#38: Kon-El, Part 2 (of 4)

Action Comics

Issue #38: “Kon-El” Pt. 2
Story by: Roy Flinchum & Brian Burchette
Written by: Brian Burchette
Cover by: Daniel Vest
Edited by: Mark Bowers[/center]

S.T.A.R. Labs

Two bio-geneticists stood silently, their gaze never wavering from the lifeless body that floated in front of them. It had been brought to them in a stasis tube, but the being inside no longer lived. That was a good thing since it had a third arm coming out of its stomach.

Professor Gardner kept shaking his head. “It looks almost exactly like you.”

Superman shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, you said that already. It’s a clone, isn’t it?”

Professor Fox was walking around the tube, his hand rubbing his beard. “Maybe; we’re going to have to do an extensive battery of tests to find out. You’ve given us what we need for the moment, so there really is no reason for you to stay. How can we get a hold of you when we get the results?”

Walking toward the door, Superman shrugged. “Just step outside and shout my name. I’ll hear you.” He nodded to the two men before he exited the room.

The one called Gardner sniffed. “Go outside and shout for him? That’s a bit vulgar for someone of your status.”

Fox nodded. “I agree. That’s why you’ll be doing it.”

Metropolis

Slam Bradley stepped out of the warehouse, his rumpled suit now covered in slime, a putrid smell rising from it. This job was getting worse every day and he was becoming soundly aware that he was getting too old for this garbage. Heading towards his car, he could have sworn he heard his name being carried through the wind. He turned to see a familiar face of Metropolis running towards him. Great, he thought to himself, all I need right now is...

“Lois Lane, Detective, I was hoping you could help me.”

“I know who ya are,” Sam mumbled, a toothpick shoved in the corner of his mouth. “What can I do for ya, Lane?”

“I’m looking for... What happened to you? You look like you’ve been on Nickelodeon.”

“Just doing my job. Now, who you looking for?”

She was eyeing him up and down, examining the growing bruise on his forehead as well as the slime covering his body. “Well, I was looking for Superman, but I get the feeling I may have a bigger story right here.”

Slam shook his head. “Don’t even go there, Lane. I’m just doin’ my job. I have no idea where the big blue is right now, so if you’ll excuse me, I got some leads of my own to follow for a case I’m workin’ on.”

“Mind if I tag along?”

“Yep,” Slam replied and tossed the toothpick to the ground, turning and walking away from her.

Lois Lane’s face showed a wicked grin, “Well, it’s not like I didn’t ask first.” Then, keeping a good distance between them, she started following the detective.

Dr. Xadu: Whereabouts unknown

An almost mystical glow surrounded him as he stared into the life-sized tube he stood in front of. The body floated in a liquid, a body that seemed to be growing right before his eyes. His project was coming along extremely well. There were no signs of molecular destruction on any level, and to top it off, the word was out. He had already received feedback from several well-known figures in the underground community.

He couldn’t help but give himself a moment to metaphorically pat himself on the back. Thanks to the greatest hero this tiny little backwater world had ever known, he had created the ultimate weapon. The weapon that The House of El built, he thought to himself with a chuckle.

Now, he wondered, who should he contact first? Luthor? Sivana? Or perhaps Ivo? He knew they all wanted it, as well as others. It really didn’t matter to him who purchased it, as long as the price was right. For you see, he had much greater plans for Earth, and its puny little inhabitants.

Fawcett City

The young boy ran after his friend, trying to keep up with her as she marched across the street of the small town, a look of determination on her face.

“Gee Mary, wait up a moment. Where’s the fire?”

“I don’t have time, Billy. It’s not every day you stumble across a super-villain in the middle of some kind of nefarious scheme.”

Billy Batson whistled quietly. “Nefarious? That’s a pretty big word.”

“Well, what else would you call anything that involves Dr. Sivana?”

Billy grabbed her arm at the name, stopping both of them in the middle of the street. “Sivana?! Holy Moley, Mary, don’t you think we need to get... you know who... instead?”

A car horn caused them both to jump and they both ran to the other side of the street quickly. Mary rolled her eyes when she saw the look in Billy’s. “Oh yeah, because that wouldn’t give it away, would it? I don’t know what he’s doing yet, why should we be calling in... them?”

“How do you know he’s up to anything?”

“Dumb luck; I was heading to school for rehearsal of Annie Get Your Gun when I actually saw him and one of his goons drive by. I ran into town just in time to see them coming out of that travel agent’s place. I was going there to find out where he was headed,” said Mary.

