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"Sanctuary": In Cairo, Egypt, Doctor Fate meets an archaeologist who leads him down an ancient tomb rumored to be the eternal prison of a dark god trapped more than 5000 years ago. The tomb was recently breached by some archaeologists, who were then injured, and the le

Quote1 An ancient evil has awoken, Superman, seeking sanctuary in the one place no one can destroy it. You know that I would never come here unless this was a matter of the utmost urgency... If this unholy communion of souls did not threaten every living thing in the natural world. Quote2
Doctor Fate

Superman Adventures #34 is an issue of the series Superman Adventures (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1999.

Synopsis for "Sanctuary"

In Cairo, Egypt, Doctor Fate meets an archaeologist who leads him down an ancient tomb rumored to be the eternal prison of a dark god trapped more than 5000 years ago. The tomb was recently breached by some archaeologists, who were then injured, and the leader was supposedly possessed by the evil spirit.

Two weeks later, in Metropolis Harbor, a car comes speeding out of a ship from Morocco and starts driving recklessly, resulting in a truck falling off a bridge. Superman saves it, but the car crashes into a lamppost and bursts into flames. However, the driver is miraculously unharmed and is taken to a hospital while Superman douses the fire. As Jimmy goes to talk with Lois nearby, she knocks him back and runs off, with unusual red eyes.

Inside the Tower of Fate, Inza asks Doctor Fate why greater precautions weren't taken to contain the demon, to which he responds that Nabu himself knows nothing about it and it cannot be traced while it possesses a human body. Fate retells the history of the creature, who the ancient Egyptians named "Derr", which means "sanctuary". According to legend, everyone from slave to pharaoh had been possessed by this evil spirit, until the high priests mummified its essence. Derr remained beneath the desert for millennia until it was reawakened and possessed one of the archeologists, traveling across Africa to Morocco while switching bodies. As Nelson begins to doubt his decision to continue as Doctor Fate, Inza suggests thinking of who the creature's target is, and they both come to a dreadful conclusion.

Kent Nelson DCAU 0002

Superman possessed

At the Daily Planet, Clark is checking on the hospitalized driver when he is interrupted by Doctor Fate, who tells him he is in grave danger and reveals his Superman costume. However, Fate casts a spell that renders them invisible to others, and informs Superman of the demon. Suddenly, a possessed Lois attacks the two of them, tackling Superman out of the building. However, when she gets up she is disoriented, and now Superman goes berserk. Overpowered and unable to exorcise the demon, Doctor Fate resorts to banishing Superman to an infernal dimension. However, Lois protests that the spirit isn't evil, but rather afraid and seeking sanctuary, prompting Fate to reach into its mind. There, Derr explains that he was a traveler who crash-landed in ancient Egypt, possessing humans to survive in the poisonous atmosphere of Earth. He became an entire dynasty of kings and pharaohs, constructing pyramids in the design of a map of his star system, ultimately striving to return home. However, others discovered his spacecraft and imprisoned him, and when he was liberated human speech was more difficult to control.

With this newfound knowledge, Doctor Fate allows Derr to use Superman to return to his homeworld, where he finally finds sanctuary.

Appearing in "Sanctuary"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Derr (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:



Notes

Trivia


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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