Comic Title: Superman #22
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: October 1988
On Sale Date: June 21, 1988 Shipping Date June 21, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #750, Page 40

Shipping Date June 21, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #5

Shipping Date June 21, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #758, #760, #762

Copyright Date June 21, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Shipping Date June 23, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #141

Newsstand Date July 16, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #141

Newsstand Date July 5, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #758, #760, #762

Shipping Date May 3, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #3

Shipping Date May 3, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #138

Newsstand Date May 26, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #138

Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Mike Carlin

Title: "The Price"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Superman (Post-Crisis)

Writer/Artist: John L. Byrne
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Petra Scotese (Goldberg)

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 9 TPB (2017)
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 4 HC (2022)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; next appearance in World of Metropolis #2)

Supporting Character(s)

• Supergirl (last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #448)
• Jonathan Kent (last appearance in Superman #21; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #445)
• Martha Kent (last appearance in Superman #21; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #445)
• Lana Lang (last appearance in Superman #21; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #448)

Villain(s)

• General Zod (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Quex-Ul (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Zaora (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Lex Luthor (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Pete Ross (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Bruce Wayne (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Oliver Queen (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)
• Hal Jordan (from the Pocket Universe; dies in this story; last appearance in Adventures of Superman #444; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story is continued from Adventures of Superman #444.

Supergirl is revealed to be a protomatter being created by Lex Luthor of the Pocket Universe. She is not the Pocket Universe Lana Lang as previously thought.

Synopsis:
Superman and the remaining survivors of the universe created by the Time Trapper battle three Kryptonian criminals in the skies above the ruins of Earth. General Zod and the others kill Pete Ross, Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen, and Hal Jordan. Supergirl is then incinerated by Zod and Zaora.

Luthor is the only one left besides Superman. He tells Superman where to find Gold Kryptonite in the demolished lab of Superboy. Superman uses it to permanently remove the super powers of the criminals. He then returns to find Lex dying.

Lex explains that Supergirl is not really Lana Lang. The real Lana died early in the war with the Kryptonians. Supergirl is actually a protomatter matrix that he created and imprinted with Lana's memories. He tells Superman that she will regenerate.

Once Lex dies, Superman must decide what to do with the captured Kryptonians. Zod boasts that they will find a way to regain their powers and destroy Superman's world when they do. Superman, as the last representative of law left on Earth, is forced to act as judge and jury for the criminals. He chooses to execute them by exposing them to Green Kryptonite. Zod begs for his life, blaming his actions on the others. Quex-Ul chokes Zod to death as he falls dead with Zaora to Kryptonite poisoning.

Superman then brings Supergirl back to Earth. She remains in a protoplasm state. He leaves her with Lana and the Kents while he deals with the consequences of his decision to kill.