The Justice League have made it to the White House. However, Lex Luthor is nowhere to be found. There is still work to do. The team has split up and headed to the major cities of the country to take care of Lex's remaining robot armies. In Central City, The Flash has returned, now accompanied by a yellow suited "Kid Flash" the two have worked well together to take down the rouges. Superman has retreated to his arctic fortress to focus on his search for Luthor.
"My initial scans show no trace of Lex Luthor." Brainiac says.
"I have to find him." Superman says.
"Then may I once again suggest uploading my databanks into a main satellite? It will allow me to connect to every electronic device on Earth. There is nowhere Lex Luthor can hide." Brainiac says.
Superman hesitates. He has avoided doing this for years. He thought it was too much power. Then he begins to think of Lois. Wherever Lex was, Superman was sure Lois was there too.
"Do it." Superman says.
"Uploading." Brainiac says.
Brainiac uploads and begins to travel from device to device throughout the entire world.
"Lex Luthor is not on Earth." Brainiac says.
"You didn't find him?" Superman asks.
"I found him; he is not on Earth." Brainiac says.
"I don't have time for riddles Brainiac." Superman says.
"I have located a cloaked space station. Lex Luthor is there." Brainiac says.
"A space station?" Superman reacts.
"John Henry Irons is trying to contact you." Brainiac says.
"Patch him through." Superman says.
"Superman, have you found Luthor?" John asks.
"Maybe." Superman says.
"You have." Brainiac interjects.
"I need you to come see me first. You'll need help if you take him on." John says.
"Mr. Irons, I can't put you in that position-
"Superman, please." John pleads.
Superman sighs and flies to John's home.
"Thank you for coming." John says.
"What is this about?" Superman asks.
"Lex's power suit, you can't go up against it." John says.
"Why not?" Superman asks.
"It's powered by Kryptonite. And you don't have your lead suit anymore." John warns.
"I'll find a way." Superman says.
"Well, that's just it, I may have found one." John says.
"Oh?!" Superman reacts.
"It was really Professor Hamilton's idea, but I was able to sneak this out of S.T.A.R. Labs."
John places a large case on the table. He opens it to reveal some sort of large gun.
"This gun shoots out solar rays. It can amplify your powers." John says.
"What?" Superman asks.
"But there's a danger to it, too much and it will over load your cells. But get it right, and it should give you temporary immunity to kryptonite." John explains.
"Let's do it." Superman says.
John readies the gun. He puts on protective goggles and aims. Superman stands there ready to absorb the beams. John pulls the trigger. A blinding yellow light shoots out of the gun. It hits Superman and he can feel it. His power is increasing. John releases the trigger and Superman falls to his knees.
"Superman, are you okay?" John asks.
"I'm, I'm fine." Superman says.
"Do you feel different?" John asks.
Superman stands there for a moment. He can feel all of his senses in overdrive. He can hear further, and see further than ever before.
"I- I feel great." Superman says.
"Thank you, Mr. Irons, I have to go." Superman says.
"Kick his butt." John says.
Superman flies off. He flies faster than he ever has before. He doesn't even put on a space suit to fly into space. He can see something trying to conceal itself. With his overcharged super vision, he can see Lex's cloaked space station. Superman flies forward and crashes through the side of the station.
Red lights begin to flash, and an alarm begins to sound. The hole begins sucking out debris into space. Superman is able to hold his ground. A metal wall comes down sealing the hole. The alarm turns off and the lights go out.
"Welcome Superman." Lex's voice booms throughout the halls of the station.
Superman looks around, but he doesn't see him. He tries to use his x-ray vision, but everything is lead lined.
"Where are you Luthor?" Superman asks.
"I am here." Lex says.
"Show yourself." Superman says, as he begins punching his way through the walls of the ship.
"This ship wasn't cheap." Lex says.
"I'm guessing you can afford it." Superman says.
He speeds his way through the ship, but he can't find anyone. Then he punches his way through another door and sees Livewire, strapped up to some sort of device.
"Superman, help!" Livewire begs.
"I see you've found her. And she has an important part to play." Lex says.
The device starts powering up. It charges up by syphoning Livewire's power.
"AHHHHHH!" Livewire screams in pain as the machine zaps her strength.
Superman speeds in to try and rip Livewire free of the machine. He gets hit with a large jolt of electricity. But he doesn't care, he fights through it and frees her. The machine powers down.
"You, you saved me. Even after everything I've done, you still saved me." Livewire says, her powers drained
"You don't deserve that. You don't deserve anything that happened to you." Superman says.
"Well, I got what I needed out of her." Lex says.
