Metropolis, an apartment.
Lois Lane sat blankly on the sofa, clutching a photo of herself and Clark Kent.
Clark in the photo wore black-rimmed glasses and a gentle, bright smile, as if clearing the world's haze.
But the man in the photo had been sleeping underground for a long, long time.
Since Superman's death, her world seemed to have lost all color.
She stroked the familiar smile in the photo again and again, as if she could bring him back.
Just as she was about to sink into endless sorrow, suddenly, from outside her window, came increasingly loud cries of surprise and excitement!
"Oh my god! Look at the sky!"
"What is that? Is it a plane? No… it's… him!"
"Superman! Superman! He's back!"
The shouts rolled in from the street like waves.
"Superman?"
Lois was stunned for a moment, then forced a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
Another hallucination?
Since Clark's passing, she'd heard such voices many times.
But what struck Lois as odd this time was how real and excited the noise outside sounded.
Her heart, quiet for so long, could not help but race wildly.
As if drawn by an invisible force, she stood up trembling and walked to the balcony.
When she looked up, following the fingers of countless passersby, her breath stopped!
A familiar figure in a red-and-blue suit and cape was soaring swiftly through the blue sky!
That straight, proud posture… if it wasn't Clark, who else could it be?
"Clark… Clark…"
Lois's lips quivered, tears bursting forth and blurring her vision.
"Is it really you?"
She doubted her eyes, yet desperately hoped this was all real!
Excitement and ecstasy washed away all reason.
Without thinking, one thought filled her mind—she had to see him!
She had to check for herself!
She rushed out of her house at the fastest speed in her life, dashed down the stairs, jumped into her car, and with trembling hands started the engine, chasing desperately in Superman's direction!
At the same time, over Metropolis, several US Air Force fighter jets were keeping a safe distance while tracking the rapidly moving figure in the sky.
They had originally been ordered to head to Stryker's Island to check the vanguard base under attack, but before they could reach their destination, the fighter's radar and optical sensors captured an unforgettable sight—the god of Earth, who was supposed to be dead, had returned!
As soon as the news was reported, the Joint Chiefs' orders changed immediately.
"Abort the original mission! All units—top priority change! No matter what, follow Superman! Investigate his current status!"
So the pilots could only nervously fly their jets, trailing after Superman.
…
Metropolis, Heroes Park.
In the center of the park stood a giant, magnificent bronze statue, wearing a cape, hands on hips, head held high, gazing into the distance—as if watching over the beloved city.
This was the Superman Monument.
Since Superman's era, this monument had become a complex and sacred symbol in the hearts of the city's people.
It was not only a memorial but also a spiritual pillar, representing people's yearning for peace and their endless longing for a fallen hero.
Now, at the base of the monument.
A little boy, about seven or eight, placed a bouquet of white daisies gently at the feet of the cold statue, together with his family.
He looked up, worry faintly coloring his young face as he gazed at the tall figure.
"Mom," he tugged his mother's sleeve and asked quietly, "Superman's gone. If more bad guys appear in the future, what will happen to Metropolis?"
The young mother's heart ached at these words.
She squatted down, gently ruffling her son's hair, her eyes flashing with helplessness and confusion.
How could she answer?
She could only comfort her child with the mildest, weakest words.
"It's okay, baby. We still have the police. The Justice League will protect everyone."
"But…"
The boy pouted, confusion filling his clear eyes. "But the police and the Justice League uncles can't handle aliens, and their weapons can't pierce alien ships."
The mother opened her mouth, but was at a loss for words.
Yes, when facing cosmic disasters that could destroy the world in an instant and rendered modern weapons worthless, human power felt so small and fragile.
With Superman's departure, Metropolis had lost its strongest shield.
Just as mother and child were immersed in faint sorrow and anxiety for the future—
The sky suddenly darkened.
Right after, a sonic boom echoed from afar!
"Look! What is that?"
Someone first noticed the anomaly, pointing at the sky and shouting.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
They saw a blue-and-red figure hurtling down from the clouds like a falling meteor!
The figure stabilized just before hitting the ground, then slowly landed in front of the Superman Monument.
The moment people saw him clearly, the whole world seemed to hit the mute button.
