Superman stood with his fists on his hips and
actually looked bored as the four men in high-tech body armor and
carrying even more high-tech looking rifles wasted time and power
pumping yellowish energy beams into The Man of Steel’s
chest. Superman would much rather they fire at him than at the
panicky bystanders who were screaming and pushing at each other as they
struggled to exit the main branch of The First Metropolitan Bank.
Superman wished that the bank staff and security would be more help in
organizing an orderly exit but they were among the mob fighting to get
out. He sighed. There was only so much that even a Superman
could do, after all.
The four would be bank robbers finally got the idea
that it was useless to keep pumping energy at Superman. The beams
were having no effect on him at all. And why should they?
Whoever had supplied them with these weapons had made a very bad
error. The energy rifles were based on concentrated beams of
solar radiation. And since Superman was in essence a living solar
storage battery…well, the would be bank robbers had actually
just given him a considerable boost of power.
Superman’s eyes flashed red and the energy
rifles fell to the marble floor with multiple clanks! having
been melted by heat vision into lumps of useless metal. Superman
spoke slowly and clearly to the four shaking men. “I would
suggest we not waste anymore time, gentlemen. You know and I know
how this is going to end. So why don’t you just all lay
down on the floor and wait for the police to arrive and we’ll all
be the better for it.”
As one man the four would be bank robbers hit the
floor, fingers interlaced on the backs of their head.
Captain Maggie Sawyer of the Metropolis Special
Crimes Unit strode into the cathedral-like bank lobby, followed closely
by her handpicked, personally trained men who quickly took charge of
the prisoners. Maggie removed her helmet and grinned up into
Superman’s face. “Hardly worth using the sirens to
get down here. Thanks again, Superman. How many does that
make I owe you?”
“I don’t keep score, Maggie. You
know that. I’m always glad to help out.”
“So how’d you tumble onto this?”
“Actually I was on my way to the Superior
Court Building when my super hearing picked up these men shouting
orders for the bank staff and customers to lie down on the floor.”
Maggie was nodding. “That’s
right. You’re a witness in the Luthor trial, aren’t
you?”
Superman started walking toward the bank of
revolving doors and Maggie fell into step beside him. “I
was subpoenaed as a witness for
Lex Luthor if you can believe that.”
Maggie stopped and laid a hand on Superman’s
forearm. “Waitaminute. You’re serious? You’re going
to testify for Luthor?”
“I have to, Maggie. You know that.
I don’t have any choice in the matter.”
“How does Clark feel about this?
He’s one of your closest friends. You can’t tell me
that you’re actually going to help Luthor against-“
Superman’s voice was low and vibrant with an
emotion Maggie had never before heard as he said quietly;
“Maggie, I’m not going to help Luthor do anything.
But I have been subpoenaed and I will take the stand and I will answer
all questions put to me as truthfully as I can. Clark will just
have to understand that and if he can’t, then so be it. Now
if you’ll excuse me-“and with that, Superman lifted into
the air as effortlessly as a human would step off a sidewalk to cross
the street. Within seconds, Superman was flying over the concrete
canyons of Metropolis.
I may have laid
that on just a bit too thick, he mused ruefully as he set his
course for the Metropolis headquarters of Barabbas Bioworks.
Those energy weapons were of a type Superman had never seen before used
in Metropolis. That combined with the fact that not too long ago
he’d seen Ugly Mannheim in the Barabbas Bioworks building was
giving him many unpleasant thoughts. A man he’d long
thought was dead. A man who controlled the technologically based
criminal empire known as Intergang with a ruthlessness and corporate
skill that even Lex Luthor himself might have envied. Ugly
Mannheim was always on the lookout for new technologies to be exploited
for criminal means. Superman had no idea if Dr. Devon Barabbas
was a willing partner or being coerced in some way but he meant to find
out.
Superman located Dr. Barabbas’ office with
telescopic vision and landed on the balcony. The door was locked
but just the merest tug broke the lock and he strode into the
futuristic office. Dr. Devon Barabbas was seated at her desk and
turned around, gasping in outraged surprise. Due to the quality
and angle of the sunlight behind him, to her field of vision,
Superman’s body was a solid black figure. Only his bright
crimson cape and the S-shield across his massive chest stood out in
bold contrast. The most powerful voice on the planet filled the
office with confident certainty.
