Superman: Mythos #12 "The Homefront"
"Why are we stopping?" Jimmy asked from the back of the invisible rocket's cockpit. Having just jumped out of light speed, Diana halted the ship before entering Earth's atmosphere.
"The ship is picking up some strange readings. There's some kind of energy wall surrounding the entire planet," Diana explained, looking down at the various complex sensory systems across the ship's dashboard.
"What kind of energy?" Lois asked.
"Dark matter…" Diana said with concern.
"Luthor's trap," Kara concluded, getting up from her seat and taking a closer look with her telescopic vision. "I've seen this type of radiation signature before. It's almost identical to that of the Phantom Zone, an inescapable prison dimension first discovered by my uncle. Oh Rao, he's turned the whole planet into a projector, transporting anything that passes through…"
"And no sign of Superman," Cassie said, sitting next to Diana, using the ship's scanners to locate any lifeforms in orbit. "Meaning…"
"Well, we aren't ramming straight through this thing that's for sure," Diana said, changing the subject to focus on their current objective. "Kara, there's multiple locations where the signature is strongest, can you see them?"
Kara scanned half the planet thoroughly. "Yes, there are several satellites in orbit that appear to be irradiating the projection. And wouldn't you know it, they're from LexCorp. Those surveillance satellites he was bragging about earlier, he must have modified them, found a way to connect them to the source. Meaning he somehow got his hands on the Phantom Zone Projector."
"Please tell me it has an undo button," Lois said.
"It does," Kara replied, "it can locate an individual prisoner and free them."
"That's all I needed to hear," Diana said, taking back the ship's controls and rearing its thrusters. "Kara, fly out there and destroy the nearest satellite, that should give us a large enough gap to slip through. Once we're all on the ground, we'll regroup and head for LexCorp. Kara and Lois, Cassie and Jimmy; split up and search for the projector."
"What about you?" Kara asked.
"I'm going to have a little talk with our friend Lex Luthor…"
"This is Catherine Grant reporting live from downtown Metropolis where none other than Kid Flash is going head-to-head with the infamous supervillain known as the Atomic Skull! The ghoulish, radioactive criminal has left nothing but destruction and chaos in his wake and the young speedster seems to be on his last legs! The situation down here has everyone asking: isn't this a job for Superman? But alas today marks one month since the disappearance of the Man of Steel…"
"Shit, shit, shit!" Wally West exclaimed as the very road he ran upon crumbled to bits beneath a vibrant green blast of radioactive energy. Losing his footing, Kid Flash tripped and skidded violently up the block. Wally clutched his aching head and managed to lift his tired body up to see the Atomic Skull still marching his way down Mainstreet.
The villain wore heavy steampunk armor, glowing with green atomic energy. The neck of the armor was an open hole producing a constant plume of emerald fire. Within the flames, floated a human skull which was cackling with delight. He marched slowly and steadily up the street sending blasts of destructive energy out from his fists at random.
Wally tried to get back to his feet, but a sharp pain bit into his ankle. He began limping away, hoping to find some debris to hide behind before it was too late. The cover he had in mind, a chunk of concrete, exploded before his eyes, leaving nothing but smoldering green embers. He turned to see the Atomic Skull charging up another blast at point-blank range.
"Heh, heh, heh!" the villain laughed, his gravelly voice full of robotic static, "nowhere left to run…" A bright green light swelled in the palm of his hand. Wally closed his eyes and held up his hands, preparing for the worst. The blast went off, but Wally was still there. He opened his eyes to see a man in sleek, purple, and green power armor, absorb the energy and dispense of it.
"I don't think so," the man said, grabbing the Atomic Skull's outstretched hand and sending a shockwave through his system. He managed to reverse the villain's ionic signature, rendering his radioactive powers benign. The flame around his skull went out, allowing for the armored man to deliver a devastating punch to the villain's boney face. The Atomic Skull collapsed, utterly defeated.
Onlookers came out from behind cover and began to clap for the hero as he turned around to lend Wally a hand. It was then Kid Flash saw his face, namely, his shiny bald head. It was none other than Lex Luthor. Wally hesitated, pulling his hand away.
"Now, now, Wallace. Let's not make a scene," Lex threatened. Upon seeing Lex glare, along with the building applause and cheers, Wally obliged and took the so-called hero's hand. Lex smirked and wrapped his arm around Wally's shoulder, before waving to the crowd. "Thank you, Kid Flash, for your efforts to defend our great city in these trying times. But your services are no longer needed. I will be keeping Metropolis safe from now on. Not the League and certainly none of those pitiful super-men."
"But-" Wally began, pausing when Lex's armored grip on him strengthened, nearly popping his shoulder.
"Run on home, little hero. And tell your friends: if I catch another one of you in my city again, well..." Lex paused. "Let's just say, no one will be here to save you…"
"You saw it here first, folks!" Cat Grant reported, while the media crews shoved through the crowds in order to get a clear shot of the triumphant Luthor. "Lex Luthor saves the day here in Metropolis yet again. After the week or so of uncertainty following the disappearance of Superman, it's clear that out of all the possible super-men to take his place, Lex is the one. He's not only put the likes of super-criminals like Parasite and Metallo behind bars but he's also driven away the 'Superman wannabes' who've caused just as much chaos as the criminals themselves. While the loss of the Man of Steel still weighs heavy on our hearts, people of Metropolis, you can sleep soundly tonight knowing Lex Luthor will keep this city safe."
