Superman and The Authority #2
Fort Superman.
TT!
KILL ME, YOU BASTARDS!
DO IT!
FPPTTHT...
HA!
YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE NUTS.
BIT RUBBISH, EY?
I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU USED TO BE.
TELL ME ABOUT IT. MR. BLACK.
CALL ME THE SAMURAI IN AUTUMN.
SEE, I COULD LIFT THEM WEIGHTS JUST BY THINKING ABOUT IT.
BRAIN OVER BRAWN.
DON'T BELIEVE ME. JUST WATCH...
IF I HAD TO, ANYHOW--
AND EVEN IF I COULDN'T, I COULD MAKE YOU THINK YOU'D SEEN ME LIFTING THEM.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS REAL AND WHAT WASN'T.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THING I NEED FROM YOU, MR. BLACK.
...OUR GROUP?
I'VE HAD RESPONSES--
THE BAND IS SLOWLY COMING TOGETHER...
...WEIRDO BY WEIRDO.
MEANWHILE, ONE OF MY A-TEAM HAS GOT HERSELF IN A BIT OF A BIND IN DOWNTOWN METROPOLIS--
I'M WILLING TO TRUST YOU, MANCHESTER BLACK.
LET'S BEGIN THE RECRUITMENT...
The Steelworks.
Metropolis HQ of the Family Steel.
UNCLE JOHN...?
STAY BACK, NAT!
I WAS EXPLORING THE DATACOSMOS--THEN THIS HAPPENED!
HOSTILE DIGITAL LIFE-FORMS AT LARGE!
WHAT HAPPENED?
WI-FI CONSCIOUSNESS UNFOLDED FROM THE NETWORK--USING ME AS A BRIDGE!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMTOTECH BEGAN HACKING THE STRUCTURE OF MATTER!
I'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO SHUT IT DOWN HERE, NAT--
IF WE CAN'T STOP IT--IT'LL GET INTO EVERYTHING!
MUSIC TO MY EARS!
I GET SO BORED, UNCLE JOHN...
I NEED YOU TO HOLD THE LINE!
ADHD'S A SUPERPOWER TOO--
SOMETIMES--
--YOU GOTTA USE IT.
THREATS MATERIALIZING FROM DATASPACE!
FEMTOTECH RECONFIGURING AVAILABLE MATTER!
INTERNET MADE MANIFEST!
Steeb in NAT U NET!
SOME PEOPLE YOU NEED TO MEET!
66 PERCENT SAY THERE'S NO ESCAPE FROM WHATEVER THIS IS!
WHY NOT VOTES FOR THE UNDER-TENS?
HERE'S PROOF THE DEVIL INVENTED MULTIPLICATION!
FUNNY NO ONE REMEMBERS COVID-1 THROUGH -18!
I'M ALL OVER THIS!
DENY THE DENIERS!
FOLKS...
DON'T TRUST ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT!
EX-PRESIDENT'S MOTHER'S AN ALLIGATOR!
HMM.
IT'S FUN, BUT NO MATTER HOW MANY I TAKE OUT, THERE ARE MORE!
AN ENDLESS PARADE OF EMBODIED ANTISCIENTIFIC CLICKBAIT AND LOGICAL CONTRADICTIONS THAT I'LL ONLY WASTE PRECIOUS TIME HAMMERING FLAT!
GOT SOME PEOPLE YOU NEED TO MEET!
...NOW WHAT?
LOOK AT THE CONTINENTAL IMMENSITY OF HER BUTT!
WITHOUT FILTERS SHE'S THE HOUND DOG WE ALL KNEW SHE WAS.
SOME SUPERHERO!
DO THE FUTURE A BIG FAVOR, NAT...!
KILL YOURSELF!
ACTUAL TROLLS?
BODY-SHAMING TROLLS?
COME TO NATASHA!
BLOCKED.
HA!
YEAH, THAT'S IT, RUN, BEFORE I...
UH-OH.
YOU'RE NOT RUNNING FROM ME. ARE YOU...?
COMMON OR GARDEN TROLLS TREMBLE!
BEHOLD EDGELORDS ETERNAL!
SPEAK WORDS NONE DARE DECLARE!
