Chapter Summaries

Jason and Dick Grayson posed as masked crime fighters, stopped two robbers, and returned the stolen wallet to its owner. As they celebrated on a rooftop, a strange gray stick figure unfolded from a thrown spear and attacked them.

• Jason, disguised as Punisher Knight, and Dick Grayson, dressed in a blue costume, cornered two robbers and recovered the stolen money.
• Jason kicked one robber down and fired a shot into the ground to frighten him, while Dick tied up the other robber.
• Dick returned the wallet to the injured woman, and he and Jason celebrated their successful crime-fighting outing.
• Jason and Dick discussed how to improve their costumes and dramatic entrances.
• A gray throwing spear landed on the rooftop, unfolded into a stick figure with a sword, and attacked Jason and Dick.

Oswald planned to use his news outlets and a manufactured tragic backstory to run for Gotham mayor, while a mysterious gray figure attacked Arthur Curry and confronted Superman. General Zod ordered his fleet to Earth to retrieve Carl and destroy the planet, and the Joker sensed Gotham cheering from his cell in Arkham Asylum.

• Oswald celebrated his growing control of Gotham's news outlets and planned to run for mayor in the next election.
• A gray stick figure crashed into the Iceberg Lounge, damaged Arthur Curry's rum barrel, and challenged him with a trident.
• Superman intercepted a gray javelin and examined the information it displayed as Kryptonian signals locked onto Earth.
• General Zod ordered his fleet to retrieve Carl, destroy Earth, and release the aberrations to obtain their eggs.
• In Arkham Asylum, the Joker told Ozymandias Veidt that he heard Gotham cheering and asked if Veidt felt confined.

Edward Nygma arranged to buy the corn from Kent Farm and the surrounding town at three times the market price for Arkham Supermarket's Gotham launch. As the harvest was loaded onto trucks under Deadshot Lawton and Ratcatcher Otis's watch, Nygma hinted that the corn campaign could help create a mayoral candidate.

• Martha Kent worried about the farm's debts until Edward Nygma offered to buy the town's corn at three times the market price.
• Nygma paid in cash and asked Martha to recruit neighboring farmers, and the townspeople began harvesting and bagging the corn.
• Deadshot Lawton arrived to escort the cargo, while Ratcatcher Otis and Arkham Supermarket workers helped load it onto trucks.
• Nygma designed the corn packaging as the trucks filled, and Deadshot questioned the expense of guarding the shipment.
• Nygma said the corn could become a tool in next year's mayoral election, joking about a well-known corn mayor.

Bruce Wayne saw Gotham’s economic revival reflected in a police-branded corn wrapper, while Arkham Supermarket’s corn and a new superhero comic drew crowds and excitement. The chapter ended with Tim Drake heading to school, eager to see his father’s Batarangs and the heroes on the poster.

• Bruce adjusted a new helicopter-style Batplane and reflected on how Gotham’s booming reconstruction had created jobs and weakened the gangs.
• Alfred served Bruce corn wrapped in Gotham Police Department and Arkham Supermarket advertising, and Bruce asked him to prepare more as a late-night snack.
• An office worker fought through a crowd to buy corn at Arkham Supermarket’s forty-first branch.
• Tim Drake admired a poster advertising stories about Superman and Gotham’s dark knight, and his father promised to show him two Batarangs Batman had left behind.
• Tim boarded the school bus with corn for his meals as a long line formed outside the supermarket.

Miao Mu recruited Barry Allen as the Justice League’s first official member and sent him to deliver invitations to other heroes. The chapter ended with Barry preparing to carry out Miao Mu’s cryptic instructions ahead of the League’s first meeting.

• Miao Mu met Barry at MW Group headquarters and warned him that the world was in grave danger.
• Barry agreed to join the Justice League, learning that he was its only official member so far.
• Miao Mu showed Barry a satellite photograph of a spaceship approaching Earth and explained that the heroes needed to unite against it.
• Miao Mu gave Barry invitations for Batman and Superman and told him to deliver them in person before vanishing.
• Miao Mu instructed Barry to bring corn, tell the heroes to meet where it had originally grown, and pass along a Mother's Day message.
• Miao Mu warned Barry to keep his distance from Batman to avoid getting blood splattered on him.

