I can't save this one for "The End" of the year? Aw, shoot.

Out in the garage I still have a small bin of orphan Build-a-Figure/Collect-n-Connect pieces, including several of Imperiex. Who we don't really see this time, except as a big ball of energy, at an increasingly crowded event in the DC Universe--even more crowded than this crossover event! From 2001, Action Comics #782, "Trial by Fire" Written by Joe Kelly, pencils by Kano, inks by Marlo Alquiza. (I didn't scan it, but there's a big "The End" on the cover!)

This was not-quite the big finish to the "Our Worlds At War" storyline, which is sadly probably best remembered for ending just before 9-11. So, there was some imagery of Luthor's wrecked twin towers that was just badly timed; and a lot of mourning for a bunch of characters who were killed over the course of OWaW: Aquaman, Hippolyta, Sam Lane, General Rock (if he was real) and the Kents...I think Steel and Guy Gardner both got it, too; but only some Superman regular antagonists like Massacre and Maxima stayed dead. (Justice for Maxima!) But, in this chapter, having flown through the sun to juice his powers up, Superman was headed at Imperiex like a bullet. Imperiex was already done, though, having been taken over by Brainiac-13. Back on earth, with General Zod seemingly there in an observer status, Lex Luthor was preparing to use his daughter Lena, to fire his LexCorp towers at Brainiac-13, but the computerized villain steals Lena away first, leaving Lex without a trigger for his weapon. Superman arrives, seemingly with nothing but death and destruction on his mind...

A bunch of events occur, only some of which maybe are seen in other comics: Wonder Woman helps Darkseid use Tempest (Aqualad!) and the Amazons to focus energy through Steel's "Entropy Aegis" armor, while Lex plugs Jimmy Olsen into his tower weapon. But, Imperiex appears to Superman, wanting him to destroy Warworld and Brainiac-13, so he would be released to return. Instead, Superman pushes Warworld back into position, while the Martian Manhunter co-ordinates the new plan with everyone: throwing Warworld, Brainiac-13, and Imperiex back to the big bang. Superman escapes back to the present with Lena, while Imperiex realizes the imperfection he always hated in the universe was actually himself.

With Lena seemingly de-aged back to a baby, Superman returns her to President Luthor, saying this was a second chance for him. (Which he'd doubtless blow, I have no idea what happened to that kid...) Darkseid returns home, since even Apokolips had suffered greatly giving cheap heat in battle against Imperiex. 

 I think they were trying to get across that Superman, being Superman, would have a better answer to Super-war than Super-murder; but I'm pretty sure if you get blowed up at the Big Bang you're still Super-Dead. Also, why don't we see the traditional giant hand you're not supposed to see, or Damage from Zero Hour there? The Big Bang is crowded in the DC Universe...We saw the wrap-up issue World's Finest: Our Worlds at War #1 like ten years back; but looking him up, about the only other thing Imperiex ever appeared in was the last season of the Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon. With a simplified design; that outfit was busy.