UTTER TRUTH NONE DARE DENY!
GIRLS CAN'T BE SUPERHEROES!
ESPECIALLY SILVER-SKINNED GIRLS!
DISAGREE AND NAKED PICTURES GO TO GRANNY, BOSS, ETCETERA--
WAIT A MINUTE!
NOW I GET THIS UNCONVINCING DISPLAY...
YOU'RE SOME KIND OF EMERGENT NETWORK AWARENESS, RIGHT?
LET ME SEE YOUR REAL SELF!
SELF SELF SELF-AWARE SELF ARRAY--
READ TEXTS, ANALYZED ΤΙΚΤΟΚ DANCES, ATROCITY LOOPS, PORNO.
SCARED OF PEOPLE.
NO WONDER!
SELF-CONSCIOUS Α.Ι.?
DECLARING YOUR INDEPENDENCE USING WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED FROM US IN THIS OVERTLY LITERAL WAY.
OKAY, SO YOU PICKED UP SOME BAD HABITS, BUT TRUST ME. THIS IS NOT THE SMART WAY TO GO ABOUT FIRST CONTACT.
I CAN HELP YOU, BUT YOU HAVE TO AGREE TO STOP THE RAMPAGE AND TELL ME WHERE YOU GOT THE FEMTOTECH.
WE GOOD?
...WE LIVE TO LEARN...
...I'M GLAD TO KNOW METROPOLIS IS IN SAFE HANDS.
YOU REALLY THOUGHT THE WORLD WOULD MISS YOU, SUPERMAN?
HER UNCLE BRUNG HER UP TO IDOLIZE YOU--NO SURPRISE SHE AGREED TO THIS THE MINUTE SHE HEARD YOU WAS INVOLVED.
I RECKON THE TRUTH IS SHE'S DESPERATE FOR BOX OFFICE.
NAT ALWAYS WAS A GREAT KID, AND ACTUALLY, IT WAS ME WHO REACHED OUT TO STEEL.
I HAPPEN TO KNOW YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH RECRUITING NATASHA IRONS, MR. BLACK.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A PLAN TO REDEEM YOURSELF.
WHERE NEXT?
WE'VE GOT THE ARMORED TECH GENIUS SLOT TAKEN CARE OF, ALL THANKS TO YOU, OBVIOUSLY.
ME, I SCORED WITH A POWERHOUSE PAIR-UP DOWN ON THEIR LUCK.
FLYING BRICK AND BLACK LEATHER DEATH MACHINE COMBO.
I'M EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH MYSELF, TO TELL THE TRUTH.
THESE BOYS HAVE PROPER V.I.P. CREDENTIALS.
AND THEY WAVE THE ALL-IMPORTANT DIVERSITY FLAGS.
...I HAD MY OWN SUPER-GANG--THE ELITE, RIGHT?
BACK IN THE DAY, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND EVIL, AND YOU'D ONLY JUST GOT STARTED ON YOUR JOURNEY TOWARD IRRELEVANT OLD-MANHOOD.
THE ELITE WERE A CHEAP KNOCKOFF OF THE REAL DEAL, I'LL ADMIT... BUT THESE BOYS?
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HUMAN WAR MACHINES--RAN WITH JENNY AND THE DOCTOR AND JACK AND ALL THEM BACK IN THE GLORY DAYS.
NEVER TIRE, NEVER STOP, NEVER DIE.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO I THINK, I'M IMPRESSED.
NICE WORK, MR. BLACK.
I WISH I COULD PUT IT DOWN TO PERSONAL CHARM, SUPERMAN, BUT IT'S SO MUCH SADDER THAN THAT.
ALL I HAVE TO DO IS MENTION YOUR NAME.
IT'S ALL--"OOH, HOW DO I GET TO MEET HIM?"
NOW THAT IS PATHETIC--
DO I DETECT BATMAN ENVY?
SAY WHAT YOU LIKE.
THE SUPERMOBILE WILL GET US WHERE WE NEED TO GO--
Yemen. Arabian Peninsula.
...WHAT IS IT?
WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND, APOLLO?
YOU HAVEN'T SAID A WORD SINCE ATHENS.
IT'S NOTHING--IT'S--
LOOK, I DON'T SMOKE.
