#and what's his reasoning? what does he tell Zod??

[four-color-words]

Oh my god. I knew I was gonna like Chris, but. Oh my god.

[someoneoffthestreet]

here's a theory that's been cooking in my brain:

I think Clark is right that he's been "weaponized" somehow, but is completely wrong about the reasons, and I think the show tells us this in the very first minutes of the show. there are loads of examples (other people even picked up on this weeks ago) but they're ultimately redundant for this post because it all comes back to Clark, the kite, and the car.

the show opens with Clark trying to get his kite from a tree. it sets us up for his powers to kick in while trying to jump up and grab it, but it's a fake out, with him jumping no higher than he did before. it's only when the distracted mother hits the pothole and Clark tries to save her from hitting another tree that his powers kick in: not for himself, but for the sake of someone else. this proves to be the case for nearly all of his other powers as well.

as of the end of season 1, we're still not sure about what happened with Krypton, down to if it actually blew up like it usually does or not. but there's strong evidence that it had something to do with Brainiac and (possibly) Zod. whatever happened, Krypton was beyond saving, so Jor-El and Lara sent Clark away to save his life. but I'm thinking that that's not all Jor-El did.

I'm thinking Jor-El knew, at least in some capacity, what the yellow sun would do to Clark, so he added some "safety features", so to speak. something that would prohibit Clark's powers from manifesting until they were absolutely needed, which would help keep Clark hidden for as long as possible, and hopefully prevent him from possibly abusing his abilities for himself. I think there were a lot of variables in Jor-El's planning and he obviously couldn't account for everything, but in a perfect timeline Clark could've interacted with and learned from the holo-Jor-el alongside manifesting his powers. a reactor pointed out that Jor-El seemed to learn English the more he interacted with Clark, but Clark was afraid of him and avoided him for most of his life, meaning the language barrier was never overcome. (so Jor-El was either exceedingly lucky that Clark was discovered by the Kents and raised by good people who instilled Clark with his values and morals, OR he even scouted them out and purposefully sent Clark to them- but that one feels like more of a stretch.)

all of this to say, I think Jor-El knew that there was a good chance Brainiac and "Zod" would survive the coming calamity, and that once they had recovered, the universe would need a protector. somebody strong enough to counter Kryptonian weaponry and soldiers. I think Clark is a weapon- but is less of a sword, and more of a shield.

[invaderhogtwopointohno]

The Flash (2023) Spoilers:

I have a lot of thoughts about this movie (not interested in getting into Erza Miller, you can decide on your own about them.) but I really gotta say I loved this movie for many reasons: the biggest being that the entire theme of the movie is that the experiences that we endure, good or bad, shape our world view in dramatic ways and make us the heroes or villains that we eventually become.

Justice League!Barry experiences the traumatic death of his mother in a different way than it’s usually- in most versions of the Flash his mother is still murdered but he is either with his father or not there, but the absolute devastation that Barry was literally just lying on the floor up in his room working on his homework when his mother was murdered and he didn’t even hear anything? That really changes his sense of powerlessness in her death.

JL!Barry is shaped by this event- his father being blamed for his mother’s death, going to prison, Barry’s constant fight for the truth through his work at Central City’s crime lab, even if he is not appreciated there. This sets Barry down his path to being a hero because he endures that experience for several years and is very verbal in his pursuit of justice. He even says that he doesn’t have grand dreams about catching his mother’s killer, he just wants to get his father out of prison for it- he doesn’t care why or who did it- he just wants his family back.

Alt!Barry does not have that trauma. That is the whole reason why he is not worthy of his powers. We laugh at the Flash because he’s silly and fun and the heart of the Justice League (he even comments that he feels like he’s a glorified janitor) but his powers are so god-like that we have seen what happens when someone way more evil has access to them. JL!Barry has had the experience of learning his powers, understanding the limits and the conditions and the dangers of them- his experiences have shaped him into the hero that he is.

When they are in Russia and they realize that they haven’t found Superman, Barry doesn’t hesitate to save Kara anyway, even without his powers, because he is a hero- he has always been a hero. Alt!Barry doesn’t know what to do- he doesn’t make the heroic choice without thinking. He gets upset when he gets shot (even though he has super healing so he’ll be fine in like a few seconds) and gets angry at JL!Barry for not explaining that they can be hurt.