“Dr. Barabbas. I’m Superman.
You and I need to talk.”
The courtroom was jam-packed. Even though access was restricted
only to those who had legitimate reason to be there, it was still a mob
scene. Everybody (and that meant everybody) was required to go
through two separate types of scanners and an ID check.
“You mean to tell me you’ve been a cop
in Metropolis for eighteen years and you don’t recognize me as
being Lois Lane?” Lois demanded. Her face was wearing
her best pissed off expression but it was having no effect on the
police officer holding out his wide hand for her ID.
“I know full well who you are, Miss
Lane. But I wouldn’t let my own sweet gray-haired mother in
that courtroom until and unless she showed me her ID. I got a
pension to protect and Commissioner Henderson himself swore that
he’d have the badge of any officer circumventing the security
protocols for this detail.”
“Fer cryin’ out loud, Lane, just show
him your ID, awreddy!” Alexander Knox, the ace reporter
from Gotham City shoved past Lois and slapped his Gotham Globe ID into the
cop’s hand.
“It’s the principal of the thing,”
Lois muttered as she rummaged around in her purse for her wallet.
“What’s the point of being a world famous journalist,
then?”
Knox was waved on in and a grinning Jimmy Olsen was
next. “C’mon, Lois. You knew we’d have to
go through this just like everybody else. It’s not going to
kill you to be treated like Jane Punchclock for once.”
“Y’ask me, that’s Lane’s
problem,” Knox said over his right shoulder.
“She’s too used to getting her own way all the time.”
Lois muttered something most unladylike and thrust
her ID into the police officer’s face. “There!
You happy now?”
“Ecstatic. Thank you, Miss Lane.
Go right on in.”
With poor grace, Lois stormed into the courtroom,
elbowing both Jimmy and Knox out of her way as she marched right to the
first row and took a seat, joined by her fellow reporters. The
seats had been reserved for them as it was expected that Lois would be
called as a witness by District Attorney Benjamin Raglan.
Metropolis’ DA was sitting at his table with six members of his
staff, deep in conversation.
The murmur of conversation rose as Lex Luthor
entered the courtroom from a side entrance. Dressed impeccably as
always, he looked neither left nor right as the room was filled with
hundreds of flashes as photographers took as many pictures as they
possibly could. Luthor looked as indifferent as if he was
entering a Big Belly Burger joint and not a courtroom where the rest of
his life would be decided.
He was flanked by Cameron Poole. Unlike the
District Attorney who had an entire team with him, Cameron Poole was
alone.
Knox snorted in grudging admiration.
“Good move on Poole’s part, coming in alone with Luthor
like that.”
“How so?” Jimmy asked, never
missing a shot. He had three cameras looped around his neck and
he switched between them with the practiced ease he had developed over
the years, earning his reputation as Metropolis’ best news
photographer.
“With the DA over there with an army of
assistants, it looks like they’re ganging up on Luthor, when he
shows up with just one lawyer. That alone sends a message to the
jury.”
“Maybe Raglan simply wants to make sure that
Luthor gets what’s coming to him at last!” Lois
snapped. “Whose side are you on, Knox?”
Knox flashed that engaging grin of his.
“How many sides ya got, Lane?”
Jimmy was looking toward the double doors.
“Clark better be getting here soon. The trial’s about
to start.”
“Yeah, how about that, Lane? Your
husband’s the star witness for the prosecution. After all,
it was him Luthor shot.
Why isn’t he here?”
Trying to sound offhandedly-nonchalant Lois replied,
“Clark’ll be here, Knox. He wouldn’t miss
Luthor’s trial for anything.” Unless some kind of emergency came up and
he had to handle it as Superman…still, this is the best chance
we’ve had in YEARS to bring Luthor to justice and pay for the
hundreds of crimes he’s committed. I can’t believe
Clark wouldn’t be here!
The bailiff’s voice echoed throughout the
immense room as he boomed: “All RISE! The Superior Court of
Metropolis is now in session! The Honorable Judge Jonathan
Longbaugh presiding!”
