Action Comics #14: "Convergence, Part Two"

[HoM]

[HoM]

Action Comics
Issue Fourteen: "Convergence"
Part Two of Two: With Teeth!
Written & Edited by House Of Mystery
Cover by Roy Flinchum

[HoM]

Smallville:

Smallville had turned into a disaster area. A large truck had overturned in the middle of Main Street, barrels had rolled into shop fronts and down the roads, and men and women were screaming. But that wasn’t what was causing Superman PAIN. Something or someone was emitting a high-pitched WHINE, something on a hypersonic frequency that caused his eardrums to vibrate to such a degree that he nearly screamed in pain. He landed in the middle of the street, gathered the barrels up, and surveyed the scene, when a man clambered out of the cabin of the truck. “Are you alright, sir?”

The man stumbled to his feet, and then looked to his side, where a young man ventured a look at the face beneath the stranger’s hat. Before the adolescent could let off a scream the man had grabbed his face, and began to absorb the life force from out of him. Superman knew who this was. “No…” He let loose a burst of arctic breath, freezing the devouring creature’s arm where it was, and then he grabbed the lid of a trash can and flung it as hard as he could at the limb. The man’s purple skin shattered and the young man gasped. As he realised his sudden second lease on life, the boy ran, leaving Superman at one end of the street and the villain at the other. “Hrss…” The man’s arm began to restructure, matter began to allocate itself at the end of the frozen stump, and then the limb was complete once more. But the creature didn’t stop growing there, no.

“Parasite.” It wouldn’t be a mistake to assume so. But this man was different to the one he had fought years ago. Gone was the form of the man Captain Marvel Sr. and he had battled, the purple disfigured man who sapped his Kryptonian powers and nearly killed him. Here stood a demon, a face that might not have even been a face, just a mouth full of jagged teeth, and then more teeth, and then inside that, more teeth. This incarnation of the creature looked vicious, a monster of a thing. But now that the creature’s attention was all on him, he knew it to be the truth. He felt the familiar tug of something being wrenched out from him, and he knew that this thing was the Parasite.

“I felt you Superman!” The creature didn’t seem to talk. It was more like a guttural snarl of vowels and consonants, a noise that grew into a human voice, out of a horrifically disfigured throat. “Felt you all those miles away…” His body shifted and shivered. Energy already pumped into his monstrous body, the influx causing the creature to grow into something bigger, stronger. Even without a punch thrown, the tide had already begun to turn. “I MUST FEED!”

[HoM]

Metropolis:

“This better be worth my time, Troupe…” Lois Lane turned and looked the young reporter up and down. He smiled enthusiastically, a thin goatee beneath his bottom lip, thin glasses on his nose, and a number two cut on his head. The smile was initially disarming to Lois, but instead of growing on her, it had done the opposite. She realised then and there that she really did miss Clark, no matter what she had told others.

“I’m not going to lie to you, Ms Lane! I’m going to offer my best and I hope that’s more than enough to get us the story we want!”

He nodded decisively.

She sighed.

Ron Troupe didn’t notice it. Or maybe he didn’t acknowledge it. Lois continued to speak. “Well we’re here for a reason, and that’s to make sure Perry doesn’t have a brain aneurysm…” He laughed at her words. He didn’t realise she was being serious. This is going to be fun, she thought. “Oh, and obviously to cover one of the biggest events of the Metropolis political year so far.” She scribbled something down in her notebook, and then looked to the stage. “Irons vs. Luthor. The fight of the century.”

"You make it sound like it’s a boxing match, Ms Lane…”

“Oh it’ll be a match, Troupe. Word on the street… Word on the deep, down, dirty street is that Irons used to work for Luthor, before Luthor fired him for reasons unknown. So it’ll be a grudge match among other things.”

Ron looked at her for a moment. Yeah, she was excited, but was this the right place to be saying such things? He shook his head, and then watched as two ushers rushed off the stage. “Ms Lane, it’s starting!” The crowd cheered as Lex Luthor came onto the stage and stepped up to his podium. He was wearing a black suit and had green diamond cufflinks studded on his wrists. Ever the consummate professional, he flashed that smile that launched a thousand airplanes, and then looked to his opponent’s corner. “And there’s Irons!” Luthor’s smile faded as John Henry Irons was welcomed by the same amount of applause, and he too stepped up to his podium. “What now, Lois?”