Billy thought about it for a moment, then decided it seemed like a pretty good idea. He shrugged and followed her in.

“Can I help you?” the tall man behind the counter asked them.

Without warning, Mary burst into tears. “I... I hope so. My uncle... I think he was just here, and he doesn’t know about my aunt and I was trying to get to him but I don’t know where he’s going and he can’t leave town because he has to know what happened to my aunt but I don’t have any way of finding him.” She continued to sob after her rant.

The man was taken aback by the sudden outburst, and, Billy noted, actually frightened by the emotion. Billy had to admit it was a great act, no wonder she had got the lead in the school musical.

“Who is your uncle, dear?” he asked, nervously.

She tried to answer through her sobs, but it came out garbled. Both Billy and the man looked at her oddly, and she shot Billy a knowing glance, also kicking him in the ankle for good measure.

“Oh, she seems really upset,” Billy exclaimed. “I can’t remember his name. You couldn’t miss him though; he’s really short, big head, Elton John style glasses.”

“Yes! Yes, he just left. He... well, I shouldn’t... all I can really say is that he was rushing to the airport. You might be able to still catch him if you can get a ride, but he was really in a hurry. Doesn’t he have a cell phone?”

Already working their way out the door, Billy shook his head. “Uh, no, he’s really paranoid that they will damage his brain. Thank you, sir!”

Once outside, they ran around the corner near the five and dime. “There’s only one way to get to the airport in time to find out where he’s going...” Billy insisted.

This time Mary agreed. “Together?”

Billy grinned as they shouted out the name at the same time, “SHAZAM!”

The Fortress of Solitude

The blue and red streak hadn’t even stopped when Kara started speaking, “What did they find out?”

Superman stopped in front of her. “They’re going to have to run a whole battery of tests. It’s going to be a while, I’m afraid.”

“So what are we supposed to do? It’s obvious he had more than one specimen, Kal. One of the tubes is missing, which means he took it with him. What if he accomplished what he set out to do? What if there is another you out there, under his control?”

Superman frowned. “I know, Kara, I’m worried about that too. It’s not much, but all we can do now is search for him, while we wait for word from STAR Labs.”

“Where do we start?”

“We’ll split up. He could be anywhere, and honestly, he’s smart enough to probably be hiding inside something lined with lead, but we can’t just wait around here. You head off into the Southern Hemisphere, focus on the dense areas of the jungles and rain forests; I’ll take the Northern Hemisphere. If you see anything suspicious, anything at all, give me a shout.”

Supergirl nodded.

Kal-El placed his hand on her shoulder, “I’m serious, Kara. Don’t try to handle Xadu on your own. He’s way too dangerous.”

“I know,” she replied. “Good luck.” With that she was gone like a shot.

“You too,” he replied quietly, knowing she heard him. Then he, too, was up in the air and headed towards Europe.

Metropolis

Lois hoped she was making all the right moves while trailing Slam. She tried to stay at least three to four cars back, yet still keeping an eye on his beat-up Sedan. It really wasn’t that hard to do since cars like Slam’s had become nearly as extinct as the Commodore 64. Still, he was a pro, and she wanted to make sure that he wasn’t aware of her at all.

He had turned west onto Flinchum Boulevard, an area known for elite galleries, where all the most influential people came to purchase artwork for their penthouses and yachts that were docked in the harbor. What was he doing in this end of town?

She slowed down when she saw him pull up alongside the curb. She was a block and a half away as she observed him getting out of his car, putting change in the meter, and then going inside the Zirron Gallery of Modern Art. One of the most expensive places in the entire area; why was he going in there?

Waiting until he had gone inside, she got out of her car and walked casually up to the building; peering inside the window just in time to see Bradley getting escorted to a backroom. Her curiosity became even more piqued, so she turned and headed back around the side of the building, hoping maybe there was a back entrance to the place.

As her luck would have it, there was; even more luck appeared when she found the door’s lock was easy to pick. She wondered what Superman would say if he knew she had the skills to pick locks? Ironically, it was a gift that she had discovered while growing up with her father.

Edging the door open slightly, she peered in; only to find a well-kept stockroom. With no one around and checking behind her one more time, she slipped in and shut the door. Light from a nearby window was enough for her to see.

As she walked around she kept herself alert, ears piqued in case there was any shuffling of feet. She turned a corner and found the door leading into the front gallery; next to it was an old fashioned cargo lift that, upon examination, she realized went down. The platform was not on this floor, so she deduced that Slam and his host had already made their way down there.

