- Hard as it is to believe, Brainiac's intent is obivious! He's trying to cut Manhattan off from the rest of the World!
- ā Jason Rusch
The New 52: Futures End #40 is an issue of the series The New 52: Futures End (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 2015. It was published on February 4, 2015.
Synopsis for "Futures End - Chapter 40"
Finally convinced that he needs to take action against Brainiac, Clark Kent locates a back-up costume to wear. In the meantime, John Constantine faces Brainiac's creatures, who mock him for overestimating Superman's ability to save his planet. John responds that he hasn't banked completely on Superman, and has, in fact, summoned a demon to protect him.
Meanwhile, on the Justice League Defence Station, the Justice League is picking up readings of something approaching in deep space, but there is no indicator of what. To their surprise, the ship that materializes on their viewer is not an alien invader, but the remains of the Carrier, helmed by Stormwatch's Ray Palmer. He explains that while it was not they who tripped the deep space sensor, they know who did: Brainiac. He explains that whatever they think Brainiac is, he is much more than that. Anyone they have ever encountered was merely an agent of the real Brainiac.
Suddenly, the Engineer is repossessed - as Father Time had predicted - by Brainiac, and attacks her companions. Cyborg attempts to delegate Leaguers to put a stop to her, but she addresses them via their viewer and warns that there is no need for their intervention. Brainiac has already arrived - and they will be the first witnesses to his coming.
On New York City's east river, an attack strikes a cruise ship, and tears it in half. Madison Payne and Jason Rusch suspect that the attack is the work of Brainiac, and that the projectiles raining down on the city are more than just projectiles.
Plastique, meanwhile, is in Central Park with Batman and Tim Drake when the projectiles start raining down, and they hurriedly make their way to the Terrifitech building while the chaos is at its apparent peak. They are disturbed, though, to find that everyone in the building has been murdered.
On the Carrier, Wildfire and Equinox arrive to provide help, as the Engineer promises that there is no need to fight. Once Brainiac has the sample he's come for, he will leave. She then abandons the ship and heads toward Brainiac's mothership.
Watching from their satellite, Cyborg notes the attack on Manhattan, and decides that they need to split the team in two, leaving Superman and Firestorm to watch Dr. Polaris while the others are occupied with handling New York and Brainiac. Cyborg sends Dawnstar, in the meantime, to follow the Engineer wherever she goes. As the team follows the Engineer, they are surprised to see her building something on the surface of Brainiac's planet. Suddenly, Brainiac's Skull Ship rips through the surface of the planet and from the rift, they can hear the screams of thousands of people.
Lois Lane, meanwhile, worries that this attack is too sudden for there to be any chance for Earth to fight back. It could all be over in minutes. Back on the satellite, Jason Rusch studies the way the projectiles are behaving, and notes that they're cutting off many of the city's support systems, and embedding themselves deep in the planet's crust. They appear to be forming some kind of energy grid, connecting with each other - and the energy cuts through what it touches. The Lincoln Tunnel is sliced in half - and it seems clear to Jason that Brainiac wants to cut Manhattan off from the rest of the world. Worriedly, those left behind realize that they're better off going to help New York with Dr. Polaris than remaining behind to babysit him.
On street level, Lois is knocked back by the sudden crashing down of a metallic structure in the middle of the street. She worries it might be a bomb, but watches with confusion as it grows humanoid appendages and rises up to monstrous size as Brainiac. The Air Force closes in on Manhattan, watching from the sky as the grid begins closing around the island. Their radar system picks up a fast-moving bogey, and they suspect it's a missile until they realize at last that it was him - it was the real Superman.
Appearing in "Futures End - Chapter 40"
Featured Characters:
- Justice League
- Cyborg
- Wonder Woman
- The Flash
- Equinox
- Dawnstar
- Vostok-X
- Stormguard
- Wildfire
- Firestorm (Madison Payne/Jason Rusch)
- Superman (Billy Batson)
Supporting Characters:
- Lois Lane
- John Constantine
- Batman (Bruce Wayne)
- Plastique
- Tim Drake
- Superman
- Stormwatch
- Ray Palmer
- The Engineer (Possessed)
- Hawkman
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Midge (Appears only as a corpse)
- Dr. Polaris
Locations:
- Smallville, Kansas
- Justice League Defence Station Omega
- New York City
- East River
- Central Park
- Terrifitech
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The New 52: Futures End Vol. 3.
See Also