At the bottom of the station a cannon powers up. It launches a blue beam straight down at Earth. The beam hits the mountain at Happy Harbor where the Justice League hide out. The shockwaves are felt for miles.
"Luthor!" Superman yells.
"You thought I didn't know where your clubhouse was?" Lex asks.
"Stay here please." Superman says to Livewire.
"I don't think I have the strength to move." Livewire says.
Superman continues his way through the ship. He makes his way to the bridge. On the command deck is one person, and one person only. Lex Luthor, wearing his green and purple powersuit.
"Welcome Superman." Lex says.
"It's over Lex." Superman says.
"Is it?" Lex asks.
"Yes, surrender, now." Superman says.
"The way I see it, we're about to have the final battle. And of course we want a spectator." Lex says.
Lex hits a button to open a curtain. Behind a glass wall is Lois, bound and gagged.
"Lois!" Superman reacts.
Superman speeds over to the glass.
"I wouldn't. If that glass shatters, that cell block is rigged to explode." Lex says.
Superman looks around he can see the explosives wired behind Lois. Superman grits his teeth.
"Let her go!" Superman yells.
Lex stands high above on his command deck.
"Did you ever think it would end like this, with me looking down on you?" Lex asks.
Superman turns his back to Lex and looks at Lois once more.
"Lois." Superman says, putting his hand on the glass.
Superman is hit in the back with a beam of kryptonite. It drops him to his knees, but doesn't hurt like kryptonite normally does. Instead, it kind of tickles.
"You know, I've always hated you." Lex says.
Superman gets back to his feet.
"What?!" Lex reacts.
"You can't stop me Lex, oh and the feelings mutual." Superman says.
The two charge at each other. They lock hands. To Superman's surprise, Lex's suit is able to match his strength.
"I had everything before you came around. And you took it all from me." Lex says.
"I didn't take anything from you Luthor. Your own vanity did that. So why don't you tell me why you really hate me." Superman says.
Lex pulls his hand back and blasts Superman with another beam of kryptonite. The beam launches Superman down onto his back.
"Why I hate you, you know why I hate you? Because I look at you and I see the end. The end of our potential, our achievements. You are what no man can ever be. The perfect man living in an imperfect world." Lex says.
Superman returns to his feet and punches at Lex. Lex's suit is able to stand up to Superman's punches but it still sends him back. This time Superman knocks Lex to the ground.
"That's not what you see Lex. What you see in me is everything you could be, but choose not to. You're a brilliant man Lex. Look at you, you're in a suit that can fly, is near indestructible, and matches my strength. But even that is not enough for you. You didn't even put a helmet on it. Probably because you couldn't bare people not knowing it was you inside. Despite everything you've done in life, your ego has gotten in the way, it always has." Superman says.
"Grrr!" Lex growls as he gets back to his feet.
Lex charges at Superman again and begins to swing wildly. Superman backs away in defense. Lex then extracts the kryptonite blade from his wrist.
"Now I'll kill you with this just like I did to Lois's father!" Lex yells.
"You- killed Sam Lane?!" Superman reacts.
Superman grabs the blade and snaps it off of Lex's suit. He then chucks the shard away. He can feel more of a tingle from the kryptonite. The effects of his charge are beginning to ware off. He looks over at Lois and can see the sadness in her eyes. Just then, Superman is stabbed in the back. Lex reveals a second kryptonite blade in his suit.
"Always have a backup. That is business 101. Lex says.
Lex looks down at Superman. Holding the bleeding stab wound on his lower back.
"Do you know what happens when you go up against Lex Luthor? You die." Lex says, as he kicks Superman in the face.
Lex then looks over at Lois.
"You think he actually cares about you?" Lex asks.
Lex sees a trail of blue electricity travel through the wall, and into the wires rigged to the explosives, shorting them out. He looks over to the entrance to the command deck and sees Livewire.
"You!" Lex reacts.
"Guess I had a little juice left." Livewire says.
"Well, there's still the old fashion way." Lex says.
Lex raise his arm and aims at Lois. He shoots a bullet from his wrist. Superman hears the blast, and in an instant gets up. Faster than a speeding bullet, Superman charges in front, shattering through the glass and grabbing Lois out of harms way. Superman unties her.
"Superman." Lois says.
"Lois, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Superman say.
Lex blasts Superman with another beam of focused kryptonite.
"Isn't this a touching reunion." Lex mocks.
Lex aims at Lois. Livewire zaps a bolt of electricity at Lex.
"Ah!" Lex yells.