JL!Barry’s reply is actually really important in highlighting the huge difference between them “How come you didn’t tell me we could be shot!?” -”Why would you assume we couldn’t?” This is the big tell that their life experiences are so vastly different because Alt!Barry thought with his super powers he was invincible, he was a walking god- but that is not the reality. After learning that JL!Barry had messed with the timeline to save his mother’s life- thus creating the universe they were in that will inevitably be destroyed because of his interference, Alt!Barry just assumes that he can fix everything to.

“Sometimes there is no solution. You have to left go.” Echoing his mother’s words to Alt!Barry when he eventually realizes that by changing everything he is just dooming a universe by his own actions and he needs to make it right. Evil!Barry is just an older version of Alt!Barry that is obsessed with trying to be a hero and “fix everything” because of what JL!Barry told him- everything that takes place is all a direct result of JL!Barry’s own actions because he was trying to give his own life experience and knowledge to someone who had never experienced what he had gone through. 

Alt!Barry hadn’t known what it was like to be helpless, powerless- JL!Barry had watched his mother die, he had felt that huge sense of responsibility towards the greater good- JL!Barry understands his limits, he regrets his choices as hero- he even laments that he felt powerless in helping against Zod even though he was able to save one child in the chaos, he knows that he wasn’t ready to be a hero yet and felt like a failure. Alt!Barry finally coming to terms with this realization when he finally sees what he will become if he doesn’t stop and then saving JL!Barry by sacrificing himself was a really difficult moment- he had finally realized that he could be a hero if he just stopped trying to fix everything and let everything happen the way it should.

I also like the other themes of the movie: the existence of fate, the metaphor of time being spaghetti was funny, that small moments with the people we love are vastly more important than anything and we should cherish them, and I also liked how they made fun of and broke down the Justice League when JL!Barry was tryin to find the members (Aquaman being a magic mermaid!!) Also my favorite joke that I feel was really underappreciated was when Alt!Barry called Kara “solar powered” and that he was trying to get into solar energy (best joke and no one in my movie theatre laughed but me lolol).

[triscribe]

@the-dracologist You, my kind soul, are getting your own post: first of all there are so many Els. So many. And what was true in one continuity gets turned on its head in another. I have not been reading Superman comics for eighty years so I do the best with what online database-poking can tell me. But as for your other comment:

House El taking a child from house Zod and raising him as one of their own could go so hard in a setting like Westeros

I am gonna take FIVE MINUTES to explain my vision and then go back to the pre-plot family tree wrangling:

“Welcome to the Reach, young Wayne,” Lord Jonathan of House Kent greeted him, when Bruce arrived at the deceptively named ‘Smallcastle’. What once in ancient days began as a short single tower overlooking the nearby farms had over the centuries grown into a truly sprawling citadel, taller and grander towers ringed with thick walls to protect the many-layered keep and out buildings.

Bruce of House Wayne gets fostered at Smallcastle, growing up alongside Clark, whom everyone knows isn't actually the trueborn son of Lord Jonathan and Lady Martha, because their marriage went nearly twenty years without any sign of a child, but no one says anything about where the babe must have originally come from because he's a delightful lad raised by fair and generous parents and everyone agrees he'll make an excellent Lord of the Reach someday.

Except. It turns out 'Clark Kent' is actually the Kryptonian princeling Kal-El, thought deceased with his parents when their ship sank in a storm. A servant of the Kent household found a chest washed up on shore, containing a wailing infant with an unhatched dragon's egg. Jonathan and Martha don't tell the kid this until he's nearly sixteen, just after Zor-El, who became king after his brother Jor-El's death at sea, also dies unexpectedly.

The last El remaining, the only Kryptonian bloodline capable of taming dragons and thus sitting the throne, is the five year old princess Kara, whom several people immediately push to get control of. So, in order to try and forestall a potentially devastating war, the Kents tell their son the truth, who promptly shares it with his foster brother Bruce, who's response is to go "an egg long since turned to stone won't do you any good in proving your identity. Let's go find you a dragon."