Judge Jonathan Longbaugh entered the
courtroom. The gray old bear of a man had been asked by The Mayor
himself to come out of retirement to preside over this trial due to the
untimely hospitalization of Judge Emerson Parker due to a pulmonary
embolism. Longbaugh’s thirty years as a judge was
hallmarked by his objectivity and fairness. He laboriously took
his seat and the bailiff bawled: “You may be seated!”
Judge Longbaugh banged his gavel and glared at the
courtroom assemblage. “Let me make one thing perfectly
clear: I will have ORDER in my courtroom. There will be no
pictures taken while testimony is being given and heard. No cell
phones will be used. I want no unnecessary talking.
I’m looking for an excuse to clear this courtroom, ladies and
gentlemen so please…give me one.” Judge Longbaugh
gave the room one final scowl and turned to the District
Attorney. “Let’s not waste any time here. Mr.
Raglan, your opening statement, if you please.”
“I resent this intrusion on my privacy!” Dr. Barabbas
snapped indignantly. “I don’t care who you are!
This is private property and you can’t come barging in anytime
you damn well please!”
“I can if I have reasonable suspicion that
there is criminal activity being conducted here, Dr. Barabbas.
And I do. What dealings do you have with Ugly Mannheim?”
“Who?”
“Bruno ‘Ugly’ Mannheim. The
undisputed head of Intergang, a powerful and ruthless criminal
organization. What makes them so dangerous is their use of
cutting edge Terran technology as well as weaponry supplied to them
from Apokolips itself. Mannheim is supposed to be dead but
I’ve seen him in this very building.”
Superman’s voice was not a pleasant thing to hear. He took
a step closer as he continued. “I’m well aware of the
tactics Mannheim uses to get his way, Doctor. If you’re
being forced or coerced in any way to assist Intergang, I promise
I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”
Dr. Barabbas was scowling as she slowly stood up
from her chair. “You’ve seen this man in my
building? How?”
“I have X-Ray vision, Doctor.
That’s public knowledge.”
“So you just use it to look into private
property whenever you wish? Isn’t that violating
people’s privacy? I’m sure you are. And this
building houses working research and development laboratories.
Your X-Rays could have contaminated any number of sensitive experiments
being done or disrupted the sensitive equipment we use for those
experiments.” Dr. Barabbas folded her arms across her
chest. “I think you better leave, Superman, before I call
my lawyers.”
Superman sized up Dr. Barabbas. Plainly
he’d miscalculated her response. She wasn’t one to be
intimidated easily. Time to try another tactic.
“Dr. Barabbas, my intention was not to violate
your privacy or that of your staff. I regularly use my X-Ray
vision only in order to spot potential danger to the citizens of
Metropolis. And Ugly Mannheim is as dangerous as it gets.”
“I’ve never heard of this man and I
certainly have not had any dealings with him. And he’s
never been in this building.”
“Maybe a member of your staff is being
blackmailed by him?”
“Honestly, Superman…I’m
extraordinarily busy and I simply don’t have time
for-“hearing the door of her office open, Dr. Barabbas turned as
a slim, red-haired woman wearing stylish A-List eyeglasses entered.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Doctor! I
wasn’t aware that you were busy!”
“Superman just stopped by to introduce himself
to me and say hi. Superman, this is my new personal assistant,
Rhosyn Forrest.”
The red-haired woman stepped in closer, lifted her
hand to shake Superman’s. She smiled brightly.
“Just call me Rose.”
District Attorney Ben Raglan was considered one of the most eligible
bachelors in Metropolis. His charcoal hair was slicked back
tightly against his well shaped eyes. Turquoise eyes that were
almost too pretty to be in such a hard face swept over the jury.
His build was slim and narrow but there was plenty of wiry muscle
there. Raglan stopped in front of the jury and his voice filled
the hushed courtroom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you’re going to
hear a lot in this courtroom about what an outstanding man Lex Luthor
is. How much Metropolis needs Lex Luthor. How Lex Luthor is
the heart and soul of Metropolis.
