Here it is, everyone! Part One of Superman's single combat against Darkseid! Since the battles involving Superman and Batman are callbacks to the ones from Revenge of the Sith, feel free to imagine "Battle of the Heroes" playing as you read this chapter.


Chapter 21: Superman vs. Darkseid (Part 1)

While Batman and Desaad were in the midst of their duel, Darkseid was still on the bridge observing the various battles occurring between the Justice League and their allies and his attack forces around the world. For once, Darkseid was shocked and angry. He had always thought himself invincible and his army impossible to outmatch, and that opinion had not changed even when he met Superman and then the Justice League. But what he was seeing on the monitors was unheard of on Apokolips. The Justice League, the Lantern Corps helping them, and their various allies had sustained only minimal casualties, and the various armies of the world's countries were armed with weapons that proved superior to his hordes of Parademons and war machines. His shock only rose when he saw that each country had kept most of its soldiers in reserve, and now his hordes were nearly overrun on all fronts.

"I will put an end to this feeble rebellion myself," growled Darkseid. "Superman will fall at my hand, but I will give him much pain first when he sees his inferior agents dying in their own blood."

Unknown to him, Superman had already pounded his way from the midpoint of the ship to the topmost floor. He heard Darkseid's threat and was angered to the bone at the arrogance and contempt he heard. Superman decided that he would prevent Darkseid from leaving his vessel, even if it meant his life.

As Darkseid prepared to exit through the ceiling of the bridge, the entrance door was suddenly smashed down and smoke poured through the cavity. Darkseid didn't move from the central platform as he thundered to the Parademons guarding the bridge, "Guards! What is the meaning of this?!"

There came no answer, though Darkseid's Parademon guards seemed to be approaching him fearfully, for they were moving slowly. But as the smoke cleared, Darkseid saw Superman in the doorway, his strong hands clenched around their metallic necks. He flung the abominable creatures aside as if they were pebbles and approached Darkseid with a stony look on his face.

"So, we meet again, Kryptonian, for what will be the last time," rumbled Darkseid, not even bothering to address Superman by name.

"You would like that, wouldn't you, Darkseid?" replied Superman as he and Darkseid circled each other. "But as long as people like you threaten the freedom and rights of others, I plan to be around to prevent that until my dying day."

"Then consider this that day, because you and the rest of your hero scum have seen your last sunrise," Darkseid answered with arrogant certainty. "My armies will raze every city of this planet to the ground. Earthers young and old will forget their simple-minded way of life and kneel in service only to me, and the reward for any disobedience will be a slow death."

Superman felt virtuous anger build in him and he answered, "I told you once, Darkseid. People on Earth don't take kindly to dictators."

Darkseid scowled and replied, "They are unwilling to admit that the weak do not merit freedom. The weak are meant to serve the strong. All who live on Apokolips know this, as will all worlds when I have brought order, security, and perfection to my universe."

Superman was shocked at the audacity of Darkseid's statement. How could a dictator from another planet, however long-lived or powerful, claim such dominance when it was not for him to claim? Superman replied incredulously, "Your universe?"

Darkseid stopped pacing and growled, "I grow tired of your arrogance, Kryptonian. Bow to me and I will let you live."

Superman nearly shouted, "Darkseid, my obligation is to the people, to democracy!"*

"If you will not be my servant, then you will be my prey!" the Apokoliptan tyrant thundered.

Superman didn't flinch at the villain's threat, for he knew that intimidation was Darkseid's first move before making an attack. He only replied, "You've threatened the people of the world long enough, Darkseid. I am going to end this invasion once and for all."

"So be it."

This was all Darkseid spoke, but in an instant, he leapt into the air and executed a perfect airborne spiral before raising his great arms, intending to crush Superman under his brawny fists like an insect. But as he came, Superman flew up and flung Darkseid to the floor before dealing several blows to the body and then to the face before landing an uppercut that sent the menace sailing through the bridge windows and through a few of the catwalks to the surrounding hallways before impacting the floor of the main hall. Superman was upon him in seconds, only for Darkseid to kick him across the hall. Though he was nearly stunned by the impact of the kick and hitting the wall, Superman was on his feet quickly, and he and Darkseid charged each other at high speed before their duel resumed.

