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 #8

"My enemies enemies enemy"

By Ralph Angelo

"BOOM!"

Superman is hurled out through the walls of Lexcorp tower like a rag doll! His cape wrapped around him as he smashes through several buildings before righting himself in mid air.

"AAARRggh" He thinks, "Braniac NEVER hit me like that before. His psionic power is incredible! "

Arcing around in mid air Superman returns toward Lexcorp, when the walls yet again shatter from within, and the faceted steel horror known as Braniac flies outwards towards him.

"This is what victory tastes like Kryptonian, you have kept this away from me for far to long. Tonight I amend all that."

"As always Braniac, you like the sound of your own voice."

"Bah" growls the gleaming robotic nightmare, its faceted steel visage reflecting the clear Metropolis moonlight as Braniac races in to pound on the Man of Steel!

Ba-KOOOM!

Again Superman is thrown backwards by the terrifically powerful blow, again he spins, but this time he uses his incredible super speed to return faster then the eye can see, and returning, retaliate!

Ta-KOW!

His blow snaps Braniac around and back, the sound of the blow loud enough to shatter windows in a five block radius.

Braniac rights himself but is suddenly more cautious!

"You as always, surprise me Kryptonian. I gather you are no longer holding back against me by that last blow."

Superman grins slightly, "You're not alive anymore Braniac. That's the difference. Now you're just another soulless automaton."

He accentuates his words with a powerful right that smashes Braniac back again, but Braniac quickly releases yet another psionic blast, smashing Superman on two levels, the mental as well as the physical!

Shaa-RAACK!

Like a kite with its string cut, Superman slams to the pavement!

Bam!

Braniac floats to the ground.

"Foolish Kryptonian! Who's to say I am not alive? How else am I firing psionic blasts at you? In my metallic skull resides the brain of Milton Fine. So yes fool, I am very much alive, hahahahaha!"

Inside the remains of the Lexcorp basement , Maxima and Luthor drag themselves up from the wreckage.

"Hrrm. I'm almost surprised we're alive yet woman. Half the structure collapsed on us."

He stares at the wreckage around them , as Maxima uses her own psionic power to clear rubble away.

"Watch your mouth human. If not for my hastily erected psionic shielding, you would've been dead. "

"Bah.I don't need your help witch. Lex Luthor has always made his own way, and survives on his own, alien."

"You delude yourself you pompous Earther. I saved your sorry hide for no other reason then that you were near me. It was a reflex action, nothing more."

"Whatever woman. Get out of my way. I've got to get outside. As much as I despise Superman, that metallic parasite must be made to pay for the way he fouled me with his mental touch."

Maxima grins wickedly, "For once Earther, we are in agreement."

They both make their way through the rubble, Maxima clearing occasional blockages to their path with a quick mental blast, and Luthor imperiously climbing over anything he has to.

"This man thinks himself a king, or royalty of some type." Muses Maxima to herself as she watches Luthors progress.

Once outside the duo turn towards the sound of battle, to see a blue and red blur tumble helplessly through the air towards them!

"Get Down!" Shouts Maxima as she hurls Luthor aside with a mental blast, as Supermans powerful form shatters Luthors building yet again. Once more Superman stands, but this time he's weakened , and it's apparent. He drags himself up from the rubble, his cape is tattered, and he's actually bleeding across his brow, where his nigh invulnerable skin was slashed by Braniacs indestructible claws.

"It's not over yet Braniac, I've taken your worst and I'm still standing." Superman launches himself into Braniac far faster then the eye can register! The resultant collision is more akin to an explosion then anything else!

Ba-Da BOOOM!

Maxima races skyward after the two quickly receding forms, as Superman continues to pummel Braniac with blow after high impact blow, all the while flying them both out to sea.

"You bore me Kryptonian." Shouts Brainiac contemptuously, "All your might is nothing against my indestructible hide."

"Maybe so monster, maybe not. All I know for sure is that you WILL NOT win the day while I have breath left in me!"

Superman punctuates his last comment with a powerful double handed blow across Brainiac' face!

Ta-KOOOM!

The robotic nightmare is tossed a hundred feet from Superman, but is still unharmed!

"You see Kryptonian? Nothing you can do can harm me. NOTHING! "

"We'll see Brainiac."

Suddenly Superman unleashes his heat ray vision, at its awe inspiring full intensity! Instantly Brainiacs metallic skin is super-heated to near solar heat levels!

"Hahaha, do you honestly think this will stop me man of steel? This body was made to endure the extremes of a stars core, nothing your puny heat ray vision could do to me is even worth mentioning!"

Wordlessly Superman suddenly inhales greatly, and then unleashes a freezing blast of air, at such velocity, that his super breath drops the temperature around Braniac to a sub arctic level! The resultant clash of temperature ranges renders a huge snapping sound, as of ice itself cracking off in huge chunks! Steam fills the air, immediately forming a dense fog bank around the two combatants for a mile around. But Superman can still see his enemy. Using his varied vision abilities, Superman sees the frozen outline of his enemy in the fog, before rocketing instantaneously at him, at escape velocity! Superman throws all his might into a powerful haymaker, that sound more akin to a sonic boom then a punch!

