Legends of Superman #1

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Legends of Superman #1
Not in Kansas Anymore

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer

The ground shakes beneath the denizens feet. Their world is doomed. No one saw it coming. Well, almost no one. Jor-El warned the world counsel of the coming disaster. They would not listen. They're listening now, he thinks as he enters his lab.

Jor-El's wife, Lara sits, rocking their baby. Seeing her husband enter, Lara knows it's time to say good-bye. She kisses her baby and places young Kal-El in a rocket. The ship hisses as the cryogenic gas engulfs the young boy as the rocket's engines roar, blasting the shuttle out of the lab. Jor-El and Lara watch as their only child is sent away.

As the rocket soars out of the atmosphere, the planet of Krypton explodes in a flash of green light. The ship blasts through the vastness of space, until it comes to its destination. Earth, a ripe, young planet, not as advanced as Krypton, but still perfect for the last son of Krypton to grow up.

The ship comes crashing down into a cornfield outside of Smallville, Kansas, in the midst of a meteor shower. Jonathan and Martha Kent find the young boy and decide to raise the alien as their own, keeping his origins a secret at nearly all costs.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Clark Kent awakens in his hotel room. The dream again, thinks Clark to himself. Being lost in the vastness of space. Alone. He reaches to the night stand, getting his glasses and stands up. Going over to the window, he looks out at the bright and shining buildings that make up the city of Metropolis. The most prominent of those buildings is Lexcorp. The tallest and most uniquely shaped, Lexcorp keeps the shape of a giant "L" from the base to the very top. Clark's eyes then move lower, seeing a smaller building, a giant globe on it's rooftop. The Daily Planet. Today's the day. A perfect cover.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Walking into the lobby of the Planet, Clark picks up today's paper. The headline reads, "Have the Mystery Men Returned?" Clark continues to read, "This mysterious 'Superman' lifted the space jet and was able to place it safely on the ground. When being questioned, the Superman flew off." Hmm, Superman?

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Dad...they all wanted a piece of me. I... I..." Clark remembers telling his dad after he saved the space jet.

"Son... maybe using your abilities so... publicly isn't the right thing. I remember what happened after World War II ended, how the government turned against the Justice Society...."

"There'll be a difference between our son and the mystery men of the 40's, Jon," Martha says as she enters the room, putting a pair of reading classes on her son. "Clark won't be a mystery man. He won't wear a mask, won't hide. All we need is bright colors to distract from his handsome face."

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"That there was written by our very own Lois Lane."

"Huh?" Clark, looking around, sees a young red haired boy holding a camera. "Oh, hi," extending his hand. "I'm Clark Kent."

"Jimmy O. Photographer."

"Naturally," gesturing towards the camera.

"Isn't he awesome? This Superman, I mean. Lois says he carried the entire jet to the ground."

Funny, it wasn't even remotely heavy. Even I didn't know I was that strong. "Well, Jim, I have a meeting with Perry White upstairs. I'll see you around."

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Soon, as the mild mannered (hopefully soon) reporter knocks on Perry's door. "Come in."

Clark, entering the office, "Hi, Mr. White. Clark Kent," shaking Perry's hand.

"Ahh, sit." As Clark sits, Perry continues, "So, let's cut to the chase. Give me a reason why you deserve a position with this paper."

"Well, I graduated at the top of my class at Metr..."

"And...? Kent, grades are just letters and numbers. What about life experience?"

"Well..."

"Kent, whenever I hire a new employee, I issue a challenge. Twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-four hours? For what, Sir?"

"To bring me your story. I'm giving you twenty-four hours from the time you leave this office. Bring me something newsworthy and you're hired."

"Yes, S..." but Clark's cut short as he hears gun fire from miles away. A shoot out. Sounds as though the police aren't doing too good. "I'll get right on that, Sir. See you bright and early tomorrow," hurrying on his way before Perry can respond.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"This is our turf, Bandito!" shouts a muscular man, wearing ripped jeans, a black tee with a fiery skull on the front, with a leather jacket over it, the same flaming skull on the back, chains hanging from the jacket and jeans, as he fires at a member of a rival gang.

"Not for long! The Banditoes will rule the entire Slum soon!" yelling as he pulls out a rather large, sophisticated blaster, years ahead of its time. "Yo' mine, punk!"

But before the Bandito can pull the trigger, a blue and red blur streaks past him, snatching away the blaster. The gangbanger looks up, seeing a large individual hovering a foot off the ground. The new arrival has on long, red boots that stop just below his knees with matching gloves, wearing a skin-tight blue body suit, with a flowing red cape. On his chest is a red and gold shield, a big red "S" in the middle. The muscular man in blue and red folds his arms across his chest, staring down at the smaller Bandito.

The Flaming Skull yells, "It's that guy! The one on the cover of the Planet! Superior?! Supreme?!"

Turning to look at the Skull, "Superman," staring intently on the thug's weapon. Suddenly the gun begins to heat up, so much so the Skull drops his gun, screaming in pain, his hands burnt from the heat. The Bandito then takes this opportunity to pull out his handgun, firing it several times. Feeling the bullets bounce off his skin, Superman turns towards the Bandito. "Oh, you."

The Bandito then throws his gun aside and runs for it.

Looking at a police officer, "Be right back, Officer," flying off in a blur of blue and red, returning moments later, tossing the Bandito at the feet of the cop.

Smiling up at Superman, saluting him, "Superman, huh? You sure are."

