#zod lives (not)

[someoneoffthestreet]

MAWS s2 thoughts before the finale:

I’ve been thinking over what we’ve seen of Krypton this season. Mostly how, even though it feels like a lot, we haven’t actually seen much at all.

Notably, most of the information we have received about Krypton is actually sourced from Brainiac, which- well. Brainiac is a certified liar, or at the very least, has a very skewed perspective of Krypton and what it was supposed to be. I do not doubt that Krypton was at one point a warmongering planet that benefited off of others’ suffering (Jor-El’s account backs this up,) but dialogue from Brainiac in 2x08 suggests that, towards the end at least, Krypton was moving away from this and pursuing a more peaceful existence.

(Speculatively, this could have angered some Kryptonians ((it’s been 20-something years and Brainiac still sounds pissed off about it)) and instigated a coup that then led to the attempted invasions against Darkseid/Apokolips and Earth, and we know how that went.)

The images we see of Krypton show the Kryptonians with superpowers on their home planet. But we don’t? Actually know? If that’s completely true?? Because it seems strange that the show would have this, but keep the red sun weakness. Did Krypton not have a red sun in this universe?

Pushing on that, the images of that Krypton are from the Black Mercy, which Kara outright states is Brainiac’s domain. The world Clark is trapped in is based off of the one Kara shows him in 2x05, but we don’t actually know where that vision originated from. It couldn’t have come from Kara, because she was also an infant when Krypton was destroyed and would have no natural memory of it. So whose memory is that? Is it a memory at all? How do we know Brainiac didn’t tamper with it?

(Like in all likelihood it was just a throwaway line, but my brain keeps getting stuck on Clark noticing Ma and Pa’s doppelgängers in Kara’s Krypton, and I keep wondering if maybe that was a result of Clark’s subconscious infecting the simulation because it isn’t an actual, tangible memory, but Kara doesn’t seem to notice anything unusual with the memory so maybe I’m stuck on nothing.)

More on that, is how all of this interacts with what we see of Krypton from Jor-El’s memories. Admittedly he gives us very little, but the contrast is pretty stark. And maybe it’s just because the planet was mere moments from exploding, but the Krypton we see back in 1x02 is a wreck, in very stark contrast to the peaceful paradise that was Krypton’s Last Days as shown in 2x05. Even more notably, neither Lara nor Jor-El do anything superhuman in Jor-El’s account. Think about that. They are rushing to save their infant son’s life, but they aren’t using flight or super speed: they are very much earthbound.

Now to be fair, there’s another explanation. Krypton was already a spacefaring civilization before the fall, so they definitely discovered how their biology reacted to different suns. Maybe they created some kind of device that could simulate the yellow sun on Krypton (like the red solar shielding around Cadmus in s1) that “blessed” all Kryptonians with superpowers; and then this device was damaged/shut off in the time before the planet’s destruction.

Like it could be both: the above point being true and Brainiac still omitting/manipulating things about how Krypton was, maybe to better preserve his idea of what it should have been.

[un-pearable]

krypton is a gaping hole in kal-el.

clark kent is, according to his driver’s license and his about me blurb that prints increasingly smaller on his corner of the new dailyplanet.com, a classic sweetheart from western kansas with a bachelors in journalism and a one bedroom half bath three streets and a bus ride away from the daily planet in the heart of downtown metropolis. clark kent is celebrating his recent win - getting the printer to work without the hinge suffering a sheer fracture - with an extra sugar packet in his second cup of joe for the day and humoring his next desk neighbor’s heckling over it.

kal-el — superman — is the man receiving the mayor’s accolades with the world and the laser focused glare of the police chief weighing on his shoulders. according to, kal-el is,

clark kent is the well-meaning dork who never quite grew into his size and was bullied in high school, when asked he recounts being too sickly to join the football team and too unpopular to get over it. clark kent arrives early and works late to work off his four and a half years of student loan debt. clark kent has childhood friends, and an ex-girlfriend, and a budding romance with the abrasive, dyslexic, isn’t-she-just-lovely lois lane at the desk next to him who’s recently recruited him as her partner-in-foiling-crime.

superman — kal-el — has a baby blanket wrapped around his shoulders, a hunk of metal in a barn a couple thousand miles away, and a name with syllables even his mother can’t pronounce. a logo on his chest that he does not know and a dedication to love and truth and saving that is deeply, entirely human.

krypton is an aching absence in kal-el. krypton is the word he carries in his mind for when he fumbles his keys and almost breaks the doorknob, for when he hunches and smears his glasses. krypton is the lack of an explanation. krypton is, simply put, not. krypton is to kal-el not what kansas is to clark kent. kansas excuses the overfriendliness and the impromptu vacation days “to care for his ailing mother” and the handiness with a tractor. krypton is the torch they carry alongside their pitchforks when the bludgeoning begins. krypton is the response when the tragedy is unpreventable, when the wariness pitches into fear.

krypton is the world he holds in his heart when he can’t help but wonder. krypton is the sword his enemies hold over his head — a condemnation, a promise, a hope — and lord over him. the world is trapped in memories not his own, preserved in the perverted motives of those who would trade lives for tradition.

krypton is, later, eventually, a bridge. kal-el, an ambassador from a culture he’s borrowed to the one he was fated. clark kent, a haven. krypton is a girl in a spaceship of her own, fleeing from a krypton that was.

