S.C.U. has given up trying to keep the peace. It's a war-zone here. The cops are outpowered and outgunned... and the best we can hope for is to get out of this mess alive. 
Superman: The Man of Steel #34 is an issue of the series Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1994.
Synopsis for "War"
Superman arrives on the scene in downtown Metropolis where the Underworlders have declared war on the entire city. Members of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit team-up with the Lex-Men in order to keep the combatants at bay. Clawster engages Superman directly and the Man of Steel body-flips him towards the Lex-Men soldiers. From the safety of a secluded chamber, Lex Luthor monitors the chaos and delights in the overall carnage. Doctor Kelley thinks that Luthor's mind is now as diseased as his body.
A Cadmus helicopter touches down at the Project Cadmus facility and discharges Dubbilex who is carrying a weakened Superboy. He is placed into an intensive care unit with the Newsboy Legion who likewise are dying from the clone plague. Superboy wants to get up and help stop the chaos, but he is too weak to even get out of his hospital bed.
Meanwhile, Lois Lane sneaks into Lexcorp Plaza and breaks into Luthor's empty office. She finds a hidden videotape that incriminates Luthor for the attempted murder of Sasha Green. This tape is vital to Lois' efforts to repair her damaged credibility. She also finds a map of the city with key locales highlighted. She notes that the highlighted areas correspond to locations where the Underworlders have been attacking. Suspecting that Luthor may actually be responsible for all of the mayhem, she steals the map.
Superman continues rounding up stray Underworlders who are preying on frightened Metropolitans. He grabs Kathana just as he is preparing to kill young Keith Robert White.
Dubbilex takes a team of Cadmus troops and gives back-up to Guardian who is in the midst of fighting Clawster. Clawster deals the Guardian a crippling blow and breaks his shield in half. Dubbilex uses his telepathy to turn off Clawster's psionic defenses, leaving him vulnerable to a barrage of laser fire from Cadmus' security troops. Superman returns to the scene just in time to see Guardian collapse.
Elsewhere, Lex Luthor activates a device that sets off strategically placed explosives throughout the city.
Appearing in "War"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Dubbilex
- Emil Hamilton
- Guardian
- Keith Robert White
- Lois Lane
- Maggie Sawyer
- Perry White
- Ron Troupe
- JImmy Olsen
- Bibbo
- Superboy
- Newsboy Legion
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Fred Bentson (First appearance)
- Gretchen Kelley
- Metropolis Special Crimes Unit
- Myra Allen
- Paul Westfield
- Project Cadmus security staff
- Team Luthor
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Hob's Bay
- Ace o' Clubs
- New Troy
- Daily Planet (original printing plant)
- Lexcorp Plaza
- Kirby County
Items:
- Guardian's Shield
- Project Cadmus jet packs
- Toastmasters
Vehicles:
- Bibbo Bibbowski's motorcycle and sidecar
- Project Cadmus military vehicles
Notes
- This issue is chapter two of the four-part "Battle for Metropolis" story-arc.
- This issue is triangle number 1994/21.
- Issue includes a five-page preview of Kobalt #1.
- Lex Luthor attempted to murder his karate instructor Sasha Green in Superman v.2 #77.
- The significance of the postal worker, Fred Bentson, who addresses Lois Lane is expanded upon in the "Worlds Collide" story-line.
Trivia
- Lex Luthor's "Lex-Men" is a pun on the Marvel Comics super-hero team the X-Men.
- Bibbo Bibbowski's motorcycle is mis-colored green in this issue, whereas in Action Comics #699, it was colored blue and decorated with Superman stickers.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Superman: The Man of Steel series
- Images from Superman: The Man of Steel Vol 1 34
Recommended Reading
Links and References
| Previous Action Comics #699: 1994/20 |
Superman 1994 Navigation |
Next Superman (volume 2) #90: 1994/22 |
  Fall of Metropolis Crossover This issue is related to the Battle for Metropolis and Fall of Metropolis storylines, spanning through the Superman Titles in 1994, and involving the battle for, and then fall of Metropolis. Battle for Metropolis
Fall of Metropolis
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