Superman: Rebirth

***Superman: Rebirth*** is the first installment of the DC Revamped Universe, being a part of Phase 1, and the first title of the Superman Trilogy.

## Synopsis

Four years after becoming Superman, Clark Kent encounters a powerful villain named Parasite and makes the biggest mistake of his life. With this, he becomes indirectly responsible for the birth of Metallo, a new dangerous enemy with a deadly power source. However, who is really behind this so-called Metallo?

## Plot

"*Home... I need... to get... home.*"
— Glonth

Rudolph Jones, a scientist at S.T.A.R. Labs in the Metropolis branch, is conducting shock experiments on a parasitic life form that feeds on energy, referred to by him as "Bloodline". The life form manages to break free from its glass cell and enters Rudy's body through his mouth, taking over his consciousness. However, he passes out, waking up at dawn in the Metropolis hospital.

**Glonth**: "*Super...man...*"
**Rudy**: "*Please... don't...*"
— Glonth and Rudolph at the Hospital

Upon waking, Rudy sees the Daily Planet broadcast about the celebration of the four years since Superman appeared in the city, which will happen the next day. The Parasite in his mind sees this, and sees the hero as a feast of energy. He then makes Rudy get up from his bed. When he passes the hospital guards, he sucks the life energy out of them leaving them lifeless on the floor. Each life the Parasite absorbs, slowly transforms Rudy into a monstrous humanoid.

**Lois**: "*Oh, come on, it's your day! You should enjoy it.*"
**Clark**: "*Well, it is friday... I guess we could maybe go out later tonight.*"
**Lois**: "*And leave Jon with your parents...*"
— Clark and Lois on the phone

In the morning, Clark Kent is at work break beside his boss Perry White, talking on his phone to his wife Lois, who is at home with their son, Jon. Lois is watching a speech by Frank Berkowitz, the mayor of Metropolis, talking about what an honour it is to have met Superman in person. The "Superman Day" is interrupted when Parasite, now in a completely monstruous form, appears in Metropolis Park, demanding to see the hero. Lois immediately calls Clark upon seeing this on the news, but he does not respond as he had already heard the Parasite's call with his super-hearing.

**Clark**: "*We could ask for help at S.T.A.R. Labs, I can get in contact with Doctor Klyburn and–*"
**Glonth**: "*They locked me up! I had no choice! This man is the real Parasite!*"
— Superman and Glonth arguing

Superman tries to talk peacefully to the creature, trying to appeal to its human side. Superman asks its name, and the human part of Rudy answers. The hero asks the Parasite what it wants. The monster tells him that he needs energy to survive, if not, he will die quickly as this is not his planet. Superman tells him that they can ask S.T.A.R. Labs for help, but Parasite gets angry saying that this is their fault. The creature jumps towards Superman, and a fight breaks out. He keeps trying to talk to the human part of Rudy, but to no avail. The Parasite begins to absorb the hero's energy, and Clark warns him to stop. The two are in the city center, and Superman is unable to fly away as he is being held down. The Parasite absorbs his energy, but the energy is so great that the creature's body can't take it. This causes a gigantic explosion, destroying Superman's suit made by S.T.A.R. Labs, killing hundreds of innocent people, including the Parasite and Rudy Jones. Superman is left in shock, and flies off into space in tears.

**Clark**: "*I can't... Everyone hates me for that now, and they're not wrong.*"
**Lois**: "*Not everyone. Not me. Not Jon, Lana, your parents. You have people that believe in you, Clark. And even if no one did, I'd still be here with you, my Man of Tomorrow.*"
— Lois and Clark at the Kent Farm

Three months pass, and no sign of Superman in Metropolis. Clark is spending time with Lois and Jon in Smallville on his parents' farm. There, Lois and Clark's mother, Martha are playing with Jon and wondering if he has powers too. Meanwhile, Clark talks to his father, who tries to convince him to become a hero again. Clark says that a hero doesn't cause as much destruction as he did, and that everyone hates him now. His father then tells him that not everyone, and Clark sees a childhood friend of his approaching, Lana Lang. The two greet each other, and Lana tries go convince Clark to try to go back to being a local hero in Smallville at least, trying to make his way back slowly until he's ready to return to Metropolis. Clark then hears his mother calling him. She takes his old handmade suit from the attic and gives it to back him. Still reluctant, he talks to Lois, who says she will always be there to support him, which gives him the incentive he needed.

**John**: "*What did you turn me into?*"
**Lex**: "*The next step.*"
— Lex and John at the Cadmus Facility

Meanwhile, John Corben, an ex-military man who lost his family in the fight between Superman and Parasite, is unconscious in a mysterious lab. He wakes up, and sees that his body has been completely replaced by a robotic one. Alexander Luthor and LexCorp scientist Serling Roquette show up to talk to Corben. Roquette explains that his body was completely destroyed by the debris caused by the explosion, which also killed his wife and daughter. However, his brain was saved, and now his new body is powered by Kryptonite, a seemingly infinite energy material that LexCorp found on the ship that brought Superman to Earth, that was now in the hands of the government. Luthor asks John not to leave the lab, but discreetly leaves the door unlocked.

