Superman: The Man of Steel #1
"60 To Life"
By Tony Thornley
One year later...
Lois Lane walked through the city room of the Daily Planet, ignoring the chaos that was so common. She looked up to the television screen that projected the latest content of the Planet's website.
Superman still missing?
She placed a hand on the bulge in her belly, a twinge of pain crossing her mind, and looked down from the headline to her stomach. Her baby- their baby- was six months along and Clark still hadn't heard her heartbeat, seen the ultra sounds. It was probably killing him to know that the baby was coming and he couldn't be there.
"Lois!" Lois tore herself from her thoughts and turned to Jimmy Olsen. The young reporter smiled as he reached her side.
"Hey Jim," she replied. "How are you doing?"
"Probably better than you," he replied. "Have you heard from Clark?"
"Not for a little while," she answered, shaking her head. "It's so difficult..." Lois paused, not wanting to get choked up. Jimmy put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure," he replied. Lois looked up and smiled. Jimmy nodded. "Hey... Ron and Lucy called me looking for you a minute ago. They invited me over for dinner tonight and they wanted me to bring you."
"Ah, good old Lucy," Lois laughed, thinking of her sister and her husband. "I'm sure that was her exact wording, wasn't it? Just like a Lane to do that."
"Actually, it was my wording," Jim replied. "Lois, ever since the trial... Well, we miss you. All of your friends. We miss Clark too, but... I wish we could do something about that." Lois looked back down at her stomach.
"We're working on that Jim. Trust me." He nodded and patted her shoulder.
"I know. Any progress?"
"Nothing," she replied. "Clark would never lay a finger on his parents, but the evidence against him..." Lois shut her eyes, picturing the murder scene, the Kent's hotel room in downtown Metropolis. Jonathan Kent's body lay in the middle of the carnage, beaten to the point he was barely recognisable. Martha Kent was thrown to the side, blood oozing from a wound at the edge of her scalp. There was blood everywhere, staining the walls, carpet and bed. In the middle of it all stood Clark Kent, covered in his father's blood.
They found security footage minutes later of Clark walking into the hotel room. The 911 phone call of Martha Kent surfaced shortly thereafter. The evidence kept stacking up against Clark, and it did so quickly. He was convicted in the court of public opinion before the trial even started, and the only eyewitness- Martha Kent- lay in a coma in Metropolis General.
"If anyone can figure it out Lois," Jimmy said, interrupting her thoughts, "it's you." Lois smiled.
"Thanks Jim."
Karen Starr flew at top speed towards the large metal toy soldier standing in the middle of Metropolis. Things like this were becoming a common annoyance to Karen. By himself, the Toyman had already attacked Metropolis once a month for the last four months. That didn't count the one time one of his automatons joined the "Supergirls Revenge Squad." She wondered if Clark went through the same thing everyday before or if it was because Superman was missing. Either way she was sick of it.
"Kara!" she called. "You have the civilians this time?" Kara Zor-El swooped in from above, sweeping away debris knocked off one of the nearby buildings.
"You know it," she replied. "How fast are we taking this one down?" Karen smiled.
"Don't get too cocky!" She slammed into the soldier, caving in its metallic surface. It turned, scanned Karen and focused its attention on her.
"Good..." she hissed. "Come to mamma!" The robot turned towards her as Karen hovered, watching it.
"On three?" Kara called.
"Yeah," Karen replied. "Three!" The two women of steel moved quicker than most on the street level could see, grabbing the robot like a pincer and lifting it into the sky. To those watching on the street the robot faded away quickly towards the ocean and the crowd began to cheer.
"That's a good feeling!" Supergirl exclaimed, the wind flowing through her hair.
"What?" Power Girl asked. "They applauding again?" Kara nodded. "Well let's dump this heap and get back to our adoring public!" She winked at Supergirl. Kara nodded again and the two threw the automaton into the water like a missle, its momentum burying it deep in the sediment. The duo turned and flew back towards Metropolis.
"You sure that's how Kal usually does it?" Supergirl asked. Power Girl nodded.
"That or into orbit," she laughed. "Take your pick."
"Let's throw it into orbit next time," Supergirl replied. "It's been a little while since I've left the atmosphere."
Power Girl laughed again as Metropolis grew on the horizon. "Kid, when we clear Clark's name, we need to keep this partnership up. The sisters of steel rock!"
Dan Turpin ran his hand across his balding head. The mayor once suggested a short military-style cut for the new commissioner of MetroPD, but he short that idea down quickly. Why get rid of what little hair he had?
The SCU team assisted paramedics in assessing the injured. Turpin had required paramedic certification of all his SCU officers in one of his first acts as commisioner. He put one fist on his hip and the other reached for the cigar that was long gone from his lips out of habit. His cancer scare several months ago killed that habit for good.
"Commish, sir!" one of his younger officers said as he ran up to him. "We're getting the all clear. Most of the injuries are minor, with the only major one just being broken bones. No fatalities."
