Howie was an astronomer.
History
Howie worked at a Wayne Tech satellite communications facility in Metropolis. Unbeknownst to him, all his coworkers were taken over by the Imperium. The alien menace sent his advanced team to take out the communications network.
After the facility was destroyed, Howie oversaw repairs. As soon as the dish went back online, he saw the alien invasion was far from over, as the alien mothership inched closer to earth.