The Department of Defense (DOD), also known as the Threat Reduction Agency, is an executive branch department of the federal United States government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. After Sam Lane retired, Mitch Anderson took his place as the director of the DOD.
History[]
In 2021, General Sam Lane and some members of the DOD were called in to investigate the situation of the Hudson Nuclear Power Plant in critical condition, but the situation was resolved by Superman.[1] Soon afterwards, an automaton suit sent by John Henry Irons attacked a DOD base, but Superman destroyed it. During the attack, General Sam Lane was given an object bearing the number "7734" by Irons, spelling out hell upside-down. Irons told Lane not to trust Superman.[2] Lane later called Lieutenant Reno Rosetti about Project 7734.[3]
Superman and Sam Lane.
When Irons was apprehended by Superman, he was interrogated to find answers on his secretive background. General Lane then informed Superman that he'd use Lieutenant Jason Trask to torture Irons for information if he couldn't force him to talk. During the interrogation, Superman heard Lois Lane's ELT go off and left the base to investigate. Later, Irons was about to return to his cell, escorted by Lieutenant Rosetti, when Trask tried to force Rosetti to hand over Irons. Instead, Rosetti revealed himself as having Kryptonian powers and killed Trask, taking Irons with him. When Lane learned that Rosetti was accessing Project 7734, a secret operation to create Kryptonite-imbued weapons, he tried to convince the returning Superman to let his men apprehend Rosetti; Superman instead rushed to the location to confront the traitor.
Superman and John Henry Irons at the military base.
Upon arriving, Superman told Irons to leave and began battling the empowered Rosetti, armed with an assortment of Kryptonite weapons. Despite Rosetti being unacquainted with the powers of Superman, he was able to overpower the hero until Irons returned and killed Rosetti, saving his life. Lane then reunited with Superman and noticed that he was already healing from his wounds.[4]
Lois and Sam arrive as John is about to stab Superman.
After Lois and Jon were attacked by people with Kryptonian powers, Sam calls the DOD to patrol the farm and Smallville.[5] General Lane and the DOD used Sequoia as a temporary base of operation when they occupied Smallville in their quest to stop the plans of Morgan Edge. Superman and the DOD captured Dabney Donovan so he could fix the Eradicator, but he said that the only one who would be able to do that would be its creator; Lara Lor-Van, so Lana Lang applied to be Lara's host until she fixed the device.
Lois and Diggle confront Sam Lane.
When fixed, Superman had a plan, he brought all the Subjekts to Smallville to use their heat vision to disable the object and it worked, during which Sam Lane made all the officers leave the DOD base.[6] After Superman was possessed by Zod, Sam Lane asked A.R.G.U.S weapons that could disable his powers and John Diggle went in Lyla Michaels's place. Eventually, with the help of John Irons and Lois Lane, Superman returned to normal and managed to capture Tal-Rho, and imprisoned him in a cell that disables his powers, although Leslie Larr remained a fugitive.[7]
The Defense Council's consciousnesses gathered at the Shuster Mine.
Eventually, Superman and John Irons arrested Leslie Larr and she was put in a cell just like Tal-Rho's. The citizens of Smallville wondered what the DOD was still doing in the city and began to protest. Meanwhile, Tal-Rho escaped from his cell and wounded several agents and soldiers. At night, he returned to Smallville and turned several agents and soldiers of the U.S. Army into Kryptonian members' consciousnesses of the Defense Council.[8][9] The DOD ordered everyone to evacuate the city, but after Superman and John Irons defeated Tal-Rho, they decided to leave the city and Sam Lane retired,[10] with Mitch Anderson taking his place.[11]
Known members[]
Current members[]
Former members[]
- Lieutenant General Mitch Anderson (director; went AWOL; deceased)
- General Sam Lane (director; deceased)
- Lieutenant Reno Rosetti (deceased)
- Lieutenant Jason Trask (deceased)
- First Sergeant Erin Wu (joined the Inverse Society)
Known facilities[]
- B6-ALT (SubTropolis, Kansas City; KS)
Known branches[]
- United States Army
- United States Air Force
Appearances[]
Superman & Lois[]
References[]
| Other versions of Department of Defense (Earth-TUD25) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To see other versions of this organization, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Department of Defense. | ||||
| New multiverse | ||||
| Earth: Prime • TUD25 • Inverse World | ||||
| Original multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 1 | ||||
| Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
| Earth: | ||||