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"The Many Deaths of Superman": Lex Luthor explores the jungle until he finds a large green Kryptonite rock. He reflects upon the various ways that he has found to kill Superman.

Quote1 Death by Kryptonite. I'll do it with irony. Then I will save the world from all its ailments. And humanity will embrace its true altruistic inspiration. Lex Luthor. Quote2
Lex Luthor

Action Comics Annual #10 is an issue of the series Action Comics Annual (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 2007.

Synopsis for "The Many Deaths of Superman"

Lex Luthor explores the jungle until he finds a large green Kryptonite rock. He reflects upon the various ways that he has found to kill Superman.

Appearing in "The Many Deaths of Superman"

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Synopsis for "Who is Clark Kent's Big Brother?"

An alien crash-lands in the town of Smallville and finds young Clark Kent. Kent is astonished when he hears the alien speaking Kryptonian. Suddenly, the older boy begins speaking English and speaks the words, "Son of Jor-El". He has no memory of his true name or heritage, but Clark thinks that he might be a lost brother. He takes him back to the farmhouse and introduces him to Jonathan and Martha. The alien boy sees a wall calendar indicating that he arrived on a Monday, and decides to call himself Mon-El.

In the hopes of jarring his memory, Clark and Mon-El decide to expose him to a small amount of Kryptonite. Clark keeps a sample in a lead-lined box in the barn. However, when Mon-El begins acting deathly ill, they find that it is not the Kryptonite that is hurting him, but rather, its lead container. The exposure to lead jars Mon-El's memory, and he remembers that he is really Lar Gand of the planet Daxam. Lead is fatal to all Daxamites.

Unable to cure the dying boy, Clark decides that the only safe refuge for Mon-El is the Phantom Zone. As time does not pass in the Phantom Zone, Mon-El will be safe until a cure can be discovered.

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Synopsis for "Mystery Under the Blue Sun"

Thanagarian warships investigate disturbances in a nearby space sector and find several Bizarros flying outward from their cube-shaped home world saying, "Hello". The ruins of several Thanagarian ships float about around them.

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Synopsis for "The Criminals of Krypton"

In the final days of Krypton, Jor-El stands in judgment against three criminals accused of treason; General Zod, Ursa and Non. A leading member of the Kryptonian Science Council harshly criticizes Jor-El's leniency, and he cannot understand why these three have not been sentenced to death. Jor-El reflects upon the events that brought him to his current situation.

It was only a short time ago that Non was one of Krypton's greatest scientific minds, and a mentor to Jor-El. Together, they discovered that Krypton only had ninety days before it would explode. The Kryptonian Science Council refused to listen to such sensationalized analysis and accused them of committing acts of heresy. They sent the military defense officers under the command of General Zod to arrest them. The council let them off with light sentences and warned them against speaking further of Krypton's alleged destruction. Non however, became more active and began holding public forums, warning people of the planet's imminent demise. General Zod and his mate, Ursa, discovered that Jor-El and Non's research was true. They defected from the Kryptonian Defense Council and joined Non's cause. The Science Council captured Non and lobotomized him, turning him into a mute, brute savage. This cowardly and brazen act was the last straw for General Zod. He embarked upon an ambitious campaign to take control of Krypton, if only to save it from itself. He pleaded with Jor-El to join his cause, but Jor-El refuse. Eventually, Zod and his followers (along with Non) were captured. The Science Council wanted to sentence them to death, but Jor-El convinced them to instead exile the insurrectionists into an alternate dimension known as the Phantom Zone.

At the moment of sentence, Jor-El's reverie is broken when the criminals break free of their bonds and attack their jailers. They kill five members of the Kryptonian Science Council before they are finally brought down. With a heavy heart, Jor-El activates the Phantom Zone Projector, sending Zod, Ursa and Non away from Krypton for all time.

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Synopsis for "Superman's Top 10 Most Wanted"

This chapter is a two-page spread showcasing various Superman adversaries.

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Synopsis for "The Deadliest Forms of Kryptonite"

Lex Luthor gathers together several samples of Kryptonite. He has acquired Green Kryptonite, Red Kryptonite, Blue Kryptonite and Gold Kryptonite. He forges them into a special matrix which he infuses into the heart of Metallo.

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Notes

Trivia

  • This issue is the first Annual edition for the series since 1997.
  • This issue foreshadows the coming of the Superman Revenge Squad.
  • Stylistically, this issue is reminiscent of the double-sized specials commonly published during the Silver Age era.
  • The title of the first story in this issue resembles that of "The Many Deaths of the Batman", a three-issue story arc that ran through the Batman title.


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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