Absolute Superman #10 (2025)

Years ago on Krypton, Jor-El rescued a group of trapped miners from a cave-in, but they were attacked by subterranean creatures known as Magmoles which had been driven into a frenzy after being exposed to the radioactive green substance underground. Although he hated doing it, Jor-El and his fellow miners were forced to kill the animals to escape with their lives. In the present, Superman attacks a heavily fortified Lazarus research facility in Greenland where Jimmy Olsen is being held. Lazarus Corp anticipated the rescue attempt and prepared multiple layers of defences. Superman easily smashes through the planes patrolling the skies over the facility, but then anti-air guns open fire on him. Inside the facility, Jimmy whispers to Lois, who is still guarding him, that they need to help Superman but she whispers back to be quiet or he'll get them both killed. Meanwhile Ra's al Ghul and Brainiac observe Superman's assault and the Peacemakers' attempts to repel him from a top-floor office. Ra's declares that this is the day he will meet his son and asks Brainiac why he insisted on doing this in Greenland. Brainiac explains that he has hypothesised that yellow sunlight is the source of Superman's power, meaning that he will exhaust his solar reserves throughout the fight. However, Ra's says that he wants Superman to be stronger, not weaker. Brainiac says that he thought Ra's wanted Superman broken and Ra's replies that being broken is for weaker beings like Brainiac; Superman must be made whole. Smith enters the room and Ra's al Ghul asks him if he ready to take another shot at Superman. Smith replies that he is but asks if he will be allowed to kill him this time, as he was prevented from doing so in Smallville. Brainiac starts to explain that he wasn't give the "Krypto-Meteorite" bullets to kill Superman but Ra's cuts him off. He tells Smith that he takes his orders from Ra's al Ghul and nobody else. He hands him another Krypto-Meteorite bullet and tells him to "make God proud". Outside Superman destroys the artillery batteries and drags the Peacemakers away into a cloud of Sunstone. Ra's hopefully asks Brainiac if he has started killing the soldiers as they had hoped, but Brainiac replies that they are still receiving vitals signs from them and Superman is just dumping them miles away. al Ghul says they need to encourage Superman more and tells Brainiac to begin "Phase Two". Omega Prime and the Omega Men Boom Tube outside the facility and exchange fire with the Peacemakers. Inside, Jimmy hears this and tells Lois that Primus can get them both out of there if she lets him talk to her, but Lois slams him to the floor and holds her gun to his head, once again ordering him to be quiet. Smith flies up towards Superman, but this time Superman is ready for him and beats him senseless in four seconds, sending him crashing back down to Earth before he can fire his Krypto-Meteorite bullet. Looking down from the sky, Superman seriously considers killing Smith, who is still aiming his gun at him. However, he remembers his Jor-El telling him about the incident with the Magmoles in the mines, and that he was forced to kill them. Kal-El told his father that he did the right thing, but Jor-El replied that the "right thing" is simply what people tell themselves to make tough decisions easier to live with. Jor-El told Kal-El that in the Redlands there would always be tough decisions, but they should never lose sight of what constituted cruelty. Kal-El asked if they would still sometimes have to do bad things if they had no other choice or to save other's lives. Jor-El replied that they would sometimes have to be cruel if that's what it took to preserve their home. Omega Prime yells at Supermen to kill Smith, but Superman is still conflicted and simply floats in the air above them. Primus says that if he won't kill Smith she'll do it herself and swings down to decapitate him, but Superman melts her sword with his heat vision. He wordlessly lands next to her and she calls him a coward. Ra's approaches with Lois, Jimmy and a small army of Peacemakers; and tells Primus not to speak in such a way to the son of the demon. Lois is confused at this but Ra's quickly clarifies that Superman is not his son by blood, saying that the blood comes now. Smith weakly says that Superman can't be the chosen one, it should be him as he gave Ra's everything. Ra's kneels down and takes the gun from Smith's hand, telling him that he has proven his weakness, that he is just a sheep in wolf's clothing. Smith begs Ra's not to kill him, saying he never got to fire his bullet. Ra's callously replies "I know" and fires right at Smith's head but Superman blocks the bullet, injuring his hand. Ra's tells Superman that he understands the anger he feels against the state of the world, and that the anger is righteous. He tells Superman that together they will use his anger to save the planet from itself and remake the world, and addresses him as "my son". Superman defiantly tells Ra's that he's not his son, and Ra's replies that he will be. To everyone's shock, Omega Prime stabs Superman in the back with a blade made of Krypto-Meteorite. Lois drops Jimmy and runs to help Superman but Omega Prime knocks her out with a kick to the head. Ra's, Omega Prime and the Peacemakers massacre the Omega Men, while Superman starts to glow yellow and green as the Father Box chimes. Ra's tells Superman that he's not yet worthy of being called a child of al Ghul, but he and Superman's "sister" will teach him, revealing that Omega Prime is actually his daughter Talia al Ghul.