(That turns into its own subplot)

Anyway. The boys locate a grown dragon, Clark bonds with it, and they arrive at the capitol city just in time to prevent battle from breaking out between the royal guards, the City Watch, and the army camped outside the gates. Said army is being led by General Dru-Zod, who's wife has just given birth to a healthy baby boy back home, and he's insisting on a betrothal between Lor/Chris and Princess Kara, which will neatly put him in the position of Regent for the next decade or so.

Others object to this. Including Clark. And when Zod turns his attempt at grasping for power into a formal challenge, it comes to a duel.

Whether I let Clark fight his own battle or have Bruce step in as his champion, Zod loses by a hair, agrees to yield, and then goes for the last second backstab. His ass will be getting eaten by the dragon.

After all is said and done and Clark's butt is firmly on the throne, he does the entirely reasonable thing and sends for Lor-Zod, to be raised as a ward/hostage in his court (or possibly handed to the Kents as a new fosterling, I'm not sure which yet). Kara will be getting to pick her own spouse-to-be in due time, and then I can get back to the Wayne Family Nonsense that I've been daydreaming about for days now.

(Amongst others. Dorne ruled by House Sandsmark, aka Hippolyta and her sisters and daughters and niece. The Vale of Thanagar, under control of House Hol. A distant tropical land called Tamaran, and the exiled Princess Kor'iand'r seeking refuge. The Iron Isles ruled by House Arkham. And of course House Wayne managing all the North, which Bruce gets very hands-on with doing, which means lots of travel between distant keeps and holdfasts and lots of opportunities to find kids in need of parental assistance. Oh, and also- King Beyond the Wall Slade Wilson. That's gonna be a fun one.)

But first I gotta finish the Kryptonian family tree

[cryingalexanders]

frankly I don't understand why clark continues to think lex would react badly to his secret after shattered/asylum and works against him so he won't remember it. because the show never gives us a valid reason for his fears which isn't directly contradicted by something shown to the audience.

does he think that lex will hate him for failing to rescue him? except that clark tells him that later and lex forgives him right away

does he think lex will tell the world about his powers? his dream in "slumber" seems to indicate so, except that lex kept his secret while rotting in belle reve in a month, even when offered the opportunity to escape, and never has the inclination to tell anyone else even when he discovers it and tries to kill clark at the end of s7. even evil!lex in onyx didn’t threaten to tell anyone, just cursed his own blindness and wanted to use clark for his own ends.

does he think that lex will react badly to him being an alien? except that lex only started growing fearful of alien threats after being possessed by zod in s5. before that he was simply driven by obsessive curiosity about the meter showers and connections to the kryptonian symbols, he never displayed any fear or prejudice. he told clark he's always wanted to meet an alien back in s2 and clark just scowls like he thinks he's being facetious? I can understand that because there's a difference between being able to accept something in theory and in reality, but it reminded me of the scene where lana tells clark she finds the idea of him being bulletproof comforting and clark still chooses to keep lying to her. he ignores even the most blatant signals of 'it's okay you can trust me' and to an extent the breakdown of his relationships is his fault because of this

does he think that lex will sell him out, especially to his father? except that lex warned clark about lionel after dr walden raved about clark being the key to the caves in front of them. and after nixon, lex was always protective and actively tried to direct people's attention away from clark. and he rescued clark from lionel/summerholt's clutches in memoria even having no idea why he was there. and clark not only worked with lionel in memoria (which resulted in him being betrayed and captured at summerholt) but worked with lionel again after he told him he reformed in bound, so it's not that.

does he think lex will hate him forever for lying to him? this one is more valid, I admit, because we do see lex getting more and more bitter over this as it goes on. and there is a scene in s2 where he tells clark that he never forgives people who lie to him or something of that nature. but there's also a lot of scenes in the early seasons where lex can clearly tell that clark is blatantly lying to him about something and lets it slide. I don't know if this is clark's inobservation and paranoia popping up again, or if he's deluded about how good he is at keeping his abilities from lex's notice and genuinely believes he has no idea clark isn't normal (chloe even points out his denial of this with lana in "lockdown", so I think this is actually pretty likely).

