Random Happenstance

I was thinking about DC's Elseworlds annuals when I pulled this one out of the box, but it was another Legends of the Dead Earth one. From 1996, Superman: the Man of Steel Annual #6, "The Never-Ending Battle" Written by Kurt Busiek, layouts by Paul Ryan, finishes by Joe Rubinstein.

On a far-off planet, under a red sun, young fisherman Kaleb is possibly the only survivor of an alien invasion, rescued by other aliens: a human-looking science team, that seem interested in him as well. He gets injured, along with a pretty science officer, but after they manage to escape Kaleb is healed remarkably quickly, under a bank of lights. The officer, Lang, was still injured, though: Kaleb had healed because he could be a potential Superman. Which hints at why his people were wiped out, by the Empire. (Not that one!) Kaleb gets the usual super powers, but the Empire ships aren't pushovers: they seem to know what his weaknesses would be. The commanding officer uses that as a teachable moment: Kaleb wasn't immortal, and victory wasn't assured, but he won't abandon them...mainly because of Lang.

The new Superman and Lang are a couple fairly quickly, as much as they can be during wartime; and are sent undercover to the center of the Empire, Metropole. Kaleb enters the annual games to become part of the Imperial Guard (not that one, either!) but is outed as Superman, then trapped by energy-draining cables and beat down. All according to plan, as that gets him to the emperor: Lex Luthor. The 60th, having transplanted himself to a new clone body over and over. This Lex was a bit on in years, and seems to think Kaleb was the original Superman reborn or resurrected again: he won't be fooled by the "death" of Superman again. But, Lex had assumed Superman would be working alone; and wasn't prepared for Lang and the others to help out. When the fight reaches a stalemate and more imperial reinforcements on the way, Kaleb hurts Lex the only way he can: destroying the new clone body he had just about cooked to perfection!

Superman and Lang had also stolen the "Krypton protocols" from Lex, and find another planet, of peaceful farmers living harmlessly under a red sun. Should they be recruited to destroy the Empire? Or destroyed themselves before they go bad? Kaleb knows it would be nice to have help, but couldn't ask or force anyone into it, and convinces them to leave the farmers alone. But he does visit that planet, before the final battle against Lex's empire, so Lang could safely have their baby, under a red sun.

We've only seen one of the other Superman LotDE annuals here, Action Comics Annual #8, featuring Bizarro. There's an Adventures one that I'm pretty sure is an alien getting possessed like the Eradicator, and a "League of Supermen!" in the Superman Annual. I feel like I've read that one: a bunch of humans are given one power each, but I think one of them turns on the others...But, I don't think I had read this issue before now, so glad I grabbed it!