Krypton Dies Again! is a Superman storyline published in Action Comics #489-491 (November, 1978-January, 1979) by Cary Bates and Curt Swan.
After several decades, the light of Krypton's explosion is about to reach Earth, and both Metropolis and Kandor are preparing celebration to watch the light display and commemorate the event. Superman cannot attend any event, though. Brainiac, who has been stalking the Earth's skies for the last week, wants an one-on-one duel with Superman, and he has planted cosmic bombs across Earth to ensure that nobody interferes.
Finally, Brainiac engages Superman at the very moment in which the last light of Krypton is reaching Earth, and uses a tractor beam to immobilize Superman, ensuring that his eyes are exposed to the blinding light.
Looking directly into the blast has unexpected effects on the Man of Steel. Superman feels himself bursting with uncontrollable energy, unable to sleep restfully, and suffers sudden surges of power which turn him into an energy bomb. Each power surge is stronger than the previous one, leaving Superman unable to think clearly and letting Brainiac trick him into destroying whatever he wants.
Tropes:
- Astral Finale: The story starts with Brainiac appearing on Earth to challenge Superman again, and ends with Superman dragging him to another solar system and beating him in the vicinity of an exploding super-nova.
- Bank Robbery: Two crooks rob the Metropolis Savings Bank, hoping to get away with it by disguising themselves as polices during their runaway.
- Blinded by the Sun: Invoked when Brainiac forces Superman to see the light of Krypton's explosion. Brainiac gloats that Earth humans might have their eyes damaged if they look up at a solar eclipse without protection, but the damage suffered by Superman's body by exposure to his planet's dying flash will be vastly worse.
- But Now I Must Go: A beaten-down Superman is taken care of by a blind scientist who lost his eyesight during a lab experiment when a brilliant flare glazed both his eyes with thick, inoperable cataratcs. Grateful, Superman uses two crystals to concentrate his heat beams into two super-thin laser beams and burn the man's cataracts away, leaving before the man can see and thank his benefactor.
- Catch and Return: Brainiac fires a fireball at Superman, striking him head-on. Though, Superman catches the energy blast, and after boosting it with his own heat beams, throws him back at Brainiac. Sadly, Brainiac's force-shields is as absolutely impenetrable as usual.
- Complexity Addiction: Brainiac builds a type of magnet designed to attract only Kryptonian molecules, devising to get Superman irresitibly stuck to his ship's surface and force him to watch the light of Krypton's explosion, which will super-charge his enemy with more energy than what he can safely build. It never occurs to Brainiac that he could just expose Superman to Kryptonite after freezing him.
- Deadly Dodging: When a maddened Superman bursts into the JLA Satellite through the ground, Hawkman turns his momentum against him by grabbing him and redirecting him back into the hole, so that he crashes into a lead-lined container storing some samples of Kryptonite.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: When Superman's overloading power is becoming impossible to control, his eyes give off golden-red bright flames and heat as a prelude to a dangerous energy outburst.
- Going to Give It More Energy: Brainiac alters Superman's energy-absortion powers so he is overfilled with more energy that his body can contain and his mind is able to endure, turning Superman into an out-of-control planetary bomb and aiming him at the Justice League Satellite.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Brainiac causes Superman's powers become so intensified that he can no longer control them, hoping to be able to direct Superman against the Justice League or some such a target; though, Superman figures out that his power overloads are triggered by bright flashes, so that he leads Brainiac to a super-nova. The dying star's flash is so bright and its energy so powerful that Superman is overcharged with power enough to break through Brainiac's impenetrable shields.
- Hollywood Magnetism: Brainiac gets Superman forcefully sticked to his ship's surface thanks to a "most usual type of magnet", designed by Brainiac himself "to attract only Kryptonian molecules". It is supposedly so powerful that Superman cannot possibly unglue himself, but although his back remains stuck to the hull, Superman can still move his arms freely, somehow.
