Action Comics #900

Issue Details

Synopsis

THE BLACK RING: FINALE - REIGN OF DOOMSDAY Quickly speeding towards Metropolis, Superman arrives and quickly asks for Doomsday's whereabouts. Lois confronts Superman and tells him of Doomsday's fight with Steel. Though Lois worries about the fact that Doomsday killed Superman before, he reassures everyone he'll win this fight. As he searches for his comrade, out in space, a battered Superboy rejoins the other S-Shield bearers as they attempt to escape and fail as Doomsday appears and attacks. Steel theorizes that he's holding them at bay for someone.   Out in space, Lex Luthor enjoys his newfound power and decides to bring Superman to him for a final fight. Superman notices that where they are has very little in terms of civilization and that Luthor's infused with Phantom Zone energies. Realizing that last bit, he finds a portal and attempts to enter it (possibly to save Chris Kent), only for Luthor to pull him back. Asking where Luthor got this power, Luthor revealed the power's origin - that of a creature that was harmed by negative emotion and was freed by Lex, intending on purging that emotion. Luthor shows his displeasure at Superman still "ignoring him" and roars that he should not turn his back on him. Binding him, Luthor decides to finally bring justice to Superman, inflicting him with human emotion (which he believes Superman does not possess, being an alien).   Luthor brings Superman back to the day he died and shows him Lois' grief. Superman snaps at him and tells him he knows how that feels. Luthor brushes it off and tries the destruction of Krypton, thinking that this reasoning for doing what he does is nothing. Superman yells out in anguish at that scene and starts breaking down as Luthor shows him scenes of Chris sacrificing himself to put away Zod and New Krypton exploding. In anger, Superman tells him that if he looks deep inside enough, he'll see what causes him the most pain. Luthor starts to brush it off as another world exploding, only to find out it's the death of Jonathan Kent. As he realizes who he's seeing, Luthor finally puts it together: Superman is Clark Kent. When Superman tells him that they're both similar, Luthor snaps, vowing to finally break Superman for apparently mocking him all these years. When Superman dares him, Luthor lashes out to strike him, only to find out Superman isn't dead. Mister Mind, in control of the Lois robot, warns Luthor that the Zone Child has woken and is limiting the power Luthor has. Luthor brushes it off and declares he's going to get back that power and use it to kill Superman.   In Doomsday's lair, Supergirl and the three heroic shield bearers are attempting to escape once more. They realize that Doomsday is using their power set, but only one person at a time. Doomsday gets the drop on them once more as the Cyborg Superman rejoins them. As Superboy deals with the Cyborg, Steel directs Supergirl to an open, which she knocks Doomsday into. Superboy attempts to turn the others on the Cyborg, but he stops them, telling them he's found something. Unfortunately, Doomsday reemerges to continue his assault.   In space, Luthor battles the Zone Child. The Zone Child tells Luthor he came to eradicate negative emotions, but learns it's much more different here. He tells Luthor he can have his power, but only do with it as he would. With that full power, Luthor creates eternal bliss. On Earth, Death talks to a man who would have died at the moment and reveals that this was what the child wanted - to end entropy. Everyone - from Vandal Savage to the Red Lanterns to the Thangarians; to Batman, the Daily Planet crew, Larfleeze, Deathstroke, Gorilla Grodd and Brainiac - are experiencing this bliss. Superman tries to tell Luthor that things have to change, that he can use the power he has to do what he should have done so long ago. Mister Mind explains to Luthor that to keep the power, Luthor cannot do anything negative, like destroy Superman.   Sadly, Luthor's ego refuses to listen to that train of thought. Even as Superman apologizes for everything he's done to him, Luthor still wants Superman dead. With the Zone Child dead, Mister Mind is free and he bails on Luthor. When Superman realizes Luthor is getting weaker as he gets angrier, he allows him to keep attacking, draining him of his power. When Superman refuses to fight back, Luthor attempts to provoke him to do so. Superman, in turn, tells Luthor that the way he does things will never work and that he had the power to do good and heal, but he didn't have the courage to change.   In Doomsday's lair, the Cyborg finally shows the other shield bearers his discovery...   