Epilogue
Coast City gets a memorial and the other Supermen move on to new beginnings.
Lex Luthor II hosts a charity fundraiser on his blimp to celebrate Superman's return. The Underworlders visit a strange new villain (we'll be seeing more of him the next few months) who enhances their powers so they can attack Director Westfield on the blimp. Superman stops the assassins, similar to his first meeting on Lex's yacht, except this time Lex really didn't set it up to lure Superman there. Superboy and John Henry Irons each get invites too, but Superboy is more interested in being with Tana Moon and it appears Steel will be going to Washington, DC soon. Steel's adventures will continue in his own ongoing series.
Lois gets a new haircut this month too, presumably to resemble Terri Hatcher's Lois on the new TV show debuting at this time, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Shown doing some dangerous undercover journalism, she's investigating insurance fraud being committed by LexCorp on buildings that weren't actually damaged by Doomsday, and she uses the invite to the blimp to get an interview with Lex. Lois rejects Luthor's advances, but he's more furious that she chooses a nobody like Clark Kent over him than that she has possibly incriminating evidence against him.
Superman goes to Gotham City to offer Batman a ride to the memorial ceremony for Coast City. In the time that Superman has been dead, Bane had broken Bruce Wayne's back and a new Batman named Jean Paul Valley (aka Azrael) in a frightening new costume had taken over for the Caped Crusader. This Batman declines to go to Engine City with Superman and runs off before the Man of Steel can figure out it's not the same person under the cowl.
Lex Luthor II and Supergirl go to the ruins of Engine City to find a trace of its Kryptonite power source, but he finds Superman and the Justice League already there. Some remaining Warworlders try to destroy the city with the League in it. Luthor takes advantage of the chaos to explore the city and finds its master computer where he discovers the secret of replicating Kryptonite, but Supergirl rescues him from the collapsing city before he can copy it down.
Aquaman gets the heroes to prevent the crumbling city from polluting the ocean, and Superman creates a makeshift memorial and eternal flame out of some of the ruins. Superman swears as long as he's alive there will be no more Coast Cities; the next catastrophic destruction of a city is just six months away.
In Metropolis, Lois and Jimmy are hanging out in a restaurant reminiscent of the cast of Friends, another TV show that coincidentally premiered at this time. For the next few years, the supporting cast would come to resemble a 90's sitcom in many ways. Morgan Edge has just published a tell-all book that details how Cat Grant slept with him to get the story on Intergang. The next day, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen become roommates.
Superboy is attacked by some monsters and he thinks Cadmus is trying to kill him. The Guardian and Superman persuade Superboy to go back to Cadmus with them so they can prove they had nothing to do with the attack (although we learn Director Westfield was really behind it all along). The scientists also explain that they were never truly able to clone Superman and Superboy was the closest they were able to get. They finally reveal that his powers aren't Kryptonian, but telekinetic. Still bound by the post-Crisis rules dictating Kal El can be the only surviving Kryptonian, this is a Superboy in name only for now. However, his origin would be tweaked over the years and eventually he'd be accepted as a member of the House of El.
Superman and Superboy also settle their legal dispute over the Superman trademark that Superboy now owns. Superman lets Rex Leech Enterprises use the symbol if half the profits go to charity, and the kid can call himself Superboy; I mean, it's not like he has any other name he can use in this period. Superman learns that Superboy has coincidentally been living in Clark Kent's apartment, but he gives it up and flies off to start a new life. Superboy's adventures will continue in his own ongoing series.
On the last page, we see the mystery villain who upgraded the Underworlders' powes is now making a deal with Bloodsport.
In the Arctic, Superman discovers that the Eradicator had completely destroyed his Fortress in his last attempt to regenerate. Superman makes sure the Kryptonite that was there is still hidden. He seals up the hole in the ice and the last connection to his home world. While the writers get rid of a major set piece, it's interesting that they still expect the readers to keep track of all the Kryptonite on Earth going back to the very beginning of the post-Crisis era.
In Metropolis, the resurrected Man of Steel asks the Superman cult to stop worshiping him, but his suggestions to volunteer at homeless shelters and help the elderly and handicapped kind of make him sound even more Messianic.
At GBS, Cat Grant rejects Vincent Edge's sexual harassment and learns she's not the only woman in the office being harassed.
S.T.A.R. Labs is trying to regenerate the Eradicator, but a terminally ill scientist named David Connor accidentally succeeds by merging himself with the Kryptonian device. Enjoying his new body and powers, this new Eradicator is eager to start his own crime-fighting career. The Eradicator won't get his own series at this time, but he will be joining the new Outsiders.
Superman: The Man of Steel #27
Lois gets a new haircut this month too, presumably to resemble Terri Hatcher's Lois on the new TV show debuting at this time, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Shown doing some dangerous undercover journalism, she's investigating insurance fraud being committed by LexCorp on buildings that weren't actually damaged by Doomsday, and she uses the invite to the blimp to get an interview with Lex. Lois rejects Luthor's advances, but he's more furious that she chooses a nobody like Clark Kent over him than that she has possibly incriminating evidence against him.
Superman #83
Lex Luthor II and Supergirl go to the ruins of Engine City to find a trace of its Kryptonite power source, but he finds Superman and the Justice League already there. Some remaining Warworlders try to destroy the city with the League in it. Luthor takes advantage of the chaos to explore the city and finds its master computer where he discovers the secret of replicating Kryptonite, but Supergirl rescues him from the collapsing city before he can copy it down.
Aquaman gets the heroes to prevent the crumbling city from polluting the ocean, and Superman creates a makeshift memorial and eternal flame out of some of the ruins. Superman swears as long as he's alive there will be no more Coast Cities; the next catastrophic destruction of a city is just six months away.
In Metropolis, Lois and Jimmy are hanging out in a restaurant reminiscent of the cast of Friends, another TV show that coincidentally premiered at this time. For the next few years, the supporting cast would come to resemble a 90's sitcom in many ways. Morgan Edge has just published a tell-all book that details how Cat Grant slept with him to get the story on Intergang. The next day, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen become roommates.
Adventures of Superman #506
Superman and Superboy also settle their legal dispute over the Superman trademark that Superboy now owns. Superman lets Rex Leech Enterprises use the symbol if half the profits go to charity, and the kid can call himself Superboy; I mean, it's not like he has any other name he can use in this period. Superman learns that Superboy has coincidentally been living in Clark Kent's apartment, but he gives it up and flies off to start a new life. Superboy's adventures will continue in his own ongoing series.
On the last page, we see the mystery villain who upgraded the Underworlders' powes is now making a deal with Bloodsport.
Action Comics #693
In Metropolis, the resurrected Man of Steel asks the Superman cult to stop worshiping him, but his suggestions to volunteer at homeless shelters and help the elderly and handicapped kind of make him sound even more Messianic.
At GBS, Cat Grant rejects Vincent Edge's sexual harassment and learns she's not the only woman in the office being harassed.
S.T.A.R. Labs is trying to regenerate the Eradicator, but a terminally ill scientist named David Connor accidentally succeeds by merging himself with the Kryptonian device. Enjoying his new body and powers, this new Eradicator is eager to start his own crime-fighting career. The Eradicator won't get his own series at this time, but he will be joining the new Outsiders.
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