- "Kaiju steaks all around, huh?"
"I was hoping we could capture it and take it to an intergalactic zoo or... at least euthanize it less painfully."
"Come on, bro, don't be such a wuss." - ―Guy Gardner and Superman[src]
The Attack on Metropolis was a Kaiju attack orchestrated by Lex Luthor to divert Superman, until he infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude and eventually revealed the message from his parents to the public.
Background[]
In his plan to retrieve information capable of destroy Superman's public image, Lex Luthor broke into the Fortress of Solitude and ordered the Engineer to steal Jor-El's message to his son, including the damaged-and still yet unknown-part. To keep Superman distracted from discovering them, Luthor sent Otis Berg and Sydney Happersen near Metropolis harbor to unleash a small fire-breathing creature.[1]
Attack[]
In a matter of hours, the creature became a colossal Kaiju, reaching the size of a skyscraper and attacked Metropolis. Superman immediately engaged the creature in battle, punching it repeatedly, while preventing any civilians or animals from being injured. After saving a woman from being crushed, he witnessed the arrival of the Justice Gang who joined the battle under the public's acclaims.
Guy Gardner ordered the area to be evacuated before he and Hawkgirl attacked the Kaiju, while Mister Terrific used his T-Spheres to analyze and uncover any weak spot. As the trio were pursuing their assault against the creature, Superman kept saving people from being hurt-scolding his allies for their recklessness. He was then joined on a roof by Terrific and shared his plan to move the creature to a more isolated part to better study it.
However, Mister Terrific had another idea and ordered Hawkgirl and Gardner to target the Kaiju's eyes where he was the most sensitive-the winged warrior using her mace on the right eye while the Green Lantern created a jackhammer on the left one. Taking the opportunity of the creature's opened mouth, Mister Terrific sent three T-Spheres down its throat and detonated them in his stomach, killing the Kaiju. Its body was moved by Superman on a safe area.[1]
Aftermath[]
- "He's grooming us, lulling us into complacency so he can dominate without resistance, forging a path for his super-powered descendants to rule the Earth. I will not accept that. Will you?"
"You seem upset."
"I... I'm scared. I will admit that I am scared. Because who knows how large his secret harem is already?" - ―Lex Luthor to Cleavis Thornwaite[src]
Despite reassuring the crowd, Guy Gardner noticed no one was cheering as the news regarding the message of Superman's parents was revealed by Lex Luthor. The second half of the message having been translated, the world discovers-alongside Superman himself-that the Kryptonian has been sent here to rule Earth as its sole leader and to repopulate the planet.
A distraught Superman isolated himself inside a Stagg Industries building and was soon joined by the Justice Gang. After Guy Gardner gave them privacy with an energy field around the place, he and Hawkgirl asked Superman about the message's veracity. Superman revealed he never heard the second half before. Realizing Luthor broke into the Fortress of Solitude to steal the record and kidnap Krypto, he later confronted him in his office, to no avail.[1]