Batman set out to track down the Flash, but a break-in at one of his Gotham bases brought him back before he could leave. There, he caught Dick and Jason trying to take apart the Batmobile and ordered Jason to continue removing its wheels.

• Batman identified the Flash as the visitor from Christmas Demon Night and prepared to travel to Central City, but an alarm reported another theft from one of his temporary bases.
• Alfred found Batman gone and the invitation left behind as the Batmobile roared away.
• Dick and Jason raided Batman’s base for equipment, discussed codenames, and climbed down from the building when Batman arrived.
• Jason decided to steal the Batmobile while Dick reluctantly helped him remove the wheel’s screws.
• Batman appeared beside the boys and told Jason to keep taking the Batmobile apart, with three wheels still to go.

Brucie welcomed Jason and Dick after Batman brought Jason home, then listened as Jason explained their misadventures. Dick discovered that Alfred had won Gotham’s Culinary Master Competition and that his cookies were being sold to support children in need.

• Batman brought Jason to Brucie’s home and urged her to stop the boys from taking part in dangerous escapades.
• Brucie took Jason inside and invited Dick to stay, while Batman said he would think about being more open with Dick.
• Brucie served the boys cookies and hot cocoa, then told Jason to explain why he had skipped his club activity.
• Jason confessed that he and Dick had stolen from Batman’s base and dismantled his car, making Brucie laugh.
• Dick recognized Alfred’s cookies, and Brucie revealed that Alfred had won a cooking competition and that cookie sales would benefit the Gotham Welfare Institute.

Brucie arranged for Bane to train Jason and the other children after they showed their desire to protect people. In Central City, Bruce Wayne revealed his identity as Batman to Barry Allen and said he had come in response to Barry’s invitation.

• Alfred’s cooking won a television competition, and his donated dessert recipes inspired Arkham Supermarket’s new Taste of Home cookies.
• Brucie told Jason and the others to prepare before taking on danger, then promised to find them a teacher and asked Dick and Jason for their report cards.
• Brucie contacted Bane about becoming an extracurricular teacher, and Bane accepted after seeing a bank notification before ordering a plane to Gotham City.
• Barry returned to his warehouse and found Bruce Wayne waiting; Bruce identified Barry’s Flash uniform and threw a Batarang to demonstrate Barry’s speed.
• Bruce introduced himself as Batman and explained that he had entered through Barry’s poorly secured door.

Miao Mu met Lex Luthor in Metropolis, then visited the Daily Planet to recruit Clark for a Mother's Day documentary. He warned Clark that someone had targeted his mother, provoking a flare of heat vision in Clark’s eyes.

• Miao Mu and Lex Luthor discussed the military’s plan to capture the newcomers alive and doubted whether officials could handle the situation responsibly.
• Miao Mu left LexCorp disguised, while Lex discovered CIA agents monitoring the building.
• Miao Mu visited Lois at the Daily Planet, discussed her Superman comic magazine, and asked her to have Clark meet him.
• Miao Mu told Clark about the documentary invitation and warned him that someone had their eyes on his mother.
• Clark’s eyes glowed red as his heat vision began to gather after Miao Mu’s warning.

Clark rushed home after fearing his mother was in danger, only to find Martha safe and cooking for him. Bruce arrived at Kent Farm, where Clark openly introduced himself and invited him to eat; Miao Mu was still speeding toward them in a smoking SUV.

• Miao Mu drove toward Kent Farm while Superman flew ahead at extreme speed, and Miao Mu called Barry Allen for help pushing the car.
• Barry left Bruce Wayne, and Bruce tracked Barry before spotting Superman streaking across the sky and following him in his sports car.
• Superman scanned Kent Farm, rushed inside, and found Martha safe; she told him their corn had sold for a good price and served him food.
• Bruce arrived at Kent Farm, where Clark introduced himself, welcomed Bruce to Smallville, and invited him to try Martha's cooking.
• Miao Mu's smoking SUV raced toward the farm as Clark and Bruce stood outside.

