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Volume 2: Issue 1

Superman: The Man of Steel

#4

"Chaos"

By Tony Thornley

Jimmy Olsen sprinted through the streets of Metropolis, his camera pointed to the sky. Above him a battle raged that excited him to no end. The false Superman that had been patrolling Metropolis had been outed and engaged by Steel and Power Girl. Jimmy stopped, and zoomed with the digital camera and took a shot of the trio engaged in combat above. The Cyborg Superman's face had been melted away, revealing his true identity. His cellular phone started buzzing in his pocket. He reached in, grabbed the phone, checked the number calling and flipped it open.

"Lois!" he exclaimed. "Are you watching this?" He raised his camera and snapped another picture, this one of Steel hitting the Cyborg.

"I'm on top of a building, about three blocks away," she said in reply. "Where are you?"

"Right beneath them," he said, snapping yet another photo. "So I assume that info I got you helped?"

"It did Jim," she replied. "Hang on a minute. Another call is coming through." The line went dead for a moment, and Jimmy watched the battle above through his lens. Henshaw back-handed Steel, sending him flying back several hundred yards before his boot thrusters compensated for his inertia. Cyborg then turned back to Karen and ducked a punch that could have taken his head off. He punched her in the stomach, then she blasted him with her heat vision again as she quickly recovered. The false flesh melted from his arm, and he cried out in pain.

"Dude, that's-"

"Jim!" Lois's voice exclaimed. "It's about Clark ! There's a riot at the prison. Hit your signal watch and try to let Power Girl know."

"Lois, you have my watch!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah I do."

A red and blue streak suddenly rocketed overhead, flying faster than Jimmy could register, hit the Cyborg in the chest, and disappeared out of sight in seconds. A sonic boom rattled the windows around him. Jimmy jumped in surprise.

"What was that?!" he cried.

"I think that... was Supergirl," Lois said, amusement in her voice.

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Clark listened to the cries that enveloped Strykers Island . He'd rushed the injured guard to the infirmary as quickly as he could, but it appeared that the riot was already out of control. He was sorely tempted to reveal himself fully, but that would have been dangerous.

He left the infirmary and slowly worked his way through the rioting prisoners. Someone here had to be in control. He guessed there were likely several factions who would first attempt to seize control of the prison. After that, the riot would only become more violent and bloody. As he thought that, a name filled his ears, one that he didn't expect.

" Mannheim ."

Bruno "Ugly" Mannheim was one of the more influential Intergang leaders during the time the organisation was grabbing so much power in Metropolis. He was nearly as powerful within the city as Lex Luthor. Clark was surprised to hear now that he was here. He would have expected to hear about such a high profile prisoner some time ago.

He began fighting through the crowd. He needed to find Mannheim .

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"You son of a bitch!" Kara Zor-El carried Hank Henshaw into the upper atmosphere and punched him as hard as she could. She followed his trajectory and hit him again, then repeated the action, hitting him again, again and again. She finally stopped him and gripped his neck tightly. Her eyes glowed red and an aura of heat gathered around her face.

"Tell me why I shouldn't snap your neck," she growled. "You've caused us all so much pain this last year."

"You can't kill me," he growled. "I'm a being of pure energy. You destroy this body, and I'll create another. And I'll continue doing so anytime you destroy me. I'm invincible." Kara sneered.

"Then let's see how you do on re-entry." Supergirl punched him, sending him sailing back into the atmosphere.

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Lex Luthor sipped chardonnay from his glass and looked up at his guests. Three of the Daxamites stood at the back of the room, their hands clasped behind their backs at military rest, almost as a sort of ceremonial guard. The fourth, the one called Zod, sat at the table, staring at the plate of food set before him.

"Is it customary on Earth to feed guests flesh flayed from the corpse of a beast?" he asked.

Luthor nodded. "It is, General," he said. "The beef is among the finest in the world. My best chef prepared the greens and starches also. It is the best our world has to offer."

"You know none of your poisons will affect me, correct?" Luthor nodded. "Very well." He picked up a fork and speared a sliced potato. He raised it to his lips, sniffed it, then took a bite. He smiled and nodded.

"Slightly bland, but acceptable," he said. Luthor nodded, ignoring the veiled insult.

"Then General, shall we discuss our business while we dine?" He took a bite of steak, chewed for a moment and swallowed. "About the House of El....?"

"Yes," Zod said, echoing Luthor's action. "The Daxamites and Kryptonians are genetic cousins. While Krypton was a world of science and philosophy, my ancestors broke away and formed a society of warriors. I was the last great general of Daxam, until Jor-El imprisoned me for crimes against his world." He leaned forward. "I wish for the head of Kal-El, the last son of the House of El, on a pike aboard the Daxamite flagship."

Luthor leaned forward, a hungry smile on his face.

"I like it."

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John Henry Irons swung the shaft of his sledgehammer, knocking several inmates to the ground. He and Karen had arrived in time to help with a large part of the rioting, but so much was still happening. There was little that they would be able to do. He scanned the crowd, hoping to see Clark . He cursed softly when he realised Superman was nowhere to be seen.

