A meteorite accelerated towards Earth as it was caught in the planet's gravity. The object was several meters in diameter and composed almost entirely of crystals that seemed to expand in all directions. The crystallized ship hit the Earth's atmosphere and rocketed towards the surface at an angle. Unlike a normal meteorite this object seemed to be targeting a certain spot on the planet's surface.

The people of Metropolis stared into the sky as they saw the ball of fire approach their city. Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and Jimmy Olsen looked up at the sky from a balcony on one of the highest floors of the Daily Planet. Jimmy quickly took a picture as the flaming object came closer.

"I am going to get a better look," Clark Kent said awkwardly and then excused himself.

"Yeah, you do that Clark," Lois said with a dazed expression on her face.

Perry White came out to see what was going on and upon seeing the object looked over at Lois and Jimmy. "What are you standing around here for? When that thing crashes, I want you and Clark to be the first ones there," he barked.

"Where is Clark anyway?" he looked around in frustration.

"Went for a better look?" Lois said while still looking at the sky.

"Well, go follow him!" Perry ordered. "You too Olsen," he added.

"On it Chief," Jimmy said enthusiastically

The meteorite slammed into a busy Metropolis intersection throwing cars in all directions and blasting a huge crater in the ground. Glass instantly shattered and buildings nearby cracked from the impact; fires immediately began to erupt.

Superman instantly appeared and surveyed the damage. Inside the crater was a large crystallized craft of some sort. Superman instantly recognized the design of the ship as Kryptonian in origin. "Everyone stand back," he told the crowds gathering around.

After what had recently occurred with the three Kryptonian criminals, Superman wasn't going to take any chances. The ship began to shake and then exploded crystals in all directions. Superman had to shield his face as crystals hit him. With the crystals gone, Superman was able to get a good look of what was inside. It vaguely resembled a humanoid but was clearly animal; it had grayish skin and crystal-like horns all over its body. It had a large jaw filled with sharp teeth and reddish eyes.

Lois and Jimmy got to the scene of the crash as Superman considered the animal like creature before him. It was obvious that this was not a Kryptonian , Superman was just as confused as all the others around him. The creature seemed to look around as if considering the strange land it found itself on.

Helicopters flew over the site to report on the alien creature in the center of the Metropolis intersection. Police, fire, and ambulance vehicles were racing to the scene. Once the police got there they formed a perimeter but allowed Superman to handle the situation. Cautiously, Superman walked up to the creature in the crater.

"Greetings. I come to you in peace," Superman said to the apprehensive creature.

The creature stared at Superman and then roared, a sound that stunned Superman and overwhelmed the people around it. As Superman recovered from the powerful roar, he was suddenly punched hard to the gut. The punch was stronger than one of the Kryptonians he had faced before. Superman grabbed his gut in pain from the devastating blow. The creature immediately went on the attack punching Superman to face, the impact sent Superman out of the crater.

Superman got back to his feet as the creature advanced on him. The cops immediately pulled their guns on the creature but did not shoot with Superman so close to it. "No, get out of here," Superman shouted at them.

While Superman was distracted, the creature swiped at Superman slashing his chest and hitting him hard to jaw. Superman regained his senses and blocked the creature's next punch and then hit the creature back with all of his strength. The head shot cocked the creature's head to the side but didn't seem to have any effect. The creature turned its head back to a surprised Superman and then punched Superman hard enough he fell into the sewer system underneath the street.

With Superman out of sight, the cops fired on the creature. Their bullets seemed to bounce off the creature's tough skin. The creature roared at them and rushed them tossing cop cars into the air and scattering police officers. Before the creature could kill the entire police squad, Superman erupted from the floor and punched the creature hard to the back.

The creature turned around and swung at Superman, but the Kyrptonian had the advantage now. He punched the creature hard to the chest and to the face and then finally a solid punch blasted the creature through a building. Superman took flight and sped up as the creature continue to fly through buildings. He then slammed the creature back to the ground causing a mini-earthquake in the city.

"Wow, look at that!" Jimmy said excitedly as he took pictures.

As the creature got back up seemingly unharmed Lois began to worry if Superman could defeat whatever it is that fell from the sky. Superman quickly appeared next to the creature and began swinging at it without reservations. This was not a sentient alien but an animal that was threatening his people. The creature and Superman brawled through the streets of Metropolis neither side giving up.

The crystal horns on the creature's back and arms worked to rip up Superman's suit and shed his blood. A well placed punch to the gut sent Superman to his knees coughing up blood. The creature punched Superman hard to the face and then slammed his head into the ground with his foot.

From his prison cell, Lex Luther watched in astonishment as Superman was being punched repeatedly by the creature. He was however not smiling as Superman appeared bruised and battered. If Superman were to die here, he would never know if his intellect would have measured up to the great Superman. He felt no sense of pleasure in Superman's death.

The creature continued to punch Superman without mercy as if they were most hated enemies. The creature suddenly stopped upon seeing a flash from Jimmy's camera. The creature stared at Jimmy and Lois who was next to him. Superman peered over at what the creature was looking at and then struggled to get back up. The creature slammed Superman back to the ground and then walked over to Jimmy and Lois.

