H'el on Earth is a Superman storyline written by Tom DeFalco, Scott Lobdell and Mike Johnson and with illustrations by Kenneth Rocafort. It is the third arc of the Superman series published as part of The New 52. The previous storyline was Superman: Secrets & Lies.
History
After his fight with Helspont, Superman asks Dr. Shay Veritas for help in making a training regime to increase his power in case Helspont returns. After a few weeks of exercises in the Block, Dr. Veritas' scientific complex, Superman returns to Metropolis, knowing that he has ignored his life as Clark Kent. At the Daily Planet, Clark finds out that Lois is planning to move out with her boyfriend. He also grows dissatisfied with his work, knowing that Morgan Edge is manipulating the Daily Planet's articles, so he quits the Daily Planet. Later, Superman discovers a mysterious alien dragon attacking Metropolis. After a lengthy brawl that leads to Ireland, Superman kills the dragon in an explosion. But in that moment, Kara appears to Superman, telling him that the creature he killed was a Kryptonian animal. She says that if a Kryptonian animal is on Earth, then that means Krypton must still be alive.[1]
Later, Lois visits Clark at his apartment, where they talk about Clark's recent departure from the Daily Planet and Lois' moving with Jonathan. In that moment, Clark receives a visit from Supergirl. To avoid an awkward moment, Clark gets Lois out of the apartment. Later, Superman and Supergirl go to the Metropolis Centennial Park. Supergirl reveals he has found another Kryptonian, H'el, who introduces himself to Superman. H'el expresses his plan to save Krypton and shows Superman the unconscious body of his clone, Superboy. H'el tries to kill Superboy, but Superman stops him, and the two engage in a fight. Superboy and Supergirl attempt to intervene, but H'el brutally knocks them out. After briefly paralyzing Superman with a vision of his failure to protect the Suicide Slums three years ago, H'el leaves Metropolis, but not before stating that he will save Krypton with Kara's help, no matter what price Earth has to pay.[2]
Superman brings the wounded Superboy to the Fortress of Solitude in order to help him recover from his injuries. With the help of Cyborg and Dr. Veritas, Superman devises a way to cure Superboy. Detaching his Kryptonian armor, Superman places it on Superboy. Both realize that the armor is the only thing keeping Superboy alive, as H'el caused serious damage to Superboy's cellular structure. Suddenly, H'el appears and kicks Superman and Superboy out of the Fortress.[3]
After being expelled from the Fortress, Superman tells Superboy that they will need help in recovering it.[4] They travel to a special prison designed to hold only one person: Lex Luthor. There, Superman questions Luthor about H'el's plans. Superman believes that H'el wants to go back in time to prevent Krypton's destruction, and Luthor says that it can be done, but to do so, H'el will create an explosion that will destroy the entire solar system. To stop H'el, Superman calls the Justice League and prepares to attack the Fortress.[5]
In the Block, Superman and his allies formulate a plan to stop H'el. Given that H'el has powers beyond Superman's, the Man of Steel that a shard of Kryptonite hidden in the Fortress might give the Justice League an advantage. When the team assaults the Fortress, however, H'el has already taken the shard to power the machine he is building to facilitate his journey through time. H'el also activates an alien device that traps Superman into perpetual pocket dimensions. Superboy goes into one of the device's portals in order to save him.[6]
After a journey through several bizarre dimensions, Superman and Superboy return to the Fortress and reunite withe Justice League continue the attack.[7] Eventually, Superman and Superboy reach H'el and Supergirl (who had decided to help H'el complete his plan), but H'el moves the Fortress someplace else, leaving the heroes in the outside. Suddenly, H'el activates his machine, unleashing a large golden beam into the sky.[8]
H'el's star-chamber begins draining the Sun's energy. Superman, Superboy and Wonder Woman rally to destroy the machine, but H'el attacks them, ripping the Kryptonian armor off Superboy and reattaching it to Superman, saying that if Superman is going to die, he should with his Kryptonian honor intact. Superman clashes with H'el, telling Wonder Woman to help Superboy destroy the star chamber.[9]
Superman takes a hit from H'el and is launched into outer space. There, he meets the mysterious Oracle, who fills Superman's mind with memories of Krypton. When Superman attempts to talk to the Oracle, the Oracle simply disappears. Superman returns to Earth to stop H'el. Although Superboy destroys the star chamber, H'el already has enough solar energy to power his ship and travel to the past. However, Supergirl (who had discovered the true extent of H'el's plan) stabs H'el with a Kryptonite shard. Poisoned by the shard, H'el disappears into a time portal. With the crisis over, Superman takes Supergirl to the Fortress so he can cure her Kryptonite poisoning.[10]
Issues
- Superman (Volume 3) #13
- Superboy (Volume 6) #14
- Supergirl (Volume 6) #14
- Superman (Volume 3) #14
- Superboy (Volume 6) #15
- Supergirl (Volume 6) #15
- Superman (Volume 3) #15
- Superboy (Volume 6) #16
- Supergirl (Volume 6) #16
- Superboy Annual (Volume 6) #1
- Superman (Volume 3) #16
- Superboy (Volume 6) #17
- Supergirl (Volume 6) #17
- Superman (Volume 3) #17
Recommended Reading
- Superman Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Action Comics (Volume 2)
- Adventures of Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- DC Comics Presents (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 2)
- Superman (Volume 3)
- Superman (Volume 4)
- Superman (Volume 5)
- Superman (Volume 6)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- Superman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Superman: Son of Kal-El (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (Volume 1)
- Superman/Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
Links and References
  This event or storyline is specifically related to Superman, or to members of the Superman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Superman Storylines category. |