couldn't fool me...

Superman saved my life once.

Now that he's gone,

I owe it to him

to fill the void.

Neat!

What did you find

at the cemetery?

Terri Henshaw? The astronaut?

She was on the Excalibur, right?

Yup. Can you access the S.T.A.R.

Labs' mainframe from here?

If the cyborg's

telling the truth,

that he really is Superman,

then why would he

go to Terri Henshaw's grave?

This is odd.

It says Henshaw's remains

were never recovered.

Sorry. Remains were

recovered for Terri Henshaw,

but not for Hank Henshaw.

The Henshaws.

Of course!

The husband and wife astronauts.

We did a huge story on them.

They were both

assigned to the Excalibur.

So, it was the husband's body

that was never found.

It's him, John.

It's why he was

visiting Terri's grave.

I don't know how,

but the cyborg Superman

is Hank Henshaw.

Huh?

Superman?

I...

I don't think...

The Justice League

were the best among us.

As such, they would

want us to celebrate today.

Not mourn.

Yet, here we are.

Surrounded by reminders

in stone of the mournful times

that have befallen our world.

It's only by a miracle of alien

science that I am here today.

Alive. Standing in for

the real heroes we lost.

During the Doomsday battle,

the Watchtower attack,

and too many

other bloody incursions.

We need to shut

this a**hole down.

How? He's Superman to them.

I could try to pitch the Henshaw

story to Perry White, but

without any evidence,

he won't go near it.

Which is why today,

I am announcing the establishment

of a new, stronger League.

A Cyborg Corp,

to honor those who have perished

in the name of justice,

and by taking volunteers.

What the hell?

- I volunteer.

- What?

But I don't have any power.

No one has.

Not really.

But I can change all that

if you come forth.

Eric, no!

Becky, please.

This could change everything.

For the world, for us.

Welcome to the team.

I can give each of you the

power to be your own hero.

The same technology

that saved me,

can save us all.

Doomsday,

was only the beginning.

Our enemies

haven't been destroyed.

Only delayed.

When they return,

who will stand

and fight with me?

This is it. This is his plan.

How the hell did Hank Henshaw

get his hands

on that kinda tech?

Intergang's been running

Luthor's Apokolips tech.

I can get to them.

Find out if they have

ties to Cyborg Superman.

Sounds like a plan.

I'll go lean on Lex.

Take your time, boys.

Ain't nobody watchin'

the store today.

So you're saying that's

the way to Hob's Bay?

Eric?

Can you fly?

Oh, come on! Not again!

I believe this belongs to you.

My hero.

Do you require

further assistance?

Eric. It's me, Becky.

Are you okay?

I haven't heard

from you in days.

Okay, stop it.

You're scaring me.

Have a pleasant day, citizen.

Eric? Eric!

Doyle, I know you're here.

I'm not looking for trouble.

I just need information

on some alien tech

you may have unloaded.

What the hell?

What happened here?

Superman cleaned us out.

The one in the shades.

The eradicator?

Here.

Traces on our stuff.

You can catch up with him

if you hurry.

Go get him.

Don't wait up.

We both know

you took me down there

to get rid of Superboy for good.

I don't know what

changed you mind, but...

Oh. I thought you were...

Let me guess.

You thought I was Lex Luthor.

Lookin' for ol' cue ball.

Know where he is, Superboy?

Don't call me that!

What's wrong?

He's my father.

At least, he's half my DNA.

I just found out.

Nah, I don't buy it.

I mean, the hair alone.

Wow. You do look like him.

Superman, I mean.

Look, I was a jerk

when I met you, Lois.

I'm sorry.

I don't know why, but

I feel like I can talk to you.

I know why.

Yeah.

Eradicator's

gathering up Apokolips' tech.

He could be

working with Henshaw.

I'm tracking him now.

All right. Keep me posted.

Greetings.

Uh, greetings?

Kal-El is unavailable

as he nears completion

of his revitalization cycle.

Thank you for your patience.

Kal-El?

So it really is you.

Woah, Steel!

What's happening?

Little busy here, Lois.

You called me.

Sorry. Butt dial.

What the hell is going on, here?

Give me that.

Oh, don't!

- Is that...

- Kal-El's ship!

In S.T.A.R. Labs.

He needs help. I'm going.

No.

These cyborg thingies

are popping up

all over the city.

It's gonna take a turn and I need you here.

You're not the boss of me, Lex.

I literally am.

You cannot harm the data matrix.

The data matrix?

John! It's a hologram!

It's designed to

protect Kryptonians.

I don't see any

Kryptonians around here.

Do you?

Oh, my god!

John, he's...

These pitiful humans.

Humbled by the demise

of their heroes,

have willingly become

mindless automatons.

My stratagem has

worked perfectly.

Soon, Earth will be christened

by Darkseid as new Apokolips.

And this time,

there's no Justice League

or Superman to stop me.

All that remains is

for you to open the gates.

All you gotta do is

look out the window

to see things

ain't right no more.

I knew Superman.

Superman was my pal.

And those things ain't Supermen.

They're not even

the people they used to be.

I mean, at least

they're keeping the peace, right?

You know that ain't gonna last.

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