| Metropolis – October 2
Joseph sat in his office, as sleek, expensive, and pristine as ever.
A few things had changed on Earth in the years since he'd assumed this role.
Multiple economies had returned to growth after the Hour of Chaos caused millions of adults to disappear. LuthorDroids had helped maintain and improve infrastructure during the crisis, while LuthorCorp's sizable investments accelerated recovery efforts.
BellCoin had also played a major role, stabilizing weaker currencies and providing a reliable medium of exchange.
Joseph leveraged that influence to expand the importance of the African Economic Community. Through a combination of free-trade agreements, customs unions, a common market, and plans for an eventual African Monetary Union centered around BellCoin, he fostered economic development across the continent.
Soon, construction would begin on a continental rail network, creating the supply chains needed to support Africa's rapidly urbanizing population and serving as a transformational catalyst for future growth.
It had taken considerable bribery, several carefully orchestrated revolutions, and the removal of more than a few corrupt leaders to make it happen. Colonial influences such as France and debt-driven infrastructure models backed by China had proven particularly stubborn obstacles. Ultimately, however, the Court of Owls got the job done.
As a result, economies were thriving.
Kahndaq was perhaps the best example. In only a few years, its quality of life had surpassed Israel's.
Teth-Adam's leadership, reminiscent of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, was transforming the nation into a wealthy, highly developed financial powerhouse through pragmatic governance, strict meritocracy, and the aggressive attraction of foreign investment—much of it from LuthorCorp.
LuthorCorp's seventy-five-billion-dollar investment into the Middle East Peace Framework three years earlier had not gone to waste. Wars between nations had ceased, and former rivals now cooperated to eliminate the terrorist groups that had plagued the region for decades.
Even Israel had been forced to participate. The United States had gradually reduced its involvement in the region, while Joseph's Court of Owls weakened opposition through economic pressure and targeted assassinations. Discussions regarding a two-state solution with Palestine were finally underway, with Black Adam acting as overseer.
His improvements to Earth were not limited to economics and politics.
The planet itself was getting better.
Joseph publicly advocated for the adoption of nuclear power and a reduced dependence on fossil fuels.
His words carried weight. As the world's youngest billionaire, its richest individual, and the most-followed person on social media, people tended to listen when he spoke.
Not to toot his own horn.
Of course, both he and LuthorCorp had faced accusations of monopolistic behavior, both online and in court. He had beaten those challenges without much difficulty.
Under U.S. law, achieving a monopoly through superior products, better strategy, or simply outperforming competitors was not a crime. In fact, many viewed it as the ultimate reward of capitalism.
The legal line was crossed not by possessing monopoly power, but by how that power was maintained and used.
Joseph hadn't crossed that line.
Publicly, at least.
Nuclear power plants were already being constructed across Kahndaq, prompting other nations to seriously reconsider their own energy policies.
Meanwhile, in partnership with Atlantis, LuthorCorp was developing large-scale solutions for removing plastic from the oceans.
And then there was Poison Ivy.
Eventually, Batman had sent both Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to Belle Reve following his return to Gotham.
The curse hanging over Gotham might have been burned away, but the people who had grown up beneath it remained. Harvey could not handle the city's problems alone without effectively transforming Gotham into a gang-controlled police state.
Child's repeated global attacks had only worsened matters, plunging Gotham into chaos and forcing the return of the Dark Knight—the hero the city didn't deserve after cheering as Bullseye executed criminals on live television, but the one it still needed.
Poison Ivy eventually accepted a reduced sentence in exchange for environmental restoration projects. She cared little for anything beyond plants and Harley Quinn, so the arrangement suited her perfectly.
She was currently assisting Swamp Thing with the Great Green Wall project across the Sahara and the Sahel.
Meanwhile, Carla Viti, Two-Face, and the remaining major criminal figures in America were being managed by the Blacksmith's Network, which kept crime at manageable levels and quietly eliminated members who crossed certain lines.
The mind-controlled Secret Society of Super-Villains also worked alongside the Court of Owls in manipulating world events.
