DCU Superman #37

“We should be close.” J’onn says as we fly through the city, we land on the top floor, where we immediately spot a large figure.

 

“Good to see you’ve arrived.” The large figure says.

 

“I’m guessing you’re the Ultra-Humanite?” I ask. He turns, revealing himself fully.

 

“Aren’t you the smart one.” He replies, staring us both down.

 

“I’d rather not have my time wasted. It just doesn’t wait for the new world.”

 

“New world? What new world?” I ask. He grins.

 

“Why, my new world, Superman. One where humanity has evolved like me to their peak. One where humanity is not halted by stability. I’ll be blunt, humanity’s going to fall apart. It's an inevitability. I’m doing them the favor of jump-starting their evolution.”

 

“History isn’t kind to people who try to play god.” J’onn interjects.

 

“History has not met anyone like me before.”

 

“Somehow I doubt that.” I add, which he ignores.

 

“If you believe you have a chance to stop it, I’d argue you’re doing a fool’s errand.” He turns back, presses a button on his left forearm, which causes the walls surrounding us to blast us with sonics. We fall to the ground, screaming in pain as Ultra-Humanite stands there, observing.

 

“I was expecting a more dramatic approach, tragic.” I move my head up, spotting the cybernetic arm. I then blast a hole through it with my heat vision which causes a small explosion, resulting in the sonics to short out.

 

“Damn it no!” He roars out, backhanding me across into a wall. J’onn rushes in, shapeshifting into a serpent, tethering his arms and head. I crawl out of the crater, looking up to see the struggle.

 

“Superman, I don’t mean to sound rude, but I would appreciate some help!” J’onn says as his grip seems to be growing weaker. I charge right at Ultra-Humanite, throwing him off his balance. He responds by grabbing my leg and flinging me across the room. I stumble slightly, trying my best to get up. He tries to get the drop on me, J’onn appears before him for which he trys to strike, but he vanishes before reappearing by his side, he tries to throw an uppercut but is grabbed by the shoulder and flung through the ground into the floor below where the bomb is located. He rises from the floor and surveys the room.

 

“If you think I am someone to be impressed so easily.” He takes several glances around before spotting a glint of red through the smoke that he immediately attempts to punch in response, but J’onn phases through it.

 

“You’d be dead wrong.” He beams before clutching his fist, it somehow activates a high voltage charge that electrifies J’onn. He screeches in pain before crumbling to the ground. I fly up through the hole, shoving Ultra-Humanite through the floor. I add an uppercut that he attempts to block but fails.

 

“Is that really the best you’ve got?!” Ultra-Humanite remarks before swatting me out of the air followed by a wide array of blows, pummeling me to the ground.

 

“Pathetic.” He tries to land a knockout blow. But I grapple his fist, scanning it with my x-ray vision before using all my upper strength to rip his cybernetic arm off. He stumbles back, inspecting the sparks blasting out of his arm socket. I barely give him any time to react any further before I thwack him in the snout. I continue with several hits to the chest area and finish with a body blow. He slows his descent across the room with his remaining hand, he then pulls a gun and blasts at me which I fire back at with my heat vision. Causing a small explosion as a result that throws me at a wall and ends with falling to the ground. Ultra-Humanite attempts to get up, but is tied together and thrashed around into unconsciousness by the giant tentacles of a green creature.

 

“J’onn, you’re-”

 

“As much as I would appreciate the formalities.” J’onn telepathically communicates, pointing to the bomb.

 

“We don’t have much time, I will deal with him, you deal with the bomb.” I nod in agreement back to him before, rushing to the bomb and looking at the countdown.

 

“Twelve seconds to take it to space. Right, you’ve done it once before, albeit through much different circumstances. Still, no pressure.” I grab the device and fly as fast as I can through the roof and into the sky past the mesosphere. I take a quick peep to the device.

 

“Seven seconds.” I go even farther, I can barely see the city behind me, I’m at least several hundred miles from earth to space, passing through the karman line with ease. I stop to use all my strength to throw it far into the vaccum of space. A few seconds go by before I can spot a giant explosion, which slams me back down to earth, far deep into the ocean floor. I swim above the water, taking in a few breath.

 

“Superman, can you hear me?” I get another telepathic message from J’onn.

 

“Loud and clear.”

 

“Have you handled the bomb?”

