#love you lois and the daily planet staff

[bisupergirl]

they need to start putting this but with kara on new issues of action comics so i know if i'm wasting my time or not.

[zeawesomebirdie]

Superbat Fake Dating + Identity Porn Rec List

Thanks to @jourquet for asking for this!! I hope you find something here to read!! (And paging @steine-druff as promised!)

These are in no particular order, but generally organised by trope. I tend to read longfic as a general rule, so these recs will reflect that :) the titles contain links to each fic.

Fake Dating

1. A Common Misconception by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 91,114 words; 21 chapters; complete

Summary:

When Bruce Wayne comes out, he accidentally becomes the poster child of bisexuality and realizes his lifestyle of sleeping around needs to come to an end. Clark, being the supportive friend that he is, volunteers to pretend to date him for a year.

You know the rest.

This fic has everything that one could want in fake dating: idiots in love, mutual pining, one bed, fake vacations, miscommunication. It also really captures the superbat dynamic of trusting and yes and-ing each other, even when they probably didn't need to be!

(And if you like this fic, any of rotasha's other works are just as good! I've got a few more of them in this list too)

2. over this threshold by orphean; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 59,283 words; 7 chapters; complete

Summary:

'I don't understand how tax evasion relates to you going on a date with, do I need to remind you, Bruce Wayne.'

Clark bit his tongue.

'We're going to get married. It's a tax break, not tax evasion.'

'Are you kidding me.' Lois stared. 'That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.'

———

Bruce asks Clark to marry him for tax reasons. Clark, against his better judgment, agrees.

Exactly what it says on the tin. Some highlights include Bruce buying Clark ridiculously expensive suits, Clark taking forever to tell his mom what's going on, and of course the wedding itself which was just delightful, with speeches from Lois, Alfred, and Dick that had me crying.

3. A Rich Man's Game by malicegreres; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 63,942 words; 13 chapters; complete

Summary:

The editorial staff of the Daily Planet, currently owned by Bruce Wayne, is trying to organize a labor union. Clark can't explain to his coworkers why he can't participate without jeopardizing the campaign—or tell Batman why he's been so cagey around him lately. When Bruce finds out what's been going on, Clark recruits him to resolve his conflict of interest in the only way Clark can think of: by pretending to date him.

This fic is truly glorius. Of all the ways Clark could have solved this problem, he chose the most convoluted. And surprise surprise, it works!

4. mission parameters by shipyrds; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 33,394 words; 6 chapters; complete

Summary:

"Bruce." Clark turns towards him, leaning back against a bank of consoles. "We're not actually going undercover. We don't need an elaborate backstory– if anything, it'll be harder to keep straight. It doesn't have to be complicated." He spreads his hands. "Here's a story: we're members of the same elite fighting force. After years of saving each other's lives in the field, we fell in love. That's it."

Bruce swallows past the almost-truth of it. In Clark's warm smooth radio voice, it sounds plausible. It sounds like something that could happen.

—

Bruce and Clark pretend to be married for diplomatic reasons. When they return to Earth, things are a little different.

Of all the things that normally Bruce says, Clark is the one to insist on a simple coverstory. And of course, from such simple things spirals out a whole entire adventure that doesn't stop just because the mission is over! This fic features a domesticity that neither of them knew they needed until they had it

5. tell all the truth (but tell it slant) by susiecarter [@susiecarter on tumblr]; rated M; no archive warnings apply; 33,007 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

It takes a while for Batman and Superman to work things out, once Clark comes back from the dead. Pretending to date each other in order to explain why Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are in the same place so often? Doesn't help as much as you might think.

*slapping this fic like that one meme with the car* this fic can fit so much miscommunication into it, it's truly delightful to read!! Also, yet another fic where Clark fails to mention what's going on to his mother. And of course the constant worrying about each other without actually expressing it, which is truly such a golden trope when it comes to these two!

I'm adding a cut here because this is already very long and we are still only just starting, so click the read more to see the rest ^.^

6. there ain't no star that shines by amosangius [@amosanguis on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 11,713 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

“I'm not the same person I was back in high school,” Clark says, “and I doubt they all are, either. What would be the point?”

“Oh, Clark,” Bruce is suddenly holding Clark's face with both of his hands, “the point is that I'm going to land us in a helicopter somewhere for all your classmates to see.”

Clark sighs and closes his eyes.

“Say 'yes', Clark,” Bruce orders.

Clark doesn't open his eyes, just says, “Yes, Clark.”

If you thought Bruce buying Clark expensive suits just for their fake dates was excessive, you ain't seen nothing yet!! This fic also features casual bed sharing (and so many references to casual intimacy oh my goodness it's lovely), Bruce Wayne being Rich As Fuck, and Bruce casually being overprotective of Clark in social situations

7. my heart is an open wound by yukla [@yuebings on tumblr]; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 13,367 words; 1 chapter; complete

“—I’ll see you kneel again,” Luthor is hissing, eyes hungry, and Clark is swaying back in discomfort—and as Lois checks their surroundings again, she notices that Wayne is still standing across the room, staring uselessly, as though he believes the sheer force of his murderous gaze would be enough to laser-blast Luthor into oblivion.

Jesus Christ, Lois thinks. I have to do everything around here.

5 times a Daily Planet employee protects Clark Kent, and 1 time Clark Kent protects the Daily Planet.

Or: Clark's coworkers watch as he fake-dates his crush with limited success.

It is probably obvious by now that miscommunication and Bruce's emotions getting in the way of everything are two of my favourite things to read. All of Clark's coworkers are the best, and once again Clark is a self-sacrificing idiot (affectionate)

8. flash in the pan by shipyrds; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 15,951 words; 3 chapters; complete

Summary:

Here’s the thing. Clark does understand. Superman and Batman are fucking. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne are not. Clark can handle this. He keeps parts of his life separate all the time.

It’s possible, Clark thinks, as he glares at a lurid tabloid cover of Bruce’s latest scandalous yacht party in the grocery store checkout aisle, that he can’t handle this.

—

At the Wayne Foundation's annual holiday party, things come to a head.

Okay there is so much I want to say about this fic and yet there are no words that could possibly express just how incredible it is. Bruce coming up with the worst case scenario for literally everything? Check. Clark agreeing to fake date even though he's majorly head over heels and this will likely end in flames? Check. Ma Kent giving the best relationship advice ever? Check. Dick yelling at Bruce when he tries to self sabotage again? Check. Truly one of the best fucking-but-still-pining fics I've ever read!

9. Operation Sponsalia by Brenda [@brendaonao3 on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 13,610 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

"When did you first realize you were in love with me?"

Bruce coughs up his wine.

"I mean, in this...whatever this is," Clark clarifies, blushing to the roots of his hair. "I don't think you're really — I mean, I know this isn't —"

"It's alright." Bruce's voice is raspy, but steady. "I know what you mean."

Clark's glad one of them does.

Or: Bruce and Clark have to fake an engagement for ~reasons — featuring a metric ton of very romantic dates, enough floral arrangements to start a flower shop, SO MANY puns, and Clark finally getting to know the real Bruce. :D

Clark doesn't find out that Bruce said to the press that they had been dating long enough to be teasing enagagements until after it's already been said. Was there a better way to explain why Bruce just happened to help save the Kent family farm? Absolutely. And yet they follow through on it anyway, and I love it for them

10. Sham-pagne by ChrisLeon; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 8,248 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Superman is spotted visiting Wayne Manor, prompting speculation about how exactly he knows Bruce Wayne. To protect their secret identities, they need a plausible explanation and it seems easy enough to go along with the tabloid theory that they’re sleeping together. All they have to do is pretend to be in a relationship until the speculation dies down and then they can break up move on.

Or: Superman fake-dates Bruce Wayne, we all know how this ends.

This one was fascinating to me because instead of Clark and Bruce dating, it's Superman and Bruce dating, and let me just say I'm so incredibly hinged about it!! I think there is so much potential in that particular version of their dynamic, and this fic was such a beautiful exploration of it!

11. Speaking in Code by Mithen; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 7,459 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Clark and Bruce must go undercover at a newlywed resort to try and stop an assassination attempt. Hijinks, UST, and reluctant making out ensue.

First of all, Mithen is a superbat master. Pick any fic of theirs and it will be delightful. Second of all, I could write an entire essay about how much I adore the way they go from irritable about this mission to incredibly enthuasiastic over the course of their two days at the resort, but then we'd be here all day so: if you like banter, one bed, and a case fic this is a brilliant read

12. Kind Truths by Mawiiish [@superbattrash on tumblr]; rated G; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 6,478 words; 1 chapter; complete

Summary:

Bruce needs help with an undercover mission. Clark can never say no to him even though he probably should before he does something stupid. Like tell Bruce he's in love with him.

--

“Why me?” Clark can’t help but ask. He tries his very best to keep his voice level, to not sound as desperate as he feels.

“Because I need someone there to watch my back,” Bruce says, a little exasperated. He really shouldn’t have to explain this to Clark of all people, it’s not like they haven’t been on missions together before.

“I get that, but what about Diana? Shayera?” Anyone who doesn’t have a big fat crush on Bruce would do.

Is it obvious I have a thing for Clark agreeing to fake dating despite his big crush on Bruce? This fic is glorious, and features delights such as Bruce metaphorically putting his foot in his mouth, Clark wanting nothing more than to defend Bruce's honor, and one of the most beautiful confession scenes I've ever had the pleasure of reading

13. where i come from by soetry [@soetrys on tumblr]; E; no archive warnings apply; 52,494 words; 11 chapters; complete

Summary:

Bruce doesn’t have a soulmark, and Clark doesn’t have a soulmark, on an Earth where everyone has a soulmark. Somewhere in there is a simple solution. Somewhere to that solution is an overcomplicated journey. Surely two of the world’s leading superheroes will not take the overcomplicated route?

Surely not?

This one is a little bit of both. The identity porn in this was really well done - Dick is a massive Superman fan, Bruce is unimpressed with both Superman and Clark Kent, and it all goes downhill from there (affectionate). Highlights also include Bruce using a dubiously legal site to crossreference soulmarks, him getting the Superman crest tattooed on his wrist using Kyrptonian tech, and Clark being a self-sacrificing idiot. This is also one of the best soulmate AUs I've ever read!!

Identity Porn

1. Get Over It by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 32,378 words; 3 chapters; complete

Summary:

Bruce needs to get over his inconvenient feelings for Superman and he meets an attractive reporter who he thinks can help him do just that. Little does he know...

Of all the identity porn I've read, this is one of the best! Bruce dating Clark to get over Superman is one of the best things ever and this fic really does a good job of their dynamic!

2. Lost Time Without You by rotasha; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 68,792 words; 21 chapters; complete

Summary:

In a universe where your soulmate’s injuries show up on your skin, Bruce is convinced he doesn’t have a soulmate, and Clark is seriously concerned for his soulmate’s well-being.

This was my introduction to soulmate!AUs and oh my goodness it was spectacular! The build up to the reveal of their identities was brilliantly done, and the chance encounters that pepper through the lead up to that point were captivating. This fic also features Bruce being a good parent and I really love that for him

3. the cost of being a good dad by Mawiiish [@superbattrash on tumblr]; rated T; creator chose not to use archive warnings; 95,533 words; 10 chapters; complete

Summary:

Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian are all tired of watching Bruce struggle with the stress of trying to handle the newly formed Justice League. He needs an outlet, he needs to relax, he needs to get out of the house, he needs... he needs to start dating. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

--

“Excuse me, I don’t know who you think I am, but I think there’s been a mistake.”

“Bruce, right?” the guy says, albeit less confidently this time. He looks slightly concerned and if Bruce is not mistaken… a tad embarrassed. “Bruce Wayne? You look just like your pictures.”

“My pictures?” Something finally clicks in Bruce’s mind, and he takes a small step back and plasters a smile on his face as to not rouse suspicion. Stalker. “Ah, of course, I’m sorry but I’m late for an appointment.”

This fic features the batkids catfishing Clark on Bruce's behalf, Bruce being a good parent, and the utter chaos of miscommunication that can only come from these two being idiots! It was a delightful read, and of course the batfam in action is always a joy!

4. ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat; rated M; no archive warnings apply; 62,737 words; 12/13 chapters; incomplete

Summary:

"Clark. What the hell is this," Lois asks, staring at Clark's Bruceman WIP folder. Clark's first instinct is to fly away, but that would still leave his fic on display for her to see. His second instinct is to blast a hole straight through his laptop screen with his heat vision, which isn't much better.

Clark, in an attempt to make some spare cash, unintentionally stumbles into the world of superhero fanfiction, becomes a prolific writer for Gotham's OTP, and tries his best to fend off rival fans who want him to convert to superbat instead.

Oh my goodness okay. Where to start with this fic. First of all, Clark writing Batman/Bruce Wayne fanfiction is such a brilliant concept. Then add to that the fact that Clark is secretly crushing on Batman at the same time, and the entire comedy of a trainwreck is a delight to witness!

5. I'm Not As Think As You Drunk I Am by Mardiaz173; rated T; no archive warnings apply; 12,920 words; 3 chapters; complete

It was like living in the Twilight Zone. Everyone else believed fervently in Bruce Wayne’s reputation. He was a flirty, stupid, and entitled drunk whose only redeeming quality was his bleeding heart. And yet every time Clark spoke with Wayne, the man was clever, mischievous, and sober with an indecipherable ulterior motive.

And no one believed Clark. Not Lois, not his parents, not even Batman.

Clark insisting upon defending Bruce to everyone much to everyone's dismay is one of my favourite superbat tropes ever, and this fic really does it well! And of course, this fic also features Batman shit talking Bruce, which is always a joy to see!

6. Don't Quote Me by metropolisjournal [@metropolisjournal on tumblr]; rated E; no archive warnings apply; 77,131 words; 20/21 chapters; incomplete

Summary:

Bruce Wayne has weathered scandal before, and Wayne Enterprises can handle another publicity crisis. What Bruce can’t handle is one crashing up against his plans to infiltrate Lex’s estate. Set during Batman v. Superman.

This was the fix-it for Batman vs Superman that I didn't know I needed until I read it. The identity reveal was so incredibly well written, and the whole fic was stupendous from the very first chapter!

And that's all for now! I hope you find something in here to read, may you enjoy!!

