Chapter 225: Prime Earth Cannot Be Without Du Wa
Superboy-Prime was enjoying a hard-earned ordinary life.
After multiple experiences of blowing up and restoring Prime Earth, the planet was once again attacked by a horde of Black Lantern Zombies during the Blackest Night. Even Superboy-Prime himself had been forced to wear a Black Lantern Ring for self-preservation.
However, it was unknown whether the DC Editorial Department had personally intervened to give Superboy-Prime a power-up or something else, but he suddenly had a great awakening from his days as an edgy villain. In an instant, he gained the ability to wield the other seven visible light rings, donning the seven Lantern rings that appeared from nowhere to kill all the Black Lantern Zombies in a single move. He saved his family, his lover, and Prime Earth.
As for the subsequent Flashpoint event, the Multiverse was soft-rebooted, which had absolutely nothing to do with Prime Earth. This remained true even though the Endless Family, a group of concept gods, had appeared, and Doctor Manhattan from the Watchmen Universe had discovered the DC World and was now probably secretly meddling with the Main Universe.
But none of this had any impact on Prime Earth. As long as Superboy-Prime didn't stir up trouble, this world would most likely be safe.
However, Superboy-Prime was shocked to discover that he was still too naive. All sorts of talented individuals emerged endlessly from the Multiverse, and there would always be those who didn't play by the rules.
"The God of Xenomorphs, Du Wa... What the hell is this thing?! I just stopped reading comics for a while to get engrossed in TV series, so how did another dangerous God inexplicably emerge?!"
Superboy-Prime flipped through the comic in disbelief. In his shock, he hurried out the door. He didn't even bother pretending to be an ordinary person and driving; he directly activated his super speed, entering a comic book store like a bolt of lightning.
"Boss, bring out all the comics you have about the Xenomorph!"
"Oh? You have a good eye. Publications on Xenomorphs have been selling very well lately. The recent storyline is particularly captivating; it has even surpassed the plot from Blackest Night where Superboy-Prime saw the Black Lantern invasion in the comics. The God of Xenomorphs used a series of ploys to start a god war, forcing the Editorial Department to depict Xenomorphs. As a result, Du Wa successfully invaded the Editorial Department—though I haven't figured out how he managed to do it. Is it a hidden ability of his?"
The owner spoke eloquently, "But are you sure you only want comics? We also have research publications over here, which feature analyses of the Xenomorph by some professionals. They're very popular."
A short while later, holding a stack of comics, Superboy-Prime cautiously looked around. Don't misunderstand, he wasn't guarding against ordinary people. There was no doubt that he was the only superhuman in the entire universe. After all, Superman is the core of the DC World. Every universe can exist without a Batman, but it must have a Superman to act as an anchor to stabilize it.
He was worried about whether humans who had been parasitized by Xenomorphs had already mingled with the ordinary people around him. That Du Wa who invaded the Editorial Department was a truly dangerous individual. According to the available information, he seemed to possess some mysterious means of remote parasitism.
A virus? Divine power? Or some other medium?
There was too little intelligence. Facing a mysterious, fourth-wall-breaking deity who also possessed a bizarre parasitic ability, no matter how brainless Superboy-Prime was, he wouldn't rashly charge in.
Because this was Prime Earth. His parents and his lover were all here.
Quickly returning home, Superboy-Prime finished browsing through the recent comic content and gained a more comprehensive understanding of the Xenomorph.
"This guy... if he wanted to, a large number of Xenomorphs would instantly appear on Prime Earth, and many humans would eventually become his servants." Superboy-Prime's scalp tingled. He really didn't want the people he cared about to become part of the Xenomorphs.
"He wants to modify and perfect his own Origin and fill the Multiverse with Xenomorphs? That's not happening!"
Superboy-Prime gritted his teeth, immediately put on his battle suit, and prepared to head straight for the Editorial Department.
Playing dead wasn't going to solve the threat of Du Wa, nor would it make him stop.
"Clark, what are you doing?" Laurie heard the noise, hurriedly opened the door, and looked in shock at Superboy-Prime, who was already in his battle suit.
