Intermission 4; Death of a Hero
Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I am doing wrong (to correct it.
Note: the parenthesis indicates languages other than Japanese, in this case, English.
Day Nine
Somewhere in Ohio
(The Past)
Shinji and Hikari watched in silent horror, as Doomsday walked through a forest. The blood from his previous killings burnt away by the fire that engulfed him. On the road he had just left, a burning truck and its unfortunate occupant we're consumed by the flames.
The unintended funeral pyre lit the night as a beacon for the oncoming destruction.
Hikari gulped, her mouth almost dry. For a brief moment, she wished to be a monster. For a monster would not feel the horror and grief. She shook her head, denying that impulse.
"The recently reformed Justice League of America responded to the call, and following the route of destruction, they caught up with Doomsday in a matter of minutes." The Stranger pointed at a strange craft flying over the destroyed trees. "Blue Beetle's Bug. Carrying the whole League. At this point, a mix of old mainstays of the Justice League International and new members. Blue Beetle himself, his friend Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, now sporting the yellow Power Ring stolen from Sinestro, and Fire and Ice." A sweep of the Stranger's hand showed them the interior of the bug.
"Hey!" Shinji pointed, "That's Maxima!"
"At this point in time, she has settled on Earth, and is a new member of the League. Along with a strong, previously unknown hero. Bloodwynd." He pointed at a powerfully built black man, with short hair and a stark white leotard. Unlike the traditional style in superhero clothes, the white uniform lacked insignia, belt, and even the short overpants like Superman's. He wore a set of black gloves, and a red cape set with a square gem in the base of his broad neck.
"Bloodwynd was an unusual case, he was much more than was evident to the eyes; though not even he himself knew it, for his memory has been blocked." For a brief moment, they saw Bloodwynd's face flicker, revealing a heavy brow and green skin.
"Wait a minute!" Shinji almost jumped, "That was the Martian Manhunter! What happened to him?" (1)
"It is complicated. Enough to say a demon, a literal demon," Hikari felt as if that emphasis had been directed at her. "forced J'Onn J'Onnz' mind to mimic the real Bloodwynd (2). But that is not relevant at the moment. Enough to know who he really is."
Hikari decided she would pay attention to Bloodwynd's actions. Maybe find out more about the Martian hero who had risked so much to give her father and grandfather a chance to live on Earth. Suddenly, something broke through the Bug's floor, almost destroying the vehicle.
"What was that?" Hikari exclaimed, her reverie broken.
"Doomsday does no take lightly the arrival of intruders." The Stranger said, and the image changed to the ground. Doomsday laughed as he watched the Bug falling down.
Before Hikari or Shinji could say anything, the heroes had already taken control of the situation, with Booster Gold and Gardner saving Blue Beetle and Ice from a deadly fall, while Maxima guided the wrecked form of the Bug to a soft landing.
They had barely set down to the ground, when an explosion shook the ground. "Behind that hill, Doomsday found more victims. First, a highway, and behind it, a Lexoil refinery, operating at capacity."
Guy Gardner, ever impatient, jumped into action, only to be met with a devastating strike. Stunned, the former Green Lantern was easy prey to the monster.
Hikari covered her mouth with her hands, as Doomsday grabbed Gardner, threw him to the ground, breaking the pavement, and then stomping and punching him. "Oh, gods! Is he… is he dead?" She asked.
"No." The Stranger said. "The Power Rings, even the corrupt version he wears now, automatically protect their wearer from deadly harm. Still, Doomsday overpowered the ring's protection."
As Doomsday strode towards the refinery, Guy Gardner tried to stand up. His face was a mass of purple and black. His eyes swollen shut, his nose and two teeth broken. Fire's intervention distracted the monster before he could kill the man.
"Despite their power, the Leaguers were not on Doomsday's level." Doomsday kept on advancing, while Maxima and Bloodwynd tried to stop him to no avail. And it was Blue Beetle who paid the price."
Both pilots gasped as they watched the brutal pummeling Doomsday Blue Beetle suffered. "Ironically, Doomsday's sadistic nature actually saved him. Sensing the frailty of the human hero, Doomsday didn't use his full strength on him." Hikari couldn't keep watching, and averted her eyes. "Driven by his cruelty, Doomsday wanted to see how much damage he could inflict."
Shinji hesitated for a moment, before asking. "Where was Superman? I know he fought Doomsday at Metropolis, but that's far from Ohio, isn't it?"
"A fair distance, yes." The Stranger nodded. "Not knowing about Doomsday, or the attack against the Justice League, Superman attended one of his infrequent public appearances, at a talk show, being interviewed about his career, his daily life, and his role as one of the leaders of the Justice League. But as soon as he got word about the fight, he abandoned the show."
"By the time he arrived to the scene, the monster had already cut through the heroes, Blue Beetle was in a coma, Guy Gardner and Bloodwynd almost incapacitated. At Ice's insistence, Maxima transported Blue Beetle to a hospital; while she stood alone against the monster, hoping to buy time for other heroes to arrive. Doomsday had razed the refinery, despite Ice's best efforts."