Tra-Ka-KOOOM!

"Arrrghhhhhh!!" Screams Brainiac mentally as his metallic form shatters into a million , million fragments!

"Whew." Breathes Superman heavily, as the Man of Steel pauses , hands on knees watching the fragments settle to the ocean in huge puffs of steam to fill the fogbound ocean even more . "I think that settles that."

"Think again Kryptonian~!" The voice roars in Supermans brain, as he suddenly doubles over in pain and agony!. Suddenly the ghastly metal head of Braniac floats up from the waters surface, whole and intact. While the pieces of Brainiacs body begin to reassemble, as if it were a jigsaw puzzle being put into place by the hand of God, or rather in this case a more demonic presence!

The mental onslaught continues unabated as Brainiacs form becomes whole once more.

"Did you think to stop me thusly Kryptonian? I control my form on a molecular level! NOTHING can stop me! Not even atomic dispersion! This time Kryptonian, you DIE! And after you , this entire pathetic world !"

Painfully, agonizingly Superman raises his head and asks one question of his tormentor

"Why?"

"Why you sanctimonious fool? Because I have the power to do so. Then this dead husk of a world will serve as a warning to all those that would dare cross me. That not even the universally feared and loved Superman could stop the might of Braniac. Then all other worlds that Brainiac seeks will be his to conquer and control. Or destroy. Whichever is my whim."

Suddenly behind them both , out of the fog roars a voice, heralded by a blast of pure mental energy!

"No! No more worlds will suffer the fate of my beloved Almarac! No more Brainiac! And never again!

Maxima' mental blast frees Superman from Brainiacs psionic grip, while slamming the Coluan monstrosity on the only level he can be matched at, the mental!

Superman quickly sees what is happening, and reacts! With a burst of superspeed, he pounds Brainiac with a powerful left, as Maxima continues her mental attack. The two powerhouses smash Brainiac back, as he struggles against their two pronged attack. Silent, relentless their attack continues, the only sounds are the lapping of the waves and the pounding of fists against steel, when suddenly Brainiac yells...

"Enough! I'll suffer your touch no longer, either of you!"

A blast of pure mental hatred smashes into Superman and Maxima, sweeping them back away from Brainiac, as a hand would sweep away dust!

Shwwosh-WAM!

"You have done well this day Kryptonian and Almaracian alike, I have no interest in fighting a stalemated battle. But know this dogs, you have not won anything here, merely , you have delayed the inevitable. Watch your skies fools, and fear me."

Ta-KOOM!

Another blast from Brainiac sends the two reeling once more as he rockets away into space, leaving the Earth far behind. Maxima begins to take pursuit, when a gentle hand lands on her shoulder.

"Let him go Max. We chased him off. Leave it at that."

"Leave it at that? Are you mad Kal-El? He would destroy this world as he did Almarac, and who knows how many before it.?"

"Maxima," Superman sighs heavily, "We couldn't have beat him. All we would have done is fight a stalemate, at least until others arrived to add their might to ours. And he knew that. That's why he left. You would never have caught him. I saw him go to hyper-speed as soon as he left our atmosphere."

She angrily shakes his hand off of her shoulder. Then points her finger in his face as one hand lands on her hip.

"Release me you dolt! I will do as I want, and no one, least of all You Kal-El will tell me otherwise. Remember this Kryptonian, you and I are not allies, circumstance threw us together against a common foe. You spurned me some time ago, for presumably a human cow. That was the end of anything that could have been between us. Next time Brainiac attacks, you will be on your own. "

She turns and flies away, as Superman answers her, slightly angrily "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Epilogue: The apartment of Clark and Lois Kent. Superman opens a window and slips through, faster then the eye can follow. The apartment is dark, but to Superman that doesn't matter. Scanning the kitchen , Clark espies a note on the kitchen table.. He tiredly walks over and lifts the note, reading it .

"Dearest Clark, I know no matter what you're facing tonight, that you'll be back here, safe and sound. At least I pray so. But I won't be here when you return. You see , even away from the job you have this other life, this greater then normal existence as Superman. But to myself, my super-human ability has always been the way I get to a story, the way I dissect it and bring the truth out. That was my proudest achievement, beyond our marriage, But now, that's denied me. There've been so many upheavals in my life before, but never anything like this. You are my life, and my love, but the Planet was secondary to you, and only you.. Now that's been taken from me by an overzealous assistant DA* . I have to get away for a while. Maybe a few days, maybe longer. I need to think. I'll call you, I promise.

Love, your wife,

Lois."

*See last issue.

Superman stares long and hard at the note in his hand, when his eyes glow red momentarily in the dark room, vaporizing the paper in his hand. Slowly , he turns and enters his bedroom, slowly closing the door behind him.........

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