Superman: The Man of Steel #52 is an issue of the series Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1996.
Synopsis for "Crime and Punishment"
Superman and Mope stand before the The Tribunal. Kal-El is in chains, and receives the news that his death date has been moved forward, as has that of Mope. The Cyborg is congratulated for his part in capturing the escapees. They are sentenced to view each other's "Death Worries" together, a previously unheard of punishment. Superman protests that Cyborg is evil.
Back in cell block A, Supergirl hears how Cyborg captured Superman after Superman saved Cyborg. In Cell Block C, Steel, Superboy, and others decide to rescue him. In Cellblock D, Alpha Centurion learns Superman will die at sundown.
Elsewhere, Superman and Mope prepare for death. Superman reveals to Mope that Brute, Mope's brother, won't be coming to save him, as he has been killed by the Tribunal. Superman promises to save Mope if he can. Mope is touched that Superman is thinking of others at the time of his own impending death.
Cyborg, in an aside, reveals his real plan--to take over the Tribunal world and turn it into his War World.
Suddenly, Superboy, Supergirl, Steel, and Eradicator all burst free of their bonds, mysteriously. Apparently, Alpha Centurion has circumvented his geneti-lock using "stolen circuits". He has turned off the locks of the other superheroes, but then discovers that Superman's death launch has been moved forward again by Cyborg, hiding the change as a "computer error". Cyborg then reveals his plan to pin the death on Alpha Centauri. At that moment, the supers all come upon AC, and decide to take him out, despite his protests that he is not Cyborg.
The Tribunal members realize that Cyborg may have infected their computer, and some do not wish an "unannointed one" to carry out the sentence against Superman and Mope. Others, however, would be happy to have anyone kill Kal-El. The rocket carrying Superman to his presumed date with death launches; suddenly Superboy and co. realize that Alpha Centauri is not lying, and streak upwards to try to save Superman.
On the rocket, Superman decides to try to disrupt the trajectory of the starship carrying him to doom at just the right moment, which he hypothesizes will cause the ship to explode, freeing him. Boom! It happens.
Cyborg has now infiltrated the entire computer and planet, and is attacking team of superheroes. Superman streaks out of the sky and clocks Cyborg a good one across his cheek. Cyborg exults that now he can kill Superman himself, and one of the Tribunal members is also gleeful about this possibility. Cyborg changes into a plasma cannon, firing plasma everywhere. Mope's chains are melted by the plasma, and he goes free--fighting his first instinct to run, he goes back to help Superman.
Superman, seeing Cyborg draw power from the world he is now integrated with, uses his heat vision to melt cyborg's connection. Cyborg, now separated from his power supply, is vulnerable to Superman's punches. He is knocked out, and Superman returns him to the Tribunal, expecting to be exonerated. They instead feel that he is still responsible through his bloodline for the planet of Krypton, and the sentence of death still stands.
Appearing in "Crime and Punishment"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Tribunal
- Tribunal Prime
- Pollux
- Ternion
- The Cyborg
Other Characters:
- Brute (Mentioned only)
- Hercules (Mentioned only)
- Kem-L (Mentioned only)
- Nrn'Frok (Mentioned only)
- Tribunal guards
Locations:
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- Tribunal World
Items:
- Geneti-lock
- Steel's Second Armor
Vehicles:
Notes
- Superman navigation number 1996/2.
See Also
Links and References
| Previous Action Comics #717: 1996/1 |
Superman 1996 Navigation |
Next Superman (Volume 2) #108: 1996/3 |
  The Trial of Superman! Crossover Issues Superman: The Man of Steel #50 • Superman (Volume 2) #106 • Adventures of Superman #529 • Action Comics #716 • Superman: The Man of Steel #51 • Superman (Volume 2) #107 • Adventures of Superman #530 • Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #3 • Action Comics #717 • Superman: The Man of Steel #52 • Superman (Volume 2) #108 • Adventures of Superman #531 |