[secretidentie]

movies that should be superbat fics

Inspired by the first full superbat fic I've ever read The Proposal by @blackbatofel

How to loose a guy in 10 day: Clark needs to write a story to break into the main stream so people will pay attention to his more important work and after hearing Cat grant talk about her love life he decides to write about all the ways you can drive a man away in ten days. Bruce Wayne is trying to adopt Dick and sign a deal for WE and both those things require him to prove he can commit to something and be a family man so he bets he can make someone fall in love with him in 10 days

The other woman: Bruce Wayne is dating lex Luther for PR reasons. Clark is dating lex for investigation reasons. When Clark finds out online that lex has a boyfriend he's furious about the infidelity and immediately tells Bruce. Bruce, thinking Clark is a heartbroken mistress, suggests working together to get revenge. Clark, wanting to comfort Bruce through his breakup, agrees to said revenge. Shenanigans insues.

The hangover: batman, superman and green lantern are assigned to a mission in Vegas. They complete it easily and to celebrate lantern convince them to get drinks together even though the other two don't get along. When Bruce and Clark(who isn't supposed to be able to get drunk) wake up the next morning they don't know where they are, somethings wrong with Clark's powers, Hal's ring is in the bathroom sink, he's no where to be found and apparently the two of them got married last night. They have to figure out what happened and where Hal is before the next JL debrief otherwise they'll have to admit to Diana and the whole team that they fucked up a simple mission by getting shit faced on the job and Bruce would rather die than let that happen.

The holiday: when Bruce realizes he's either dumped, adopted or detested everyone in Gotham he's yearning for a change of scenery. He gets into contact with an old friend, lois lane, who's recently devorced but is still living with her ex husband. After finding out that she shares his desire for something different they decided to swap homes for a few weeks where they can both work remotely to experience life across the pond.

Titanic: a young Bruce engaged to Talia goes on a yacht cruise with the league of assassin's on the unsinkable ship designed by lex Luther by combining metals like lead with alien tech. Uncoincidentally Clark sneeks on the ship to investing in for kryptonite and criminal activities but ends up finding love as well.( Does this mean Clark has to die? Probably, but it's worth it for the plot. And Clark's sacrifice and worldview could be what inspired Bruce to quit the league and become batman)

You before me: After Bruce is horribly injured on the field he has to prematurely hand over the mantel of batman. Since his kids have done a good job at filling in for him, Bruce feels like he's lost his purpose. Alfred decides to hire Clark kent, an aspiring journalist from Smallville, as Bruce's caregiver so he can show Bruce a better outlook on life and hopefully convince him to reconsider ending his life(y'all know I had to even out the death score)

Bring it on: Bruce Wayne, owner of the daily planet, prides himself on the fact that his paper was the most awarded publication for the past 3 years. While gearing up for the 4th his new hire, lois lane reveals to him that his recently retired chef editor has been stealing stories from a smaller independent paper. That paper has been gaining traction this year and is being nominated for the same awards as them, including a pulitzer. After the owner of the rival paper, Clark, doesn't accept his apology or financial help, Bruce strives for justice and wants to make it right. During this he starts admiring Clark's work and starts falling from him. Clark,reluctant to let his guard down and be too trusting again, says he doesn't want pity from a billionaire pushing Bruce to do everything he can to turn his staff into award winners.... or atleast decent writers.(I clearly have no idea how journalism awards work)

[fazedlight]

Lois (inspired by this fic by @luthordamnvers and @snowydragonscave)

Can I trust a Luthor?, Lois thought.

The fight had already begun, drawing the entire staff of The Daily Planet to the building’s windows. The battle between Superman and the mysterious figure might simply be another Tuesday in Metropolis…

Before the sky turned red.

Lois’s finger itched at the scrap of paper in her hands, a note attached to a flower delivery, written in a messy scrawl. “In the darkest hour, the answer is at the top of the Planet.”

Lois glanced to Perry White, to James, feeling the notable absence of Clark. Can I trust a Luthor?, she asked herself again, her sensibilities warring against Lena Luthor for being from the wrong family, for being too young, for… this is bullshit, Lois thought.

She turned on her heel, darting across the room without much notice, jerking open the stairwell door before bounding the three flights up to the roof of the Daily Planet. Yanking a bobby pin from her hair, she quickly unlocked the security door - a practiced habit, from her occasional secret smoke breaks - and made her way onto the roof.

She approached the giant sphere, THE DAILY PLANET boldly imprinted along its side, as her eyes scoured over the globe’s infrastructure. It didn’t take her long to notice the slightest edge of a box hidden at the very base - somewhere that someone would only look if they had need to.

She yanked at the box, throwing a quick look over her shoulder as the rapidly dimming skies contrasted with the blasts of green echoing along the clouds. Farmboy’s running out of time, she thought, ripping at the box until she came to folded metal.

That’s when she grinned. Daughter of an army general, Lois knew her way around a weapon. She was almost gleeful as she snapped together the clever telescoped rifle, the back of her mind admiring its sleek construction - despite the bulky payload - as she briefly fantasized about shooting Lex Luthor out of the sky. 

But as she turned, settling onto the building ledge to steady her weapon, her eye caught on the note attached to the scope. “Aim for the S”, it said.

Lois tilted her head curiously, feeling a wave of realization, hearing Lena’s words in her ear. “Lex is my brother and I love him, but I can't stand and do nothing.” 

Lois turned again to the sky, watching as Superman faltered, as the hero struggled to stay in the air, dodging more attacks as the sunlight shifted a darker red. It’s now or never, Lois said, knowing somewhere in her soul that Lena was out to do the right thing. She adjusted her aim, not lingering given Superman’s movements, carefully squeezing the trigger.

Light burst from the end of the gun, Lois’s eyes widening as the laser split across the sky, cutting through the atmosphere until it landed squarely on the kryptonian’s chest. Lois’s expression shifted to a smile as Superman’s entire frame changed, power roaming through his posture, like air filling his lungs. He surged forward again, throwing the mysterious figure across the sky like a ragdoll, continuing to chase after the attacker with new vigor. 

Lois turned up to the sky again, watching the eclipse continued on, hearing sonic boom after sonic boom as the battle raged in the distance. Until finally, light began streaming again, yellow sunlight brushing her face in welcomed relief. 

She smiled again, turning to pack the gun back into the box, intent to leave it where she had found it so that her Little Luthor benefactor could later retrieve it. Thanks, Lena, she thought. 

She heard a clamor behind her, the heavy steps of a familiar photojournalist running her way. James watched as Lois shoved a box beneath the Planet’s globe again, before she rose, dusting herself off, making her way back towards the roof door.

“What did you do?” James asked incredulously as she brushed past him.

It was a simple answer. “I shot Superman.”

[funsosfunzone]

Clark Kent probably has a Pulitzer Prize

...or he shares one, at least.

Let me get on my high horse for a second.

Obviously, yes, Lois has a Pulitzer Prize. She is referred to as a "Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter". However, many may not realize that there are several kinds of Pulitzers; just as you can win an Oscar for Best Actor or Best Cinematography, you can also win a Pulitzer for International Reporting or Drama. In 2024, 23 were awarded in different categories, with several that have become defunct over time (Telegraphic Reporting, anyone?).

Lois's Pulitzer is likely for Investigative Reporting, although, oddly, ahead of Superman Returns, she was given one for an editorial, and therefore Editorial Writing.

(This is the only thing I can find detailing what in specific Lois won her Pulitzer for. I haven't read all the comics though, so if anyone has more information I'd love to hear it.)

Regardless, these are typically solo prizes, awarded to one person or a small team of people. This is a major honor, especially for somebody as early in her career as Lois is implied to be— I definitely don't mean to diminish this achievement.

However, there are several other prizes often awarded to entire newsrooms. These can give many of the people that worked on it the honor of 'having won' a Pulitzer Prize. I mean, if a soccer team wins an Olympic medal, each individual player also counts as an Olympic medalist!

The one that comes to mind as being particularly likely for the Daily Planet is the award for Breaking News Reporting. The New York Times staff, a major modern inspiration for the Planet, has won three. You can't tell me that Metropolis, one of the biggest cities in the DC universe, a city ravaged by breaking news, hasn't won a single one during Superman's tenure.

(In a world with superheroes, it does come to mind that there'd be a lot more competition for the prize— maybe they would even have a separate one for superhero-related events? Although given how much heroes like Superman do, I'm not sure where they'd draw the line.)

I'm not quite sure what the purpose of me writing this out is. I could claim it's some high-minded effort to inform Superman fans of what the Pulitzer Prize actually entails so they can better understand journalism. But I can't say that I didn't just want an excuse to rant :)

[npcemi]

The long road of how starting a fight with superman over clone parenting eventually lead to Danny Phantom become God Part 4: The final warning

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47818321/chapters/121415806

A month had passed since the clone support group's last meeting and this meeting was going even better than Dani had expected. They discussed so many things and then the group expressed trying to find and reach out to other clones. However, all the momentum stopped when Conner spoke up. "I... I have to be honest with all of you. Despite Danielle's dad talking to Superman, things didn't get better. If anything, they've gotten worse."

Linda, Jarro, and Danielle exchanged concerned glances, their brows furrowed in disbelief. Linda was the first to break the silence, her voice filled with concern. "What happened?”

Conner took a deep breath, his voice laced with frustration. "Superman told me that I shouldn't be dragging others into our personal business. He made it clear that he sees my actions as a threat to his reputation, and he even threatened me, warning me to stay away from him and his affairs."

Danielle's eyes narrowed, her fists clenching involuntarily. She had hoped that the man would get some sense. That he would learn his lesson and be better to her new friend. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one, judging by how the room’s temperature began dropping dramatically.

“Dad!”

Everyone stood silently as Danny dropped his invisibility. They all looked to see her father, he couldn’t have looked older than fourteen. They were all surprised, he had just been a kid when he died. Danielle told them, but it never really hit home until they looked at the man.

However, by looking at him they also knew he wasn’t just a kid. He exuded power. His bright glowing green eyes with endlessly black pupils. The way his salt and pepper hair floated and fluttered in a nonexistent breeze. His very presence unleashed a pressure that made it hard to breathe.

“I’ll take care of it,” Danny said his tone was flat and serious. It was nothing of the fun-loving nature that Danielle had spoken about.

“Dad, can I use the mirror?”

“Just use the Mortal filter,” Danny said before exiting through a portal.

“Mirror?” Conner asked.

“So we can watch Dad kick the crap out of Superman!” Dani grinned.

“Mortal filter?” Linda asked.

“Dad’s true spirit form, even in base, can be difficult to look at for those not accustomed to the supernatural.”

There was a collective “oh.” as Dani set up her 85-inch spectral mirror. Her dad really loved to spoil her.

At the daily planet Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Kara Danvers, Catherine Grant, and the rest of the staff were having their morning meeting when a voice sounded from Clark’s direction. They all looked to see a white-haired kid with green eyes.

“Hi, Clark!” Danny said with a grin with too many teeth to be human. He was resting his hand on Clark’s chest.

“You!” Clark said, recognizing the boy from the watchtower.

“Bye Clark!” Danny said with a cheery tone that belaid his anger. Danny gave the man a push sending him out the window falling from the building and leaving a crater in the street below.

Everyone stood in shock, Danny recognized the look on Kara's face, the tensing of her muscles.

“Do not interfere Kara Zor-El.” Danny threw kryptonite-based bolas at her at a faster-than-light speed. She was tied up tight and because they were laced with his ectoplasm they would only come off when he willed it.

They saw him disappear and reappear on the street walking towards Clark. Clark looked up to see Danny. Clark felt his clothes come off revealing his Superman outfit. He saw a bright ring encompass Danny’s form. What he saw hurt his eyes.

That thing, yes, there was no way it could be human, its body elongated. Danny’s legs no longer existed. He became like a lamia, He no longer was on the ground, the boy floated. His skin became a representation of the night sky, he sprouted hundreds of black and white wings covered in eyes. The shadows he cast had mouths with hundreds of rows of teeth that consumed anything that happened to fall in them. His hair was a pure white that floated above his head like a crown. His eyes glowed bright green with endlessly black pupils. Each finger had a ring on it. Each gem represented the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. There was a volleyball-sized hole in Danny’s chest. Floating freely in that hole was a translucent black crystal with stars on the inside. The crystal was encased in a clear layer of ice. The crystal was surrounded by a spinning silver ornate metal crown that emanated blue fire.

“I warned you, the realms warned you Kal-El to treat the mirror born with respect, to treat your mirror-born son with respect. Now the realms will have their retribution.” Danny’s voice was layered with that feminine voice from earlier.

The Man of Steel was a man of action. He took the initiative and fired his laser eyes. They were blocked by an ecto shield. When that didn’t work he used his ice breath. Danny let loose a small whistle. It only lasted less than a second but the sonic force stopped Superman’s ice breath causing a wave of destruction causing the road to crack and nearby windows to shatter.

Danny appeared in front of Superman, uppercutting him in the gut and sending him flying into the sky. The man of steel didn’t even have a moment to reorient himself in the air. Danny appeared behind him and backhanded the man sending him crashing back to earth.

Superman decided to try his laser eyes again and put in every ounce of power he could and this time Danny didn’t block with a shield. Instead, Danny reached out his hand, and at the center of it was a black dot no bigger than a tip of a 36-Gauge needle. The dot sucked in the lasers, all of the debris in the air, its gravitational pull meant that anything loose was also sucked into it. Cars, light posts, and benches started to creak and croak as they were drawn toward the dot. Once Superman relented, Danny dismissed the black hole he created.

Danny generated a red ball of light in his hand and Superman fell to the ground instantly. As Danny floated over to him.

“I want you to start treating Conner better, You see this?” Danny gestured to the red orb.

“I can create these at will, I am the King of the infinite realms, Ancient of Space, The King of the endless. Creating a Red Giant is child's play. I’ve used not even a fraction of my power.” Danny’s layered voice echoed so loud it could be heard for miles.

A burst of magical energy caused Danny to jump back. The justice league and the Justice League dark appeared to surround Danny and Superman.

“King Phantom, please don’t kill Superman. Constantine told me you have every right to do so, but I ask as a favor please don’t.” Batman said.

“I wasn’t going to kill him. That isn’t necessary. In Fact, I was giving him a gift.” Danny laughed as he dismissed the Red Giant in his hand and began collecting red energy at the tip of his finger into a little ball.

“The gift of having time to reflect and to spend with Conner so he can see Conner as his own person. The mirror born are truly special. They’re a gift, I hate to see something so precious squandered because he wants to be a bigoted obstinate dick” Danny said as the red ball formed a beam that shot through Superman's shoulder.

