SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read SUPERGIRL #15 and do not wish to know what happens, stop reading this post now (major spoilers ahead!)
In “H’el On Earth,” Superman has come face to face with his worst nightmare: a creature of unknown Kryptonian origin who is not only more powerful than the Man of Steel, but smarter than Supergirl and more lethal than Superboy. Currently spanning across the pages of SUPERMAN, SUPERBOY and SUPERGIRL, this crossover event unites all of these super-beings for the first time in DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 and puts them into battle with the maniacal alien, H’el, who will stop at nothing to bring back Krypton from extinction ... even at the expense of Earth!
To all those he meets, H’el claims that he is a space explorer sent on a mission by Jor-el (also known as the father of Superman) to safeguard the accumulated science and culture of Krypton aboard his ship when the destruction of his home planet became imminent. As a result of his travels through space, H’el has been transformed and now remains a grotesque version of the man he used to be. But when all hope seemed lost, he discovered that two lost children of Krypton were living on Earth: Superman and Supergirl.
Upon his arrival on Earth, H’el reaches out to Superman and Supergirl to ask for their assistance in the resurrection of Krypton. Supergirl seems eager to help while Superman remains hesitant about H’el’s true intentions. In a confrontation of epic proportions, H’el produces a prisoner to prove his knowledge of Krypton and its controversial past – a clone just like the ones who nearly destroyed the planet years ago: Superboy!
To gain the trust of Superman, H’el offers to kill the clone. In a moment of fury, the Man of Steel lashes out against H’el in order to save the boy and H’el uses the opportunity to lure Supergirl away from Superman. And in SUPERGIRL #15, H’el banishes Superman and Superboy from the Fortress of Solitude while he takes Kara on a tour of Kandor to gain her trust and allegiance.
“Kal is the ‘Last Son of Krypton,’ but he never really knew it like Kara and H’el did,” writer Mike Johnson told COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. “The things H’el does that bother Kal don’t bother Kara in the same way, because she can understand and sympathize with H’el’s motivations. One of the many cool things about the crossover is that each title has its own unique role to play.”
The tour ends with H’el promising Supergirl that if his plan succeeds she can return to the Krypton she once knew. For the first time since coming to Earth, Kara has found someone that truly understands her hopes and dreams. And as H’el and Supergirl stand alone in the Fortress of Solitude, the thought of their return to Krypton unites them – not only as allies but as something much more.
In that moment, H’el and Supergirl kiss for the first time! Could this be the start of a Kryptonian romance? And more importantly, what will Superman do when he finds out about his cousin and his new enemy’s developing relationship!? Place your bets in the comments section!
Below, take a look at the final page of SUPERGIRL #15 as H’el and Supergirl share a kiss in the Fortress of Solitude. And don’t forget to pick up your copy of the issue, in stores now!