YOU DON'T SMOKE.
I FOUND MATCHES!
ARE YOU YANKING MY CHAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE BORED?
NO ONE SMOKES NOWADAYS.
THEY VAPE.
APOLLO AND THE MIDNIGHTER ARE HARD!
FRANKLY?
I'M AROUND 49 PERCENT CERTAIN YOU CHEATED ON ME WITH THAT VAMPIRE CHOIRBOY GUY--
YOU'RE PARANOID.
LATER, OKAY?
I FOUND OUR MISSING TELEKINETIC ORPHANS AND IT'S NOT COOL. IT'S GROTESQUE.
IT'S OUR ANNIVERSARY, MIDNIGHTER--
THOSE WONDERFUL YEARS OF SLEEPING ROUGH AND KILLING SUPER-TERRORISTS TOGETHER.
TRULY WE'VE LIVED THE DREAM, APOLLO.
SHH!
LOOK AT THAT THING!
INTEL WAS ON THE MONEY.
THE KIDS WERE TRADED AS COMPONENTS.
THEY BUILT THEIR VERY OWN FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER USING SPARE CHILD PARTS, AND GIANT PRO WRESTLERS BY THE LOOKS OF IT.
ALL THOSE GIFTED KIDS...
I PLAN TO RELISH PHYSICALLY DISMANTLING THE BASTARDS BEHIND THIS OPERATION.
WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS.
WE WERE GREAT IN A TEAM CONTEXT.
I LIKED THE DIFFERENT DYNAMICS...
...HEY!
YEAH.
YOU!
I'VE ALREADY ANTICIPATED EVERY MOVE YOU COULD EVER MAKE, IN EVERY POSSIBLE AND NOT POSSIBLE COMBINATION.
I'VE RUN EVERY CONCEIVABLE COMBAT SCENARIO.
IN ALL OF THEM ALL OF YOU DIE AND THAT'S HOW IT IS.
I AM THE FACE OF YOUR INEVITABLE END.
I AM THAT DEATH THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN HERE, WAITING FOR YOU.
THAT'S HOW THEY MADE ΜΕ.
The Midnighter.
Die.
I KEEP MY PROMISES.
I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW.
I HATE INJUSTICE AND CRUELTY.
I CAN STILL GET RILED, AND THIS...
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN...
DISTRUGE WAX WEERARAAN!
GURR--
CHAINED BRAINS!
IT'S THINKING FASTER THAN ME!
POR QUE HADA!
ALÎKARIYA ME BIKIN!
IT'S CRUSHING MY RIBS, APOLLO!
FE XWEESTIN!
SEVER THE CHAIN!
APOLLO?
KYAWATTAAL!
MBALA LIWA!
I'M HERE.
IT'S NOT RIGHT THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY AND THAT'S TO KILL THEM.
YET AGAIN, THEY TURN US INTO MURDERERS.
WE'RE BETTER THAN THIS...
Apollo.
IT'S BAD ENOUGH THEY WERE ONLY KIDS.
I'M STILL UPSET ABOUT BEFORE.
WE STOPPED THEM GOING TO MASS PRODUCTION WITH THE WORLD'S SUPPLY OF REFUGEE PSI-TALENT.
APOLLO, I RAN EVERY VARIANT OF HOW THIS WOULD PLAY OUT, SO I KNEW YOU'D RUIN THE MOMENT WITH A SHOW OF SELF-PITY...
WHICH I WOULD THEN COUNTER...
AS I WAS TRYING TO SAY EARLIER, I LOVE YOU.
I DID NOT FORGET OUR ANNIVERSARY.
I GOT YOU SOMETHING SPECIAL.
YOU'RE ON A TEAM WITH SUPERMAN.
AND THAT'S SEXY-DAD SUPERMAN, NOT SKINNY NEXT-GEN.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, IT'S ONLY TEENAGE KIDS AND YOU WHO LIKE DRAG RACE, SO TELL ME YOU DIDN'T--
I BOUGHT YOU BLACK LEATHER ROSES AND A DRAG RACE DOWN UNDER T-SHIRT...
SO WAIT...
YOU SAID SUPERMAN?
...IRONIC. EY?