“Kal-El take this warning to heart. It is the last one you will receive.” Danny said before he faded away. The members looked around to try and find him. The only thing they found was that all of the damage from the fight was gone as if the fight never occurred in the first place.

AN: Sorry totally forgot to post this one here, Finally the first big fight between Danny and superman, 

[whatyourusherthinks]

My Adventures With Superman Season Two Review

AND WE'RE BACK! If you don't know what we're doing here, than go read my Season One MAWS review, but I'm just gonna keep trucking along!

Season 2 Episode 1 'More Things in Heaven and Earth'

Interesting dream opening, and I like that Clark and Lois are still being cute. But hold the fuck up a second. Jimmy is in charge now? Him selling his YouTube channel to the Daily Planet made him one of the bosses there? Is this implying he's like a partial owner or something? ...Actually I'm okay with this. But why is everyone giving Clark shit for a "lame" date idea? Why do they care? This is why no one likes you Cat! And Jimmy, you were there in the first season and saw Clark way over plan his first date with Lois. And you gave him shit about it. So why are you doing the opposite now? Not only is this entire Valentine's Day plot just their for some no really funny jokes, but I'm more annoyed about that than the entirety of the Daily Planet staff being super investing in Clark and Lois's love life honestly. Jimmy was such a good wingman before! YOU CAN'T DISTRACT ME WITH A REFERENCE TO THE ORGINAL SUPERMAN MOVIE SHOW!

Oh hey the guy who becomes Cyborg Superman is in this episode. That will totally distract me from this weird opening. I do like that Jimmy tries to cheer Lex Luthor up, which he takes as inspiration to become evil. I'm gonna get more into it later, but they do a very interesting dichotomy. I like their version of Kryton in the show, it's another thing I'll get into later as the show reveals more about it. I'm bummed they aren't going to give Superman a Fortress of Solitude, it seems like something they were setting up in this episode, but I get why and I can't blame them for making this choice. I just think it would have been cool. Especially since Jor-El is super cool in this episode. Also, any guesses about who the "enemy" the could not defeat is? Given that those Kryptonian soldiers are killed by a laser that seemed to change directions, the Kirby-dot accents on said laser, and what the planet looks like from space, I think it's Darkseid/the New Gods. That would be hella dope. All the villains in this episode are kinda dumb. Slade has officially fallen into "goon" territory, and Damage... I'm pissed at what they did to Damage. Maybe if the show goes into his backstory in a later episode it could still make him work, but right now they took a antihero with an interesting and complicated relationship with both Superman and the US government and made him Big Punchy Bad Man.

Season 2 Episode 2 'Adventures With My Girlfriend'

Hey this opening is kinda cute, with Waller hyping herself up and bring General Lane cof- Hold the fuck up again, how does Ivo have the Parasite suit? Superman tore him out of the suit and they left the remains in the park, did Task Force X capture him again and stick give him the Parasite tech again? Even though last time he destroyed their base and Waller herself admitted he was going insane? Why would you not keep him out of the suit until you need him to be Parasite? He's not even restrained that well they just leave him in a cell! Ivo aside, this episode is the beginning of something that bothered me throughout the entire season. Lois and Clark spend the entire season needing to talk about various things, and the show just doesn't let them have a moment. It just makes for the most annoying kind of cheap drama. So do you hate the show now? What? No! I still love the characters and the writers know what they are doing with Superman himself. Case in point, this episode is basically Superman versus the Prison Industrial Complex. And it's great. There was more subtle social commentary in the last season, but they make it more in your face this season. Which I have absolutely no problem with. Break my nose with your ACAB propaganda Supes! Plus Lois and Clark are super cute while they are investigating together. I also had a little freak out when Atomic Skull showed up. Yes, he a random Task Force X goon with no set-up, but a) his backstory in the comics is sorta dumb so skipping it works for this character, and b) he just looks so damn cool! A creepy looking destructive force is all you kinda need from AS, so he's good. Also, I like Jimmy's subplot. The laugh Perry White give when Jimmy says the interns aren't aren't listening to him cleansed my soul, and I like that the Newskid Legion and Steve are trying to kill each other in the background. And is this first episode where Superman uses his super-breath? Cool. Also, FUCKING CALLED IT! EVERYONE DID! I DON'T CARE BUGGNUTZ I'M STILL SMART!

Season 2 Episode 3 'Fullmetal Scientist'

Oh HELL the fuck yes! This episode introduces STEEEEEEL~ And Cyborg's dad? That's a cool easter egg. But for real though, Steel is a super dope character and I am so glad they included him in the show, even if he looks dumb. This is what I mean when I say I don't mixing CGI and traditional 2D animation. That CGI mech body with the cartoon head sticking out looks completely ridiculous and makes all of Steel's motions look really weird too. I wish they gave him a mech suit like what Deathstroke has just with a more comic accurate look, or at least a helmet for this new one so he doesn't looks like an egg on a Gundam. I like John Henry Iron's design outside of the suit, I love that he's even bigger and broader than Clark is. I also love how Clark is a huge nerd about him too. And he's Flip's uncle? Okay, sure. I also like what they did with Metallo. It's vastly different to the comics, which is great. In my opinion, the only thing that Metallo has over, say, Cyborg Superman is the kryptonite heart thing, and even then it's not super interesting. Metallo instead being a bunch of drones which Lex improves their power cores with synthetic Kryptonite is a cooler idea. I wish they looked more different than the Task Force X or Kryptonian robots, but I like that they have laser-railguns. Railguns are awesome. I think the forcefield power Clark gets in this episode is cool. It's kinda in the comics, he has a bioelectric aura that just for hand-wavium for dinguses who are like "How can Superman lift a plane by it's nosecone without destroying the plane?" or "How can Superman's clothes stay intact when he's in an explosion?". But as far as I'm aware it's just something that's always on, he doesn't control it. But it's a power that makes sense for Superman to have. Way more than something like "Super Muscular Control".

Now for my problem with the episode: This episode that really made me mad about General Lane not realizing Clark is Superman. THEY'VE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER BETWEEN AND DURING THIS EPISODE AND THE LAST ONE HOW DID JIMMY FIGURE IT OUT AS SOON AS HE MET CLARK BUT A HEAD OF A BLACK OPS TEAM TRYING TO HUNT DOWN SUPERMAN DOESN'T. I wouldn't get so mad if the rest of his identity wasn't so reasonable. The only people who Clark interreacts with as both Superman and himself are Lois, Jimmy, his Parents, and General Lane. (Also I guess Ivo too, but a) they don't establish that he does know Superman's identity or not, and b) even if he doesn't know he's insane because of the Parasite suit so it's explained away that way.) And only the general doesn't know. HOW? I get that he sees Clark as a screw-up who doesn't deserve to date his daughter, but he's shown to be very smart, tactical, and always making plans. And you're telling me he would never even consider that Clark and Superman are the same person? HE VISITED THE KENT FARM AND A SPACESHIP RAISED UP FROM BENEATH THEIR CORNFIELD. Also, don't be surprised if a there is an episode next season where Clark is forced to interview/be in proximity to Lex Luthor and has to not give away his secret identity, only for either Lex to figure it out anyway or for Lex to completely dismiss Clark because he's too "wimpy". Given how the show has handled Clark's secret identity so far, I could see it going either way. But I think it would be way more interesting if Lex actually knows and plots to expose Clark as well as take him out.

Season 2 Episode 4 'Two Lanes Diverged'

THIS EPISODE MAKES ME WANT TO CRY! Not just because the first half of the episode is the sweetest friendship with Clark and Jimmy, not just because the darkest hour and the ending of this episode are gut wrenching, but also because we get Lois's backstory and it's so sad watching her try to connect to a guy who's such a dick AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH Alright, calm down Hayden Christensen. *Sniff sniff* You can't make me. Oh dude Toyman is in this episode! I mean barely and it's pretty much just an easter egg but his teddy bear exploded so I'm gonna count it. Why do you even like a guy called Toyman so much? He sounds lame. Gee, I don't know why'd I like a guy who's whole gimmick is Dr. Jekyll except he makes armies of killer robots- Wait. Wait. He's working on a tiny robot model of the Brain. Was he a member of Cadmus? Did he design the Brain's mechanical body!? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CONTINUITY?! Oh hey, this is the episode where they really establish Lex and Jimmy's relationship. Lex Luthor in this universe is like an evil opposite to Jimmy Olsen, and that's brilliant. I mean it totally make sense, right? Jimmy's Superman's Best Pal, and what's the opposite of a best friend? A worst enemy. I'm probably way over explaining this, but I like it a lot. I don't think these two characters have had a lot of crossover in the comics WRONG Read the 2019 run of Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen. Oh, uh... Sure, this seems right up my alley! (And I do remember one issue where it's revealed that Lex's biggest fear is being Jimmy Olsen, so there's that.) ANYWAY My point is that it's a cool angle to take these two characters and I hope they deepen it in future seasons. Also haha the show does another plot thread that sucked in BvS and works so much better here. Zack. I don't know if this is going to revealed as a lie, but Lex's motivation is really interesting. It's by no means unique to the show, but other stories usually spice it up with "he's jealous of Superman" or "he's cRaZy" and I don't really think he needs that. Paranoia is enough of a motive to plot murder. Also the fight at the end is dope as hell, I love that all the Star Labs gadgets they showed off earlier in the episode come into play and that metal backing track was awesome. I don't even have any nitpick for this episode. This is one's really good.

Season 2 Episode 5 'Most Eligible Superman'

On from the best episode of the season so far to the worst... But let's be positive first. This episode introduces Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl. And her and Jimmy are in love and have the cutest frickin' date and they are OTP! They better hook up for realsies next season I swear to Rao! Calm down, you're hyperventilating. Also, didn't know Wonder Woman has an enby villain. That's cool. So is the fight at the end. But the main plot of this episode is Clark having to pretend he's single so he doesn't accidently reveal his secret identity and also because Cat Grant is an idiot and Lois gets jealous because I guess Clark was supposed to violently reject this hot billionaire flirting with him while also pretending to be single and also because Cat Grant is an idiot. There's some funny moments I guess, but all this dumbassery is just to facilitate Clark and Lois breaking up at the end of the episode FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. Roan Lois breaks up with Clark because she felt overwhelmed and her insecurities took over after her Father left in the previous episode and she felt not good enough for him. Not saying it was aa good reason, but that's why it happened. ...Okay fine, but the next time they see each other they pretty much hook back up, so what is even the point? It's just annoying because most of the time the characters act reasonably and this just feels so contrived and without purpose. Look at Perry's face in the opening after Cat bursts into his office. That is my reaction to this entire episode. Also, there is a bizarre continuity error. Hank Henshaw (the guy who becomes Cyborg Superman) said he had a wife in the first episode of the season so why is he one of Metropolis's most eligible bachelors? Bleh, I'm just gonna kick this one aside and move on.

Season 2 Episode 6 'The Machine Who Would Be Empire'

Okay okay, shake it off. Let's start with saying this is my favorite version of Supergirl I've seen in anything ever. Admittedly, I'm not a huge Supergirl fan to begin with. She's fine, but I've never read or seen anything that makes me go nuts for her. (Although I've heard the Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is really fucking good and I love his Miracle Man limited series. It's on my reading list.) But this Supergirl is amazing. Probably the smartest thing the show does is have the first episode with her super cute date with Jimmy, because it let's me overlook some of the mean stuff she does to Clark in this episode. But even then, you see her softer side. I like that she's really into exploring and seeing other planets, and I like that Clark immediately starts making fun of her when he finds out she has a crush on Jimmy. It's okay, she get him back. Their sibling dynamic is something we never get in the comics, and I love it. They're cousins. Whatever, get my meaning. I also like how Kara's a massive dumbass. Like it's not really her fault, she's been manipulated by Brainiac since she was born and part of that is he stunted her education, clearly. But the rest of the gang are pretty smart, both academically and emotionally, so it's a good a character who has no idea what she's doing. Ever. (And before anyone jumps up my ass, yes she obviously knows more about Krypton stuff than anyone else still alive, so she's not an idiot technically. But for like 90% of the plots this show has she'd be completely out of her depth.) And hey, speaking of Brainiac, I like what they did with him too. While it would have been cool if he did the bottling cities from the comics, but I still like his motivations. And him being Kryptonian is cool. I like the way he looks, his personality ("With ambitions so small they could fit inside a cradle"), and I like that he can possess Kryptonians. There's a cool symbiosis between Kryptonians and their technology as a whole, it's very transhumanist, I dig it. Also, I noticed Krytonians always have their powers, even on Krypton, for the first time in this episode. I kinda like that change actually. It makes sense with the ultra-conquering empire that they changed Krypton into, and it gives Kara an interesting argument for her perspective in the episode. Also, IS THAT A FUCKING GREEN LANTERN? A THANAGARIAN? A PARADEMON!? THEY LOOK FUCKING AWESOME!

Season 2 Episode 7 'Olsen's Eleven'

Oh hell yeah heist episode! And the Brain and Monsieur Mallah are back?! AND MALLAH HAS HIS BERET!?! This has gotta be the best episode of the season! Also, Livewire has a butch girlfriend now?

All seriousness, I love this episode. I love heist movies, my favorite characters are back, I thought the twist of the episode was great, the final fight was awesome too. This show makes the power of love cool. I feel like half the time "the Power of Love" just like brings someone's partner back from the dead or is a healing power, but I love it when a) the story shows that powerful love can be between anyone, not just romantic partners, and b) the power gives a character a strength boost or drives them to perform an insane feat of endurance. They do it a couple times this season, and they are usually the best moments of their episodes. I also like that Lois admits she was dumb in 'Most Eligible Superman', and I like Jimmy trying to prove he can solve most situations just by talking to someone. The backstory/explaining stuff montages are a cute extra animation style, but I don't care for the big-eyed expressions Livewire gets in some parts. You've already bitched about this in previous episodes. Yeah true, but if the show keeps doing it... Wait that nursing home has the name "Silver Age" that's hilarious. What was I talking about? How it makes no sense that Lois has the Kryptonite shard from the data ball. Oh yeah, how does she have that? It was in Clark's ship and I thought it got destroyed at the end of 'More Things in Heaven and Earth'. Didn't Task Force X get it? That's why they could make Kryptonite weapons and change the Metallos' power core. Okay, I had to go back and check, but Jimmy picked it up the shard and put it back in the ball at the end of the episode, but Slade still had some remnants on his sword that they must use to synthesize more. So not a plot hole.

