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 #25

Born yesterday

Birthing pains, part III

By Ralph L. Angelo, Jr.

            Superman stared in disbelief at the figure floating in the air before his troubled eyes. Yet there was no denying it, this was his son, the child who was born less then twenty four horrific hours before, and then snatched away at the moment of his birth by the monster known as Brainiac, who then killed the child's mother, Superman's, Clark Kent's wife, Lois Lane-Kent.

            Yet now the child was fully grown to manhood, perhaps eighteen to nineteen years old, wearing a variant of Clarks own costume, the colors were all wrong. The blue was more of a purple, as if it had been burned, and the cape was more of a blood red (Something in Superman's mind found this prophetic, though he did not dwell on it.) The yellow was a singed and dirty looking color, not bright and hopeful as was Superman's own insignia.

            And he continued to stare at Superman with those eyes filed with hatred. His mothers eyes. They bore a hole in Clarks very soul. He'd never seen those eyes filled with such vehemence, such hatred. And yet here they were looking to kill him from a distance.

            It was then the very thought occurred to Superman that they probably could, even as energy leapt from them in cascading torrents of rage, heat ray vision, every bit as powerful as Clarks own smashed into his body, sending screaming pain through him, not so much from the power of the blast but from whence it came. His own flesh and blood. His child.

            "You killed her!" The boy roared as he continued to send wave after wave of heat vision at Superman, who tumbled form the rooftop he was sitting on, to smash uncontrolled into the street below, sending the reporters gathered there who were watching him running in fear, as the younger Kent rocketed down from above slamming into the pavement with the force of a small earthquake, smashing Superman beneath his outstretched fists, burying them both in the pavement, and down to the subway below!

            "Wait, Jonathan!" Superman bellowed, imploring his son to stop as the youth struck out again, backhanding his father through one subway tunnel into an adjacent one tearing up the tracks, as a train barreled down on them both, horns blaring.

            "Stop son!" Superman Implored

            "DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME THAT!" The younger Superman screamed in agony as he struck his father again with a right haymaker that shook the subway repeatedly! Superman kicked his son away from himself, and with no small amount of anguish at doing so.

            Spinning around Superman streaked through the air and with a gargantuan effort grasped the front of the train, and slowly brought its speed to a stop, mere inches from the ruined track section where he and his son came through the wall.

            "Son, stop it!" Superman implored as he grabbed the youth, pulling him up from the floor and shaking him by the front of his uniform. "I am not your enemy! Brainiac is. He killed your mother, and stole you away, then he prematurely aged you to full growth overnight."

            "LIAR!" He unleashed his heat ray vision in Superman's face, full power as he screamed!

            The man of steel staggered backwards, his eyes taking a second to readjust. That second was al the time his son needed, pressing his attack with super speed blows to Superman's head, one after another high impact, high powered with the strength to shatter mountains!

            "How does it feel Kryptonian? "A voice suddenly questioned in Superman's very mind. A voice he knew all to well. The voice of madness and of the devil himself.

            "Brainiac" Superman thought to himself.

            "Of course Kryptonian. So answer my query. How does it feel? To know you must kill your own flesh and blood or he will kill you. What is your answer man of steel? There is no reasoning with the youth. He hates you. I have ingrained that within him. There is only one conclusion to this. His death, or yours."

            "Get out of my head monster. I'll be coming for you soon enough. This time you won't be able to hide behind a baby*. This time I'll destroy you." The man of steel thought in reply.

*See last issue

            Again and again the younger Superman strikes with a fury only those with no hope, no love and no future could know of. He strikes again and again at his father who weathers the beating until he has had enough!

            "Stop this now Jonathan!" The elder Superman roared, as he grabbed both his sons hands in mid punch, and heaved him away and upwards shattering the street again, this time with his sons body breaking the pavement as it soared upwards, bent at the waist like a rag doll.

            Superman rocketed upwards, out of the newly created hole in the pavement, and landed next to his child who was already pulling himself upright, when again the voice rang ion his mind

            "I see your first meeting is going as planned. Tell me Kryptonian, is it a pleasure for you to meet your son for the first time and have him try to kill you?  How did it feel to lay your fist upon his jaw?

            "Brainiac, get out of my head!" The man of steel shouted aloud, as TV crews standing dangerously close sent the words and images out to a Metropolis that held its very breath at the Man of steels plight!

            One of those people, a good friend of the Man of steels, stood and watched horrified at what was happening to his friend. Taking a specially constructed Bullhorn out, the man spoke into it, but no words exited the other end, at least none a normal man could hear. But ones a Superman could!

