As the moment of "Y2K" arrived, all eyes were on Metropolis, which placed its trust in Lexcorp's comprehensive software solution to the computer glitch by that name. Little did the city know that the ubiquitous tycoon had much more up his sleeve. By the time a week had passed, Lexcorp had filed for hundreds of new patents for technology that was thought to be well beyond the capabilities of today's world, and this technology has been incorporated into a shining new city.

Much of the new city's construction cannot be credited to Lex Luthor, but instead, is the result of an attack on Earth by the Coluan super-villain Brainiac. Brainiac, who had placed his once-organic mind into a computerized shell during a fight with Superman several months ago had last been seen upgrading himself to what he called "Brainiac 2.5." When the new year began, Brainiac upgraded himself even further, passing through several stages of evolution before settling as Brainiac 13. Some scientists have, in fact, speculated that rather than upgrading himself, Brainiac connected with his future offspring across time, and that it was Brainiac 13 who responded and took the opportunity to conquer Earth. (It is unknown what part the heroic Brainiac 5 who had once operated here for a few months has in this evolution, if any.)

Brainiac had apparently been lying low on Earth since his most recent unsuccessful encounter with Superman. When Luthor announced his comprehensive Y2K fix, Brainiac saw in it a way to reach every computer in Metropolis in a single step, and he inserted a virus made from his own software into the Lexcorp product. When the actual moment of Y2K arrived, Brainiac's mind had expanded to include nearly every computer in Metropolis. It was then that he upgraded himself.

Following his personal upgrade, he took it upon himself to upgrade the city in order that it be the most efficient computer possible as an extension of his computer mind. Superman attempted to battle him, but in addition to the fact that his consciousness was in every portion of the newly-designed city, Brainiac had also taken control of the bodies of every robot and android on Earth, including such heroic ones as the Metal Men, the Red Tornado and the Justice Society's Hourman.

According to Superman, Brainiac 13 was defeated by technology from his home planet, the destroyed Krypton. Kryptonian technology is apparently so completely different from anything known to Brainiac that his computerized mind was not compatible with it. Superman and Luthor used an ancient Kryptonian battlesuit and robot to sneak up on Brainiac and eventually they managed to trick him into trying to download his entire consciousness into the Kryptonian devices, which caused his system to, in the current vernacular, crash.

The futuristic city, however, remains. Lexcorp quickly claimed credit for this, telling the press that although it was constructed by Brainiac 13, he had done so based on Luthor's designs, so it didn't disappear when works created solely by Brainiac did. The Lexcorp patent filings appear to back up this claim. Superman has refused to comment on the issue and has not disputed that Luthor is responsible for the reconstructed Metropolis. He was, however, heard to mention Luthor's paying a price for building the city of the future.

Although some, knowing Superman's antipathy toward Luthor, have considered this a threat, others say Superman is referring to something that has already happened. Speculation focuses on Luthor's daughter Lena, who has not been seen since the Brainiac affair. A spokesperson for Lexcorp says that Lena is fine and will make more public appearances when she recovers from unspecified traumas she suffered during Brainiac's attack.

So what's in store for the citizens of our fine city? A thoroughly modern transportation system with high-speed railways connecting all sectors with one another, all powered by a hydroelectric plant damming Hob's River, as well as a skyline dominated by the LexCorp Tower, now by far the tallest building in the world. Most importantly is what hasn't changed…Superman, our city's hero in the new millenium as in the old.

Los Angeles, CA -   Garfield Logan, the former Teen Titan Changeling, has been arrested on charges of attempted murder and assault for attacks on cast members of the television show he used to star in.

Logan, who enjoyed a brief acting career between stints as a super-hero, is the only suspect in the assaults on former members of the science fiction series Space Trek 2020, in which he played Tork, a green-skinned shape-changer like the real-life Logan. The series did not last long, but it attracted a rabid cult following and it remains popular amongst sci-fi convention attendees. Logan in fact attended one such convention in the Los Angeles area, and no attacks are known to have occurred prior to his arrival in the area. He is believed to be interested in reviving his acting career.

Victims of the attacks say that their assailant was green and assumed the forms of various animals, a description that fits Logan to a tee. Garfield Logan has maintained that he is innocent of any crimes and that someone is trying to frame him. Speculation about his innocence centers around the existence of general shape-changers such as the Durlans who were involved in the alien invasion of several years ago; Logan is known to be limited to animals in his shapes (although there was a period of several months during which he assumed fantastical forms, but all were still animal in nature) and to green in color.

Local super-heroine Flamebird has come out of retirement in order to defend Logan, with whom she worked in one of the older Titans incarnations when he was using the name "Beast Boy." Logan is said to be preferring to use that name, which he used when he first entered super-heroism as a child with the Doom Patrol.

Arsenal, speaking for the Titans, says that the team is convinced that Logan will be vindicated in the end. However, the group Old Justice, which has come out in opposition to child super-heroics, issued a statement stating that this is the sort of thing that occurs when young children are thrust into the dangerous profession of super-heroism, although not taking any position regarding the allegations against Garfield Logan specifically.  

Kingdom of Atlantis
Sees Cerdia as Agressors

Poisedonis, Atlantis -   Aquaman, speaking in his capacity as king of Atlantis, has continued to maintain that the Republic of Cerdia is the aggressor in the conflict between his undersea kingdom and the small island nation.

Cerdian officials continue to deny this, saying that their ships have been attacked by water-breathing men. Aquaman has maintained that the attackers in question are criminals, and do not represent official policy by Atlantis regarding relations with the surface world.  

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