[cinnamonanddean]

LOOK AT HIS BIG DOPEY SMILE LISTENING TO LOIS, what a lovesick puppy. And the way she ran to hug him 😭 talk about idiots in love. They're so cute it makes me SICK.

[madslowburnish]

> wakes up at five thirty in the morning

I KNOW HOW WE CAN DO A GREAT BRAINIAC MOVIE AFTER GUNN'S LEGACY BOMBS AND NEEDS A REBOOT

Use Henson animatronics!

CG SFX are usually cheaper when you pair them with new practical effects. The Jim Henson Company has been making amazing strides in not just digitally-assisted puppetry, but specifically digitally-assisted animatronics.

To have a frightening organic motion for the movements of the mechanical alien Brainiac and his ship, Henson could source the only way to make this ambitious project simultaneously affordable and effective.

[lehoodcollector]

Remember Zods Words!!!

[jellyfishjuliet]

im doing research to see how far back i need to read back to understand zod's character in the current continuity post-flashpoint, and i just found out lor zod and jon are practically the same age pre-age up??? oh they playin GAMES. so hilarious considering how chris was aged up during his initial run. editorial losing SO much money not writing a joint zod/el comic. what if the new nightwing and flamebird were lor zod and jon kent. what if. and before one of you cuntwasps comes for me about age-ups, please at least have the decency to google who thara ak var is and how she got her man.

[batfleckgifs]

Thinking about how Clark and Bruce are made to face the trolly problem in Mos and Bvs respectively.

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

Hello. (Bingo) Can you write Dark Clark Kent and plus size female kryptoian reader ?

.⋆｡The Last of His Kind｡⋆.

Dark!Clark Kent x plus size reader

Clark is no stranger to loneliness, but a mysterious ship in the middle of the desert could be just the answer he’s been searching for

Warnings: kryptonian!reader, DARK FIC but more soft than my usual stuff, naive reader, kidnapping?, possessive!clark, no use of Y/N, future isolation and controlling behaviour WC: 1k

6k Follower Celebration Bingo

Library- @hannibals-favourite-meal-library

Clark had always been alone in the universe, an unfortunate consequence of his own people’s arrogance and willing ignorance of the happenings of the world around them. He didn’t mind so much as he had never experienced anything different but after Zod and the briefest of hints that he wasn’t the last, Clark felt a deep stirring in his chest.

He often caught himself staring off into the void between stars, wondering if there were others out there. But his duty was to Earth, he couldn’t just leave because of some slim hope that other Kryptonians lived on a far away planet. And even if there were, they could be like Zod- power hungry and cruel. 

But on a cool day in late October, Clark got his chance to find out.

The office was almost empty, everyone having gone home early to beat the autumn storm that was predicted for later that evening, leaving Clark virtually alone in his block of cubicles. His article was almost done but he found himself picking it apart over and over again, like something deep in the recesses of his mind was telling him to delay returning home for as long as he could. Then, he heard it.

A heavy thud of something crashing into the earth, it had to be bigger than a meteor but far smaller than an airplane or weather balloon. Clark’s head tilted as he focused all of his senses to somewhere in the Sahara. The groan and pop of heated metal slowly cooling, the hiss of air escaping a pressurised chamber. He could smell gunpowder and dust that clung to the shell of whatever it was. But he could also hear the steady beat of something within the metal.

With a cautionary glance around the office, which was now absent of anyone save for him, Clark stood. He was careful enough to shut down his computer and gather his things but as soon as his bag was zipped and he was safely in the stairwell, he darted down the stairs, just barely keeping himself restrained enough not to go too fast and give himself away.

He could hear the beating slowly getting faster. He ran out of the building as the hissing ceased and the familiar turning of gears started, just like it had in the ship he discovered in the arctic. Clark stumbled over his work shoes, the buttons of his shirt practically flying off in his struggle to get out of them. If this was another Zod, he wouldn’t have much time to react before they started acclimating to Earth’s healthy sun. 

His glasses were barely off his nose when he finally heard it, a soft groan- delicate, gentle (as much as a groan could be) and Clark’s heart skipped a beat. She let out another soft sound and Clark finally took off. 

This could be it, the answer he needed so badly. Perhaps it was an elder who could really teach him about his home world, a child who had been lost just like him. But some deep part of his soul, a piece he had locked away a long time ago, wondered if it was someone his age, someone who would be his equal, his partner.

The sands of the Sahara quickly revealed a huge slash through the dunes, darkened by the heat of the ship’s dramatic entry. The ship itself was halfway buried in the sand, its black hull a stark contrast against the bright sand. Clark landed in front of its rounded end. 

Steam curled around the dark metal but he barely had time to appraise the vessel before a mechanical clanging began and the sand around its side started to shift. Clark darted forwards as a panel lifted and the earth around it immediately began to spill inside. He grabbed at the open frame and tugged the ship free just as its occupant became visible.

She was beautiful.

Large curves highlighted by tight spandex-like material, the exact same as his suit. The symbol spread over her generous chest consisted of two overlapping circles, one that he didn’t recognise even after his father’s lessons. Clark felt like he couldn’t even breathe as he looked down at her body, everything about her was captivating, hypnotising, everything he had ever wanted. Her hair was pulled back and away from her face, allowing him to observe every blemish and mark of her skin in extraordinary detail. She was a goddess in its truest sense, an ethereal being in mortal form.