“Ding-Ding-Ding…” Lois bit on the end of her pen with nervous anticipation. “Round one… Go.”

[HoM]

Smallville:

No Captain Marvel to help now, thought Superman as a purple tentacle lashed out across his face. The flesh-to-flesh contact sapped him of even more power and sent him flying across the street. He groaned as he collided with a parked car.

That’s wrong, thought the Man of Steel.

Billy is operating in Fawcett, but no… He’s young… Superman clambered back to his feet and then spied the Parasite creature as it sprinted toward him. He needed to keep his mind clear, not let thoughts and memories cloud his judgement. No supernatural lightning to ram down the villain’s throat this time. No power of Shazam.

He leapt into the sky, and then surveyed the scene. The street was in a state of chaos, people ran around for cover, roads were torn asunder and glass windows shattered all along the shop fronts. Before he could think to react, Parasite was back upon him. Had he stolen enough of the Kryptonian’s power to allow him to fly? Maybe.

“This isn’t like you Rudy, you were never this savage…” The Man of Steel unleashed a barrage of heat vision at the creature. The two beams of superheated light burnt into the creature’s purple flesh, but he had no time to act upon his momentary advantage. He was met by a bombardment of the same, seconds later.

The creature’s eyes smoked as they adjusted to the new power.

“Because I’m not Rudy!--” The villain slammed down on Superman’s chest, and sent them both hurtling back down to the ground below. The duo collided with grass and dirt in the fields. They had gained some distance from the town at least. “--PARASITE!” Was this a different man? Another man who had suffered the same terrible fate as Rudy Jones all those years ago? Maybe.

“Hrnt!” Superman pushed himself away from the ever-growing monstrosity. He tried to pick up his pace, to get away to absorb more solar charge, but in an instant he found himself stumbling to the ground. His close proximity to the creature sapped his power by the second! He needed help, he needed the Justice League! He reached down to his belt only to have his cape grabbed from behind him. The new Parasite grinned manically, and then swung him into a tree close by and knocked it and Kal-El down. Superman nearly cried out in pain but his eyes widened in shock as he noticed the damage done to him. His shirt was ripped, his belt had cracked, and the communicator inside the buckle compartment… Had shattered.

Could this day get any worse?

Maybe…

[HoM]

Metropolis:

“You can’t make empty promises like that! You have nothing to back it up with but your deep pockets, but as Mayor you can’t always lean back on money! You have to have real solutions to help real situations… Can’t you see that Luthor?”

“My dear Mr Irons, I think you’ll find that with the new revenue granted through developments planned for Suicide Slum, there won’t be a need for my money to build this city back to the former glory of the pre-Invasion days! The people of Metropolis will…” A massive explosion echoed throughout the hall as Lex spoke, and everyone turned away from the stage and looked to the back of the hall. “Will… Look to the back of the hall…”

“John Henry Irons!” A man clad in white shook his head as he aimed his gun square at the Mayoral candidate. Irons didn’t even flinch. Lois Lane, from behind her chair, smiled. That’s John Irons for you… “Prepare to meet your maker!” The smile faded from her face. The gun fired and a flash of purple grazed past John Henry and the beam barely missed him. John had been too quick for his assassin, and had dived behind his pedestal. “Coward!”

“Yeah.” Muttered Irons. “Coward. Sure.”

At that very moment, another explosion ripped out from above the stage, and as debris scattered the few remaining reporters who were near the front of the room, a black man with a red bandana and black tank top dived through the smoking hole in the roof. He landed beside the multibillionaire of Metropolis, a rifle in his hand, and jammed the butt of the weapon into the jaw of the hastily approaching dark haired bodyguard of Lex Luthor, Mercy’s replacement after she met her doom at the hands of Darkseid himself. Her name was Glory and she was, for the foreseeable future, employed by one of the three richest men in America. The tall Amazonian woman fell to the ground hard, blood dribbling from her lip. “Luthor!” He screamed, “You betrayed the unit--” He aimed the weapon at the industrialist. “A crime punishable by DEATH!”

Lois Lane couldn’t repress a smile, even in the war ground that formed around her. “Troupe, this is why I’m a reporter.”

Ron Troupe looked around in a panic as the other reporters hurried out of the newly-opened emergency exits. He looked back to Lois, who hadn’t moved, and so he hadn’t moved either. Perry would kill him if he let his prize reporter DIE. “W-Why Ms Lane?”