            "Superman! Come to my lab post haste! I have something for you that will aid you against your true enemy, but you must hurry!" Emil Hamilton placed the bull horn down, and hurriedly began pulling items out of a dozen wooden drawers "Where did I place that?" He murmured aloud, when suddenly the brick and mortar wall exploded inwards, sending the bedraggled scientist flying.

            Before him the younger Superman stood, angrily staring at the old man. "You will not help him, no one will! He killed my mother and now I'm finally old enough to have my revenge, after all these years!"

            Hamilton fumbled with his glasses as he placed them back on his nose, before he answered, "But child, you were literally born yesterday. What are you talking about?"

            "Liar!" The youth roared as he unleashed his heat ray vision at Professor Hamilton, when suddenly a blue and red blur interceded, snatching Hamilton away, and streaking to the other end of the city, faster then the eye can follow.

            "We have no time, Ham, what have you got for me?" Superman asked, all business.

            "Harrummph, These ear plugs will block Brainiac's ability to tap into your thoughts, at least they are designed that way. Speaking of hearing, I see your son has acquired yours."

            "Yes that's how he tracked you back to your lab, he's coming now. He's finally spotted us, I've got to go." He begins to fly away then stops a moment and turns towards Hamilton again, "Thank you for being a friend Professor."

            "Superman" Hamilton answered, "I should be the one thanking you for that honor."

            For the first time in over twenty four hours Superman allowed himself a small smile then immediately darted away streaking across the sky, to impact head on with his son, connecting a powerful right left combination to the boys jaw, sending him into Hobbs bay as if he were a meteor.

            "I see you are resigned to killing the boy. Good." Brainiacs voice began again.

            "Wrong monster, and as of now I'm shutting you out." As he spoke Superman placed the plugs into his ears and immediately Brainiac's mental chatter ceased.

            "Good. First step in the right direction." Superman thought to himself, as he sped towards his son who had just broken the waters surface.

            "What did that old man give you, murderer? What was it? I'll kill him for helping you." The younger Kent yelled at his father as both hovered in mid air, circling each other.

            "No son, you won't you will never kill anyone. It's not my way. And it was not your mothers."

            "LIAR! You killed her because she was pregnant with me! You didn't want anyone else alive who shared your power. But you didn't think about Brainiac who was watching out for the well being of all the people on this planet, who was worried about mom in particular because he knew you were an insane monster. If he hadn't saved me, I would be dead too. He showed me the vids of it all, explained it all to me. He made me the man I am, and I'm going to make sure you never harm anyone else again."

            "Son, he's lied to you over and over. You were born yesterday, as Professor Hamilton stated. He aged you artificially and poisoned your mind. Brainiac is a monster of galactic proportions."

            "If he's such a monster, why did he save the Earth when you failed to?"

            "You're talking about Monguls' Cold Armageddon war, as the media now calls it. Yes, he saved the Earth. Why, I don't know. Perhaps it was to make me know he saved it while I could not. Perhaps it was because he enjoys the use of the people on this planet as of they were his playthings. Whatever reason he had, be sure it was an evil one, because he is a vile, evil being, with a soul as black as night. There is no good about him Son. There never has been there never will be."

            "Your lies are more transparent every minute, "Father" The last word was spoken vehemently.
"You'll never poison my mind about my true father, about Brainiac."

            "If you consider the truth to be poison, Son, then I will continue to try."

            "You are a liar!" The boy bellowed as he threw himself at Superman again, connecting with a powerful right to the man of steel's jaw, sending him careening back to the streets of metropolis, smashing into bus, shoving it aside like paper before a storm.

            Superman extricated himself form the buses side, not even having time to check on the passengers as his son attacked, dropping from the sky comet-like, to impact on the man of tomorrow yet again.

            The two slid through the street, into a department store, and out the other side, onto an adjoining street.

            "Stop this son, NOW!" Superman shouted as he kicked his son off of him, sending him careening straight upwards a quarter of a mile!

            "He can take as much damage as I can that's one thing it seems. Lois' human half didn't seem to dilute his Kryptonian part at all." He thought to himself as he bolted upright from the destroyed street.

            Suddenly a groaning sound assailed his ears, turning quickly; Superman realized what was happening. Instantly he rushed off towards the building he and his son had just plowed through, and grabbed a ceiling beam that was about to come crashing down on terrified and trapped shoppers.

            "GO!" He shouted commandingly! Encouraging them to leave at once. People scurried, some helping others to their feet, some just running scared out the building, which began to fall apart around them.

            Then he saw him. His Son was standing there placidly, staring at his father, a look of almost, but not quite bewilderment on his face.

            "Jonathan! Help them!" Superman shouted as he fought to maintain the buildings' integrity.

            "Why are you helping them?" The son asked the father, ignoring his fathers' plea.