And when she finally opened her eyes, he was met with the most brilliant shade of e/c he had ever seen. Panic briefly flashed across her face before she saw his own house symbol and immediately relaxed, her expression more calm than he thought it should be in this situation.

“I’m Kal-El.” Her eyes sparkled in the strong rays of the sun as a small smile crept onto her face.

“Kal.” She repeated his name back to him in a voice far more pleasant than he had ever heard before. Her lips parted again but suddenly her body rocked forwards, as painful coughs rattled through her lungs. Clark swept her into his arms without thinking and pressed her to his chest. She limply clutched at his back as she continued to cough.

He flinched with each of her laboured inhales, his own chest burning with a rage he couldn’t explain. But what he did know was that no one else could know of her. Only god knew what would happen if any government found out about another Kryptonian, especially a female one. Lois and his mother would try to corrupt her mind, encouraging her to leave him.

He wouldn’t let that happen. He would never let himself be alone again.

He could protect her, mould her. She would be safe. No one would know of her existence, not until she knew who exactly she belonged to, the only person that she would ever be able to trust.

Clark smirked as he cupped her head gently, his thumb tracing the apple of her perfect cheek. Oh yes, she was absolutely perfect.

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[deebrisbyfish]

This was something of an actual conversation that happened with a customer at Comicon Erie this past September that seemed like a perfect thing to translate to the strip. I didn't quite get THIS depressed, in reality, but I did stop in the middle of my well-rehearsed spiel to consider the wording. lol At the show, I laughed it off and then repeated the joke a few more times for fun, but for the strip, the angstier take seemed more appropriate. Zod willing, I turn 50 in a week of this strip, and that idea is living rent-free in my head. lol So, if you think this is the last time this will be brought up in the comic, I have some bad news for you. ;)

[damianbugs]

this could mean nothing but upon my reread of Superman: Last Son of Krypton i noticed how important physical contact, specifically hand holding, is to chris' character. one of the first major bonding moments between clark and chris is when clark tucks him into bed, and chris asks him not to leave.

there are key moments in the story when people make the realisation that this 'mysterious kryptonian' is also just a little boy, and i think this is it for clark. lois has a similar moment after the bus falls on chris and she sees him cry.

the next time they hold hands is when jor-el tells clark he has no recollection of the boy, meaning there's a good chance he can't have been from krypton — which should make him more suspicious. clark doesn't seem worried about it, if anything, he seems really sad that the boy, just like him, has landed on earth with no family.

then after lois and clark accept chris as their own and start to integrate chris kent into their lives, all three of them hold hands when entering the daily planet.

now before this i just thought it was a really lovely and sweet way to show how affectionate the kents are, until this cover showed ursa and zod.

it might look like they're holding hands, but it's important to remember they never taught chris how to fly (most likely because they didn't care to, or they didn't want to give him the agency to then try and leave/disobey them). so they're just holding him up in the air. in the later story we see that they literally just drag him around by the hand since they don't expect him to fly with them (also to make sure he doesn't escape).

a great deal different to how clark and lois hold him.

then in the final moments we see clark save chris by grabbing hold of his hand.

i just think it says a lot about how we're supposed to see superman in this situation, especially after the previous moments with zod and chris. obviously in this situation clark would have grabbed whatever part or chris he could to stop him from being sucked up by the portal, but something about it being the boy's hand seems important. especially since it gives way to the very last time they hold hands.

the first time chris held clarks hand, he reached out first and held on, not wanting the other to leave him. the last time, clark is the one desperately trying to hold onto chris as the boy leaves.

again, this could mean nothing. chris is their kid so of course clark and lois hold his hand as all parents do, but it just seems a little more deliberate in this case. to really highlight the life chris had, the one he could of have had, and the one he gave up for others.

[jesncin]

Mind if I ask what your take on other Batman Rogues would be like, like Bane, Croc, or Riddler? Or Superman's like Braniac, Toyman, or Zod?

There's no reason behind the specific names. They're just the ones that popped first in my head.

Thank you for the both of your's time.

Out of these rogues, I've got some concept ideas for Brainiac. He's a mix of GLaDOS, Brau-1589 (from Pluto), Ghost in the Shell's Puppetmaster, and concepts from the game SOMA.

Braniac is an advanced Kryptonian AI program that gained uncomfortable sentience. A robot capable of murder, Brainiac seeks to destroy civilizations, believing his data of their recorded history would become more valuable in the process. He can possess and download himself into any robot body, so he takes many forms. Internally, he's at odds with his growing humanity.

You didn't mention her, but I have big brain ideas for Livewire!

A controversial grifter podcast influencer lady, Leslie Willis finds a prime opportunity to use Superman as a scapegoat for inflammatory content when he accidentally gives her the ability to be living energy. She's already primed her audience to victimize her if anyone chose to take a stance against her, targeting Superman just became a lot easier! She aims to rival news outlets like the Daily Planet, including Jimmy's popular video show. Though becoming more influential than her old colleague Lois Lane doesn't hurt either.

