The Duel of Metropolis was an encounter between the Hammer of Boravia and Superman in his attempt to stop the Boravian-Jarhanpurian War.
Background[]
- "So, this guy just flew into Midtown and started attacking people, demanding for Superman to show up?"
- ―Lois Lane to Clark Kent[src]
Three years after Superman's arrival in Metropolis, Lex Luthor orchestrated a complex scheme to eliminate him. He forged an alliance with Vasil Ghurkos, President of Boravia, agreeing to support his invasion of neighboring Jarhanpur in exchange of getting half of the country. The first wave of Boravian troops was quickly stopped by Superman, who disabled tanks and aircrafts without casualties. Superman then confronted President Ghurkos directly, flying him to the desert and pinning him against a cactus, warning him never to attempt an invasion in Jarhanpur again without consequences.
Three weeks later, Lex Luthor escalated his plan by sending Ultraman-a flawed clone of Superman-disguised as a fictional terrorist named the Hammer of Boravia. Donning a mechanized armor, Ultraman began wreaking havoc across Metropolis in what appeared to be retribution for Superman's earlier intervention in Boravia.[1]
Duel[]
Superman is healed by the yellow sun
- "He's back. Your five o'clock.
"Copy." - ―Lex Luthor and Hammer of Boravia[src]
Superman arrived to confront the Hammer of Boravia, but thanks to Lex Luthor's feeding him real-time combat instructions, the armored villain easily outmaneuvered his adversary. Unable to defend himself against an enemy who could anticipate his every move, Superman was swiftly overpowered-for the first time in his superhero career-and forced to retreat to the Fortress of Solitude to recover.
Superman loses his battle against the Hammer of Boravia
After healing from his injuries, Superman returned to Metropolis for a rematch. In his absence, the Hammer mocked Superman's retreat before the public and used his laser beams to attack a building. From his control room, Luthor alerted his henchman of Superman's return. The Hammer of Boravia immediately dashed towards his enemy and seized him by the neck before punching him. What followed was another brutal one-sided beating. With a relentless combos, Ultraman/Hammer gave Superman no opening to counterattack, eventually slamming him into the ground. As a crowd gathered, the Hammer delivered a warning about Superman's prior intervention in Boravia. A civilian helped the weakened hero, but Superman-too exhausted and injured to continue-watched as his foe departed marking another another victory for Lex Luthor.[1]
Aftermath[]
- "Show me. You show me what ties there are between Boravia and this Hammer!"
- ―Vasil Ghurkos[src]
Following this duel, Ultraman-still disguised as the Hammer of Boravia-flew to Fort Kramer where he accessed an interdimensional portal to return to LuthorCorp's control room. There he removed his helmet and was welcomed by Lex Luthor and his girlfriend, Eve, who congratulated him for his victory.
News of Superman’s defeat made front-page headlines in the Daily Planet, marking a significant turning point in public perception. It also divided opinions among the population between those supporting him and the others reproching him his actions in Boravia.
During the fight, the Engineer, Luthor's enforcer, had secretly followed Superman during his retreat and had discovered the location of the Fortress of Solitude. With Ultraman's help, Luthor later broke into the Fortress in search of a way to kill his longtime nemesis. Instead, he uncovered a recorded message from Superman’s Kryptonian parents. Seizing the opportunity, Luthor stole the message and weaponized it. The revelation of the message further damaged Superman's reputation and advanced Luthor's conspiracy to isolate and discredit the Man of Steel.[1]