Season 2 Episode 8 'The Death of Clark Kent'

Flash Bulletin! We got a name drop of the Black Mercy in this episode, which guarantees that Alan Moore absolutely has to hate this show. I, on the other hand, like this episode. Even though like the a quarter of the episode is basically clip show, and the way Kara says Kal-El was starting to grate on my nerves. But forget all that, 'cause JIMMY AND KARA ARE SITTING IN A TREE, WELL KARA'S PROBABLY FLO-OA-TING! Ow my ears, calm the fuck down dude. Shut up you don't have ears, you're a manifestation of my DID. Also, it's another kinda heist-y episode except instead of stealing something, they are rebooting Brainiac or something. Also Brainiac is really sassy in this episode and I like it. ("Now let's find your weakness. So I can kill you.") I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but I really like Brainiac's voice. The voice acting in the show as whole is alright, but the soft, lilting voice Michael Emerson gives him is perfect for the character. I like that Brainiac's plan is to mental break Clark so he can possess him, it's a perfect encapsulation of Clark's emotional journey and also there's an awesome Torquasm Rao refences with how he fends off Brainiac. (At least I think it's a Torquasm Rao reference. It could just be a "Power of Love" thing but it should be a easter egg.) I feel like he could have used memories of Ma and Pa to fight off Brainiac more easily. Eh... Could he have? He tried that with Kara and she easily shook his faith with them. Plus he's in his early twenties and is obsessed with Lois, she's probably the only thing on his mind like 65% of the time. And I super love the dark ending. Everyone on this website has already lost it over Possessed Superman, and yes his moob window is funny. But I actually like way Brainiac poses and moves while possessing Clark more than that. He's very regal, and every action seems calculated. Both Clark and Kara aren't uncoordinated at all, but Brainiac makes them both look like bumbling children. It's really creepy. And his speech at the end. Ugh his speech at the end. Not only is it the best worldbuilding information we get about Kryptonians, but that moment where he tells Kara he loves her right before smashing her into the floor is the best low point in the series.

Season 2 Episode 9 'Pierce the Heavens, Superman!'

Okay... So far the episodes with Superman's name in the titles have been the least good of all the episodes. Does 'Piece the Heavens, Superman!" keep the track record? Well it has a reference to Superman's pet Sun Eater from All Star superman in the first scene of the episode, so obviously it's the best episode so far, duh. I feel like your enjoyment of the show is too reliant on easter eggs and references to the source material. Didn't you knock Deadpool & Wolverine for the same thing? First off, use that title sparingly, I don't want to attract any unwanted guests. Secondly, both MAWS and D&W's use of easter eggs I think is symptomatic of the same thing, which is the writers understanding of the characters and the source material. Clearly both the writers of this show and that movie have done their research and understand what people like about both characters. The difference for me is that one is an pop culture icon representing the ideals of heroism and is a character everyone can and should look up to, and the other is a purposefully obnoxious meme that people like because they are stupid. Superman's the second one right? ...Yeah, now fuck off. But seriously, this episode is dope. I like time loops concepts, I like that Clark and Lois fall for each other all over again when they lose their memories of each other temporarily, and I absolutely love that when Lois realizes she can't be removed from the Black Mercy, she just becomes a pain in the ass for Brainiac. The B-Plot is awesome too. I love that the Daily Planet immediately formulates a plan to rescue Jimmy and Lois after they get arrested, and I love Steve's pep talk for Kara. Y'know, I take back what I said in the last post. I like this Steve Lombard. (Cat still sucks though.) And the end of this episode is probably the coolest "Power of Love" moment, not even just from this show but for anything I've ever seen. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but I am not gonna hate a couple in love working together to overpower a seemingly impossible challenge set to pop-rock.

Season 2 Episode 10 'My Adventures With Supergirl'

And this season's finale is DOPE! First, spoiler warning. Second, I like that all the villains are helping fight off Brainiac with Superman (which is something that happens in the comics from time to time but is much more cool here since it feels like they all want to help rather than have to). Third, the animation in Superman and Supergirl's fight is amazing, might be the best animated fight in the show. Even Brainiac postulating looks extra. And the music that plays when Clark says "Let's bring you home Kara." is so fucking good I can't even. And holy shit, I was so convinced that they were gonna kill Kara in this episode. I'm so happy she's gonna be back for the next season, seriously, she's my favorite character in the show, especially after this this episode. The episode ending with Kara and Clark playing catch in Smallville was perfect. Just like last season, I cannot wait for the next one! It's gonna have Superboy!

[loisinherlane]

kon :) also lois :3c

am i doing this at work.... shhhh

Kon

Sexuality Headcanon: I love said BiKon but also I have a soft spot for gay Kon. I'm good with either depending on what I'm trying to write. He's definitely not straight. Attraction to men is real. Is attraction to women comphet???? I mean, he's been Told to be, and how is he ever supposed to separate that out from all of the things he is?

Gender Headcanon: He's sooo nonbinary. I don't have more specific label for him, but everyone make my gender is superboy jokes.

A ship I have with said character: TimKon ❤️ I'm really not a multishipper for him. I do have a fondness for all of his comphet girlies though.

A BROTP I have with said character: Lori!!! I'm a Lori girl, and I believe that cousin relationships are so important. I think Kon connecting with the Luthors who AREN'T Lex can be fun. And also having a same age cousin is a fun experience.

A NOTP I have with said character: T*na. Kn*ckout. Good Lord.

A random headcanon: Kon can find enjoyment in a lot of different careers, but he does get bored after a while. I think as an adult, he'll be the "I know a guy" guy because he's done so much.

General Opinion over said character: All you need to know is that when YJA premiered, I googled Superboy, saw his original costume, and thought, "That's peak character design." And he's the Mom Friend!!!

Now for Lois ❤️

Sexuality Headcanon: Bi! But also demisexual. She knows she likes men because that's expected, but she's never thought too long and hard about why she doesn't think about sex like the rest of the world seems to. She has bigger things to do. But I so believe she's had some intense relationships with women that were never consummated because she didn't Know. As an adult, after she's married, she realizes she's bi, but by then, they're in a committed monogamous relationship.

Gender Headcanon: Cis woman. Again, not something she's thought too hard about.

A ship I have with said character: CLOIS ❤️ And idk in what universe I'd want to see it, but COULD we do Lois/Talia?

A BROTP I have with said character: I know you said this too but. I want to see Talia and Lois interact. I don't know if they'd hate each other or be best friends. But put them in a jar and shake. I also love her dynamics with the Daily Planet staff.

A NOTP I have with said character: Superman/Lois Sorry I think I'm funny. Bruce/Lois.

A random headcanon: Lois wouldn't have gotten married if she hadn't met Clark. I don't mean this in a one true love way but the fact that everything about Clark made her question her own need to be independent. He is in a lot of ways the one person she can trust because he's the one person who truly trusts her.

General Opinion over said character: She's an iconic character, and people who don't like her don't like Women.

[fandom-imagination-ss]

Imagine: talking too your co worker about the famous superman. Not knowing your friend / co worker was listening in.

You stretched out at your desk holding your head up in your head. It was a quite day at the daily planet. It’s been Six months since you changed from writing fluff pieces too taking over writing about the famous Superman. It shocked everyone in the Planet when he flew into the daily planet and talked too your boss and asked for another reporter too cover him. Which your boss gladly accepted. Superman left, and Lois Lane was asked inside too have a private meeting. Which ended up with her storming out and throwing cold Coffee all over you. Before quitting.

that was six months Ago. It’s been a wild exprience Reporting the hero. A Long and exhausting six months. You missed writing about Puppy day cares. And not being in danger. But you LOVED the view of superman’s behind!

“you think it’s a superpower?”

You asked casually as you were looking at the photo you took quickly of Superman holding a tanker trunk that was about too hit a church as he put it back onto the ground. A robot throw it at the church. It was a whole thing. But Superman saved the day like he always does.

“What? The super strength.. yea I do.” Rolling your eyes seeing Clark arriving late he sat down as you waved weakly to your friend as you turned too Sara your co worker. “No- the handsomeness.”

Sarah laughed at that thought as you spoke, ‘it’s possible.. the man can shoot laser out of his eyes”

“I dont think that’s a super power.. just really good generics.. you should ask him.”

chuckling hearing that you looked at your screen humming as she spoke, “you think the rumour is true?”

“What rumour?”

“that Superman And Lois were a thing.”

rolling your eyes as you whispered softly so Clark couldn’t hear. You knew he was still hurting over Lois and his break up. “Impossible she was with Clark.”

“farm boy- can’t compare too Superman.”

You chuckled as you spoke, “Clark is real- superman is just a great.- Great day dream you have when your bored and restless and feel tingly” Sarah laughed at that as Clark coughed loudly. Dropping half of his papers and pens over at his desks few desks away you looked at him puzzled asking if he was okay. He nodded his head as you spoke up, “besides I asked Superman. Why the change- he didn’t mention anything- unsavoury.”

Sarah rolled her eyes as she spoke, ‘Did you question him about the sex.” Rolling your eyes Sarah asked you a few days ago asking if you would ask Superman if he’s people have sex the same way as humans. You didn’t ask him. You didn’t think it was right. You also didn’t want too ruin your day dream about Superman if the answers was they had sex like they do in Avatar..that woudl Kill your bubbly day dreams.

“No- because that is inappropriate- Plus if the answer isn’t like humans.. i would be so bummed.” Sarah laughed as she spoke, “any chance you and SUperman will” you shook your head, “No that isn’t appropriate- but if i find out he has sex like in avatar.. my fantasy’s are ruined.” She laughed loudly hearing that as you looked at your screen seeing the last photo you got of Superman.

‘we need too find a fault in him.”

“why?’ Sarah asked as you sighed heavily. “Because Mr. Perfect is too perfect.. how can i get over this stupid crush if he’s perfect.. i need too see him like.. Liter or something.”

Sarah chuckled as she spoke, “you just need too focus on a relationship you can have.”

“BLAH!” You spat out as she chuckled as you spoke, “Lois really should of left a manual on him.”

“Of what he likes in bed?” You chuckled shaking your head at Sarah, “No- just general stuff. What questions are off limits- why he is the way he is.. tips anything.”

“Oh I’m sure she has a entire notebooks about tips and tricks too that man.” You shook your head, “there is No proof that she and him- did anything.”

“Minus the fact her career sky rocketed thru the roof once he appeared and she because a household name. And had everything handed too her.’

Sarah had a point but you refused too think that. For Clarks sake. He was still torned up about that. You weren’t friends with Lois when she worked at the daily planet. You started a few weeks after Clark and she had No interest in interacting with you or Sarah aOr half the reporters who she seemed, “unworthy of her time. And that meant you, Sarah, and half the staff. Clark got her attention and you couldn’t blame him for it. He was drop dead handsome, a klutz, Funny, incredibly kind. Polite the only fault you had with Clark was that Lois was with him.

“Lois is a amazing reporter- she went too Iraq hundreds of times reported in holes and during war. Her skills are amazing! She just-“ you tensd up trying too think of the right word too describe her lucky break with Superman. Everyone in the office assumed she was having a affair with Superman. It’s the only reason you could think of that he dumped her right after Clark did. You figured Superman found out about Clark and vis vers and they dumped her. When you asked he simply said that he needed a writer who had more “hope” vs Lois hard hitting facts.

“would you do it?”

You changed the subject as Sarah spoke, “sleep with superman? Hell yea.. plus Batman.- maybe the joker too spice things up.” You laughed as she spoke, “you?’

you nodded your head, “God yea.”

Clark dropped all his papers too that as you spoke “you alright Clark?” He simply nodded as he dashed off. As you spoke, “he’s such a adorable klutz”

[pluckyredhead]

[with kids chanting “McDonald’s” energy] CLARK! CLARK! CLARK! CLARK!

(This is for the character meme)

How I feel about this character: I love him SO MUCH it makes me cry a little? He’s just. *clenches fist* SO. GOOD. But like in a really real and lovable way and also he’s a tiny bit of a troll and that’s SO GOOD.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: LOIS. LOIS FOREVER. In my callow youth I was like “Maybe also Bruce...?” but nah, fuck that guy. ONLY LOIS.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Obvi the whole Superfamily needs to be in a group hug all the time and also the staff of the Daily Planet, always. I do legit think he and Bruce are fun together, of course, even if I find Bruce generally Tiresome.

My unpopular opinion about this character: HE’S NOT BORING,YOU’RE BORING WITH YOUR LOVE OF SHITTY EDGELORDS. (Not you specifically, I know you feel me.)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: They’ve honestly fixed a lot of what was broken in the past few years - he’s married to Lois again, Kon is back, etc. The Truth storyline is pretty dumb but I’m just waiting it out. I’d like a good dang movie someday, though!

[crypticbeliever123]

To compare to STAS the main difference is that STAS Superman is more stoic and serious while MAWS Superman is more shy and friendly. They're both good adaptations of Superman just focused on different aspects of his character/life. STAS focuses on his heroics (Superman) while MAWS focuses on the personal stuff (Clark Kent).

I watched STAS and can't tell you one personal plot point he dealt with in that entire series besides that one love triangle episode with him and Batman fighting over Lois and even that was mostly focused on the World's Finest team up.

MAWS has so much more focus on the personal drama that it moreso than the heroics are what I look forward to. The Clois relationship, Jimmy feeling like a third wheel, the secret identity drama, Clark feeling isolated from humanity and even his friends, Lois's daddy issues, etc. The city also feels more personal. STAS felt hollow and like a backdrop for the action while MAWS feels like a bustling metropolitan with many recurring characters such as the Newskid Legion, the Daily Planet staff, Hank Henshaw, and more minor characters who show up more than once like the blimp pilot or the grocery store owner.

Another major difference is the scale of the heroism. Both do have major enemies who could pose a global scale threat but where STAS is dealing with supervillains on the reg, a lot of the heroics we see in MAWS is small scale: cats in trees, helping a kid find his dad after Task Force X abducts him, pulling a family from a sinkhole.

We see more of him acting as someone who just wants to help than STAS Superman who is focused on stopping the bad guys. Like the main bad guys in MAWS aren't even people Clark himself is actively pursuing until he realizes they're the source of the weapons that are hurting people.

The bad guys are actively attacking him. He doesn't want to deal with them. If they weren't there he'd be free to just save people from blimp accidents or whatever rather than fighting killer robots and Kaiju tech suits.