 

“Yeah, what about your end?”

 

“Ultra-Humanite has been dealt with.”

 

“Good, good.” I gaze towards the sky, taking in the momentary quietness before breaking it.

 

“Anything from John?”

 

“He’s taken care of the Atomic Skulls, we’ve won.” A sigh of relief escapes me as I stare into the sky before I soar out of the ocean and to the skies back to Metropolis.

 

---------------------------

 

“It’s been several days since Ultra-Humanite and the Atomic Skulls have been taken into custody by the DEO, it has also been confirmed by Special Forces Officer Rick Flag that Ultra-Humanite will be transferred into Belle Reve by Argus. And with that a brand new day is shining upon Metropolis. While there is a cause for concern with the rise of metahumans. I think we need to be cautious and not repressive.” I finish typing to give the article a quick skim.

 

“Hmm, I might need to work on a few words.” I glance down at my watch to see that it’s almost nine.

 

“In the morning.” I turn off the computer before grabbing my phone and heading out of the Daily Planet offices, heading down through the elevator and leaving the building through the front doors. I pick up my phone to call Lois. There’s no response probably due to her taking care of Jon, so I leave a voicemail.

 

“Hey Lois, just letting you know I’ll be there in less than five, so I’ll be making some of your fav-” I pause to hear a frequency coming straight from the roof of the Daily Planet.

 

“Anyways, I’ll be there soon, bye.” I hang up before heading to an alley to change into my suit and fly to the roof where I had heard the frequency. I spot J’onn from the edge, staring at the streets below.

 

“It always ends up being me meeting other heroes at rooftops, huh?”

 

“Good to see you again Superman.” He turns to my direction.

 

“I could say the same to you too.” He smiles.

 

“So, is there a reason why you called me up here?”

 

“Just to talk. If that isn’t any trouble.”

 

“No! No trouble at all.” I scratch the back of my head.

 

“Although, I’m gonna have to make a decent excuse for not being home soon to my wife. Regardless, what did you want to talk about?” He hesitates for a moment before asking me.

 

“Tell me, what do you know of your people?” I just stare at him.

 

“I-uh, well excluding the fact that I’m not from here, nothing at all. I mean, for all I know, I could be the son of some space police officer. I’m not, right?” I hear a slight chuckle from J’onn.

 

“No you’re not. I was once a peacekeeper on my home planet. A Manhunter, not unlike the police officers of this one. I would travel the cosmos hunting criminals that took refuge in nearby galaxies. One of which contained the now dead planet Krypton, your birthplace”. My heart drops at the sound of that name. Krypton. It sounds...familiar.

 

“How do you know I’m from this...Krypton?”

 

“When I reached into your mind, I detected faded memories of your infancy. If you’ll allow me to re-enter and find them again, I can show you where you came from. May I?” He asks. I nod in response, it takes a brief moment before his red eyes glow even brighter, blinding my vision. I’m immediately hit with flashes of cities, filled with millions of people, being illuminated by a red sun. I immediately notice the organic ground of the planet begin to show cracks and shudder, thunderstorms brewing. And then suddenly, silence, just pure silence. And then within less than a second, it explodes. I flash back, staring at J’onn, he examines me, seeing the pain behind my eyes.

 

“I apologize if that disturbed you.” He says with a look of remorse.

 

“I appreciate it. Do we know if anyone besides me made it?”

 

“I wish I could tell you, I really do. But I genuinely don’t know, I’m sorry. Besides your family line, there’s nothing I can find.” I’m silent, trying to take in the reality of things, I focus back on J'onn.

 

“Thank you, for telling me all this.”

 

“You’re truly something Superman, even through your pain, you manage to end up stronger than ever.”

 

“Well, they don’t call me Superman for nothing.” I look down to my watch, noticing the time.

 

“Oh shoot, sorry to break the atmosphere, but I need to be home now. But again, thank you J’onn.” As I’m about to get off the roof, I hear.

 

“Martian Manhunter.” I turn back to him.

 

“What?”

 

“I had never told you before, but I am called the Martian Manhunter.”

 

“Well, it was nice to work with you Martian Manhunter.” I walk back to him, holding my hand out.

 

“Same to you, Superman.” He shakes it with a small grin.

 

 

“Fortunately, I must be going as well. Until we meet again.” I nod before waving goodbye and heading home.

 

Done