"Good," Turpin replied. "Glad to hear it Maxfield. Anything else worth noting?"
Maxfield smiled. "The sisters did it in record time this time sir. All we're missing is the Toyman himself." Turpin frowned.
"Why are you all standing here then?" he barked. "Let's find this bugger before he does this again!" He took a couple steps towards his officers. "Move!" The SCU gathered and began working feverishly to devise a plan to hunt down the Toyman.
"Damn I love life," Turpin muttered.
Lex Luthor flipped through the channels displaying the various reports of the evening news. To put it simply, he was bored. The former US President, billionaire, bane of the business world and he had little to entertain himself now. He'd considered a bid for legitimacy again. He would be able to prove it. He had ample evidence that he was not the insane madman the world saw. It was too... predictable. The world expected Luthor to attempt a comeback.
Luthor stopped at the report focusing on the Toyman's defeat several hours earlier. Although Supergirl and Power Girl shined on the camera, they didn't have the presence of the man they followed.
"Ladies!" one of the reporters called. "Are you able to give us any clue to Superman's whereabouts? Or when he might return?" Lex leaned forward, smiling like a predator about to leap on its kill. On screen the women looked at each other, then back at the cameras.
"Superman has not contacted us for some time," Power Girl said. "He is still working in deep space, on a task that he didn't disclose to us. Please, this question is growing old!"
Luthor laughed aloud. "Liar!" he growled. "Where is he really Miss Starr? Where is the alien?"
John Henry Irons looked up from his welding as Supergirl and Power Girl lowered themselves into the room. He lifted his mask and took several steps in their direction He smiled as Karen tossed him a small portion of the tin soldier's innards.
"Present for your absentee cohort?" he asked. "Or do you want me to try to get something out of this?"
"What do you think Steel?" Kara asked. "As much as we're looking forward to your revisions on the armor..."
"Yeah, yeah," he teased. "You're just trying to inflate my ego." He pulled the welding mask off his head and sat it on his work bench. Turning the small bit of machinery over in his hands, he walked over to a magnifying stand.
"Still couldn't see the transmission controlling it?" he asked. Supergirl shook her head. "And no pilot inside?"
"Nope," Power Girl replied.
"At least I hope not," Supergirl added. John Henry swung the lens over the gears and looked closely.
"Well, whether this is one of the Toymen we know or not, he's infinitely better than what I've seen before. Almost Brainiac quality of work."
"Wow," Power Girl said.
"Is it good enough to make a fake Clark Kent?" The trio turned as Lois Lane walked into the room to join them. "Sorry John, I let myself in."
"No worries," he said. "You're always welcome. To answer your question, I don't know." He looked back at the chunk of robot. "We've already decided whoever framed him has a working knowledge of both of Clark's lives and the likelyhood that it's the Toyman... He's just not that smart. We're looking at someone Luthor level or greater."
"I know," Lois replied. "And that's what scares me."
Clark Kent looked at his metal tray. The food on his plate was a mash of several different meals he guessed. Probably the leftovers from the last three days. He really didn't need to eat and tonight he was tempted not to. He had to keep up appearances though. He knew Lois. He knew she'd be searching for the truth even now. He had no way to prove his innocence. His life was likely ruined now. She was his only hope.
He grudgingly ate enough of the slop to not look suspicious and headed towards his cell. He knew the truth. He was on patrol when he heard his parents' screams, but he made it to their hotel room too late. He tried to do something for his father, anything, but he was much too late. Whoever the killer was had beaten Jonathan Kent almost beyond recognition.
It was already dark outside when he reached the small space that he hated to call home. A guard paced nearby, his heartbeat betraying fear. He was grateful he wasn't one that many thought of as dangerous. At least, not until they remembered he was convicted of a murder comitted with bare hands. Not his though. Someone else. Someone who knew that Clark Kent was Superman.
He lay down on his bunk, a copy of the Daily Planet in hand. Lois had made sure he received it each day. She wanted him to stay connected to the outside world. He was halfway through the sports section when he heard the heartbeat outside. Directly outside his second story cell. He stood and looked outside.
"Hello Clark."
His perfect double stared back at him, dressed in a familiar red and blue costume. Clark attempted to scan him with his X-ray vision, but something prevented him to do so with this man. He scowled at him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm you Kal-El. I'm everything you hate about yourself. I'm the man who killed your father and made your mother a vegetable." He smiled.
"I'm the dark side of Superman, and I've ruined your life."
With that simple taunt, the double rocketed away. Clark's vision followed him until the curvature of the earth prevented him from doing so further. He then looked at the ground, and took several deep, ragged breaths.
"Damn you," he whispered.
To be continued...
In Superman: The Man of Steel #2: The mystery deepens. Who was Clark's visitor? Is he really part of him made flesh or something else entirely? Will his family be able to discover the truth or is the Man of Steel destined to live out his days in prison!