The Showdown in Smallville was a conflict that occurred in Smallville, Kansas, after the Sword of Rao obtained information from Kal-El and Lois Lane about the possible location of the Growth Codex. In the process, General Dru-Zod was confronted by Kal-El upon learning that Zod would use the Codex to reshape Krypton and eradicate the human race.
Kal-El soon clashed with Sub-Commander Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek. During the showdown, the United States Armed Forces intervened to stop the confrontation, unsure of Kal-El being an ally. However, in the process, Kal-El demonstrated his support for the military, causing Colonel Nathan Hardy to recognize him as a hero and start being called as Superman..
Background[]
- "The craft he arrived in, where is it?
Go to hell." - ―Dru-Zod and Martha Kent[src]
Believing that the Growth Codex was on the craft Kal-El arrived on to Earth in, General Dru-Zod and the Sword of Rao headed to the Kent Farm to interrogate Martha Kent, Kal-El's adoptive mother. When Kent refused to reveal the location, Sub-Commander Faora-Ul began to strangle her, causing Kent to look towards the barn. Finding no sign of the Codex, however, Faora reported the situation to Zod, who angrily threatened Kent.
At that moment, Kal-El himself arrived to violently push Zod away for threatening his mother. Filled with rage, he proceeded to punch Zod through a nuclear power plant until crashing into a gas station, creating an explosion that left them both momentarily incapacitated. When Zod got up, he realized that his breather was broken. Exposed to Earth's atmosphere, Zod began to be subdued by his new, extremely enhanced senses, which in turn completely incapacitated him, while Kal-El gloated over him.[1]
Showdown[]
Attack from the Air Force[]
- "All clear, this is Guardian. I am airborne mission commander. I have previously encountered and observed the beings we are about to engage in close proximity. They are extremely dangerous and we have been authorized to use deadly force."
- ―Colonel Hardy[src]
Fortunately for Dru-Zod, a Sword of Rao dropship momentarily took down Kal-El with a plasma blast, then carried their weakened leader to the dropship to return to the Black Zero. At that, both Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek appeared behind Kal-El on the streets of Smallville, looming menacingly toward him. As civilians ducked out of sight, Kal-El walked up to the duo, ready to face them with his fists clenched.
However, just as the three Kryptonians were about to engage in battle, several United States Air Force planes, led by Colonel Nathan Hardy, appeared in the city to lead an attack on the three, letting them know that the use of lethal force against the aliens was permissible. However, the planes' high-caliber bullets only temporarily shot down Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek, who proceeded to attack and kill the pilots.[1]
Superman's First Battle[]
- "You're weak, son of El, unsure of yourself. The fact that you possess a sense of morality and we do not gives us an evolutionary advantage. And if history has proven anything... is that evolution always wins."
- ―Faora-Ul to Kal-El[src]
After Nam-Ek brutally murdered a pilot, Faora-Ul jumped off to take out another plane, before Kal-El stopped her and sent her flying towards an IHOP, where Peter Ross worked. Immediately afterward, Faora got up to knock Kal-El down with a powerful punch, before claiming to have an evolutionary advantage due to her morally devoid nature, as she outpowered him by throwing him into a bank vault. Faora then stated that history had proven that evolution always wins, allowing Kal-El to propel himself towards Faora and send her crashing into a gas truck.
Kal-El releases his heat vision.
Just as he was about to shatter her Kryptonian breather with a powerful blow, Nam-Ek joined the fight, knocking Kal-El away from Faora-Ul, and beating him into submission, with Faora-Ul rising up and joining in the blow. Defiantly, Kal-El rose up, grabbed Faora-Ul, and tried to fly away again, but Nam-Ek leapt up, held his hold, and forced Kal-El back down. As Faora-Ul and Nam-Ek finally seemed to have Kal-El down and nearly defeated, he countered one of Nam-Ek's blows just in time, and violently lashed out at them with his heat vision, forcing Faora-Ul to loosen her hold on him.
Superman's Victory[]
- "A good death is its own reward."
- ―Faora-Ul to Nathan Hardy[src]
Kal-El after saving the soldier.
With the Air Force continuing to attack the three Kryptonians, the battle became more chaotic. Nam-Ek engaged the planes, promptly causing Nathan Hardy's helicopter to crash. As one of the soldiers aboard the helicopter began to fall, Kal-El flew in to save him just in the nick of time, only to be brutally struck by Nam-Ek right after, being sent flying back several feet.
As Kal-El and Nam-Ek fought, Faora-Ul, after observing Hardy's helicopter crash-land, engaged the rangers with ease, using her incredible strength and speed to kill them. On the other hand, Kal-El and Nam-Ek kept trading blows, until the former was able to grab Nam-Ek to fly high and throw him into a train station. As Faora got closer, Hardy unloaded all the remaining bullets in his gun into her, despite them having no effect on her thanks to her armor. Refusing to go down easily, Hardy pulled out his combat knife, ready to face Faora, who also pulled out a Kryptonian knife, stating that "a good death is its own reward."
Fortunately, Kal-El intervened just in time to save Hardy, pushing Faora and crushing her into the pavement of the road. This caused Faora-Ul's breather to be damaged, leading to her senses overloading her brain, which in turn almost completely incapacitated her. Despite her pain, a weakened Faora-Ul let Kal-El know that he could not win, as she vowed that for every human he saved, they would kill a million more. At that moment, Nam-Ek recovered and launched a locomotive at Kal-El, sending him crashing into a building.
At that moment, the Air Force jets fired a missile at Faora-Ul, who raised her arm to try and stop it. However, Faora's efforts were in vain, as they ended up leaving her unconscious on the ground. A dropship then returned to destroy the two army jets. Defeated, Nam-Ek picked up the unconscious Faora-Ul, before boarding the dropship to return to the Black Zero.[1]
Aftermath[]
"Superman"[]
- "This man is not our enemy."
- ―Colonel Hardy regarding Kal-El[src]
After regaining consciousness from the impact of the locomotive, Kal-El exited the building, surrounded by the surviving rangers. Grateful for the help, Colonel Nathan Hardy acknowledged Kal-El as an ally after seeing him fight off the Sword of Rao and save human lives. Saying so, the soldiers lowered their weapons, with Kal-El thanking Hardy before flying back to Kent Farm to see his mother.
Amazed by the incredible power of their new ally, the United States Armed Forces bestowed upon Kal-El the nickname "Superman."[1]
Memorabilia[]
A Smallville convenience store that was saved by Superman sold commemorative mugs in his honor. Freddy Freeman was later able to add one of these cups to his collection.[2]