Superman #713

GROUNDED PART 11

Superman meets with Supergirl and Superboy in the outskirts of Newsberg, Oregon. There, he informs them of his decision of stopping being Superman. Shocked, Kara and Conner try to talk Clark out of it, but Clark stands by his choice. Clark says that he will still help people, but in secret, just like he did on Smallville. Later, on a coffee shop on Portland, Clark calls Perry and recieves news that Lois will be on Seattle tonight. Then, he begins writing an article called "Must There Be a Superman?." The clerk introduces Clark to a Superman fan. The fan believes that Clark's article is a joke, since he, after years of writing about Superman, must have an understanding of him. The fan takes Clark for a walk across Portland to ask people about Superman.  The fan asks a boy if he fears Superman, and the boy says no, reminiscing about the time when Superman stopped an invasion of robots. Clark says that some people distrust Superman, so the fan asks a woman if she distrusts Superman. The woman says no, because one time, he stopped an anti-alien campaign led by an alien. Then, the fan asks a man if he believes that Superman kills villains, and the man says no. The man recalls one time when Superman captured a gunman who threatened to kill everyone in a school. Instead of harming the gunman, Superman handed him to the police.  Still, Clark believes that some people resent Superman for having superpowers. The fan asks an Asian-American family if they resent him for that reason, and the family says no, recalling a time when he saved their daughter's cat. Clark says that Superman can help people in secret. The fan agrees, but he also says that Superman is an aspirational figure and that allows him to help people become heroes in their own right.  Then, they listen to a news report that says that Lisa Jennings has taken Lois Lane hostage, saying that she will kill her if Superman does not appear. Clark leaves to confront her.