Area Zero
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances: Vae Victis and The Return
Powers/Skills: Not Applicable
Voiced By: Not Applicable
After Lex Luthor found a temporal anomaly in his scans, Director Amanda Waller gathered her forces and took Lois Lane, Supergirl, and Jonathan and Lara Lane to the site of Zero Day, the first Kryptonian incursion of Earth and first alien attack on American soil. It was now a Checkmate command post named Area Zero. Olsen was surprised the Eradicator was coming to the post. Waller mused he was unless Luthor was wasting all of their time. Luthor was adamant the data didn't lie and they had less than 48 hours to prepare. Waller held a briefing on Operation Doomsday: there would be two lines of defense, the first being the superhumans led by Agent Slade Wilson. Lane informed her Jonathan and Lara would be taking orders from Supergirl. Waller had no issue with it. Tanks went into their formations. John Henry Irons arrived and went to work on forging weapons. Kara held a training session with Jonathan and Lara. Livewire and Heatwave arrived. Lane hugged Livewire to her chagrin but she petted Lane. Luthor observed XT-00 robots on the march. Damage and Agent Martin also arrived during preparations. Irons completed a sword and a spear.
Olsen knew Luthor was thinking of running away. That night, Luthor tried to sneak out but Olsen was waiting for him. Luthor knew when to get off a sinking ship. Olsen pointed out it was his ship and he should face the problems he created. Luthor blamed the Kryptonians instead. Olsen countered he created the monster and set it free. Luthor asked if he was just supposed to let the aliens rule over them. Olsen understood why he was scared but told them those aliens were paying for his mistakes and it was time to act like the hero he was pretending to be or admit that he was the villain. The Eradicator teleported to Area Zero in a new form. He was surprised to see a contingent waiting for him. In mid-speech, Jonathan Kent sliced him in half with his sword. One half regenerated into a form similar to that of when he teleported away from Lexcorp while the other half regenerated into his current form. The brutish form pounded Jonathan. Eradicator called them all fools and stated they had no Superman to defend them and he came to make sure they never did.
Jonathan came to and saw Heatwave and Damage were defeated and an intense firefight was going on in the sky with everyone firing at the Eradicators. He was confused as to why the Eradicator was still standing. Lara charged the clone but she was grabbed by the head and struggled to fight back until Supergirl shot him in the back with heat vision. The clone fired a palm blast of black energy at her, Lara was punched down into the crater then Supergirl was slammed ever harder. Lara briefed Jonathan on the Eradicator healing and replicating itself. Jonathan was bereft they kept on losing. Lara pointed out their father would be back. He exclaimed he wasn't coming back and they weren't enough. Supergirl surfaced from the ground and told him they would never know unless they tried. Waller ordered everyone to hold their fire. The Eradicator fired a finger beam that destroyed the XT-00 robots, tanks, and missile launchers. The clone charged but Supergirl intercepted him and repeated she told it to stay away from her family.
Eradicator spoke through the clone and stated she would never be enough to defeat him because he has evolved and she had not. Supergirl was electrocuted with his energy but she powered up and carried the clone further up. Lara and Jonathan held his arms back and Supergirl plowed through its chest. The clone disintegrated. Eradicator wondered if they could sacrifice their allies for the sake of victory. Kryptonian robots emerged from the ground and attacked. The twins flew down to protect Lane. Eradicator felt he understood them and what made them weak. Lane and Olsen ran from the front. Supergirl saved Olsen from one and told him to run. The Supers were overwhelmed by the number of robots. Waller ordered an immediate and total retreat, effectively abandoning Area Zero. Lane was aghast they were just leaving the Kryptonians to die. Waller mused they could order their own retreat. Wilson guided Olsen to the planes as was Luthor. Luthor tried to tell Waller he had a solve but she was more concerned with the retreat.
Olsen inquired about his solution but Luthor gave up. Olsen pointed out to him if the Eradicator got through his friends, it was going to matter to everyone else. The plane was hit and crashed. Lane found a rifle and destroyed two robots but fled from the larger model. On comms, Waller ordered Wilson to secure Olsen and Luthor. Luthor told him he could fix it and admitted Wilson was right about everything. Wilson hailed Waller he would keep an eye out. Luthor thanked him. Wilson told him never to mention it ever. The Supers were no match in hand-to-hand combat against Eradicator. He believed he was like them and driven by fear. He revealed he traveled to countless timelines and killed them and evolved. He clarified their fear was a weakness but his was a weapon. Five brutish clones were created. Eradicator ordered them to kill the Supers. Luthor put on his cybernetic helmet and took up a sitting meditation pose. The Eradicators recoiled in pain. He took over the clones and sent them to attack Eradicator but he overwhelmed Luthor's mind and retook control of the clones.
Jonathan apologized to Lane for not being enough. She told him he would always be enough and apologized for failing him. He admitted while the future was a bad place, she was the best thing in it. A clone was about to kill them with a palm blast but Superman arrived in Kryptonian armor and made short work of the clones. Lara ran up and hugged him. Jonathan pointed out he showed up just in time to take all the credit. Superman apologized for leaving him alone to take up such a terrible burden and commended him for being so brave but he didn't have to be Superman anymore nor fight alone. They hugged. Superman tried to be diplomatic with Eradicator but he believed he would have no peace as long as Superman lived. He transformed again then conjured six brutish clones. Supergirl powered up, followed by the twins and Bizarro, and they destroyed the clones. Superman and Eradicator powered up and fought. Eradicator was fed up with killing them in every timeline but someone always escaping. He mocked Superman for all the struggle he endured to get his powers back only for it to not be enough.
Superman was amused Eradicator thought he sat around worrying who was the strongest and instead compared himself to the 10 billion people on the planet who just wanted to see their friends, tuck in their children, and wake up next to someone they loved. He asked Eradicator what was wrong with him. Eradicator responded his father feared that which he could not control and he was that fear nor could he rest until Superman was eradicated. Superman stated that wasn't good enough and powered up further from blue to a golden energy aura. He punched Eradicator so hard he reverted to his previous form. Superman was not impressed all this destruction was because Eradicator was scared. He punched him and he turned back into his multi-armed brutish form. He dove at super speed and gut punched Eradicator. He crashed into the ground and reverted back to his prototype form. Superman held out his hand and implored him to be brave and stop fighting. Eradicator refused and preferred to die. He disintegrated.
Superman felt bad no one taught him how to live. His armor changed back into his regular supersuit. He and Lane hugged. Jonathan thought they were always going to win. Supergirl punched him in the arm and put her arm around him. Jonathan and Lara prepared to return to the future. Jonathan asked Lane how they could know the future would be better. Lane promised they were going to fight for the future they deserved. The four of them hugged then the twins vanished.