Lois Lane, Superboy-Prime, and a Superman Robot Race to Save the DC Universe!
Cover of “Superman #34” (published January 28th, 2026) written by Joshua Williamson, art by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira, and colors by Alejandro Sánchez
Cover art by Dan Mora
DC K.O. recently crowned its final four competitors in the form of Superman, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, and the Joker, and the stakes couldn’t be any higher for the denizens of the DC Universe. As the events of DC K.O. continue to spiral out of control, Superman #34 focuses on an unlikely trio of heroes who might possibly have what it takes to turn the tide against Darkseid and his machinations.
I’ll be breaking down the issue as a whole and giving my thoughts on it, so be mindful of spoilers, as per usual. Let’s go!
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for “Superman #34”.
Some Heroes are Born, Some are Built
The birth of the Superman Robots.
Our story begins with a brief jaunt to the past as we return to the Fortress of Solitude. We’re witnessing the construction of one of the many assembled Superman robots—mechanical doppelgängers that exist not only to defend the Fortress if needed but also to help prove that Clark Kent and Superman are not one and the same.
Incredibly, these machines possess Superman’s memories, and while they don’t possess all of his power, they are nonetheless pretty close to his full strength. One such Superman Robot actually believes himself to be the real thing just as the actual Superman arrives. Superman and his AI assistant, Kelex, discuss how the robots will ultimately prioritize self-preservation over sacrifice as Superman muses over the moral and ethical issues the existence of these robots provides simply by being.
The real Superman (wearing a long coat and goggles) meets one of his identical robotic counterparts.
Superman ultimately makes the tough decision to deactivate the robots. Interestingly, the Superman Robot who had thoughtfully questioned whether the machines would share Superman’s sense of responsibility actually agrees with him, citing Ma Kent’s "better safe than sorry" mantra as reason enough.
Kelex follows through with the instructions, deactivating the fleet while the Man of Steel discusses consulting robotic experts like Doc Magnus, Red Tornado, and Mr. Terrific. He cites their firsthand knowledge of how often machines like these are corrupted or turned into threats. While he vows to keep them secret and safe for now, he ultimately believes that one day, these robots will get their chance to be heroes.
This is such a weird dynamic but I’m all for it.
After a brief recap page catching readers up to the events in the DC K.O tournament thus far, we return to the present as we pick up from last issue with Superboy-Prime, an empowered Lois Lane, and a slightly battle damaged Superman Robot racing above the Arctic en route to the Time Trapper/Doomsday to deliver the essential information they’ve obtained concerning Doomsday’s true role in the universe. Lois attempts to connect Mercy Graves and Mr. Terrific to no avail, which is pretty unsettling given literally everything going down at this moment. But the Superman Robot is undeterred, optimistically assuring Lois that everyone is most likely fine. Even Prime is impressed with the Robot’s disposition, confident that once they get to the Time Trapper, they can save this whole crossover event just in time for the last issue. I, for one, can’t get enough of Prime’s meta commentary.
Earth is gradually been transformed into a planet similar to that of Apokolips
Suddenly, the Earth literally erupts as fire pits from Apokolips roar to life, and the Superman Robot’s X-ray vision confirms that the planet is transforming on a molecular level. More than that, there are still civilians present, as evidenced by the cries for help that the Robot hears.
Much like his creator, the Robot acts without hesitation, even as Prime warns him that they have no time for "side quests" and that the remaining units back at the Fortress can only keep the Dark Legionnaires at bay for so long.
Long live the Legion, I guess!
As if on cue, we return to the Fortress to see a group of Superman Robots using their freeze breath in concert to keep Sun Boy and the others immobilized. This doesn’t last for long, sadly, as the robots are ambushed by Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, who easily dispatch them, enabling Sun Boy to escape his makeshift frozen prison.
The Darkseid-corrupted Legion members immediately bicker with one another; Lightning Lad gruffly explains they were too busy to bail him out against Prime, failing to hunt him down. Sun Boy counters that if hunting Prime were so easy, why didn’t they do it themselves? The two argue, with Sun Boy concluding that Prime wasn’t just running away for the sake of it—he surely led them to the Fortress on purpose, allowing Lois Lane to absorb some of his power.
