Superman: New Krypton | |
December 2008 — March 2009 | |
Writers | Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates |
Artists | Pete Woods, Gary Frank, Renato Guedes, Jamal Igle, Pere Pérez |
Comic Book Story Arcs | |
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New Krypton is the title of a 2008 comic story arc featuring Superman, Supergirl, other Kryptonians, and the city of Kandor.
The theme of the series is the restoration and enlargement of the city of Kandor and the effects that happen to Earth as a result of this event.
Prologue: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen
- Date: December 2008
- Written by James Robinson
- Pencils: Jesus Merino, Leno Carvalho, Steve Scott
- Inks: Jesus Merino, Nelson Pereira, Kevin Stokes
- Colors: Lee Loughridge
- Cover by Ryan Sook
Jimmy Olsen recalls the recent fight between Superman and Atlas. There is one element of the case that he cannot shake - the presence of a mysterious figure hovering above one of the Metropolis skyscrapers. Having caught a glimpse of the figure on his camera, Jimmy goes to his darkroom to analyze it. He researches the man's face and determines that he is Jonathan Drew, aka, Codename: Assassin. Jimmy begins investigating Drew's past.
His investigation ultimately brings him to Project Cadmus. He finds Dubbilex, slowly bleeding to death in his office chair. Dubbilex tells him how Drew was intimately involved with the actions of Guardian, the first clone of the original Jim Harper. He also learns that Codename: Assassin murdered the original adult members of the first Newsboy Legion.
Solemnly leaving Dubbilex to his fate, Jimmy continues following his leads. They bring him to the town of Warpath, Arizona. He finds that Warpath's sheriff is the former Law Legionnaire, the Vigilante. He presses the Vigilante for information about the current clone of Jim Harper, but the sheriff doesn't volunteer anything he doesn't feel he needs to. Jimmy finds the clone Jim Harper on his own. He is living out of a recreational vehicle with his young daughter, Gwendoline. Harper invites Jimmy into his RV to "tell him a story". Afterwards, Jim begins the long drive back to Metropolis. He now knows that Codename: Assassin is involved in a plot to assassinate Superman.
Part 1: Superman: New Krypton Special
- Date: December 2008
- Written by Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates
- Pencils: Pete Woods, Gary Frank, Renato Guedes
- Inks: Pete Woods, Jon Sibal, Jose Wilson Magalhaes
- Colors: Hi-Fi Design
- Cover by Gary Frank
Funeral services are held for Jonathan Kent who suffered a massive heart attack during Brainiac's recent attack against Earth. After the service, Clark Kent returns home to spend some quality time with his mother, Martha.
Meanwhile, a military commander speaks with Agent Assassin inside a secret bunker concerning the recovered lost Kryptonian city Kandor, which now exists on Earth in the location of Superman's former Fortress of Solitude. The military is greatly concerned about a potential shifting of the balance of power now that there are so many Kryptonians on Earth. They have also recovered the captured Brainiac whom they are holding for study. Brainiac breaks free however, and begins attacking the scientists at the laboratory.
Superman flies to New Kandor and reunites with his aunt and uncle, Allura In-Ze and Zor-El. They are grateful to Superman for rescuing them from Brainiac's ship. Superman wants to help them assimilate into Earth society, but the Kryptonians are reluctant to embrace any great social change that would force them to act "less Kryptonian". A look of concern crosses Superman's face, and realizes that this may present a challenge in the future. To lighten the mood, reunites Allura and Zor-El with their daughter Kara, aka, Supergirl.
Later in Washington, D.C. Lois Lane visits the grave of her father Sam Lane, who heroically gave his life during the "Our Worlds at War" affair. Her sister Lucy arrives and the two have an awkward conversation.
Back in New Krypton, the Kryptonians are already beginning to absorb the sun's solar rays and develop super-powers.
Lois Lane returns to the Daily Planet in Metropolis and has a conversation with Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy tells Lois about his recent discovery of a military annex amassing resources specifically for taking out Superman.
Later, Sam Lane, revealed to be still alive, arrives at Stryker's Island Penitentiary. He recruits prisoner Lex Luthor to aid him in what he perceives to be a potential Kryptonian invasion.
Part 2: Superman #681
- Date: December 2008
- Written by James Robinson
- Pencils: Renato Guedes
- Inks: Jose Wilson Magalhaes
- Colors: David Curiel
- Cover by Alex Ross, Bernard Chang
News of the newly arrived Kryptonian culture reaches around the globe and journalists scurry to get the most recent updates on an event that is sure to change the very face of the planet. The Daily Planet staff is likewise caught in a frenetic pace, and Perry White begins barking orders to everyone. Lois makes excuses for Clark's absence as he is still morning the passing of his father.