“Ladies and gentlemen, that is a flat out
myth. Lex Luthor has donated millions to charities; built
hospitals and schools, given of his time, resources and vast financial
wealth for the betterment of this beloved city we all live and work
in. But that doesn’t change the fact that over the years
Mr. Luthor has been involved in a staggering amount of criminal
activities. 120 the last time I counted. Ranging from malfeasance
to attempted murder.
“Right in front of a room full of witnesses,
most of them reporters and photographers who are here in this very courtroom Lex Luthor drew
a handgun from the pocket of his jacket, took aim at Lois Kent and
fired. Only the intervention of her husband and fellow Daily Planet
reporter Clark Kent saved her from certain death as he shoved her out
of the way and himself took that bullet.
“I’ve offered Mr. Luthor a deal. I
wanted to spare him the embarrassment of this trial in recognition of
the good he’s done for Metropolis over the years. But he
refused. So be it. I have no choice to reveal the true
nature of Lex Luthor to you, ladies and gentlemen and to the
world. And let you be the judge of how best to deal with
him.”
District Attorney Raglan returned to his
seat. Cameron Poole laboriously got to his feet as if all
this was just so much a waste of his valuable time. Cameron Poole
didn’t look like a chipmunk now. He had reminded Lois of a
chipmunk the first time they met. But now, Poole looked like what
he was: one of the cleverest and astute of defense lawyers in the
country today. And he didn’t waste time getting right down
to the nitty gritty:
“I’m not going to stand up here and make
speeches. I’m well known for my somewhat flowery and
overblown opening statements. But not this time, ladies and
gentlemen of the jury. No, not this time. Because I
don’t need to. This case is as simple and as uncomplicated
as a cheese sandwich. My client is innocent of all the alleged
crimes he’s supposed to have done. And that includes the
so-called attempted murder charge!”
Despite the judge’s earlier statements, a
ripple of astonished conversation surged around the room. Judge
Longbaugh banged his gavel. “I want it quiet in
here!” Once the hubbub had subsided Judge Longbaugh nodded
for Poole to continue.
Poole nodded his thanks and hooked his thumbs into
the pockets of his vest and he strode closer to the jury.
“It is my intention, ladies and gentlemen of the jury to prove
once and for all that my client, Lex Luthor has for years been the
victim of an insidious conspiracy that includes foul collusion between
corrupt officials in City Hall itself as well as the print and
electronic media!
“That’s right, I said conspiracy and I
meant it! It is fair to say that without Lex Luthor we would not
have the Metropolis of today! The bright and shining City of
Tomorrow full of promise and hope for all! But there are powerful
and sinister forces at work that would have you believe that Mr. Luthor
is responsible for every wicked deed performed in this city!
Well, once this trial is over I can guarantee that you’re going
to see many prominent citizens of Metropolis in a new light, ladies and
gentlemen! There are many who would like nothing better than to
see Mr. Luthor’s good name as well as his great and charitable
works trampled in the dirt. And as sure as my name is Cameron
Poole I’m not going to see that happen.”
Poole whirled and strode back to his seat. All
through his opening statement Luthor had sat quietly, hands neatly
folded on the highly polished teak table. He looked at nothing,
merely stared straight ahead as if nothing that was happening in this
courtroom concerned him in the slightest.
One of Raglan’s staffers had gotten up and
pressed a note into Lois’s hand. She unfolded it and read
the note quickly. It was from DA Raglan as she recognized his
precise, almost machine-perfect handwriting:
Where in the HELL
is Kent? The whole case is based on the testimony of both you AND
your husband! I’m going to have to call you first and hope
he gets here before I’m done.
Lois looked up and nodded at Raglan who nodded back.
Judge Longbaugh sat back in his plush leather chair,
folded his hands across his stomach. “Call your first
witness, Mr. Raglan.”
Raglan stood up and said in a clear, firm
voice: “I call Lois Lane Kent to the stand, Your
Honor.”
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Forrest,” Superman said as he
shook the young woman’s hand. “I wish I had time for
pleasantries but I’m here on serious business.”
Superman turned back to Devon Barabbas. “You’re
playing a dangerous game, Doctor. But so be it. I just
wanted to give you a chance to come clean and I wanted to offer my help
if you needed it.”