Those are my rogue ideas! I generally only pick villains to reimagine if I have a story to tell or a compelling take on them (I don't have an idea on everyone, at least not yet lol). Popular villains like the bat rogues are so saturated with content that it's pretty intimidating to attempt a take on them, haha. People have such strong feelings over the most obscure of the bat rogues, so I'd only make a take if I feel very strongly for an idea there. Lately I feel Superman rogues are very underrated! And I'm always looking for ways to revitalize Martian rogues too.

[animeredhead101]

Dad Phantom DP x DC Crossover

Completed

Bask in Our Cosmic Insignificance by DisillusionedDanny :

After Lady Gotham sends a lost and alone King Phantom to check on a little boy Danny Fenton finds himself the new guardian "angel" of a six year old boy. Tim Drake. Word Count: 33,632

The Devil Wore a T-Shirt by DisillusionedDanny :

After a one-night stand, Danny finds himself pregnant with Red Hood's kid. Now he finds himself as a dad to a small child with an important decision to make. Does he tell Red Hood he has a child? Or does Danny raise the kid by himself?

Word Count: 24,778

Who's Old Now? by LiraBuswavi :

“Am I your dad!!?” Billy shouted. Danny paused. Took a deep breath in and out before turning to him. “I’m gonna need you to back up, and explain. Please.” Or, what happens when a twelve year old masquerading as an adult superhero calls his guardian, an adult who can also turn into a child superhero, on speaker phone, in front of the Justice League. Word Count: 36,017

Of All the Things My Hands Have Held by DisillusionedDanny :

Upon learning that her son is in a relationship, Talia decides to create a clone to gift to her son as a gift to celebrate finally settling down. Now Damian and Danny are stuck trying to figure out how to raise a baby when neither of them had the best examples growing up.

Word Count: 17,066

Mourning a Young Soul Leads to Shared Custody by Olive_of_Vanders :

Danny was given a choice. Become King or parent a ghost kid. Ghost kid sounded a lot more easier to him. Word Count: 41,929

It's Not Sugar by ConspiracyCrows :

Ellie is destabilized and nearly killed by Vlad while trying to make another, "better", clone of Danny. In order to stabilize her she was de-aged to about 7, and now has chronic issues balancing her ecto the same way a type one diabetic has issues balancing blood sugars. In fact that's the cover story the pair use when Danny enrolls Ellie at Gotham Academy. The one favor he will allow Vlad to do for them. While Vlad seems to have finally come to his senses about Ellie, Danny won't let him anywhere near her ever again. Which is why they moved to Gotham in the first place, Vlad won't step foot there. It also helps that Lady Gotham is more than happy to have the Realms' Ambassador to the Living in her streets. They settle into Crime Alley, and Danny may or may not have forgotten to introduce himself to the Haunt owner, assuming Gotham would handle the niceties as he gets Ellie settled, and handles the pressing issues of the negotiations between the city, the realms, and those denizens of both who want or need one thing or other.

Word Count: 23,052

On-going

Deadly Assumptions and Their Consequences by Silver_star_06 :

The Justice league believes that Phantom is Captain Marvel‘s dad and tells the hero to summon him to help them with Darkseid. They weren’t expecting the cryptic eldridge being to start hanging around the watch tower. Danny couldn’t help but feel a kinship with the pre-teen that ended up as the current Captain Marvel. A scrappy black haired and blue eyed child vigilante, that only became one because of circumstance. Danny was going to help this child whether he wanted it or not. Word Count: 25,977

My Dad is Dead to Me by GhostInGotham :

John Constantine was fourteen when he set his house on fire. John Constantine was fourteen when he realized his father was still inside. Word Count: 19,573

Phantoms and Foes by Zylev :

Krypton was dying long before it exploded. After a lab accident at 14 gave Danny ice powers, he used them for good to try and stop crime as the first hero of Krypton. But when thousands of years of mining the core of Krypton finally caught up to the planet, General Zod evacuated Krypton to the Phantom Zone before it exploded. Little did Zod know he led the Kryptonians to a slaughter. Years later, Danny is the only Kryptonian left alive when Kal-El finds the Phantom Projector and brings him to Earth. Danny must now adjust to having new powers and life on a planet that is completely different than Krypton and the Phantom Zone. Word Count: 121,723

The Human Prince of Ghosts by AceFace98 :

Danny has been King for a few centuries now, but he's still half-ghost, immortal or not. So every now and again, Clockwork likes to kick him out of the Realms to go play human for a decade or two. It's usually pretty boring. This time, though, he meets a small child with a camera and a lot of pointed questions and immediately has Dad Instincts about it. Word Count: 65,300

Phantom's Progenies by Makuro767 :

progeny /ˈprɒdʒɪni/ noun plural noun: progenies a descendant or the descendants of a person, animal, or plant; offspring. A drabble collections of Danny Phantom as the father to several kids that are both his and clones of him from several different realities. Fluff with doses of trauma. ~ If you think you can write a full story from each drabble, be my guest. Word Count: 79,111 This is a HUGE multi-crossover fic FYI

[chernobog13]

Sara Douglas as Ursa in Superman ll (1981).

Ursa was described as the deadliest woman on Krypton, who hated all men save for General Dru-Zod, to whom she was slavishly devoted.

Ursa was a character created for the first Superman film, which was in development since the early 1970s and would, eventually, be split into two parts. She would make her brief first appearance in the beginning of Superman the Movie in 1978.