"Why are you doing this?" Lois demanded of the creature.

The creature stared at Lois and then roared as if to reply. Lois simply stood in place as fear overwhelmed her. She was shaking violently as the creature cocked his arm back as if to destroy her. Superman suddenly put his arms around the creature's waist and rocketed it up into the air. Superman shot up into the upper atmosphere with the intention of sending the creature into outer space. The creature fought Superman the whole time repeatedly punching and kicking him while slicing his flesh open with its horns. Superman grunted in pain as the creature tore into him. After repeated assaults, Superman was forced to let go of the creature.

The two fell back down towards the Earth but Superman recovered and began punching the creature like a punching bag as the two fell. The creature grabbed a hold of Superman and two brawled into the air until they both slammed into Metropolis. When the dust cleared, Superman struggled to stand as he crawled away from the impact. Lois ran over to the impact site and then came over to Superman.

"Did I kill it?" he gasped.

"I don't know. What could survive that?" she wondered.

The creature in the crater seemed to be unconscious at the moment giving Superman some relief. "Your bleeding," Lois realized shocked.

Superman nodded and then coughed up blood as he struggled to stand. His suit was tattered and there were numerous slash marks all over his body. His face was bruised and his lip was bleeding. It reminded him of the beating he received by a mere human when he had lost his powers. But this creature had managed to do so much more at the height of his powers.

The creature shook and worked to get back on its feet. Superman turned to Lois with a determined face. "You must live for me Lois. Keep yourself safe for my sake," Superman said to her.

Lois watched in horror as Superman got back on his feet and confronted the alien monster. "Ready for round two?" he asked the creature.

The creature roared at him and opened and closed its jaws repeatedly as if desiring to eat the Kryptonian. "I thought as much," Superman said fatigued.

Superman and the creature rushed each other, the impacts from their punches caused mini-shock waves. Superman grunted in pain and effort as he struck the monster with everything he had. The two didn't bother to defend themselves anymore; they simply smacked each other around. The creature took hold of Superman's cape so as to bring Superman's neck to its jaws. Superman resisted tearing the cape away; it floated in the air and then settled on a broken piece of metal sticking out of the ground. Superman then fired away with his laser vision but the beam of light didn't seem to penetrate the creature's skin.

Finally the two titans hit each other at the same time sending the two off into different directions. Superman was dragged along the ground buckling asphalt as he did until he settled. The creature fell to the ground and stopped moving. Lois ran over to Superman and began to tear up as she saw him. He was severely wounded and broken from the battle.

Lois prompted him up into a sitting position and realized Superman was potentially in danger of dying. His pulse was slow and he was barely conscious. "Just hold on. The paramedics are on their way," Lois said to him but was in reality reassuring herself more than anything else.

"Is it….is it," Superman stuttered.

"You save us, so just rest okay," Lois said to him.

"Superman…," Jimmy muttered as he saw him.

"Jimmy, go find someone to help him," Lois ordered.

Jimmy nodded and then ran off. Lois then turned to Superman. "The world needs you Superman. You can't die on us," Lois said.

"Goodbye Lois," Superman said faintly before passing out.

"No, Superman wake up! You can't leave us, I need you Superman! Please come back to me," she sobbed as Superman fell lifeless in her arms.

Superman Returns

By Empirestv

The world leaders came to Metropolis for Superman's funeral along with tens of thousands of people in a large park. The body of Superman was placed in a coffin with the S symbol, the crest of his family placed on it. Lois was given the privledge of Eulogizing for Superman followed by the President of the United States.

The body of the monster that had taken Superman's life was referred to as Earth's Doomsday, a phrase originated by Daily Planet Editor Perry White. The creature's body was placed on a probe and shot off towards the sun where it would hopefully be permanently destroyed. Soon thereafter, Lois Lane won a Pulitzer Prize for her article Why the World Needed Superman.

Meanwhile, Lex Luther finally got his trial six months after his capture by Superman for his conspiracy with the criminal Kryptonians. The FBI had been working to gather all their evidence against the "most dangerous" criminal on Earth. Lex came into the courtroom with a brand new suit and without a toupee. His lawyer was at his side as everyone stood for the presiding judge. Lex Luther's assets had been seized by the state; his lawyer was an unenthusiastic appointed defense attorney. Lex was on the verge of asking the judge permission to represent himself.

Among those in the audience was Lois Lane in a gray and white business suit. When everyone had sat down, Lex Luther stood up much to his lawyer's confusion. "What is it Mr. Luther?" the female judge asked irritably.

"I intend to fire my lawyer and represent myself Your Honor," Lex stated.

The defense attorney merely shook his head and threw up his hands as if to give up on his client. "Very well Mr. Luther," the Judge allowed.

"I also have another motion to make Your Honor. That this case be dismissed on the grounds that the state's star witnesses is not present. By that I mean Superman," Lex quickly added.

The audience was in an uproar forcing the judge to demand order. "We will have a brief recess so that Mr. Luther may prepare to represent himself," she ordered.