            "Just get them out of here, it's crumbling in my hands I can't save them all."

            The son of Superman stared at his father, a man he has been at odds with, and did nothing.

            "Jonathan! NOW! Help them!" The man of Steel implored one more time.

            The boy jumped, leaping to action from inaction immediately. He grabbed people and flew them outside faster then sight could follow, less then ten seconds later the building collapsed around his father completely.

            An instant later, and with a loud boom, Superman exploded from the wreckage, Striding purposefully towards his son.

            Suddenly a voice boomed through Metropolis, in the mental ears of everyone present, even Superman, forcing its way past his telepathic ear plugs, in the process forcing every normal human to his knees in the city in abject mental anguish!

            "Now boy! Finish this! Now kill the murderer of your mother! The scourge of the universe. This so called Superman!"

            Shakily, the younger Superman held out his hand and a leaden box appeared in it as if from thin air.

            "Jonathan, what are you doing?" Superman asked, even though he already knew in his heart what was about to transpire.

            The boy opened the box and immediately Superman felt weak, nauseous, and fell to the ground, practically paralyzed.

            "Jonathan, no..." Superman said weakly as the Kryptonite in the box bathed him in its deadly radiation.

            Brainiacs voice boomed again "Finish him now! As we planned all these years, finish this monster! Do you understand finally Superman? The boy does not have your weakness for Kryptonite. His mothers' blood washed that away! She will be the means to your destruction!"

            "You...are the monster...Brainiac...You may have poisoned his mind...but he will know the truth...and even if I die today...and join my beloved Lois...when he realizes...who the TRUE...monster is...he will...crush you."

            Then Superman turned towards his son; "I forgive you Jonathan."

            The boy turns toward thin air and says aloud. "This is...wrong. Something is not right about this. This is not what we planned all these years. You spoke to me of justice, this is just murder."

            Then a voice calls to the boy from nearby as the owner of the voice runs towards the two in the street. "You can't have planned for anything for years, son, you were born yesterday."

            The boy of steel turns towards the owner of the voice a heavyset older man, and suddenly knows him for who he is. "G-grandpa Kent? B-but how? Brainiac told me Superman killed you years ago and covered it up to make it look like something he did."

            "That evil bastards been lying to you from the start, grandson. Jonathan, stop this. That monster killed your mother, certainly not your father. Think boy. This family's been through enough in the past twenty-four hours. Don't play into that monsters hands anymore."

            Suddenly Jonathan Kent grips he head and howls in anguish, Superman helpless tries to get to his feet while screaming "Pa! No!"

            The elderly Jonathan Kent begins to bleed from his ears as he crumples to the ground in a lifeless heap.

            "NOOOOO! " Young Jonathan Clark Kent screams, his father echoing his cry. Instantly he hurls the small box in his hand towards the sea, literally throwing it miles away.

            Instantly Superman is on his feet, rocketing towards the hovering Skull ship in orbit, his son directly behind him. In their minds a voice roars, "Ah the hopes of mankind come to me at last. I knew this would be the outcome, young Superman, but the idea of poisoning one so young's mind was to fresh an opportunity to pass by. "

            "So you killed my mother? And did it just yesterday? You'll pay for this, monster!"

            "What you just did to my father has ended your so called existence monster. That was the writing on your tombstone." Superman growled as he slammed his right fist into the skull ships 'face' with earth shattering power!

Young Superman responds with a double fisted over hand smash to the face of the ship as well.

            "Now son, do as I do." Superman grunts as he begins to slam his fists over and over into the ships face at a speed beyond comprehension!

            His son nods and does the same, the ships self-replicating nanite skin healing system is overwhelmed immediately. Both men smash through the exterior and into the shell of the ship. Immediately Brainiac's silver skin metallic form rises up from a floorboard. Forming itself from the metal around him.

            "So ends our little drama, eh Superman? I will destroy you both, but not before I incinerate your planet before your dying helpless eyes."

            "No more talk beast, just your destruction." Superman lunges at Brainiac at super speed instantly grabbing the robot by its steel neck and he begins to crush, when energy blasts rip from its eyes, smashing Superman to the ground like a rag doll. Green energy beams.

            "Kryptonite" The Son of steel proclaims in a stunned whisper.

            "Yes foolish whelp, did you think I would not have more then one piece to power my plans?"

            Instantly the boy of steel leaps into the path of the Kryptonite rays  , and instantly screams in agony!

