DESPERATE STRUGGLES

Superman unleashed a relentless barrage of punches against the colossal, mutated creature. Each punch carried the weight of his full power, creating shockwaves with every impact. The creature was propelled higher into the sky with each strike, its crimson exoskeleton cracking, and buckling under the force of the blows.

Cyborg, his cybernetic systems working in overdrive, joined Superman in the assault. His energy cannon glowed with blue energy as he fired powerful energy blasts at the creature. The combined might of Superman's punches and Cyborg's blasts created a devastating one-two punch.

As the creature was propelled into the sky, Hal Jordan extended his emerald energy construct chains towards it. The glowing green chains wrapped around the colossal alien, encasing it within an intricate lattice of energy. He then channeled his willpower to exert control over the construct.

With a mighty heave, he used the constructs to pull the creature further into the sky, its colossal form resisting with tremendous strength. The combined effort of Superman, Cyborg, and Green Lantern strained to overcome the creature's resistance.

The colossal alien, still enshrouded in a blue glow, let out another deafening screech as it pushed against the constructs with its immense strength. Its crimson exoskeleton cracked and splintered, but the creature displayed an extraordinary level of resilience.

With a powerful, upward thrust, it broke free of the energy constructs that had bound it. The creature's relentless desire to escape was evident as it soared higher into the sky. The energy constructs, no longer able to contain it, dissipated into a shimmer of green light.

"Damn it!" Green Lantern exclaimed in frustration as he chased after it. "We can't let it get away!"

Superman and Cyborg also chased after the colossal mutated creature as it ascended higher into the sky, its crimson form glowing with an eerie radiance. The creature moved with incredible speed, leaving a trail of radiant energy behind it.

As they pursued the creature, it displayed its lethal capabilities. With an ear-piercing screech, it unleashed torrents of acidic spray from its body, creating a deadly shower that filled the sky. The acidic substance rained down upon the heroes, forcing them to dodge and weave to avoid getting hit.

"Watch out for the acid!" Superman yelled, his keen eyes scanning for openings.

Cyborg erected a protective energy shield around himself. The shield shimmered with a blue energy glow, effectively blocking the corrosive rain. His mechanical eye scanned the surroundings, searching for any weaknesses or vulnerabilities in the creature.

Green Lantern created a shimmering green shield construct around himself, providing an additional layer of protection against the acid rain. The construct crackled with energy, repelling the corrosive substance.

Superman, being immune to most forms of harm, continued his relentless pursuit of the creature, unaffected by the acidic shower. He accelerated with blinding speed, attempting to close the distance between himself and the colossal creature.

The creature, aware of the heroes' pursuit, unleashed another attack. With a sudden burst of energy, it generated a powerful shockwave, sending out rippling waves of force in all directions. The shockwave expanded rapidly, threatening to engulf the heroes in its destructive path.

"Incoming shockwave," Cyborg yelled. "Superman!"

Superman flew so fast that everyone only saw a streak of red and blue light, cutting through the clouds. He grabbed the alien by its tail and flew into space before it attacked, dragging it out of Earth's atmosphere and into the vast expanse of space. The inky darkness of space surrounded them as they left the planet's protective atmosphere behind.

The creature continued its relentless struggle, thrashing and writhing in his grasp.

Bony spikes suddenly sprouted from its tail, piercing through Superman's arms. He winced in pain but refused to let go.

The alien's screeches echoed silently in the airless vacuum of space. Its crimson exoskeleton pulsated with a radiant blue glow, and its elongated head displayed a menacing row of serrated teeth. It thrashed and struggled, attempting to free itself from his grasp.

Superman, with the bony spikes embedded in his arms, gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on the creature. His plan is to use the sun to defeat this threat.

With the creature still writhing and struggling, he flew even faster toward the sun, which loomed in the distance, a brilliant orb of scorching heat and radiation. The vacuum of space offered no resistance to his flight, and the dark expanse seemed to stretch on infinitely.

As they approached the sun, the creature's screeches became increasingly desperate. It realized the impending danger and fought harder to escape Superman's grasp. Its crimson exoskeleton emitted a brighter glow, indicating that it was amassing energy for a counterattack.

Superman's arms were under immense strain, but he was determined to follow through with his plan. The sun's blinding brilliance grew larger and more imposing as they drew nearer.

"Don't let it go, Superman," Cyborg yelled as he flew behind him, throwing sonic booms.

Hal followed him from behind.

As the colossal mutated creature sensed its imminent proximity to the sun, it unleashed a devastating counterattack. With an ear-piercing screech, it emitted a focused beam of blue energy from its elongated mouth, aiming directly at Superman.

The radiant beam struck him with incredible force, sending shockwaves through the vacuum of space. The force of the impact was overwhelming, and the beam pierced through his throat, causing a spray of blood to fill the void.

Superman's grip on the creature faltered as he gasped for breath, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Blood spewed from his grievous wound, mixing with the darkness of space. His superhuman strength waned, and his hold on the creature weakened.

Cyborg and Green Lantern watched in horror as their comrade was wounded, his body slowly losing its strength. The creature, still writhing and struggling, took advantage of the momentary weakness, freeing itself from Superman's grasp.

Despite his grievous injury, didn't give up. He unleashed his heat vision. His crimson beams of searing energy lanced out, striking the alien's body.

The alien's exoskeleton, bathed in the eerie glow of radiation, absorbed the heat vision. The beams seemed to do little more than scorch its outer layers, leaving it virtually unscathed.

As he continued his futile attack, the colossal creature took advantage of his vulnerability. With lightning speed, it swung its massive, spiky tail toward him. The tail, bristling with razor-sharp bony spikes, collided with him, sending him hurtling through space.

Superman, already weakened by the beam attack and now battered by the powerful tail strike, was propelled away from the creature. His body tumbled through the vacuum of space, spinning uncontrollably.

Cyborg and Green Lantern, witnessing the horrifying sight, rushed to his aid. They formed an energy-construct net to catch him before he could drift too far into the cosmic void. The construct glowed with brilliant green and blue energy as they maneuvered it to intercept Superman's trajectory.

With precision and timing, they managed to catch their fallen comrade, preventing him from drifting too far from the battle scene. The net cradled his unconscious form, his crimson blood floating like tiny orbs in the void of space.

The colossal creature, having momentarily repelled Superman's attack and freed itself, now hung in the proximity of the sun, its crimson exoskeleton radiating with an ominous blue glow. It screeched in triumph, seemingly empowered by the proximity to the solar inferno.

[1 week earlier in Pentagon]

In the Pentagon, a shadowy figure approached Lex Luthor's cell. The dimly lit corridor provided an eerie backdrop to this clandestine meeting. The figure moved with a deliberate, almost supernatural grace, walking past the guards and security personnel. No one saw him walking past them. It was as if he was invisible.

Luthor, who had been sitting in his cell, glanced up as the figure approached. He narrowed his eyes, "And who might you be?"

The shadowy figure flicked out a golden card from seemingly nowhere and held it before Lex Luthor. The card bore an intricate design, glistening with an otherworldly glow. As it floated in the air before him, the figure's voice echoed through the corridor, a low and enigmatic tone.

"Desire is what I am. Your pure desire has brought me to you. A wish for your desire... Do we have a deal?"