Action Comics #7: "Hostile Takeover"

Across town, the smartly dressed man with the thick white beard stared out his own office window, across the intervening space to the shining pinnacle of LexCorp Tower, as if aware of the scrutiny.

“What is it, Izaya?” Came a carefully respectful voice. “Is there something wrong?” The speaker was one in a group of people standing in the office, waiting upon the older man. He was fair-haired and bright, almost glowing in his perfectly tailored white suit.

“Perhaps, Lightray. I fear we have begun to attract some unwanted attention.” The old man’s hand fell lightly upon a folded newspaper sitting on the nearby desk. It was open to an article buried on the last page of the Business section. The headline read: Newcomer Genesis Corporation Challenges LexCorp in the Metropolis Technologies Market. The byline was Clark Kent.

“Our work cannot proceed under the glare of public scrutiny.” Spoke a bald woman with milky cataracts over her eyes. She was dressed in soft robes and cradled to her breast what appeared to be a bleached human skull--- if it were not for the horns sprouting from the top. “And we cannot risk exposure. Not when we are so close.”

The powerful old man, Mr. Izaya, turned to look at them, worry etched into the lines of his face. “I need no oracle to tell me that, K’zandr. Our project is paramount. I feel at last our enemy’s eye upon us. I do not think we have much time left. We can brook no interference now.”

A tall, broad-shouldered man with shaggy red hair let out an explosive expression of frustration, slamming his fist down upon Mr. Izaya’s desk, sending the newspaper fluttering to the ground.

“Bah! I weary of this interminable skulking! What matters if we reveal ourselves? What can the Earthlings do to distract us from our purpose?”

“Patience, Orion!” Mr. Izaya held up a steadying hand, his face placid and soothing. “If the humans were aware of our presence on their planet, or of what lurks out there in the cosmos, waiting, there would be worldwide panic and terror. Our work is almost done. I only hope we are in time…”

The man called Orion ground his teeth in barely restrained frustration, but deferred to the wisdom of Mr. Izaya.

“Highfather!”

A young man dashed into the room through the open double doors, at a speed the naked eye could not follow; the aeropads on his boots glowed hotly, and he seemed excited.

“Fastbak!” Remonstrated Lightray. “More respect, if you please.”

“Sorry!” The speedster shrugged apologetically.

“What is it, Fastbak?” Mr. Izaya asked patiently. “Have you found my foster son yet?”

“No, Highfather, still no sign of him.” Fastbak explained apologetically. “But then, he is expert at avoiding detection. I was just coming to tell you that someone is on the telephone device asking--- demanding!--- to speak to you.”

“Who?” Mr. Izaya raised a bushy eyebrow.

“Lex Luthor.” The answer came from the blind woman named K’zandr. She held the horned skull to her ear, her head cocked to listen. “Beware! He is not like the rest of these earthlings, Highfather. The oracle foresees nothing good in dealings with him.”

Mr. Izaya nodded thoughtfully. Nevertheless, he went to the device on the desk and activated the speaker phone.

“Izaya.” A bold, powerful voice crackled from the speaker. “My name is Lex Luthor. You know who I am?”

“All of Metropolis knows who you are, Mr. Luthor.” The older man said calmly.

“Yes, well, I get the impression you’re not exactly from around here.” Lex replied, with enough innuendo in his voice to start a low growling from Orion.

“What do you want, Mr. Luthor?” Asked Mr. Izaya.

“What I want, Mr. Izaya, is to give you your first and last opportunity to save yourself.” Came the reply in crisp, clipped tones. “I’ve studied the activities and acquisitions of GenCorp very carefully. I’ve noted how you’ve snapped up the best men in certain fields, bought up certain patents and logged your purchases of exotic materials and real estate. I’ve even noted the GenCorp interests in certain remote locations on the planet. You’re planning something. Something big. Something, I would hazard a guess, which you would very much like to keep secret. Whatever it is, and I have a pretty good idea, I want it.”

The low growling from Orion was joined by a gasp from Lightray, and alarmed looks all around.

