Planet Earth, your delivery is at hand. Eye am here to protect you. 
The New 52: Futures End #42 is an issue of the series The New 52: Futures End (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 2015. It was published on February 18, 2015.
Synopsis for "Futures End - Chapter 42"
In space, the Justice League has just witnessed both The Atom and Hawkman get vaporized by a beam emitting from Brainiac's ship. That beam, they have learned, has connected with a device planted in New York City - which itself is being cut off from the rest of the planet by some kind of matrix. Unfortunately, they're no use against the ship, and Cyborg orders his companions to fall back while he faces it alone.
Meanwhile, down in New York, Billy Batson is surprised to discover that Superman is alive and well. Both of them have been ejected from the bubble around Manhattan, and they are surprised when Doctor Polaris teleports them back inside it using the Justice League's technology. With the real Superman back in action, Billy finally abandons the facade, and returns to his identity as Shazam. As they hurry to face Brainiac, Superman explains that this isn't so much an attack on New York as an attempt to collect it.
At the Terrifitech building in Manhattan, Batman has just caught up with Michael Holt in his office. Michael is convinced that the voice he's been speaking to in his office is god - but Batman has learned from Terry McGinnis that this intelligence is in fact a creation that both of them invented, having achieved such a level of intelligence that it now transcends time.
Terry, meanwhile, is in battle with a horrifying hybrid cyborg of both his mentor, Batman and The Joker. Despite his having deactivated himself for Terry's safety, A.L.F.R.E.D. responds to Terry's desperate queries as to whether there is some kind of pattern to the matrix created by the spheres raining down on New York from space. While Terry continues to fight off the cyborg, A.L.F.R.E.D. sets to work.
Cyborg attempts to destroy Brainiac's ship, but has little luck with it. In the meantime, he is unaware that Ray Palmer actually survived his attempted destruction by the ship after shrinking himself down to an imperceptible size. That had the unfortunate side-effect of his taking much longer to get inside it, but at this point he is nearing it, hoping that The Engineer won't notice him at subatomic size. As he passes through the ship, he sees that its memory is an immense network made up of a kind of energy reminiscent of that found in The Bleed. He feels the information travelling so fast that he can barely survive it, and worries that he has failed.
While the superhumans attempt to help those they can in Manhattan, Lois Lane marvels at their response time - though she is more interested to know what exactly is going on near the towering Brainiac, where Superman and Shazam are battling it. She is unable to see from such a distance, though, as Superman is knocked back and Brainiac initiates the operation to sever New York City from the rest of the planet.
Finally, Ray discovers the Engineer's location, and sees that she is very much entwined within the inner workings of Brainiac's ship. She is connected to it by some wire microfilaments, which he attempts to cut in the hopes of getting her free. His success bears fruit when the tentacles crushing Cyborg outside suddenly go slack. His confusion is allayed when Ray emerges from the ship with the Engineer in his arms.
Meanwhile, Brainiac is surprised to learn that the beam that was previously lifting Manhattan up out of the crust of the earth has been interfered with, and is enraged, destroying nearby buildings. In her attempt to dodge debris, Lois comes across the limp body of Superman, whom she had thought dead or missing.
Terry attempts to get through to the portion of the cyborg that is Bruce Wayne, distracting it just long enough in the position that A.L.F.R.E.D. triangulated that one of the spheres shoots down from the sky and destroys it, freeing Terry from the threat. Unfortunately, he looks up to see that Brother Eye has spread, and is now in control of every video screen in the city - and promising to protect everyone.
Appearing in "Futures End - Chapter 42"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Justice League
- Firestorm (Madison Payne/Jason Rusch)
- Doctor Polaris
- Mister Terrific
- Batman (Bruce Wayne)
- A.L.F.R.E.D.
Villains:
- Brainiac
- Brother Eye
- Batman/Joker Cyborg Hybrid
Other Characters:
- The Engineer
- Justice League of America (Earth-One)
- Starro (Earth-One)
- Wonder Girl (Earth-One)
- Terra (Earth-One)
- The Flash (Pre-Flashpoint)
- The Flash (Earth-Two)
- Marvel Family
- Ganthet
- Kyle Rayner (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Robin/Tim Drake (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Bruce Wayne (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Superman (Post-Flashpoint)
- Swamp Thing (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Anton Arcane (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Black Canary (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Oracle (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Justice Society of America (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Batman (Pre-Flashpoint)
- Teen Titans (Earth-One)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The New 52: Futures End Vol. 3.
See Also
Links and References