Lois Lane’s smile didn’t fade. “Action.”

[HoM]

Smallville:

“Hoping to call for help, Superman?” Parasite trudged toward the red and blue clad hero. The villain’s skin boiled and bloated as he processed more superhuman energy. “Not now. Not ever. Never again. You can’t call anyone when you’re dead!”

“Now, wouldn't that be a shame…” replied the hero.

Parasite didn’t see the funny side.

The monster dived once more at the hero. “Damn…!” Superman tore his cape off his back and threw the material over the head of the creature. Seizing upon his enemy’s distraction, the hero rolled down the grassy knoll, and headed toward the road at the bottom of the hill. Got to get some distance from the monster that is slowly sapping me of every ounce of my energy, he thought, got to recharge, got to fight back! He didn’t get much of a chance for a breather. As soon as he had reached the bottom of the steep hill Parasite was back upon him, attempting to bludgeon him to death, but even weakened, Superman still had some of his power about him, and used it to dodge the deadly blows.

“FEED!”

“Greedy… As… Usual!” Superman was about to throw himself into the road and catch his breathe when a roaring sound filled both the men’s ears, and a pick up truck collided with Parasite, knocking the creature clear of the hero.

Pete Ross turned to Superman as he reversed away quickly, and then nodded. “Get in Supes!”

Superman grabbed what was left of his cape from the mud and then nodded back. “Thanks Pete…” The Kryptonian clambered into the back of the pick up truck and Ross pushed down hard on the accelerator. The duo sped away from the purple creature, which had already begun to shake off the injuries with the speed of a Superman.

“What is that thing?” Pete turned and looked over his shoulder, as Clark gritted his teeth and looked around the back of the pick up truck for anything he could use as a weapon.

“Parasite…” He grabbed a small hatchet and a can of kerosene, and then doused his cape in what remained. “But not the same one that I defeated with Marvel seven years back… Someone new. Someone even more powerful, and growing fatter by the minute!”

“Dammit, Kent, speak of the Devil…!” Pete motioned behind the speeding truck to the road, as Parasite half flew; half ran down it, approaching them, fuelled by stolen power. Superman smiled slightly, and then wrapped the cape around the hatchet, and with a spark of heat vision the hastily fashioned weapon lit up, and with one deft blow he struck the Parasite creature in the head. The blow caused the villain to howl in agony as he stumbled down the road. “Not as invulnerable as you’d think, right?”

“He’s got the same weakness as Rudy Jones!” Superman nodded in understanding, as things began to piece together. “He can absorb my power, but he can’t process it fast enough… Meaning he can only access one of my abilities at a time!”

“How did you stop it… him… whatever… How did you stop that freak before?”

Superman clambered into the front seat; his costume was in tatters, his face bloody and bruised. “Supernatural lightning.”

Pete nodded slowly. “Oh. So… You got any of that on you…?”

Superman shrugged. “The costume doesn’t have any pockets…”

“We’ll have to speak to Ma about that.”

Superman smiled as much as a man in his position could at that moment. “We… The League fought something similar to this a while back… An android though, something that copied all our powers, didn’t suck them out…”

“How did you defeat that thing then? Come on, you’re not giving me much to go on…” Pete turned a corner, keeping an eye in the rear view mirror for the purple mass of flesh that was Parasite.

“Actually Pete, it was a phone call…” Superman smiled and gave a thumbs up, and then his eyes widened as a strategy formulated in his head. “Now, I’m no Batman… But I think I’ve got a plan.”

[HoM]

Metropolis:

“Hrnt!” Luthor grabbed the rifle and jammed it into Bloodsport’s chest, causing the man to grunt in pain. A spray of bullets ejaculated out of the barrel as Bloodsport’s trigger finger spasmed, but Luthor kicked the man in the chest, causing him to fall back. Seizing the moment’s advantage he spun round and dived behind his podium. “Got any of that armour on you, Steel?” Lex Luthor smiled as he searched for his cell phone, and then looked over to his rival who had his eyes shut tight. “Scared?”

“You know I don’t have the armour anymore, Lex. Not after it fried my nervous system during the Apokolips invasion.” A stream of gunshots scattered above his head, and he grimaced angrily. “Got any evil in your pockets? I hear you’re still quite adept at using that kind of magic…”

“Touché.” Lex was about to come back with something witty when a gun was once again pointed at his bald skull. “Ah.”

