Superman/Batman Annual Vol 1 4

"A Time Beyond Hope"

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Superman/Batman Annual Vol 1 #4

A Time Beyond Hope

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For better or worse, you're learning how to be Batman, young mister McGinnis. You have to be born to be a Superman.

— Superman

Superman/Batman Annual #4 is an issue of the series Superman/Batman Annual (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2010. It was published on June 3, 2010.

Synopsis for "A Time Beyond Hope"

The story opens with Batman busting some thugs from Metropolis and questioning why they're in Gotham. One of them says that there's a ghost nabbing criminals off the streets without a trace. Following a lead, Terry stakes out the city trying to find a drug dealer from Metropolis. Discovering that Metallo is behind the drug trafficking, Terry manages to drop him in a river while recovering a bag of his product to take back for testing. Returning to the Batcave, Batman and his mentor, Bruce, find that they all have a small degree of kryptonite in them.

Going to Metropolis, Batman looks for clues, completely missing the most recent round of disappearances. Unsuccessful, Bruce tells Batman to check a private address for an old friend but instead finds the place unlived in and a list of automatic payments set up to keep people from snooping. One of these payments is for flowers to be delivered to the grave of Lois Lane once a week for the last ten years. Terry goes to the grave to investigate further and is completely unaware that Superman is watching him from above. Unable to walk among the public now that everyone has trace amounts of kryptonite in them, Superman's inner monologue tells us that Lex Luthor is behind this.

Going undercover in his civilian identity as Terry, Batman joins a gang stealing drugs, to trace them back to their boss. The robbery goes bad and the ghost takes everyone but Terry. Winning favor with the local boss, Terry is sent with a new gang to steal a Solar Power Concentrator from the Fortress of Solitude. All but Terry and one other are captured by the ghost as they claim their prize. Returning to the mastermind's shielded lair, Terry finds Lex waiting and fully aware of Terry's dual identity. Lex attacks Terry just as Superman appears to save the day. Lex powers up the Solar Concentrator making a battle suit manned by one of his men that's just as strong as Superman. Weakened by the kryptonite in Luthor's hover chair, Superman takes a beating as Terry finds a way to get rid of the chair. As Superman's strength is restored, he beats the armored thug and Luthor states when he dies all of Metropolis is rigged to die with him. Superman takes a miniature Phantom Zone projector out of his pocket and imprisons Luthor for eternity, preventing the city from being destroyed. Terry determines that Superman is the ghost and has been trapping people in the Phantom Zone all this time. Superman announces that he's leaving Earth to see the universe and hands the Phantom Zone Projector to Terry to be the new jailor. Superman flies off after giving Terry a watch and telling him to call if he ever needs help.

Appearing in "A Time Beyond Hope"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Lois Lane (Dies)

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

Batmobile

Notes

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Links and References

Superman/Batman Annual Vol 1 4

Contents

Synopsis for "A Time Beyond Hope"

Appearing in "A Time Beyond Hope"

Notes

See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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