All eyes widened, jaws dropped, expressions filled with indescribable shock.
The red cape fluttered slightly in the wind.
The S-shaped emblem still shone beneath the sun.
This image had appeared countless times in news, newspapers, and on TV—
"Super… Superman?"
No one knew who first called out the name in a trembling voice, but the word was like a depth charge dropped into a still lake—the entire square erupted!
"Oh my god! It's Superman! The real Superman!"
"He's not dead! He's alive! Our hero is back!"
"God! This isn't a dream, right?"
After a brief silence, countless people erupted in excitement!
The little boy even jumped for joy, gripping his mother's hand, shouting, "Mom! Look! Superman! Superman's back! He's not dead!"
But his mother, though equally disbelieving, had confusion and worry mixed in her eyes instead of ecstasy.
Because she realized something was wrong!
The Superman that fell from the sky was completely different from the hero she remembered!
His eyes were empty and cold, like two lifeless blue glass beads.
There was no warmth or kindness, only an indifference so deep it made the hair on your arms stand up.
Even the aura he gave off…
In the past, Superman felt bright and warm as the midday sun, filled with hope.
But the Superman before her radiated an oppressive sense of dread, like a suffocating abyss!
That aura was cold and powerful!
Just seeing him made everyone's knees go weak and their souls tremble!
"No… he's not…" the mother muttered.
"Mom! I'm going! I want Superman's autograph!"
The little boy struggled to run over.
"No! Come back! It's dangerous!"
The mother suddenly snapped to her senses, grabbing her child with terrified eyes.
She didn't know what was going on, but her instincts screamed that the "Superman" before her was definitely not their guardian angel!
If anything, he was more like a demon god returned from the land of the dead!
Just as the square was about to descend into chaos and panic—
BZZT—
Ripples distorted the air in front of the monument like water.
In the next instant, a flash of light and shadow appeared.
Lucci, with Bruce, Diana, Jean, Hulk, Magneto, and others, materialized at the scene.
Lucci's gaze swept over the crowd, who had been startled by their sudden appearance, then landed on the Superman before the monument, whose terrifying aura made him frown slightly.
Without hesitation, he gave a clear, decisive order.
"Barry, clear the field."
"Jean, you're responsible for blocking the aftershocks of the fight and making sure neither the crowd nor the buildings are harmed."
The orders were clear and resolute. Instantly, his teammates felt as if they'd found their backbone.
"Understood!"
Barry nodded solemnly without hesitation.
In the next instant, countless dazzling golden arcs erupted from his body, and he turned into a blurry golden lightning bolt mixed with electric light, instantly vanishing from the spot!
Whoosh—
That golden lightning, like a skilled dancer, began darting through the chaotic crowd at a speed far beyond human sight!
The boy in his mother's arms only felt a flash and a breeze, and before he realized what had happened, he and his mother were no longer in Monument Square—they found themselves on a safe street several kilometers away.
Countless citizens who had been cheering experienced the same unbelievable scene.
They felt their vision suddenly darken, and when they opened their eyes again, they were already in a safe place.
It hadn't even been a second!
The previously crowded Heroes Park was emptied in an unimaginable way by Barry's speed!
In an instant, the entire area was cleared, leaving only Lucci and his group, the fighter jets hovering overhead, and Superman standing before the monument.
At the same time, Jean also followed Lucci's orders, her figure slowly rising into the air.
Radiant red hair floated without wind, and a vast, gentle golden energy overflowed from her body.
Behind her, a beautiful phantom of a phoenix with huge wings, formed entirely of pure energy, appeared.
BZZT—
The golden phoenix's power rapidly expanded, forming a hemispherical energy shield invisible to the naked eye, enveloping several kilometers and completely isolating the soon-to-be battlefield from the rest of the metropolis.
At that moment, Superman before the monument turned his head.
His empty, emotionless eyes swept indifferently over everyone on the ground.
He first looked at the floating Jean.
Then his gaze paused for 0.1 seconds on Arthur, who wore armor and held a trident.
He lingered for 0.5 seconds on Diana, who glowed with divine radiance and carried a sacred shield.
