And you're still wearing those glasses. You should really think about getting Lasik. Surgery did wonders for me.
: Cat Grant- I didn't know you used to wear glasses.
: Clark Kent - I didn't.: Cat Grant
Action Comics #866 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2008. It was published on June 11, 2008.
Synopsis for "Brainiac, Part I: First Contact"
On Krypton 35 years previously, General Zod and Ursa witness an alien force of robotic enemies arriving and slaughtering innocents. The robots surround the city of Kandor and unleash an energy force-field. It encases Kandor and before Zod can stop it, the city is gone along with their attackers.
In the present day, the Daily Planet is having a staff meeting and Jimmy Olsen is late. For the benefit of newer staff, a roll call goes out via refreshment orders:
- Clark Kent: Senior Correspondent
- Lois Lane: Senior Correspondent
- Cat Grant: Entertainment and Arts
- Steve Lombard: Sports Editor
- Ron Troupe
- Jimmy Olsen
- Perry White: Editor-in-Chief
Steve irks the entire staff with his obnoxious attitude until Clark swiftly teaches him a lesson by secretly breaking the chair leg with his heat vision, causing Steve to fall over. Cat mentions she gets a column on Supergirl coming up, and flashes her cleavage at Clark, commenting on her surgery. Clark doesn't take the bait, though, and Lois is unimpressed. They leave the meeting and recount how Cat left the Daily Planet and lost her son, and now she is using her sexuality as a mask to cover up her feelings.
Clark's super-hearing tells a flaming object from space is heading to Earth. He quickly broadens his shoulders, flips his hair and rips his shirt to perform his 'other job'.
Meanwhile in Smallville, Jonathan Kent is busily posting a fence around the farm. Martha Kent waves him inside the house for breakfast. The pair don't notice the weathervane suddenly spinning.
Superman flies upward and catches the flying object. It rapidly transforms into the skeletal form of one of Brainiac 1.0's foot soldiers. The robot fails in its attempt to lobotomize Superman. Ripping off an arm, Superman sends the battle into a nearby river. The robot shields itself and scans Clark's body. A tiny droplet of blood appears from the point it had tried to hurt Superman, enough for a DNA scan. This happens in a split second for it powers down as Clark is about to administer a devastating blow. Instead he watches it power down and crumple, leaving him puzzled as to Brainiac's plot.
In space, Brainiac travels in a frozen old star cruiser shaped like a skull. Dead for some time it suddenly powers up with the transmitted data. The ice melts, the lights power up, and the cruiser hums to life. The tri-circle blinks on revealing a chamber full of bottled cities, almost like lanterns lighting the room. Central to the room is a metallic structure connected to a comatose Brainiac within a Coluan. The data extracts and notifies the ship that it has encountered a Kryptonian and attempt 242 is now in progress.
Appearing in "Brainiac, Part I: First Contact"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Kryptonians (Flashback only)
- General Zod (Flashback only)
- Ursa (Flashback only)
- Supergirl (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in:
Trivia
- Cat Grant's column on Supergirl which she alludes to was published on Supergirl (Volume 5) #34. It was a slander piece.
- "Attempt #242 in progress" is a reference to Brainiac's first appearance in Action Comics #242.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
  New Krypton Crossover Core Issues
Lead-Up
Superman #677 • Superman #678 • Superman #679 • Superman #680 • Action Comics #866 • Action Comics #867 • Action Comics #868 • Action Comics #869 • Action Comics #870 • Supergirl #34 • Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Special #1 |