“Guilty.” Bloodsport pulled back the hammer on the pistol.

“LUTHOR!” The red bandana wearing Bloodsport and Lex Luthor suddenly turned to John Henry as the former hero picked up the podium he had hid behind and then threw it at the demented assassin. Following through with his attack, Irons then dived toward him, punching him hard in the face. “Son of a…”

Lex stood up immediately, and rearranged his tie. He looked over to the white masked assassin with a massive assault rifle in his hands, whom had it aimed squarely at John Henry. It would be so easy… thought the businessman. He yanked the microphone off the podium and threw himself at the assassin, and began to wrap the cord around the man’s neck. The man coughed as he found himself without air, and Luthor grinned like a lunatic. “But I play fair.”

“Ms Lane!” Ron Troupe looked back over to Lois Lane, who had been scribbling furiously in her notepad whilst she watched the action. “It’s like they’re competing in some kind of bloodsport over there, what’s going on?”

“They’ve swapped dance partners… Now where’s the SCU?”

[HoM]

Outside:

You can do this. You can do this. For the past year, Maggie Sawyer had kept seeing flashes of her friends dying. Dying right before her very eyes. Nothing helped. Nothing made them go away. The therapy hadn’t worked work. The pills? No.

They need you. You’re in charge. Lead by example.

She picked up her plasma rifle, and plugged it into the power pack on her belt. Her hands kept shaking but she tensed them, concentrated hard, and made the shakes go away. You’ve got to help. The scar on her cheek burned with her discomfort. She missed Dan. She missed everyone who died. Maybe it’s time for a change?

“ALRIGHT YOU LADIES, LET’S GO-GO-GO!” She ran out of the back of the truck and, followed by her new squad of Special Crime Unit officers, equipped with the latest in hard hitting technology, began to storm the building. A smile crept on her face but she grimaced, hiding it. Now is not the time for smiling. When will there ever be time for that again?

[HoM]

Smallville:

“But you’ve just outlined your own death, Clark!” Pete made a hard turn, and then headed back to the town of Smallville. “You can’t do this!”

“Pete, I have to! Lives depend on it!”

“Yeah, doofus, yours! You’re gonna kill yourself!”

“No, I’m not.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because… I’m Superman?” He flashed his smile, and then his face suddenly turned deadly serious. “Now take me to Martel’s’! I can feel my powers returning as we get away from that guy, but I need to save them if this is to work!” He clambered out of the passenger seat and climbed into the back of the speeding pick up truck. His black hair whipped around his head, and he grimaced as he went about his task. He still hadn’t had time to shave. He sighed, and with great effort pressed his hands against the chassis of the truck.

He gave it a tiny push.

And then the car was speeding like a bullet through Smallville!

[HoM]

Metropolis:

“Get off me you bald.... GAHH!!” The white masked man pushed Lex Luthor off him, and with a thought a gun appeared in his hand. “Eat this, you race traitor!” The gun went off and Lex didn’t make a noise…

…Instead he looked at the man whose gold shield was in front of him, and a smile of recognition spread across his face. “Ha.”

“I’m sorry son.” A glint of gold and blue, and the atmosphere seemed to calm. Lois Lane’s eyes widened as she continued to write more and more down. “But I’m afraid you’re under arrest.” CLASSIC! She thought. CLASSIC!

“Ms Lane, who’s that?”

“Ron…” Lois smiled. “That is our front page. The Return of The Guardian.”

The hero from the 1940s slammed his shield into the villain’s face, and watched as he fell to the floor as blood poured from his nose and mouth as consciousness left him. “And you…” He pointed to the other man wrestling with John Henry, and then dragged him off the floor and punched him hard in the face. “… Calm down. Kirby wouldn’t approve of violence like this.” Lois arched an eyebrow. Kirby?

“Guardian!” Her confusion didn’t stop her running toward the hero and smiling. She waved her pen in front of her. “What are you doing back in Metropolis? What have you been doing for the past couple of years? How does it feel to be home? Why are you here today?”

