19

Superman

Somewhere.  Sometime.  A mysterious brotherhood discusses an agent that revealed their existence.  They decide to leave it in the past, but one of the brotherhood disagrees and disappears in a flash.  Metropolis.  Lois and Clark enjoy a dinner date.  Clark hears a squadron of helicopters above, heading for the sea.  Lois pleads for Clark to stay, but he says he has to go and then leaves.  Superman catches up with the copters.  There is a submarine trapped underwater.  Superman uses a cannon barrel from an old Spanish galleon wreck that the sub is resting on to let the crewmen know that help is on the way.  He goes to an aircraft carrier to get help raising the sub; he can't just lift it because the pressure would likely destroy it.  Lois leaves the restaurant.  Back at the aircraft carrier, the boiler tanks have been welded up, making a decompression chamber.  Superman takes it to the sub and rescues its crew.  He's about to rejoin Lois when an admiral asks him to retrieve some top secret cryptography equipment from the sub.  Lois walks through the city, wondering if Clark will ever have enough time for her.  The member of the brotherhood appears, noting that a problem does exist.  The next day, Clark and Lois walk with Ma and Pa Kent through the park.  Jimmy Olsen, who's working a hot dog stand there, ducks behind some bushes to avoid being spotted.  Clark hears gunshots and screams coming from downtown and runs to help.  Some baseball players steal all of Jimmy's hotdogs.  Jimmy looks forlornly at the empty hotdog cart; the brotherhood member stands nearby, thinking of how often Superman sacrifices his personal life for the safety of others.  Downtown, Maggie Sawyer's team is busy holding off a homeless man that has stolen Bloodsport's transporter belt, enabling him to transport all manner of weapons right into his hands.  The homeless man says that Superman doesn't care about all of the homeless that have gone missing lately.  Superman explains that the Cerberus thing is eating at him, too, but the homeless man opens fire at him.  Superman knocks him down, but the man pulls out a grenade and pulls the pin, telling Superman that he'll pay for ignoring them all.  Superman, angered, tells him that he can't be everywhere at once, and he takes the grenade.  He absorbs most of the blast, but the homeless man was still hurt by it.  A police officer remarks, "worthless waste of flesh like him--who cares if he's dead?"  Superman flies off with the body to the hospital.  "I care."  He then goes to Lois's apartment, asks her to go somewhere to talk, and tells her to dress warmly.  The brotherhood member is nearby and decides that it's time to make a move.  Superman and Lois talk about marriage to a superhero atop Mt. Fuji.  She asks him "Why be a superman?" and he replies, "Because no one else can."  Their talks in on a promising note, and Superman takes Lois home.  They both feel like time almost stood still while they were away.  Superman leaves, and Lois decides to repay him for the time he gave her.  She starts to type away at her computer.  Outside, the brotherhood member removes its cloak to reveal a female Linear Man within.  She had repayed Superman by giving him time with Lois.

Inker: Brett Breeding; Letterer: John Costanza; Penciller: Dan Jurgens; Writer: Dan Jurgens; Colorer: Glenn Whitmore;

4

Daily Planet

Fake newspaper format; editorial staff and letters page follow the same format