Meanwhile, Saturn Girl explores the Fortress as Cosmic Boy, using his powers of magnetism, begins to interrogate Kelex. Cosmic Boy cruelly tortures the AI as Saturn Girl discovers a section of the Fortress dedicated to the Legion of Super-Heroes. She is taken aback by how Superman honors the Legion and fascinated by how, impossibly, both Superman and the Legion exist simultaneously because of each other, with the Legion informing both Superman’s past and future. Conversely, Darkseid, now having almost completely seized both the future and past, has no need to care for anyone or anything because he is literally everything and everywhen.
Even twisted as they are currently, the Legion of Superheroes represent an essential part of Superman’s history.
Lightning Lad, overhearing her, informs her that he cares for her even if Darkseid does not. She warns him that should the rest of the Legion find out about them, they would be betrayed in a heartbeat to curry favor with Darkseid. Noting that the Earth has been almost completely transformed, Lightning Lad asks what awaits them once Darkseid succeeds, but Saturn Girl coolly responds that it is not up to them to decide.
Cosmic Boy arrives moments later, casually revealing how he broke Superman’s “toy” and also discovered that Prime and the others absconded with important information related to Darkseid. He suggests Timber Wolf can track them, but Saturn Girl is unbothered. Why bother chasing them when they know exactly where they’re going?
The Final Four
Superman and Lex Luthor are the two of the final four combatants left standing.
We catch up to the K.O. Tournament as the final four participants have been crowned. Two of the four are standing next to one another: Superman himself and his greatest enemy, Lex Luthor. Superman and Lex take a moment to collect their thoughts as Lex asks Superman if he knew, deep down, that regardless of who they fought, it would ultimately circle back to them.
Superman simply responds that he fights to support his friends. The other two finalists approach—Wonder Woman and the Joker—as they survey the landscape before them. The arena shifts to their new battleground as Diana muses that this is another one of the Heart of Apokolips’ manipulations. Superman disagrees, realizing that the hellish landscape before them is real and, more than that, it's their own world.
But he hears something… something he didn’t expect.
The Superman Robot reveals to Prime what Superman really thinks about him.
Returning to Prime, Lois, and the Superman Robot, we find Prime admonishing the machine, telling him that they need to get to the Watchtower immediately due to the sensitive information the Robot holds. The Robot disagrees, stating he must save people first.
Prime incredulously argues that the Robot isn't even the real Superman—just a tool (and not in a bad way, but literally a mobile hard drive). The Robot responds that his programming dictates he act just as Superman would: even if the world is ending, you still save lives. He adds that Prime is one of the most powerful beings in existence and should start acting like it.
Taken aback, Prime retorts that the Robot doesn’t know anything about him or what he’s had to endure and shouldn't judge him. The Robot states that he isn't judging, but merely reflecting on the memories and thoughts Superman possesses concerning his alternate-reality self. When Prime guesses that Superman must hate him, the Robot reveals the truth: Superman doesn't hate Prime—he’s merely disappointed in him.
Furthermore, the Robot reveals that the real Superman wants to help everyone... including Prime. We discover that Prime reminds Superman of himself when he first learned about his powers—specifically, how scared he was. Prime claims he’s scared, though his tone isn't convincing. But before the conversation can go any further, Lois discovers the source of the cries for help the Robot heard earlier.
The Royal Flush Gang have gone through more than a few iterations, but they will always be a great gimmicky group of villains.
We see the Royal Flush Gang terrified and trapped on the remains of a building as the fire pits of Apokolips erupt all around them. Prime cracks his knuckles, ready to beat up some bad guys, but the Superman Robot stops him, telling him that there is no need for violence. They’re just frightened.
The Superman Robot descends toward the group of super-criminals, who confess they decided to stick around to pillage because they didn’t believe it was really the end of the world. With a compassion that is all too human and reminiscent of the real deal, the Superman Robot extends his hand toward them. He says that we all make mistakes and that while the Gang will eventually have to be placed in a secure unit, they will first be carried to safety.
The Royal Flush Gang accepts the offer as Lois pointedly tells Prime that the Robot is more like Superman than he’d care to admit. Prime, clearly embarrassed, asks to get back to the main plot as they finalize the rescue.
Race to the Watchtower
Superboy-Prime is really good at fighting, Lois. Like…REALLY good.