“My tenure with the government strike force known as the Global Guardians has ended and I’m now stationed here as part of a special pilot program started by the DEO.” He paused for a moment. “And I’m not sure I should have told you that. Ha!” He smiled that disarming smile of his, and Lois shivered. She was in the presence of a great hero. “Now, I’m not exactly supposed to be on duty right now, but I was taking a jog over the rooftops and I found that hole up there…” He pointed up, to where the red bandana’d man had arrived through. “…So I investigated. I’m not even wearing my official uniform, just my sweats.” Sweats, thought Lois, You’re wearing a gold and blue jump suit. I wonder what your official uniform looks like…

“What do you mean by special pilot program?” Lois bit her pen and awaited an answer.

“Captain Sawyer!” The Guardian’s attention shifted to the entering SCU team, and his whiter than white teeth beamed as his smile grew bigger than Lois’s. “This is all taken care of, as you can see!”

“Harper, you aren’t on duty ‘til…” Maggie looked around as the reporters began to flock back into the room, attracted to The Guardian’s presence. “Lopez, let’s get these two guys in the inhibitor chambers, we don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“Captain Sawyer!” Lex Luthor smiled as he rearranged his tie once more, and then approached her, his arms wide open. “It’s a pleasure--”

“No photo opportunities. Not with Harper, or with any other of my people.” She leaned in close to Lex. “And not with me. Get out of my face.” She looked over to John Henry, who was being treated by paramedics. “But I know who’s getting my vote.” She smiled and waved to Irons, who waved back. “Let’s get out of here.” She motioned to her men and they dragged the two unconscious men out of the room, inhibitor cuffs on their wrists. Harper placed his shield on his back and followed them, his smile still on his face. Jimmy Olsen was taking photos, not out of duty but out of habit, and then his eyes met Lex’s who was steaming under the collar.

Lois turned to Troupe. “See that?”

Ron looked to Maggie as she left, and nodded in understanding. “Yeah?”

“That’s a real hero.” She grabbed him tightly by the arm and they hurried out of the room, and then headed back to the Daily Planet for write up. “How’s that for a first day?”

[HoM]

Smallville:

“He’s THERE!” Pete swerved out of the way as Parasite latched onto the hood of the truck, and began to clamber toward the two men inside. “Ah…” Pete suddenly became drowsy. His energy, his life force, was being sucked out of him by the horrific monstrosity above them.

“PETE!” Superman punched through the roof, hitting the Parasite so hard he was sent flying in front of the vehicle, and clambering over the radiator grill. Pete regained his composure, and kicked down on the accelerator, driving over the creature with a bump-da-bump. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah, just lost if for a while.” Pete looked to Superman as he clutched his hand, the skin grey and withering. “Your hand it’s…”

“The sun will heal me. Look! We’re here!” He motioned to the pylons and devices across the ground. Wires were everywhere, a fence separating Martel’s from trespassers and those whom might be injured if they ventured inside.

“SUPERMAN!” Parasite climbed from under the car to the top, and latched onto Superman’s head. “MINE!”

Clark grimaced, his power was being sucked away relentlessly, and he looked to Pete and smiled weakly, reassuringly, as it to say ‘it’ll be okay’ but before Pete could say anything, he was pushed out the driving seat and Superman was there, his foot down hard on the pedal.

The acceleration sent both the hero and villain hurtling into the fence, the metal links clattering over them. Even though he could feel the life and power being drained out of himself, he kept his foot down on the accelerator, and with one final effort pushed down hard on the brake, sending Parasite hurtling into the wires and causing electricity to rush through his cells uncontrollably. He belched and gasped, his body spasmed uncontrollably as his cells that had adapted to absorb Kryptonian energy only boiled and burst. He couldn’t control his body, and as the Kansas energy grid flowed through him, every cell and fibre screamed.

Superman fell onto the steering wheel, his body was grey and old, his hair thin and his eyes bloodshot, but as he began to lose consciousness, a smile formed on his lips.

“Shazam…”

He wandered out of the cabin, his body gaunt and thin, and if Pete were fully conscious at this moment in time, he’d see that there was a flash of bright white light where Superman stood, and then… Nothing.

“I WANT THE POWER DRAINERS ON HIM!” Pete Ross jerked awake to find himself on a gurney, and around him were a group of uniformed men and women that were arriving from up the dusty road Clark and he had just sped down. The black cars were followed by black vans and black helicopters, and strangely clad men in black and white armour, with red visors across their masks. “I KNOW WHAT SUPERMAN HAS DONE, AND WE DON’T KNOW HOW IT WILL AFFECT THIS CREATURE! CONTAINMENT!!”