He paused behind Bruce, wrapped in his Bat-suit, for 0.9 seconds…
But finally, when his eyes fell on Lucci standing at the front,
His breath—so clear and calm, like ordinary water—could not leave Lucci.
In Superman's pure combat-instinct recognition,
The others on the ground, no matter how strong or weak their energy fluctuations, were all like fireflies.
Only the black-haired, black-eyed man's power was like a supernova about to explode, like a bottomless dark abyss!
He was a terrifying existence far beyond Superman's comprehension!
For the first time, a ripple of emotion flickered in Superman's empty eyes—a pure, top-level sense of threat… murderous intent!
He locked onto Lucci!
"Prince Lucci, be careful! He's looking at you!"
Bruce Wayne immediately noticed the change in Superman's eyes, warning gravely.
But Lucci just smiled indifferently and waved his hand.
"Don't worry."
Speaking, he walked calmly toward the monument.
His approach seemed to provoke Superman!
BZZT—
Without warning, Superman's blue eyes instantly blazed crimson!
As hot as the sun's core, terrifying heat rays that could melt everything in an instant shot through the air, blasting straight at Lucci!
Heat Vision!
Superman's most iconic and destructive ranged attack!
But before this terrifying attack, Lucci's steps didn't pause at all.
The instant the two scarlet beams were about to hit him—
Lucci's own eyes erupted with an even deeper, firmer light—Super Laser Eyes!
This was the power of Scott's laser eyes, a power Lucci understood through his grasp of the laws of the sky!
Normally, laser eyes required special glasses, placing immense strain on delicate eyes.
But Lucci's were far stronger!
With his colossal body and ocean-like energy, he could unleash super laser beams billions of times more powerful, almost with no restraint!
BOOM—
In an instant!
The two crimson beams from the steps above collided in midair with two red beams from below!
The four terrifying rays clashed before the monument, forming a violently expanding energy singularity.
The light was blinding, impossible to look at directly!
A hurricane-like storm of energy blasted in all directions!
The ground was instantly uplifted, the stone plaza instantly transformed into molten lava!
In the sky, inside the fighter jets' cockpits, sharp sirens screamed like a whirlwind!
"Warning! Ultra-high intensity energy reaction detected! Warning!"
A young pilot stared dazedly through special goggles at the miraculous waves of light below, unable to help but cry out:
"My god! How… how is this possible?!"
…
Military, underground headquarters.
This was the U.S. Army—the brain center of power and intelligence, always shrouded in a solemn atmosphere.
But now, countless generals and senior staff filled the situation room.
A dead silence fell over the vast command center, the sound of a pin drop could be heard.
"General, Stryker's Island base is still out of contact," an intelligence officer reported nervously.
Seated at the highest chair, with four stars on his shoulder,
General Swanwick's face was grim, brows furrowed.
"What's Superman's status?" he asked in a low voice.
This was his top concern now.
"He… he's landed at Metropolitan Heroes Park. He's currently… confronting another unidentified group," the officer replied.
Just then, a sudden shout erupted in the command center!
The voice came through an encrypted comm channel—straight from a fighter pilot's mic!
Hearing the shout, General Swanwick's heart clenched and he shouted sternly:
"Hawkeye Zero-One! What's going on—report immediately!"
"General… you… you need to see this…"
The pilot's voice was choked with shock. He quickly activated the jet's high-def panoramic transmission.
The next moment, the command center's giant screen lit up with a scene that shattered everyone's worldview!
On the screen, the "god of earth" Superman, who should have still been sleeping underground, was suspended before the monument, eyes blazing with two destructive scarlet heat rays!
Below the steps, a black-haired man unleashed two energy beams of his own.
Superman's heat vision clashed with them in the air, creating an explosion of unimaginable energy!
Four terrifying beams converged into a ball of light brighter than the sun, a violent shockwave visibly warping the air and turning the ground into a lava hell!
BOOM—
Even through the screen, everyone in the command center felt their scalps tingle and their backs drenched in cold sweat!
"This… is this really Superman?"
A civilian consultant in gold-rimmed glasses muttered, face pale.
"Wasn't he dead? The State Department confirmed it so many times! Even the body was buried publicly! How could he be back?!"
Another admiral shouted in disbelief.