Superboy jumps through the portal to escape the kryptonite assault. In this world, he is the "Sovereign," a dictator that rules using fear tactics. Lana and Luthor, lovers in this world, are leading a revolution to overthrow the Sovereign. Lana arms herself with kryptonite bomb to destroy the Sovereign, hurting both versions of Superboy. But when she sets off the bomb, killing them both, the first alternate Superboy rescues the original Superboy from the kryptonite-laden shockwave. When all is done, Superboy destroys the portal.
An anonymous letter leads Superboy to Darla's hideout, where she has Lana locked in a meatlocker. She's holding Lana to blackmail Superboy, so he'll bring Luthor back through a portal (created by Dr. Winger) that took him to an alternate world. This alternate world is dark, and chaos has erupted as a result of Luthor's murder by an alternate Superboy. As Superboy tries to return Luthor, he and an alternate Dr. Winger attack him with kryptonite.