When a petty thief is exposed to radioactive chemicals, he becomes the Parasite and is able to drain the energy of anything he touches. When Superman tries to stop the Parasite, the Parasite grabs him and steals his power. Superman is helpless, but outsmarts the Parasite by grabbing onto him and letting him take all of his power. The Parasite explodes because a normal human being cannot handle all over Superman's power.