by Libbylawrence
Earth year 1914:
The planet Krypton’s skies were slowly losing their red hues. The time-displaced pioneers of Krypton’s ancient past had not been seen in several cycles. Jor-L was relieved. He bounded homeward through the futuristic streets, his typical Kryptonian muscles carrying him well above the city streets. He ignored the greetings of old friends, as his thoughts were otherwise occupied. The cosmic crisis that had turned the skies redder than ever before and had opened odd time-displacement warps across the world had passed, or so he hoped.
Reaching home, he hugged Lora, his lovely wife of only a short span. “Oh, Jor! Is this terrible event over? May we dare plan to start a family, after all?”
He reassured his young wife with a boyish grin and said, “My love, after so long, we are safe from disruption. I do think we may plan a family now.”
“But, Jor… is it morally right to bring a frail new life into a universe in turmoil?”
“Lora, the universe is not sentient. It is neither evil nor good. Rao gives us both. Think of the ‘Superman’ who helped us when the KBI tried to arrest us for treason. (*) He was not of this world, yet he was a truly noble man. There are many like him out there. I hope he is home and well.”
[(*) Editor’s note: Although a version of this story takes place on Earth-Two, the original story takes place on Earth-One, as seen in “The Girl of Steel,” Superman #123 (August, 1958).]
“Yes, yes! You are right; he was a hero’s hero. I still shudder at the thought of that battle with the Superman! He saved us, but it was a close thing.” Jor-L hugged his wife, and life went on for the young couple, at least for a few more years.
As the sky altered once more to normal, a final odd quirk occurred. One of the satellites that orbited the planet Krypton lost its orbital path and moved through one disappearing time warp that faded with the Crisis on Infinite Earths. It vanished, along with its entranced occupant, to reappear elsewhere and elsewhen.