Superman/Batman (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 2005. It was published on April 20, 2005.
Synopsis for "With a Vengeance! Part One: Here Come the Maximums"
In the city, the Axis of Evil robs a bank. As they prepare to make off with their spoils, the super-hero team known as then Maximums arrive to stop them. Each hero pairs off with a villain, as the two teams collide in an epic fight in the streets, as radio broadcasts go on the air, speaking of the Maximums members and exploits. Suddenly, a Boom Tube opens in the sky, and Superman and Batman come through, and descend into the streets, as the heroes and villains cease fighting to watch the newcomers. Superman flies into Rapier, head-butting him in the face and knocking him over. Batman kicks Godiva, and Superman punchers Annihilate into the sky. Batman finishes the job by tying Demise up in a Bat-rope. Superman lands, and Soldier thanks them for their help, and asks who they are. Soldier shakes Superman's hand, but Superman grips his hand, crushing it, and he tells them that they know why he and Batman are there. Batman, who tells the team that they're harboring a fugitive, uses his utility belt's arsenal against Robot and Monster, while Superman uses his super-breath on Hornet. He flies into the air and heads straight for Skyscraper, saying that he did it. Skyscraper asks what Superman thinks he did, but Superman ignores him and blasts his heat vision into Skyscraper's head, killing him. Superman screams that skyscraper killed Lois, and Skyscraper falls backwards, dead, and lands in the park behind them. Superman apologizes to Batman, and tells him that it was the only way, and Batman agrees with him, telling Superman that that's why he backed him on it. Monster, enraged, punches Superman into a nearby car. Soldier tells them that he doesn't know who they are or why they killed Skyscraper, but that when Viking hears that they killed Skyscraper, they won't be able to stop him. Batman kicks Soldier over while Superman beats Monster into a pulp, and Batman asks who Viking is. Viking appears behind them, and introduces himself. Viking takes out his axe, and hammers it into the ground, summoning ice all around them, and freezing Batman and Superman. Superman breaks free, and frees Batman as well. The two open their Boom Tube, and escape through it, before the Maximums can follow. The team swears vengeance against Superman and Batman.
Elsewhere, Bizarro flies through Gotham City, following a trail of blood-stained footprints with his x-ray vision. He finds who he's looking for, his old friend, Batzarro. Bazar, in his opposite thinking, tells Bizarro that since the real Batman has dead parents, he's a better detective. and since Batzarro has living parents, he killed someone else's parents so he could be a better detective. Bizarro offers to team-up, and Batzarro accepts. He takes out a blue kryptonite ring that he got for Bizarro, but Bizarro flies away, since blue kryptonite is his weakness.
Meanwhile, Superman is in Tokyo, fighting the Kryptonite Man. Just when the villain seems to be getting the better of Superman, Batman and Toyman use an energy cannon on Kryptonite Man, sucking the sentient kryptonite off of him. When the smoke clears, they find the kryptonite's very bewildered host, Captain Atom. Batman and Superman begin grilling him, asking how he survived his apparent death. He tells them that he doesn't know, but he's happy that he made it safely back to Earth. He is apparently unaware that he was possessed by kryptonite. Toyman asks Superman and Batman what they want him to do with the contained kryptonite.
Back in the Maximums city, the Maximums have just finished burying Skyscraper. They also run into the ghost of their long dead team member, Bowman. Soldier tells him that no one in the universe have heard of this Superman and Batman. After a short conversation, Bowman offers to take them to Batman and Superman, but he warns them that they can't just arrest them like they do with other villains. He tells them that Superman and Batman are "real bad guys", and that they have to kill them. The team agrees, and Bowman tells them to prepare for a long night.
Appearing in "With a Vengeance! Part One: Here Come the Maximums"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Kryptonite Man (First appearance)
- Bizarro
- Batzarro (First appearance)
- Axis of Evil
- Annihilate (Single appearance)
- Rapier (Single appearance)
- Godiva (Single appearance)
- Demise (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Superman/Batman: Vengeance, Superman/Batman Vol. 2, Absolute Superman/Batman Vol. 2 and Superman/Batman Omnibus Vol. 1.
See Also
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)
- Batman Recommended Reading
- Batman (Volume 1)
- Batman (Volume 2)
- Batman (Volume 3)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 1)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 2)
- Batman and Robin (Volume 3)
- Batman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham Knights (Volume 1)
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat (Volume 1)
- Batman: Streets of Gotham (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 1)
- Batman Incorporated (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 1)
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 2)
- The Brave and the Bold (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 1)
- Detective Comics (Volume 2)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)