Stephen Mori

"Admittedly, I'm not comfortable... with a being from another planet as dangerous as him on the loose... But the optics? Superman is popular."

―Stephen Mori to Lex Luthor^[src]

Secretary of Defense General Stephen Mori is the head of the United States Department of Defense.

Biography[]

Boravian-Jarhanpurian War[]

Meeting with Lex Luthor[]

"You know what? It doesn’t matter, Lex. Because without solid proof of malicious intent, it’s just not worth the risk."

―Stephen Mori to Lex Luthor^[src]

Following Superman's unauthorized actions against the United States' Boravian allies, Secretary of Defense Stephen Mori, along with the directors of the other agencies, met with Lex Luthor at the Pentagon. There, Luthor presented PlanetWatch and its members, detailing their origins and capabilities in the face of any threat, and urged the Department to consider hiring them to counter Superman. Mori admitted his discomfort with Superman's presence but acknowledged the hero's widespread, albeit waning, popularity. Although Luthor claimed to have a viable way to do so, Mori rejected the proposal, stating that there was no conclusive evidence of the Kryptonian's malicious intentions.^[1]

Discussion with Rick Flag, Sr.[]

"You buying this?"
"I don't put anything past Luthor, Rick. But the message is authentic. If the Kryptonian is a danger, we have to act."

―Rick Flag, Sr. and Stephen Mori^[src]

Days later, Lex Luthor made public the message from Superman's parents, revealing his true mission: to conquer Earth under the name of the House of El of Krypton and form a harem of wives to conceive the future Kryptonian heirs who would be the next rulers of humanity. In retaliation for the revelation, Mori was recalled to the Pentagon, where he met with Rick Flag, Sr., in the company of several reporters before entering the conference room to discuss the controversy surrounding Superman. Flag Sr. questioned Mori about whether he believed Luthor's words; however, the Secretary declared the message authentic and decided to take action against him.^[1]

Invasion of Jarhanpur[]

"I'm glad you're not concerned about the metahumans, Rick. Because now, they're the ones making the rules."

―Stephen Mori to Rick Flag, Sr.^[src]

The Daily Planet published an exposé of Lex Luthor's corrupt conspiracy with President Vasil Ghurkos of Boravia to ruin Superman's reputation and acquire the lands of Jarhanpur, which led to Luthor's arrest at Belle Reve Correctional Center. Simultaneously, Flag Sr. and Mori were in the Pentagon's conference room, where they observed the Justice Gang interfering in the Boravian-Jarhanpurian War to defend the Jarhanpurians. Mori sarcastically praised Flag Sr. for his faith in metahumans, acknowledging that they were beginning to dominate the world.^[1]

Establishment of Salvation[]

Meeting with A.R.G.U.S.[]

"So, on... on Salvation, that's... that's where we build the prison?"
"No, no, Mr. Secretary. Salvation is the prison."

―Stephen Mori and Rick Flag, Sr.^[src]

Following the discovery of Salvation, A.R.G.U.S. Director Rick Flag, Sr. gave a presentation to Stephen Mori inside the Pentagon, discussing the planet they had found and how they had created a method of traveling there without the Quantum Unfolding Chamber. Mori then asked if they would build the prison on Salvation, to which Flag clarified that Salvation itself was the prison, as they could move the entrance each time they used it, and the prisoners wouldn't be able to predict where they would enter, ensuring they couldn't return. When Mori asked if it was only for metahumans, Flag confirmed it was, but said he needed to resolve some legal issues first.

Upon reviewing the files, Mori remarked that the plan didn't seem like a punishment, which Flag said didn't concern him, as he only wanted to remove dangerous metahumans, promising that no one could escape Salvation. Mori commented on Flag's implementation of a plan similar to Lex Luthor's, admiring the project as a great plan. During the presentation, Mori confessed to not having read the entire document, but suggested some kind of vaporizer as a trap for metahumans, which confused Flag, who asked if he was making it up.^[2]