But Mr. Izaya maintained his calm.

“Why should I heed you at all, Mr. Luthor? We have done nothing wrong. Nothing illegal.”

“Perhaps not illegal, but you did do something wrong.” Luthor’s voice was cold and hard. “You came to my town--- my world!--- and you didn’t pay tribute to me. You didn’t say ‘Mother, may I?’ and that hurts my feelings. I will suffer no rivals, Izaya. A couple of months ago, I saved the world from some super-powered alien freaks; crushing you will be child’s play.”

A muscle in Mr. Izaya’s chin clenched. “And just how do we avoid your wrath, Mr. Luthor?”

“By signing over a controlling interest in GenCorp to me. By stepping down as CEO, Mr. Izaya, and appointing me in your place as Chairman of the Board of Directors. And I want to know, definitively, right now, what you are building in the Marianas Trench.”

“The dog---!” Orion could not restrain his outburst. Mr. Izaya shot him a sharp glance, silencing him.

The sound of Lex chuckling came through the speaker.

“And if we don’t accede to your demands… what? Exposure? Fabricated lawsuits?”

“Please.” Luthor’s voice dripped with scorn. “Who do you take me for? Max Lord? Josiah Powers? I’m goddamn Lex Luthor. I. Will. De-stroy. You.”

For a moment no one, not even Orion, breathed. The menace in the earthling’s voice was unmistakable, and so was his certainty that he could carry out the threat. Mr. Izaya and his associates stared at each other in a mix of consternation and rage.

“You have 24 hours to consider my offer.”

Then Luthor disengaged the line.

“Highfather, you must let me deal with this impudent human!” Pled Orion, spittle flying from his mouth. “He will destroy everything we have worked so carefully to build. Please! I will leave only a smoking hole where---.”

“No.” Mr. Izaya said quietly, but with an authoritative air of finality. “That is not our way, my son. We have labored long to show you this. The Source teaches us that---.”

Orion let out a strangled cry of frustration, near to tears at his rage, and stormed out.

Izaya’s sad eyes followed him. “I fear there is still too much of his true father in him. Lightray, would you be so kind as to see to him?”

The bright figure in the white business suit nodded and excused himself.

Izaya released a long sigh and sank into his desk chair. K’zandr and Fastbak stepped closer, looking to him expectantly.

The horned skull in K’zandr’s arms whispered again into her ear.

“The oracle warns that we ignore this threat at our gravest peril.” She announced. “And that Luthor will anticipate an attack and take steps. Yet if we do nothing, he will surely endanger our work.”

“What can we do, Highfather?” Asked Fastbak.

Mr. Izaya pondered only a moment. “The people of this world have a saying: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

The two looked at him, confused.

“They have another saying, too.” Mr. Izaya sighed, resigned to a course of action now that his hand had been forced. “This is a job for Superman…”

The Man of Steel sailed over the city, glancing left and right as he flew. Something was up, he knew. As Clark Kent, he had honed his reporter’s instinct enough to sense that something was going on. At the very least, he knew there was more to Genesis Corp than met the eye…

He had to fight against that same reporter’s instinct to follow Lois and Jimmy, and listen in on her interview with Mr. Izaya. But Lois had scooped him fair and square--- the story was hers.

But whenever there was something going on in Metropolis, he always started at the same place: Lex Luthor.

He steered himself towards LexCorp Tower, his keen hearing already picking up Luthor’s conversation: “…I want you to see to the transport of our newest acquisition personally, Mr. Happerson. We mustn’t keep our new friends waiting. Oh, and please bring Version 1.1 online immediately; I have a feeling we’ll need its services sooner than later. And have my lunch reservations canceled. My apologies to the mayor…”

Superman pulled up outside Lex’s window and knocked. Luthor swiveled in his chair, seemed unsurprised to see him floating there, then waved him away, turning back to his computer.

Superman knocked again.

“Can’t you see I’m busy, alien.” Lex whispered knowing that his nemesis would have no difficulty in hearing him. “Besides, isn’t there a cat up a tree that needs rescuing…?”