but then the way the show treats lex knowing about clark's abilities in s5 onwards is just so weird. they try to backpedal and write lex as more clueless whenever they're writing him eviler, and it treats him having suspicions like it's immoral and a threat to clark regardless of what he does with them. haven't the writers ever heard the phrase "the cat's out of the bag"?

it's a good character flaw for clark to have, and the idea that it's all a misunderstanding is actually really interesting! but the thing is the show doesn't commit to that. it never has clark learn his lesson or accept that his lying and refusing to trust lex hurt him, even when tess tries to call him out on it later (and considering that she was the one behind the memory-wipe in the finale, she clearly came to believe that lex knowing anything was too dangerous as well). it's all so aggravating for the waste. why write the main characters like this if you're never going to acknowledge that you did so?

[theender36]

Recently watched Superman: The Movie (1978) for the first time in well over a decade and it really is a great movie so I got some thoughts that I want to put somewhere before I forget.

The cold open of theater curtains showing a mockup of an old Superman serial featuring Action Comics is a great nod to the character's past. Then the title flying out of the old theater screen is a fantastic visual as well as a good transition to kickstart the credits sequence accompanied by the iconic music

The set design of Krypton is phenomenal; the glowing clothes, the crystalline look, and the streamlined technology feel alien and futuristic in a unique way, although it is a little odd that everything is so white except for Kal-El's baby blanket.

The trial of Zod, Ursa, and Non has the striking combination of visuals that are the trio being held in a spotlight by spinning rings and the stern Kryptonian judges' faces being projected onto the otherwise dark dome surrounding them

Marlon Brando keeps pronouncing it "Kryptin" for some reason. Like when I'm joking about watching "The Batmins"

Genuinely very sad goodbye scene from Kal's parents

Pretty much every wide shot in Kansas is super beautiful

As is the custom, Ma and Pa Kent bring Clark up right. I appreciate the moment where Clark tells Pa about how he gets so mad at bullies that he wants to tear them apart because first off, you can tell from how he says it that he knows it'd be wrong to do that. And second, Pa doesn't yell at him for having those feelings, he tries to help him deal with them.

Clark doesn't just bail on Martha to go find himself, and he makes sure she'll have help on the farm while he's gone

The sequence of the Fortress forming itself has amazing practical effects and editing

Maybe it was because I was watching the Blu Ray version with extra scenes but the abstract montage of crystal Jor-El teaching Clark about the universe and his abilities and giving life lessons ran a little long but it was cool

Clark is very much playing up his meek, clumsy identity but him being Reporter Clark Kent as a person is not totally an act. He makes sure half his paycheck goes to Ma back home because he wants to make sure she's taken care of and he tries to be polite and helpful around the office, which tracks with who he is at his core

I think Lex being a business tycoon/scientist is pretty integral to the character but I don't mind this version's "Napoleon of crime" shtick. I like that Gene Hackman's hair being a wig in-story is hinted at when Otis is poking around the spa and he finds a spare hairpiece

I know everyone knows this already but Christopher Reeves is a perfect casting choice and he does an amazing job at making Clark and Superman superficially different but obviously the same person at heart. Even when he says something a little corny as either one, there's so much sincerity to it

Clark feeling a little guilty about enjoying being a hero is on-brand. I like that Jor-El reflects Johnathan Kent by encouraging him but also giving guidance so he doesn't lose who he is.

The moment of Jor-El saying "I've sent them you. My only son." is veering very close to the common Superman-as-a-Jesus-allegory mistake but it's the only time in the entire movie I remember it doing that, so I can't harp on it too much

Lois is just a force of nature and the only reason Clark can keep up with her as Superman is because she's starstruck

This version of Superman and Lois are down just HORRENDOUS for each other

The flying date scene is great and I think the poorly-aged flying effect is countered by the nighttime background and the chemistry between the characters. That being said, the "can you read my mind" poem is just. What. Why is this

The scene of Lex, Ms. Teschmacher, and Otis attempting to tamper with the nukes and then having to do it again because Otis screwed up is so goofy I forgot they were villains

Great moment when Superman shows he can be intimidating by just staring down Otis.