The only villain Joseph had been unable to control was Zoom.
Dangerous, elusive, and seemingly content with periodically tormenting Central City and Keystone City, Zoom remained a persistent problem.
Joseph had attempted to pursue him before, but controlling his trajectory at those speeds was difficult. Worse, Zoom could evade both Joseph's perception and his Hush Tubes by entering the Sage Force Dimension.
Joseph hadn't even known that was possible until he experimented with the Speed Force and Strength Force himself.
The Strength Force and Speed Force manifested as physical dimensions—rocky caverns and endless lightning-streaked highways respectively.
The Sage Force was different.
It was a cosmic field tied to thought, knowledge, perception, and consciousness itself.
Entering the Strength Force could be accomplished physically. Joseph could crack open reality, step through a gateway, and carry his body into that realm.
The Sage Force worked differently.
From what he'd observed while studying Zoom, entry required a complete inward dive. No doorway was left behind. No portal remained open.
The user's consciousness detached entirely from physical reality.
When fully submerged within the Sage Force, the body faded from existence and became enveloped by the Fire of Thought itself.
Much like the Dimensions of Order and Chaos, it remained beyond Joseph's reach.
For now.
Pushing thoughts of the elusive speedster aside, Joseph opened the newly updated Hero Public Safety Commission Hero Billboard Chart on his laptop.
At the top of the city rankings sat Superman.
At the top of the state rankings sat Superman.
Country.
Continent.
Global.
Every category belonged to him.
Big Blue had been putting in the work.
The undisputed Number One Hero.
Superman commanded near-universal approval. His incident resolution rate spanned the entire planet, from rescuing cats from trees to stopping alien invasions. He remained the standard by which every other hero was judged.
The Hero Public Safety Commission (HPSC) was an international law-enforcement agency responsible for managing the relationship between heroes and society, as well as investigating the world's most dangerous criminal cases. Over the years, it had absorbed several organizations, including SPYRAL and A.R.G.U.S.
To ensure a balance between heroes and ordinary citizens, the Commission was overseen by a committee of non-heroes. One of its directors was Amanda Waller.
The HPSC handled a wide range of hero-related matters, including the Provisional Hero License Exam—a rigorous assessment that tested legal knowledge, combat capability, and rescue aptitude.
Members of the Justice League and their officially recognized protégés were exempt from the licensing requirement. Nevertheless, heroes such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman voluntarily took the exam to show support for the system, passing with ease.
Unlicensed heroes and vigilantes were instructed to cease operations. Those who refused faced apprehension by the authorities.
Students attending hero programs at metahuman schools such as Infinity Academy in Chicago and U.A. High School in Japan could earn provisional licenses, allowing them to legally assist during emergency situations.
The Commission worked closely with local law enforcement agencies to coordinate hero activity and team deployments. It also assigned individual heroes to investigate and resolve particularly dangerous cases.
Professional heroes were officially ranked according to several factors, including demonstrated power, cases resolved, public popularity, and overall contributions to society.
Every year, the Hero Public Safety Commission reviewed hero activity and applied a comprehensive formula to evaluate these factors. The results were then published as the annual Hero Rankings.
Particular emphasis was placed on incident resolution. Heroes who stopped major disasters or defeated powerful villains received significant boosts to both their rankings and public approval. As a result, success in high-profile cases had a direct impact on a hero's standing.
Higher rankings brought prestige, influence, and increased government compensation, allowing heroes to build larger agencies and expand their operations.
Of course, Superman cared little for any of that.
He simply loved helping people.
That was why he remained Earth's Symbol of Peace.
Joseph looked over the latest global rankings.
Flash occupied the number-two spot through sheer volume alone. His incident resolution rate was mathematically absurd. He could stop three hundred petty crimes, extinguish five fires, and sign autographs across Central City before breakfast. His approachable personality made him one of the most beloved heroes on the planet.
Wonder Woman ranked third. An international icon, Diana earned enormous marks for societal contribution thanks to her work as both a hero and a United Nations ambassador. Her approval ratings were especially high outside the United States.