“No.” Pete recognised the voice, and clambered off the gurney, much to the beguilement of the paramedics who put him on it. “It can’t…” His jaw drops. “Chloe?”

“Hey Petey.” Chloe Sullivan ran past him and toward the thrashing creature that was growing larger and larger as the electricity from a state was pushed into him with unbelievable force. Parasite wailed an inhuman wail, his cells not used to the sudden burst of power, and as he began to shrink and atrophy, his eyes widened. He shrank, his skin still scarred and purple, like a mass of scar tissue. He reached out one clawed purple limb, and groaned.

“NOOooooooOOooo…” Chloe smiled, and then pulled the trigger that unleashed a power drainer on the unsuspecting villain, causing the already weakened creature to be withered down to the shape of the man he once was.

“Agent Sullivan! Ma’am! What about Superman?”

“What about him?”

She looked to Pete, who looked around wearily. “What… Where is he?”

“Petey… I think he’s gone…” Chloe gazed around. “But by the look of him before… He… Where the hell did he go?”

[HoM]

Metropolis:

He loved to do this. He walked the streets. He took in the air, the atmosphere, and he felt content. John Henry Irons held his black jacket that he was wearing earlier over his shoulder and looked around. He had just been released by the paramedics, and was on his way home to the Steelworks. He had opted not to accept a ride home from Maggie Sawyer, and decided to walk instead. Forget all the urban legends, Suicide Slum isn’t as bad as everyone, Lex Luthor included, made it out to be. A flicker of pain spread across his face, the ache in his back returning after being gone for a few weeks. The drugs must be wearing off, he thought. He then looked up to see a group of three men who stood in front of him.

“Can I help you?”

“Sure can. Hand over the wallet.”

“You’re mugging me?”

“Sure looks like it, grandpa.”

“Grandpa? Come on guys… You don’t want to do this…”

“GIVE ME THE GOD DAMN WALLET!”

“Alright, alright…” Henry reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet.

“SLOWLY, DAMMIT!” The man lunged forward, only for his knife to shatter as it hit a man’s chest. “Whoaaaa…” The attacker’s jaw dropped as he looked up at the person who had intercepted his attack. “How is… How’s this…”

“Bad luck kid. We can’t be having you injuring the good folk of this city, can we?” The man grabbed the first attacker by the scruff of the neck, and then threw him back, into his two friends. “Yeah, run away. And tell the world… Steel’s back.” The three men wheezed and gasped, and looked up, sweating, crying, and then scrambled to their feet.

“This can’t be possible.” John Henry Irons staggered back, away from the armoured man. His red cape billowed in the wind; a visor covered his face. “I… You…” The people in the street turned and watched the scene as events unfolded.

“I must be on my way, Mr Irons… I hope we meet again.” The servos in Steel’s boot whirred and buzzed, and then he was up in the sky, propelled by the engines concealed in his heels, leaving John Henry Irons confused, scared, and a little bit jealous.

“Can’t be possible…” John Henry Irons watched as Steel flew away.

[HoM]

The Hall of Justice:

“Zeta particles.” Hal Jordan nodded as his ring spoke into his mind. “They seem to have bounced off satellites in the upper atmosphere, almost like they were searching for Superman… And now… He’s gone.” Green Lantern looked to the Martian Manhunter, and then showed him the readout emitted by his ring, glowing emerald green.

“Zeta particles. Can we track them?”

“In theory. It might take a while… 3600 sectors of acknowledged space…” Hal groaned inwardly. “What will we tell the others, J’onn?”

The Martian Manhunter sighed heavily. “The truth. Superman is missing in action.” He looked at the monitors that contained images of Kent Farm. “I shall go to Smallville, and find out what happened…”

[HoM]

Whatever happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

FIND OUT IN ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #2, COMING NEXT MONTH!

Next issue: Who are the Metropolis Four? BE HERE NEXT TIME FOR THE ANSWERS!

Meanwhile, introducing a new back up series, right now!

[HoM]

ACTION COMICS PRESENTS:

Escape To Krypton!

Part One: "Where Introductions Are Made..."

[HoM]

She cleared her throat. She was wearing a pale blue jacket and skirt, her lips were a deep red and her eyes an emerald green. Her long blonde hair curled behind her back, and her smile had made her one of the most photographed reporters in the city. In fact, for every news piece she introduced, or investigated, there were probably two or three columns in the gossip pages concerning her love life or who she had stepped out on the town with.

