His world exploded before his birth. Propelled by a futuristic craft powered by a science beyond mans comprehension he arrived on our world as a baby. Raised as a human by loving, caring parents who instilled in him the difference between right and wrong, he derives his powers from our yellow sun that give him enormous and unheard of abilities! His massive strength and incomprehensible powers are matched only by the great and true heart that beats within his chest! He is one of the most powerful champions for truth, justice, and the American way that has ever lived! A man from the stars ever seeking to make the Earth his home, and to protect that home from evils no one else would have a glimmer of hope against! He is the man of steel, the man of tomorrow...he is..

Superman#24

Birthing pains Part II

By Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Superman hurls himself at the shining, metallic, grotesque skull that floats in the air before him. His mind is filled with one thing and one thing only, REVENGE!

Ka-FOOM!

His impact shakes buildings across Metropolis Island, as he slams through force fields that enwrap the huge skull ship, the home of Braniac!

“I’ll kill you for what you did!” Superman bellows again, as he hammers at the ships “face”, actually cracking it with the power of his blows!

Suddenly a blast of mental energy enwraps Superman, both mind and body from the ship itself.

 (Imprressive, Kryptonian. I did not believe this ships surface could be marred, let alone shattered. But it does not matter. My time here is done. I will leave now with what I came for, your newborn child.) *

*Hang on, I’ll explain everything as we go along-Ralph.

“Like HELL you will, monster.” The Man of steel roars , as he unleashes a veritable torrent of energy from his heat ray vision, bathing the headship in his full power, unleashing it with no restraint whatsoever!

Fwa-Zamm!

(You are a fool Superman, look about you. Look at the city and people you seek to protect. You are killing them.)

Suddenly Superman pauses, for just a nanosecond and surveys what his blast of unfettered heat ray vision did. All about him, the area burns as if it was suddenly sprayed with napalm. Tar melts, and people scream.Instantly he inhales mightily and exhales a freezing breath, that cools the block around him, repeating it again and again to correct his mistake.

He looks above him, and sees the headship fleeing for space.

“You don’t get away Braniac, not this time. Not with my son. Not after you killed Lois”

The Man of steel rockets upwards, a flash of blue and red, like a meteor streaking upwards, he impacts with the headship from behind, the collision more like a nuclear explosion in sound and force.

Ba-da-da-BOOM!

Suddenly the tentacles that hang from the horrible ship all enwrap the man of steel in their death grip.

(I will kill you now , Superman. I had planned to wait, but you leave me no choice. Your damage to my ship exceeds parameters generated in my greatest pre-planned scenarios by a margin of fifty. I applaud you.)

“Applaud this, killer!”

Superman suddenly flies down towards earth, now towing the headship behind him , by the very tentacles he’s wrapped up in.

(What? What are you doing?) The voice roars in the brain of every man, woman and child in Metropolis, as well as Supermans.

He says nothing, as he suddenly pulls up short and grips the tentacles tightly, slamming the ship into the water with an awe inspiring force!. 

Back at Metropolis general hospital... 

Friends and family worriedly stand silent as a Doctor stands over the still and silent form of Lois Lane-Kent. He looks at her parents, and at Jonathan and Martha Kent, , at Perry White and Jimmy Olsen as well as Ron and Lucy Troupe, and almost whispers “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” 

Immediately the room bursts into sorrowful tears,. The Lanes are driven to their knees collectively, Jimmy and Perry merely stand, tears running down their faces. Then Perry suddenly leaves the room, suppressing a choking sound. Jonathan and Martha don’t even bother to choke back their own tears as they look upon their daughter in laws body.

Then Sam Lane turns angrily towards Jonathan, tears streaking his face.

“Your son did this, your DAMNED alien son! If she had never gotten involved with that inhuman creature this never would have happened. How could you let us think your son was n Earthman? How could you not tell us he wasn’t human?”*

*Clark pulled his shirt off revealing his Superman uniform underneath in front of everyone, last issue.

“Sam, I’m sorry about Lois, We both are. We love-loved her like a daughter, we honestly did. She was family, and Clark was truly blessed to have her as a wife, and he knows it. He honestly loves her.” Jonathan speaks in a controlled voice.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s not human. What does he know of love? How can he understand what it is? Everyone knows Superman is from another world, it’s common knowledge. If my Lois had gotten involved with someone normal she’d still be alive now, not cold and dead. My poor girl.”