Lois stood there, considering her options, when her eyes caught another row of boxes, but on the wall were paintings that made her blood run cold. The first one depicted the bloody and broken body of Superman, his throat being crushed by the monster Doomsday. A second one showed the Man of Steel bowing at the feet of General Zod, and the third was Lex Luthor; he stood holding Superman’s head by the hair, the body missing.

“The third one is my favorite, of course,” a deep, masculine voice said from behind her.

She knew that voice! In fact, next to Superman himself, this man’s voice was probably the most recognizable in all of Metropolis. “How did you get out of prison, Lex?” she asked as she turned around, forcing her demeanor to be calm.

“Always the reporter, aren’t you, Ms. Lane,” he noted with a slightly amused look on his face. “A part of me wants to tell you that it really is none of your business, and it’s not; however, I must admit that I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of a newfound friend. He was able to slip me out unnoticed.”

“This place, it belongs to you, doesn’t it?”

He nodded, pointing a gun directly at her. “One of the small acquisitions I picked up before my company was taken from me. It’s also one of many safe houses that I have. Though not my favorite, it does come with a rather unique feature; a rather large sub-basement, great for entertaining.”

“Oh, I see. Well, if you’re planning on throwing yourself a party to celebrate your escape, I’m sure you don’t need that large a room; it’s not like you have any actual friends who care.”

Lex’s face darkened; the reaction she had hoped to get out of him. His lips pressed tight for a moment and, when he spoke, the pleasantness in his voice had left. “It’s more of an auction, actually. It seems that my new friend has created quite the ultimate weapon, and plans on selling it to the highest bidder. I offered this safe house as a central gathering place.”

“And you plan on buying this ultimate weapon, I assume. I thought you were broke, Lex. Your company has changed hands several times since you became a fugitive from the law. You remember, for being a traitor to your country... to the world, actually. Not everyone has the distinction of helping an alien race of starfish try to take over the planet.”

She noted that the platform was coming back up when he responded to her question, “I may not have my company anymore, but I assure you that I am far from poor. I didn’t become the greatest businessman of my time by being stupid. And to answer your original question, yes, I do plan on buying this weapon.”

Lois couldn’t help but smirk. “And of course this ultimate weapon will be the downfall of your greatest enemy, Superman. It’s an old record, Lex; one that seems to skip every time you put it on the turntable. We both know there isn’t a weapon on this planet that can destroy Superman.”

He said nothing, just smiled pleasantly as he opened the gate to the lift and motioned for her to join him. When the elevator began to move downward again, he finally spoke, “I think you’ll find that that is no longer the case, Ms. Lane. There is finally something in this world that can kill Superman.”

“Oh yeah, and what would that be.”

As he spoke, they reached the end of their journey and her eyes opened wide at the large tube, and the young man floating inside of it.

“Another Superman, of course,” was his answer, a winning grin on his face.

Somewhere over the Ohio Valley

Captain Marvel soared through the air, a stern look of determination on his face. Next to him, his friend Mary Marvel seemed just as determined as they kept a close eye on the plane flying in front of them.

“Why Metropolis?” Mary wondered out loud.

“I’m not sure, but whatever the reason, we’ll find out and be there to stop him.”

Suddenly Mary’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “Do you think we’ll get to meet Superman?”

The Captain couldn’t help but grin. “Possibly, if he’s not out doing Justice League work, or in space. You know, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him before.” He knew he sounded like he was bragging – and he was.

Mary’s eyes grew even wider. “Really?! What was he like?”

“A nice guy.” Marvel replied. “Noble, extremely noble. He reminds me a lot of...” His voice trailed off as his memories went to the man he had always looked up to, the man who had been the first Captain Marvel.

Realizing what he was going to say, Mary quickly changed the subject. “Do you think Dr. Sivana is up to something that has to do with Superman?”

With the wind whipping through his hair and his cape flapping behind him, Captain Marvel’s expression went from that of melancholy back to determination. “If he is, he’s going to have a really big surprise coming to him.”

Mary nodded in agreement as she turned her attention back to the aircraft. If Sivana was going to mess with the big guy, she and Billy were going to make sure they put a monkey wrench into that plan. Up ahead she could see the skyscrapers of Metropolis coming into view.

Munich, Germany

The car bomb had gone off as planned, sending shrapnel everywhere, injuring over two dozen and killing four. Superman had heard the explosion from Berlin and was there in seconds. Although unable to do anything about the initial blast, he was able to quickly put out the fires as well as stop a brick wall of a coffee shop from collapsing on top of the injured.