Another difference is the xenophobia. STAS didn't really have that or if it did it didn't focus on it the way MAWS does. MAWS Superman has constant criticisms from the government, the press, the rich, and STAR Labs about how he's a "menace", a "threat", "the end of the world". The average citizen loves him and this is highlighted phenomenally in episode 9 of season 1 but the loudest opinions of him are the naysayers; the rich and powerful.

Going back to what I said about MAWS being more personable than STAS, this is clearest in the main cast. Where STAS felt like Superman alone was a core character and everyone else just felt like a recurring side character MAWS has its side characters feel like actual main characters. Lois is arguably the deuteragonist of this series and Jimmy has a lot of focus on him as well. The Daily Planet feels like a vivid lively workplace with office gossip and coworkers who you interact with in MAWS while STAS felt like a background set more than anything. I don't even remember Perry White's personality in STAS whereas in MAWS he's clearly the tired dad of the office and it's memorable. He feels like a character. Did Perry even show up much in STAS? I know STAS had some recurring cop characters but they weren't all that memorable tbh. I know you're probably saying "but you probably haven't watched it as recently as MAWS" and while that may be true I can still tell you the personalities of characters from shows I haven't seen recently but liked. For example: The Batman 2004's Ellen Yin was dedicated, loyal, by the book but became more willing to bend the rules later on as her mind became more open. Sam from Danny Phantom (which I haven't seen as recently as my watch through of STAS) was brooding, environmentally minded, easily angered, and had a strong moral compass. I can tell you nothing about any of STAS's side characters other than Lois was a girlboss who didn't take shit from anybody and still wasn't half the reporter that MAWS's intern-Lois was since STAS Lois never figured out Superman's identity while MAWS figured it out by like episode 5 or something.

I'm sure by this point it sounds like I'm biased and maybe I am a bit. Ngl STAS kinda bored me because like I said before its show was all about Superman's shenanigans with basically none of Clark's while MAWS has a decent balance of the two.

I will say though for me personally when it comes to what shows I like it tends to boil down to vibes. STAS was serious, professional to the point of impersonal, and the embodiment of a space that doesn't feel lived in. MAWS is mostly unserious, very personal, and the most lively Metropolis you can imagine.

I would definitely say give at least the two part premiere of the show a chance before deciding if it's for you. You'll either vibe with it or you won't. The big question is which character do you prefer: Superman or Clark Kent? Because these two shows do make it clear that there is a difference when it comes to Superman shows and how they approach the character.

Superman the Animated Series is majorly underrated. To me it is just so iconically Superman. I wonder if My Adventures with Superman would give me the same feeling. I've heard good things.

[gainaxvel3o]

The Imaginary Love Lives of Superman #1: Lois Lane

Picture this in your head: Lois Lane, world renowned ace reporter, winner of several pulitzer prizes, the woman who landed an interview with the Man of Tomorrow himself, stuck in the middle of her worst case scenario.

"The Daily Planet's revenue has increased since last September everyone. It's definitely going to help overhaul our computer software. Ever since Livewire messed around with the offices last tuesday the computers have been out of whack-"

A long boring staff meeting.

She checked her phone again. Five minutes. Days like these leave Lois wishing she had installed a bed in the office. Perry wouldn't have allowed such a thing of course, but the thought sounded immensely appealing, especially when she had to hear hours upon hours of boring speeches on stocks or whatever was being discussed. She should be out there chasing a story. That's where she truly belonged.

'Four minutes,' Lois noticed from her watch. 'God I wish it'd go faster.'

There were a lot of things Lois could be doing right now. She could be writing an exposé on the latest real estate scam in the eastern seaboard, or uncover the latest controversy at Metropolis Airlines, or break into LexCorp to see if Lex would agree to an interview. She probably would get in trouble for that last part but it would have been preferable than this.

'Three minutes.'

Her thoughts turned to her husband. Clark Kent, that infuriatingly charming dope of a man who by all accounts should have barely been able to see outside his own glasses much less become her competitor for the title of star reporter for the Daily Planet. Yet he did, sometimes even outdoing her in the process! It was maddening how a farm boy from Smallville drove her crazy.

'Two minutes.'

Then again, she married the big lug. Maybe Clark had some charm to him. The "aw shucks ma nice guy" routine probably started her fondness, but that wasn't the full picture. It was only one side of the equation. She kept waffling between Clark and the other guy for years because neither had a complete story.

Clark was an awkward, if friendly guy from work. The other guy was practically a larger than life godling. Somewhere between these two was a full man, one who had the courage to show her all of himself at his most vulnerable. The revelation was the moment she decided to marry him for sure.

'Only one minute... Eh, he'll catch me.'

"Anyone have ideas on how to- Lois? Lois Lane what are you doing?!"

Lois jumped out of the window without a care in the world. She'll make an excuse later, right now Lois could feel arms wrapping around her legs and back.

"Lois."

She turned to her husband. Clark Kent wasn't just Clark Kent. He was also Superman, the Man of Tomorrow. The man of her dreams. The man who was also giving her a disappointed look.

"Timed it just right Smallville." Lois smirked. "Would you care for an interview?"

He rolled his eyes. "It was really boring for you wasn't it? Alright. There was something in the Fortress I wanted to show you anyway."

She hugged her man close, as the pair flew off together. Only an hour later did Lois realized her light jacket wasn't going to do much in the arctic. Oh well, she supposed that would be her karma.

Author's Notes:

Inspired by Everybody Loves Spidey by Maximus Reborn, I decided to do a collection of one shots for pairings with Superman. They range from canonical (no way Lois or Lana are going to be left out) to non canonical (I thought of doing something with Hawkgirl or Catwoman for instance). You could request some that I haven't considered!

There are only three rules: No incest (so Supergirl/Power Girl are out) no underage characters (Mary Batson is definitely out), and no female versions of male characters (so if someone asks for Batman, they get Batman. Not a female Bruce Wayne). There are some characters that I may decide not to do anything with for personal reasons.

The first one shot is of course with Lois. It's a no brainer, they're the original Superhero pair, they're married with a son right now. There's a reason why it was Lois who headlined her own title as "Superman's Girlfriend". I adore them!

[ten-ten31]

Dear Yuletide Writer

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you so much for writing for me! :) I can't tell you just how excited I am. This is my first Yuletide and I guess I'm super nervous, but also looking forward to it. :)

Please feel free to browse my ao3 (KitKaos) and/or tumblr to get an idea of what I stan, like, read or write. I hope I can give you some broad ideas and inspirations in this letter to help you plan. Do feel free to fall back on my general likes if the prompts don't do anything for you. Or just use the prompts, whatever works best for you. Oh, and should you, dear Yuletide Santa, want to write in German and not in English, then I'm definitely okay with that. I'm fluent in both, so whichever you feel more comfortable with. If there's something missing or if you have a question, you can reach out to me via the mods.

General likes: I'm a sucker for the old friends-to-lovers or even enemies-to-lovers (with all the drama of grudginly admitting that the other party maybe isn't all that terrible and all). Things I'll never get tired of include coffeeshop AUs, spy AUs, musical AUs, found families, fake dating, pining, crossdressing, drunken shenanigans, fish-out-of-water situations, pop culture references, etc. Just about any kind of scene you can sneak in there about cooking or eating food (also characters being picky about certains foods and other characters going to some lengths to accommodate that) will make me happy, too. I do have a thing for descriptions of food and expecially impressions of taste - and if you want to make it kinky: food play. ;) I also have a bit of a hand fetish - so descriptions of hands are always welcome. If you want to do it, I probably also won't say no to someone breaking the Fourth Wall, any kind of alternate history AU, crossovers of my fandoms, or even some lovely steampunk aesthetics.

Do Not Want: rape/dubcon/noncon, watersports, scat, humiliation, A/B/O, soulmates AU, vampire/werewolf AU, second-person pov, character bashing of any kind.

*

Fandoms

Just two more thing before I go into detail: 1. The prompts below are nothing more than ideas - feel free to ignore them if you have a better one. :) 2. Not all of the characters need to be used in every prompt; pick and choose as desired.

*

Dial H for Hero (DC Comics)

- Summer Pickens, Miguel Montez

The 2019 12-issue run is just pure love! There is worldbuilding galore, relatable characters, a wonderful coming-of-age and initiation plot, interdimensional shenanigans, the question how Joe Average could get addicted to sudden superpowers, and so much fun with the concept of Superhero Secret Origins. Summer is a wonderfully strong and caring female lead and Miguel is a self-conscious little oddball.

As for prompts: Seeing more of their Metropolis adventures or Red/Yellow/Blue/Black Dial transformations would definitely be a lot of fun. Also, there's this cute boy Miguel asks out in the comics and I would love to see that first date. And what about Summer? She definitely won't be reduced to sidekick!

Feel free to include any other ((teenage) superhero) cameos you feel like. Please do not pair up Summer and Miguel romantically - although I don't have any problems with a fake relationship fic for them. ;)

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Masks: A New Generation (Roleplaying Game)

- any / worldbuilding

I only just disovered Masks as an RPG, and ever since I started playing, it's probably the most fun rping I've had in a long time. I love that playbooks are not by the type of power but the type of problem each teenager faces personally. Like, how do you juggle school, first love, being different in a way no one should know about, being different maybe in a way people will immediately see, adults telling you who to be, chores, and being part of a young superhero team that wants to make a name for themselves? It's hard. And the best sessions alternate between deep emotional connections, hilarious teenage drama and great action scenes.

As for prompts: I would love me some good worldbuilding - so maybe there is a reason the Scarlet Songbird is still around? What was Halcyon City like back in the days of the Golden-Age heroes? What has changed since then? How do especially the older generations view the naming conventions going around for new heroes? Is there a code to follow? Who in Halcyon City pays for all the damage to buildings and infrastructure caused by superhero-supervillain fights? What was it like back in the olden days for the Golden Age heroes as opposed to now?  Are there cultural exchange programs with any of the alien races visiting from time to time? Give me a day in the life of an average Halcyon City citizen - they don't even have to be all that close to an epic fight or something. Just their way of coping with the daily madness of a huge city housing most of the world's superheroes. If you like something a little more character-specific: The one actual-play podcast that does it best in my opinion are the Theatre of the Mind Players with their "Future Shock" and "Past Tense" seasons of Masks. And I would love to read more about these characters. Have Sparrow and Figment finally get together. Give me a glimpse of how Horizon assembled his ersatz mom. What will Helix and Remix get up to?

Where to find it: The core rulebook is available from Magpie Games. The Theatre of the Mind Players’ Masks sessions can be found on Youtube.

Super Sons (Comics)

- Jonathan Samuel Kent, Damian Wayne

Super Sons is how I finally came to like and care for Damian Wayne - which, if you know me, is a major achievement! He is still a huge brat, don't get me wrong, but Jon's influence on him and the way he is confronted with certain issues he has... it's magical! It's wholesome! It's healing! They are both so fiercely protective of each other, and they both grow as characters from their experiences with each other.

As for prompts: So, dear Yuletide Santa, give me character growth and banter and friendship galore. I can see slumber parties at Wayne Manor or at the Kent farm. I can see them getting lost in space and time. I can see more adventures once they're at the same school. I can see a canon-divergence AU where Jon is finally admitted into the the Teen Titans at age 13 - how would that go? Or how about an Interrail Buddies AU?

If you want to write slashfic for them, I will not say no but would probably prefer to age them up a bit. I also most definitely don't mind any background appearances of any of their families.

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Superman Returns (2006)

- any (Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Richard White)

I still love this movie a lot - not because it's particularly spectacular, but it treats the characters with love, it treats the legacy of the Reeve movies with love and it leaves SO MANY questions for fanfiction authors to answer. ;) I mean, I've been a Superman fan for a long time and I've discovered that I'm most comfortable with a Clark who wears a mask both as Clark Kent and as Superman, who isn't either of those two (and who is fallible). And whenever someone learns of his secret identity, they will see that he's so much more than either Clark or Superman. I know Lois is a fairly underdeveloped character in this movie, so I would love for her to be treated not just as a prize, especially since there were those years of her having to put her life back together after Supes just up and left.

As for prompts, I've always wondered about the different coping mechanisms (Lois turning bitter, Jimmy starting up daydrinking - WTF?!) and just how their day-to-day business changed without Clark and Supes there. Give me the Planet staff banding together to rescue Lois when she remembers just that second too late that there will be no superhero to save them (I also wouldn't mind any of the Bats helping out secretly, if that's up your alley). Give me Jimmy trying not to think too much and instead getting on Lois' nerves until he's rescued by Richard intervening. I am also an absolute sucker for continuation fics, so how do things settle down after what happens in the movie? I would love for some real Clark and Jimmy bonding moments, maybe even Jimmy finding out or having known all along and covered for Clark. I would love for some truce and real friendship blossoming between Clark and Richard, as they are both intelligent, compassionate, insightful men. If you want to include Jason anywhere, feel free to do that, as he makes for such a wonderful catalyst for disaster. Feel free to write gen or any canon pairings - I'm also okay with non-canon het/slash pairs (or threesomes) as long as they make sense in-universe. ;)

Where to find it: Sadly, the movie doesn’t seem to be streaming anywhere, but since it’s 14 years old now, you can buy it relatively cheap.

Young Justice (Comics)

- Tim Drake (but do feel free to have any of the other characters in the story, too)

No matter if you're into the old 1990s YJ comics, the companion comics to the cartoon show, or the new 2019/20 version of the comics - I love all of them! So much I don't even know where to begin... The snark! The lovable teenage stupidity! The friendship that goes above and beyond! My definite favourite is Tim, because he is such a bright, snarky, secretive, repressed little bird (the moment he takes off his domino mask to reveal a second one underneath? priceless)! I also love his deep friendship with the others because that's his found family. Yes, Batman is his mentor (even though Tim might understand B better than the other way round sometimes) and Dick is his older brother and idol (hero worship, anyone?), but Young Justice is where he wants to be himself and all of it.

As for prompts: Even though I did not put either Cassie or Cissie in my request as I want something Tim-centric, the dynamic with those two strong-willed girls is definitely something I would love to see explored more. Also how the dynamic with the bats is so very different than the Young Just Us dynamic. What's it like being the one without powers in a group of hormonal teenage superheroes? I also just realized that I would love to see more of Mister Sarcastic trolling the rest of the gang. Or how about: What if Tim had powers for one day? If you're into the 2019 comics, how about a 5+1 of Why Drake May Or May Not Be A Good Superhero Alias. If you want to include the rest of the gang, you're definitely more than welcome to. Tim and Kon's bickering and outright arguments in the beginning turning into such a solid friendship (or more) is something I can read about time and time again. Pretty much the same goes for Tim and Bart. Or how about some Wendy the Werewolf Stalker shenanigans? Why is having girls in your group a bad/good idea? How did Cassie's becoming the team's leader affect Tim's sense of self? Heck, if you feel like it, open up the love triangle Tim-Cassie-Kon since there's like a ton of history there. Oh, and anyway, why is Stephanie Brown never part of any of Tim's teams? Dear Yuletide Santa, do also feel free to include any of the other teens (I have a soft spot for Li'l Lobo/Slobo).

