Superman is still Doomed. Chapter 1 of Enemy of the State begins here.
spoilers:end of spoilers
Superman has escaped and has been deemed an Enemy of the State by the president. In a televised news conference, Lois Lane declares to the world that the hero that once was is gone. She explains that he is very dangerous and not to be trusted. Senator Lane seizes the opportunity, and with new command powers bestowed on him, recruits/re-animates John Corben (aka Metal-0 or Metallo) for a dangerous mission.
Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and Lana Lang contact each other (due to Clark’s foresight and ingenuity) and reach a common understanding on where they stand when it comes to him. Lana reveals that the brains from all of the coma victims from Smallville have been sending electrical signals into space. She promises to look into it further.
Superman, in the meantime, is horrified to find out that wherever he goes, death to all life follows. He retreats to the Atacama desert in Chile and pings Steel his location. Once he arrives, Superman gives him the Phantom Zone Projector Controller so that he can be sent through if all else fails. Clark has a violent outburst and is on the verge of succumbing to more, when Lex Luthor informs Steel that senator Lane has a battleship on the way with the “toys” John Henry kept at his S.T.E.E.L. facility. Metal-0, under the complete influence of a Brainiac-infused Lois Lane, is ready for the suicide mission (the ship is full of tanks with compressed kryptonite in aerosol form). Steel has a fight with Joseph Martin (aka the Atomic Skull), while Superman, in a desperate attempt to save a life, flies towards the ship in order to try to reason with Corben. Determined with his newfound purpose, John sets off the tanks, destroying the ship and killing himself in the process.
The Superman persona is left weakened (or dead?) and all that is left is a flying figure of Doom.
After Lobdell’s lackluster Superman 31, the story once again moves forward with some political and military maneuvering and intrigue that reveal the different approaches to Superman’s transformation from friends and foes alike. Pak has crafted an amazing issue that’s all about alliances and loyalty.
Don’t let the cover fool you. While the Ghost Soldier has no place in this story at all and Metallo and Atomic Skull feature briefly, the real highlight of the issue is Steel. After his brief cameo in Doomed #1, he takes center stage here as a true ally to Superman. There is also a wonderful exchange between Wonder Woman and Lana Lang that is on point and defines their stance when it comes to Superman. The Brainic/Lois scheme finally seems to be bearing some fruit as it brings about serious repercussions at the end of the issue.
All in all, solid storytelling. And it is up to Soule and Superman/Wonder Woman #9 to shine next.