Psi-Wars is a Superman storyline written by Mike Johnson, Scott Lobdell and Frank Hannah and with illustrations by Robson Rocha, Kenneth Rocafort, Aaron Kuder and Tyler Kirkham. It is the fourth arc of the Superman series published as part of The New 52. The previous storyline was Superman: H'el on Earth and the following storyline is Krypton Returns.
History
After the battle with H'el, Superman was called to a U.S. Senate hearing to discuss the existence of the Fortress of Solitude. The Senate representatives want to investigate the Fortress in order to secure or remove anything that might be considered a threat to the world. However, Superman refuses, appealing to his right to privacy and the fact that the Fortress contains technology beyond humanity's control. Clark also becomes a blogger to make ends meet.[1]
Later, Superman is attacked by the New God Orion, who believes him to be a threat to the universe.[2] Fortunately, Wonder Woman stops the confrontation and discovers the reason behind Orion's attack. Hector Hammond, after falling into a coma, used his telepathy to hide his consciousness within Superman's memories. Wonder Woman and Orion banish Hammond back to his own body and Orion departs, apologizing for his earlier attack. He also uses his Mother Box to grant Superman protection from telepathic assaults.[3]
Continuing his investigative work, Clark goes to Gotham City, where a mysterious Chinese woman gives him a folder containing info about an urban myth called "the Twenty". Returning to Metropolis, Superman finds Lois, Jimmy and Perry to act irrationally and display aspects of his own personality, which causes Superman to believe someone is trying to attack him mentally.[4] During this series of events, Superman discovers Lois has fallen into a coma and brings her to the hospital.[5]
Later, Clark tells Cat about his findings on the Twenty, believing that a story that big could help bring Clark Catropolis on the map. An earthquake hits Metropolis and Superman discovers the destruction is being caused by metallic tentacles derived from Brainiac's technology. Before Superman can do anything, however, he is incapacitated by a psychic attack caused by the H.I.V.E. Queen, one of the Twenty.[6]
Recovering from the psychic attack, Superman attempts to stop the Queen, but she has the upper hand. In that moment, Hammond enters the fray and engages the Queen in a mental struggle, using the people of Metropolis as soldiers. As Metropolis is engulfed in chaos, Superman goes to the H.I.V.E. headquarters to directly stop the disaster. Upon arriving, he finds the building in ruins. Superman finds the heavily injured Hammond, who says that the Queen is dead. In that moment, a new villain arrives: the Psycho Pirate, a telepath who knows about Superman's secret identity.[7]
The Psycho Pirate leads Superman to the Swarm, a prison for psionic people, explaining that he is also one of the Twenty. The Queen created the Swarm in order to prepare the world for Brainiac's return. With the Queen dead, the Psycho Pirate wants to release the people trapped in the Swarm, so he traps Superman in a illusionary world in order to absorb his energy.[8]
Lois, having developed psychic powers of her own, frees Superman from the illusions. Knowing they are outmatched against the Psycho Pirate, Superman and Lois join forces with Hammond and the H.I.V.E. Queen, who barely survived the Pirate's attack. They work together and defeat the Pirate, with Superman destroying his Medusa Mask with his heat vision. During the battle, however, Lois learns of Superman's secret identity and falls back into a coma. Afterwards, Superman brings Lois' comatose body back to the hospital, but then, a mysterious force pulls him into outer space.[9]
Issues
Build-up
- Superman (Volume 3) #18
- Superman (Volume 3) #19
- Superman (Volume 3) #20
- Superman (Volume 3) #21
- Superman (Volume 3) #22
Prelude
Core Issues
Tie-ins
Links and References
  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. |