(Superman & Batman Generations #1) - <1939> The Ultra-Humanite had demanded one million dollars from Metropolis, claiming there’d be Hell to pay if his orders weren’t followed. The city government refused to cave, so the Ultra-Humanite had his henchman Lex Luthor place a remote control device on Electrolux, a robot on display at the Metropolis World’s Fair, and once under the Humanite’s control it wrecked havoc. Clark Kent and Lois Lane were covering the fair for the Daily Star, and Clark changed into Superman, crumpling the robot into a ball. Bruce Wayne and his fiancée Julie Madison were also at the fair, and that night Bruce changed into Bat-Man to investigate the pavilion where Electrolux was on display. Loiis and Clark had the same idea, and Lois found part of the Humanite’s remote control device, but Bat-Man snatched the clue away from her and karate chopped Clark. Clark feigned being knocked down to preserve his secret identity, but Bat-Man noticed that hitting him was like hitting steel. For his part Clark was suspicious that Bruce Wayne and Bat-Man, both from Gotham City, suddenly both showed up in Metropolis. The next day Clark shadowed Julie and Lois shadowed Bruce. The Ultra-Humanite was furious that Lex had left a clue behind and sent him and two other underlings to doublecheck that they hadn’t forgotten anymore evidence. Bruce and Lois stumbled upon them, and after Lex stunned Bruce with a neuro-stunner he ordered his fellow henchmen to dump him in the river while he took Lois back to the Humanite as a hostage. Dick Grayson, a circus acrobat who was performing with his parents at the fair as the Flying Graysons, came upon the scene. Dick sprung into action, attacking the goons, and they were surprised by the ferocity of his acrobatic assault and fled. Bruce recovered and promised Dick he wouldn’t forget the good turn he did him. Bruce kept an eye on the Humanite’s getaway truck, knowing one of the henchmen would have to come back for it. When one did Batman overcame him, took him to the top of a fair building, and tossed him off when he refused to say where the Ultra-Humanite’s hideout was. Superman caught him, but said he’d drop him again if he didn’t spill, and the henchman revealed that the Humanite had a base built under Prosperity Plaza, a diorama on the fairgrounds. Batman and Superman burst into the hideout and saved Lois, but the Ultra-Humanite launched a rocketship he had prepared for an emergency getaway. The Humanite had loaded the World’s Fair globe with explosives and set it to blow but Superman hurled it straight at Humanite’s rocketship, blowing it to smithereens. Bat-Man and Superman congratulated each other for a job well done.

Ultra-Humanite transferred his brain into Lex Luthor's body.

Ultra Humanite Lex (Superman & Batman Generations #1) - <1949> “Lex Luthor” heard that Joker was being held in a Soviet gulag and decided he’d be the perfect wild card for his latest scheme against Superman. He flew in a squad of men who entered the gulag guns blazing and airlifted Joker out. Joker was grateful and agreed to help Lex with his plan, stealing green kryptonite and gold kryptonite from a Gotham metallurgy lab. Joker and Lex, who knew Superman’s secret identity, kidnapped Superman’s pregnant wife Lois Lane to lure Superman into a trap. Batman and Robin alerted Superman, and Batman burst into Luthor’s hideout, disguised as Superman. Joker opened a lead-lined box of green kryptonite and Batman feigned weakness before grabbing the Joker’s wrist and breaking it. Lex shot Batman in the back, and Superman melted the bullets with his heat-vision, but Batman pretended to be fatally wounded. Lex took off Batman’s Superman mask, and then Robin burst in, also disguised as Superman. He said he’d forfeit his own life if the villains let Lois go, and Lex said he didn’t want superman dead, he wanted him powerless when Lex took over the world. He revealed a safe containing the gold-k that would permanently strip Superman of his powers when the real Superman sealed it shut with his heat-vision. Superman, Batman and Robin all came after the villains, but Lex had an escape rocketship at the ready and said his farewell would remind Superman and batman of their last encounter. Batman used a batarang to jam the rocketship’s launch rail, and after freeing Lois they fled from the hideout, knowing Lex had set it to blow. They left the destroyed hideout and Lois got a checkup at the doctor’s. Lex had exposed her to the gold-k, ensuring that her unborn child would never have Kryptonian powers. Lois and Clark were troubled by the idea of their powerless future son knowing Superman was his father, and decided to never let him know the truth.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com.