Sam Lane turns back to his daughters body, holding his wife and younger daughter tightly, as Ron Troupe hugs his wife, Lucy.

The Kents walk outside the room, following Perry and Jimmy, who both stand nearby sobbing .

Jimmy looks up at them as they approach, his eyes red with tears, “Why? Why didn’t Clark tell us? Why didn’t he tell anyone who he really was? My God , we could have helped.”

“What could you have done, Jimmy?” Jonathan Kent asks, “Could you have beaten up Braniac? Or could have held Clarks cape for him between missions? There’s nothing anyone can do for my boy now. To many people saw him change into Superman right in that very room. The whole damned world will know soon enough, and there’s nothing any of us can do about it.”

The room rumbles as they all turn towards the outside wall Superman sped through. “There they are again.” Jimmy almost mumbles, the life seemingly gone from his soul.

All heads turn towards the hole in the wall, as flailing silver tentacles flash by, wrapping up a red and blue streak as it speeds by, pulling the huge tentacled monstrosity behind him.

Pa-KOOM!

Superman punches the head ship, square in its jaw, the force of his blow shatters windows for blocks around. Instantly, the damage disappears.

In a mental voice all can hear, Braniac speaks : (You are more foolish then ever, Kryptonian. My nanites repair damage at a sub atomic level faster then you can inflict it.)

“We’ll see about that, Braniac. You killed my wife, stole my son, and you think I’ll let you get away? You are done, monster. I will destroy you, you soulless thing.”

The ship suddenly releases a blast of energy at the Metropolis grand city bridge, shattering it , as cars begin to fall into the river below!

(Now you have a choice , man of steel. Save the humans, or try to stop me. If you do try to stop my escape, I will kill as many humans as is feasible. You may destroy this ship, or you may not. But untold millions will suffer for it here and now in your foolish city.)

Superman hesitates a micro second, anger, fear, and loathing play across his face as he stares at both Braniac and the destroyed bridge. Then he does the unexpected. He hurls himself at star spanning speed into Braniacs head ship, his fists suddenly moving at super speed, faster and faster, a thousand blows in a second, as he suddenly over powers the ships nanites, and he peels the inner hull apart and flies inside!

“You made a mistake robot. You think I care about anyone , anymore? After what you did, do you think anyone else matters right now? Those days are over!” Superman shouts as he unleashes his heat ray vision yet again, at its full fury! Slagging the interior hull with the heat of a newborn star!

(You are a fool , Superman. I will leave this world, and will dot it momentarily.) Suddenly Braniac walks out of the very wall itself, holding the baby of Lois and Clark in his metallic, shining, robotic arms. (You will leave this ship immediately, Superman, or I will kill this child, before you. Those are your options. Decide, Kryptonian.)

Superman stands, suddenly undecided, then slams his fists through the ships floor plating and punctures its hull once again, this time streaking off towards the swaying and devastated bridge.

“This is not over Braniac. I will find both you and my child, and I will take him back from your unfeeling metallic claws.”

(Perhaps, Kryptonian,) Braniac speaks to no one this time, but himself and the crying child in his cold metallic arms, (He will come searching for you, and perhaps sooner then you might think.)

Superman races towards the bridge, and quickly dives beneath the water, pulling car after car from it’s icy embrace. Then he streaks to the bridges roadway, bending the steel girder and tar roadway up into the air, blocking off the entire shattered bridge so no one else can go over the edge. Within mere moments, he has secured the area, and removed all from the devastation.

Superman lands on the bridge edge as Dan Turpin, head of the SCU races up to him in battle armor. “Supes! Didja drive him off? He musta killed dozens! Maybe hundreds! But it woulda been worse without you. You did it big blue.”

Superman turns towards Turpin and stares at him with a cold icy glare that stops the big policeman in his tracks. A tear runs down Supermans face as he slowly lifts off the ground and heads towards Metropolis general.

A half second later he alights on the floor of the room where his wives body still lies. Her parents hug her prone form, as Lois’ father turns towards him, his anger still brewing. “YOU did this, alien scum! Its; YOUR fault my girl is dead. Not that monsters. If you hadn’t come into her life, she would still be here.”