Superman meanwhile, flies towards the North Pole, the current location of "New Krypton". En route, he encounters Alan Scott, John Stewart, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific and Wonder Woman. The heroes are very concerned about recent developments, but Clark assures them that this is a good thing, and that he has everything under control. Mister Terrific reminds him of the trouble that arose the last time a large group of Kryptonians arrived on Earth.
Superman reaches New Krypton and speaks with his cousin Kara, who recently reunited with her parents Alura In-Ze and Zor-El. She is also reunited with her childhood friend Thara Ak-Var. Superman tells them about a special delegation he has arranged in Washington, D.C. so that the Kryptonians can meet the President.
In Washington, Lois Lane meets with Agent Liberty. Liberty has been put back in harness and assigned to watch over the Kryptonian delegation. Moments later, Superman and a throng of Kryptonians arrive in the city. The President greets them and welcomes them to Earth. Suddenly, a blazing ball of fire rains down out of the sky and smashed through a building. Emerging from the smoke and wreckage is Doomsday.
Part 3: Adventure Comics Special Featuring the Guardian
- Date: January 2009
- Written by James Robinson
- Pencils: Pere Pérez
- Colors: David Baron
- Cover by Aaron Lopresti
Jimmy Olsen visits the home of Jim Harper, the retired super-hero once known as Guardian. Jimmy tells him about Codename: Assassin and the recent murder of Dubbilex and the Newsboy Legion. He also tells him Codename: Assassin's real name, Jonathan Drew. Harper speaks philosophically about being a clone and ponders whether or not a clone has a soul. He further tells Jimmy about an alien being he encountered at Project Cadmus' Salem facility that was wearing a strange ring. He had also found the cloning banks which contained grotesque amalgamations of Jim Harper clones combined with DNA taken from Paul Kirk. Jimmy concludes his interview and leaves. Harper collects his daughter Gwendoline and get into their truck. Now that he has a name to connect to Codename: Assassin, he drives towards Metropolis to get his revenge.
Part 4: Action Comics #871
- Date: January 2009
- Written by Geoff Johns
- Pencils: Pete Woods
- Inks: Pete Woods
- Colors: Brad Anderson
- Cover by Alex Ross, Stéphane Roux
In New York City, two Kandorians wander the streets observing life on Earth. Unlike other Kandorians, these two (Gor and Mur) cannot understand why Kal-El venerates this culture so much. They recall the promises made to them by General Zod to protect them so many years ago, and clearly they still admire the General to this day.
Elsewhere, General Sam Lane gets Lex Luthor out of prison. He needs his assistance in developing defense protocols should the Kryptonians prove to be adversarial. He shows Luthor how the military managed to capture Brainiac shortly before the emergence of "New Krypton".
In Washington, the Kryptonian delegation is interrupted by the surprise arrival of Doomsday. Doomsday would difficulty enough tackling Superman in hand-to-hand combat, but now, he has dozens of empowered Kryptonians to contend with. They dogpile on top of Doomsday and fly him to Earth's moon where they deal him a crippling blow, seemingly killing him.
Later, Gor and Mur go to the Fortress of Solitude. They continue speaking unfavorably of Superman and plan on using the Phantom Zone Projector to free General Zod from the Phantom Zone. They soon find their paths barred by two costumed Kandorians calling themselves Nightwing and Flamebird.
Part 5: Supergirl #35
- Date: January 2009
- Written by Sterling Gates
- Pencils: Jamal Igle
- Inks: Keith Champagne
- Colors: Nei Ruffino
- Cover by Alex Ross, Stéphane Roux
Sam Lane and Codename: Assassin conspire to build a defense against possible Kryptonian aggression. Towards this end, they recruit Benjamin Krull, aka, Reactron to their cause.
Meanwhile, Zor-El and Alura visit their daughter Kara's apartment. Alura wants Kara to abandon her recently acquired secret identity and return to New Krypton with them. Kara doesn't want to, but there appears to be other matters wrong with her as well. Zor-El determines that Kara's body chemistry has been aversely affected by Kryptonite poisoning. One of the side-effects of her condition includes the crystallization of her blood. He rushes her back to New Krypton so that he can purge the ambient Kryptonite radiation from her system. As she undergoes the process, Kara recalls repressed memories of her time in Argo City shortly before coming to Earth. She remembers how her father used a Brainiac Probe to build Argo's force shield. She also remembers when the true Brainiac arrived to consume Argo City, forcing her parents to place her into exile.