I like that Superman is saved by Ms Teschmacher because she believes in him which is a surprise to Lex because he only believes in himself

Really great effects in the scenes of the destruction from the San Andreas fault

This shot is underrated

The moments of Superman realizing Lois is dead have so much weight to them and are amazingly shot

I kind of wish they explored the consequences of him "interfering in history" because otherwise it is sort of just a convenient deus ex machina

Everything ends tied up very nicely (except the Zod squad but after two hours, nobody's thinking about that) and sometimes that's all a movie needs

It's astonishing really how much they manage to fit in this movie considering they give a lot of scenes more time than you'd expect

Overall, movie good.

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

Hi! I just found your account and I basically binged all of your dami fics (i have a problem i know.. dami is a little guy ok) and LOVE THEM

Your dad au got to be my favorite and all your supersons/jondami fics are such a joy!

Question for your fic "The crown found in rose thorns".. was Damian almost killed accidently BY jon or by defending jon? Since when i read it i got a little bit confused might reread it again just to make sure tho

Also were the hunters going for Jon because he was doing magic or because DAMIAN was doing magic? Since the notion that damian has and can do magic seems like a hint/foreshadowing but i might just be reading too much into it bcz the fact that jondami were close as kids but NONE of the batfam know of jon tells me they met in secret

And what could make them get closer but doing magic together? I kinda imagine damian's magic to be kinda beautiful and thats what entrance Jon a lot. Jon saying that damian's magic doesn't have to be death magic just.. seems like smth.. after all, life and death always comes together and Damian has basically experience a "rebirth"

again i might be reading too much into it. I know this isn't one of your really big fics but its very interesting! (and i always love jondami) and i'm curious if you can share anything to us about it :D

haha oh god all I write is damian that must have taken you FOREVER 😅

also I'm a SLUT for talking about The Crown Found in Rose Thorns, okay haha. It's secretly a favorite despite not being big or popular. I have plans in my head of the next few sections, but I'm still trying to figure out the order, how I want to go about it, etc so writing hasn't happened but I'm hoping I break my block soon!

Damian was injured by defending Jon! The 'hunters' were anti-magic/Zod and his army. While Damian has the ABILITY to do magic, genetically, I don't plan on having him ever do so. HOWEVER, the 'magic in his blood' thing IS the reason Ra's is a threat to him, for similar vessel-y things to canon I guess you could say.

So, Jon and Damian weren't necessarily close as children, they just met that day of the event. (Though Damian did have a habit of sneaking out to "mingle with commoners" etc) The batfam don't know Jon from the past, but they know OF Jon. Or at least, Bruce does. Alfred told Bruce of the boy in the woods that he saw when they found Damian, but that's about it. Bruce knows of Alfred's belief that it was because of Jon, but he has his doubts, since he didn't see Jon for himself, so is kind of under the idea himself that it was because Damian was his son that he was attacked. You know, normal royal family problems. That's also what all the siblings assume. They probably don't know about Jon at all.

Also I don't remember if I ever said anywhere - but Damian doesn't remember the day he met Jon. The injuries he sustained gave him amnesia of the entire day, so he knows that it happened, but doesn't actually remember. The injuries were also from being trampled by the horses, mostly. Thats why he's on a road when Alfred finds him.

I promise I'm working on the next part haha. Or at least, I'm thinking about it a lot 😂

[phantoms-world-and-more]

Out of question, where did the idea of Superman hating clones come from in fanon?

Is it just an amped up version of him generally being neglectful for a while, taking a while to lend Conner a hand when he was homeless twice? The Kents adopted Conner and they've basically acted like brothers ever since...

He certainly is never weird about Damian.

Kara was weird about Conner for like an arc at one point (technically the New 52 Kon-El, by all accounts a different individual from Conner, even cloned from distinct people) because she was raised on Krypton and actually had a typical kryptonian bigotry against them before realizing that Kon-El wasn't created devoid of sentience to be purely a weapon for war and got over it. Does it have something to do with the view kryptonians had of clones?

Clark was dead when Conner first showed up and they basically worked together along with Steel until Conner joined Young Justice, so beyond seeing his as at most a teammate Steel trained for a bit and at worst a target of his constant paranoia over every action Lex takes, so there wasn't much that the idea could have come from in there.

