His world exploded before his birth. Propelled by a futuristic craft powered by a science beyond mans comprehension he arrived on a our world as a baby. Raised as a human by loving, caring parents who instilled in him the difference between right and wrong, he derives his powers from our yellow sun that give him enormous and unheard of abilities ! His massive strength and incomprehensible powers are matched only by the great and true heart that beats within his chest ! He is one of the most powerful champions for truth, justice , and the American way that has ever lived ! A man from the stars ever seeking to make the Earth his home, and to protect that home from evils no one else would have a glimmer of hope against ! He is the man of steel, the man of tomorrow...he is..

Superman #5

"The Horror of HYBRID"

By "Rascally" Ralph L. Angelo Jr.

Splash Page: A soldier calls for re-enforcements, as an unseen foe causes a massive explosion.

Soldier: "Get more heavy artillery here, this thing is chewin' us ta pieces !"

Page 2

The unseen foe chews through the troops, scattering them like wheat before the scythe. Suddenly an 80 ton tank is heaved through the air like a toy, to impact , and flatten many strong and hearty trees!

Commanding Soldier: "That's it. I'm calling for a retreat. We need the big guns in here. We need Superman!"

A blue and gold clad hand places itself on the soldiers shoulder.

Guardian: "No son, not yet. We may still stop this monster on our own."

The soldier turns angrily on Guardian, who's nursing a broken arm.

Soldier: "Are you insane ? Did you not see what this horror just did to our troops? This isn't war, it's slaughter!"

Page 3

Guardian breathes deeply, then sighs, finally giving in to fate.

Guardian: "You're right, send out the call."

Just then, a voice from above shocks them all.

Voice: "No call necessary Guardian, what's the situation here?"

Guardian and the soldier both look up and at the same time shout

Guardian, Soldier: "SUPERMAN!"

Soldier: "The situation Superman, is that some freak escaped Cadmus, and this thing is making short work of all of us."

Supes: "Okay my friend, let me have some "quality time" with this creature, pull your men back. I'll handle this."

Page 4

Guardian says nothing, only looking towards the sound of battle, as Superman flies away.

Guardian: "He's going to hate this. We betrayed him, all of us did."

Soldier:"How? You or I had no say in this. It was the bigwigs. "

Guardian: " Maybe so , but I feel I betrayed my friend ."

Both men look on as Superman disappears over the horizon, towards the sounds of combat.

Supes: (Everyone is very quiet and hesitant about this whatever it is. Almost as if they fear discussing it with me. That doesn't bode well. But it's a mystery I'll get to after I subdue this thing.)

Superman flies over a hill, and pulls up short at the sight that greets him!

Page 5

Supes: "Great Krypton! Wha-what are you?"

Slowly, the creature turns its head to face Superman. It stands almost seven feet tall. Its hide is covered by crimson scales and protruding bone. But its face is what pulls Superman to a stop. It's almost as if he's looking in a mirror!

Creature: "I AM HYBRID! YOU ARE PREY!"

Suddenly it throws itself at Superman, almost faster then he can react to, but it's not the leap that stuns the last son of Krypton, it's the punch that follows it!

P-KOW!

Supes : "Unngh!"

He hurtles to the ground , immediately stunned!

Supes: "My God! I-I've never been hit that hard, since Doomsday! What is this thing?"

Hybrid flies over the hills crest and leaps atop Superman, before he can move.

Hybrid: " I am walking death little man. Hybrid does as he pleases, including destroying you!"

Page 6

The monster grabs Superman by the chest, and shoves him head first under the ground, then begins to fly above , while dragging Superman a good half mile underneath the Earth.

Suddenly his grip is broken, as Superman reverses direction and slams the creature with a powerful right.

Ba-KOOM!

Supes: "Enough you misshapen madman. Your day of destruction is over. Give it up now, or I'll have to get rough."

With a growl the thing leaps upwards again, this time opening its mouth to unleash a white hot flame that sears even Supermans invulnerable hide!

Supes: "Unnhh! (Good lord, that hurt. This thing is possibly more powerful then Doomsday, no wonder they had so much trouble with it.)

Page 7

Superman fires his heat ray vision at the monster, but Hybrid merely laughs.

Hybrid: "Your attempts are futile "Man of Steel". Yes, I know who you are. That is my advantage. You know nothing of me, while you I know everything of!"

Superman merely launches himself at Hybrid faster then the eye can follow, connecting with a thunderous left that rocks the very earth!

Thoom!

Supes: "Laugh that off monster."

