"How did you do it, boss?!"
They were quite astonished, Luthor noted with a dignified satisfaction. The master scientist paced, the plan enacted and yet to be, unfurling in his mind and on his tongue, as he deigned to answer the question of his loyal minions.
"Well it's quite elementary. Once I thought of it. And I shall explain in detail! An EMP, for example, will short out all electronic gear within its radius." Lex Luthor described a circumference with his large, white hands, for emphasis. "However, for something more focused, something that doesn't destroy, but something that accesses and analyses even systems that are off the network, that don't have wireless or other inputs, connection to the internet, even a purely closed system – you need an array."
"He means satellites," Mercy commented.
"Exactly, you see, my dear Mercy here has been paying attention. An optical laser can write and rewrite a disk. It can read one. Scan one. Copy its data. All we need, is one that can be operated from orbit. And not just one. But a hundred. A thousand. A million. On dozens of satellites. Accessing every electronic device on the planet in less than 24 hours, or any that I choose within an instant." He snapped his finger, as if to demonstrate its ease, looking pleased with himself.
Behind Luthor was a row of his latest genetic experiments, horrid abominations lurking in green miasma, but mercifully oblivious to his ranting.
"You see, software can be adapted, it can analyse, limit – although I might devise a computer virus that could do the same job, of course, it cannot infect computers that aren't connected. Subject to disease vectors which humanity had learned to combat. But with this," he pressed a button, unveiling his project in the glory of holographic display. Clearly an orbital satellite, with furled solar wing-panels, and a large tubular chassis. "- with this, there's nowhere they can hide."
"Until they shoot down the satellites, Lex."
"Aha! And that's the second phase of my plan. Even if they should discover the existence, and the location of my satellites – not impossible – their optical lasers also form a natural defense system, at full power. Any missile launched at them, can be detonated by invisible rays."
"Right, Lex, but –"
"But what if Superman comes? Of course he will! When all else fails, Superman will be here! And thus is the third, final and most triumphant phase of my plan. As we have seen before, Superman is susceptible to only a very few, rare things in the universe. Such as, Mercy?"
She was sullenly silent this time, chewing some gum she had procured from somewhere. Luthor made a note to check her purse more thoroughly.
"Such as…" he lagged a bit longer, then gave. "Such as kryptonite." Just as the other henchman plucked up his courage enough to cry kryptonite!
Luthor glanced a look at him. "Yes. Kryptonite. But kryptonite is no longer in supply. Moreover, a kryptonite laser is very difficult to focus. The project for that exceeds my time-table. But there is something else, something which I already have the materials to manage. Superman has shown he is also vulnerable, to certain wavelengths of radiation, such as those of his home star that once shone on the civilisation of Krypton. The star, the planet, all deadly to him, what bitter muse he must find it."
"So, you're going to take him to Krypton?" Mercy asked skeptically.
"Ahah, this time you weren't listening. No. I'm going to use a laser. Specially, one that emits a certain wavelength of energy of a red sun. It doesn't cause him the same kind of pain of kryptonite, I believe, but it's nonetheless effective. If only I could find a way to turn our sun red, all our problems would be solved…" his words rambled off for a moment until he returned to himself, clapping his hands and straightening.
"Thus!" he held up a finger. "If Superman chooses to intervene – he will be swiftly brought down by a fiery, red death, courtesy of his very own native solar system." He seemed to consider that a moment. "In inspiration." He granted generously.
(*)