A Kryptonian reconnaissance ship attacked Kent Farm, destroying the house and forcing Clark to fight its crew while fearing for Martha Kent. Clark’s first clash with Udom Say ended with the Kryptonian warrior challenging him to a fight.

• Miao Mu, Clark, Bruce, Barry, and the others gathered at Kent Farm and discussed the reconnaissance ship and filming a Mother's Day event.
• A reconnaissance spacecraft landed in the yard and fired a destructive beam through the house, but Barry rescued Martha Kent and Clark shielded the others.
• Clark destroyed the spacecraft with his Heat Vision, then flipped it to send its next beam into the sky.
• Udom Say emerged from the ship and attacked Clark, who fought back by driving him deep into the ground.
• Udom Say seized Clark as he returned to check on Martha Kent, identified himself as captain of the Kryptonian Advance Team, and demanded a warrior's challenge.

Clark knocked Udom Say away and left the fight, while Miao Mu and Bruce battled the four remaining Kryptonian warriors at Kent Farm. Miao Mu transformed into a powerful demon and attacked the warriors, and Bruce used a hammer to defeat the female Kryptonian.

• Clark struck Udom Say with two heavy punches, sending him crashing into the ground, then flew away.
• At Kent Farm, Miao Mu fought three Kryptonian warriors while Bruce evaded the female warrior’s attacks and drew her away from the others.
• Miao Mu ran to his SUV, transformed into a gigantic four-armed demon, and slammed one Kryptonian warrior into the ground while fighting the others.
• The female Kryptonian took the silver-white case meant for Bruce and tossed him the hammer inside.
• Bruce used the hammer to strike the female Kryptonian’s foot and visor, then threw her to the ground before she could retaliate.

Miao Mu and Bruce defeated the Kryptonian warriors by exploiting their vulnerability to Earth’s sensory overload and sunlight, while Superman feared Martha Kent had been caught in the attack. Miao Mu confirmed Martha was safe and called Barry, who was with her and Lois in Metropolis.

• Miao Mu kept three Kryptonian warriors pinned underground while Bruce used a hammer to disable a female warrior’s armor.
• The female Kryptonian tore off her helmet, became overwhelmed by Earth’s sights, sounds, and smells, and passed out; Bruce covered her to shield her from sunlight.
• Miao Mu removed another warrior’s helmet, causing him to convulse and faint, then buried him again.
• Superman arrived and saw the remains of the house, but Miao Mu reminded him that Martha Kent was safe and The Flash was missing.
• Miao Mu called Barry and confirmed he was in Metropolis, where Barry was posing for photos with Jimmy while Martha Kent chatted with Lois.

Clark took Miao Mu, Bruce, and four captured Kryptonian warriors to the Arctic Fortress of Solitude, where he revealed his Kryptonian origins and prepared a special chamber to contain the prisoners. The chapter ended with Clark asking whether anyone had handcuffs for them.

• Clark searched for Udom Say after Miao Mu urged him to deal with the captured Kryptonians, but he found no trace of him.
• Miao Mu and Bruce loaded four unconscious Kryptonians into a wrecked Chevrolet SUV, and Clark carried the group toward the Arctic.
• Clark retrieved the Fortress of Solitude’s key from beneath the snow and revealed the hidden structure to Miao Mu and Bruce.
• Clark introduced Jor-El’s virtual projection, and Bruce learned that Clark was Kryptonian.
• Clark led the group to a chamber equipped with a Phantom Zone force field to hold the Kryptonian prisoners and asked whether anyone had handcuffs.

Batwoman blamed Gotham’s bombings on surviving members of the Court of Owls and calmed an armed crowd. Meanwhile, Nygma organized Gotham’s allies to hunt down the attackers, while Brucie took Jason away to meet a teacher.

• Gordon tried to stop furious residents from leaving a construction site with guns, but Batwoman intervened and protected him from a thrown shoe.
• Batwoman announced that the Court of Owls’ remnants had returned to take revenge on Gotham, then vanished beneath a patrol airship.
• At Nygma’s home, Brucie arrived to take Jason to meet a teacher and urged Nygma to defend Arkham as Miao Mu had entrusted it to him.
• Brucie ordered Croc-Man to stay behind, and he revealed his killing intent as the stretched Abraham Lincoln drove away.
• Nygma assigned Jerry, Otis, and Deadshot Lawton roles in hunting down the attackers, including finding their hideout and preparing to face metahumans.