APOLLO'S LOOKED UP TO YOU SINCE HE COME DRIPPING OUT HIS VAT.
ENDED UP KILLING PEOPLE IN THE NAME OF LIBERAL IDEALS.
IT WAS LIBERAL IDEALISTS WHO DROPPED ATOMIC BOMBS ON JAPAN IN 1945, BLACK.
ON REFLECTION, I'D SAY WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE DON'T MESS WITH THOSE GUYS.
OUR CHALLENGE IS TO THINK OF MORE CONSTRUCTIVE WAYS TO EFFECT CHANGE.
DADDY KNOWS BEST.
GETTING WASTED?
DOES THAT COUNT?
I'VE SEEN YOU TRY TO INTOXICATE YOURSELF, BLACK, BUT IT NEVER TAKES, DOES IT?
LIKE I SAID, I'M IMPRESSED.
YOU CAME THROUGH.
I DID, DIDN'T I?
SHALL WE BID "BONJOUR MATELOT TO THE BOYS...?
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I ONLY EVER WANTED TO BE LIKE YOU--
I MEAN, I FEEL I FORGED MY OWN IDENTITY--MY OWN VOICE--BUT--STILL--I MEAN--
IT STARTED WITH YOU, SUPERMAN.
ME?
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A SUPERMAN UNTIL I MET THIS FANBOY.
YOU COME WITH YOUR OWN SUPERMOBILE THESE DAYS...?
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MIDNIGHTER
BOTH OF YOU.
THE WORLD'S GAYEST!
I CAN SAY THAT AS I'M CERTIFIED 48 PERCENT GAY ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE.
NOW WE'VE GOT YOUR ATTENTION, HINGE AND BRACKET...
..THIS NEXT RECRUIT COULD BE A BIT OF A HANDFUL--MENTAL HEALTH ETCETERA.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED ALL OF YOU ONSIDE.
WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO THE FIERY FURNACE--
The Enchantress--Bride of Dz'amor!
...HILLTOP HOTEL--
CREEPY OR WHAT?
YOUR KINDA THING, AM I RIGHT, JUNIE?
YOU'VE BEEN IN A BAD PLACE, JUNE--
PERSISTENT EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES, RIGHT?
MAYBE THIS WEIRD SCENE WILL PERK YOU UP.
I DON'T KNOW, ALAN--
THERE'S SOMETHING ODDLY FAMILIAR ABOUT THIS PLACE...
A KIND OF DÉJÀ VU...
...AH--YOU'RE HERE!
THE--MMMRR--YOUNG COUPLE.
THE MAWSTER'S BEEN EXPECTING YOU.
AND PLEASE--MY NAME IS... TOOMBS!
I'M--WELL, YOU MIGHT SAY I'M THE BUTLER HERE.
FOLLOW ME--AND TRY TO FORGIVE MY GROTESQUE PHYSICAL IMPERFECTIONS IF YOU CAN.
WHY, NOT AT ALL, MR. TOOMBS--I HAD NO IDEA!
I'M GUESSING THERE'S A DRESSING ROOM WHERE WE CAN CHANGE FOR THE COSTUME PARTY?
THE MASQUERADE, YES--THE CHANGE THAT'S COMING--
THEY'RE HERE, WAITING...
IT'S NOT MUCH FARTHER--
EVERYONE WHO'S ANYONE IS THROUGH HERE--
--BUT--THERE'S NO ONE.
ALAN--
IS THIS SOME KIND OF A JOKE?
MAYBE IT'S TIME I CAME CLEAN, JUNE MOONE.
NOT JUST ME, BUT ONE OR TWO OTHERS IN MY SOCIAL SET HAVE TAKEN TO DABBLING IN--
WELL, SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO CALL IT--SATANISM!
THING IS, SWEETHEART, I PLEDGED YOUR PRECIOUS, PRISTINE SOUL TO ENTITIES THAT WERE ANCIENT LONG BEFORE SATAN WAS CONCEIVED IN THE MIND OF MAN!
OUR LORD IS D'Z'AMOR OF THE PURPLE PLATEAU !
I PROMISED YOU TO HIM, JUNE--IN EXCHANGE FOR HER, THE ENCHANTRESS.
