Clark Kent has a strangely realistic nightmare with him being romantically involved with Lana, Lex discovering his secret, and a girl called Sara Conroy being chased by a weird, red-robed creature called The Traveller. When Clarks wakes up, he learns that was was asleep - for the last 36 consecutive hours. Clark finds that Sara has just moved with her uncle and tutor Nicholas Conroy to the house on the next door that belonged to Lana. Intrigued with the situation, he visits Sara with Lana, and Clark sees that the teenage girl has been in coma for the past six years, increasing the mystery. Clark decides the the solution is literally in his dreams. In Metropolis, Lionel demands that Lex take a psychological evaluation prior to increasing his work responsibilities, but for some unknown reason, Lex refuses.

After the banished General Slade is found on earth, Clark realizes the Phantom Zone portal must be open and decides to go close it, however dangerous as his super powers don't work there. Oliver was denied coming along but managed by surprise. The heroes find the zone under the rule of General Zod, who looks forward to his revenge for both worlds on Clark and was promised full dominion by Darkseid if he eliminates the great Kryponian adversary. So Clark is forced to enter Zod's arena's mortal gladiator combat, while Oliver is offered an alternative and reminded of being Omega-branded already, which no earthling knows yet. In the Watch Tower, Lois discovers the three hours portal destruction 'safeguard' Clark ordered Tess to trigger and fights it.

Searching for the Bow of Orion, the only known means to stop the Darkness, Oliver and Kara independently reached the same booby-trapped underground sanctuary. Kara got herself trapped, but Oliver rescues her in Indiana Jones style. Together they decipher and follow the clues to the bow, only to be get a bitter surprise. Meanwhile instead of giving his blessing in the fortress, Jor-El temporarily transfers Clark's super-powers to his already far too cocky bride.