All I did was something you should have done—if you had the guts. 
Superman: The Man of Steel #127 is an issue of the series Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2002. It was published on June 19, 2002.
Synopsis for "Pantheon Part 2: Scenes From a Marriage Between Heaven and Earth"
Lois hovers in the sky above Metropolis, glowing with her new power. Superman tries to talk her down, telling her to realize that what they have done to her isn't right. But Lois dismisses it. She is now the goddess of integrity, and that means she has to find the truth. She ignores the fact that she just maimed all of the evil gods that were with Superman. Clark tells her that she isn't thinking clearly, but Lois has the power now.
As Lois vanishes, the decimated gods pull their forms together and turn towards Superman. Spinning around, Superman yells at them. They should not have involved Lois in this; she isn't ready for the power. One of the evil deities simply responds that they want Superman to join them, and if they have to drive his wife mad to coerce him, then so be it. Superman, however, refuses to give in to their demands. Taking to the air, he vows to find Lois and save her himself, and then he will come back for the gods. As he heads away from the rooftop one of the gods notches an arrow and sends it flying towards the airborne hero. The energy bolt pierces Superman's chest and drags him back down. As the gods lay into him, they goad him on by questioning what Lois is doing with her new found power.
At Bridwell Military Cemetery, Lois hovers above her father's grave. Too much was left unsaid when he died.
Back in Metropolis, Superman fends off his attackers and once again takes to the skies with the gods in hot pursuit. As he heads away from Metropolis, Superman suddenly realizes something. All of them are stronger now than they were inside the Steelworks, and they definitely seemed uneasy while they were inside Steel's fortress. Formulating a plan, Superman turns and takes the fight back to them. A weapon to the chest, however, sends him plummeting to a rail track below. Hiding his intent, Superman weakly flies into the nearby tunnel. As the gods approach him, ready to make the kill, Superman turns to them and calmly says: "Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the flies".
Back in the cemetery, Lois begins to tear up the ground in a rage. She knows that she can raise her father, she has the power, but she doesn't know how. Her tantrum is stopped suddenly when Wonder Woman appears near her, leaning against a tree. Lois lands next to her and questions whether Diana is going to try to stop her too. Wonder Woman admits she wouldn't, but she does want to talk as friends. Diana then asks Lois why she wants to raise her father. Lois is quiet for a moment, and then she says because he died too soon and because she has unfinished business and because of her mother cheating on him. But finally, because Lois cheated him her entire life.
With a torrent of mighty blows, Superman drops his last assailant to the ground. He should have realized it sooner. The gods of legend began to lose their power during the Age of Iron. The element saps their strength just as Kryptonite steals his. The last of the gods appears at the mouth of the tunnel and confirms his deductions, but that won't save him. Raising his staff, he once again summons Midas. The giant golden being reaches out to the wall and begins to transmute the entire tunnel to gold, and thus removing the iron from the structure.
Lois and Wonder Woman sit together in the shadow of a large tree. Lois tells Wonder Woman that she is so angry that Superman was off with Wonder Woman instead of saving her father. However, Diana says, her father did what he had to do, just as Clark did. Someday, Lois will realize that it is all right. She then tells Lois that divine power is not a beneficial thing. It drives most people mad, completely corrupting them. Clark is an extraordinary exception to the rule.
Suddenly, Izanami bursts from the ground and is infuriated that Wonder Woman has ruined her and her fellow gods' plan for Lois. Summoning skeletons from the graves, she launches herself at Wonder Woman. Warning Lois back, Diana moves to the attack.
Meanwhile, Superman desperately tries to keep Midas from destroying half of Metropolis. Recovering from his collision with a building, Superman looks skyward and glimpses a falling object. Smiling to himself, he watches as the Metal Man Iron falls directly upon the sole remaining god, trapping him in an iron sphere.
As Midas vanishes with the loss of his creator, a ground of new deities appears in the sky: Zeus, Ale, Thoth, and Odin. They greet Superman and then apologize for not stopping this rebellion sooner. I.D.C.A.P. may be real, but these rebels were not working for it. Odin thanks Superman for his assistance, and then they prepare to remove the gods from Earth. Flying towards Zeus, Superman questions him about Rao, the god of Krypton. Turning swiftly, Zeus tells Superman that Rao has nothing to do with Earth, and his name should never be spoken in Zeus' presence again. Wonder Woman suddenly appears on a nearby roof and offers them the sole remaining god, Izanami, who remains unconscious and defeated. As the gods vanish, Wonder Woman tells Superman that the gods really needed his help, never to mention Rao to them again, and to get to the cemetery now.
Clark walks down towards his wife. Still in her goddess form, Lois tells him that if she truly rejects it in her heart, then the power will fade. Sitting down beside her, Lois tells him that she just couldn't handle the power, but Clark tells her that he married a mortal for a good reason. Clark again apologizes for her father, but there was no other way. Lois knows, and then tells Clark that she loves him. As the last of the power fades, the couple rises together and walks away arm in arm. Lois' powers may be gone, but the magic will always be there.
Appearing in "Pantheon Part 2: Scenes From a Marriage Between Heaven and Earth"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Interfaith Deity Council of Active Polytheistics
- Samuel Lane (Tombstone)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Bridwell Military Cemetary
- Ironworks (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Green Kryptonite (Mentioned only)
Vehicles:
Concepts
Notes
- This issue takes place immediately following the events of Superman: The Man of Steel #126.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Superman: The Man of Steel series
- Images from Superman: The Man of Steel Vol 1 127