As the group reaches outer space to find an emergency vessel left behind by Mercy, they’re brought up to speed by Mercy herself, who reveals they were attacked by Granny Goodness. They survived, but the damage is severe, and they need help—Superman-level help.
Prime opts to bow out and head for the tournament, even as Lois explains to him that not everything is about fighting. Prime responds that fighting is simply what he’s good at and that the world needs Superman, not him. He wishes them good luck before soaring off, leaving Lois and the Superman Robot behind.
Lois and the Robot arrive at the Watchtower and hail Mr. Terrific on their comms. Terrific is too busy to respond, and the Robot points out to Lois that there was a skirmish with no sign of the heroes who were supposed to halt the accumulation of Omega Energy. As Lois looks out the window at the catastrophic state of Earth, she asks what happened—only for the defeated Time Trapper to remark that they were betrayed.
Who would have expected the Ultimate Lifeform to be a pessimist?
He reveals that they were betrayed by Booster Gold, who has since been revealed to be Darkseid in disguise. Grodd and the World Forger fled, and as such, their efforts failed. Lois tells the being once known as Doomsday that they have important information as the Superman Robot approaches.
Unconvinced by both the Robot and the idea that they could possibly have information that he doesn’t already know, the Time Trapper stands to his feet. Before they can respond, a violent explosion sends the trio flying as they are ambushed by the Legion, who had chased them all the way to the Watchtower.
Saturn Girl sinisterly informs Lois that Superman thinks about her often as she sifts through her mind, mocking the love the two have for one another. Sun Boy and Lightning Lad attack the Time Trapper while Saturn Girl demands Lois tell them why they brought the Robot to him, threatening to rip into her mind if she doesn’t open it willingly. Cosmic Boy seizes the Superman Robot as Saturn Girl forces Lois to watch, making a sick game out of the destruction. As the Robot starts to crack, Saturn Girl mocks Lois for caring for the machine itself, not just the information it possesses.
Cosmic Boy uses his magnetic based powers to try to rip apart the Superman Robot as Saturn Girl forces Lois to watch.
Our issue ends with a thunderous BOOM as the attention of the Dark Legion focuses on a pair of smoldering red eyes. A voice calls out to the corrupted Saturn Girl, daring her to use her telepathy to read his mind and see his fears.
Superboy-Prime has arrived in the nick of time! Standing tall, he reveals that his true fear is losing control once more and repeating the tragic mistakes that led him down a dark path of murder and destruction. We see that he’s already taken out Sun Boy and Lightning Lad as he delivers what is perhaps simultaneously the most badass and ridiculous mic drop in recent memory to close out the issue!
This is so gloriously absurd and cheesy but I can’t get enough!
What Time is it?!
I like how Prime is always ready to throw hands, even as a hero.
The mainline Superman title has been on a roll since DC’s Dawn of DC initiative, enjoying consistently high-quality storytelling ever since. Issue #34 continues that trend—and then some—thanks to Joshua Williamson. It’s far too easy for some books to lose sight of the big picture, or perhaps get lost within it, when they’re running concurrently alongside a massive crossover event like DC K.O., but Superman works in tandem with the event without forgetting its own internal story beats. That balance is on display here in nigh-perfect fashion, particularly through the focus on Lois Lane and Superboy-Prime.
It wasn’t terribly long ago in the pages of Superman that Lois Lane miraculously gained superpowers of her own and fought alongside her husband as Superwoman. While we never really got a definitive answer as to where those powers came from—though we can hazard a guess that she somehow siphoned General Zod’s abilities, given he recently revealed his powers were gone—it was clear that Lois truly took to being a hero.
As one of the greatest supporting characters of all time—a love interest who, from the get-go, was never portrayed as powerless despite having no abilities—it was great to see how she handled that shift and how it impacted her marriage to Clark. We’ve seen plenty of versions of "Super-Lois" before, but this was certainly the most engaging example. While she was loath to admit it, Lois definitely missed that strength, and it’s great to see her back in the action, even if it’s only temporary.
Despite working alongside Lois and a Superman Robot, Prime is still learning a thing or two about being a hero, especially one worthy of the S shield.