Someone at DC Comics decided it would be a good idea to introduce an evil, man-hating female Kryptonian in the comics before the film was released. However, since they didn't have the rights to Ursa yet, they decided to create their own own version.

And thus, the world was introduced to Faora Hu-Ul!

Action Comics (vol. 1) #472 (June, 1977). Cover by Bob Oskner. This was Faora's first appearance on a cover in her true form.

Faora made her first appearance in Action Comics (vol. 1) #471 (May, 1977), but spends most of the story as a featureless phantom. Her true form is revealed later on, and we learn she is a Phantom Zone escapee. On Krypton Faora had an irrational hatred of all men, known to have killed at least twenty-three of them, and kept other Kryptonians as slaves in her very own concentration camp.

As a Kryptonian, once Faora was out of the Phantom Zone she had all the same powers as Superman. That alone would have made her a formidable opponent. But she was also an expert in Horu-Kanu, the deadliest of Krypton's martial arts. which targets pressure points to disable, cripple, and even kill opponents. Superman had no defense against that.

Faora made a several more appearances over the years, until she - and most of Superman's continuity - was erased in Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985), and Superman's subsequent reboot by John Byrne in Man of Steel (1986).

Interestingly enough, Faora did briefly reappear - now named mysteriously Zaora - in John Byrne's last Superman story. She was one of three villainous Phantom Zone escapees who murdered every living thing on Earth (in a pocket universe), and was, infamously, executed for her crimes by Superman.

Zaora's death from Superman (vol. 2) #22 (October, 1988) Art by John Byrne, colors by Petra Scotese, letters by John Costanza.

Faora finally made it to the big screen in Man of Steel (2013), portrayed by Ayelet Zurer.

While I have plenty of opinions about this film, I will not share them here. I will point out that, while shown only as an overzealous follower of the tyrannical General Zod, Faora was a bad@$$ opponent for Superman nonetheless.

New versions of Faora and Ursa have been introduced into the comics, with Ursa making her debut in 2006 as Zod's spouse and mother of his son, Lor-Zod. After DC's New 52 (boo!) and Rebirth, Ursa and Lor-Zod underwent character modifications, so they are different from their 2006 incarnations.

Ursa was actually (SPOILER ALERT!) killed off in the 2024 mini-series Kneel Before Zod. But I suspect it won't be too long before someone brings her back.

[thevindicativevordan]

Thoughts on the poster and score?

Let's dive in!

First off the poster? Magnificent. Easily the best DC one since The Batman. Evokes Alex Ross, the original Donner film posters, and Star Trek all in one.

"Look up" is easily the best Superman tagline since "You'll believe a man can fly"

Moving on to theme, at first I wasn't happy. Really, we're using Williams theme again? Sure it's iconic but so is Elfman's Batman and Spider-Man themes. Chasing nostalgia has no appeal for me, but y'know what? I'm warming up to it, mainly because Gunn put his own spin on it. The open hymn take on the opening notes is beautiful and I do love using electric guitars in lieu of the traditional orchestra

Murphy better have only brought back the main Superman theme though, I want new music for everything else. Especially Lex, he deserves his own killer theme

Now the main event: the trailer. Short version is I like it! It feels like it's taking the best from Donner and Snyder while doing it's own thing. In fact what the "feel" of it reminds me most of is the Raimi Spider-Man films which are still my favorite superhero movies

Superman bleeding and bruised is what I specifically mean. What I loved about the Raimi Spidey films is how Spidey was always torn up, bloodied, and bruised by the end. It showed that he went through hell, and made you root for him. I think a lot of complaints about Cavill in MoS would have been mitigated if he hadn't looked totally untouched after destroying Metropolis fighting Zod. Here seeing Superman all beaten up does a lot to make you empathize with him, it makes him feel scrappy instead of OP

Something else that feels reminiscent of Raimi's films is the love for the civilian cast specifically in the focus on the Daily Planet crew. Everyone other than Lois was window dressing in the DCEU but I've got high hopes for this incarnation

Funnily enough there's still plenty of "Snyder" here. Lots of somber shots of Corenswet looking glum, the public cursing him while the oppressed cry out for a savior, in fact I don't think he smiles ONCE, but y'know why people aren't complaining? There's color for one. There's a touch of whimsy and fantastical with Krypto, the kaiju, and the Superman robot. This feels like a world not mired in misery, a world that's not as carefree as the one Reeve lived in, but not nihilistic like Cavill's. In fact you know what? This feels like the movie the third MoS trailer teased but didn't deliver.