Aquaman sat at number four. As King of Atlantis, Arthur Curry effectively represented seventy percent of the planet's surface. His response record regarding oceanic disasters and maritime piracy was nearly flawless. However, his occasionally strained relationship with surface governments slightly reduced his domestic approval ratings.
Martian Manhunter held fifth place, largely due to his work handling extraterrestrial threats and psychic crises.
Kenan Kong, China's Super-Man, ranked sixth. Despite debuting less than a year ago, he had become the flagship hero of the HPSC's Chinese branch thanks to extensive state-backed publicity. Following Superman's apparent death years ago, China had somehow acquired fragments of his life force and used them to empower Kong.
Dmitri Pushkin, better known as Rocket Red, ranked seventh. As leader of the Rocket Red Brigade—Russia's armored metahuman defense force—he enjoyed both government support and significant public visibility. His alliance with the Justice League's European branch only strengthened his reputation.
Captain Atom occupied the eighth position. Although he spent much of his time serving as principal of Infinity Academy and patrolled less frequently than before, the U.S. government heavily promoted him as America's strongest active hero whenever Superman was unavailable.
Batman ranked ninth.
His case-clearance rate was exceptional, arguably among the highest on Earth. However, his ranking suffered due to his limited public presence and the countless terrifying rumors that surrounded him. Batman had never cared much about public approval, and in many ways, fear remained one of his most effective weapons.
Booster Gold rounded out the top ten through pure PR.
While his actual incident-resolution numbers were respectable rather than extraordinary, his sponsorship deals, media appearances, and aggressive branding campaigns gave him staggering popularity among younger audiences. Under the new system, Booster was thriving. The days of being dismissed as a D-list hero were long behind him.
The Justice League dominated the upper rankings, along with several of their more public protégés.
Kid Flash held the twenty-fifth spot.
Starfire ranked thirtieth, her position affected by both her responsibilities as leader of the Teen Titans and her time away raising a family.
Meanwhile, Nova Knight was locked in an ongoing battle to surpass Captain Marvel, who currently sat at number sixteen. Jason himself occupied the fifty-second position and was determined to climb higher.
Joseph's own organization, Infinity, Inc., had also begun making waves in the global rankings.
The team's leader was John Henry Irons, better known as Steel—a brilliant engineer who fought crime in a powered steel suit wielding a massive hammer. Alongside him were Everyman, Fury, Jade, Matrix, Nuklon, Skyman, Trajectory, Starlight, and Empathy.
So far, the team had been highly effective.
Just last week, Infinity, Inc. successfully foiled a terrorist attack on Dearborn Air Force Base orchestrated by followers of Kobra.
In short, heroes were emerging in greater numbers than ever before, operating within a structured and efficient system complete with oversight and accountability.
And that wasn't even counting the LuthorBots, which routinely filled gaps in regions with insufficient hero coverage.
To an outsider, it might have seemed excessive. After all, Joseph already controlled much of the world's criminal activity through the Network and the Court of Owls.
But the system was necessary.
Earth was unpredictable.
Almost unnaturally so.
Joseph still wasn't sure whether it was a symptom of their universe belonging to the Dark Multiverse, but every day seemed to produce new disasters, new monsters, and new lunatics.
Child alone had appeared six more times since her first attack, unleashing natural disasters and demonic hordes while steadily learning how to evade pursuit more effectively.
Joseph couldn't be everywhere at once. Nor was he always on Earth while searching for a way to save the universe itself.
So he built systems.
Heroes. Schools. Organizations. Safety nets.
And through the Network, he could subtly direct many of the world's crazies toward those prepared to face them.
Better that chaos sharpen heroes than slaughter innocent civilians.
A sudden tapping sound came from the window.
Joseph glanced over.
Of course, opening it wasn't an option.
OSHA regulations were not to be trifled with.
Instead, he opened a Hush Tube, creating a portal directly from outside the building into his office.
A moment later, Superman stepped through.
Joseph smiled.
"Clark. To what do I owe the pleasure?"