Superman: Birthright # 12 - The Hero Emerges

With the kryptonite removed, most of the robots attacking Metropolis are revealed as holograms and vanish, along with the kryptonite web over the city. A horde of vengeful citizens assault the "Kryptonians" while Superman punches out Van-gar.

Back at LexCorp, Luthor grabs the kryptonite crystal from Lois's hands and demands she tell him how much she knows. When Lois tells him everyone will know about his hoax, Lex smacks her across the face and drags her by her neck, telling her his real intention was never to merely view old recordings of Krypton, but to establish contact. He drags Lois to a wall, where he uses a remote control to open out to a balcony. He reveals that he placed a kryptonite bomb inside the suit of every "Kryptonian" soldier and that they are primed to go off and take out Superman in the blast. However his men don't know about the bombs, since Luthor "sort of left that part out of the hiring brief." He then shoves Lois off the skyscraper balcony.

Superman is still down below and grappling with Van-gar, whose armor suddenly starts glowing green. Superman soars up with Van-gar in his grip, ripping the bomb off moments before it explodes. In the instant before Lois hits the ground, Superman rushes up and catches her just in time.

Superman returns to Lexcorp, where Luthor is feverishly trying to reconnect with the static images to Krypton, this time to establish direct contact. Luthor begins requesting to be sent weapons before the machine overloads in his face, sending him flying back. Superman grabs him and tells him it's over. Luthor turns to him with kryptonite shards imbedded in his face and a look of hatred. He attacks Superman as the kryptonite radiating from the machine leaves him vulnerable once more. As the two battle, visions of the imminent destruction of Krypton swirl on the viewscreen; Back on Krypton, many years in the past, one of the Kryptonians points to the sparring adversaries and says he can see them on his viewing screen, he wonders if they are real. A desperate Luthor screams out "No! I am real!...We can save each other!" Superman refuses to let him carry through and throws him across the floor. Just then, Jor-El and Lara appear seconds after they have launched baby Kal-El and say goodbye to one another. An awestruck Superman realizes that is his name: Kal-El.

Luthor attacks Superman from behind, telling him he's doing him a favor, it's agony to be alone in the world. Superman tells Luthor he wasn’t always alone, he made his choice, and punches him several times across the jaw. A bloodied Luthor falls defeated as Superman runs up and calls out something into the void; but the transmission is cut off too soon, and Superman thinks his parents never heard what he was trying to tell them.

In the aftermath, Luthor is scarred from the kryptonite shrapnel that sprayed in his face, and is facing indictment. Clark Kent writes the article that ruins Luthor's reputation, although Luthor has already assembled his lawyers and will probably beat the charges. "Van-gar" was actually the leader of a group of extremist survivalists. Clark and Lois resolve their differences, with Lois revealing she intercepted Clark' resignation letter, knowing he wouldn't quit. She says that people will know what the Superman symbol means from now on: it means hope.

During the last moments of Krypton, Jor-El and Lara look at a viewing screen with a static image crackling from it. A figure, barely visible and wearing the S-shield on his chest, says, "Mother...Father...I made it." Realizing that their efforts were successful, Jor-El and Lara kiss as the building collapses around them.