Superboy-Prime is being set up to not just be a supporting character, but if you’ve been reading solicits at all, you know that it is only a matter of time before he fully takes over this title for a time following the events of DC K.O. While that might be a spoiler in the sense that we know Prime has to survive and stick around, we still are owed a character arc to see him get from point A to B. This issue takes a substantial step forward in that sense as we see Prime finally admit how much his own fears have seized him.
Despite his redemption against the Darkest Night and fighting alongside Superman against Darkseid’s Legion, we see that Prime still has doubts and worries about how easy it would be for him to lose control and once again kill. But ultimately, we’re led to have faith that Prime—despite being a metatextually aware fanboy with some edgelord tendencies—is someone worthy of the "S" emblem.
I’ve been a fan of Prime ever since Geoff Johns’ Infinite Crisis and, as such, have a soft spot for the kid who once infamously bellowed, “I’LL KILL YOU TO DEATH!” This issue further pushes him along the path of being a true hero, instead of just someone who is impossibly strong beating up bad guys.
The Dark Legion are really awesome awful people.
Speaking of bad guys, the corrupted Legion continues to serve as not just effective villains, but also believable threats. Darkseid gaining control of them is a tragic insult to the legacy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and is meant to serve as a deliberate gut punch to Superman and everything he represents. Finding out that Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad keep their relationship secret out of fear of Darkseid gives them added depth outside of just being brainwashed servants to DC’s ultimate villain.
While Superman himself was only seen briefly in a flashback and during the present moments after the last round of the K.O. Tournament, his Robot more than took to the task of helping carry the title along with Lois and Prime. Despite being a machine, the Superman Robot displays every bit of heroism and self-sacrifice that the actual Man of Steel displays.
Everything in my body screams that this Robot is not going to make it, and yet, that doesn’t stop me from rooting for it and hoping that if and when the time comes, it goes out like a true hero. The fact that Prime is reminded of what it means to not just be a hero but a "Superman" thanks to a mere machine is wonderfully ironic. Prime obviously has firsthand knowledge of who and what Superman is and represents—not just from his personal experience, but because he’s a fan like us and has access to the knowledge of countless comics he’s read. And it took a Superman Robot to give him a gentle push back toward the right direction.
The Superman Robot is just as heroic as the real deal.
The art here, courtesy of Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira with Alejandro Sánchez on colors, is working overtime. We see clear displays of emotion from everyone involved: Lois’ determination, Prime’s casual confidence, and the Superman Robot’s resolve and optimism.
The villains also show us exactly what they’re thinking in well-defined panels and splashes. We get a deep dive into the Legion and what makes them tick (spoiler: it’s Darkseid), but we also get a rare moment of unexpected vulnerability between Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. Despite the fact that they are twisted, evil versions of the beloved Legionnaires we know, they still have some semblance of care for one another, proving that Darkseid’s rule isn’t quite as absolute as it appears.
[Image: A hauntingly beautiful panel of Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl sharing a quiet moment in the shadow of Darkseid’s influence]
The action sequences are brief but powerfully depicted, particularly the fire pits erupting on Earth. The fiery color palettes used here really evoke the terror such an event would cause—they grip your attention and refuse to let go. I also think the shadowing and lighting throughout the pages are terrific, making for some truly fantastic and fun visual storytelling.
Final Thoughts and Review
That’s….actually a really good point, Clark.
If your ongoing title—in this case, Superman—can manage to entertain and keep you coming back despite the fact that the main character is featured heavily elsewhere, it’s safe to say you have a real winner on your hands. As has been the case for some time thanks to the DC K.O. event, Superman has really only been used sparingly in the pages of his own book, usually in flashbacks or appearing only for a panel or two.
And yet, the title enjoys the same quality of writing and art that it has since this volume started. It really goes to show the strength of the world-building Joshua Williamson brings to the table and how well-developed the extended cast of Superman-related characters are; they can quite easily lead a narrative while Big Blue is busy throwing down in a blockbuster crossover event.
Final Review: 9/10
I’m all for the Lois and Prime being BFFs' thing we got going on here, DC!
Superman #34 manages to hit multiple plot points and character arcs without missing a beat, which is always a challenge when your title needs to complement a big event without losing regular readers who may not be following said event. Even without following DC K.O., you can appreciate this book and then some. Between great characterization and dynamic art, Superman #34 once again reminds us: it is always Prime Time.