In space, Superman's fight with Luthor finally causes the man to lose the power forever. Even worse, Luthor had lost his memories, unable to remember who he was. On Earth, the Joker cackles in his cell in Arkham Asylum as he reveals Luthor had played the greatest sick joke in history to the universe and himself - to give the universe eternal bliss and then take it away and to have ultimate power, but squander it because of his pettiness. As Luthor starts coming to, his ramblings cause Superman to realize he was behind the Doomsday attacks. However, before Superman can pull him away, Luthor falls into one of the Phantom Zone holes, seemingly forever. Superman confronts the Lois bot and asks if he wants to return with him, but she declines.   Taking Luthor's ship, Superman makes it to where the others are captured and busts in, only for the lair's strange effect to take hold. He reunites with the shield bearers as the Cyborg Superman reveals his findings: another Doomsday. The Cyborg deduces that they thought they were all attacked by one singular Doomsday, but when Superman reveals that this was all Luthor's doing and that he could have had access to him during his time with General Lane, the Cyborg surmises, as three Doomsdays arrive, that Luthor had put into place the "Reign of the Doomsdays." LIFE SUPPORT Jor-El hires a young newlywed and parent to devise a life support and food storage system for a small rocket. The hitch is it must be done in three days and though the brilliant young man can help save one life for his new employer he struggles when realizing he and his new family, not to mention everyone else around him will die in three days.   He agrees to help but only if Jor-El allows him to say goodbye to his wife and daughter. AUTOBIOGRAPHY  Superman is talking to Sarva, a gentle but powerful being. Sarva explains his past, that he had settled on the planet they are enjoying the holographic representation of. On this planet in return for its inhabitant's hospitality Sarva used his abilities to quell the Planet's natural disasters but one day it suffered the same fate as Krypton.   Unlike Jor-El's rescue of his son, Sarva thought it best not to relocate the I'awa tribe to a new planet where they would have to struggle to survive. Years later Sarva ended being the last survivor of his race and that is when he met a superman for the first time.   His new friend had also a handful of I'awa survivors and offered them a home in his interplanetary zoo. Upon telling his tale Sarva realizes he is a last son also. Was he wrong not to rescue the I'awa? Superman smiles gently and points out they aren't gods, they are only human. FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE 21ST CENTURY Lois is rifling through her desk at the Daily Planet watched by a bemused Clark. Lois reveals that Saturn Girl has given her a Legion flight ring in case of emergencies. Curiosity piqued, Clark questions what his wife will do with it. To his surprise she invites his Legion buddies over for a party night so he can enjoy some much needed downtime. THE INCIDENT Superman meets Gabriel Wright, the U.S. President's National Security advisor, concerning over the former's interference in Tehran, where the Man of Steel had non-violently defended a large peaceful demonstration from the Iranian army, who were prepared to use excessive force for organizing such a gathering. Superman saw the demonstration consists of common people willing to risk harm in order to have their voice heard against an oppressive regime, and felt he should show his solidarity with the average person by merely standing beside the demonstration for a whole day. Subsequently, Superman's appearance inspired the populace to stand at his side until the demonstration peacefully disperse.   Superman's actions angered the Iranian and United States governments, in which both viewed him as American "property" whose presence could have declare an act of war. As revealed by Wright since meeting Superman, the American government saw Superman as having gone rogue and marked him for death, as snipers armed with Kryptonite bullets are already have their sight trained on Superman. Superman is unfazed by Wright's and his superiors' incensed criticisms and states that he has grown tired of being an instrument of American policy, and that he is an American citizen and isn't a possession. He then declares to a stunned Wright that the next day he is going to renounced his American citizenship at the United Nations and continue to work as a superhero from a global rather than a national perspective.   As Superman leaves, he reveals the outcome of the protest. It was one man to deliver a symbol of peace (a rose) to one of the soldiers. An unexpected courageous act that inspired him to stand up for himself. ONLY HUMAN