Where to find it: Your trusted comicbook supplier.

Overall, I’m sure I’ll love what you have for me, and I'm looking forward to reading it! <3

[thecomicsnexus]

SUPERMAN #423, ACTION COMICS #583 SEPTEMBER 11986 BY ALAN MOORE, CURT SWAN, GEORGE PEREZ, KURT SCHAFFENBERGER AND GENE D’ANGELO

This is an imaginary story (which may never happen, but then again may) about a perfect man who came from the sky and did only good. It tells of his twilight, when the great battles were over and the great miracles long since performed; of how his enemies conspired against him and of that final war in the snow-blind wastes beneath the Northern Lights; of the two women he loved and of the choice he made between them; of how he broke his most sacred oath; and how finally all the things he had were taken from him save one. It ends with a wink. It begins in a quiet midwestern town, one summer afternoon in the quiet midwestern future. Away in the big city, people still sometimes glance up hopefully from the sidewalks, glimpsing a distant speck in the sky... but no: it's only a bird, only a plane. Superman died ten years ago. This is an imaginary story... Aren't they all?

SYNOPSIS (FROM SUPERMAN HOMEPAGE)

Summer has come to the Midwest, and the only thing that breaks the warm peacefulness of this little village this afternoon is the ring of a doorbell. The door opens framing a beautiful woman. "Ms Lane?" a young man asks. "It's Mrs. Lois Elliot, now," corrects the woman, opening the door for him to enter. "You must be Tim Crane, from the Planet," she says, and the young reporter the Daily Planet had sent to interview Lois for the Superman Memorial Edition makes himself at home on the couch.

To break the ice, Tim Crane tests his tape recorder then begins by asking about the two year period leading up to Superman's disappearance. "Were those happy times?" he asks. "Happy?" puzzles Lois. "I don't know... at least they were quiet," she begins. As if in a trance, Lois starts to tell her story. "Luthor had been quiet," she began, and "Brainiac had been pounded into scrap metal, save for the head that had never been recovered." Mostly, Superman worked in space doing research for the government, until one day he returned and found complete city blocks horribly destroyed. Jimmy rushed up to tell him that Bizarro had gone berserk, smashing buildings and injuring innocent people.

Walking into the shell that had once been a department store, Superman saw the destruction Bizarro has caused, and called to his imperfect replicate. "This am part of genius Bizarro self-improvement plan," laughed the grotesque creature, telling Superman that he had already destroyed Bizarro world, as Krypton had been destroyed. Then, realizing that to be the perfect imperfect double he must do everything opposite of Superman. If Superman cannot kill, Bizarro must kill millions, and if Superman is alive, then Bizarro must die. Holding a large piece of blue Kryptonite before himself, Bizarro collapsed to the floor, smiling. "Everything...him go dark," whispered Bizarro. "Hello, Superman. Hello." It didn't make sense even by Bizarro standards; genocide, homicide then suicide.

Several days later, at the WGBS television studios, two packages arrived just before Clark Kent made his daily newscast. Opening the smaller box, Lana Lang saw a group of Superman action figures and told Clark that they worked when the legs were squeezed together. Lifting one from the box, Lana demonstrated on one, and suddenly heat rays shot from its eyes. Suddenly, all of the figures became animated, and flew out of the box focusing their beams on Clark. "They're slicing him up," screamed Lana racing toward Clark, but Jimmy grabbed her. "It's too late. We can't save him," he yelled. But as the smoke cleared, Clark stands before them, his suit torn and burned revealing the familiar blue and red costume of Superman. Lana stared at him in amazement. "Clark, it was you. All of these years...it was you all of the time."

Their amazement is challenged when the voice of the Toyman and the Prankster crackled over small speakers in the figures. "He just combed his hair and stuck on a pair of glasses!" they laugh. "What a great gag!" "How did you know that I was Clark Kent?" screamed Superman. "Why don't you look in the big box," they replied, laughing wildly. The box was lead lined, but when Superman ripped it open the body of Pete Ross, who had known Superman's true identity since they were boys in Smallville, fell into view. The Prankster and Toyman continued to laugh hysterically at their apparent victory. "Do you know what radio waves look like..." Superman yelled, taking off faster than the eye can follow. Seconds later he smashed through the walls of their hideout. "...Because I do!" The next day, the world is shocked to read the headlines of the Planet that no one would have ever thought true: "Clark Kent Exposed as Superman." Later, at Pete Ross' funeral, Superman mused, "They were all just nuisances. What turned them into killers? If the nuisances from my past are coming back as killers, what will happen when the killers come back?"

Using a sophisticated detector, Lex Luthor searched the arctic circle, and finally located Brainiac's head. At first Luthor is ecstatic, but then he noticed the mask amazingly disassemble, then moved rapidly up Luthor's body to his head. With a disgusting "sludge", probes attached themselves to Luthor's skull, and took control of his motor and vocal pathways. The new Brainiac-Luthor team had been born. Turning slowly, Luthor began walking, stiffly, inexorably toward civilization one step, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another...

Several days passed before another event, almost as an omen, took place. In front of the Daily Planet building, an army of Metallos, hundreds of them, began climbing up the sides of the building, crashing through the glass breaking into the newsroom. Each of the Metallos attacked a member of the staff, a friend of Superman. But one sought Lois Lane, grabbed her, and threw her out of the broken window. "You alien loving tramp," he screamed at her. The reds and blues flowed together as Superman sped down and saved Lois as he has done countless times before, then turned upward to the roof. Using super-speed, he magnetized the giant planet on the top of the building and used it to gather up all of the Metallos.

But the danger was obvious. Superman decided that he must take all of his closest friends to the Fortress for safety. One by one, Superman transported Perry and Alice White, Lois and Lana, then Jimmy Olson. Almost on cue, Krypto returned from space, and stared at a life-size photo of Supergirl, almost tearing that she was killed in Crisis. The tension was so thick that focused heat vision could not cut through. Perry and Alice, at ropes end in their marriage, headed off to separate rooms. Lois and Lana, for so long rivals, consoled one another and themselves in their own fears.

Suddenly, the air crackled and the time bubble of the Legion of Super-Heroes appeared. Stepping from the bubble were all of the Legionnaires, including a young Kara... Supergirl. Brainiac V moved forward. "We thought you might appreciate the sight of a few friendly faces," he said. Then Kara greeted her cousin with a hug. "Is it cheating if you tell me if I grow up to be pretty," she asks. "You... grew up beautiful, Kara," choked back Superman. As the Legionnaires looked around the Fortress, Brainiac V took Superman aside and presented him with a gold statue of him holding a Phantom Zone projector. "We came here to meet with you again, and salute you," said Brainiac V solemnly. Superman looked at him sadly. "And pay your last respects, is that it?" Supergirl interrupted the tense moment. "I just thought of something," said Kara. "I thought I couldn't materialize in an era where you already existed?" "You're right," says Superman. "Right now, Supergirl is in the past."

Tearfully, the Legionnaires boarded their time bubble and slowly disappeared in an electric crackle. Left alone, Superman and Krypto sat quietly among their many trophies, the tributes to their heroic deeds... and their thoughts. "He never told me exactly what had happened the night before the siege began," says Lois. "But as soon as I saw him the next morning I knew something had upset him. He looked funny. He looked as if he had been crying."

Lois and Tim Crane take a break to have a cup of coffee. The wonderful aroma attracts Jordan Elliot, Lois' husband into the room. Sitting at the table, Crane looks at Elliot and asks whether he minds that his wife is being interviewed about her life with Superman. "Nah, I can live with it," dismissed Elliott. "He weren't nothin' special. Us workin' slobs, we're the real heroes." Turning, he left them to resume to their interview and Lois continued. "We stood on the balcony and watched as he destroyed the golden key. I think that's when we first realized that he was preparing for a siege... Superman's last stand."

Inside, the people were tense. Perry and Alice bickered. Lois and Lana waited. Outside, the villains gathered. Brainiac-Luthor and the Kryptonite Man emerged from Brainiac's rebuilt ship and to their amazement, Saturn Woman, Cosmic King and Lightning Lord, members of the Legion of Super Villains, arrived from the future hoping to share in the victory. "Why should I share," asks Brainiac-Luthor. "Because, in the future, we know things," said Saturn Woman. "According to legend...Superman met his greatest foe in battle and was no more," said Lightning Lord. "It is said that during Superman's last days, all of earth's champions flocked to help him," added Cosmic King. Brainiac-Luthor returned to his ship. "I shall erect an impenetrable force-screen immediately," the voice drones and a huge bubble, two miles across appeared enclosing the fortress.

Around noon, they began firing on the fortress with weapons from Brainiac's ship. Superman was able to destroy most of the weapons with his heat vision, but the force generator was too well protected, and a frontal assault by him and Krypto was turned back by Kryptonite Man. Soon, other heroes arrived. Friends, rivals, lovers; none of them could get through the barrier. And when night finally fell, everyone assumed that they had until morning.

As quiet came, Superman sought out Perry white. The two men spoke of fear, and dying in hushed voices. "I think I'm going to die," said Superman sadly, "and I have so much to get straight, like me and Lois, and me and Lana. They've wasted their love on me while I couldn't love either of them the way they deserved. I wish I had explained. I wish I hadn't been such a coward." His voice tailed off. The noble are always the ones most troubled by conscience.

Suddenly, a flickering flashlight captured a figure moving in the darkness. "Lana, what are you doing here?" asked Jimmy. They looked at each other realizing that each had come to help. Locating the serum that had once transformed him into Elastic Lad, Jimmy lifted the flask with a wry smile then drank. Before them is a pool of water that had once given Lana temporary super-powers. Telling Jimmy to turn his back, Lana immersed herself in the water, and one-by-one her senses expanded: x-ray vision, microscopic vision, and super-hearing... then overhearing a voice... of Superman. "When I was Superboy, Lana was the only girl I loved, but since I've grown to become a man, there's only ever been one woman for me. Lois. I love her Perry, but I can't tell her without hurting Lana. I'd never hurt Lana, so I'll just walk around with this secret, the weight in my heart. I'll carry it in my heart, and neither of them will ever know."

Standing, Lana lifted herself from the pool and dressed in the costume hung in the trophy case behind her. "Are you ready yet," asked Jimmy. "We'll show 'em," Lana says. "Nobody loved him better than us. Nobody!" and they sped from the fortress.

Brainiac had assumed that Kryptonite Man would keep Superman and Krypto at bay, so what happened took them totally by surprise. First Lana pummeled Kryptonite Man while Jimmy ran to disable the force projector. Then Lana turned on Brainiac-Luthor. The Brainiac portion spoke in bravado, but the part that was still Luthor pleaded with Lana. "Kill meee... Lana... Please... Kill me... Do it now," said Luthor, his voice feeble and weak. Lana landed a thundering blow which snapped Luthor's neck, collapsing him into the snow.

But then the Legion of Super Villains took command. Cosmic King used his elemental transmutation powers to turn the radioactive particles of the pool into normal body salts stealing Lana's powers from her. Lightning Lord approached Lana, offering a hand, but electrocuted her. Elastic Lad had watched this, and leapt at the villains from the future. "You murdering scum," he screamed. "The force screens wrecked and you're finished," but no sooner have the words left his lips when a blast from a ray pistol struck a fatal blow, and Jimmy lay dead in the snow.

The Villains wondered where the blast had come from, and then saw Brainiac stand clumsily, stiffly. "I.. am Brainiac...reducer of Kandor...and his greatest foe. My victory...is preordained. Do you think... that I would let... the death of this body... stand in my way?" The villains look at the scene in amazement. Kryptonite Man then noticed that even though Jimmy had destroyed the force generator the screen had not collapsed. "Some other force must be maintaining the screen," wheezed Brainiac who then ordered that they prepare for their final strike and launched a nuclear missile.

The nuclear blast had little effect on the fortress other than to open a gaping hole in one side. Inside, Perry rushed from his room and saw a wall begin to crumble on Alice. Quickly, he knocked her aside, saving her life. Safe for the moment, the two look at each other and realize that, even now, they still had love one another. The thing they did not have was time.

The first villain to approach the fortress was Kryptonite Man. Passing through the hole in the fortress wall, he called out defiantly, "Where are you Kryptonian?" The response came from a different Kryptonian than he expected, when Krypto blasted through the wall. Kryptonite Man radiated the dog, but Krypto kept coming, biting a slashing at the villain. "I'm killing you, you stupid animal. Don't you understand?" Krypto did understand and was unrelenting. In a pool of green blood, Kryptonite Man died, and with his final breaths, Krypto emitted a mournful howl then joined the green man in death.

With Lois in his arms, Superman flew through the fortress witnessing the destruction. Using his x-ray vision he located Perry and Alice, but told Lois that Jimmy and Lana were nowhere to be seen. "Perhaps they're dead," laughed Lightning Lord. "Want to buy yourself some time, Kryptonian? Why not throw me the woman to fry the way I fried your other girlfriend." "You hurt Lana?" Superman screamed. His eyes glow red, with the heat of many suns, and slash out slicing Lightning Lord's shoulder. Saturn Woman is completely taken aback. "He's prepared to kill," she says and the trio, knowing that Superman is to be defeated this day, rushes hurriedly to their Time Bubble and escape to the future.

Together, Superman and Lois fly off to face Brainiac. As they approach, Superman can see that rigor mortis has developed and Brainiac can no longer control muscular function. Luthor's body betrayed Brainiac in death, collapsing in the snow. Disengaging himself from Luthor's skull, Brainiac walks, crablike toward Superman. "I am coming for you Kryptonian. My victory in inevitable.' But Brainiac could only move a few inches, powered only by pure malice. In a blink, it, too, expired.

It's over. But no! There are too many loose ends. The force field is still intact. No one can enter or leave. As they return to the fortress, the truth suddenly dawned on Superman. "Mxyxptlk!" he screamed, and the 5th Dimensional imp appeared, changed somehow, darker. "What do you do when you're immortal," he asks, "other than fill time." Part of the time he was good, part of the time funny now he is evil. "Did you honestly believe that a 5th Dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat? This is how I really look," he screams and again changes into a distorted, grotesque apparition with height, length, breadth and a couple of other things.