The scene changed to the kitchen of a modest home, occupied by a young mother, her baby girl, and a surly teenager. "This is the home of the Andersen family." The stranger said. "Minor players in this drama. This young man is Mitchell Andersen, who resents his current circumstances. His parents separated, limited resources, baby-sitting his sister Becky while their mother, Claire, worked a menial job; all these situations combined into a mass of frustration without an exit. At this moment, his outlook borders on cynicism, manifesting his frustration into hostile disrespect. Towards his mother, school, and most recently, Superman; wanting to believe he was a grandstanding show-off."
Suddenly, a woman clad in blue and white came crashing through the window. Ice fell limply on the kitchen counter, completely unconscious. The Andersens first reaction was to look outside.
Doomsday stood on the driveway, his free hand crushing the old car parked there, his posture full of murderous intent. But before he could do anything, Booster Gold and Superman arrived, standing on the monster's way.
Superman received a punch to the gut, tanking an impact that could have leveled a mountain. Mitch scoffed, "(The spud was too slow and stupid to duck.)"
With the speed of a lightning, Doomsday changed tactics, and kicked Superman with even greater strength. Superman was projected towards the house like a living missile, demolishing walls and weakening the columns. Demented laughter filled the air, while Doomsday used Booster Gold to break a fully grown oak tree, discarding the hero like a broken toy. The force field around him barely protected him from the impact.
While the house crumbled, Doomsday stepped into the ruined kitchen, and struck the immobile Ice once again, before turning his face, still covered with the hood, towards Claire and Becky Andersen. Shinji and Hikari closed their eyes in horror, fearing for the mother and her baby.
Superman returned then, grabbing Doomsday and ordering the family to flee while he covered their escape. While Claire dragged Ice out of the ruins, Mitch held his little sister. The still abled Leaguers joined their powers into a devastating attack. Fire, energy beams, psychic beams and heat vision converged upon the monster. For long minutes, the heroes poured everything they had to the attack. Soon, Fire and Booster Gold exhausted their reserves.
"Even Guy Gardner's force of will has limits, and he reached them this day. One by one the attacks faltered." It was clear the heroes were exhausted. They swayed on their feet, like a boxer about to fall.
Tragically, all their efforts achieved was to weaken Doomsday's restraints. The technochains that restricted his right arm were loose enough to fall off the monster, and the insulated shroud fell to pieces over the bony spurs, revealing the face of unrestrained anger and hate.
Watching in horrified fascination, they watched as Doomsday demolished the Leaguers. Booster Gold's suit was torn to shreds, his broken body thrown against Superman and Bloodwynd. Her flame exhausted, Fire helped the Andersens to rescue her friend Ice from the ruins of their house, before the gas line to their house ignited.
"Superman could have achieved a momentary advantage over Doomsday, by grabbing the monster and taking him away, but, before catching the monster, the worst fear of Mitch were realized. The gas line exploded, knocking everybody present but him and his baby sister. So, surrounded by the flames, Mitch Andersen swallowed his pride and shouted for help."
Superman hesitated for a split second, and returned to rescue the Andersens and the Leaguers, losing precious time.
Shinji swallowed hard, seeing the mauled bodies of heroes he had grown to respect, admire, and even love. "There's no way they can continue…" he whispered, his mouth dry.
"No. They cannot keep fighting. There is a long and painful recovery ahead for them." The Stranger said, his thin lips barely moving. "Maxima's return to the fight was more a hindrance than actual help, as Superman prioritized protecting the people threatened by Doomsday, while Maxima wanted to defeat the creature no matter the cost." The three fought over the ruins of a gas station, and Maxima ripped an light pole from the ground. The gas vapors ignited with the first spark.
"What a…" Hikari interrupted herself before expressing her sincere opinion on the redhead warrior Princess. Her face was very pale, and her freckles seemed to move on her skin. "If it wasn't for her…"
The Stranger shook his head. "Maxima has left behind the reckless impetuousness of her adolescence. But that's a story for another time." Both heroes lay unconscious on the ruined street. Doomsday, momentarily satisfied, left the scene, looking for a new place to destroy.
The Guardian arrived then, and took Maxima to the nearest hospital.
"From this moment on, Superman fought Doomsday almost by himself. The military, whenever they reached a position to attack, were ineffective against the creature. In his destructive route, Superman couldn't focus only on him, rescuing all the people he could. Though Superman saved dozens of lives, Doomsday's rampage costed hundreds of lives. He was a natural disaster incarnated."
The images blurred into one another, as Doomsday wrecked buildings, crushed cars, threw trucks like toys, and caused multiple fires on his wake. All the while Superman tried to mitigate the damage and capture or incapacitate the beast whenever he could spare a moment.
Hikari inhaled brusquely. "What about Supergirl? You were telling us her story!"
"She has not entered to the fray yet." He waved his hand, showing the Lexcorp Building penthouse. Shinji's hands balled into fists when they saw Luthor manipulating Su'ergirl into staying at Metropolis, instead of flying away to help Superman. "Luthor knew exactly what to say, and how to say it, preying on Supergirl's naivety and misplaced trust on him. This trust will be betrayed soon, in a way you both will find familiar." He said, without going into details.
