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Superboy

"Hyper-Tension!": Part 3 of 5.

Continued from 61... Superboy explains to the Kents how he got here through Hypertime, but is stuck. Clark-Superboy offers he stay. With a new disguise, they can be like brothers - except they're ambushed by Black Zero and his Stormguards. Clark-Superboy catches a hyper-bullet and is teleported away! So is Conner-Superboy. (Back home at Cadmus, the officers meet to discuss a replacement for Superboy.) Superboy awakens in Black Zero's headquarters and is shown a pit full of Superboy variants! Black Zero tells his story: On this world, Superman died too. A clone-Superboy was made, but unlike Conner, grew to adulthood. Black Zero and Superboy "are different versions of the same person!" The adult "Superman" was never accepted by the public. When he was ganged by supervillains, many civilians and superheroes died. Congress and the people demanded Cadmus shut down. "Superman" changed his name and tactics. Becoming Black Zero, he remade Cadmas as his fortress with cloned Guardians as an army. With the remaining superheroes, he conquered the world - and plans to conquer every world where genetix (clones) are endangered. His energy source is Hyperium: a crackling fireball, a "powerful primal force." (In the background, two Stormguards, "Ace" and "Prof", collude with a captive Knockout.) Metron of the New Gods oversees invasion plans. Superboy scoffs. Black Zero could never take over his world: Superman would stop him. Black Zero counters with a chamber hatching dozens of Doomsdays! Continued...

Letterer: Comicraft; Inker: Dan Davis; Inker: Tom Grummett; Penciller: Tom Grummett; Writer: Karl Kesel; Colorer: Buzz Setzer;