Suddenly, Brainiac V's meaning dawned on Superman. The statue he was given... facing his greatest foe... he was holding a Phantom Zone projector. Racing through the fortress, Superman sped to the chamber where the projector was hidden, with Mxyxptlk right behind him. "Time to die!" screamed Mxyxptlk. "That's right, Mxyxptlk," says Superman. "Time to die."

It takes a moment for Mxyxptlk to recognize what Superman had in his hands, and in that moment, he realized that there is no escape for him, save one. As the Phantom Zone projector beam hits Mxyxptlk, he yelled out his name backwards. A numbing scream rends the air. As he attempted to return to the 5th Dimension, he was also sent to the Phantom Zone; torn in half between dimension.

And now it is over. But was it. In the fortress Superman appeared distraught. "I broke my oath," he sighed. "I killed him. Nobody has the right to kill. Not Mxyxptlk... not you... not Superman. Especially not Superman." "Superman turned and walked down a hallway," continues Lois to Tim Crane. "I ran after him, calling his name. He didn't reply. Opening a chamber labeled "Gold Kryptonite" he entered and walked into the gold light. He turned and looked over his shoulder. He smiled at me... I never saw Superman again."

The force field crackled and disappeared and the heroes of earth approached the fortress. "Carnage and destruction was everywhere," adds Lois sadly. "Bodies of his enemies, and his most loyal friends were strewn on the ground. They found me outside of the Gold Kryptonite chamber, but Superman was gone. They found a passageway leading out of the fortress and it is believed that he walked out, powerless. They never found his body. As far as I am concerned, Superman died in the arctic. I was there."

As Tim Crane gathers his notes and prepares to leave, Jordan Elliot walked into the living room with his son, Jonathan. Once alone, the couple settled in for the evening. "I guess the media won't be bothering us for at least another 10 years now," says Lois. "Let's hope so," added Jordan. Sitting Jonathan down beside the fireplace, the couple hugged lovingly. "Work was great," began Jordan. A friend brought in a photo of his grandchildren and they had worked on a '48 Buick. "You really love it, don't you? Going to work everyday, taking out the garbage, changing Jonathan's diapers... all the normal stuff," says Lois knowingly. "Yep. Can't beat it," laughed Jordan who casually glanced at his son, now black from coal soot.

"You were pretty hard on Superman earlier," admonished Lois. "Superman was over-rated," laughed Jordan. "Too wrapped up in himself. 'Thought the world couldn't get along without him." At his feet, young Jonathan playfully squeezed the coal in his hand. Opening it he stared gleefully at a large, glimmering diamond.

"What's for dinner," asked Jordan. "Pizza, then bed, a bottle of wine," winked Lois, "then we can live happily ever after. Sound good to you? Grinning widely, Jordan walked to the door, and stared out at us. He nodded, then winked, then closed the door.

CONTEXT

REVIEW

Yes, the dog dies.

There aren’t many sad Superman stories (at least not that many that do not end with some kind of hope). To me this story gets sadder with the Legion sequence. Everything about those pages is sad, including the last splash page. That is the moment Superman confirms he is about to die.

Some fun facts: Jordan Elliot is a homage to Jor-El. Lois’s son is named Jonathan for the reasons you already know. (Jonathan Kent).

On the cover of Action Comics #583, you can see DC people, Murphy Anderson, Curt Swan, Jenette Khan and and Julius Schwartz.

There are some things I consider “off” in this story that I forgive for the emotional factor. Time travel logic in particular seems fishy. There are a couple of rules mentioned, but the intervention of the Legion of Super-Villains kind of breaks history (unless of course, that they were there all along in some kind of loop). The same way with the golden statue, was that there all along?

It’s unclear to me if the force shield covered everything under earth as well, as Superman could have easily made an underground tunnel and put all his loved ones in another safe place.

Then what about the crazy room full of Golden Kryptonite? Is that safe to have around?

One thing is cool about the “suicide” ending. We saw Bizarro take his life earlier with Blue Kryptonite, and he does the opposite, so I take that as a clue that he is not dying.

I also like the small character moments. Lana and Lois in particular as they weren’t treated with respect all along (one of the reasons Byrne did away with the love triangles). But also Perry and Alice have a beautiful moment.

Lana, Jimmy and Krypto sacrifice themselves. As Jimmy said, “it’s time to pay the price for being Superman’s pal”. Lana died a hero and Lois pretty much helped Superman figured out how to end the menace.

Moore did good use of Superman’s supporting cast, something that most writers usually ignore (as they are usually used to fill pages or help with quick expositions).

I always forget George Perez inked the first chapter. It is clearly Perez without losing Swan’s style (but you can find Perez’s style in the backgrounds).

This is the end of the Bronze Age for Superman. To be honest, I do not know if this is a Bronze Age or a Modern Age story. I think both would be correct, but because it feels more in harmony with Modern Age stories, I decided to put it in that category.

I give this story a score of 10.

[argyle-s]

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME CHAPTER 30/38

Rating: Mature

Read at Ao3

Start at the Beginning

Vicki makes offer.  Max Makes an accusation.  Kara extends an invitation.  Bruce and Clark both make phone calls.

Thanks to @ifourmindbeso for her great work as a beta. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own.

Chapter 30 -  Offers, Accusations and Concerns

Kara stepped out of the elevator on the forty-second floor the next morning with her eyes firmly fixed on her phone as she headed towards her office, wishing she could use the holographic interface Konex had included instead of just the touch screen. The good news was, the emails were easier to deal with than all the feelings stirred up by the previous day’s events. She hated to admit it, but a tiny little part of her was actually going to miss Livewire. They’d never exactly been Besties, but Leslie had, eventually, become her friend.

“Kara Danvers?”

Kara looked up from her phone, realizing she hadn’t been watching where she was going, and wanted to kick herself for being so distracted she didn’t notice someone in her office before she walked in. She was more than a little surprised to see who that person was. She recognized Vicki Vale immediately, of course, though photos did not do the redhead standing in her doorway justice. She picked up her glasses and slipped them on, then stood up.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I’m Vicki Vale.”

Kara nodded. “Oh course. I’ve seen your picture before.”

Vicki smiled. “One of the unfortunate side effects of recent events, I’m sure,” she said, holding out her hand.

Kara took it, giving it a firm shake. “No,” she said. “Clark Kent’s my cousin. He’s got a shot of you, Bruce Wayne, Him, and Lois at some event or other.”

“Oh, God,” Vicki said. “I know just the picture you’re talking about, and you must be horribly disappointed. I was a good ten years younger in that picture.”

“Disappointed wouldn’t be the word I’d use. The picture doesn’t do you justice at all.”

Vicki’s face lit up with an almost impish grin. “Cat told me you were talented, but she didn’t tell me what a charmer you are.”

Kara laughed and gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk as she walked around it to sit down. “Just being honest, Miss Vale.”

“Please, call me Vicki,” she said. “And tell me, does that line work on a lot of women?”

“If I ever try it, I’ll let you know,” Kara said. “Contrary to what you might have heard from Miss Grant, I don’t date much.”

“Honestly, neither do I,” Vicki said. “I’m normally too busy figuring out which of Gotham’s politicians is taking bribes from which mobster this week.”

“Something you’re pretty good at, if the list of awards you’ve won is anything to go by.”

“A little too good, if you ask the mobsters.”

Kara noticed her reaching up to rub her side as she said it. “How’s that healing?” she asked.

Vicki looked down in surprise, as if she hadn’t realized what she was doing, and blushed slightly as she looked back up. “It’s mostly just scar tissue now, though it still aches a bit when the weather changes. Which, in Gotham, is all the time.”

“Then you’ll like National City. We might get a storm every so often, but most days, it’s nothing but sun.”

“I hear southern California’s good about that.”

“It is. So, what can I do for you?”

“Join my team,” she said, without a moment’s hesitation. “Anyone who can put together a file like that on Maxwell Lord should be in the field, as a reporter. Not sitting behind a desk, managing a twitter account.”

Kara smiled, feeling a bit of a blush in her own cheeks. “Well, I’d love to take credit for that, but I didn’t put together the file myself. I got a friend to do it.”

“Which changes my opinion not at all,” Vicki said. “If you put it together yourself, you’re a hell of a researcher. If you managed to get it from someone else, you have sources. Both of those are vital to a reporter. Plus, I saw your byline on the Reactron background piece.”

Kara blinked and shook her head. “I’d forgotten about that,” she said.

“You forgot writing an article as amazing as that?” Vicki asked.

Kara shrugged. “It’s been a busy few weeks. First, Supergirl showing up out of the blue, then arranging the interview with her for Miss Grant, then organizing the gala, and starting the S2MG. On top of all of that, I’ve been arranging the officially licensed Supergirl merchandise, getting the legal sign-off on the trust fund for the profits, helping organize the press conference for the Kryptonian Medical Foundation. Remembering something that took me twenty minutes with a google search… I’m sure you can understand.”

“You arranged the Supergirl interview, too?” Vicki asked.

“I did,” Kara said. “Took a bit of arm-twisting, but I managed to get a phone number. Once she knew who I worked for, she couldn’t agree fast enough.”

“And whose arm did you twist?” Vicki asked, which made Kara laugh so loud most of her staff turned to look at her office.

“You’re almost as bad as Cat,” Kara said, not able to keep the smile off her face or the amusement out of her voice.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m so much worse than Cat,” she said. “Cat was able to walk away from it.”

“So did you,” Kara said. “Or you wouldn’t be in an Editor’s Chair.”

“Touché,” Vicki said. “But seriously, Kara. I’ve been here three days, but I knew before I got on my plane, you belong out on the street with a press pass and a notepad. Not in here. Come on. Come join my team.”

“Give me six months,” Kara said. “Nine, tops. Once this department is up and running, and I’ve found someone who can manage it on a long-term basis, I’d love to get out there. But right now, what we’re going here is probably the most important thing happening at CatCo.”

“Seriously? Managing Supergirl’s twitter account?” Vicki asked.

“You’ll see,” Kara said with absolute confidence. “Supergirl’s been on the scene for less than two months, and she’s already changing the world.”

“You’re really that impressed with her?” Vicki asked.

“I believe in her. Enough to stake my career on all of this,” she said, gesturing to the area outside of her office.

“Well,” Vicki said. “You are every bit as impressive as Cat made you sound.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Kara replied.

“You should,” Vicki said. “And when you’re ready to be a reporter, Kara, you come see me.”

“I look forward to it.”

“It looks like more trouble for CEO Maxwell Lord today, as rumors of further indictments spread. As viewers may recall, both the National City Tribune and the Daily Planet published new allegations of wrongdoing in an extensive series of articles yesterday. The Tribune revealed a long history of ethics violations and criminal behavior by Lord, ranging from falsifying termination papers to avoid paying unemployment, up to and including industrial espionage and human trafficking, and illegal experimentation on human test subjects.”

“Meanwhile, The Daily Planet published an exposé detailing massive irregularities in Lord Technologies’ Public Disclosures, evidence of insider trading on the part of Lord, and several board members, as well as a possible price fixing agreement with TychoTech, run by noted tech mogul Simon Tycho.”

“Sources close to federal prosecutors report that Maxwell Lord, charged last week with terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, blackmail and attempted murder, along with a number of lesser charges in connection to a bombing at a lab owned by Lord Technologies, now faces a second round of indictments stemming from evidence uncovered by the Tribune and the Daily Planet.

“While no formal statement has been released by law enforcement, industry insiders are already suggesting this latest news could lead to charges against members of the Lord Technologies and TychoTech boards, as well as charges against Simon Tycho. Stock prices of both companies have already dropped drastically in the hours since the stories were published, and Lord Technologies investors are calling for Maxwell Lord’s removal from the company.”

“While neither Maxwell Lord, nor Simon Tycho could be reached for comment, both have issued press released denying all charges, and claiming this is a smear campaign organized to discredit them in the wake of their public opposition to the presence of Supergirl in National City.”

“No word yet on a response to these comments from the Girl of Steel, but CatCo has reached out to her for comment.”

“Reporting Live from Studio One here at Number One CatCo Plaza, this is Tawny Young, signing off.”

From Facebook

Supergirl Zor-El

Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

Maxwell Lord and Simon Tycho have both accused me and those who support me of organizing a smear campaign to discredit them. While I could issue a denial, and we could spend weeks playing a very public game of He Said, She Said, I will choose instead to let my actions speak for me. I did not step into the public eye seeking praise or attention. Instead, I stepped into the public eye because the people of National City Airlines Flight 237 needed help, and I was the only one who could provide it. Since then, I have sought the attention of the media, and of those with wealth or influence, not as a way to aggrandize myself, but as a way to help other refugees who find themselves stranded on a world not their own, and to share the knowledge and gifts of my people with the world as a whole.

If Mr. Lord and Mr. Tycho question why I chose the partners I did, they need only look at the histories of the companies and leaders in question, then compare them to the histories of their own companies, and their own behavior, both towards aliens who find themselves stranded on Earth’s shores, and humans who are less fortunate than themselves.

Finally, I will close by saying this. One of the stipulations I have made in all of the business dealings I have had since my first appearance as Supergirl is that I will take no profit from them. Unlike my cousin, I have chosen to issue official licenses for my likeness and merchandise which bears my name, but all profits from such merchandise go into a trust fund, where they will be held until such time as I designate a charity to receive those funds. Similarly, my share of any profits from the production and sale of any medicines and technologies derived from Kryptonian science goes into the same trust. All records are available for public review. In the time I have been Supergirl, I have accepted not one single cent for anything I have done.

I will admit that I have, on occasion, accepted food. To date, 10 large pizzas from Rosa’s Pizzeria on 6th Street (six of them Hawaiian, because pineapple on pizza is delicious) after I stopped a robbery there, Four family-sized orders of buffalo wings (Nuclear) from Benny’s Wing Shack on the corner of Lexington and 29th when I stopped a drunk driver from running through their front window, two jumbo hotdogs with extra sauerkraut and brown mustard from the cart in the Northeast Corner of CatCo plaza after I helped the owner lift the cart out of a pot hole, a dozen Churros from La Familia Market on Ponce De Leon Blvd after I stopped a robbery there, and six orders of Fried Pickles (which are surprisingly delicious) from Bubby-Lou’s Bar-B-Que on the Nation’s Bay Pier after I put out a trash fire that threatened to engulf the entire building.