“We need to talk, Luthor.” Came the Man of Steel’s muffled voice from beyond the glass. “What do you know about Genesis Corporation?”

Lex slowly swiveled back to face the window, one eyebrow raised. “I know that they’re an upstart company that all but appeared out of nowhere. I know that they have projects that they’d prefer to keep out of the public eye. I know that they’re about to have a bad day.” Lex’s glance flickered to a point over Superman’s shoulder. “And I know that they seem to have a secret weapon…” And with that, he dove out of his chair and rolled to the side.

Superman barely had time to register this before he was hit from behind. Hard.

He went crashing into Lex’s window, a super-missile drilling a hole clear through the entire floor of the building, regaining his momentum only when he emerged from the other side in a shower of glass and concrete.

“What in the world was that?” He shook his head. There wasn’t much on earth that could through him for such a loop. He flew back through the building, much to the shock of the people whose offices had been wrecked, and returned just in time to see a red-suited man with a silver helmet, harnessed into some kind of rocket glider, hovering in the middle of Lex’s office.

“And just who the hell are you?” Luthor demanded, climbing to his feet and straightening his tie.

“Human insect!” The intruder scowled menacingly. “My name is Orion, the Dog of War. And you’ve meddled in our affairs for the last time!”

With that, beams of power shot from the glider, towards Luthor.

Superman was a blue and red blur, streaking across the office to get between Luthor and the blasts. Bracing himself, the Man of Steel intercepted the blasts, allowing them to slam ineffectually against his chest.

“Why, Superman, I didn’t know you cared?” Luthor remarked drolly behind him. But Superman could pay him no heed. He had stopped the blasts, but they hurt. These were not just laser beams…

“By the Source!” The man called Orion muttered. “No man can withstand the Astroforce…?”

“Allow me to introduce myself, then,” The Man of Steel cocked his arm and flew at Orion. “My name is Superman!”

The punch sent Orion sailing up through the roof of the building and arcing high over Metropolis.

Superman pursued Orion into the stratosphere, even as the New God regained control of his glider and banked back towards Earth.

Behind the silver helmet, the face of Orion was contorted in battlelust as he aimed another salvo from his glider at Superman. The Man of Steel easily dodged the bolts of Astroforce, and strafed his foe with heat vision as he flew past him. Orion absorbed the blast but did not cry out, gritting his teeth against the pain and swinging the glider around for another pass.

“I don’t know who you are, but you can’t just attack people without provocation--- even Lex Luthor!” Superman yelled to him.

“I have provocation!” Snarled Orion, whizzing past Superman, though choosing this time not to attack. “He threatens me and mine! We have already been hounded into near extinction, and I won’t let a puny human bug pound the last nail in our coffin!”

The New God descended upon Superman from above, barreling down on him with full speed.

Superman reached out and grabbed the Astroglider, arresting its motion and holding a stunned Orion in place.

“We don’t have to fight. Maybe I can help.”

It became quickly apparent that Bizarro’s true target wasn’t Superman at all, but the being that had attacked Lex in the first place: Orion. The monster whizzed past Superman and barreled into the New God, catching him by surprise. The two went spinning end over end, out over the tops of buildings, grappling with each other.

Superman spun on Lex, who was watching the scene with some amusement.

“Call him off, Lex! Before innocent people are injured…”

“Innocent people like me?” Lex retorted smugly. “I was viciously attacked, Superman, and have every right to defend myself. It just so happens that my bodyguard is as superpowered as my attacker. No court in the land would convict me.”

With a lingering glare, and fuming in frustration, Superman flew away, leaving Luthor, chuckling.

The fight in the sky quickly escalated out of control. Bizarro pounded on Orion, who unleashed blast after blast from his glider on his enemy. Bizarro was a fearsome fighter, but not a shrewd one; he absorbed the bolts of Astroforce and was flung repeatedly into the sides of skyscrapers, dislodging steel and concrete to fall onto the streets below.