Nodding to the officer, Superman flies off.

"Sam, over here!"

"What is it?" Sam asks as he goes over to another cop.

"You ever see anything like this?" holding up the blaster Superman had discarded.

"It doesn't look like standard street issue to me. Looks like we'll have our work cut out for us, huh?"

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Lexcorp was built on the dreams of a self-made man, Alexander "Lex" Luthor. He grew up dirt poor, his family struggling just to live. When Lex was sixteen, his mom died from a treatable disease, but couldn't get proper care due to lack of insurance. On the day of his mom's death, he swore he would make something of his existence. Today, Lex owns half of Metropolis. This truly is his city. There is nothing that goes on in his city that he does not know about. A new arrival in town has suddenly upset this.

"This...Man of Steel then flew off, with a salute from the local police," a news anchor says on Lex's wide screen TV.

"DAMMIT!" Lex says as he switches off the news. Pushing a button on his intercom, "Please, Miss Walker, send in Irons."

Seconds later, in walks a tall, built, bald, black man, wearing a custom fit suit.

"I take it, you've seen the news."

"Oh, yes. The police have one of your weapons, Irons."

"I'm confident they can't trace the weapon back to us, Mr. Luthor. The Banditoes have no idea who their suppliers truly are."

"I should hope so, John. For your sake, I should hope so. Now, shall we discuss our...visitor," holding up the front page of the Daily Planet.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Flying over Metropolis, Superman thinks, That weapon. It didn't look like something a street gang might have. Where could they have...?

"HEEELLPP!!" the Man of Steel hears with his super hearing and quickly speeds towards the noise, traveling at incredible speeds, seeing a woman falling from the Daily Planet. Superman flies even faster, catching the woman and ascends higher into the air.

"Thank you, Superman. Now..." pulling a mini tape recorder from her pocket, "...how about an interview?"

At this moment, Superman notices her backpack, scanning it with X-ray vision. A parachute? "Miss Lane, I presume?"

"Yes, last time you flew off too fast for me to get the story."

"Well, last time I was a bit intimidated."

Lois, eyeing Superman's muscular physique, "You? Intimidated?"

"I wasn't used to...the response I got. I just did what needed to be done."

"You can take me down on that roof."

Dropping down onto that rooftop, "There, safe. Catch you later," Superman grins at that.

"Wait," grabbing Superman's arm, "what about that interview?"

"I..."

"Look, you aren't hiding your face. You wear a flashy costume. You will not go unnoticed, even in a city as big as Metropolis. People will want to know where you come from, what your intentions are. If you don't volunteer, then someone will snoop and try to uncover your secrets. This way you have a say as to what the public knows. The other way you don't."

"'Someone', Miss Lane?"

"Well, probably me."

Grinning, Superman agrees, "Okay, shoot."

"Naturally, my first question is how'd you get these... powers?"

"I... don't know. I've been different since birth. At first I only had my strength and my speed. As I got older I began to develop other powers."

"What kind of other powers?"

"Well, I have the ability to shoot heat from my eyes, I can see through objects, I can hear a pin drop across the city..."

"Super strength, flight, heat vision, X-ray vision, super hearing. You come fully equipped, huh?”

"I guess you could say that."

"Okay, do you have a real name?"

"Superman works for now. I do have a name my... adopted parents gave me, but I can't compromise their safety, Miss Lane. What I'll be doing is dangerous. More so for my family than myself."

"I understand. You say you were adopted? What happened to your real parents?"

Turning to look over the ledge of the roof, "I... don't know. I never met them," looking back at Lois. "Miss Lane, I'm not from Earth. I'm... an alien."

With no sign of shock, Lois says, "If that's true, it might explain your super powers. An alien raised as human. Could you tell me how your parents accomplished raising someone with your attributes?"

"It wasn't easy. I really was more of a hand ful l than the average five-year-old. But they truly did love me. They are the ones that instilled a real sense of right and wrong in me. If it weren't for them, who knows what fate I'd have?"

"It sounds like you love them, too, Superman," smiling at the Big Blue Boy Scout. "Ahem, so, what exactly do you want to accomplish?"

"I just want to help, in any way possible. I may be an alien, but this is my home, too."

"I guess it is at that."

"Good-night, Miss Lane," flying off before she has a chance to object.

"Good-night..." Lois pauses before going down stairs and looking back, "...Superman.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Perry, I have the story of the century," Lois says as she barges into Perry's office the next morning.

Perry looks to Lois, then to Clark who is seated in the office. "Ahem, as I was saying. Lois Lane is one of our top reporters."

Standing and offering his hand to Lois, "Lois, I take it?"

Ignoring Clark and looking to Perry, "Who is this?"

"Clark Kent, from Smallville, Kansas, who has just now landed the story of the century. An in-depth interview with Metropolis's newest resident. Superman."

"S... S... Superman?"

"Yeah, my first professional article and it made front page. Who woulda thought?" grinning as Lois storms out of the office.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Antarctica. The snow and ice cover the landscape from as far as the eyes can see. But underneath this barren waste land lies an advanced fortress. One with robotic drones servicing the place, otherworldly architecture, sophisticated computer consoles and monitors all over. This fortress was erected years before, seeing no signs of life since its construction. Today is the day it suddenly came to life once more as the monitors light up and flicker to life.

"Find Kal-El," says an electronic voice." "Searching... Searching..."

The End?