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Bruno Mannheim enjoyed the chaos. Especially when he controlled it as much as he did at that moment. Every one of the inmates of Strykers who had ever been on the Intergang payroll was answering to him, and soon he'd have full control of the prison. He loved the idea. Warden Mannheim.

He walked down the corridor, flanked by two of his best. He enjoyed watching the destruction he viewed. Something carnal and almost sensual about such wanton destruction.

" Mannheim ," growled a voice from behind him. He turned and was surprised to see Clark Kent standing nearby. He smiled at the reporter.

"So," he said. "Looks like we're at the same level now Kent . Two guys lowered to the basest of all humanity. The criminals, the degenerates. It's all so ironic, ain't it?"

"You can stop this right now, Mannheim ," Clark said. "One word from you can stop this all."

"Come on Kent ," he replied. "Didn't you hear a word I just said? This ain't the world of investigative reporting no more. You're in the middle of a war zone on your soil, and when it ends, Intergang's going to have all the best."

"You just said this is a war," Clark said. "There is no need for additional bloodshed. End it, Mannheim . Now." Bruno gave one of his Lieutenants a nod. The tall, burly man stepped away from Mannheim and stepped up to Kent . He had about six inches in height and fifty pounds of muscle on Kent . He sneered and pushed the smaller man. Kent reacted faster that Mannheim expected.

He grabbed the larger man by the wrist, wrenched his arm behind him and threw him to the ground at Mannheim 's feet. He then turned his gaze back to the mobster. Mannheim swore his eyes were starting to glow red.

" Kent ," he said. "I've never known you for a violent man. This doesn't seem like you. You always seemed like a pacifist." Mannheim smiled.

"Guess prison changes people."

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Supergirl kept a tight grip on the Cyborg's throat as she rocketed through the upper atmosphere. Henshaw struggled against her grip as chunks of false flesh melted from his robotic skeleton. She ignored the disgusting sight and his struggles. It was time he felt some pain anyways.

"Making me confess will do no good," he growled. "You've beaten me and I gave the confession under duress. You'll never win." The villain began to cackle and Kara punched him as they flew over the Pacific Ocean . He slammed into the water, then recovered himself and flew back into the air. Despite his weakened condition, he blasted her with his heat vision. She shrugged it off and echoed the attack, making his mechanical part glow red, then blew across his body, freezing him.

"Why do you think Lois taped a confession first?" Kara asked. She grabbed him again and rocketed toward Metropolis.

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Clark tried to hold back his anger, but people were dying, and, although he could use his powers to stop it, Mannheim was the only one who could truly put a halt to the violence. He didn't want to threaten the man, but his patience was wearing thin.

"Stop it all now!" he exclaimed. "Please, before it gets any worse."

"Or you'll what?" Mannheim laughed. "Write a scathing story about me in the prison newsletter? Come on Kent ! This isn't your world! This is mine."

"Then you'd better hand it over to us," said a voice behind them. Clark turned to see Power Girl and Steel walking into the room, following by a group of battered guards and the warden. He smiled at their arrival. He turned back to Mannheim and started to speak when the exterior wall collapsed upon the impact of two beings hitting it. Supergirl picked up the Cyborg Superman by the front of his shirt and turned him toward those gathered in the room.

"Tell them!" she yelled. "Tell them who is truly responsible for Jonathan Kent's death! Tell them what you did!" The Cyborg sneered at her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"You'll never get me," he growled.

"TELL THEM!" she screamed, shaking him. He set his jaw.

"I killed Kent !" he exclaimed without pulling his gaze from Kara's eyes. "I was trying to get Clark Kent out of the way! I'm the guilty party here!"

"That's all I needed to hear," said a voice from the hole in the wall. Everyone in the room turned to see a familiar figure in silhouette. He stepped into the light, looking as if he hadn't taken a break for a second. His costume was still a bright blue, and his cape flapped slightly in the breeze. Power Girl had to restrain herself from laughing out loud with excitement to see him again. He put his hand on Supergirl's shoulder. She let go of Henshaw and he lifted the Cyborg from the ground. Henshaw's biological eye grew large.

"You and I have things to speak about," Superman said.

And they were gone with a gust of wind.

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Monarch watched as the scene unfolded in Strykers Prison in Metropolis. He was quite concerned by the turn of events. His Superman had been unveiled as a fake, and the true Kal-El had revealed himself. Now he was afraid all was lost.

"My champion," said a disembodied voice in the chamber. "Do not fear." Monarch looked up and nodded.

"Why not?" he growled. "Superman has returned, and our plans-"

"-Are unfolding the way I intended," the voice said again. "Do you doubt that Solaris had this planned from the beginning?"

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In Superman: The Man of Steel #5 : Superman versus the Cyborg! It's the fight you've been waiting for since The Man of Steel #1! Plus, the wheels turn behind the scenes, as Zod and Luthor make their plans to destroy Kal-El and another threat is revealed!