Lex turns towards Livewire. He begins heading in her direction. Superman grabs Lex from behind and pulls him down.
"Lois, Livewire, get out of here!" Superman shouts.
"Come on Lois, I know where the escape pods are." Livewire says.
The two run out.
Lex throws Superman off of him. Whatever extra strength Superman had, was being drained.
"Look at you, you can't keep up with me." Lex says.
Superman stands there, taking deep breaths. He gets ready for another round of fighting.
Lois and Livewire run towards the escape pods.
"Come on Lois, we're almost there." Livewire says.
They reach the pod. Lois hits the button to open it. The door doesn't open.
"Come on!" Lois says.
She continues hitting the button, but nothing happens.
"Let me try." Livewire says.
Livewire gives the control panel some juice. Still nothing happens.
"This usually works." Livewire says.
The door suddenly opens.
"Come on let's go." Lois says.
The two enter the pod.
"You know how to fly this?" Livewire asks.
Lois looks at the controls. She had flown numerous military vehicles over the years, but this was beyond anything she had piloted before.
"No idea." Lois says.
The screen boots up. The three dots of Brainiac appear on the screen.
"Greetings Lois Lane, I am Brainiac. I have just infiltrated Lex Luthor's space stations mainframe. I will navigate you home." Brainiac says.
"You know this thing?" Livewire asks.
"No." Lois says.
"Kal-El sent me." Brainiac says.
That confirmed to Lois Superman had a hand in this. They could trust it.
"Brainiac get us out of here." Lois says.
The pod jettisons from the station.
The fight between Superman and Lex continues on the command deck. Superman's strength is giving out.
"Give it up, I have beaten you." Lex says.
Superman looks out the window. He sees the pod fly away from the station. Lois was safe. That's all he needed to know.
"She won't be safe for long. Do you know what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?" Lex asks.
The station rotates, along with the Earth. The sun comes into view. This begins to recharge Superman. He rushes towards Lex and pushes him back.
"They surrender." Superman says.
"Cute." Lex says as he brushes himself off.
Lex and Superman rush at each other again. Superman punches Lex down again.
"All those things you said you could do if I wasn't around. Guess what Lex, I was gone for nearly the past two years. And what have you done? All you have done is oppress others." Superman says.
"I put the people where they belong!" Lex says.
"No, they aren't beneath you, or me. You know why you really hate me. Because to you I am a paradox. You can't fathom someone having my powers and using them to fight for truth and justice." Superman says.
"I don't believe in truth and justice. They aren't physical you can't hold them in your hand or measure them. They're malleable. You can change them." Lex says.
"The truth is, you're a bad man Lex, and I'm taking you down." Superman says.
Superman charges at Lex again. The angle of the sun helps to power Superman up. He is starting to dent up Lex's suit. Superman squeezes Lex's gauntlet on his right hand. This powers down gauntlet. Superman punches at Lex's chest. His punch goes through the chest plate. He rips off the piece of outer armor. Superman tackles Lex through the side of the ship. Superman flies them into the atmosphere so fast, Lex doesn't have time to even react to being in the airless vacuum of space.
Superman flies them downwards towards Earth. Lex tries to punch at him, but most of Lex's weapon systems are offline. As they get closer to Earth, Superman spots a shore for them to land on. But as they get close, Superman begins to lose his strength. The shore was on the coast of Kaznia. Right where the kryptonite meteor fell into the ocean. It was still down there, and Superman could feel it. Superman lets go of Lex and falls onto the sand. Lex hits the sand with a thud as well.
Superman is immobile on the shore. Lex's suit is damaged beyond repair as well. Lex makes his way over to Superman. He begins kicking at him.
"Stupid, stupid!" Lex yells out
Behind them, the ocean begins to bubble. Lex turns around. The kryptonite meteor begins to rise from the ocean.
"What?" Lex asks.
As the meteor comes out of the ocean, Kara is at the bottom, lifting it away.
"No!" Lex says.
Kara flies the meteor into space and throws it away.
Lex is poked on the shoulder. He turns around and Superman punches him in the face. In his weakened state it didn't break Lex, but it took him down.
"It's too bad Lex. In another world, you and I could have had a legendary friendship." Superman says.
"Ha, while I subscribe to the theory of multiple realities, I don't believe there is a single one out there where we are friends." Lex says.
"Why?" Superman asks.
"Because of you. Everything you are. If it wasn't for you, I could have done it. I could have saved the world." Lex says.
"If it really mattered to you Lex, you could have saved the world a long time ago." Superman says.
The Justice League meet at Superman's location and retain Lex as they prepare to take him in.