“I don’t need any help from you because
I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Have it your way, Doctor. But if any
more unfamiliar technology shows up in my city, I’ll be back to
pay you another visit.” Superman turned and in a gush of
wind was gone.
Rose Forrest turned to her employer with eyes that
looked as wide as dinner plates. “What was that all about?”
“Superman seems to think that there’s
some sort of criminal mastermind working here. Rose, scour all
law enforcement databases and get me all the information you can about
a Bruno Mannheim and Intergang.”
“As soon as possible, Doctor. And I came
in to remind you of your meeting with the R & D Department.”
“Thank you, Rose. You’ve certainly
been a blessing to me since you started working here.”
Rose Forrest smiled sweetly as she said; “Not
as much as you’ve been a blessing to me, Dr. Barabbas.”
Superman skimmed above the rooftops, his mind awhirl with the many and
varied thoughts going through it. Her heartbeat didn’t fluctuate a bit,
he mused. Superman’s super-hearing was pretty good at
detecting when somebody was lying as he could hear the changes in their
heartbeat. Devon Barabbas’ heart had stayed steady. She was telling the truth…or she
BELIVES she’s telling the truth? Could Mannheim have her
under some kind of mental control? Superman hated dealing
with mind control. It was often extremely difficult to detect
when an individual was being mind controlled and he hated to call up
The Martian Manhunter every time he suspected somebody of being-
The crackling beam of energy screamed right past
Superman and smashed into The Platt Avenue Bridge with horrendous
force. Superman hadn’t heard or sensed the energy beam and
he looked downward in horror as The Platt Avenue Bridge was pulverized,
cars flying into the streets below. The Platt Avenue Bridge was
one that acted as an access ramp, carrying traffic onto the Shuster
Thruway. Superman sped downwards with the legendary speed that
was faster than a speeding bullet and caught a car in each hand.
He grunted as he slowly halted the descent of the
vehicles and placed them on the ground, traffic screeching to a
halt. Superman flew back up and caught two more cars. But
he couldn’t catch them all. In the time he had caught four
cars; three others had smashed to the street below.
Superman looked up at the bridge. It was
crumbling into massive chunks that were falling onto the halted traffic
below. Superman’s eyes glowed red and his heat vision
leaped forth to blast the chunks into dust.
Where in the
blazes did that beam come from? And what WAS it? Is this a
new attack from Apokolips?
Superman scanned the skies above Metropolis and saw
another potentially deadly beam streaking downward. It’s coming down in Bakerline!
Superman became a red and blue blur as he accurately
calculated where in Bakerline the beam would hit and flew as fast as he
could to intercept it. Newspapers were blown off newsstands and
covered the streets in a blizzard of paper. Men’s hats were
carried away on the powerful wind and the skirts and dresses of ladies
billowed up around their thighs as Superman passed in near
invisibility, so fast was he traveling.
Superman made a sharp 90-degree turn and landed so
hard that cracks radiated outward in all directions in the pavement
under his booted feet. The beam struck his outstretched hands and
immediately Superman was bathed in a corona of screaming energy that
seemed alive with malicious hate, engulfing Superman’s body.
But The Man of Steel held his ground and it was as
if he had seized the ray of destruction in his two hands and was
wrestling with it, bending it to his will. With excruciating
slowness, Superman lifted into the air, allowing the beam to wash over
him, blocking it from wreaking any havoc to his city as he rose higher
and higher into the sky, following the beam back to its source by
literally pushing it back.
The citizens of Metropolis looked up into the sky
and cheers echoed from the skyscrapers as Superman pushed back the beam
of destruction, higher and ever higher into the sky until both the beam
and Superman were lost in the clouds.
“Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
“I do.”
“State your name for the record, please.”
“Lois Lane Kent.”
The bailiff stepped back and District Attorney
Raglan stepped forward.
“Mrs. Kent, in your own words please tell the
court exactly what events took place on the day Lex Luthor tried to
murder you.”
NEXT ISSUE:
Lois has her day in court while Superman finds out where
the mysterious destructive ray is coming from! Rose Forrest
learns
more than she should about Ugly Mannheim and needs help from her alter
ego, The Thorn! All this and more in Part Two of “The Trial of
Lex
Luthor”!
