Superman #709

GROUNDED PART 7

As Superman reaches Boulder, Colorado, he helps Saganowahna catch two criminals and deliver them to the police. Saganowahna tells Superman that his Manitou Stone may be Kryptonian in origin, but Superman has his doubts.  When he reaches the city, a blur dresses the Man of Steel in Kryptonian armor. Superman tears the Kryptonian armor off and watches as the blur creates Kryptonian structures across the city. Using his superhuman senses, Superman discovers that the one behind all of this is the Flash, who is wearing a Kryptonian headband. Superman reaches the Flash and manages to take the headband from his head, freeing him from its Kryptonian influence. At superspeed, the two get the city back to normal.  They go to a restaurant, where the heroes watch the televised race between Superboy and Kid Flash. Superman explains to the Flash that the headband he was wearing contains a Kryptonian sunstone, like an interrogation device from New Krypton that could extract memories directly from a prisoner's mind. The Flash believes that the device was not meant to be worn by anyone other than a Kryptonian. The Flash explains to Superman that he found the headband in a crater in Central City. As he put the headband on, his mind was overwhelmed by Kryptonian knowledge.  The Flash knew that Superman was the only one who could help him, so he made several references to the House of El while he was in Colorado. As the Flash finishes his explanation, Superman remarks that the Kryptonians believe morality to be a natural law. He tells Flash about something his adoptive father and a classmate of his told him during high school. Clark was grounded for skipping classes. He actually skipped classes to put out a fire in a neighboring county, but he did not tell anyone because he knew no one would believe him.  As he was in detention, another kid was sent in: Lex Luthor. Clark would later figure out that Lex was sent to detention for trying to steal forty cakes from the school's bake sale. Lex had done this in revenge for not being allowed to enter a fission-powered toaster in the science fair. As Clark and Lex talked, Clark said that his father told him that "There is right and wrong in the universe, and the distinction isn't hard to make." However, Lex replied that the real distinction was between what works and what doesn't. Lex then left the detention room, but not before telling Clark that he didn't want to be punished for something he did. Clark would later learn that Lex was talking about pragmatism, about what's expedient instead of what's true.  As they leave the restaurant, Superman asks the Flash if he is doing the right thing by leaving a legacy behind. Flash admits that it was a little overwhelming at first, but now he is comfortable with the fact that if something happens to him, there will always be a Flash. He also says that Superman will also leave a legacy. Superman reminds him of what he said earlier, that he only saw a blur when he ran. Flash admits that he was joking. When he runs, he actually sees everything and everyone. Superman admits his recent feelings of self-doubt to Flash, who tells him that everything will be alright. The Flash then leaves, but not before telling Superman that he let Superman catch him and that he is still the Fastest Man Alive.