The thing grabs Supermans foot as he hurtles by, and slams him through the ground once more.

Boom!

Page 8

Supes: (incredible! It keeps taking everything I give, never even missing a step. What is this thing?)

Hybrid: "I grow bored with toying with you fool. Save them."

It turns its head, and incinerates the very ground that the nearby troops are standing on with one blast of its breath!

Fwoosh!

Supes: "NO!"

Superman reacts with the speed of thought, scooping the soldiers from the ground

so fast as to defy description. But still, several are burned by the powerful monstrosities flame.

Page 9

Superman turns, scanning the sky for any sign of Hybrid, but the creature is suddenly gone. Only its laughter remains to mark its passing. Guardian approaches.

Guardian: "Are you okay Superman?"

Supes looks at his friend, and nods slowly.

Supes: "What is that thing? I have a feeling I'm not going to like the answer, but I'd like it just the same."

Guardian: "Yes, and it's owed to you. No matter what they say. C'mon , back to Cadmus. It's about time you knew everything about "Hybrid"."

Cut to : The Daily Planets city room, as Lois Lane looks at her own article in todays paper. Perry White Approaches.

Page 10

Perry: "Lois, I need to speak with you about your op-ed piece."

Lois: "Perry, how are you? You haven't said much since you were ill during the Apokolips disaster recently."

Perry: "That can wait. Your article is what's important. These figures you quote, are they reliable? You're putting your reputation , as well as this papers on the line here."

Lois eyes Perry , a little perplexed.

Lois: "Perry, what's wrong? You never question my sources, why are you now?"

Perry: "Look Lois, this article has to be 100% reliable. I've already received several calls from the Mayors office concerning it this morning. Now I'll back you up all the way, but is your information sound?"

Page 11

Lois: "Yes Perry, it came from source in the Mayors office itself."

Lex Luthor stares into a goblet of brandy as he swirls it around in his hand. Someone stands behind him as he looks deep in to the glass.

Luthor: "So , has the proper information been fed to our dear Mrs Kent?"

The man behind Luthor swallows hard from a shot glass, shakes his head with a sneer and answers.

Man: "Yeah Mr Luthor. She got exactly what you want. By about now the city "fathers" should be about ready to bust a blood vessel."

Luthor: "Superb Jenkins. Simply marvelous. Have another shot of that whiskey son. Enjoy yourself. Here."

Page 12

Luthor tosses a small bundle of cash at Jenkins, who deftly snaps it from the air, like a frog snapping up a fly.

Luthor: (Impressive. He grabbed that out of the air with perfection. Even after three shots , his reflexes are still exemplary. He should be perfect for my next little experiment.)

In the shadows an invisible figure watches several more minutes, until "Jenkins" leaves, then she shimmers into view, her red locks flowing down her back, she appears magnificent.

Max: "I grow tired of this Luthor. When will the Kryptonian die?"

Luthor turns to Maxima and angrily barks back at her.

Luthor: "I am not used to being second guessed by someone who is not my superior. There is NO ONE who is my superior woman, remember that."

Maxima snaps her fingers, and Luthor is suddenly locked stock still.

Maxima: "NEVER raise your voice to me Luthor. On my world you would be flayed alive for such an effrontery. I will return shortly. You WILL have concrete plans for me concerning the demise of the Kryptonian."

Page 13

She exits the room, fading from view instantly, snapping her fingers as she goes, and instantly Luthor drops to the ground, suddenly able to breathe again.

Luthor:" Gak, cough, wheeze." (That witch will pay for this, with her very flesh.)

Maxima fades back into view outside Luthor towers, walking determinedly as a voice begins to ring in her head.

Voice:(Does he suspect ?)

Max: ( No , not at all.)

Voice: (Good. Then all goes according to plan. Soon both the Kryptonian and the pompous villain will pay the ultimate price for their betrayals.)

Max: (Yes! Their pain will be glorious.)

Page 14

Superman stands stunned by what he just was told.

Supes: "He's what?? Who did this? Whose idea was this? How DARE you all! Have you lost your collective minds?"

Guardian: "I-I'm sorry Superman, I had no control over this, and if it helps, I tried to talk them out of this."

Supes: "I appreciate that Guardian, but these fools may have just doomed the planet. How can anyone truly believe that creating a genetic monstrosity like Hybrid was advancing the race , or whatever foolishness you overzealous idiots thought you were doing."

A scientist walks out of the group and speaks.