It just seems strange to me that this concept was invented at all. Zod is right there. H'El is right there. There are characters that actually do hate Conner for being a clone already. I mean the comedic genius of Zod getting the upper hand on Superman for once only for Danny to beat him into the dirt because the motherfucker called Dani an 'unfeeling filthy copy' a week ago when he first broke out of the phantom zone and she went to the ghost zone to tell Danny to beat him up for it is masterful.

I'm pretty sure its for his negligence of connor

When fanfic writers need a villain but dont want to make a big fight they use what they have

And superman, who is considered to be incredibly strong and kind(in what ive seen, never read the conics) while being a a voice of reason and emotional

And people see flaws rather than the good so the negligence is what we latched onto, there's not alot of other heros that have complicated emotions that live in the grey area in morality while being a complete "good" hero

Personally i think it would be best used for a redemption ark in fanfics

This is just my opinion on this and while i dont fully know if theres something more my opinion is that people see flaws in good people rather than the good and thats what they focus on so the fandom latched onto it

I'm sorry if i offend tpu but thats my opinion

[coupleofdays]

Alright, it's time to finally compile my thoughts about how the premise of Tron Identity fits, or rather, doesn't seem to fit, together with Legacy, and my thus far failed attempts to make them fit. Long post with spoilers ahead.

First of all, I would like to state that I'm not opposed to the retcon that Quorra isn't in fact the last surviving ISO. I like to compare it to Superman: Depending on which continuity you're reading, Kal-El is either the only survivor of Krypton's destruction, The Last Kryptonian, or he's one of several survivors, including Supergirl, Krypto, Zod, the whole bottle city of Kandor, etc. Both of these premises are compelling to me: There's certainly a poetic tragedy of being the absolute last survivor of a calamity that wiped out your people, but I think that many people can also relate to the concept of a small group of survivors of a catastrophe trying to preserve and perhaps re-establish their culture. Similarly, Quorra being The Last ISO is interesting, but I see plenty of story potential in her being one of several survivors, perhaps trying to find and rescue her kin trapped in the Arq Server. And from what I can recall from watching Legacy recently, I think that they technically never outright say that Quorra is the last of her kind, though it is of course very heavily implied.

EDIT: Okay, Kevin does specifically call Quorra "the last ISO". Nevermind, then.

With that said, I think the main problem with the idea that Kevin Flynn created a backup server to which he migrated a bunch of ISOs can be summarized thus: Why the hell didn't he tell Sam? I guess the question could also be "why didn't he tell Quorra?", but I honestly have a difficulty seeing a scenario where Quorra isn't aware of the Arq Server in some way. I think that one of the very first things Kevin would tell Quorra when they meet after the Purge would be that he's saved other ISOs, I just can't imagine why he would keep her thinking that she's the last survivor. And even if he didn't tell her for some reason, I still think she would have suspiscions, since I imagine that most of the ISOs remaining on the Grid would notice if Kevin suddenly sneaked away some of them without telling anyone.

I have tried to figure out some explanations for why Kevin never told Sam about the Arq Server, and I have seen some possible explanations by other Tron fans, but none of them seem to hold up perfectly, for reasons I will explain below:

Kevin did tell Sam, we just never saw it in the movie: Okay, I guess there could be some moment when they're talking, like on the Sailer, and Flynn says "Oh, by the way..." I would probably have to do a rewatch of Legacy, but I suppose it could be possible that Sam isn't motivated by "I have to save Quorra, she's the last of her kind" and instead by "I have to save Quorra, so she can reunite with her fellow ISOs". The big problem with this idea is that once Sam got out, I have to imagine that his top priority would be to check on the Arq Server as soon as possible. Even if Sam procrastinated for whatever reason ("I have to start building a themepark ride!"), I imagine that Quorra would be on his ass about it every waking moment, for obvious reasons. But as I understand it, the premise of Identity is that the Arq Server hasn't been visited by anyone from the outside since the end of Legacy. It's been running by itself since 1989 up to our current present day year of 2023, perhaps even longer, and that's why it's in danger of running out of power. I don't think that works if Sam is aware of it.