I also freely admit that if someone offers me free food in the future, I will almost certainly accept it.

Perhaps, in the interest of fairness and transparency, Mr. Lord and Mr. Tycho can let the world know, in similar detail, what expressions of material gratitude they have received from those they have helped, and whether those expressions of gratitude arrived before, or after they provided the aid in question. I think their answers would be quite telling.

As are the words I have chosen to live by. Hope, help and compassion for all.

May Rao light your way.

Gordon Ramsay @GordonRamsay 24 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl Pineapple does not go on top of Pizza…

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 24 Nov 2015

@GordonRamsay I am a great fan of your work, sir. However this is one of two points on which you are completely and unequivocally wrong. The other being Rice Pudding, which is disgusting and not food.

Gordon Ramsay @GordonRamsay 24 Nov 2015

@ SupergirlZorEl I bet I could change your mind.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 24 Nov 2015

@GordonRamsay Are you offering to cook for me?

Gordon Ramsay @GordonRamsay 24 Nov 2015

@ SupergirlZorEl That was the general idea.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 24 Nov 2015

@GordonRamsay Direct Message me. We’ll set something up. Now, excuse me while I go do some loops around the city while shouting with joy.

Clark frowned at his phone as he saw the name listed on the caller ID. He liked Bruce, but the man almost never called with good news, and Clark had two pans of chicken enchiladas in sour cream sauce in the oven, and enchiladas did not keep well at all.

With a sigh, and images of a missed dinner in his head, Clark hit the accept call button, and lifted his phone to his ear. “Hey, Bruce,” He said.

“Have you seen the news today?” Bruce answered.

“You do remember what I do for a living, right?” Clark asked.

“You’re a reporter at The Daily Planet,” Bruce said.

Clark closed his eyes and counted to ten in Kryptonian before answering. “Yes, Bruce, I have seen the news today. Is there a specific item of news I should be looking at more closely?”

“Tawny Young’s report on Maxwell Lord and Simon Tycho’s response to the articles published today by the National City Tribune and The Daily Planet,” Bruce said.

“I haven’t seen that segment,” Clark said as he walked over into the home office and sat at his desk. “Let me see if I can find it.”

“Don’t bother,” Bruce said. “Just check Supergirl’s facebook.”

“Oookayyy,” Clark said, pulling up Supergirl’s facebook page. It took longer for the page to load than for him to read her post. “That’s quite a response.”

“Yes,” Bruce said. “That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Bruce, can you please explain what you’re talking about? I’ve told you before, mind-reading isn’t a part of my power set.”

“Your cousin seems remarkably adept at manipulating the media in her favor,” Bruce said. “In fact, based on the way she handles her public persona, if I didn’t already know who she was, and didn’t know for a fact that Cat Grant is human, I would actually suspect Cat Grant was Supergirl.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Clark said. “Unless Georgio Armani started designing super suits.”

“I’m not saying I think Cat Grant *is* Supergirl. I know it’s Kara. Or, at least, I know it’s Kara in the suit. What I’m worried about is Cat Grant’s influence on Supergirl.”

“Kara has idolized Cat Grant for years and has been working for her for almost a year. It’s only natural that she would pick up some of Cat’s style. Besides, this is a good thing.”

“Are you sure,” Bruce said. “A Superhero with a facebook page?”

“Bruce, I’m a reporter, and you remember how much of a disaster my first few interviews as Superman were. Kara’s always been a quick study, and she had a lot of examples to draw from. Me, Diana, Ted, Hal.”

“It worries me,” Bruce said.

“Clearly,” Clark replied. “But she’s been managing the media like a champ since she gave that first interview. Why is it bothering you now?”

“Did Diana tell you about the conversation she, Kara and I had Friday about developing Kryptonian power supplies for use on Earth?” Bruce asked.

Clark frowned. “No,” he said. “Kara hasn’t really been looping me in on a lot of things. I mean, she talked to me about the Krypton Remembered website, but that was more of a ‘Hey, I’m doing this, and didn’t want it to surprise you’ conversation than asking if I thought it was a good idea. About the only thing she did ask me was if it would be okay with me if she used Kryptonian food and clothing for the CatCo release Gala. The only reason I knew about the Kryptonian Medical Foundation ahead of time is she emailed me the press packet that morning.”

“That doesn’t bother you?” Bruce asked.

“It does, but technically, Kara is the head of the House of El.”

“I thought you were,” Bruce said.

“It’s complicated,” Clark said. “My father was the head of the House, so normally, I would inherit that position, but he died before I came of age. Since Kara was of age when my father died, the title passed to her, until I actually claim it. And even then, she has the right to challenge my claim.”

“I thought she was thirteen when your father died.”

“Kryptonians come of age around twelve Earth years.”

“Do you think she would challenge you if you tried to claim head of house status?” Bruce asked.

“I honestly don’t know,” Clark said. “I don’t think so. Kryptonian tradition means a lot to Kara, and a challenge is pretty much a formal statement that she doesn’t think I’m fit to lead the House. That’s pretty serious. Especially since, if she challenged me and lost, she’d lose all standing as a member of the House.”

“What does that mean, in practical terms?” Bruce asked.

“Well, first, she couldn’t wear the coat of arms anymore, and second, she’d be required to surrender all house property. She’d lose Konex, Kolex, and her Fortess of Sanctuary. She’d lose all access to the data archives we brought with us. She’d be locked out of her travel pod. I think all that would be left to her would be her necklace.”

“If she challenged you, could you win?” Bruce asked.

“Probably,” Clark said. “As the challenged, I have the right to choose the type of contest. It would almost have to be combat though. If I picked anything else, she’d wipe the floor with me.”

“What other kind of challenge is there?” Bruce asked.

“There are three challenges. The Challenge of Intelligence, The Challenge of Wisdom, and The Challenge of Strength.”

“You’re saying she’s smarter than you?”

“I don’t know if she’s got more raw intelligence. By human standards, she and I are both more than three standard deviations above the mean, but she’s the one with a Kryptonian education, and the equivalent of about ten PhD’s. All I’ve got is a journalism degree from Metropolis University, and what Jor-El could cram on a Kryptonian thumb drive. Same with the Challenge of Wisdom. It’s all tied up in Kryptonian culture and philosophy. On the other hand, I’m a master of Torquasm Rao, and she’s only trained to the first level in Klurkor, and as far as I know, hasn’t practiced seriously since she left Krypton. I know Alex has been teaching her Krav Maga since she went public as Supergirl, but that’s just a few weeks’ training.”

“What happens to you if she wins the challenge?” Bruce asked.

“I lose any right to claim status as the head of House. Essentially, my line would become the cadet branch of the family. In theory, if she chose to, she could expel me from the House at that point, but that’s almost never done. Bruce, what is all this about?”

“She suggested hiring Lena Luthor to help develop Kryptonian power supplies for sale on Earth.”

“SHE WHAT?” Clark yelled.

“She suggested hiring Lena Luthor to help develop Kryptonian power supplies for sale on Earth,” Bruce repeated, in the exact same tone he’d said it before.

Clark took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his noise. “Lois and I are going to National City tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving. I’ll talk to her then and find out what the hell she’s thinking.”

“Be prepared for an argument,” Bruce said.

“Right,” Clark said. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Okay,” Bruce said.

Clark cut the connection to Bruce and pulled up Diana’s number to find out what the hell had actually happened.

Kara looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled at the sight of Cat Grant making her way towards her office door.

“Hello, Miss Grant,” she said.

“Hello, Kiera,” Cat said as she sat down in one of the chairs in front of Kara’s desk.

“You’re here late,” Kara said.

“So are you. I thought you were taking off early because your family is in town for Thanksgiving.”

“That was the plan, but every time Supergirl makes a Facebook post, it’s like someone sets my entire calendar on fire.”

“Yes, well, our girl does seem to be making quite the splash, doesn’t she?”

“I’m pretty sure that incident in the bay this afternoon was just a misunderstanding,” Kara said, grinning.

“Oh, I’m sure. I mean, it was purely a coincidence that Supergirl splashed Simon Tycho, and only Simon Tycho when she did a flyby of his yacht.”

“She was on her way to a warehouse fire in Nation’s Bay,” she said, trying not to laugh, despite the amused twinkle in Cat’s eyes.

“I’m sure,” Cat said. “I heard someone had a visit from Vicki this morning.”

“I did,” Kara said. “She tried to convince me to give up all of this,” Kara said, waving to their surroundings, “to go be a reporter.”

“You would make a hell of a reporter, Kara,” Cat said.

Kara nodded. “I would,” she said. “And someday, I will. But if I’m honest, there’s a part of me that wishes I was still fetching your latte’s and organizing your schedule.”

Cat smiled at her. “I wish you were, too,” she said.

“Is there a problem with Jackson?” Kara asked, frowning.

“Just that he isn’t you,” Cat said. “I’ll never admit it to anyone, but my day feels a little emptier without someone sending me some inane cat video.”

“Oh, well, if it’s just the cat videos, I’m sure I can add that to his list of duties,” Kara said.

“He also can’t keep a latte hot,” Cat said.

Kara just grinned, deciding not to push any further, even though she knew exactly what Cat was getting at.

“How’s our girl handling her new status as a gay icon?” Cat asked.

“It’s a little overwhelming,” Kara said. “Out, the Advocate, Curve, Autostraddle and AfterEllen all keep begging for interviews, which makes me wish we had the lesbian-focused magazine and website already spun up, and some of the negative comments are enough to make anyone want to shoot lasers out of their eyes. Maybe a bit shocked that the President actually issued a statement about it.”

“I thought Oliva was very supportive,” Cat said.

“Yeah, it’s just… You know, having your private life on display like that isn’t easy.”

“No, it isn’t,” Cat said. “I remember the first time a paparazzi got pictures of me on a date. I didn’t want to leave the house for a week.”

“That’s hard to imagine,” Kara said.

“It was right after I started my first talk show,” Cat said. “Naturally, I adapted, but it was hard, at the time. People say things, cruel things, about public figures. I just hope Supergirl knows that the people who care about her won’t believe them, and the people that believe them aren’t worth caring about.”

“Well, I will pass along the message, Miss Grant. But I think, given her little speech on Leslie’s show, she knows whose opinions should be given weight.”

“I hope so,” Cat said.

“How about you, Miss Grant? You and Carter have your Thanksgiving plans all settled?”

“Oh, no. I don’t do Thanksgiving,” Cat said. “Carter spends it with his father, so I just come in and work.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara said.

“It’s okay. I get him for Christmas.”

“You should come to my place!” Kara said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cat said.

“I’m not,” Kara said. “It’ll be fun. Besides, James will be there, and Clark.”

“Which means Lois,” Cat said. “I’ll pass.”

“Oh, come on, Cat,” Kara said, bouncing a little in her seat. “You can spend the whole time rubbing it in her face that *your* Superhero let you sponsor her entire social media presence, and you’ve got inside access to the first out lesbian superhero.”

“Well, that does make it sound tempting,” Cat said.

“Come on!” Kara said, putting just a little bit of wheedling into her voice. “I bet I could even talk Supergirl into doing a cover shoot for the next issue of the magazine. It could be another feature. ‘The Out Girl From Outer Space.’”

“Well, we know who won’t be writing any headlines any time soon.”

“It sounded better in my head,” Kara said, not able to stop from giggling just a little.

“I should let you get going,” Cat said, standing up.

“I’ll text you my address,” Kara said, “In case you change your mind.”

Cat smiled at her. “Good night, Kara,” she said, then turned and headed for the elevator.

Kara didn’t stop smiling the whole way home.

[thornfield13713]

Earth-37 Lois Lane

...I bet you all thought I forgot about this ‘verse. Well, @doktorgirlfriend just posted her complete bio on the Man of Steel, and that got me thinking of Lois, and what I want to do with her.

First of all, I am taking a few cues from Bombshells here, in that Lois is Latina (Cuban mother, father’s family have lived in Texas since before it was part of the United States), and adding a bit of my own initiative and saying she’s trans. She’s also about a decade older than Clark, an established reporter who has already won a Pulitzer at the same time that he’s just joining the staff of the Daily Planet.

Backstory-wise, I’m going post-Crisis here, in that she‘s the daughter of General Sam Lane, and moved around a lot growing up, including overseas, to follow his career. She was her father’s favourite child growing up, as he was under the impression that Lois was the son he had wanted, which rather strained her relationship with her sister Lucia (nicknamed ‘Lucy’), who desperately wanted their father’s approval and attention, but could never get it due to an accident of birth, whereas Lois wanted nothing more than to get away and be able to live a life of her own. Lois didn’t really start figuring out her identity until college, leading to a permanent break with General Lane, who could have eventually learnt to tolerate his son becoming an investigative journalist, but not the discovery that he had never had the son he so desperately wanted after all. They haven‘t spoken since, although Lois remains in occasional touch with Lucy, who has since joined the army in an effort to give their father the soldier he always wanted.

Investigative journalism is her absolute passion and life’s calling, even if it wasn’t what she always planned to do - it took until college for her to discover how much she loved and wanted to pursue journalism, mostly due to the effects of finally being out of her father’s home, where her path had been laid out for her almost from before she was born, and the only thoughts she’d really had about her future had been how to avoid what her father had wanted for her, rather than figuring out what she wanted for herself. She made her mark in Metropolis by exposing the corruption of one of the state senators, and moved on to tackle prison conditions, big businesses’  tax evasion and mistreatment of workers, and finally the rise of Superman, the last of which coincided with the arrival of her partner Clark Kent to Metropolis. Lois was not, initially, best-pleased with having to take on a wet-behind-the-ears new hire, but soon found that she and Clark got along disturbingly well, once she’d figured out that most of the wide-eyed Kansas farm-boy shtick was down to trolling and how useful it was in getting people to underestimate him.

She may also have a bit of a thing for Superman. Just a small one. Hardly anything at all, really. Yes, she’s very complimentary about him in her articles, Clark, but that’s because she‘s genuinely impressed by what he‘s doing and the public needs to know, not because of any sort of personal interest. And this is, mostly, true. She is genuinely impressed, and she probably wouldn’t have written so much about it if she weren’t almost always in the thick of investigating whatever it is Superman is trying to expose anyway, but all the same...there’s something very appealing about Superman. Not just the powers and the ideology, but the person in the tights who seems to be sincerely trying to make the world a better place for no other reason but that he has the power to do it. Lois is a cynic by inclination, but Superman makes cynicism very, very difficult.