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Action Comics Vol 1 1072

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"Phantoms, Part Three": Mon-El greets Superman, who is annoyed that his old friend shot at him. Mon-El explains that he knew he would survive the torpedos and also knew that Superman was coming; the men with guns were there to bring Superman safely to him but they needed to appear hostile in cas

Warning! This comic is very recent and may contain spoilers!
Read beyond this point at your own risk!

Quote1 Apparently, a few years ago, a being of immense power stumbled across the Zone-- and was appalled. Quote2
— Mon-El (Lar Gand)

Action Comics #1072 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 2024. It was published on October 23, 2024.

Synopsis for "Phantoms, Part Three"

Mon-El greets Superman, who is annoyed that his old friend shot at him. Mon-El explains that he knew he would survive the torpedos and also knew that Superman was coming; the men with guns were there to bring Superman safely to him but they needed to appear hostile in case they were being watched. Superman asks who would be watching but Mon-El simply replies that it's a long story. Superman then asks where the real Xa-Du is and Mon-El leads him to a cell on the ship where he has Xa-Du chained up. They go back up to the deck and Mon-El points out a bright light like a star in the sky; he tells Superman it is called "Aethyropolis", and Xa-Du has recently been kidnapping the worst criminals in the Zone and taking them there. He says they will find answers to what is happening there and has his crew pilot a course towards it.

Meanwhile on Earth, Superboy and Super-Man enter the Fortress of Solitude and find that it has been robbed. They wonder who could have done it, when suddenly energy bursts shoot out of the S-shields on their costumes and open a portal. They are pulled through and find themselves in a vast room with everything stolen from the Fortress. They realise that the way everything is laid out looks like a museum exhibit.

In the Zone, Superman fights off monsters which keep attacking the ship, depleting his solar energy stores. He asks Mon-El what is really at Aethyropolis and Mon-El reluctantly tells him. Years ago a being known as Aethyr found the Zone and was horrified, believing their suffering to be unacceptable. Aethyr created regions of the Zone filled with solid matter and made the Zoners corporeal again. However the violent criminals quickly returned to their old ways once they were able to hurt each other. Aethyr was disgusted and punished the Zoners by turning the Zone into a brutal penal colony, appointing Xa-Du as warden. Mon-El was able to lead a revolt of prisoners to overthrow Xa-Du, then stole his identity and equipment, presenting himself as if he were Xa-Du to trick Aethyr. He also heavily implies that he was forced to kill Xa-Du's crew.

They pass through a meteor ring, but Mon-El tells Superman not to worry as this region of the Zone causes them to become incorporeal. The meteorites harmlessly pass through them and they return to normal. However, they both simultaneously realise that Xa-Du must have become a phantom also and run down to the brig. By the time they get there, he has already escaped.

Xa-Du goes to Aethyropolis and begs forgiveness from Aethyr for his failure. He tells Aethyr that the son of Jor-El, the original jailer, is in the Zone. Xa-Du says that if Aethyr want to punish Kal-El for his father's crimes he should attack Earth, but Aethyr replies "I already am".

Appearing in "Phantoms, Part Three"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

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Other Characters:

Locations:

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Synopsis for Supergirl: "New Mission, New Enemies"

Supergirl tries to work out where the attackers have taken the judge. She suspects it may have been a revenge plot and asks the bailiff robot for details of all the judge's other cases, but it tells her that the judge has never ruled on another case: she was constructed specifically to rule on the case of Prisoner 8912 as no other being in the universe could be objective. She realises the prisoner is the real target and the aliens are trying to get their location from the judge. She tracks the aliens to their ship and finds the judge being tortured. She freezes the aliens in place and tells the judge they need to leave, but the judge tells her that the information she had on the prisoner's whereabouts has already been broadcast around the galaxy. She pulls the slate with the coordinates out of herself and tells Supergirl she needs to secure the prisoner before a vengeful alien race find them.

Appearing in Supergirl: "New Mission, New Enemies"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • The Judge (Unnamed) (Flashback and main story) (Dies)
  • Bailiff robot (Unnamed)

Antagonists:

Other Characters:


Locations:

  • Earth 0
    • Satellite High Court of Thanagar (Flashback and main story)
    • Thanagar (Mentioned only)

Items:


Vehicles:

  • Supergirl's Ship (Mentioned only)

Notes

  • This issue was published simultaneously with the previous issue because that issue was delayed by one week and Action Comics was on a temporary weekly schedule.
  • This issue reveals that the previous other iterations of Aethyr, including his first form from Wonder Woman #778, were just facets of the true Aethyr.
  • According to Mon-El, Aethyr "stumbled across the zone" in the past. However, Aethyr himself originally stated that the Zone is actually his mind.

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