Shortly thereafter, a Kandorian woman dons a mask and costume and takes to the skies, ready to introduce herself to the world.
Part 6: Superman #682
- Date: January 2009
- Written by James Robinson
- Pencils: Renato Guedes
- Inks: Jose Wilson Magalhaes
- Colors: David Curiel
- Cover by Alex Ross, Rodolfo Migliari
In heavy rain, Clark and Martha are en route to Jonathan Kent's grave in the cemetery. Clark is concerned for his mother's health, but she assures him that she braved worse than this when tending the farm with her husband. Before they reach the grave site, they see Bizarro standing over Jonathan's tombstone crying, "Me am happy!"
Agent Liberty pays a visit to US President George W. Bush, who thanks him again for protecting him during the Doomsday attack days earlier. Liberty informs him that he has a gut feeling about something and requests a leave of absence. The President grants him as much and wishes him well.
Jim Harper meets with the head of the Science Police, identified by her staff as Control, but who asks to be called Rachel. Harper tells her of his career as a superhero, and while Control is aware of his identity as the Guardian, she turns down his request for a job. Just as Harper is leaving the building, a situation develops that changes her mind.
At the Kandorian settlement at the North Pole, Zor-El prepares his daughter and a small group of Kryptonians to set out on a task to acquire the enemies of Superman. Their intentions are to incapacitate them so as not to provide a threat to the Kryptonian people.
Commander Gor leads a group of five soldiers to Stryker's Island to acquire the Parasite. Unwilling to surrender their prisoner, a group of prison guards and science police are killed in the process. Two other small military teams acquire the Toyman and the Prankster. In the process, Robin and Nightwing are knocked out and Black Lightning is hospitalized. Supergirl is sent after the Silver Banshee with two non-military men, with another non-military team capturing Bizarro.
In the midst of the capturing of Superman's enemies, the Daily Planet newsroom becomes abustle with reports of the events. Clark rushes off changing into Superman, and promptly arrives at Kandor to confront his family. Zor-El and Kara are unaware of the deaths of police officers, but Alura sees it as collateral damage.
The villains are shown to have been imprisoned in the Phantom Zone, where Mon-El greets the five of them in confusion.
Part 7: Action Comics #872
- Date: February 2009
- Written by Geoff Johns
- Pencils: Pete Woods
- Inks: Pete Woods
- Colors: Brad Anderson
- Cover by Gary Frank, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Guy Major
Superman presses Alura for information identifying the Kandorians responsible for several Stryker's Island Penitentiary deaths and admonishes her for her decision to imprison known adversaries inside the Phantom Zone. Alura protests, citing that her initiatives are geared towards rebuilding the universe. She shows Superman dozens of bottled environment that they had liberated from Brainiac's Skull Ship. One of these environments contains the inanimate forms of Ultra the Multi-Alien and the Creature Commandos.
In Metropolis, Reactron teams up with Metallo and the two begin wreaking havoc in the city streets. This tactic is aimed towards drawing out Commandor Gor's soldiers who surround the villains and prepare to transport them to the Phantom Zone. They trick the Kandorians into transporting them to New Krypton where they begin attacking the Kryptonians. Armed with both gold and green Kryptonite, they mercilessly cut into the innocent aliens.
Simultaneously, Lex Luthor divines a way to tap into Brainiac's cybernetic network and activate his killer probe robots. The robots awaken inside Brainiac's ship and begin slaughtering Kryptonians alongside Reactron and Metallo.
Superman and the others release the Creature Commandos who assist them in fighting the villains. The opposing forces overwhelm them however and Reactron deals a fatal blow to Supergirl's father, Zor-El.
Elsewhere, Agent Liberty and the Guardian address an assemblage of heroes in regards to the Kryptonian situation.
Part 8: Supergirl #36
- Date: February 2009
- Written by Sterling Gates
- Pencils: Jamal Igle
- Inks: Keith Champagne
- Colors: Tom S. Chu
- Cover by Josh Middleton, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Laura Martin
Zor-El falls as Reactron stands hovering in triumph above him. Upon seeing her father fatally wounded, Supergirl rushes to his side, but Reactron and his partner, Metallo, manage to elude capture. Superman bashes through several Brainiac Probes as Zor-El dies in his daughter's arms.