Corenswet is the first actor since Reeve where I buy that people don't recognize his Clark and Superman are the same guy, they "look" different

Superman saving people! Shouldn't be something you praise but after the last guy we need to

Lex looks unhinged and I love it. I think Hoult's going to be a generational Lex Luthor

Mr. Terrific looks badass but I don't care about the rest of them to be honest. Guy looks like a total dweeb and I'm amused Gunn chose to be comic accurate with him seemingly

Ok so the orb and the kaiju are different entities. Orb is potentially Solaris? I'm fine with a different design and origin for him (his origin especially was never getting adapted as it was in the comics) but I hope he has more agency than merely being a grunt for Lex given that's Ultraman's apparent role

Pa is totally going to die and I bet that scene with him and Clark is Clark realizing Pa doesn't have much time

Yeah Gunn moved that Middle Eastern country to Eastern Europe to reduce the controversy, still think that could backfire even with a location change everyone can tell what it's a stand in for

Fortress is very reminiscent of Donner. I was hoping for the All-Star mountain but I can't complain since the Robots being there means it should be more than barren hallways inside

Left me feeling excited as hell. It didn't erase all my doubts and concerns, but it left me with faith that this will finally be the first Superman movie since Donner to truly capture who the character is in all his essence, especially given:

Anonymous asked: Did you see that amongst other things, Gunn gave his take on real self Vs mask

Gunn is going the third route to the "who's real?" question by saying neither are who Superman is in his entirety. Great, I'm a fan of the modern approach which acknowledges that both are masks to an extent, and the "real" Clark is only shown to those who know his secret. Everything I'm seeing makes me believe this is going to be a Superman whom the audience can root for, empathize with, and witness that Superman is a character with just as much complexity as Batman and Spider-Man. Perhaps I'll be mistaken but right now I feel the most optimistic I've ever been about Superman's future.

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @subeddieweek, day one.

I'm Only One Man

Prompt: Manhandling | Word Count: 2214 | Rating: E | CW: Light DubCon Kink Play | Tags: Manhandling, Fake First Time Scene, Established Relationship, Light Praise Kink, Unprotected Sex, Soft!Dom Steve, Bratty!Sub Eddie, Boys in Love

"Well, come on then, if you think you're man enough, big boy," Eddie says, sarcastic and snarky, and he has a brief flash of regret the moment it leaves his lips. Because Steve's eyes darken, indicating the sudden arrival of a brand new storm brewing on the horizon. 

It's intense, and enticing.

Eddie wants that, he's always wanted that, and now Steve Harrington is toe-to-toe with him, looking like he just might give it to him. 

Jesus H. Christ.

Eddie's cock throbs in his jeans at the prospect of Steve taking charge of him, and he wants. 

"What'd you say?" Steve asks, low and pointed.

Eddie wants to get on his knees, right here in his own backyard, but he's too belligerent to let himself do it. Always fighting against what he wants most. Eddie wants to kneel before Zod, but he won't, so he pushes back even harder against it. Always his own worst enemy. 

If Steve thinks he can tame him, Eddie'll damn well enjoy watching him try.

"You heard me," Eddie answers, trying to sound more blasé than he feels.

Eddie knows Steve's definitely man enough, and the way Steve's hand shoots out, snatching Eddie's wrist, verifies it. The bolt of lightning that shimmers and sizzles down Eddie's spine, sends an intense wave of want pooling in his groin. A rush of endorphins all through his brain, screaming right, right, right, do it, do it, do it.

He lets out an involuntary noise, from deep in his throat. 

"Want to try that again?" Steve asks, slow and steady, eyes locked on Eddie’s. Unwavering. Challenging. 

Eddie does.

"I said, if you think you're man enough, big boy," Eddie repeats, firm, defiant. Pitching his voice even lower than it already is, because he's not about to back down from a challenge. Especially not when he's getting exactly what he wants.

"Okay," Steve says, squeezing his wrist, and it's the only warning Eddie gets before Steve has twisted his arm behind him, turning him around, frog marching him across the yard. Steve's knee pressed into Eddie's ass, while still pinning his arm behind his back. Making it hard for Eddie to walk normally. 

Eddie doesn't care, he's happy to shuffle along like a fool, right up until Steve gets him to the first step leading up to the back porch. Then he stops.

"Up," Steve demands. 

Eddie isn't going up. He doesn't budge. 

"Fine," Steve says, spinning him, and Eddie doesn't even have time to react before he's slung over Steve's shoulder, dangling. 

"Fucking hell, Harrington," Eddie says, as Steve climbs the steps with ease, as if he's not even struggling to manhandle and carry Eddie into the house like he weighs nothing, like this is no challenge, or hardship. 

Eddie likes it. Eddie really likes it.

And his dick likes it more than he does, even, and he's sure Steve can feel it poking him in the collar bone, but he says nothing to indicate that. So Eddie grinds down, as best he can. Leaning into it. He might not be able to take Steve on physically, but he can damn sure make Steve uncomfortable.

So, Eddie dangles, pressing his crotch into Steve's chest as Steve stomps through the back door, through the kitchen, and Eddie's sure he's about to get dumped on the couch unceremoniously. 

He isn't.

Steve goes right on through the living room, and walks to the far end of the hall, kicking open the already ajar door to Eddie's bedroom. 

The bed is a mess, because Eddie never makes it, and Steve tosses him onto it, hard. Eddie bounces on his knees, before the momentum has him tumbling forward, unable to catch himself before he's facedown and prone in the pooled sheets. It wasn't graceful, and certainly not very sexy, but he doesn't give a fuck.

It was hot.

He wants to ask Steve to do it again.

And Eddie looks back over his shoulder, expecting to see Steve's back as he leaves.

Steve's not leaving. Holy shit.

Instead, Steve's pulling his belt out of his belt loops, and Eddie flushes hot. Is Steve gonna spank him with his belt? God, Eddie hopes so. But, no, Steve's moved on. Belt thrown to the ground, and now he's popping open the button on his jeans, and sliding down the zipper.