The last time Superboy-Prime had done something like this was when the Main Universe's Blackest Night affected Prime Earth, forcing him to rush out and fight the Black Lantern Zombies.
But what was happening this time?
Compared to a crisis spilling over from the outside world, Laurie was more worried that Superboy-Prime was having another fit and planning to stir up some trouble.
"Our world has been invaded, and this situation is even more troublesome than the one during Blackest Night! If I don't step up, our entire planet, our entire universe, will be taken over by that damned evil god! All of humanity will lose its autonomy!" Only in front of Laurie could Superboy-Prime suppress his violent temper and try to explain.
"But, isn't our world very safe? That time with the Black Lantern Zombies was just an accident. It was Alexander Luthor, controlled by the Black Lantern Ring, who brought it from Earth-3..." Laurie had a look of disbelief on her face.
Of course, she also read comics. She knew this Prime Earth was special, and she knew Superboy-Prime was the only superhuman on the planet. Furthermore, through the comics, she knew what an evil role he had played in many past Major Events and how many crimes he had committed.
But what kind of crisis could make Superboy-Prime so tense? Could this time really be more dangerous than Blackest Night?
Superboy-Prime's parents also came over when they heard the commotion, looking at their son with fear on their faces.
They feared not the unknown crisis, but their own son's mindset and his radical, thoughtless actions.
Superboy-Prime opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He opened the window and flew out. Even if his parents feared him and Laurie couldn't understand him, there were some things he had to do.
A terrible future was still better than doing nothing at all. This was Superboy-Prime's creed.
...
DC Editorial Department.
Jeff was creating at full power under Du Wa's prodding.
"You look exhausted. How about I give you a Xenomorph? You'll be better than ever in an instant."
"No, please don't. I still have some strength left..."
Faced with Du Wa's "kind concern," Jeff found it unacceptable.
This would be the fastest he had ever created in his life. Even though some of the plots he wrote were terrible, it didn't matter. Du Wa wasn't picky. He only needed to change his own Origin, little by little.
Under Jeff's hand, Xenomorphs were rapidly appearing in various universes.
At this stage, Xenomorphs were spreading as naturally existing creatures in certain specific universes. If all went according to plan, after just a few more Major Events, Du Wa could use various opportunities to continuously correct and enhance his own origin and settings. Ultimately, he would become a pivotal deity in the Omniverse.
This wasn't easy. The editors only played a supporting role. Without affecting the Multiverse itself, they tried their best to exert influence on some unnoticed, marginal details.
But for Du Wa, this was enough. He only needed to use the Editorial Department to spread his concept and change his Origin. The truly significant matters still required him to act personally.
For example, forcing the gods of the divine realms to bow their heads was something that couldn't be achieved even if everyone in the Editorial Department was worked to death at their desks.
BOOM!
The door to the Editorial Department was violently broken down.
"Du Wa!! Get out of this world! It doesn't belong to you!!" A figure in a blue battle suit burst in, a roar filled with suppressed fury echoing out.
The reinforced concrete, like paper-mâché, crumbled before this figure.
Blood-red eyes glared at Du Wa, heat vision already brewing.
Superboy-Prime had envisioned many possibilities with his super-brain, but Du Wa's first words immediately broke his composure.
"Superboy-Prime?"
"Fuck! You're the Superboy! Your whole family are Superboys! You should call me Supreme Superman!!" Superboy-Prime roared furiously.
Du Wa shook his head. "You know this is just self-deception. As you stand here talking to me, our words and actions will be presented in the form of a comic... and the comic's narration will also introduce you to the public as Superboy-Prime."
Fuck!
Superboy-Prime felt that Du Wa made a lot of sense, but he would never admit it, which only made him even angrier.
"Although Golden Superman has been absent in many Major Events and can't compare to you in terms of popularity, you can't change the reality that *he* is the Supreme Superman." Facing a Superboy-Prime who was emanating endless killing intent and looked completely like a dark Superman, Du Wa appeared unfazed.
Pfft!
Superboy-Prime immediately fired his heat vision, piercing Du Wa's body.
"Clark, you're being foolish!" Jeff jumped up.