“I-I’m sorry Sam.” Is all Superman, all Clark can say, before tears well up in his eyes, and he begins to sob uncontrollably. Jonathan and Martha both walk in the room then, followed by Jimmy and Perry. They all surround Superman and touch him, hold him, try to comfort him, as the most powerful man on earth, perhaps in the universe sinks to his knees and cries at the feet of his dead wife.

Futura city...

Gold’n shakes her head, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind as she fights her way back to consciousness “Unnngghhh, gotta get up. Gotta stop Catalyst. It’s my ‘sponsibility.” She holds her head as she fights her way to her feet. Nearby, Gold’n can hear both gunshots and high tech energy weapons being fired repeatedly, then the characteristic blasts of Catalysts energy blasts louder then anything else!

“No, the cops , they’re trying to stop him. They got no chance. I-I gotta get back out there, and I WILL!”

Gold’n streaks out of the building, a glowing golden comet that arcs immediately for her enemy, Catalyst, and impacts with earth shaking force!

Ka-BOOOM!

She breaks away instantly flying out of his reach and then she engulfs him in all her power, channeling every erg of energy she can at his form!

“Aaaarrrgghh!” Catalyst roars as he is pounded by her energy blasts.

“Help ‘er ! “ An SCU officer shouts as he picks up his shoulder mounted blaster cannon and unloads it at Catalyst!

Voom!

Others do the same, and suddenly Catalyst is the one on the ropes, not Gold’n or the defenders of this new, glorious city!, Then , Gold’n rockets down towards her enemy, arcing first high, then low, to deliver a devastating two fisted punch at an almost incalculable speed to Catalysts helmeted jaw!

Ka-KOW!

The armored villain tumbles and clangs as he bounces helplessly across the city streets, bouncing off a building before coming to a stop. Gold’n drops down towards him, when he suddenly sits up and fires a blast out of his left hand, smashing her aside, gaining himself a momentary respite. “You win this round, girl. You do your mentor proud. But when I return, I’ll have your head on a platter, I assure you.”

And then almost magically, Catalyst simply disappears from sight!

Gold’n races to the spot he stood a nano second earlier, but he is gone.

“ I can’t believe it, he disappeared.” She speaks aloud. “I ran him off!”

The armored SCU officer who appeared earlier approaches her and removes his helmet. He’s a handsome, brown haired man in his late 20's, with a dimpled smile, and hazel eyes. “You did more then that, Gold’n. You beat him, he ran.”

Gold’n smiles at that.

“Yes you did , my dear. You beat a deadly super-villain and drove him away from my beautiful Futura city.”

Both Gold’n and the SCU officer turn towards the heavily accented voice as a big man, with red tufts of hair and a protruding belly stands behind them both, smiling warmly.

“My name is Matthias Strombolt, my dear, and I have come to make an offer to you.”

Back in Metropolis... 

Superman sits on the edge of the Daily Planets rooftop, staring unemotionally into the dark night sky. He has sat thus for hours. Watching day fall into night, and still he remained in one place. Beneath him, the street teems with reporters and camera crews as the whole city, perhaps the whole world is now aware that Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same. Yet for all that commotion down below, he is alone, moreso then ever in his life. His heart is broken, his soul shattered. One thought runs through his mind over and over.

“Lois.” he mouths quietly.

“You killed her.” An unknown voice assails him from behind. “You killed her in your evil way. Took the life from her body and snuffed it out. Now I’m going to do the same to you.”

Superman turns slowly towards the voice, a decidedly familiar, yet also unknown voice. A chill running up his spine and back down before he even sees his new assailant.

Then their eyes meet, and his mighty heart skips a beat, as the breath catches in his throat, and he feels the blood in his veins run cold. Very, very cold.

Before him stands a youth, perhaps 18 years old, wearing a costume exactly like his, only dark purple in color, with a much darker, almost blood red cape. The chest symbol is yellow, but the “S” is almost a burnt color of purple. The boys hair is long. Perhaps shoulder length.

And he has his mothers eyes...

Lois’ eyes...

And Clark Kent, Superman, who thought nothing could be worse then what he has endured this very day, suddenly learns how wrong he can truly be, as he feels his world tightening even more then he thought possible, like a noose around his neck, choking the very life from his nigh invulnerable limbs, driving the very sanity from his mind... 

Next: Our unbelievable twenty fifth anniversary issue!

CptMarvell@aol.com