American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 316's comparison of Homelander and Superman is an insult to the latter.

Chapter 316's comparison of Homelander and Superman is an insult to the latter.

The Terminators are burning.

As robots, especially those whose main enemy is humans, their defensive capabilities are far from sufficient to resist Superman's attacks. The relatively advanced T-800 collapsed to the ground like a melted wax figure, and the fate of other outdated products is even more obvious.

Only the newer Terminator models barely withstood Clark's scanning heat vision—but only barely. After Clark focused his attention on them, these Terminators quickly turned into pools of crimson lava.

Machine guns, cannons, grenade launchers, and even plasma weapons could not break through Clark's defenses. After being blessed by God, Superman's strength increased at an astonishing rate, and his superpowers also continued to grow.

Of course, Rune also specifically mentioned the nuclear iridium battery inside the T-800. There are two of them inside a T-800, and the explosive power is amazing. Therefore, after melting the T-800, Clark immediately used a Freeze Breath to turn all the Terminators into deformed metal works of art.

This ability stunned Queen Maeve; in her memory, Homelander had never demonstrated such a power.

"Are you alright?" The man turned around, his voice gentle and completely different from the damned guy she remembered. His face was also completely unlike that of a native, much more handsome and upright. Even though his face looked incredibly young, he had a kind of magic that made everyone willing to trust him.

Unlike Homelander's blue suit, which was full of American elements, this man wore a black, tight-fitting suit, and the large "S" on his chest was particularly eye-catching against the backdrop of the surrounding firelight.

After Superman easily wiped out the attacking Terminators, Starlight emerged from behind Rune, her face filled with excitement: "You—you're Homelander's brother?"

Homelander?

Clark was somewhat amused and exasperated upon hearing this title. A self-proclaimed Homelander? Aren't the superheroes in this world taking names a bit too casually?

But Queen Maeve raised her longsword, watching the boy warily, and coldly warned Clark, "Don't move!"

Queen Maeve is one of the few people who knows the truth about Compound V and some of the inside stories of Vought International. She knows that if Vought International is really determined to solve the problem in the face of the current situation, it will cultivate a large number of superhumans. With such a large number, it is not impossible for another freak like Homelander to emerge.

Under Maeve's command, Clark remained motionless, and said softly, "I'm here to help you—."

"Shut up!" Maeve stared intently at Clark and shouted. It was precisely because she had once achieved the highest status that any superhuman in this world could attain that she was unwilling to trust any other superhumans. Maeve knew the extent of these guys' depravity.

Starlight looked puzzled. She looked at Rune and then at Clark, and asked, "What's going on? I... I don't understand." But Rune wouldn't let Maeve do whatever she wanted to her brother. Under his will, the sword and shield in Maeve's hands melted away.

"Don't use your depraved superhuman thoughts to judge a superhero," Rune said coldly. "Comparing Homelander to Clark is an insult to Clark."

"So, you really are an alien?" Queen Maeve continued, "Not a product of Vought International—uh,?"

"Vought Corporation?" Clark's kind-hearted, almost foolish expression made Maeve's temples throb. She still couldn't look directly at Clark's face, which resembled Homelander's when he was putting on a show. She even wanted to punch him, but Rune, who was watching her intently, and Clark's past kindness in saving the Vault, made Maeve put her fist down.

At this moment, Starlight's eyes lit up, and she directly explained, "It's the company that created the Seven! Homelander, Queen Maeve, and A-Train."

Her voice trailed off under Maeve's somber gaze, and Starlight had no idea why Maeve was behaving this way. Rune continued, "And the Dark Colors, the Deep Sea, the Invisible Man—"

Finally, Rune asked, "By the way, before Judgment Day, have the lamplighters retired?"

Maeve's face darkened further, but she still replied, "No, the lamplighters didn't retire back then."

"Oh, so that's five beasts, a cowardly deserter, and a normal person with a conscience." Rune nodded, then said to Clark, "You know, the superheroes in their world are marketing products of corporations, essentially commodities, so don't expect them to have any noble character."

The deserter, of course, refers to Lamplighter. In the TV series, his abilities are somewhat similar to the Human of Fire from the Brotherhood of Mutants; he can control flames, but cannot conjure them out of thin air. He was consumed by guilt for accidentally killing Mallory's grandson and ultimately died from spontaneous combustion while helping Hughie save Starlight. Of course, in the comics, Lamplighter is a complete monster.

As for normal people with a conscience, that naturally refers to Queen Maeve.

"The superheroes of your world are actually—" Clark's eyes widened upon hearing Rune's words. Rune had only given a brief introduction to this world, so apart from knowing that it was occupied by robots and that there were superhumans, Clark knew nothing else.

Clark turned to look at Maeve and Starlight. In his mind, superheroes should be like government agencies such as the Avengers, whose will wouldn't be corrupted by money.

"What are you looking at me for?" Queen Maeve was in a terrible mood. She said with a cold laugh, "Ask your 'little fan.' She still believes in fairy tales about 'heroes saving the world'!"

"In our world, heroes are indeed saving the world," Rune reminded him.

While the others were talking, Starlight, seizing the key point, shouted, "Wait! You, you mean, the Seven—the Seven aren't—heroes? Is that it?"

She's just young and admires the Seven, but she's not to the pathological degree of some extreme fangirls. Storm's behavior has already damaged the image of superheroes in Starlight's mind quite a bit.

At least the starlight hasn't collapsed yet.

Queen Maeve turned her head away, unwilling to speak. Clark stared blankly at Rune, while Raven remained quietly beside him, just as before, saying nothing.

Rune answered Starlight's question: "Of course, but you can rest assured that the only normal person in the group of seven who still has a conscience is Queen Maeve in front of you."

"Really?" Starlight asked tremulously, tears welling in the big girl's eyes. She looked pleadingly at Maeve, hoping she would refute Rune's statement, but Maeve just pursed her lips, tacitly agreeing with Rune's statement.

Maeve can't lie.