Invasion: Aftermath

Invasion comes to an end and one of the defining story arcs of the first period of the post-Crisis Superman era begins.

Superman #27

Superman continues fighting alien invaders in Australia.  A disheveled Clark Kent then shows up to work at the Daily Planet but gets sent home because, as Lois says, he looks like hell.  At home, Clark never bothered to clean up his apartment after his nightmares a few months ago.  He finally goes to sleep and we jump to Gangbuster breaking into Lexcorp to attack Luthor himself.  Luthor's secret weapon, Braniac, attacks Gangbuster but finds the vigilante's mind is too strong for him.  Gangbuster can't bring himself to kill Luthor and he flees the scene, where the Guardian catches up to him.  Gangbuster survives a 7-story fall from the top of a building and lands in a dumpster, but he breaks free, miraculously alive and unharmed.  On the last page, the Guardian slices into Gangbuster's chest with his shield.  "What have I done?" he asks himself, with the reader left to wonder.

Adventures of Superman #450

On the first page, we see the shocking secret that the Guardian discovered in the last issue:  under Gangbuster's costume is none other than Superman!  Superman is just as confused as the Guardian, but quickly figures out that he's been sleepwalking as Gangbuster after he killed Zod in the Supergirl Saga.  Guardian offers the resources of Project Cadmus but Superman flies off, deciding he needs to figure it out by himself.  He was going to stop in to see Lois Lane, but finds she's not alone.  Her visitor, Jose Delgado, goes back to the lab for his final physical therapy appointment, but the Lexcorp technology now allows Luthor to control his body and use Jose as his new bodyguard.  Superman stops in to see Professor Hamilton and then Professor Faulkner (appearing only in her human form in this issue) to get a device he's going to need.  Cat Grant shows up at her new job at GBS and is greeted by Morgan Edge, who then goes into his office for a video call with Intergang.  Superman flies back to the Kent farm in Smallville where he announces to his parents (and Matrix) that he's decided to leave Earth.  He finally reveals to them that he killed the Phantom Zone villains in the pocket universe and he and Pa Kent have an interesting discussion about justifiable homicide.  The Marvel-ization of Superman in the post-Crisis era manifests most obviously when Superman actually tells himself "with great power comes great responsibility."  Superman also reveals that he's been unknowingly fighting crime as Gangbuster and his mind can't be changed now, even when Lana drops by and they kiss goodbye.  Superman shows them the breathing apparatus he picked up from the professors to assist him in his journey away from Earth and asks them to mail some pre-written letters to the Daily Planet to make it look like Clark Kent is still writing his Intergang story.  Superman flies away and off into space, saying "good-bye Earth."