After a successful day of super heroics, Lex retired to his tower. Using his rocket boots, he propelled himself to the helicopter pad atop the LexCorp building. Pressing a button on his suit, the H on the pad opened up beneath him and he slowly began lowering down into the building via elevator. The elevator opened directly into his office from a hidden doorway. Once inside his office, he deactivated his armor, the entire front unfurling so that he could step out of it with ease. He was wearing a suit underneath, taking a moment to adjust his tie as he made his way over to his desk. Mercy, his loyal bodyguard, stood watch before the front entrance.
Lex sighed with satisfaction looking out through his window over a peaceful Metropolis, Lex-drones patrolling the skies. Lex then slid his hand over his desk, pressing a button on the corner to begin unveiling a wide projector screen over the window. "Matrix," Lex spoke into the desk's mic. "Show me PZ-projection, eight-zero-one."
The office's computer system obliged and soon an image appeared across the massive screen. It was a black and white projection, full of static. Two vague figures could be made out, one of which was clearly the towering silhouette of the Man of Steel. Lex sighed once more, gaining more pleasure out of witnessing a captured Superman as opposed to a peaceful city.
"You should have kept your armor on," a stern feminine voice called out from behind him. Lex raised his brow and turned around from the Phantom Zone projection to see Wonder Woman standing in the center of his office. He spied the silver Corinthian-style helmet she held in her hand.
"I should say the same to you. Mercy," Lex said, leaning forward across his desk. Immediately, Mercy lunged into action. Diana swung the helmet, bashing Mercy in the face with the blunt object. She was surprised when the bodyguard shook off the heavy blow and grabbed onto Diana's wrist. Diana dropped the helmet and the two women struggled to get a firm hold over one another.
"Hades' Helm of Invisibility, clever," Lex said, examining the helmet as it rolled over to the leg of his desk. "You may have used it to sneak into my office, but it wasn't what freed you from the witch. For that, you must have had help."
Diana managed to shove Mercy off. The bodyguard skidded backward but held her footing, leaping forward into a double jump kick. Diana blocked the rushing kicks with her bracers before Mercy stepped back and reared for another. Diana caught her third kick, swinging her by her ankle and smashing her into one of the antique busts that lined the office. Mercy growled, brushing the marble rubble off her shoulders, only to notice the glowing golden rope bound tightly around her wrist. Diana smirked, the rest of her lasso wrapped around her forearm. She yanked Mercy forward, pulling her beneath her feet before her elbow dropped onto her back. Mercy roared, trying to fight her off while Diana hog-tied her with the lasso.
"Submit!" Diana demanded, holding Mercy down, her face pressed up against the floor. Mercy continued to squirm but soon surrendered beneath the superior might of the demigoddess.
"Impressive form," Lex commented. Diana looked up to see Lex back in his power armor and charging up an energy blast from his hand. "But slow." A powerful green beam fired from his gauntlet, the impact throwing Diana backward. She slammed against the elevator doors, her body indenting into the metal. When she looked back up, Lex was preparing for another shot. Diana lunged forward into a soar, flying directly at Lex, fists first. She collided with his core, rattling his armor, but not enough to break it. She wrapped him in a tackle and the two went barreling through the window. The glass wall shattered and they fell from the highest floor of LexCorp tower. Diana landed on top of Lex at street level, a crater forming from their forceful impact. She then wailed on him with meaty punches, all blocked by the energy shield that surrounded his head.
Lex laughed maniacally. "You're only hurting yourself, Princess. Look around you."
Diana ceased her barrage and saw the crowd of people that had formed around the crater. All were watching in shock, seeing their heroes clash. A Lex-drone flew in close with its camera, projecting the unseemly scene onto all the nearby billboards. While Diana was distracted, Lex seized the opportunity to deliver a rocketed uppercut, sending her hurtling backward into a building.
"It's alright, citizens of Metropolis. I have the situation under control," Lex announced to the onlookers as he emerged from the crater. "It appears that Wonder Woman has turned against us. In fact, I have reason to believe that she's the one who orchestrated Superman's disappearance." The crowd gasped. "I know, I know, it's hard to believe, but I assure you-"
"Lies!" Diana roared, soaring towards Lex at breakneck speed. She threw a punch so impactful that it shattered Lex's energy shield. He tried to back away, but Diana caught him by the collar of his armor and pulled him close. She delivered another punch, this time to his unprotected face. Blood erupted from his nose and a tooth spat from his mouth. Through sheer force of will, he refused to let himself be knocked out by her single, superpowered punch. Another fist came flying in, but Lex's shields were back online, able to block the Amazon's blow in the nick of time. Lex then sent a shock wave through his suit, zapping Diana and forcing her to take a step backward. He managed to get in a few good hits himself and soon they were evenly trading blows in the center of the crater, at the foot of LexCorp Tower, for all to see.