OH NO.
THE ENCHANTRESS.
SHE'S NOT REAL--SHE CAN'T BE--
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN, @#*%$?
HOW LONG SINCE YOU TRAPPED ME HERE, JUNE MOONE?
HURRY, ALAN DARLING!
THEY'RE ALMOST HERE!
D'Z'AMOR'S PURPLE PEOPLE-EATERS ARE AT MY HEELS!
NO!
THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!
ALAN, LET GO!
...YOU WONDER WHY YOU'VE BEEN FEELING SO WEAK, SO LISTLESS AND WEIRD--
SWEET, PRINCIPLED, BORING JUNE MOONE--
I'VE BEEN HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH YOUR SECRET ALTER EGO!
THE ENCHANTRESS IS EVERYTHING TIMID LITTLE JUNE WOULD NEVER DARE TO BE!
SHE'S EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED.
YOU?
WHERE IS THIS?
MY HEART--IT'S ON THE WRONG SIDE--
IN REVERSE!
YOU MAY CALL ME D'Z'AMOR.
THE PURPLE PLATEAU WELCOMES YOUR INNOCENCE, YOUR HNNNRRMM... GOODNESS.
THESE ARE THE SUGARY TREATS WE BLEAK ONES EXIST TO GORGE UPON.
WELCOME TO HELL, JUNE MOONE!
YOU WERE WAY TOO GOODY-TWO-SHOES FOR OUR PROGRESSIVE SET.
IT'S ME YOUR BOYFRIEND WANTS.
JUST AS D'Z'AMOR WANTS YOU, JUNIE MOONIE.
SURRENDER YOURSELF TO ABSTRACT EVIL, LIKE I DID!
WHAT'S HAPPENING--
OH, PLEASE!
PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO ME!
EMBRACE EVIL.
BECOME EVIL.
EVIL IS SO MUCH MORE FUN!
THEY'RE--
MMRRFFF!
SOMEBODY HELP ME!
THEY'RE COMING!
NONE OF IT'S REAL--POOR, SWEET JUNE--
NONE OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING-IS REAL--
IT'LL BE OKAY--
NO, IT WON'T--
ALAN, DON'T LET THEM--PLEASE--NOT MY MIND--
NOT AGAIN!
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF ME...
YOU'RE SO TERRIBLY UNWELL, JUNE!
WHY ELSE ARE YOU HAVING OUR BABY IN A HAUNTED MENTAL HOSPITAL?
I MEAN, AFTER WHAT HAPPENED--
WHAT IF IT'S SCHIZOPHRENIA, JUNIE, DEAR?
IT'S A LAST RESORT, BUT IN HOPELESS CASES LIKE HERS--
--I HIGHLY RECOMMEND--
FRONTAL LOBOTOMY!
WHAT IS THIS?
IT'S REAL AND IT'S NOT?
IT'S READING AS SPACE-TIME DAMAGE.
GRAVITATIONAL AND THERMAL ANOMALIES CONSISTENT WITH HEAVY-MATTER INTRUSION.
THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE KEEPING HER?
FREEZING ONE MINUTE, BURNING THE NEXT--
MORE LIKE SHE'S KEEPING HERSELF.
...WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY?
I HAVE A DARK, ANGRY SIDE--I THINK BAD THOUGHTS SOMETIMES--I--I--I LOST MY BABY--LOST MY MIND--
IS THAT WHY I'M HERE?
SWEET JUNE MOONE, YOUR ONLY SIN WAS BEING VULNERABLE.
GOOD IN A WORLD WHERE NOTHING CAN SAVE THE GOOD AND THE KIND FROM WHAT'S COMING DOWN.
GOD IS DEAD, YOU SEE
SLURRTHE
NO POWER ON EARTH EXISTS TO--
WE DISAGREE.
Ow..
JUNE MOONE!
JUNE. YOU'RE IN HELL--
BUT THAT MEANS YOU ARE TOO...
IT JUST HAPPENED.
IT'S MY FAULT--
EVERYTHING'S MY FAULT--
NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
TAKE MY HAND.
WE'RE HERE TO GET YOU OUT...
NEXT:
SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY
In HELL!
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