The Death of Everyone
Conduit continues to hunt down Clark Kent and his loves ones. While all of his friends are presumed dead at one time or another, everybody manages to have survived by the end of the month.
This marks the first month that books were printed on glossy paper with the digital color process that has been the publishing standard for comic books in the 25 years since. While Marvel and DC were still both the industry sales leaders, they had fallen behind in trends and independent publishers like Image and Valiant Comics were producing a flashier-looking product on the stands. Coloring techniques were about to become enormously competitive in 1995. Marvel Comics had acquired another independent publisher, Malibu Comics, for the sole purpose of gutting them to use their color process; later they would outsource some of their lower-selling titles to Image creators Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. Neither of the Big Two rolled out the glossy paper to their whole line at first. Marvel started with the X-Men books and then later the Incredible Hulk. DC started out with just the Trinity: the Superman and Batman family books, and Wonder Woman. These books don't look as polished by today's standards, and in many places they feel like a 90's gimmick, as the colors are more of a special effect than an art.
Superman assumes the worst when he finds Lois Lane's apartment empty, but she had fled as soon as she received Conduit's message. On the run, she tries hiding in plain sight while being chase through the city by Conduit's henchmen, now called the Pipeline. In a dated 90's spy tech move reminiscent of Sandra Bullock in The Net, Lois finds a computer store and asks to test out a modem. She then accesses her work computer and finds the radio frequency to contact the Special Crimes Unit. Dan Turpin agrees to meet her at the top of a building under construction and take her to a safe house, which is one of those things that only sounds like a good idea in comic books and movies.
Meanwhile, Conduit has provided Metallo with a new body, and while it lacks his signature Kryptonite heart, it has a new geo-magnet ability that makes him virtually immovable on the ground. Superman eventually manages to get Metallo in the air and decapitate him again. Hurrying to the rendezvous point to protect Lois, he sees Dan Turpin arrive on top of the building in a battlesuit, just before the building explodes from a hidden bomb.
Superman races to the explosion but he's struck from behind by one of Conduit's Kryptonite blasts. Conduit makes several terrorist attacks on the city, targeting countless innocents and also known friends of Superman like Maggie Sawyer and Bibbo. He taunts the Man of Steel for staying to help the people of Metropolis as the Pipeline tracks down the cabin in Colorado where Superman left his parents in hiding. The Kents happen to be out in the woods trying to catch something to eat while two forest rangers check the cabin for squatters. Detecting two human bodies inside, the Pipeline destroys the cabin and Clark's parents are presumed dead. Superman rushes back to find the cabin gone, but fragments of human bone and shreds of clothing. In agony, he concedes defeat and rips off his costume, setting it on fire with his heat vision (similar to the cover, except he's now naked). On the last page, we learn Lois miraculously survived the explosion by sliding down a crane cable.
Inexplicably dressed in street clothes, Clark Kent sits on a mountain top and mourns the apparent loss of his family. In a rage, he shoots a powerful beam of heat vision into the sky that can be seen from space. Ma and Pa Kent see this light and try to get closer using the forest rangers' jeep. It still hasn't really been satisfactorily explained where Conduit gets all his men, his bases, and his weapons, but he sends an air strike to attack Superman. Feeling totally defeated, Clark stands motionless on the mountain and lets the missiles hit him. The Kents get their son's attention and he regains his will to live, fighting off the attack and taking his parents to safety. They assume new identities and get new jobs in a small town.
Everybody at the Daily Planet believes Lois, Clark, and Jimmy are all dead now, except for Perry White. Stealing her sister Lucy's car, Lois follow her fiance's trail to the cabin and promises to find him no matter what.
As the world wonders where Superman has vanished, a video surfaces of Jimmy Olsen, who has been hiding out this whole time in Conduit's secret base as a member of the Pipeline until his cover is blown.
Shadowdragon regrets giving Conduit the disc of Superman's secrets, believing that Conduit has used the knowledge to kill Clark Kent and his friends. He breaks into Conduit's headquarters and infects the computer with a virus that will erase all the information.
Superman tries to adopt a new identity as Wayne Jordan, lumberjack. But he can't resist saving people in need during a forest fire and his new secret identity is quickly exposed. Conduit comes to the small town and starts killing his new friends, forcing "Wayne" to send his parents on the run again. Lois arrives at the house after everybody is gone, but she does bump into Shadowdragon who informs her that Jimmy Olsen is still alive.
Superman wakes up from Conduit's Kryptonite blast to find himself at his homecoming in Smallville High School, where Lana Lang and Pete Ross are teenagers again!
This marks the first month that books were printed on glossy paper with the digital color process that has been the publishing standard for comic books in the 25 years since. While Marvel and DC were still both the industry sales leaders, they had fallen behind in trends and independent publishers like Image and Valiant Comics were producing a flashier-looking product on the stands. Coloring techniques were about to become enormously competitive in 1995. Marvel Comics had acquired another independent publisher, Malibu Comics, for the sole purpose of gutting them to use their color process; later they would outsource some of their lower-selling titles to Image creators Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. Neither of the Big Two rolled out the glossy paper to their whole line at first. Marvel started with the X-Men books and then later the Incredible Hulk. DC started out with just the Trinity: the Superman and Batman family books, and Wonder Woman. These books don't look as polished by today's standards, and in many places they feel like a 90's gimmick, as the colors are more of a special effect than an art.
Action Comics #710
Meanwhile, Conduit has provided Metallo with a new body, and while it lacks his signature Kryptonite heart, it has a new geo-magnet ability that makes him virtually immovable on the ground. Superman eventually manages to get Metallo in the air and decapitate him again. Hurrying to the rendezvous point to protect Lois, he sees Dan Turpin arrive on top of the building in a battlesuit, just before the building explodes from a hidden bomb.
Superman: The Man of Steel #45
Superman #101
Everybody at the Daily Planet believes Lois, Clark, and Jimmy are all dead now, except for Perry White. Stealing her sister Lucy's car, Lois follow her fiance's trail to the cabin and promises to find him no matter what.
Adventures of Superman #524
Shadowdragon regrets giving Conduit the disc of Superman's secrets, believing that Conduit has used the knowledge to kill Clark Kent and his friends. He breaks into Conduit's headquarters and infects the computer with a virus that will erase all the information.
Superman tries to adopt a new identity as Wayne Jordan, lumberjack. But he can't resist saving people in need during a forest fire and his new secret identity is quickly exposed. Conduit comes to the small town and starts killing his new friends, forcing "Wayne" to send his parents on the run again. Lois arrives at the house after everybody is gone, but she does bump into Shadowdragon who informs her that Jimmy Olsen is still alive.
Superman wakes up from Conduit's Kryptonite blast to find himself at his homecoming in Smallville High School, where Lana Lang and Pete Ross are teenagers again!
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