Legends of Superman #15

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Multiverse Presents

Legends of

Issue 15
Monkey in the Middle

Written by Joel Sawyer (Glippernip)

Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Multiverse logo created by Tony Peterson (Starfall)

[Spider-Man Beyond]

In the countryside West of Metropolis, past the suburbs and small towns that are destined to become suburbs, lay some rich farming country. Not the stereotypical hick farmers, mind you. These were 21st century growers, tracking weather patterns on the internet, trying new crop possibilities hoping to capitalize on the next food trend, even testing the soil for various minerals (or lack thereof). Gary Bellows drove his four wheel ATV down the dirt roads that criss-crossed his property as he bypassed his primary corn field and headed toward the sugar maple grove at the outskirts. The sap would start to run soon, and Gary wanted to be ready. The syrup those trees produced gave him a great deal of winter income, even more than his snow plowing service. At 38, Gary Bellows was a hard working and practical man.

He was not at all prepared as a 33 foot tall monster lurched out of his corn field. It was not too close, but the sheer size of the beast caused Gary to panic. He ran the four-wheeler up an incline and it dumped him hard to the ground. The dark-colored, furry creature chomped on a fistful of corn stalks as Bellows watched helplessly.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The man was large, muscular, and driven; no one really messed with him. He seemed more like a working man than any kind of designer or engineer. He wasn’t afraid to get dirty, either. While upgrading the machinery, he performed the work himself in the grease and dirt that large factory equipment produced in abundance. Wiping sweat from his bald, black head, he stepped over to his current employer.

“I’m finished for the day, Mr. Jensen,” the big man said, collecting his tools.

“That’s fine,” the shop owner said with a huge smile. “I doubted you when you first walked into my factory, but your adjustments and enhancements have increased productivity almost 40%! I would let you set your own hours at this point, if you asked.”

“Not required,” the African-American told him. “You spread the word about my enhancements, and you’ll be building my future.”

Feeling a bit of pride in his hard work he walked wearily to his vehicle, a stout pick-up truck, and began to load his tools into the back.

“Mr. Irons,” a deep voice called. John Henry turned to see Superman land a few feet away.

Almost sends a chill down my spine, John thought as he regarded the blue-costumed protector of Metropolis. I’m not even sure if he’s the real deal, but I am certain of Lex’s reaction when I left the company!

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Irons,” Superman said softly. “It has come to my attention that you’ve been in contact with someone else from my home planet. I would like to ask you a few questions.”

“I haven’t been in contact with it in quite some time, since before I resigned from Lexcorp. Ask Luthor.”

“Even if he knows something, I do not believe he would share his information. Please, Mr. Irons. If you simply don’t have the time, I understand. I’ll search for other sources of information. Right now, you know more about an important aspect of my past than I do. Could you just give me just 5-10 minutes?”

John Henry sighed. “You drink coffee?” he asked the hero.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Farmer’s Market on Harvest Street (not a coincidence) did not bring quite as many customers as it did in the past, but many customers drove out from Metropolis to take advantage of the wonderful prices and generally cheerful atmosphere. At this time of year, all local crops were prevalent: apples, corn, and potatoes mostly, as well as various meat products. Other vendors sold items shipped in from other states, even cherries and lake salmon from Michigan. Still others offered craft items, everything from home-made dolls to basic clothing to carved wood products. For some reason, the carved wooden bears for yard decoration sold better than anything else at the market. The sellers could easily see one to two thousand visitors between Friday and Sunday each weekend until the snow began to fall.

Of course, eight-year-old Daran Carstairs was bored out of his mind while following his mom around. No TV, no video games. This is so country, he mused, though his mother would have taken the comment as complimentary. She liked this kind of thing, sort of a break from the city. Then Daran noticed something that held his undivided attention.

“Mom, you said King Kong was fake!” he squealed with excitement.

“Darry, what are you...?” the blonde woman began as she turned. The question died in her throat when she saw the ape towering over the wooden stalls of the market. Then the panic began.

The huge ape ignored its smaller companions as the humans quickly evacuated, the giant content to chew on pumpkins from a nearby pen.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“So, my home is named Krypton, my true name is Kal-El, my father’s name was Jor-El,” Superman said, mostly to himself.

“I told you I didn’t have much information. I didn’t know your Dad’s name,” Irons added. “Brainiac was mostly interested in possible weapons against you.”

“You did mention that it is Brainiac’s hypothesis that I helped destroy Krypton. Once he realizes I came here as a child, hopefully he will back down from his assessment.”

“Just be careful, Superman. Brainiac didn’t sound or think like a human. It was impossible for me to judge whether it was lying or not.”

“Thank you, Mr. Irons,” Superman said, rising to go, “and I’m sorry.”

“What for?” John asked.

“My arrival to Metropolis is indirectly responsible for your current position. I just wanted to apologize.”