The debris rained down upon the busy Metropolis street, threatening to crush the innocent bystanders. But, as always, Superman was there. His heat vision vaporized a wide swath of falling stone, and one particularly large piece he caught on his shoulders, setting it down gently next to the cab it had almost crushed.

“Thanks, Superman!” The cabbie leaned out the window and cheered.

Superman paused long enough to smile and wave at the crowd gathering to watch the fight in the sky, then he launched himself back into the air, streaking towards the combatants.

Bizarro had managed to engage Orion in close quarters again, and had the New God in a headlock. Orion twisted and kicked, but could not squirm free of his foe’s deadly embrace. So he engaged the glider, ramming it into the digital “Soder Cola” billboard. Showers of sparks flew everywhere and Bizarro was thrown free in confusion.

“Enough!” Superman roared in a voice that shook mortar and plaster from nearby buildings. He interposed himself between the two enemies as they rocketed back towards each other. A blast of superbreath sent Orion pinwheeling backward, and Superman grabbed the front of Bizarro’s uniform, a mockery of his own, whirled him around at superspeed, then launched him into the sky, dwindling quickly into the distance!

As the New God zoomed back into the fray, Superman warned: “Stand down, Orion! Let me take care of Bizarro.”

Before Orion could respond, a new player appeared on the scene. A man in glowing white streaked through the air, leaving an ionized vapor trail behind him. Superman watched as the newcomer greeted Orion familiarly.

“Lightray!” Orion cried.

“Easy, Dog of War! Highfather bids you to return and leave this problem to Superman.” The New God called Lightray looked over at the astonished Man of Steel and smiled. “Highfather Izaya sends his greetings.”

“Izaya…?” Superman did not miss the implications of the name, nor did he forget that Lois and Jimmy were now involved in all this…!. But he could not be distracted now. A quick scan with his super-vision showed that Bizarro was recovering from his toss into the upper atmosphere, and was heading back.

He turned back to the New Gods. “We’ll finish this later.” The he was gone in a blur of color.

Dr. Kitty Faulkner, Director of S.T.A.R. Labs, Metropolis watched as Superman descended into her courtyard, bearing a figure wrapped in his cape.

His blue eyes flashed and he grinned lopsidedly at her.

“Dr. Faulkner! Got room for one more…?”

The next day Lex Luthor stood once again at his office window, looking out upon the city. His city….

Metropolis.

Lex Luthor was a polymath, the next step in human intellectual evolution. His mind was capable of the most complex calculations and brilliant leaps of intuitive genius. Usually, he was so sure, his confidence boundless…

But not today. For yesterday, he had made a deal with the devil.

And not in any kind of figurative sense. Yesterday, Lex Luthor had gazed upon pure evil. Pure distilled malevolence. But he had stood up to it. Bargained with it… Did what he had to do to save his city… There was more than one Man of Steel in Metropolis…

Lois Lane had come and gone only minutes ago. She had been shocked to find Lex in such an accommodating mood. He would, of course, cease his hostile takeover bid for Genesis Corporation. No strings attached.

After today, it wouldn’t matter anyway.

After today, nothing would be the same.

The skies darkened at midday. He watched the roiling black clouds in the upper atmosphere, and ignored the phone that rang incessantly on his desk, the pounding on his door, the desperate calling of his name. He knew what they would be reporting: freakish electro-magnetic activity in earth orbit. Super-energized ions falling like sparks from a 4th of July sparkler…

Lex Luthor just stood at the window, and watched. He knew what was coming. And he knew nothing could stop it.

The BOOM! shook the very foundation of the building, and like a dark, cankerous flower blossoming in the sky, the scarred and pitted planet called Apokolips, vomiting fire and greasy smoke, appeared between the Earth and its moon.

Below him, he could barely make out the sounds of cars screeching to a halt, sirens droning and car alarms wailing, as people poured into the streets to gaze up in awe and terror at the sight above them…

How many of them would survive this terrible day, Lex wondered.

A crisis was upon them. And nothing would ever be the same again.

With a final sigh, Lex Luthor activated the blast shields for LexCorp Tower and went to work; he had a city to save.

.