- About seven billion people are running around on the planet without superpowers, and they're not crying about it.
- — Huntress
Batman/Superman #9 is an issue of the series Batman/Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 2014. It was published on April 23, 2014.
Synopsis for "First Contact, Part 3"
Hiro Okamura receives a call from Superman, begging for help. He needs a specific order from Hiro's toy manufacturing facility rush delivered to Pier 61 on the east bank of New Gamorra - and he needs that order to dodge customs. Though he is apprehensive about that last requirement, Hiro is eager to comply.
A day later, on New Gamorra, Superman is in bad shape, having been affected by nanites that are making his powers go out of control. The only thing keeping that in check is the ring of Kryptonite wrapped around his neck - and the watchful eye of Helena Wayne - the Huntress. When accosted by New Gamorran militia, she is forced to protect him from their attempts to rip off the Kryptonite ring. Unfortunately, she fails to stop them. Hurriedly, she gets the cops out of range and grabs the Kryptonite, in hopes of putting it back around Superman's neck.
Helena's friend Kara is in a similarly sticky situation, with Kaizen Gamorra setting his men upon her in his lab. She had once had a brief romance with his double on Earth 2, but this man appears to be all evil, having stolen her DNA to make an army of super-soldiers. Unfortunately, she was also affected by Nanites, and Batman refuses to let her help fight. He has his reasons besides the fact that she was nearly exploding just the day before. Kaizen Gamorra is trying to open a portal to her world, and he still isn't sure he trusts her or her cousin. Bruce remembers the Superman he met on her world. He was older, more arrogant, and more powerful than his Superman. He is concerned that if Power Girl gets to the other side of a portal to that world her dangerous cousin resides on.
Helena remembers her world's Superman as well, and this world's Superman is quite different. She begs him to put on the Kryptonite ring again, but he refuses, claiming that he's fine, though obviously far too powerful. His words are so loud that he causes an earthquake, and nearly crushes Helena under a boulder. At the last moment, he catches it, and she grumpily shoves the Kryptonite into his face, and he knows he has to give up all the power. Helena reminds that there are nearly 7 billion people on earth who don't have his super-powers, and they're not crying about it. Sighing, Clark comments that she sounds like her father. Her expression darkens, and she reminds that this world's Batman is not her father. Her Batman is dead. The mention frees the locked memories of his visit to Earth 2, and his encounter with that world's Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
As Kaizen opens the portal, Kara finds herself fighting against her dream to go home, trying to prevent him from successfully opening the door to her home. Unfortunately, she is too late to stop him from activating the portal, and the blast of light catches Superman's attention. Fortunately, Hiro's delivery arrives just in time. It is a kind of containment suit that will allow him to continue on without the need for the Kryptonite. Quickly, he and Helena rush up to help Kara and Batman. Fortunately, they are still alright, but they warn that the portal cannot simply be destroyed. It must be closed properly.
Reluctantly, Superman uses the adaptive armour of his containment suit to close the portal, but his power is unleashed in the process. Fortunately, as the portal closes, Superman senses that the nanites in his body have burnt out. Something on the other side of the portal did what they couldn't. As Batman and Superman realize that both of them have been to that other world, Kara and Helena re-open the portal in the hopes of getting back to their universe - but what they see through the portal is only destruction.
Appearing in "First Contact, Part 3"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Batman (Earth 2) (Flashback only)
- Superman (Earth 2) (Flashback only)
- Wonder Woman (Earth 2) (Flashback only)
- Darkseid (Flashback only)
- Kaiyo (Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Batman/Superman: Game Over.
- The story is continued from Worlds' Finest #20 and concludes in Worlds' Finest #21.
See Also