Another wave of his hand, and the images focused on Superman and Doomsday's fight. For the hero, it was a losing battle, as they got closer and closer to Metropolis. To the pilots' horrified surprise, Doomsday bone spurs were hard enough to actually wound the Man of Steel. Soon the hero bled from multiple wounds, the worst being two deep punctures on his torso. His blue and red uniform was torn and ragged, red blood staining the cloth. The cape almost falling from his shoulders was torn, dirty, and in some places, burnt; mute witness to the long fight.
"By this time, tv channels and radio stations all over the country suspended their regular programming, instead broadcasting the battle as it developed. No one dared to leave the vicinity of tvs or radios. Back in a refugee tent in Ohio, Mitch Andersen and his family listen to the radio, the young man's worldview changes gradually. Far from Metropolis, Superman's adoptive parents watched the broadcast with growing dread." This time, there was no image, "Lois Lane, his fiancé; and his friend, Jimmy Olsen, had the heartbreaking job of reporting the events." Over the two fighters, multiple helicopters hovered, trying to maintain a delicate balance between a safe distance and being close enough to capture the fight.
"Other heroes tried to reach the battle or help with rescue efforts along the route of destruction. They wouldn't reach Superman on time to make a difference. Only Supergirl, once the fight reached Metropolis. Reluctantly, Luthor authorized her to intervene. But she was barely a brief distraction." A powerful punch overwhelmed her defenses, almost destroying her whole body. The damage was too great for her to keep her human shape, and once again reverted to her protomatter form, falling to the ground like a discarded doll. Superman's efforts to contain the destruction were largely futile, as Doomsday seemed to possess a knack for causing the most efficient destruction, toppling multiple buildings in a horrible domino effect, and using anything and everything to destroy the helicopters. "Team Luthor, the Special Crimes Unit, and even some civilians tried to help, but were quickly overwhelmed by Doomsday's savagery."
The Phantom Stranger paused the images, lowering his head in either sadness or respect. "In the end, Superman fought alone. Beyond exhaustion, beyond pain, and even beyond his own moral code. The only way to stop Doomsday was to kill him."
Shinji's fists closed impotently, as they watched Superman and Lois Lane share a last, desperate kiss, knowing that it could very well be the last. Hikari cried in silence.
Supermán, exhausted and wounded, now matched Doomsday's savagery. Punch after punch, heat vision, he used every resource at his disposal. Finally, Doomsday showed signs of weakening. Almost in perfect synch, both hero and monster struck at their enemy.
The impact was so powerful it generated a destructive shockwave. All the windows in a radius of ten blocks shattered instantly, the people close to the fight were thrown to the ground.
For a long moment, the two powerful figures swayed on their feet, before falling down like puppets without strings.
A moment of silence. No one dared to break it, not even the unseen watchers.
Lois Lane broke it, her desperate steps echoing in the silent city.
Doomsday's body lay inert, but Superman still stirred weakly. With strength born of desperation, she cradled his broken body, trying to comfort the hero. Her voice breaking, she said, "(…Please hang on! The paramedics will be here any second!)" He looked at her, barely focusing his eyes, and asked, "(Doomsday… is he…)"
Hugging him desperately, she whispered in his ear, "(You stopped him, you saved us all!)" He smiled, sighed, and his tense muscles relaxed completely.
A last piece of Superman's cape fluttered in the wind, rolling down the street until it caught on a piece of rebar, displaying the S symbol like a flag.
Overwhelmed by grief, the people around kept silent, the only noise the whirring of a camera. Jimmy Olsen had lowered his hands, still pushing the button of his camera, accidentally capturing the ragged cape.
At the edge of the gathering crowd, Hikari saw Ice and Bloodwynd arrive. Wounded, battered.
And too late.
Behind them, the pilots saw a young woman, her skin white as paper, wearing a cute goth dress and carrying a black lace umbrella, guiding away a group of people. She waved shyly at them, and the whole group disappeared behind a cloud of dust as a wall fell. (3)
No one spoke, as the images vanished gradually from sight. The silence was now broken, and the sounds of a crumbling city returned, walls, falling, debris settling, fires, screams and moans of pain.
And the desperate sobbing of a heartbroken woman, cradling the body of her lover.
Author Notes:
(1) Bloodwynd debuted in Justice League Spectacular one-shot (Apr, 1992). I don't know if the creative teams had already decided to have the Martian Manhunter in the role. During the next months, the mystery of Bloodwynd's origin was one of the frequent subplots in the JLA title.
(2) Technically, Bloodwynd debuted in Justice League of America, issue 76 (Jul, 1993), the reasons for the charade were under investigation.
(3) Yep, that was Death herself.
Extra Note.
One very interesting creative choice runs in each issue of the Death of Superman story-arc. With each consecutive issue, the number of panels per page decreases by one, the tension grows to a frantic pace in the last chapter, containing only splash pages, with the last scenes growing to a two-page spread, and finally, a triptych!