“Welcome to the first instalment of WGBS’ new show, Metropolis Real Lives. My name is Cat Grant and I’m here today with two members of Metropolis PD’s Major Crimes Unit, Captain Maggie Sawyer and Special Agent James Harper, more commonly known as The Guardian.”

They were sat in an empty studio that had been built inside of an abandoned warehouse. This would be the show’s home, where it would be cut together, where introductions would be filmed, and where they would return to if they needed a break. It was a two-minute drive in their van from here to the Square.

The Guardian tipped his helmet to the reporter, and smiled at the camera. “Good morning, Ms Grant, and good morning to the residents of Metropolis!” He was charismatic, that much Cat Grant could tell. Jim Harper exuded an aura of friendliness, and made everyone around him feel safe. But when push came to shove, like it did earlier in the week for these officers when two men had attempted to assassinate the Mayoral candidates Lex Luthor and John Henry Irons… He was a fighting machine. A polite fighting machine. But a fighting machine none the less.

“Morning.” Captain Sawyer on the other hand… Her hair was in front of her face. She chose not to have the make up artist touch her up, and she was trying her best to keep the left side of her face to the camera, hiding the scar that crept down the right side of her cheek.

“As advertised, we’re doing to be visiting one of the least known areas of Metropolis, and because of the danger this could present us, we’ve had to accept the protection of two of the best police officers on the force. We are going to be entering Krypton Square, a place you won’t have read about in the holiday guides.”

“Excuse me Ms Grant, I think that’s unfair to say. Krypton Square is as much a part of the city as anywhere else. We hear about the poverty and the squalor of Suicide Slum, yet you barely hear news of the Square.” Maggie Sawyer groaned as Jim Harper continued. “Suicide Slum is the place that gets the grants, the help from city hall, but Krypton Square? For an area of the city named for Superman’s home world, we don’t really acknowledge its existence, true. But that’s not the holiday guide writers’ fault. It’s the fault of the city council, and the mayor.”

“Politically charged words from Agent Harper there, but that is just the kind of sentiment we aim to change here on Real Lives. We’ll be back after these short messages, as we enter the Square.”

[HoM]

The cameras were turned off, and Cat Grant turned to Jim Harper. “Umm… I don’t know how to tell you this Agent Harper…”

“Call me Jim.”

“Heh. I don’t know how to tell you this Jim, but we can’t have anti-Mayoral speeches on programmes like this. It was hard enough getting the permission of the board at WGBS to commission this programme, and if the Mayor gets bad publicity… He’ll pressure the board to take us off the air.”

“I’m sorry Ms Grant, but I’m just expressing my own opinions. I’ve been on patrol in Krypton Square before today, in plain clothes.” Harper took a breath, and then continued. “The crime rates that are supposedly so high here? I experienced nothing of the sort. Nothing. These people just want to be left alone.”

“I understand that Jim…”

The producer hurried back to the three people, and spoke directly to Grant. “Cat! We’re back on in five…”

“Right Dan. Ok.” She smiled at Jim and then turned back to the camera. “As some of you know, Krypton Square was a development that constituted four blocks of low priced housing. Work was abandoned near completion when the Apokolips Invasion created a need for a rapid rebuilding of the rest of the city. Krypton Square was abandoned by the city, and so it stood empty. Until the first metahumans arrived weeks after the Invasion ended. Driven away from their own homes by high prices for new metahuman insurance initiatives, they took it upon themselves to finish building the housing, and then they moved in.”

“I’d just like to interject there, Ms Grant…” Jim Harper smiled as he leaned forwards toward the camera. “The residents pooled together their money and bought the land from the city. They were helped by entrepreneurs such as Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen. These people legally own their homes. I don’t want to the viewer to get the wrong idea.”

“Understood, Agent Harper. As I was saying, Krypton Square now houses the highest concentration of Metahumans known in any metropolitan city. Metahumans from all around America continue to migrate from their homes and take up residence here. Why? That’s one question we hope to answer here on Metropolis Real Lives!”

[HoM]

Next Issue: Meet the self appointed Mayor of Krypton Square...

[mockingbird]

To let us know what you think of this issue, please visit the letters page here!

[mockingbird]

.