            "Surprised boy? I lied to you about your invulnerability to Kryptonite. While it take far more to harm you then it does your father, you are not invulnerable to it. Merely resistant. But enough of it CAN and WILL kill you!          
            "Father get up! Stop him! DAD!" The younger Kent screeches at his father, as he begins to slump to the ground under the onslaught of the Kryptonite rays. In a Herculean effort, the man of steel fights to regain his footing and does. In a show of rock solid will and resolve, Superman hurls himself at Brainiac, hitting him over and over, at speeds incalculable by human methods. Ripping through the robots supposedly impenetrable skin, he digs his fingers into the sides of the robot body and pulls it in two! Shredding the form like a piece of paper!

            And instantly another appears behind him, flowing up form the floor like molten steel.

            "Did you think to stop me that way Kryptonian? I am unstoppable, and I am eternal. Destroy one of my forms and this ship will produce ten more. This ship and I are one! You have no chance against me."

            Superman looks at the crumpled form of his son, knowing already the boy has sustained to much damage from the Kryptonite rays to survive, having taken their full measure for far to long a time, even his skin is now green and getting greener. Then the boy breathes his last before his fathers saddened eyes.

            "No more words between us monster." Is all the man of steel says as he rockets from the ship to arc around and slam into it and through it out the other side, again and again and again, at a speed approaching light! Thousands of attacks in a mere microseconds time! All the ships systems are concentrating on repairing the damage, the Brainiac drones drop lifeless to the deck, as all power is spent redirecting to repair, but the damage comes to quickly. Superman is unrelenting, flying though the ship again and again and again. He continues his assault, striking with all his full, unfettered power, holding nothing back, at all. No restraint. No let up. Just total and complete annihilation, as his fists literally atomize the ship around him. Tirelessly he continues his attack, totally destroying the Brainiac head ship, and Brainiac with it

            His mind sees three faces the entire time. His son, his father and Lois. All killed by this heartless, inhuman beast.

            "This can never happen again.," he shouts aloud, his fists continuing to pummel the ships remains seen again!" The man of steel shouts, half sobbing his words, as he grinds the remaining pieces to dust, and less then dust in his invulnerable hands.

            Then for added measure he fires his heat ray vision at all the remaining dust motes of the great head ship, atomizing them further, the full unfettered fury of his heat ray vision lights up the sky on earth below like a new star in orbit, people all over the western hemisphere cover their eyes from the sheer brightness of the blast. He holds nothing back in his fury, sobbing as he releases all his power in one awe inspiring, terrible blast. Only then is he satisfied.

            He grasps the body of his son tenderly; wrapping the boy in his cape, fighting back tears that float away in the weightlessness of space and slowly, somberly flies back towards metropolis.

            Epilogue 1           

            Hours have past. Superman has comforted his mother at the loss of his father, and with a doctor's help she sleeps now, but not peacefully. He knows she will never be the same. He himself is back on the roof of the Daily Planet.

            He hears a door open behind him and the clanking of metallic clad feet approaching him.

            "Don't bother me, I'm not myself right now. I can't control what I might do to you. Go away. You only get one warning."

            "I'm not here to harass or attack you, Superman. I'm here to offer my condolences."

            Superman turns to face the person behind him and sees Catalyst's armored form standing there.

            "Catalyst?"

            "And more, Superman."

            As he speaks, Catalyst unlocks several latches around the rim of his helmet, and with a hiss of escaping atmosphere, he removes the helmet, revealing...

            "Luthor. I suspected. What do you want Lex?"

            "To offer my condolences, as I already said."

            "I'm surprised. I assumed this would be what you always wanted."

            Luthor sits next to Clark on the buildings edge.

            "Your defeat, and destruction, yes. But not in this way, not at the cost of your family. I would have exposed you to the world in a heartbeat, but I would never have killed your loved ones to get to you. That's horrific and barbaric, and not befitting of two great warriors battling against each other."

            "Is that what you see us as? Opposites locked in some eternal struggle?"

            "Isn't that what we are? Depending on what view you take, I am either the villain of the piece, or the worlds greatest hero, seeking to drive out the alien usurper."

            "You are warped, Luthor."

            "Perhaps I am, but I'm not here to quibble. I'm here to say I'm sorry for your loss, and to tell you that all enmities between us are now over as far as I'm concerned."

            "Why? You surprise me again, Lex."

            "There is nothing more we can battle over now Clark. It's all over. I'll leave you alone, providing you do the same to me."

            "My heroing days are over, Luthor. I know that. I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, but Superman is dead."

            "I half expected as much." Luthor stands and begins affixing his helmet atop his head. "Once again, you have my deepest condolences for your losses. This is not how I would have envisioned things ending between us, or for you in general."

            Boot jets whine and then Catalyst/Luthor is gone, leaving Clark alone with his thoughts.

            A minute passes, then two as Superman stares at the lights of Metropolis's skyline at night, and then a warmly glowing hand touches his left shoulder, and a voice speaks,

            "Superman, we have to talk..."

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