As the recess began, Lex waived goodbye to his lawyer and then noticed Lois out of the corner of his eye. "Lois Lane, nice to see you again," Lex said pleasantly.

"You think the death of Superman will set you free?" she asked disgusted.

"Am I on the record, because if I am I have no comment," Lex smiled amused.

"I am the prosecution's star witness now," she said as if to intimidate him.

"That's what I've heard, but unfortunately your memory is not very reliable is it?" Lex reminded her.


One Month Later

Lex Luther exited the court room a free man after the Court granted his motion to dismiss the case due to a lack of evidence and non-credible witnesses. As he walked down the steps, an army of reporters approached him for a comment.

"Justice has prevailed. That is all I have to say," he said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Clark Kent's mysterious disappearance from the Daily Planet was explained by his mother who stated that he had gone on a world tour and would be gone indefinitely. Lois was furious that Clark hadn't said goodbye but softened after she realized that people reacted to the death of Superman in different ways.


Six Months Later

Although all charges had been dropped at the moment, Lex Luther realized with some dread that prosecutors could later put forward a case later when they had more evidence. If convicted, he would most likely face life imprisonment, perhaps even the death penalty. Lex decided to leave the country and go north in the hopes that the Fortress of Solitude would give him the edge to become successful once more.

He arrived at the Fortress of Solitude alone and nearly broke. Only a short time ago, he had been literally carried here. It was here that he unwittingly assisted Superman in defeating the three Kryptonians. In his delusional mind, Lex considered himself the savior of the planet. He made his way inside the crystal structure and navigated his way to a collection of crystals that would activate powerful alien technology.

As he considered which crystal to use first, he heard a booming sound that shook the fortress. It sounded like a sonic boom from a jet. There was a small quake as whatever had caused the booms impacted with the ground. Once he regained his composure, Lex cautiously went outside the fortress and saw a crystal like structure stuck in the ice.

He considered whether to get closer, run away, or hide. The last time a craft like this had come to Earth, a monster was unleashed. His curiosity got the better of him and so he decided to get closer to the ship. To his amazement, he saw a sleeping young woman inside the craft. There was a thick layer of transparent glass that separated him from her, but he could see her sleeping peacefully. She had a slender form and long blond hair, a white blanket with an S crest covered her.

Underneath his feet, the ice began to crack. The ship was about to sink into the icy cold water. Alarmed, Lex pounded on the glass but to no avail. He swung at the glass but that merely hit his hand. Wheezing from his injured hand, he kicked the glass hard finally shattering it. The craft was already half submerged and water was beginning to flow inside. The woman seemed to notice the water and woke up. She immediately struggled to get away from the icy cold water. Lex reached out to her and assisted her out of the ship as it sank underneath the water.

The woman embraced Lex as she fearfully considered the water. She was in a white dress with a black S crest on her chest. Lex held her awkwardly until she released herself from him. She looked around at the icy environment that was the Arctic Circle with her blue eyes. She then noticed the Fortress of Solitude a short distance away.

"Human," she said pointing at Lex.

"You speak English? I am Lex Luther, the world's most intelligent life form on this planet," he said proudly.

"Lex Luther," she sounded out as if getting used to the sound.

"Are you cold?" Lex asked as he worked to take off one of his coats.

"No, I don't feel the cold for some reason," she declined. She then looked up at the yellow sun and closed her eyes as if she was in a trance.

Lex Luther studied her as she seemed to be in ecstasy from the sun's rays. "A yellow star. I have learned all about your solar system but I never knew how it would feel," she said.

"The yellow sun gives you power?" Lex wondered.

"Yes, the radiation of this yellow star and the gravity of this planet is much weaker than what our own planet used to be," she said.

"The planet Krypton," Lex clarified.

"Yes. You know where I am from. How can this be?" she asked.

"There was another one like you who was here before you.," Lex revealed.

"What was his name?"

"Kal-El," Lex answered.

The woman's eyes widened upon hearing his name. "He arrived here first? Where is he? He is only a mere child," she said alarmed.

"A mere child? No, Kal-El is a grown man," Lex corrected.

"I must have miscalculated. I was supposed to follow his ship and care for him as he grew up. Where is Kal-El now? I must speak with him," she said forcefully.

"He's dead," Lex said with genuine sorrow.

The woman merely stared at Lex. "How?"

"A monster with crystal horns came to Earth and tried to destroy the planet. Kal-El stopped it but died in the struggle," Lex told her.

The woman looked down in sorrow and covered her face in grief. Lex gave her a few moments to compose herself as tears freely flowed from her eyes. "I have no purpose now. I have come too late," she sobbed.

Lex's mind immediately went to work as the woman continued to mourn for Superman. "I don't think you realize what you can do. You are the strongest being on this planet now," Lex told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"Our yellow sun allows you to fly, gives you super strength, and many other powers and abilities," Lex told her.

"My molecular structure is more dense than yours but you must be exaggerating," she said doubtfully.

"Come with me and I'll show you," Lex offered.