He was able to slow down a bit after that; examining the injured with his x-ray vision, determining who needed immediate medical care, and then flying them to the nearest hospital at top speed. The entire time he did what he always did in those circumstances: tried to convince himself that there wasn’t any way he could have been there before the explosion. As his pa always used to say, “Clark, you can’t be everywhere at once. If you could, you would have called yourself Everywhere Man.” At times like these he always took some comfort in those words.

When the small crisis had abated and he was not needed there anymore, he took to the sky again, continuing his search. It was like a needle in a haystack, and he knew that, but still, until he heard something from S.T.A.R. Labs, there wasn’t much else he could do. He stopped for a moment over the Atlantic Ocean, hovering there as he spoke out in a normal voice.

“Supergirl, are you there?”

He focused as he always did, blocking out all the other voices and waiting to hear hers. When she replied, it was as if she were standing right next to him. “I’m here, Superman, but other than breaking up a major drug deal back near the Central American border, it’s quiet; there’s no sign of Dr. Xadu. How about you?”

“Nothing on this end, either. I’m going to make one more sweep of...” He stopped as another voice he had been waiting to hear came floating to him. It was one of the doctors at S.T.A.R. Labs. “Kara, meet me back in Metropolis. It sounds like they may have something.”

“On my way,” she said quickly and Superman shot across the ocean, leaving a huge wake as he soared away.

Metropolis: The Zirron Gallery of Modern Art

Dr. Xadu stood in front of his guests, examining each one of them before he made his presentation. Four in all had made it. He had helped Luthor escape, so he knew he’d be there. Professor Ivo and Dr. Sivana were also expected.

“Gentlemen, I’m pleased to see that you made it. I’m not going to beleaguer you with a long opening. We all know why we are here. I’ve created what no one else on your planet could, and for whoever bids the highest, it will be yours. Your very own Superman, to do with as you please.”

“Yes, yes,” the little man with the large glasses said, impatiently. “But I for one am not going to bid on anything until I see the merchandise.”

Xadu smiled, “Of course not, nor would I expect you to. Please, follow me.”

S.T.A.R. Labs

Professor Gardner was waiting at the main entrance when both Superman and Supergirl suddenly appeared within nanoseconds of each other. He was momentarily startled, but quickly recovered and ushered them down the hall and into the lab.

“What do you have for us, Professor?” Supergirl asked impatiently. He hadn’t spoken at all on their walk down the corridor. He did, however, seem rather perturbed.

Professor Fox stood over the cadaver. “We made some very interesting but bizarre discoveries about this body.”

“Is he a clone?” Superman asked.

“I don’t believe so. You have to realize that we don’t have a lot to go on here. We know very little about Kryptonian DNA, so what we believe to be true is mostly hypothetical at this point.”

“Alright,” Superman said. “So, hypothetically, if he isn’t a clone, what is he?”

Zirron Gallery of Modern Art

“Gentlemen,” Dr. Xadu said as they entered the room with the large glass tube in it. The naked body of a teenage Superman was floating within; his eyes closed, his body seemingly weightless.

In the corner of the room, chained to the wall, were Slam Bradley and Lois Lane. Although Slam seemed to be unconscious, the Daily Planet’s star reporter was wide awake. She was unable to take her eyes off of the body in the tube.

“It’s amazing,” Ivo murmured as he walked up to the glass. “This could well be the most perfect clone I’ve ever seen in all my travels.”

Lex Luthor stood back, his eyes gleaming with greed. “I must have it. Superman’s clone is exactly what I need.”

“Then you’ll have to outbid me for it,” Sivana spat. “And I don’t think your pockets are as deep as mine at this point.” The small scientist was grinning from ear to ear, making him appear to be slightly off his rocker.

Luthor clenched his fists, “If I have to, I’ll take it from your cold dead hands, you stupid little dwarf!”

“Try it, Luthor, and you’ll find out exactly why you’re hundreds of points lower than me on the I.Q. chart.”

Dr. Xadu raised his hands for silence. “Gentlemen, you are under a false assumption. The person in this tube is not a clone at all. With the very unwilling help of my test subjects, I was able to obtain both the sperm and eggs from two live Kryptonians. With that, I was able to experiment in rapid aging and DNA alteration. It took me four tries, but it finally worked.”

Lex Luthor stepped forward. “What are you saying?” Though he already understood, he needed to hear it out loud.

Dr. Xadu looked directly into the eyes of Superman’s arch-nemesis. “What I’m saying, Mr. Luthor, is that this is not a clone of Superman – it’s his son.”

To Be Continued![/b]