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Inspector Henderson and his unit are investigating a crime in Suicide Slum Slum on the corner of Austen and Byrne. Unfortunately they arrive too late. After surviving an explosion, the police find the dead body of a woman covered in runes.


Quote1 I can see... something. It looks like... like it's mixing in with the cells around it. I'm sorry, Lana. I'm so sorry. I should've noticed something was wrong. I should've been checking. If they can't fight it... if it continues to attack your system, does that mean... Did they tell you how long you have? Quote2
Supergirl src

Death and the Family is a 2010 Supergirl storyline written by Sterling Gates, originally published in Supergirl (Volume 5).

Synopsis

Inspector Henderson and his unit are investigating a crime in Suicide Slum Slum on the corner of Austen and Byrne. Unfortunately they arrive too late. After surviving an explosion, the police find the dead body of a woman covered in runes.

In Lana's apartment, Supergirl finally confronts her "aunt" about what she has been keeping from her: Lana is sick and getting sicker. She has been to dozens of doctors and no one knows what it is. Lana explains she didn't want to burden Kara anymore or bring back memories from when she tried to save an ill child and failed. Kara isn't happy about being lied to, but she shelves her indignation and proceeds to scan Lana to see something strange and unknown is attacking Lana's body on a cellular level. Kara right away feels guilty because she was busy that she didn't notice.

Her conversation is interrupted when Kara is called to the Metropolis Police headquarters. Inspector Henderson needs some super-help with the case he is working on. She meets Henderson and starts explaining she had nothing to do with the destruction of the sewer system, but Henderson cuts her off, stating he believes her. However they cannot talk out in the open because Kryptonians are still illegal on Earth, so they go inside, and Inspector Henderson questions her about the Silver Banshee, who he fears is behind the crime he was investigating.

Kara talks about the Silver Banshee, and how she is looking for seven family heirlooms to life the curse placed upon her by her ancestors. It turns out that Henderson came across one of those relics -a coin- as he was investigating another case, and it got embedded in his palm. He's afraid that Silver Banshee is going to kill him to retrieve it.

No sooner said than done, Silver Banshee turns up, lured by the coin. Kara engages her right away, but Banshee's scream deafens her. During their fight, Henderson points to a box on his desk. Supergirl thinks it must hold another heirloom and grabs it, transforming into another Silver Banshee.

While talking on the phone with Perry, Lana collapses before getting out of her apartment building. Blood leaks from her eyes, nose and mouth, and there's some kind of weird insect crawling over her cellphone.

"Super-Banshee" and Silver Banshee battle. The spirits of the McDougal clan have taken over Supergirl's body, and they easily silence and bind Silver Banshee with magical chains, before explaining finding the seven relics was a test, and her failure to gather them up disappoints them. As the "Super-Banshee" is distracted with ripping from Silver Banshee the only artifact she was capable of finding, Henderson suckerpunches the "Super-Banshee".

Supergirl -who has tried to wrest her body's control of her body from the clan- tries to break free, but the spirits refuse to let her go. Henderson realizes that the McDougal spirits are tied to those artifacts, so they can be used to attack them. He skewers the coin embedded in his hand with the McDougal clan knife. This hurts the spirits and allows Supergirl to throw them out. Silver Banshee dispells her family's spirits by screaming their clan's name. Then she admits that she must Inspector Henderson a favor and vanishes.

Later Kara and Inspector Henderson are talking about the importance of family, when Supergirl's senses warn her that Lana is in the hospital. Kara flies off, but when she arrives at the hospital, Lana has been pronounced dead. Kara crumbles down and falls on her knees, feeling she has lost a member of her family. After sobbing for a while, she wonders what kind of tests the doctors ran on her blood, and asks to see Lana's body.

Suddenly her super-hearing picks up noises from the morgue. Kara rushes to investigate and discovers a chrysalis.

In Mount Katahdin, where Supergirl apparently and unintentionally killed Superwoman several months ago, General Lane and his troops find Lucy Lane naked and alive. However, Lucy's body has been altered and she has powers now. As soon as he notes this, Lane shifts from behaving as a worried father to rejecting his daughter and blaming the Kryptonians for killing her and making her one of them.

Back in Metropolis, Insect Queen has emerged from her cocoon, built a huge, hive-like building and encased Supergirl in amber. Gangbuster rescues Supergirl and then is rescued from several giant bugs by Kara, who doesn't remember how or why she ended up trapped inside an amber prison after finding Lana cocooned but she knows she is mad. Supergirl knocks several massive insects down, picks Gangbuster up and both escape through a hole in a wall of the hive.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs Supergirl learns two days earlier Metropolis General Hospital was suddenly covered in a huge, unbreachable hive. Several squads of the Science Police went in to investigate, but they didn't come back out. Later a swarm of giant insects came out and the police they didn't kill, they dragged back into that hive with them, which has gone on expanding. Using miniature reconnaisance robot bugs they found Supergirl and decided to retrieve her.

Supergirl talks with Dr. Light about Lana's condition, wondering whether they can save her. Then Supergirl comes up with a plan. She and Gangbuster try to sneak in the hive undetected. Unfortunately they are heard by the insects. Supergirl and Gangbuster fight bravely, but Kara is overrun by a swarm and brought before the Insect Queen.

Insect Queen (New Earth) 004

Supergirl and Insect Queen

The Insect Queen has possessed LAna. The villain explains that during her last encounter with Lana, [1] she left a piece of herself in the woman, and has been building inside of her for the past year, cell by cell. This ensured that she could stay close to the Superman family, with whose DNA she intended to create an army of super-drones to protect her. She then spouts Lana befriended Supergirl because the Queen willed it so. Supergirl knows she's lying, though, and doesn't believe her for a minute.

Supergirl decides that it's time to trash Insect Queen. She shatters her encasement, calls in a STAR labs bombing run, and pummels Insect Queen brutally, She then unloads on 'Lana', smashing her through several walls, ripping off one of her wings and giving her a right hook that sends her sprawling. She keeps hitting and punching the Queen through walls, giving her the chance to leave Lana's body peacefully. When Insect Queen refuses, Kara straps her to a device designed to strip Lana of her insect DNA.

Lana is cured, and without her Queen the insects are promptly defeated. However, Supergirl's victory comes with a prize. She cannot trust Lana anymore, not after Lana lied to her for one entire year. After an argument with Lana, she flies off and heads to New Krypton.

Back at Project 7734, Superwoman has recovered and declares herself ready for active duty again.

Issues

Notes

Trivia

  • Inspector Henderson and his unit investigate a crime in Suicide Slum on the corner of "Austen" and "Byrne", the names of two comic professionals (the latter being Silver Banshee's creator).

Recommended Reading

Links and References


Supergirl v.5 38
Supergirl Storyline
DC Bullet 2024

This event or storyline is specifically related to the character of Supergirl and/or her supporting cast. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Supergirl Storylines category.

Superman Our Worlds at War Vol 1 TP
Superman Family Storyline
DC Bullet 2024

This event or storyline is specifically related to Superman, or to members of the Superman Family. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the Superman Storylines category.

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