It’s the dawn of a new Millennium! And one of Superman’s deadliest foes is about to get an all-new, all-powerful makeover. Who could pose enough of a threat to Metopolis that it would encourage Lex Luthor to side with the Man of Steel? And when it’s all over, what will become of the City of Tomorrow?
Crossover: This is a standard five-part crossover.
Must-Reads: Issues marked with a ✔are essential to the story; every chapter is required to follow this story, but the story itself isn’t recommended.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
- SOLITUDE (1989) – The Eradicator creates the Fortress of Solitude
- ASHES & BLOOD (1993-1994) – The Eradicator merges with David Connor
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Superman: Y2K #1
- Superman #154
- Adventures of Superman #576
- Superman: The Man of Steel #98
- Action Comics #763
| Must Reads | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Superman: Y2K #1 Ma & Pa Kent join Clark Kent & Lois Lane in Metropolis to celebrate the new millennium! But LexCorp comes under assault from a threat from space when Brainiac 2.5 and shuts down 96% of the world’s technology via the LexCorp Y2Kompliance program. Panic hits the darkened Metropolis streets, where baby Lena Luthor’s nursemaid turns to Lois Lane to get the child to safety. While Superman and the Justice League deal with a world in chaos and thousands of loose nukes when all the world’s robots attack the Man of Steel. Luthor retrieves Lena from Lois and offers to clear her of her debt to him. Brainiac 2.5 receives a rush of information from the future and, just as Luthor activates a tiny disc, a gigantic Brainiac-13 looms over Metropolis… 1st appearance: Brainiac 13 |
| ✔ | Superman #154 In search of his missing parents, Superman catches sight of the amped-up Brainiac-13. But his opponent quickly switches when he’s thrown into the path of an oversized and upgraded Metallo, now allied with the new Brainiac-13. Lex Luther is stunned when the infant. The Metal Men break free of Brainiac-13’s control and Lead combines with Superman to rip out Metallo’s Kryptonite heart. Superman is digitised by Brainiac-13 and drawn into the technologically-evolving Metropolis, only for the electric-powered Superman to emerge! |
| ✔ | Adventures of Superman #576 Brainiac-2.5’s consciousness now inhabits the body of baby Lena Luthor and directs Lex Luthor to the real Superman who’s held in stasis. Brainiac-13 – advanced 8000 years before his time – destroys the ‘electric Superman’ created by Brainiac-2.5. Lex Luthor and his bodyguards – Mercy Graves and Hope Taya – free the real Superman… |
| Title & Issue Number | Synopsis & First Appearances |
| ✔ | Superman: The Man of Steel #98 Superman locates and rescues his parents. Brainiac-13 turns Steel’s suits of armour against him. Superman and the Eradicator join forces against the sentient remains of the Fortress of Solitude when they become infected with the B13 Virus, manifesting as a warrior colossus. The Eradicator sacrifices himself by taking control of the colossus and blasting it off into the void of space. Brainiac 2.5 and Lex Luthor power up the Warsuit that LexCorp stole from the Fortress… |
| ✔ | Action Comics #763 Brainiac 13 has taken Metropolis and enslaved the population. Lex Luthor and Brainiac 2.5 exploit his inability to absorb Kryptonian tech by attacking him with the Warsuit. Kelex adapts the suit to convert and overload Brainiac 13 with Kryptonian energy, causing him to crash and draw his consciousness into the Warsuit. Luthor gives Brainiac 2.5/Lena Luthor to Brainiac 13 to allow his escape in exchange for control over the newly-advanced Metropolis. |
| Must Reads | Issue & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Action Comics #764 (2000) Lex Luthor covers up the disappearance of Lena Luthor. | STRANGERS IN SMALLVILLE | |
| ✔ | Superman: The Man of Steel #100 (2000) Superman builds a new Fortress of Solitude. | |
| ✔ | Superman: The Man of Steel #114 (2001) The Eradicator returns to Earth still merged with the gigantic robotic Kryptonian battle-suit to warn Superman that Imperius is coming; a misunderstanding makes the Eradicator see Superman as an enemy again. | |
| ✔ | Superman #171 (2001) Adventures of Superman #595 (2001) Superman: The Man of Steel #117 (2001) Action Comics #782 (2001) Lena Luthor returns to Earth, aged to adulthood and fully under Brainiac-13’s control; ‘Lena’ warns Lex of an impending alien invasion, but he keeps the information to himself; Brainiac uses Metropolis’ advanced state to his advantage; Lena Luthor turns against Brainiac and is returned to infancy; Brainiac 13 is destroyed. | OUR WORLDS AT WAR |
| ✔ | Superman: The Man of Steel #119 (2001) Subverted by the Joker, the Eradicator tries to kill Krypto; the Eradicator is separated from the remains of the original Fortress of Solitude. | JOKER’S LAST LAUGH |
| Superman #182-183 (2002) Lois Lane learns Lex Luthor knew about the impending alien invasion, and decides to reveal this to the public to sabotage his Presidency; Lois gives the story to Clark Kent to run instead, though this leads to Clark being fired from the Daily Planet by Perry White. | ||
| Superman/Batman #5-6 (2003-2004) Lex Luthor dons his next version of the Warsuit which has been built on Apokolips; Luthor uses it in direct conflict with Superman. | ||
| ✔ | Superman #200 (2004) Superman’s battle in the future with Brainiac 12 undoes everything Brainiac 13 did to ensure his own future existence. | |
| ✔ | Convergence #0 (2015) Brainiac 13 is revealed to be a representation of Brainiac as a multiversal constant. | CONVERGENCE |
| Action Comics #1064 (2024) The post-Flashpoint version of Brainiac 13 makes his debut, appearing among as a member of the Brainiacs of the Omniverse. | HOUSE OF BRAINIAC |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Superman: Our Worlds at War Omnibus vol.1: Prelude to War Superman: The City of Tomorrow vol.1 Superman: The City of Tomorrow Compendium | Action Comics #763 Adventures of Superman #576 Superman #154 Superman: The Man of Steel #98 Superman: Y2K #1 |
Reading Order ©OmniverseComicsGuide 2023
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