Absolute Superman #9 (2025)

The Omega Men desperately try to remove the bullets from Superman's chest, but find it almost impossible. His invulnerable flesh and bones are difficult to manoeuvre around and he is immune to anaesthesia so feels everything and cannot lie still. They manage to remove one, but Superman's scream of pain destroys the operating theatre. The other two bullets begin to break down inside him, but with all their scanners destroyed they cannot accurately locate them. Superman takes the forceps from the doctor and pulls the second bullet out himself, leaving only one remaining. Superman passes out from the pain and Sol is still rebooting from the damage the armour suffered, so they cannot extract the final bullet. Primus orders her men to being out "the box"; the doctor objects that they still don't understand its capabilities but she insists they have no other choice. She removes her mask and tells Superman that the machine can help him and "Omega will provide". The doctor activates the machine, a a box which teleports the final bullet out of Superman's chest. Lois Lane is arrested and taken to a Lzarus Corp processing centre, where Ra's al Ghul himself comes to see her. Lois immediately understands what this means: she is not going to be killed, fired or allowed to quit; instead he has a job for her. Ra's al Ghul cheerfully tells her she is right, but before he can giver her the assignment, Lois then predicts that he will try to force her to do what he wants by threatening to take away her father's Lazarus Corp-manufactured prosthetic kegs. She tells Ra's that he has no idea how the world has changed with Superman in it or how small he has become. Ra's replies that her analysis is largely right, but if she refuses to do what he wants he will simply kill Sam. Lois pulls out a hidden knife and charges at Ra's, but he shows no fear with Lois' knife at his throat. He calmly tells her that if she kills him he will simply return to life the next morning, but she will not. Lois lowers the knife and Ra's tells her to bring Superman to him. Weeks later, the Omega Men and Superman Boom Tube into the Peacemaker barracks in Karachi and attack them. Superman prevents Omega Prime from beheading a Peacemaker, reminding her that he only agreed to help her if they did not use lethal force. He runs through the nearest building at super-speed, single-handedly disarming and knocking the Peacemakers unconscious. He then runs to the motor pool and begins destroying the tanks. Sol asks him to be careful or he could re-open his wounds, but Superman mournfully says that all he is is wounds now. Two Peacemakers in mechas grab Superman and begin pulling him apart, causing his wounds to bleed again. Sol destroys them by releasing all the armour's stored energy in a single blast. Sol tells Superman that no matter what shape he is in, he can never let the Omega Men use the box on him again. Later at the Omega Men's headquarters on a decommissioned Lazarus deep-sea oil rig, the recuperating Superman watches Omega Prime dispatch another team to Myanmar. As she does she says a prayer to the "One True Omega" to be with them in all his wrathful glory. Superman asks Jimmy Olsen, who is swabbing the deck, what he knows about the box. Jimmy replies that all he knows are rumours: some say it fell from space, some that it was dug up on Earth after being buried for millions of years; and Omega Prime says it comes from God. Superman tells him that it is a "Father Box" and told him its name when it was removing the bullet. Jimmy is surprised to learn the box is alive and asks if it told him anything else. Superman replies that it showed him a vision of a world with fire pits the size of oceans and endless slums; not an alien world, but Earth's future. Jimmy says he saw what will happen if Lazarus is not stopped. Superman asks Jimmy why he wants to be an Omega Man and Jimmy replies that they are the only people fighting to make a difference in a horrible world, but he also admits that he doesn't trust anyone, including Primus. Primus suddenly orders Jimmy to suit up and tells them that protestors in Karachi calling for Smith's arrest were attacked by the Peacemakers. The protestors are being held in a Lazarus facility in Karachi and the Omega Men are going out to free them. Superman volunteers to come too over Sol's objections, but once again insists against killing anyone. Primus isn't happy about that, but agrees because she believes that the "God Box" saved him for a reason and the Omega has big plans for him. As they are fighting their way into the Lazarus facility in Pakistan, Sol again warns Superman that the Father Box is extremely dangerous and worries he should be afraid of what the corruption of Earth is turning him into. Angered, Superman yells at Sol that he is tired of people telling him who he is and to shut up; and Sol deactivates voice mode. Superman's x-ray vision allows him to see into the building where the protestors are held and that they are have all been hanged. He furiously smashes down the wall, revealing the sight to the Omega Men. A squad of Peacemakers surrounds them and Jimmy asks Omega Prime to get them out of there, but she attacks two Peacemakers in a rage, disarming and knocking them down. She picks up a dropped gun and points it at a Peacemaker to execute him. Jimmy yells at Superman to stop her but he stands there motionless as Primus pulls the trigger. The Omega Men and Superman Boom Tube back to the oil rig. It is revealed that Superman caught the bullet at the last second, but seriously considered letting Primus kill the Peacemaker. Superman realises his anger is growing too much and he needs to get away from humanity; he tries to talk to Sol but the AI is still silent. Primus confronts him over stopping the bullet, telling him that he should understand from what he saw that Lazarus will kill anyone who gets in their way and they cannot fight something like that by being restrained. She asks Superman to go back to Pakistan with her, kill every Peacemaker there and then kill Smith and Ra's al Ghul, while Superman pitifully asks her to stop talking. He finally refuses and tells her that he is leaving and not to follow him. Just then, an Omega Man runs up and tells Primus that in the chaos they left Jimmy behind. In a Lazarus interrogation room, Lois orders Jimmy Olsen to tell her everything he knows about Superman.