Brucie hired Bane to teach Jason, Dick, and Nashton while she prepared for threats facing Gotham. Bane began their training by attacking without warning and overpowering Jason and Dick.

• Jason asked Brucie whether something big had happened, and she avoided answering before telling him she had found a tutor.
• Brucie met Bane at Tricorner Harbor and left Jason, Dick, and Nashton in his care as their teacher and a potential bodyguard.
• Bane watched the youngsters arrive and decided to begin training with the harshest method.
• Jason questioned Bane, and Dick took a stance to defend him when Bane invited them to attack.
• Bane charged before the youngsters could act, then caught Jason and Dick and swung them into the boardwalk.
• Bane told Jason and Dick to get up and announced that their first lesson was beginning.

Rick Flag led the Suicide Squad and Talon forces toward Arkham District to retrieve classified intelligence, believing the route was secure. As the teams advanced, Nygma revealed that their operation had been discovered and ordered his people to stop them.

• Rick Flag ordered Team A, Captain Boomerang and El Diablo, to cross Bridge Three into Arkham District.
• Captain Boomerang complained about the mission and watched for an ambush as he and El Diablo entered a dark alley.
• Flag saw Team A cross safely and ordered Killer Frost, Double Down, and their Talon squad to follow.
• Flag dispatched Retribution and arranged additional teams to provide cover and reserves.
• Nygma watched the approaching forces and ordered his people to move before they escaped.

Task Force X’s teams entered the Arkham District and encountered a fierce counterattack from its defenders. Otis’s rats eliminated nearby agents, but red lights appeared in the sky as he declared the area cleared.

• Croc-Man ambushed Team A, smashing Captain Boomerang through the air and knocking El Diablo down.
• Captain Boomerang’s boomerangs failed to slow Croc-Man, and Croc-Man sent him crashing into the street.
• El Diablo unleashed his flames, but Deadshot shot him in the throat from the Arkham Asylum rooftop.
• Otis sent rats into nearby apartments, where they overwhelmed and killed disguised agents.
• Otis ordered giant sewer rats to attack agents descending from a rooftop, then noticed red points of light in the sky.

General Zod announced that he had come for Carl and ordered an assault on Metropolis, Central City, and Gotham. As the invasion began, Killer Frost and Double Down fled through Gotham while Fireflies attacked the Court of Owls.

• Miao Mu, Batman, and the others discovered that more than a thousand alien pods were descending toward Metropolis, Central City, and Gotham.
• Batman learned that the military was mobilizing while officials at the Pentagon argued over activating a plan called Hunter.
• General Zod hijacked the world's satellite systems, identified himself, demanded Carl, and ordered a full-force attack.
• The alien pods accelerated toward the three cities as Clark watched Zod's broadcast from Barry's home.
• Killer Frost and Double Down ran from two Fireflies attacking the Court of Owls, and Double Down's playing cards caught fire after he threw them at one attacker.

Nygma watched the Firefly brothers attack the Talons, then saw a robot assemble itself from cars in a warehouse. In Central City, Superman and the Flash watched another metal-gathering sphere transform, while Miao Mu went to rescue General Lane after he was captured while fleeing by helicopter.

• Nygma watched the Firefly brothers burn the Talon attackers who had targeted Miao Mu's family, and considered what to do with the CIA agents.
• A fireball crashed into a used-car warehouse, where metal parts assembled into a robot that roared, "CYBERTRON!"
• General Veidt asked about the Aberrants, robots the Kryptonians planned to use in their campaign to capture Superman Clark and reclaim Krypton.
• Superman Clark caught a falling pod over a Central City plaza and hurled it into a Sherman tank memorial, where it began absorbing nearby metal.
• The Flash evacuated the crowd, then joined Superman as they watched the sphere gather metal and transform, sharing ice cream as they waited.
• Miao Mu went to handle General Lane's capture after Lane fled in a helicopter, while the Pentagon attack was dismissed as unimportant.