Superman: At Earth's End
Encyclopedia
"Superman: At Earth's End", is a 1995
one-shot DC Comics
Elseworlds
story. It was written by Tom Veitch
, with art by Frank Gomez.
The story is, more or less, the sequel to the miniseries At Earth's End which is spin off from the DC Comic series Kamandi
, created by Jack Kirby in 1972
.
s named the Biomech Sevens are overseeing Earth's return to greatness. For the last year, Superman
has been regaining his lost strength in a hovering city, where he is able to receive the benefits of the sun's rays. While recuperating, he learns that Gotham City
is next in line to be "cleansed", via a nuclear bomb. It has been overrun with mutants and other such degenerates.
After battling the Biomech Sevens' leader Ben Boxer, during which he asserts that "You are a android... I AM A MAN!!!", Superman goes down to Gotham to stop this cleansing process. Although the Batman of this Elseworld is long since dead, Superman is attacked by bat-like mutants that bear a striking resembalence to the Dark Knight, as his strength has been sapped, even though it claimed he had been restored to full strength. He is saved by a cadre of mohawked youth travelling in a pack of motorcycles, who shoot the monsters. Following them back to their hideout, which turns out to be Wayne Manor, Superman is horrified to find out Batman's corpse was stolen from its crypt by a mysterious group called "the DNA Diktators" who also kidnapped the children's parents, who are being held in an underground fortress beneath the city. They get into the Batcave
and walk on for at least 30 miles.
When Superman breaks into the underground fortress, he discovers that their parents have been altered into mutated, mindless creatures. These unfortunates are being accosted by giant "Harvester" robots, serving the wishes of the Diktators. Superman fights off the robots with what remains of his strength and retreats back to the Batcave with the children. As he prepares to storm the DNA Diktators' fortress, one of the children suggests he use the "Expunger", a comically oversized quadruple-chaingun which Batman recovered on his last case. Superman refuses because guns are against his principles, and they set off. After encountering the Diktators' army of mutated lionmen, Superman is shocked to find out who the leaders of the Diktators really are: twin clones of Adolf Hitler
, who killed their creators.
Too weak to go on, Superman once again retreats with the child gang. Faced with no other option, Superman takes the Expunger with him and returns, defeating the Diktators' legions of lion-men and mutant SS
troopers in a hail of gunfire. The Hitlers retreat to their inner sanctum and reveal their trump card: a huge mutated Batman-creature. Superman at first believes it to be a resurrected Bruce Wayne, as it possessed all of his memories, but quickly realizes the monster does not breathe, nor does it have a pulse. Using what little strength he has left, Superman kills the monster with a single mighty punch, only to fall prey to the Hitlers' machineguns. In his weakened state, the bullets inflict mortal wounds. With his last ounce of strength, Superman picks up the Expunger and, blaming the real Hitler for starting the arms race, he opens fire, killing them both.
Superman walks away triumphant, though mortally wounded. Bleeding to death, Superman carries the remains of his friend back to Wayne Manor where he builds a bonfire to make sure Batman's remains are never misused again. A recalcitrant Ben Boxer offers to make the Man of Steel into a cyborg like himself. Faced with immortality in a world that is no longer his own, Superman turns down the offer, scoops up the remains of his friend and walks into his own funeral pyre. As he burns alive, one child gang member throws his gun into the fire, saying that if it wasn't for guns, Superman would still be alive.
1995 in comics
-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
one-shot DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story. It was written by Tom Veitch
Tom Veitch
Tom Veitch is an American writer, best known for his contributions to the Dark Horse Comics line of Star Wars comic books, primarily Dark Empire and Tales of the Jedi. For DC Comics Veitch wrote Animal Man, along with two Elseworlds series featuring Kamandi and an elder Superman...
, with art by Frank Gomez.
The story is, more or less, the sequel to the miniseries At Earth's End which is spin off from the DC Comic series Kamandi
Kamandi
Kamandi is an American comic book character, created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, which ran from 1972 to 1978....
, created by Jack Kirby in 1972
1972 in comics
-Events:* Marvel Comics forms their British publishing arm, Marvel UK .* Phil Seuling founds East Coast Seagate Distribution, developing the concept of the direct market distribution system for getting comics directly into comic book specialty shops, bypassing the established newspaper/magazine...
.
Plot
After the world-altering events of Kamandi: At Earth's End, a period of cleansing is taking place. A group of emotionless, logical cyborgCyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
s named the Biomech Sevens are overseeing Earth's return to greatness. For the last year, Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
has been regaining his lost strength in a hovering city, where he is able to receive the benefits of the sun's rays. While recuperating, he learns that Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
is next in line to be "cleansed", via a nuclear bomb. It has been overrun with mutants and other such degenerates.
After battling the Biomech Sevens' leader Ben Boxer, during which he asserts that "You are a android... I AM A MAN!!!", Superman goes down to Gotham to stop this cleansing process. Although the Batman of this Elseworld is long since dead, Superman is attacked by bat-like mutants that bear a striking resembalence to the Dark Knight, as his strength has been sapped, even though it claimed he had been restored to full strength. He is saved by a cadre of mohawked youth travelling in a pack of motorcycles, who shoot the monsters. Following them back to their hideout, which turns out to be Wayne Manor, Superman is horrified to find out Batman's corpse was stolen from its crypt by a mysterious group called "the DNA Diktators" who also kidnapped the children's parents, who are being held in an underground fortress beneath the city. They get into the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
and walk on for at least 30 miles.
When Superman breaks into the underground fortress, he discovers that their parents have been altered into mutated, mindless creatures. These unfortunates are being accosted by giant "Harvester" robots, serving the wishes of the Diktators. Superman fights off the robots with what remains of his strength and retreats back to the Batcave with the children. As he prepares to storm the DNA Diktators' fortress, one of the children suggests he use the "Expunger", a comically oversized quadruple-chaingun which Batman recovered on his last case. Superman refuses because guns are against his principles, and they set off. After encountering the Diktators' army of mutated lionmen, Superman is shocked to find out who the leaders of the Diktators really are: twin clones of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, who killed their creators.
Too weak to go on, Superman once again retreats with the child gang. Faced with no other option, Superman takes the Expunger with him and returns, defeating the Diktators' legions of lion-men and mutant SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
troopers in a hail of gunfire. The Hitlers retreat to their inner sanctum and reveal their trump card: a huge mutated Batman-creature. Superman at first believes it to be a resurrected Bruce Wayne, as it possessed all of his memories, but quickly realizes the monster does not breathe, nor does it have a pulse. Using what little strength he has left, Superman kills the monster with a single mighty punch, only to fall prey to the Hitlers' machineguns. In his weakened state, the bullets inflict mortal wounds. With his last ounce of strength, Superman picks up the Expunger and, blaming the real Hitler for starting the arms race, he opens fire, killing them both.
Superman walks away triumphant, though mortally wounded. Bleeding to death, Superman carries the remains of his friend back to Wayne Manor where he builds a bonfire to make sure Batman's remains are never misused again. A recalcitrant Ben Boxer offers to make the Man of Steel into a cyborg like himself. Faced with immortality in a world that is no longer his own, Superman turns down the offer, scoops up the remains of his friend and walks into his own funeral pyre. As he burns alive, one child gang member throws his gun into the fire, saying that if it wasn't for guns, Superman would still be alive.