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SUPERMAN

38	SUPERMAN Vol. 2 #173 October 2001 [$2.25] Cover Credits: Ed McGuiness (pencils); Cam Smith (inks); Tanya and Richard Horie (colors)

Story: "The Red Badge of Courage" (22 Pages)

Credits: Jeph Loeb (plot, script); Ed McGuiness (pencils); Cam Smith (inks); Bill Seinkiewicz (pencils, inks, p12-13); Tanya and Rich Horie (colors); Richard Starkings (letters); Tom Palmer Jr. and Eddie Berganza (edits)

Feature Character: Superman (last in Action Comics #781; next in Adventures of Superman #595)

Guest Stars: Wonder Woman (last in Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #172; next in Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #173); Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner; last in Wonder Woman Vol. 2 #172; next in Action Comics #782); Strange Visitor (last in Superboy Vol. 3 #89; dies)

Supporting Characters: Lex Luthor (last in Action Comics #781; next in Adventures of Superman #595); Will Magnus (last in Action Comics #781); Frank Rock (last in Action Comics #781; next in World's Finest: Our Worlds at War #1); Emil Hamilton (last in Action Comics #781); Lois Lane (last in Action Comics #781; next in Adventures of Superman #595); Amanda Waller (last in Action Comics #781; next in World's Finest: Our Worlds at War #1)

Villains: Imperiex Prime; Darkseid (last in Impulse #77; next in Adventures of Superman #595); Brainiac-13 (last in Nightwing: Our Worlds at War #1, next, behind the scenes, in Adventures of Superman #595)

Guest Appearances: Atom II (next in World's Finest: Our Worlds at War #1); Blackhawks; Kismet (next in Adventures of Superman #595)

Synopsis:

Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern demand to be told how to end the conflict with Imperiex. According to the president's scientific and military advisors, now that his ship has been destroyed and his probes largely crippled, Imperiex himself is making his way to Earth to end what his probes began. The only chance Earth has is for Imperiex's armour to be cracked open and the energy that he is composed of to be returned to the galaxies it came from by way of a boom tube. And the only way for this to happen is for Superman to gain an extra boost to his power by 'absorbing' Strange Visitor.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Frank Rock and the Blackhawks head into space to join the forces of the alien alliance. Out in space as they prepare to act, Superman tells Strange Visitor that he'd like to train her further, but to his surprise, she says that won't be possible, she won't be coming back from this, discharging her self into Superman's body. As she does so, the voice of Kismet, a powerful feminine persona speaks, saying it inhabited the dying body of Sharon Vance, who then became Strange Visitor.

Superman is now the ultimate matter-energy combination. While his varied allies distract the behemoth, Superman flies directly at his chest, piercing the armour and releasing a massive amount of energy. This energy is then absorbed by Warworld which finally reveals its existence to the world. Brainiac-13, at the helm of Warworld, activates a device in Lexcorp towers which fires an immense burst of energy at Apokolips. Darkseid, of course, thinks that Earth has fired on him, and will retaliate in kind. The alliance is over.