Darkseid launched several strikes, but he was surprised to see Superman block each blow with astonishing speed and slowly gain ground despite the attempts to force him back. Superman managed to land a blow to Darkseid's rock-like face, disorienting him long enough to take to the air and then land a few punches to the chest and stomach. To Darkseid's utter shock, Superman's punches successively forced him fifty feet across the chamber. In response, he landed a blow to the face that sent the Man of Steel flying back a few feet before he regained his bearings and charged Darkseid again.

As he came on, Superman finally put his strategy of subduing Darkseid into action. He increased his speed until his speed trail was visible, and he pounded Darkseid with all his strength, forcing the Apokoliptan tyrant into the next chamber before blasting him with his strongest burst of heat vision yet.

Darkseid put up his arms in a blocking position, but even though he blocked Superman's heat vision, the attack was unrelenting. Superman continued to project his heat vision, slowly forcing Darkseid down a short corridor and into the control room, and then Superman reengaged Darkseid with punches and a few kicks as well, and at one point, he tried to blow Darkseid away with his super-breath.

The battle continued for the next five minutes until without warning, Darkseid caught Superman by his throat and tried to strangle the life from him. The Man of Steel gripped Darkseid's stony hand and slowly dropped to his knees, fighting to stay conscious.*

"You have lost, son of Krypton," sneered Darkseid. "This planet is mine, now and forever. And if I cannot have this world's cities first, I will gladly settle for your life."

But as he continued to force Superman to the floor, Superman suddenly used his freezing breath and the blistering cold caused Darkseid to recoil in shock. Without registering the soreness that had wrapped around his neck, Superman jumped up and then swept Darkseid's feet from under him while flying in place. Then in a flash, Superman pulled the enormous cylindrical holo-computer projector from the ceiling and brought it down on Darkseid's head, but the giant-like despot forced it out of his grip and then flung Superman across the room by his cape.

It seemed that Superman had his work cut out for him, but he caught himself in mid-air and flew back to resume his attack on Darkseid. He slammed the villain against one of the walls of the chamber and began using both his super-speed and his super-strength. Superman punched Darkseid with terrifying rapidity, putting all his strength into each blow he landed on Darkseid's face and chest. The Apokoliptan dictator groaned with each punch dealt and the metal wall bowed under his body as Superman continued to strike him with unceasing blows. Eventually, Darkseid managed to catch Superman's right fist as he tried to land another strike and throw him back. Then with a blood-curdling roar, Darkseid unleashed his Omega Beams on Superman, intending to kill him where he stood.

Superman fired his heat vision again at the highest intensity he could and the beams from his eyes connected with Darkseid's Omega Beams. The burst of energy was so brilliant that anyone else who looked at it would have been instantly hit with a lens flare of intense pain. Darkseid stared as hard as he could, intending for his Omega Beams to break the stress and hit hard enough to burn Superman's invulnerable skin, but Superman was fighting back with all his heroic resolve, not giving the tyrant a chance to overtake him. Finally, the stress between the eye beams of the two fighters grew so great that neither of them could hold it back any longer, and the resulting burst of heat and Omega energy blew Superman and Darkseid across the room.

Darkseid was half-stunned by the force of the blast and hit the control board while Superman landed on top of it. But as Darkseid rose up and broke into a charge, Superman ran at super-speed until he took flight, caught Darkseid's arms as he came on, and then slammed him head-first into the dashboard, which smashed the regulation controls that provided energy to the Boom Tube Spire on the ship.

As alarms blared and emergency lights flashed on, Superman and Darkseid fought their way from the control room and into another passage, where they exchanged blows before Superman used his freeze breath again, then did a high kick to Darkseid's face and advanced to continue the battle.


A/N: Hope you all liked the beginning of this battle. Next up will be Part 2 of Batman vs. Desaad, and once Batman comes through that, it'll be on to Parts 2 and 3 of Superman's combat with Darkseid. Hope you all enjoy!