In Metropolis, Cat Grant cannot wait to launch another exposé against Supergirl. News of Zor-El's death comes over the wire, and Lana Lang warns Cat to leave Supergirl alone. Cat responds by stating that Supergirl should begin looking for a good lawyer.
Funeral services are held for Zor-El at the Fortress of Solitude. His widow, Alura, provides the eulogy. After the service, Alura blames the residents of Earth for her father's death, but Superman insists that she should not judge all of humanity for the actions of a few. His words seem to have no effect on Alura however. Later, in secret, Alura meets with a squadron of Kryptonian soldiers, including Commander Gor. These are men who were once loyal to General Zod and are anxious to claim this planet as their own.
Supergirl later meets up with a masked Kandorian super-hero calling herself Superwoman. Superwoman expresses her condolences to Kara and tells her that she would like to be her friend. Afterward, Superwoman flies off with a grim expression upon her face.
Part 9: Superman #683
- Date: February 2009
- Written by James Robinson
- Pencils: Renato Guedes, Jorge Correa, Jr.
- Inks: Jose Wilson Magalhaes, Jorge Correa, Jr.
- Colors: David Curiel
- Cover by Alex Ross, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Laura Martin
Members of the JLA, JSA and various other heroes intercept Superman as he approaches New Krypton. They demand that the Kryptonians are held accountable for the slain members of the Science Police. Superman assures them that only a small number of Kryptonians were responsible for the deaths and that he will bring them to justice. Guardian shows up and warns Superman that he has thirty minutes to produce the murderers before the heroes take them by force.
Superman flies to Alura and asks her again to surrender those responsible. Alura is in the middle of reverse engineering the Brainiac Probes that were once part of Kandor's defense system. She has no intention of relinquishing the murderous Kryptonians and openly supports their actions.
Meanwhile, the other citizens of New Krypton fly up to defend their city. All-out war breaks out as the Kryptonians trade blows with the heroes of Earth. The heroes however, are not unprepared for this assault. Guardian uses his shield to attack Commander Gor while Starfire uses her powers to absorb the solar radiation from the Kryptonians' bodies. Steel uses Kryptonite upgrades in his armor to take down several Kryptonians at once.
Superman plans on taking Alura into custody, but Supergirl arrives to defend her mother. Tearfully, she fights against her own cousin.
Meanwhile, members of Earth's mystic community show up to lend a hand.
Part 10: Action Comics #873
- Date: March 2009
- Written by Geoff Johns
- Pencils: Pete Woods, Renato Guedes
- Inks: Pete Woods, Jose Wilson Magalhaes
- Colors: Brad Anderson, David Curiel
- Cover by Jose Ladrönn
At Project 7734, General Sam Lane and Lex Luthor examine the remains of Doomsday. Although both men seek Superman's destruction, Lex would just as soon dispose of him quickly, while Lane wants Superman's demise to be slow and painful.
At New Krypton, the heroes of Earth fight against the Kryptonians loyal to Alura In-Ze (which are nearly all of them). Supergirl ceases her attack against her cousin. She apologizes for hitting him, citing that she was only trying to protect her mother. The other heroes are assisted by Earth's magical community. Captain Marvel speaks the magic word "Shazam" backwards (Mazahs) which generates a tremendous bolt of lightning that strikes not him, but rather, all of the Kryptonians in his immediate vicinity. As all Kryptonians are susceptible to magic, they lose their ability to fly. Zatanna makes sure that they safely reach the ground.
Realizing that the battle may soon be lost, Alura activates the program that she has been working on. Using reverse-engineered elements of Brainiac's Brainiac Probes, she uproots all of New Krypton and a sizable volume of ice beneath it. The heroes quickly evacuate as a protective dome covers the city. The city floats up into outer space and takes position in geosynchronous orbit around the sun - on the opposite side of Earth's orbital path. The Sunstone lattice that makes up the city's architecture, grows and forms a spherical planetoid beneath New Krypton. For now, the threat of the Kryptonians appears to be abated.
Back on Earth, Agent Liberty sneaks into Project 7734 where Lane and Luthor are conducting their experiments with Doomsday and Brainiac. His presence is discovered, and twin beams of heat vision pierce his skull, killing him. His murderer is the new Superwoman.
On New Krypton, Supergirl elects to stay behind to be with her mother. She doesn't condone Alura's actions, but feels that she needs to be with her family. Alura promises that Kara will restore honor to the House of El. When Kara leaves, Alura meets with a group of loyal Kryptonians and assures them that Kara will make a fine soldier. She is speaking to General Zod, Ursa and Non.