Eddie feels like he can hear every metal tooth slide and grind as it goes down, even from halfway across the room.

And Eddie's dick throbs between his legs, begging to be released from the confines of his underwear, his jeans. They're too tight, and he needs to be freed of them.

He reaches a hand towards his cock, but Steve's voice rings out, sharp and firm, "No." 

Eddie whines, but puts his hand back flat on the mattress, and then lays his head down, yielding. He feels the rush of warmth spreading through him as he does. He can be good. He wants to be good. 

He watches, face pressed to the sheets, as Steve shoves his jeans down, underwear going with them, and then he pulls his shirt over his head in one smooth motion. He's naked, totally, and Eddie's just facedown on his bed, fully dressed, cock so hard he could hammer nails, staring, like a horny, dumbstruck fool.

Steve's cock is big, even soft, and looks beautiful hanging heavy between his thighs. Dark thatch of hair doing nothing to hide what he has to offer, and Eddie is so fucking turned on by Steve's blatant display of control. 

Over his own body.

Over Eddie.

And Eddie feels floaty, and boneless, just watching. Taking it all in. 

He really wants to take it all in.

But he's a little surprised when Steve reaches for him, and forces him over onto his back, working to pull off Eddie's shoes. Throwing them over his shoulders, sneakers hitting the ground, bouncing away. His socks follow. Then Steve's yanking, tugging, bullying Eddie's jeans off his legs and Eddie just lays there, letting him do whatever he wants.

He's just along for the ride. The nice, nice ride.

At least Eddie's getting some friction on his dick, as Steve struggles to undress him. 

Once his legs are free of his jeans, he allows Steve to yank on his boxers, taking them, too. 

Eddie's naked from the waist down, still in his shirt and leather jacket, and Steve doesn't seem to care. Just grabs a fist full of his shirt, and yanks him upright, until he's seated.

"You think you can do anything about this?" Steve asks, his soft dick laying against his own large palm. Presenting it to Eddie, as if he's showing Eddie what he is, or isn't, doing for him. Where he's failing. And Eddie wants to do better. Can. Will.

Eddie nods, and opens his mouth. 

Steve feeds his soft cock into Eddie's waiting mouth, using one hand to press it against Eddie's tongue, the other gripping the back of Eddie's head, holding him in place. Making him bob his head at the speed Steve wants.

Eddie can feel Steve harden, grow, against his tongue, and he reaches for his own dick and Steve abruptly pulls out of his mouth. Eddie doesn't have time to complain, because Steve flips him back over like it's nothing, no effort at all, and forces Eddie up onto his knees. Slapping him on the thigh, a warning to stay still where he's been arranged. 

The contact rattles around in his brain, leaving a loud reverberating echo, and Eddie stays still. 

Steve dips off the bed, and Eddie hears him rummaging around the room. Digging through the nightstand, tossing all of Eddie's shit onto the ground, including his dirty magazines. Eddie hears them fluttering in the air before thudding onto the carpet. One by one.

"You're a fucking mess," Steve says, and Eddie nods. He's a mess. He is.

Steve must find what he wants, because he pushes him down onto his belly, flat, holding him there, trapping his dick against the bed. Eddie likes this, really likes this, and wants more of it. All of it. He wants Steve to do anything he wants to him, with him. He wants to give, and he wants Steve to take. Eddie grinds down into the bed at the thought.

"Didn't you hear me? I said no."

Eddie heard him. He did. He forgot, he feels too good.

He hears the familiar snick of his K-Y being opened, and then he feels the blunt head of Steve hard cock pressing right against his hole. 

"You have to-" 

"What do I have to do?" Steve interrupts, then pushes all the way in, with one long, sure stroke.

It's an easy slide, Eddie was ready, well prepped, Steve made sure of it earlier. But it still makes him cry out, pushing all of his goddamn buttons.

Steve would never, not really, his limits are hard, and causing Eddie real pain isn't ever going to be on the table.

But Steve thrusts once, twice, and it's overwhelming in the best way. Going from empty to filled completely, all at once. It jars all of Eddie's nerve endings wide-awake, alight with the sensations spreading through his whole body.

And he moans.

Steve grabs both of his shoulders and holds him down into the mattress as he fucks into him, and Eddie is just along for the ride. 

His dick brushing against the bed with every hard thrust. It's too much, and somehow still not enough. If he could just slide a hand-

"Don't even think about it," Steve says, like he can read his mind. 

Eddie laughs, because he didn't expect it, and that makes Steve laugh, too. 

It's contagious. 

He didn't move an inch, so he has no idea how Steve knew what he was about to try. Steve just knows him that well, Eddie is sure of it. And that makes him feel indescribably happy.

Steve leans down, brushing Eddie's hair back off of his face, his neck, pressing his lips there. 

It's soft, and not supposed to be part of this today.

But Eddie smiles. 

It's just Steve, slipping through the cracks of any given scene they try. He always does. It's part of his charm.

"I love you," Steve says, "every inch of you." 

"Even the belligerent parts?" Eddie asks, side of his face still pressed to the sheets. 

"Especially those," Steve says, and Eddie grins.

The wheels have started to fall off this, as they so often do. 

"I thought you were gonna make me behave?" Eddie asks, worming his hand under himself, arching his ass upwards, taking Steve with him, still in him, as he wraps his hand around his own dick, stroking himself roughly, finally getting some relief.