**Frank**: "*You're a hero, Superman. I know that. I know it wasn't your fault, it was that... thing.*"
**Clark**: "*Don't call him a thing. He had a name just like me, you, and all of the lost souls from that day.* "
— Mayor Berkowitz and Superman at Metropolis

Superman is back in action in Smallville. Over a period of a week, he performs a number of heroic acts, including stopping a bank robbery. During this time, he hears a teenage girl talking to herself about committing suicide from the top of a building. The young woman is in Metropolis tho, but Superman doesn't think twice before flying there. Arriving there, he talks to her, and she tells him that she has already made too many mistakes in her life. He tells her that he made the biggest mistake of his life three months ago, but that can't be the reason he gives up. The young woman hugs him, and her father who was running up the stairs arrives panting at the top of the building. The young woman was Suzie Berkowitz, daughter of the mayor of Metropolis. Her father tells Superman that he knows the explosion wasn't his fault, but it's not easy to convince everyone on Metropolis of that.

**John**: "*Oh... This. This makes you weak, doesn't it? Mr. Luthor's gonna be surprised when he hears that.*"
**Clark**: "*Wait. Luthor...?*"
— Superman and Metallo during their fight in Smallville

During the conversation with the mayor, Superman hears Lois screaming from Smallville, and flies there as fast as he can. There, he finds John Corben at the Kent Farm. John tells him that he saw on the news that he was in Smallville, and asks Superman if he remembers the dead from the Metropolis fight, with the hero answering that he memorized the entire list. However, John says his name and that of his family, and Superman doesn't remember it, which makes the man furious. John tries to attack Lois who was right next to him, but the hero flies in his direction, launching him away. During a long battle, Superman seems to get weaker and weaker, which surprises even Corben. Clark then notices that his body is powered by a green rock, and John says that rock came from Superman's planet, and it was Luthor who saved him by giving him a new body powered by it, calling it the Metallo Project. Clark is confused as he has always had a peaceful relationship with Luthor, so he wonders what's Lex's relation to this. During the fight when Corben is holding the hero by the neck slowly hanging him, he is hit by a truck, which is being driven by Superman's own father, Jonathan Kent. Metallo falls to the ground, and Superman has time to catch his breath. He then removes the kryptonite from Metallo's chest, and gives it to Lois. Without his power source, Metallo is "turned off", being escorted by LexCorp personnel disguised as military who have just arrived in the area.

"*You haven't even scratched the tip of the iceberg, Lois. This is much bigger than the both of us.*"
— J'onn (disguised as Ronald Trope) to Lois Lane

Back in Metropolis, Clark and Lois had started a secret investigation about Lex Luthor and the "Metallo Project". Months pass, and Lois is at home researching LexCorp. She is then visited by Ronald Troupe, an old friend and informant for the Daily Planet who was helping the couple with the investigation. Troupe gives her some files, and tells her the Metallo Project was just the tip of the iceberg, being part of something much bigger called Cadmus Program. Troupe also reveals that Metallo's family was erased from the victims list by LexCorp.

Meanwhile, Superman is in the place where the government keeps the ship that brought him to Earth stored; Area 51. As the government knows he is an alien, he has freedom to come and go from this area. Clark spends some time fiddling with his Pod, trying to turn it on to see if he can find any information about that green rock that weakened him. He then hears the voices of his biological parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van for the first time, in the form of two holographic AIs. His parents' AIs tell him to go to the Arctic desert, where he would find an old secret Kryptonian Base. Superman takes the device containing his parents' AIs and flies to the exact coordinates he was told, finding a large abandoned base. He then connects the AI device in the main computer of the Fortress, which would be his new Fortress of Solitude.

## Post-Credits

### 1st Scene

"*I know you mentioned my name to Superman, aswell as the Metallo Project itself. So, Mr. Corben, as my father would say: Every. Action. Has. Consequences.*"
— Lex to John at the Cadmus Facility

Metallo was actually taken by the LexCorp personnel back to Cadmus Program. Luthor tells him that he knows Metallo mentioned his name to Superman, and that no more information can get out about Cadmus Program. He then orders Mercy Graves to execute Metallo, and she obeys.

### 2nd Scene

**Bruce**: "*You're sure it's here, Alfred?*"
**Alfred**: "*According to the coordinates, master Bruce, you should be standing on it.*"
**Bruce**: "*Looks like the Green Glowing Space-Man lied to us.*"
— Batman looking for the Fortress of Solitude

Four years after the fight between Superman and Metallo, Batman lands his Batplane in the Arctic. He is in his snowsuit, talking to Alfred on his communicator while walking in search of the Fortress of Solitude. When he finds the coordinates, the Fortress is invisible. The place then appears out of nowhere, and Superman comes out explaining that it's just a safety measure. He greets Batman, who tells him he needs his help.

## Appearances

Alexander LuthorAlfred Pennyworth
(post-credits, voice only)Bruce Wayne
(post-credits)Clark KentFrank BerkowitzGlonth (art by colin shulver).pngGlonthJ'onn J'onzz
(human form)Jenet KlyburnJenet Klyburn
(mentioned)John CorbenJohn Stewart
(post-credits, indirectly mentioned)Jon KentJonathan KentJor-El
(holographic AI)Lana LangLara Lor-Van
(holographic AI)Lionel LuthorLionel Luthor
(post-credits, indirectly mentioned)Lois LaneMartha KentMercy Graves
(post-credits)Perry WhiteRudolph JonesSerling RoquetteSuzie Berkowitz

## Trivia

* Originally, Metallo would not be killed in the post-credits. He would instead be invited by Luthor to join the Legion of Doom, who would be the original antagonists of the first Justice League film before they were replaced by Brainiac.