- Hurl It into the Sun: When a nuclear submarine fires a nuclear warhead by accident, Superman quickly drags out of the atmosphere, where it can be detonated safely.
- Impersonating an Officer: Superman runs into two crooks who have a trick to get away with their robberies: after looting a bank, they put on police uniforms and pretend to be cops. They even modified their getaway vehicle to resemble a police car.
- Inconsistent Coloring: Green Lantern's power beam is colored yellow, exactly the only color that his Ring is ineffectual against.
- Laser Cutter: As stopping an out-of-control plane, Superman uses his heat vision to sever the malfunctioning circuits burning the plane's engines.
- Made Out to Be a Jerkass: After several decades, the light of Krypton's explosion is about to reach Earth, and all Kandorians are wearing ceremonial black headbands in memoriam of their lost home...except for Superman, who remains on Earth because Brainiac is stalking the skies. Thus, Supergirl has to explain to several ticked-off Kandorians, who don't understand why Kal-El couldn't be bothered to show enough respect to join them for their Day of Mourning, that her cousin doesn't dare leave Earth alone, not even for one minute, while his nemesis is up and around.
- Mundane Utility: Superman needs to release pent-up power urgently, so crashes himself into a building scheduled for demolition and slices the falling beams into steel powder, saving the company millions in demolition work.
- Oh, Crap!: Hawkman freaks out when he checks the Justice League Satellite's monitors and sees a mindless, mad-looking, blazing-eyed Superman about to smash himself into the Satellite.
- Past Experience Nightmare: Superman dreams with his latest battle, where Brainiac trapped him forcefully exposed his eyes to the light of Krypton's explosion, not only damaging his body but also his mind. During his nightmare, Superman tosses relentlessly and mutters until his nightmare reaches the climax, and Superman's uncontrolled scream nearly brings his Fortress down onto his head.
- Pent-Up Power Peril: Super-charged with more power than what he can safely containe, Superman is forced to release his extraordinary energy in controlled ways (such like demolishing a building or plowing snow in the Arctic) lest that his heat vision activates when he is looking at someone.
- Phlebotinum Overload: Superman's body and mind aren't capable to handle the overflowing and straining power surge caused by exposure to the dying light of Krypton. He is constantly leaking power, his powers activate on their own, and he is barely able to think.
- Pull the Thread: Two crooks are fleeing from a bank robbery disguised as policemen, when they run into Superman, who has just heard the bank alarm...and they talking about retiring in their twenties to the Riviera.
- Punk in the Trunk: Jimmy Olsen stows away in the trunk of a getaway car used by two bank robbers to flee from the robbery scene.
- Shout-Out: When asked, a boy says the light of Krypton's explosion cannot possibly come close to the explosions in A New Hope.
- Sinister Surveillance: Played with. As Superman gets rid of a nuclear warhead by flying into space, the narration reveals he is completely unaware he is being watched... right before he is hit and captured by a energy beam! Then it is revealed that Superman wasn't being attacked, but dragged to the Justice League Satellite by their concerned JL teammates, who wanted to talk to him.
- Super-Power Meltdown: Brainiac super-charges Superman with more power than what he can safely contain, causing him to leak energy constantly.
- Tempting Fate: Discussed when Kara tries to explain the head of Kandor's Science Council that her cousin cannot join them in the wake for Krypton because Superman doesn't dare to leave Earth even for one minute when one of his worst enemies is approaching. When the Drygur Molion express incredulity at someone posing a threat to an entire planet, Lara replies the Kandorias surely asked the very same question when said villain, Brainiac, paid a visit to Krypton and stole their city.
- There Was a Door: As suffering from a mind-numbing power overload, Superman smashes himself through the floor of the Justice League Satellite.
- Tractor Beam: The first time Brainiac uses his newly—built tractor beam, Superman is caught by surprise and finds out the yellow beam is too powerful to escape capture. The next time, though, Superman is prepared; and even though he cannot get rid of the beam, he can use it to drag Brainiac wherever he wants.
