Action Comics #874

Issue Details

Synopsis

SUSPICION! Superman is enraged! Zod, Ursa and Non are free... oddly however the New Kryptonians subdue him and stand at Zod's side... Alura was telling the truth - Zod is head of the Kryptonian army and pardoned for his sins.   Ursa shifts suspicion in Superman's direction, pointing out that since he started sniffing around the bottled cities Brainiac's ship have vanished. They had paid for their crimes - more so than any Earth justice system have sentenced them. Perhaps Superman was the one here to cause problems?   Superman is taken aback and swears he did not steal the ship of cities and is even more surprised when Alura softens. Looking around he sees the distrust in his people and offers to leave, but only after a few questions and Alura grants him that.   He asks about Kara, and Alura is short with an answer. He than asks about his son Chris to which Zod points out Lor-Zod is none of his concern any longer.   Alura points out though he may see animosity, every single one of the New Kryptonians know they owe their very lives to him, and she hopes one day he'll renounce Earth and return to his family and reclaim his birthright.   Superman takes one last look around and agrees to ponder the offer to stay. Even Zod points out that though once upon a time he would have crushed Superman in a heartbeat, he too hopes what is left of Krypton can be whole once more. Ursa shrugs of the sentimentality and points out they still have a theft to deal with - if it wasn't the son of Jor-El - who was it?   Lex and Superwoman present General Lane with a gift - Brainiac's ship! In its new home... in bunker 7734.   7734 is on Jimmy Olsen's mind too, he cant crack the code of this impossible clue. Enter Steve Lombard and his larger than life abrasive personality. He grins that the code is a stupid pocket calculator gimmick that every child the world over knows.   Seeing Jimmy utterly bewildered, Steve cracks the code 7734 is HELL.   Elsewhere Lois and Clark have a heart to heart and head to the Fortress of Solitude just missing a news broadcast. Other than Superman, all Kryptonians are now banned from Earth! When Nightwing and Flamebird hear this they realize time is against their mission.   Meanwhile Clark is showing Lois around the Fortress pointing out it is a 'perfect' shrine, infallible and ultimately a rose-tinted idealized reflection of real life. Clark talks of his suspicions and despite Lois interjecting that Zod was pardoned, Clark still believes Zod is evil and plotting something...   Before they can discuss it more Mon-El calls for help through a Phantom Zone portal.   Mon begs for Superman to release him from the Zone... as it's somehow being shut down killing off all its residents. Even knowing he will die from lead poisoning he begs to spend his last living minutes in the arms of his brother. Superman wrestles with assisting Mon-El's suicide or allowing him to be murdered... ultimately he chooses to pull Mon out of the Zone and is able to do so with milliseconds to spare.   Echoing his father's death Superman holds his dying brother. ORIGINS AND OMENS Scar continues to read from the Black Book and sees someone relevant to the future... Jim Harper, The Guardian. Scar recounts his origin while at the same time Jim and the duty SciPol are mustering ready for a mission.   It's Winslow Schott's birthday and he always gives Metropolis a 'present' of some kind and Guardian wants them ready for action.   As it turns out Jim was right and a rampaging android bear smashes through the city causing untold damage. The SciPol are successful in saving the day and curiously it sets Jim also to recount his origins. Scar and Jim's thoughts converge on Gwen Harper.   Suddenly omens of the future appear before Scar.   A meeting with legionnaires... joining forces with Flamebird and Nightwing... the destruction of SciPol... and the death of Gwen...   And because Scar sees it so, it WILL happen unless something changes.