Superman 3

PHASE 2 What if Disney owned DC and made Superman 3 (2013)

(PHASE 2) In the aftermath of the Justice League’s final battle, Clark Kent is no longer at peace. Though the world sees Superman as its greatest protector, Clark is haunted by nightmares and anxiety, visions of worlds lost and threats he failed to stop. Fearing the next catastrophe, his obsession with preparedness drives him to secretly construct an army of Superman robots, autonomous guardians meant to protect Earth when he cannot. The project isolates him, straining his relationship with Lois Lane and pulling him further away from his life as Clark Kent. A new terror soon emerges: Brainiac, a cold, calculating intelligence that launches devastating attacks across the globe. Declaring Earth “worthy of preservation,” Brainiac reveals his true goal, to collect the planet, as he has countless worlds before. Superman confronts him directly, but the encounter ends in disaster. Brainiac destroys the Fortress of Solitude, shattering Clark’s sanctuary and leaving him gravely injured, his powers severely weakened. Barely able to fly, Clark crashes near Smallville, where he is taken in by a resourceful local boy who recognizes him not as Superman, but as someone who needs help. Stripped of his powers and his certainty, Clark is forced to rely on his courage, compassion, and intelligence rather than strength. Through this quiet time, he begins to piece together the truth behind Brainiac’s campaign. The trail leads to Kord Industries, where brilliant inventor Ted Kord is unknowingly being manipulated by Brainiac. Clark discovers that Brainiac intends to shrink and store Earth, just as he once did to Krypton, revealing that Brainiac was not only behind the current attacks, but also the destruction of Clark’s homeworld and the events that set earlier crises in motion. As the threat escalates, John Henry Irons, now operating as Commander Steel, becomes a prime target in Brainiac’s plan to neutralize Earth’s defenders. At the same time, Lois Lane and the Daily Planet staff are pulled directly into the conflict. To survive a critical encounter, Lois dons one of Superman’s emergency suits and uses a temporary Kryptonian serum that grants her powers for 24 hours, allowing her to fight alongside Clark. The final confrontation takes place aboard Brainiac’s colossal spacecraft. In a desperate last stand, Superman unleashes all of his Superman robots, sending them into battle against Brainiac’s drone army. Fighting side by side with Steel and Lois, Clark ultimately defeats Brainiac, freeing the bottled cities and ending the collector’s reign. In the aftermath, Clark finally confronts the truth behind his fear: his powers do not make him Superman. his choices do. Realizing that obsession and control nearly cost him everything, Clark chooses a new path. For the first time, he steps away from being Superman, entrusting the world to others for a while so he can focus on his human life, his healing, and the man he wants to be

Story added by dippy2 on October 25, 2022