More editors also jumped to their feet, shouting and yelling things like, "It's doomsday!" and "Prime Earth is finished!"
"If this Du Wa dies, thousands upon thousands more will rise up! The entire Earth will be finished because of your recklessness!"
"Haven't you read the last few issues of the comics? Don't you realize there's something wrong with this guy? Du Wa can even control a Thanoseid of unknown origin to fight to the death! He can control Superheroes from different universes to serve him! Have you really not noticed that Du Wa can transfer his soul to a Xenomorph hero at any time?"
"Clark! We thought that after your great awakening during Blackest Night, you finally understood that you shouldn't act recklessly like before, that you should be calm and think!"
"So noisy! A bunch of idiots, all of you, shut up! This action is the result of my careful deliberation!"
Superboy-Prime panted heavily. The air he exhaled even caused a localized hurricane, destroying several walls in front of him as a terrifyingly cold air spread out in all directions.
"Then you should have tried to negotiate with Du Wa first!" Morrison shouted, spittle flying.
"Negotiate? Didn't you guys try to negotiate with him? And didn't you end up yielding to his tyranny and changing his origin story for him! If he could really be persuaded, why would he go to such great lengths to cause such a huge disaster in the Multiverse, just to enter Prime Earth? He clearly came prepared!"
Superboy-Prime roared, "If I don't stand up, Prime Earth will become his stronghold, to be completely ruled by him! Every single one of you will become a tool for him to expand his power and raise his level, and you will never be free again!"
Superboy-Prime knew all too well what these mortals were capable of. He had even threatened this group of editors multiple times to not fucking draw him into every major event for no reason. It took him trashing the Editorial Department a few times to make these editors restrain themselves a bit and avoid him as much as possible when creating.
"They are right, Clark Kent... Killing me is not a good idea. I will make Prime Earth crawl with Xenomorphs, just like the many other universes I have conquered."
Of course, Du Wa wouldn't die. He stood up again as if nothing had happened. With a wave of his hand, the wounds on his body were repaired out of thin air. This made Superboy-Prime's expression extremely ugly. "I didn't see any process of flesh and blood healing itself... Did you have those guys add an 'immortal' setting for you?"
"There's no need. I am a concept god. Remember this. Many things, even without these editors' intervention, I will naturally be able to do as my strength increases. Not to mention, the one who has entered Prime Earth is my main body."
A temporary main body.
Except for a few great battles where Du Wa would personally control a body to participate, he had always been using this human body. But this was not to say that this body was weak. At the very least, it couldn't be taken down by Superboy-Prime in a single move.
"A concept god..." Superboy-Prime now completely understood what kind of being this deity was. "Then I have even more reason not to allow you on Prime Earth! Leave this place! This place is full of mortals; they can't withstand the rule of someone like you! The Editorial Department should not become your private property either."
"You overestimate the Editorial Department's position in my heart. They only need to be the fuel to help me advance further. Ultimately, it all depends on myself. After this, I won't give these editors a second glance," Du Wa said lightly.
The editors of the DC Editorial Department were, after all, just a group of mortals. There was a fundamental difference between them and the staff at the Marvel Editorial Department.
Du Wa knew that the Marvel Editorial Department was full of all sorts of wild shenanigans. To say nothing of other things, they had set themselves as members of the Beyonders. As a result, when the Beyonders were continuously nerfed after a series of Major Events, their status plummeted, even though they were still Marvel's number one divine race. That group of editors started to modify their own origin again, retconning the Beyonders into a species created by the Celestials in the Second Multiverse. Then they rewrote themselves again as some special models of Celestials.
Compared to what the Marvel Editorial Department did to the Multiverse, the staff in the DC Editorial Department were practically well-behaved babies.
Therefore, Du Wa could invade the DC Editorial Department and demand these editors make small additions in the margins, but he never considered making a move on the Marvel Editorial Department.
The editorial departments of the two great multiverses had completely different settings for themselves.
"In the near future, perhaps you will all thank me. Thank me for being on Prime Earth, because I can protect this place to a certain extent," Du Wa said slowly.
(end of chapter)