Meanwhile, inside the tower itself, Kara, Cassie, Lois, and Jimmy began their search for the Phantom Zone Projector. First, they fought their way through the small army of security guards to get past the lobby, including one superpowered secretary, not unlike Mercy.
"Picking up some crazy dark matter radiation coming from the fourth sublevel, LexCorp R&D," Kara said as they stopped before the elevators. "But all the rooms are lead-lined, I can't tell what's inside."
"Then we'll just have to search each and every one," Lois said determinedly, still wielding the Sword of Nemesis by her side. "Jimmy, Wonder Girl, take the west wing. Kara, you and I will take the east."
The team concurred and split up once the elevator had brought them down to the R&D department. Cassie rushed down the left-hand side of the corridor they emptied into, Jimmy struggling to keep up with the young demigoddess.
"Nope. Nope. Nope," Cassie said, moving at super-speed from one door to the next. She found nothing but nondescript lab equipment and cowering employees in each room, yet to find the Kryptonian projector. "Wait." She paused her search. "What does this thing even look like?" she asked Jimmy.
Jimmy, who'd seen the projector only a few times before, strained to remember its characteristics. Then, looking down at the camera strapped around his neck, his memory clicked. "Sorta like a camera, I guess," he said, holding up his own. "But bigger, clunkier, and more alien…"
"Okay…" Cassie said, not sure what to make of Jimmy's description.
"You'll know it when you see it," Jimmy stated.
The two continued down the hall until reaching the end where a large, heavily sealed metal door stood.
"I suppose this would have been the place to start," Jimmy said while Cassie stepped up to the door. She grabbed the handle, but it didn't budge. After trying to pry it open with her strength, she resorted to punching the metal. The door dented from her meaty blow and continued to bow beneath her rapid strikes. With one final hit, the crippled door flung off its hinges and fell to the floor with a loud bang. Cassie and Jimmy stepped inside the small, lead-lined room, at the center of which was a pedestal sealed within a cylinder of force field. Atop the pedestal sat the device they were looking for, the Phantom Zone Projector. It was hooked up to various cords and tubes that fed into complex computer modules, some displaying the current locations of the LexCorp satellites as they orbited the planet.
"Bingo," Cassie said, ready to force her way through the last few lines of security.
"Eh, not so fast, girly," a man spoke, his voice gruff and robotic.
Cassie and Jimmy paused, seeing a cybernetic man emerge from behind the projector. Half his face was flesh, while the other half was a gruesome metallic skull. He wore an open leather jacket over a silver skeletal body, entwined with wires that pulsated green energy across his body.
"Metallo," Jimmy said beneath his breath.
"Mr. Luthor said you might come along, Supergirl. And you too, Jimbo," Metallo taunted. "Say, where's my gal, Lois? Don't tell me some other one of Luthor's goons already got to have their fun with her."
"Wait, I'm not-" Cassie began.
"Shove it, Superbrat!" Metallo snapped. "Let's finish this so I can get my paycheck." He reached for his chest and opened up a compartment to reveal the chunk of glowing green Kryptonite in place of his heart. "Come at me!"
"Whatever you say," Cassie said with a smirk, casually strolling up next to Metallo. His face was struck with surprise, seeing 'Supergirl' unaffected by her ultimate weakness.
"Wha- How- That's impossible!" Metallo shouted, swinging his metal fist at Cassie. Wonder Girl caught his hand and crushed it in her grasp. He screamed in anguish, dropping to one knee.
"Check again, Skynet," Cassie said, opening her jacket to reveal her Wonder Woman tank top. "I ain't Super." She then shoved her fist into his chest and ripped out his Kryptonite heart. Without his power source, his body shut down, hitting the floor with an unceremonious clunk.
"You… little… sh-" he murmured before powering down, the green glow of his eyes dimming out.
Cassie grasped the Kryptonite in her hand before shoving it into her pocket. Jimmy raised a brow at her. "What? It might come in handy someday. Come on, let's bust this thing out."
"You go ahead, I'll call Lois; tell her the search is over," Jimmy said, whipping out his phone and dialing up Lois. After a couple of rings, she picked up, but there was nothing but silence on her end. "Um, Ms. Lane? Lois? Can you hear me? We found the projector, I repeat, we found the projector."
"Th-that's great, Jim," Lois said, her tense voice sounding shell-shocked. "We found, well… we found something else."
Lois and Kara stood in a long dark room, lined with massive tanks full of thick blue amber. Floating lifeless in the tank before them was none other than Superboy, and beside him, Krypto the Superdog. Down the line of tanks encased were more of the 'super-men,' including Captain Marvel, Protex, Vartox, and more. All of whom had been captured by Lex during his cleaning of Metropolis' streets. Under the guise of law and order, Lex had brought them in for his own twisted experimentations.
"Oh Rao, Conner…" Kara whispered, placing her hand over the glass that separated her and Superboy. Her hand then tightened into a fist, the glass of the tank cracking beneath her knuckles. "It's time we end this. End him."