"Impossible, I'm only one man," Steve says, and Eddie smiles, until Steve gives a particularly hard thrust and Eddie huffs out a whine, being pushed further into the mess of sheets. Harder into his own hand. 

They could finish like this, but-

"More or…?" Steve asks, and Eddie doesn't hesitate.

"More," he answers. He wants Steve to fall back into the scene, if at all possible.

It must be, because Steve reaches for Eddie's elbow, roughly forcing him to let go of his cock. Manhandling his arm back to the bed.

Getting right back to it, just as Eddie asked.

So, Eddie slips fully back into that headspace, too, whining about it, as if it wasn't everything he'd asked for.

Steve slams his hips into Eddie's ass, cock reaching all the places Eddie'd only dreamed about before Steve came along and changed his whole world. The head of his cock, catching, dragging along his prostate with each deliberate stroke.

And when Steve finally comes, deep inside him, Eddie knows he did good.

Steve carefully pulls out, and rubs his palm over Eddie's ass, soothing him, before gently rolling Eddie over onto his back. 

"You did so good," Steve tells him, and Eddie feels so warm and happy, "you made me feel so good."

Eddie closes his eyes, and smiles.

"Can I make you feel good now?" Steve asks, rubbing his thighs, and Eddie knows this is his signal to start letting go. To slip back into himself, slowly, but steadily.

"Please," Eddie answers, and Steve gently removes his leather jacket, laying it over the chair at his desk, and then pulls his t-shirt over his head, careful not to tug on his hair. Then Steve slides down his body, taking his cock into his mouth, working him, tongue and lips and throat. All working together, and it doesn't take long. Eddie's been too close to the edge since they were in the backyard, and he comes against Steve's tongue, sagging with the relief of it.

Steve swallows, and crawls up the bed, cuddling up against him. Petting his hair, anchoring his strong leg over Eddie's thighs. Eddie's fingertips skate across his skin, feeling his rough leg hair under his fingers, tracing the map of moles that Eddie is well acquainted with. 

He's slowly coming down, coming back into himself, and soon he'll be back on solid ground.

Steve always takes care of him, his needs. 

"You good?" Steve asks.

And Eddie smiles.

He's so good.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @subeddieweek and follow along with the fun! 🖤

My other fics for this challenge week:

Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Day Six Day Seven

[therobotmonster]

Superman's unwillingness to kill is not his greatest weakness...

But Rom the Spaceknight's is.

Warning, I am on pain medication.

I didn't want to bloat the post that inspired this more than I did already. In it, there's reference to Zach Snyder alluding to his putting Superman in the position where he 'had to' kill Zod because Superman's unwillingness to kill is "his greatest weakness."

I disagree. Superman's unwillingness to kill is actually his greatest strength, or at least a manifestation of it. Superman doesn't refuse to kill just because of a Christian devotion to 'thou shalt not kill' or an adherence to human law. Clark's refusal to kill is an extension of his absolute dedication to not abusing his power.

Clark's actual greatest weakness is his compassion for others. That's the thing that constantly tempts him to abuse that power. It isn't that killing Lex Luthor or Zod is an unforgivable crime in itself, it's that Clark knows it wouldn't be.

Rom, on the other hand, is the other way around.

Rom isn't really a Superman Expy, but he's certainly a commentary on him, even if unintentionally. Rom is also a paragon-type, also an alien superhuman with a wide assortment of immense powers. His greatest weapon is essentially a phantom zone projector.

Like Superman, Rom is sworn not to kill. But that's the important part. Sworn not to. He is bound by oaths and duty and rules of engagement because he's both a holy knight hunting demons and a soldier in a war. He isn't allowed to kill non-wraiths because they're civilians and doesn't want to because he cares about most living creatures.

He isn't allowed to kill wraiths because death is too good for them. He's hunting down war criminals, and the Galadorian leadership sentenced them all to exile to limbo to suffer for eternity, immortal but unable to affect, much less harm, anything.

A dead wraith is a wraith that has escaped its sentence, and coming back from the dead is easier for a species of demon-warlock aliens than escaping their metaphorical exorcism and banishment to hell.

Rom's code against killing is the most often exploited weakness he has. The wraiths, knowing a front-on confrontation with him is certain banishment, love to hurl non-wraith humans and superhumans at Rom, knowing the Spaceknight won't return their lethal force (and that if he did, they'd have forced him to murder an innocent, which they consider a win).

In these contests, Rom's humanity (specifically his ability to express human traits like compassion, mercy, and self-sacrifice) is usually what turns the tide by convincing these dupes of his true nature.

Pictured: Rogue inadvertently triggers Rom's body dysmorphia

Now, as has often been mocked, Rom does kill a couple of times. This gives him an existential crisis, but it's more about violating his oaths and losing control than remorse for destroying a wraith in a moment of passion. The audience isn't supposed to be horrified at his actions or unsettled, they're supposed to see the impossible standard the Galadorians put on Rom and his brethren.

But it still works with the themes, because Rom is a man trapped in a machine, and his Spaceknight code and duty are a part of that machine.

So where Superman must triumph over the temptations his own compassion puts before him to go too far, Rom has to keep his power and duty from keeping him from feeling the emotions he needs to triumph over his demons.