A sonic boom echoed through the City of Tomorrow, as the Man of Steel charged through the air towards his foe. With his heightened hearing, Superman could detect the gravelly sound of Batman's voice, emanating from the black jet nearby. 

"Whatever it is, sensors can't get a read on it and the missiles don't scratch it so that rules out most tech from Apokolips and most of the other cataloged extra-terrestrials..."
 
Batman was right, the robot's technology was certainly not of the Earth, and it was nothing the Justice League had encountered before. This was something new. Superman did find it curious however, that the robot had not launched an attack against the city. It was clearly capable of destruction, but had only attacked when the news chopper had flown in too close. Why was the robot here? Had it really come because of Superman himself?

Superman heard another voice, this time coming over the Justice League communicator, "Aquaman is on scene. Any idea of what we're dealing with yet? Batman? Superman?" 

"Let me get a closer look."

The Bat-Plane fired an energy beam at the robot's arm, and Superman followed it up with a blast of his heat vision. The crimson red lasers seared the robot's armor, stunning it momentarily as Superman rushed forward and struck it with a devastating punch. The robot was sent soaring backwards, and Superman charged after it. He grabbed hold of the robot's arm, tearing it out of its socket as he threw the alien machine into the Metropolis harbour. 

Superman flew over the harbour, searching for the robot using his x-ray vision. Without warning, a giant tendril erupted from the water, narrowly missing Superman. The robot soon emerged, the tendril having grown to replace it's missing arm. Six more tendrils extended from the robot's body, all converging on the Man of Steel. They wrapped around Superman's neck and body, trapping him. As the tendrils tightened their grip, applying more and more pressure, Superman felt something he seldom experienced.

Pain.