Superman Vol 2 No 9

Superman Vol 2 No 9 is entitled To Laugh and Die in Metropolis.

Specifications

 * Cover Art: John Byrne
 * Story: “To Laugh and Die in Metropolis” (17 Pages)
 * Editor: Andrew Helfer, Mike Carlin
 * Writer: John Byrne
 * Penciller: John Byrne
 * Inker: Karl Kesel
 * Letterer: John Costanza

Synopsis
The Joker comes to Metropolis. He builds a Superman robot and programs it to rob the Metropolis diamond exchange. It uses the Joker's patented Joker gas to kill everyone in the bank. Maggie Sawyer and the SCU team arrive at the same time that Superman flies down to the scene.

Superman confronts the robot and discovers that it is carrying a bomb inside of it. He flies it high into the atmosphere, where it explodes harmlessly. When he returns to Metropolis, he learns that the Joker has kidnapped Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Each of them are encased inside of a lead coffin and Superman has thirty minutes to find their locations before their air runs out. Superman quickly deduces that the Joker is lying and that he has his three friends held up in a train car. Superman finds the car, frees the hostages and nabs the Joker. He asks the Joker why he suddenly began operating out of Metropolis. The Joker replies, "Why not?"

Back in Smallville, a small robot probe flies into Lana Lang's window and zaps her in the forehead with a laser beam. Time for Lana to become a victim again.

Nine-hundred miles outside of Metropolis, Lex Luthor goes to a run of the mill diner. He offers a waitress, Jenny Hubbard, one-million dollars if she would agree to stay with him for one month. Jenny reflects upon the opportunity, but her strong morality prevents her from accepting Luthor's offer.