How in the world can a super-powered alien come off as such a country boy? John silently asked himself. “It would be real easy to blame you for everything,” John Henry Irons told Superman, “but a real man owns up to his mistakes. I should have left Lexcorp sooner. I should not have agreed to develop those weapons. My mistakes. You were just the catalyst that helped me make a decision I should have made by myself. I would have left eventually. Hell, Bloodsport would likely have killed me if you weren’t around. So don’t be sorry, just be strong!”

John Henry offered his hand, and they shook before Superman took to the air.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

How does she do it? TV News copter pilot George Taylor asked himself as Lois Lane climbed into the helicopter. Taylor had just received word himself to get airborne with a sky cameraman. Does she monitor our transmissions.

“Miss Lane...” George began.

“If there is a Godzilla-sized monkey running around, I want the best vantage possible,” Lois snapped. “That means you and Ol’ Betsy here.”

George nodded as she buckled in. It would take too long to clear this up, and he needed to be airborne. He wanted to be first, before any other TV stations had their air crews up. Don’t know how she does it, but I respect her drive, George thought with a smile.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

When an anonymous tip had come in telling of a monster ape named Titano stomping around the outskirts of Metropolis, the dispatcher on duty logged the call as a prank call. Several similar calls followed. Then a police officer radioed the same info. After the appearances of Superman, Livewire, Polaris, and other supers in Metropolis in recent history, you’d think the authorities might be quicker on the uptake.

Now, on Highway 32, the main East-West artery in and out of Metropolis, Titano stomped aggressively toward the city. His brain couldn’t comprehend that he was bigger. To him, he had suddenly found himself in unfamiliar territory with no recognizable humans to calm him. He also didn’t understand his undying hunger. So far, his entire mission had been to find more food, no matter how terrifying his surroundings were.

And here came a dozen police cars and two SWAT vans, blocking the road and setting up a roadblock. Lt. Maggie Sawyer had no clue what they were supposed to do. They set up with the nearest gas station behind them so the volatile liquid was not in their line of fire. Jimmy Olsen, on a motor scooter, arrived with camera in hand.

“What are we supposed to do?” a middle-aged officer shouted.

“I don’t know,” his field commander answered. “I’ve never done this before, either.”

Then came the word from the SWAT Leader. “It’s a big, rogue animal. Bring it down.” As Titano approached, the SWAT teams opened fire with 16 assault rifles. They didn’t realize that, with Titano’s increased size and muscle mass, the high-powered bullets only pierced the ape 4-6", deep enough to bleed and sting, but not even close to reaching vital organs. It was kind of like standing in a small sandstorm, except Titano could see exactly where the annoyance came from.

He roared and hopped back and forth, acting as fierce as he could, but the little stinging things wouldn’t go away. He stomped, leaving huge pot holes on Highway 32, but they wouldn’t leave. The ape grabbed a power pole to threaten even further, but when the power lines snapped, the painful shock drove him out of his mind. Titano charged, shaking his head, baring his canines, and shrieking the entire time.

From his vantage, Jimmy took several incredible shots with his camera. His eyes, Jimmy noticed looking through his zoom lens, are they glowing green light?

The authorities had never witnessed such a sight, and many of them freaked as the ape charged toward them. In fact, screams rose from onlookers on each side of the highway as they hid in restaurants and stores, trying to stay out of sight.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“We have to get closer, George,” Lois stated as she watched the sprinting ape.

“This helicopter’s visuals can zoom in, Ms. Lane,” the pilot snapped back. “I don’t think he can throw anything this high, at least I hope not. We are not getting closer!”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Titano, still shrieking, slammed into the police line, kicking several squad cars out of the way. The officers scrambled to get clear, one being knocked to the ground as a rolling auto sideswiped him. Till enraged, Titano lifted a squad car off the road and then smashed it back down, jumping up and down on the now devastated vehicle. Then Titano started to throw them. The first car crashed through the roof of a small restaurant, the second slammed the stone wall lined with soda machines. Jimmy turned from snapping that photo to see the third car sailing right at him. He raised the camera and took what he figured would be his last pic and then backpedaled, as if he could outrun the metallic missile.

Except the police cruiser never landed as Superman dove in, redirecting it to the adjoining parking lot. “Not the best habit to pick up, standing in front of oncoming traffic,” the Man of Steel joked to the photographer. “I suggest taking pictures from a safer distance.” Superman turned to face Titano.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

A quarter mile down the highway, on which traffic now stood completely still, Russell Abernathy climbed a shallow hill to the left of the lane. Upon reaching the top, he watched his chimp as Superman approached it.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Whoa, big fella,” Superman called, his voice booming much louder than normal, “calm down. No one wants to hurt you.”

Titano shrieked, stomped, and batted at Superman, who was caught off guard by the beast’s quickness and strength. The Kryptonian crashed through the brick wall of a roadside car wash. He wiped concrete powder from his hair and hoped that Jimmy’s hand was slow on that one. He zoomed from the building toward the ape, saying, “Let’s try this again.”