Scientist: " Superman, our experiment was designed to create a being with your abilities as well as Doomsday's . The genetic splicing actually worked. For the first time we were able to break your Kryptonian genetic code with the Doomsday's . How were we to know the resultant creation would be insane , and hellbent on nothing but destruction."

Page 15

Superman cannot believe what he has just heard.

Supes: "This....thing is a genetic combination of both myself and Doomsday, and you think you've made some great advancement? My God man! If this monster cannot be stopped, and I'm not sure it can, then the world may be completely doomed. And all my efforts to stop it may be in vain."

Just then a guard enters running.

Guard: "Reeves! Hybrids been seen. He's in Kansas, heading toward Smallville. The army is massing in his path right now to intercept him, but he's flying faster then anything the military has. Superman, do you think--"

They turn around , shocked!

Guardian: "H-he's gone!"

Page 16

Superman rockets across the sky, faster then the eye can see.

Supes: (This evil thing must either have my memories, or at least a familialarity with my origins. There's no doubt in my mind its destination is intentional.)

Suddenly he cuts right, avoiding a 747 jet liner that appears in his path, the passengers all "Ooo" and "Ahhh" as Superman goes by , a flash of blue and scarlet.

Supes: "There he is! My God! The devastation!"

Farmhouses lie in ruins along with several National Guard tanks and troop transport vehicles. Fires ripple across the Kansas farmland as the path of destruction continues straight on arrow like towards one destination in particular.

Hybrid: "Hello "Brother". Going somewhere? Perhaps to visit the folks?"

Page 17

Supes: "Stand down Hybrid. Your path of terror ends here. Now."

Hybrid smiles, its horrific face twists in a terrifying parody of Supermans own.

Hybrid: "No. Let us play, as Gods should."

Ba-Rooom!

The thing rockets full bore into Superman, smashing him half a mile backwards before Superman can counter the flight and hurl them both skyward.

Supes:" I've had enough of you monster, and this close , even you can't handle my heat vision unscathed!"

Face to face Superman unleashes his full power into the monsters face, this time hitting paydirt!

Page 18

Hybrid: "Arrrggghh!"

Supes: (Got him!, now to press the advantage)

Superman delivers a crushing left to the monsters head, then wrapping his enemy in a headlock, he rams the creature into the Earth, at well over 200 miles per hour.

Pa-KOW !

Hybrid lashes out with his right forearm, smashing Superman back, but again Superman counters, flying in a tight circle and hammering his foe with a dual fisted uppercut, sending it back once more.

Ka-SPlaam!

Supes: (He's on the ropes, he has no fighting tactics whatsoever, he merely relying on brute power. In this game that's not enough.)

Page 19

Hybrid roars a blast of flame, but Superman avoids it quickly, firing his heat ray vision into the creatures mouth, exploding the flame there before it can combust.

Ba-Whhoooomf!

Hybrid: "N-no Kryptonian, not that easy. Your weakness will be your downfall."

Then in a flash, it's gone, arcing away to a farmhouse in the distance.

Supes: "NO!"

Burning the very air with his speed Superman intercepts Hybrid, smashing him through the farmhouse, from one end to the other, and out the other side, before the frightened and astonished eyes of the Kents!

Martha: "Jonathan! That was Clark! And something that looked a bit like .....Doomsday?"

Jonathan: " Land sakes Martha get to the storm cellar."

Martha:"B-but what about our boy?"

Jonathan hurries his wife of 40 years down into the storm cellar as a roaring sound fills the air.

Page 20

Ba-BOOOM!

An instant later, the house is torn apart again, as Hybrid and Superman wrestle in mid air, Superman struggling mightily to pull his foe away from the Kent homestead.

Supes: ( This thing is stronger then me, and it's so single minded...) "Give up Hybrid. Let me help you."

Hybrid: "Help me? With what? I need nor want your help. Now die!"

The thing called Hybrid expels a blast of flaming breath again into Supermans face, but Superman speeds away in a flash, dropping the monster and avoiding the burning plasma blazing from its mouth, as Hybrid disappears in a burst of superspeed. Less then a nano second later the farm in the distance explodes as Supermans eyes widen in fear.

Supes: "Ma! Pa! NO!"

In far less then a heartbeat Superman is there, pulling up short as his senses overwhelm him! Hybrid stands there with an unmoving Pa Kent and a struggling Ma in his hands.

Hybrid: "So now the fun really begins "brother" . The question is, can you stop me before I kill them? I suppose we find out........NOW!"

Next : Death comes to Smallville

Kryptonian Komments C/O CptMarvell@aol.com