 Batman and Wonder Woman arrive at the Fortress of Solitude to celebrate Superman s birthday, only to find the Man of Steel standing motionless with a large plant affixed to his chest. Sent by Mongul, the plant is a black mercy feeding him a telepathic image of his heart s desire -- a happy life on a Krypton that never exploded. By immobilizing Superman in a fantasy world, Mongul removes what he views as the only obstacle between him and the conquest of Earth. While Wonder Woman battles the would-be conqueror, Batman struggles to remove the black mercy, only to have it latch onto him. Enraged, Superman attacks Mongul and nearly kills him before restraining himself, giving Mongul the chance to gain the upper hand. Just as he is about to kill Superman, Wonder Woman -- who has succeeded in getting the black mercy off of Batman -- drops the plant onto Mongul, immobilizing him in a fantasy world of death and destruction.