Kevin thought the Arq Server had stopped functioning/was destroyed/was stolen: This was a scenario I saw someone else here on Tumblr suggest, and it's certainly a tantalizing idea. The idea of some as yet unknown third party carrying around a copy of the Arq Grid in their pocket is particularly fascinating, but I would assume that Kevin would tell Sam about it in that case: "When we get out, we have to find the person who stole the backup." Kevin believing that the server was destroyed or nonfunctional in some way is probably the scenario I have the least problems with, though I imagine that in that case he would at least have told Sam "I tried to make a backup, but..." I think it's especially interesting to imagine a conspiracy where someone inside the Arq Server somehow managed to "hack" it to fool Kevin into thinking it was shut down, perhaps some unscrupulous ISO who wanted to rule it for themselves?

Kevin forgot: And I don't mean "Oops, it just slipped my mind", I mean that something happened to his memory that erased his knowledge of the Arq Server. I had actually started sketching out a piece of fanfiction in which Kevin at some point before Legacy is temporarily captured by Clu (though later escaping, of course), and during his capture Clu manages to access this particular memory from Kevin's identity disc, and erases it for evil reasons. I liked the idea that Clu would know about the Arq Sever and was plotting to visit it once he got out, while Kevin was no longer aware of it, only regaining the memory when he reintegrates with Clu, and being unable to tell Sam before he disappears. However, I couldn't fit this together with the timeline of when Kevin meets Quorra (as I understand it, according to Tron Evolution that happened very shortly after the betrayal and purge). For the reasons stated above, Quorra would have to be aware of the Arq Server, and if Kevin got his memory erased after meeting Quorra, I have a hard time believing that she wouldn't mention it to him at some point after he escaped from Clu.

So there you have it. I really wish I could fit together Identity and Legacy in some way, since I really do like the game and all the concepts it introduces. It's possible I have missed or misunderstood something in my thoughts described above, and I'd be more than happy if someone points it out. It's also possible that the creators of Identity will come with some explanation in the promised sequels, that this whole thing is an intentional larger mystery that will eventually be revealed.

[ultfreakme]

I've read the WarWorld saga and I love the twins. However, like Chris, they are also sidelined and underdeveloped. Otho is the only one with agency, while Osul feels like another version of Chris. All three characters needed more time and development beyond Clark rescuing them.

Regarding Zod and Ursa's abuse, I understand this may not be what you meant, so this isn't an attack on you, but rather a statement. No child abuse ever makes sense. There is no justification for a parent to hurt their child. Ever. Unfortunately, there are people who want kids and still end up abusing them. Abuse never makes sense—some people are just awful. Zod and Ursa are simply terrible people. A wanted child doesn't always equate to a loved child, which is a sad reality. Zod and Ursa are just bad parents—monsters without any real motive, just inherently cruel. Just like all real-life abusive parents. There's no point in trying to rationalize their abusive behavior because there is no reason parents should ever abuse their child.

Anon, again oh god I hope this does not come off as me condescending to you. I have no personal anything for Chris. I'm mostly indifferent to what he is to people in fandom, all of ym gripes lie with writing decisions. I personally disagree about Otho, Osul and Chris being similarly dismisses, and I think I have textual proof Otho & Osul got more investment as characters independently, and as children to Clark more than Chris ever was, and with more intention behind WHY they act the way they do. This will not be about Chris or Osul or Otho as characters, but about how Geoff Johns wrote Chris & PKJ wrote super twins. I'm doing this to dissect storytelling and characters. I genuinely wish you all the happiness and fun for liking Chris. I am personally simply not compelled by him and I think the text doesn't provide me nearly enough of him in comparison to his counterparts and alternatives. That's all, this is just me showing why.

Right off the bat, introduction scene; this is pivotal, this is where your character makes an impact & shows us what they're about. How they talk, what they do on the regular. This is the establishing moment.

PKJ with Otho & Osul's very first scene:

I don't need to speculate or think too hard to know that Otho's the hardass who doesn't give a crap- she's resourceful, motivated entirely by survival and being warzoon. Osul's the more empathetic one, he tries to be the same kind of tough his sister is with the way he sneers and talks, but he tells her to go easy and is clearly the more open and kind one.