Titano began throwing things. Concrete parking barriers, an aluminum newspaper dispenser, two US mail boxes, and then a SWAT van. Superman, aware of the bystanders cowering and hiding within the buildings lining the highway, caught each item and laid it down gently. As he placed the truck on its wheels, Titano engulfed Superman in a big meaty paw. Sweaty, hairy darkness with a strange fruity smell crushed in on him. It didn’t really hurt, but it wasn’t pleasant. Without proper leverage, it took a long moment to force the simian fist open. Cleverly, Titano changed his tactics and smashed Superman down into the tarmac and stomped on him, the Man of Steel feeling a bit of pain that time. Still, he rolled away from the second foot stomp, curved around the giant, and punched him in the chest with a dull Whoomp! sound. Titano stumbled across the highway and fell into the parking lot of an auto shop. As he rose to his feet, Superman punched again, knocking Titano down.

I have to be careful, Clark thought. I don’t want to hurt him.

As Superman swooped in for another shot, the ape’s eyes erupted in bright flourescent green energy. Twin emerald shafts of light crossed the gap between the two adversaries, and when they hit, Superman felt as if two javelins had just ripped through his body. Growling, Titano loosed another pair of beams, and Superman dropped down almost to the ground in pain unlike any he had ever felt. He needed a moment to recover, but the ape didn’t give him any time. Titano grabbed Superman, shoved the man’s upper half into his mouth, and bit down!

This is definitely worse than the fist, Superman decided.

Titano howled in pain after biting down, his teeth and jaws not really strong enough. It was like he just chomped on a rock. The simian spit him back to the tarmac and fled into the countryside, away from the chaos of Highway 32.

As the police began to take charge of the situation, Superman lay where he had landed for over a minute before rising. He stood slowly, letting the sun’s warm rays warm and invigorate him while pondering the green energy beams that the ape had used. Not only did they really hurt him, they had weakened him temporarily, as well. The effect quickly passed, but confused the hero.

“Hey, Superman, are you all right?” one Officer Maggie Sawyer called to him with concern.

“I’m fine,” he answered. “I would like to speak with your commander before I go after the ape.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Superman slowly approached Titano, the name that the authorities had adopted. The ape sat by himself about a mile away from the highway, absent-mindedly eating apples picked from the trees in the orchard he rested in.

Food, Superman had deducted from his talk with the police. Each “attack” by Titano ended with him eating fruit or vegetables. He’s not violent, he’s hungry and trying to find enough to eat.

The Man of Steel had planned quickly, acquiring a huge steel drum used in industrial work and filling it with bananas, oranges, lettuce, and carrots. He gently placed the tub on the ground as Titano recognized him from earlier.

The ape surged to his feet, again shaking his head, baring his teeth, and shrieking threateningly, but he did not yet attack.

Giving me fair warning. “Shhh,” Superman shushed in a loud but soothing tone, “I won’t hurt you.” Years on a farm had given Clark Kent some skill with handling animals, and without the guns and sirens of Highway 32, he could exercise these skills. “You hungry, boy?” he called, raising the tone of his speech. “Food.” He tossed a large bunch of bananas near the ape.

Titano seemed to give Superman a dry look that made the Man of Steel chuckle. With a big smile, he continued, “It’s OK. You know bananas? Mmmmm, yummy bananas!” Slowly, the giant took the offering, ate the fruit up, then motioned for more.

Using the provisions as bait, the Kryptonian gave the simian a few more samples, then lured him about 3/4 of a mile to a wide field of an abandoned farm where a staging area had been quickly developed. Several scientists and animal experts had been called in to advise. Titano happily dove into the food once Superman set it down and let him eat.

The question of what to do with a giant ape became moot very quickly. He began to shrink, suddenly vomiting the fruits and veggies he had consumed. After half an hour of this, a very exhausted, now normal sized chimpanzee fell asleep in the back of an animal control vehicle as Superman headed back to Metropolis.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“I am so pissed,” Abernathy shouted upon returning to the RUHL building.

“Please, Russell, tell me what you saw,” Warren Vicksburg said soothingly.

“I don’t know what happened to Titano. From what I hear, the police were shooting at him, then I saw Superman fighting him! Titano howled in pain and ran off. I didn’t realize the great ‘hero of Metropolis’ was such a bully.”

A bully against a monster ape, Vicksburg thought, laughing at his employee’s lack of common sense. “Tell me,” Vicksburg continued, “did you see anything unusual about Titano other than his size?”

“Yes, I did. At one point, he shot Superman with green eyebeams, much like the glow from our mystery rock. It seemed to hurt Superman.”

“Really? I want you to tell me everything,” Vicksburg asked with an intensity Abernathy had not seen from the skinny scientist before.

End