Homelander: New Legacy

[198] : The Final Battle Against Superman in NYC!

As Roger had anticipated, while he was on his way, the now-corrupted Superman had awakened and was wreaking havoc across New York.

The destruction was so widespread that it could no longer be concealed, no matter how much effort the government put into covering it up.

Even though everything up until now had been conducted in secret, the world soon became aware that a mysterious entity resembling Superman from the comics had appeared. Calling him "Superman" was not an exaggeration.

In fact, New York had already exhausted every possible means to deal with Superman, deploying a variety of weapons, including covert biological weapons.

But none of it worked.

Even nuclear weapons were ineffective against him. Superman had become an unstoppable force, far beyond what any human technology could handle.

In the DC universe, Superman could only be countered with kryptonite or psychic abilities. However, Earth had no kryptonite, nor anyone capable of affecting Superman's mind.

Thus, they were left utterly helpless, forced to watch Superman unleash his destruction across New York.

...

"Is there really no way to stop him?!"

The Mayor of New York City roared furiously at his subordinates as grim footage of the devastation played on screen.

His staff exchanged uneasy glances.

They wanted to ask him how they were supposed to fight a being like Superman—practically a god—without kryptonite or alien technology.

But seeing their superior's explosive rage, they wisely kept silent, unwilling to risk their jobs.

The lack of responses only further fueled the Mayor's anger. He resembled a tantrum-throwing child, lashing out at everyone nearby to vent his fear and helplessness.

His tirade came to an abrupt halt when a subordinate delivered a startling report.

"Mr. Mayor! I think you'll want to see this!"

"What now?!"

The Mayor, face flushed with fury, stormed over to his subordinate, demanding an explanation.

The subordinate pointed at the screen. "It's... it's another one! Another Superman has appeared!"

"What? Another Superman?!"

The Mayor felt a wave of dizziness hit him, nearly causing him to collapse on the spot.

One Superman was already impossible to handle. Two Supermen? The city was doomed.

Realizing his poor phrasing, the subordinate quickly clarified, "No! Not like that. This second Superman... he's stopping the first one!"

"Let me see!"

The Mayor immediately steadied himself and focused on the screen.

His eyes widened like searchlights in the dark. Just as his subordinate had said, the second Superman was indeed fighting the first!

It seemed that perhaps, just maybe... New York City might be saved.

...

Roger stood amidst the ruins of New York City, his heart heavy as he looked at the devastation, silently mourning for the people who had once lived here.

Superman's destructive power was unmatched. Anyone familiar with Superman would know this truth intimately.

If he were determined to cause destruction, no one could stop him—not even Roger.

At best, Roger could hold Superman in one location, but beyond that, he was powerless.

"Alas..."

Roger sighed in resignation.

Rushing to experiment with unknown alien technology had unleashed this being of unparalleled destruction.

But there would be time to settle accounts later. For now, Roger's priority was dealing with Superman.

If he could.

At that moment, Superman was hovering over New York City, recklessly unleashing his heat vision to destroy everything in sight.

The city, already infamous for the disasters it endured in pop culture, was now experiencing similar devastation in reality.

Roger arrived without hesitation, diving straight into the action. He tackled Superman mid-air, locking his arms around Superman's waist and flying upwards.

Superman, caught off guard by the sudden attack, took two seconds to realize someone was trying to stop him.

Once he did, Superman retaliated with brutal force. His fists slammed into Roger's back as he struggled to break free.

The pain momentarily loosened Roger's grip, and in that instant, Superman broke free, hovering mid-air to glare at his opponent.

"It's you!"

Though Roger's appearance changed, Superman still recognized him instantly by his aura.

"...Even in this form, you can tell it's me."

Superman's immediate recognition surprised Roger.

In the past, whenever characters from the movies appeared, Roger always had to explain his identity, as his current appearance was different from his original form. Even after explaining, it took time for them to accept that he was the same Roger they knew.

But not Superman. He recognized Roger at a glance.

Was this the legendary "I'd recognize you even if you were ashes"?

It was just one time! Was it that unforgettable?

Roger thought with some annoyance.

Meanwhile, Superman's eyes turned blood-red with rage.

There was no better embodiment of the phrase "enemies meet and sparks fly." In Superman's case, those sparks were literal.

His eyes glowed with the fiery intensity of heat vision, and without a word, he unleashed a beam straight at Roger. The searing energy, like a divine spear hurled, streaked toward Roger with unstoppable force.

Faced with a heat vision powerful enough to pierce the Earth, Roger chose not to dodge but to fight it head-on.

His own eyes ignited with a golden-red brilliance, firing beams of his own heat vision to intercept Superman's.

BOOM!!!

The two beams collided mid-air, creating a dazzling explosion that lit up the sky like a second sun.

Everyone below witnessed the new "sun" in the sky.

Some proclaimed it was the beginning of the apocalypse, spreading doomsday hysteria.

The entire city of New York descended into chaos at the sight of this surreal battle.

...

Meanwhile, back at Roger's base, Wonder Woman Diana and Bruce Banner were preparing to head to New York to assist Roger.

Diana and Banner were arguably the strongest beings under Roger in this world. While neither could match Superman's power, they were far from being helpless cannon fodder.

With their help, Roger would at least have some of the pressure lifted.

"We can only take you this far!"

On the transport plane headed for New York, the crew informed Diana and Banner as they prepared to jump.

Neither Diana nor Banner minded. Gripping Banner's arm, Diana turned and said, "This is where we go on our own. Are you ready?"

"Of course. This isn't my first time being carried!"

Banner shouted back with a grin.

Satisfied with his response, Diana took to the skies, carrying Banner with her as they flew toward Roger's location.