Story: "Escalation" (23 Pages)

Credits:

Joe Casey (plot, script)
Mike Wieringo (pencils)
Jose Marzan Jr. (inks)
Bill Seinkiewicz (art, p9)
Wildstorm FX (colors)
Bill Oakley (letters)
Tom Palmer Jr. and Eddie Berganza (edits)

Feature Character:

Superman (last in Superman #173; next in Superman: The Man of Steel #117)

Supporting Characters:

Lex Luthor (last in Superman #173; next in Superman: The Man of Steel #117)
Lois Lane (last in Superman #173; next in World's Finest: Our Worlds at War #1)
Lena Luthor (last in Superman: The Man of Steel #116; next in Superman: The Man of Steel #117)

Villains:

Parademons
Darkseid (last in Superman #173; next in Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #173)
Grayven (last in Superman: The Man of Steel #116; 'dies'; next in Green Lantern #143)
Ignition (last in JLA: Our Worlds at War #1; next in Superman: The Man of Steel #117)
Brainiac-13 (behind the scenes; last in Superman #173; next in Superman: The Man of Steel #117)

Guest Appearances:

Blackhawks
Kismet (last in Superman #173)
Secret
Robin III
L'il Lobo (all three last in Young Justice #36, and next in Young Justice #37, in Lobo's case following a flashback in Young Justice #38)

Synopsis:

Apokolips is at war with Earth and President Luthor is trapped inside the White House with no outside communications. On Apokolips, Grayven and Darkseid are interrupted by Superman, whom Darkseid thought was dead. It seems the Man of Steel was saved by his connection to Kismet, which took him briefly outside the universe in some way.

As Superman battles Darkseid, Lex Luthor is visited by his daughter, who reveals her allegiance to Brainiac-13. Luthor is not pleased to learn that he has been strung along and betrayed by her and so makes a new alliance of his own, with Zod and his people, promising to make Pokolistan a world power. Meanwhile, Darkseid and Superman realise that the true aggressors at the moment are Warworld. Grayven has been working with Brainiac-13 who plans to destroy both Apokolips and Earth; after Darkseid does away with his wayward son, he and Superman agree to fight their true enemy...to the death...

39