Forget the refined, immortal schemer you know. Absolute Ra’s al Ghul bursts onto the scene in Absolute Superman #8 like a force of pure, terrifying brutality. Picture this: the CEO of the Lazarus Corporation, a literal giant Viking beast of a man, calmly taking an investor call while simultaneously fighting off an Omega Men assassin who just stabbed him through the arm. His secretary patches through the earnings call, and Ra’s, with the blade still sticking out of his limb, casually addresses his shareholders: “Ladies and gentlemen, you know this year’s numbers… But here is something I suspect you haven’t heard.” That “something” is the sound of him strangling the assassin, culminating in him snapping the Omega Man’s neck “like a KitKat” mid-sentence. Talk about setting the tone!
God Complex Unleashed & Corporate Horror
More Omega Men arrive, but Ra’s waves off security. He continues his investor presentation while battling them, revealing his insane backstory and Lazarus Corp’s true purpose. He boasts about founding the company nearly 200 years ago with money from “Canadian furs and Ottawa scalps,” building the railroad that birthed Metropolis. His goal? Nothing less than resurrecting the entire world. “I realized… only I could see the earth for the maggot riddled carcass it was heedlessly rotting into,” he declares. He kicks one Omega Man into a Lazarus Pit cranked to “maximum power,” chanting “Lazarus means life.” The horrifying result? The soldier is de-aged into a literal newborn baby.
The Demon’s Head Reborn as “God’s Head”
Ra’s picks up the infant, walks to his balcony, and reflects on his past as “The Demon’s Head.” “But like Lazarus, I was reborn,” he proclaims. “You may call me the God’s Head now.” He claims the power to heal the world by purging its “billions of leeches.” His only regret? “I have no son through which to do this.” Then, still on the investor call, he drops the baby Omega Man from the balcony, coldly adding, “Not yet. I don’t.” He concludes the call with chilling corporate slogans: “Lazarus means salvation. Lazarus means sustainability and the power of sacrifice. Lazarus means hope.” Jason Aaron makes it crystal clear: this Ra’s is a monstrous, terrifying threat unlike any other.
Smallville Showdown: Superman’s Desperate Fight
The scene shifts from corporate horror to personal tragedy in Smallville. We find a dejected Clark Kent (“Cal”) visiting an elderly Martha Kent suffering from dementia at the Smallville Senior Living Facility. Heartbreakingly, she doesn’t recognize him and calls for help. Shattered, Cal walks down Main Street only to be cornered by representatives of the two warring factions tearing his life apart: Omega Man Jimmy Olsen and Lazarus Corp agent Lois Lane.
Trust No One: Lois vs. Jimmy
Both try to appeal to Cal, hurling accusations at each other. Lois claims she’s there “alone,” not representing Lazarus, just as herself. Jimmy argues Superman would be “insane” to trust Lois, pointing out how Lazarus bought up and gutted Smallville, forcing its people into servitude. Their bickering escalates (“My mask is cool and you know it!” Jimmy retorts when Lois calls it stupid), giving Cal the chance to slip away. Lois desperately shouts after him, revealing she knows about his secret acts of heroism in Smallville over the years – the frozen church fire, the saved school bus, the family rescued from a tornado. She understands his loss and his search for belonging. But is he even listening?
Kryptonite Crisis: Peacemaker’s Vengeance
He is. Watching from above, Cal’s sentient suit, “Soul,” begins analyzing Lois and Jimmy. Suddenly, Superman swoops down in a storm of red dust, declaring, “Peacemaker Smith, I’m here because of him and the innocent people he murdered in Pakistan. I came here in the hopes of stopping myself from—” WHAM! He’s cut off mid-sentence by a kryptonite bullet piercing his chest. He collapses as Peacemaker teams repel from helicopters. Lois and Jimmy, realizing the dire situation, reluctantly call a temporary truce. “If we stand here arguing while this miracle dies at our feet,” Lois pleads, “we will never live long enough to stop regretting the greatest failure of our lives.” They drag the wounded Superman into an abandoned drugstore just before the Peacemakers arrive.
Mechanized Monster: Upgraded Peacemaker
Enter Peacemaker Smith, transformed by Brainiac into a terrifying mechanized hybrid. He bursts through the wall, locates Superman via a tracer in the kryptonite bullet, and immediately brutalizes the weakened hero. “I bet you remember me now!” he roars, throwing Cal through a wall. Soul desperately tries to extract the kryptonite bullet (“Its composition appears to be… No, that’s impossible!”) while Lois and Jimmy argue about evacuation plans. Smith overpowers Superman, boasting, “Do you even know what Lazarus means? Brainiac showed me everything. I serve the will of God.” Soul confirms the dire situation: the kryptonite is rapidly draining Superman’s solar energy.
Armored Up: Superman’s Dope New Battle Suit
Just as Smith prepares to execute the kneeling Superman, Soul unleashes an absolute game-changer: an incredible new battle suit. Imagine Ghost Rider’s Hellfire meets the Asbat suit, all Superman style. Wrapped in this stunning new armor, Cal initiates “tornado mode,” blasting everyone back and unleashing a thousand punches on Smith in thirty seconds. “You should have stayed away from Kansas,” Superman warns, knocking Smith down. “Stay down, Smith.” But Smith, unfazed, mocks Cal: “That bullet is killing you, and you’re still holding back.” As Superman winds up another punch, Smith fires two more kryptonite rounds, spiking the radiation and causing the suit to crash with a “system error.” Defenseless, Cal faces his executioner.
Brainiac’s Wrath & Desperate Escape
Smith puts his gun to Superman’s head, revealing “Razal Ghoul, that’s God’s secret name… All we got to do to save the world is murder a whole bunch of people. Lazarus means life.” But as he squeezes the trigger, his own suit electrocutes him violently. Brainiac’s captions appear: “You forget yourself, Peacemaker. You belong to Brainiac and I am always watching. The Superman is not to be killed.” Smith collapses unconscious. Seeing their chance, Lois urges Jimmy: “You said you had a way to save him. Did you mean it?” “Yes, I do,” Jimmy replies. “Then do it,” Lois commands.
Cliffhanger Ending: Divided They Fall
Jimmy calls for a “boom.” A portal opens, and Omega Men soldiers, led by Primus, pour out, holding off the Peacemakers. Primus orders Superman taken through the portal. But as the evacuation happens, Primus points her sword at Lois: “No, not you, Lane.” The boom portal slams shut, leaving Lois stranded amidst the chaos and Peacemakers, whispering, “What have I done?” Superman, riddled with kryptonite bullets, is rushed to the Omega Men’s medbay, his fate uncertain. Lois is abandoned, and the terrifying specter of Absolute Ra’s al Ghul and Brainiac looms larger than ever. That incredible new battle suit? We need to see it again! This run continues to be a must-read, setting the stage for a potentially game-changing alliance in issue #9. What a ride!
Also Read: The League of Assassins: The Deadliest Brotherhood in Batman’s World
