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When we last left our hero, he was struggling through a sandstorm on this desolate red-sun planet, while his arch-enemy Lex Luthor was holed up snug as a creep in a rug.
How doe we get from that scene to the splash panel above? Read on, dear reader!
The sandstorm has passed, and Kal-El of Krypton stumbles upon a deserted city. Weak and dehydrated, he finds a way to get water, and sacks out in the ruins of an empty building.
Meanwhile, Luthor has set off in a different direction, and finds … people! Amidst the ruins of their once-great civilization, they appear to have reverted to near-savagery. Amongst abandoned irrigation machines, they water their meager crops by hand and are unable to chase away marauding birds.
Until Luthor quickly analyzes the mechanism of one of the machines and uses a burst of water to drive the pests away.
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Lionized by the grateful populace, Luthor is led to an old museum and there finds a way to communicate with the people. He promises to try and help their plight, all the while convincing himself that in this way their gratitude will drive them to seek out Superman for him.
Or is there a bit of altruism there? These desperate near-barbarians need a technological savior, and that’s just the role Lex Luthor craves.
Still, inside Luthor is gnawed by the knowledge that this has become truly a desert world. No amount of digging will find enough water to save these people in the long run. They have hailed him as their great savior, but it rings hollow in Luthor’s ears.
Suddenly, Superman appears, having tracked down Luthor. The people quickly move to destroy the enemy of their great hero, but Luthor squelches that, agreeing to honor the original single-combat pact made with Superman.
However, they will now meet in an arena, surrounded by the populace of this great wreck of a city, and will each have an arsenal of super-weapons rescued by Luthor from the museum of science.
Soon whirlwinds and miniature suns collide, but – as we all knew it would – it all boils down to man against man. Remember that robot hound seen on the splash page of chapter one of this tale? Out it comes, sicced onto Superman.
But, don’t forget, Superman is a scientist and the son of a scientist. while wrestling with the robot beast, he manages to dislodge some control wires and disable it.
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That’s when Luthor decides to get his hands dirty again, and he dives onto Superman. Around they roll, and Superman thinks Luthor might prevail, until suddenly the Earthman weakens. He folds. He agrees to return to prison.
Once again in outer space, Luthor explains the plight of the natives of the planet they have just left. Only Superman’s great powers, now returned, can bring water, and new life, to the desert world.
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And so it comes to pass. The Man of Steel hurls great masses of ice towards the planet, and the giant digging machines reactivated by Luthor begin to dig a series of Mars-like canals to carry the water throughout the lands.
And as the waters rise and bring new life to this once-dying planet, the people give thanks for their savior, Lex Luthor, who has brought this to pass.
Wait a minute, you say. Superman saved the people. I ask you, did he do it alone? If Luthor hadn’t suddenly given up the battle and surrendered, would there be water on this dry world? If Luthor hadn’t explained the people’s plight to Superman and intervened to have the hero send that water, would life be blooming there?
Luthor! you old softie!
