DC Comics Presents #97

• Credits: written and drawn by Rick Veitch
• Published:

Thul-Kar causes Bizarro World to self-destruct. Bizarro No. 1 sends Bizarro No. 1 Jr. in a rocket to the planet's core before it implodes. The Phantom Zone is displaced by Aethyr (a heart-shaped crystalline being), who takes over Myyzptlk. Bizarro No. 1 dies after Mr. Mxyzpltk throws his head into the GBS building. Mxy drops Argo City, made of kryptonite and anti-kryptonite, onto Metropolis, which Superman manages to keep from being destroyed. The Phantom Zone is emptied of its villains, who rampage through Washington, D.C. Mxy's personality overcomes Aethyr, and he absorbs all the Phantom Zone villains into himself. Note: The Phantom Zone is only temporarily destroyed, as it still exists in the 30th century. [“Phantom Zone: The Final Chapter,” DC Comics Presents #97 (September, 1986)]

• October, 1985: Thul-Kar, a Kryptonian cult priest from the Valley of Juru who escaped into the Phantom Zone through magic and became the priest of Aethyr (a powerful jeweled being composed of billions of souls), currently watches the Phantom Zone villains plotting another escape. He causes the Bizarro World to self-destruct in order to amuse Aethyr. As the Bizarro World self-destructs, Bizarro No. 1 – using his strange logic – sends his son Bizarro No. 1 Junior in a rocket to the planet's core so that he'll die first. The Bizarro World implodes, turning into a white hole and sending Bizarro No. 1's head off into deep space. The destruction of the Bizarro World causes the being known as Aethyr in the Phantom Zone to begin to shift back into the world of matter.
• In the Fifth Dimension, Mr. Mxyzpltk is sentenced to prison for bigamy after marrying both Ms. Gsptlsnz and Ms. Bgbznz, who is awarded custody of his son, Kytszbth. Thul-Kar mystically asks for the use of Mxyzpltk's body in exchange for revenge on his enemies. Aethyr takes over Mxyzpltk, and Mxyzpltk-Aethyr causes the city in the Fifth Dimension to be buried by mud before escaping.
• As Clark Kent and Lana Lang end another news hour, the head of Bizarro No. 1 crashes through the WGBS Building and lands on the anchor desk, finally dying after explaining the planet is gone and Mxyzpltk brought him here to Earth. Clark becomes Superman, only to discover that Mxyzpltk-Aethyr has also brought Argo City there. Although it is made of equal parts kryptonite and anti-kryptonite (the latter able to affect only non-powered kryptonians), Superman manages to strike the gigantic kryptonite meteor that the city is, causing it to shatter into many smaller pieces that rain down on Metropolis, along with the dead bodies of the people of Argo City.
• Mxyzpltk-Aethyr empties the Phantom Zone of its inhabitants but is absorbed into Aethyr itself. As the Phantom Zone villains head to Earth to conquer it, Thul-Kar and Nam-Ek are also absorbed into Aethyr. Superman, who fled to the Moon to escape the kryptonite radiation in Metropolis, awakes and sees that the Phantom Zone villains are wreaking havoc on Earth, causing destruction to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and demanding Superman come out and fight them. Superman battles the Phantom Zone villains in Washington, and while fighting Faora Hu-Ul, he witnesses her disappearing as she is absorbed into Aethyr. Mxyzpltk reveals that his strong personality has taken over Aethyr, and he absorbs all the rest of the Phantom Zone inhabitants into himself. Mxyzpltk-Aethyr leaves, intending to next take over the Fifth Dimension, and Superman is left to put out the fires in Washington and then rid Metropolis of kryptonite.