Sibling dynamic establish. Individual character and action established(along with individulistic design).

What was Chris's introduction scene? I'm dismissing the very first page we get of him in the pod because he isn't really a character there, but going to the scene where he does something character-wise

K, nice dramatic shot. What does this tell us about Chris Kent? He's smiling as he says "I'm hungry" and lifting up a TV set. What does this tell us? What does this mean? Why is he doing this?

In-text, this entire issue, I don't get an answer for this. We can speculate, but it's not factual. I can make up that he's lifting the cabinet to draw attention because he comes from an abusive home but I can also just as easily defy this by saying Zod & Ursa would never allow this level insubordination and disobedience by randomly lifting objects. I can say whatever I want to explain this behaviour of smiling, lifting an object and saying hes hungry but in-text, in canon, we are given no explanation for why he does this as a character.

This scene is actually in service of the audience. This is just to show us the reader, a kryptonian feat, which is simply visually repeating a thing Clark's already verbally confirmed.

But I do have a answer for why Otho & Osul said every single thing they did in their introduction scene, down to their expressions. Otho's cool with Clark being dead because dead people have resources on them she can steal to better defend herself. She's sneering because she doesn't give a crap if he's 'Superman'. Osul is looking unimpressed up there because Clark is looking rough & he is in disbelief that this is apparently the famed "Superman" who they held admiration for. His expression softens because yeah Superman is weak, but he still admired him at some point & he's trying to calm Otho. I don't need to dig or search because the writer is telling us "hey this is their deal". Otho's the more aggressive one and we spend more time with her because she's taken on the role of being the tough one, protecting Osul.

Chris? We never learn why Chris acts the way he does. In fact, we see a page immediately after the cabinet scene that puzzles me as to why Chris was lifting it in the first place. He doesn't KNOW he has these superpowers, he tries to fly like Clark and almost falls. So why is he smiling? Is he happy he's strong now? I'm purely guessing because the writing and art don't convey anything congruent. He says he doesn't have a name. He is entirely unfazed. And we never get an actual, canon explanation for why. We need it though, because these things are character defining and this behaviour especially is highly odd for a kid who just landed in a planet he doesn't know, away from the only world he understands, among complete strangers crowding around him to observe. The entire time, he smiles serenely and for some reason, trusts Clark after an extremely brief conversation. It can't be just because he's kryptonian because Zod & Ursa are also kryptonian.

Otho & Osul's reason for trusting Clark? Established immediately in the next two chapters. Otho & Osul are the most precious things to each other > Mongul says they must kill each other > But Clark says absolutely not > Twins like Clark better than Mongul because they figure out if they must become the people Mongul wants, they must destroy one another which is NOT on the table > Clark's the better bet. This is why Otho chooses to somewhat warm up to Clark and Osul goes from "hesitant" to "yeah I trust him entirely". Their trust in Clark develops slowly, we know why they're hesitant, and we know why they open up.

Chris? Why does Chris trust Clark? Is he the first kind person he encountered? What did he mean when he say "you don't belong here either, do you?" Again I can personally hc a bunch of things but it is not clearly intended by the text. GJ doesn't ever allow Chris to talk. And when Chris does, it's singular words and are rarely insightful into Chris's psyche, even in Kryptonian. Like why does Chris want to be adopted by Lois & Clark, specifically Lois, when he himself says "Lois doesn't like m" and Lois does nothing on-page to subvert this? If kindness is what made Chris attach to Clark, shouldn't he be averse to Lois the entire time?

Chris is entirely well-adjusted with Clois. We see no evidence of abuse, the stories never discuss Zod & Ursa, or what Chris specifically thinks about them. There's nothing reflected in his behaviour or character other than "he's nice". Which is fine, but again, why?

Even Jon, who experienced extreme abuse for years is now very nice. But there's an in-text reason for this. Jon refused to bend to Ultraman and kept fighting, and this meant holding onto hope. He refuses to be unkind because then he'd become like Ultraman(which was Ultraman's point). He also shows the after effects of this time through his insecurities with his powers and abilities as a hero.

Chris? Where? I read the action comic arc and the Tim stuff, there's little to nothing. He's got your typical kryptonian struggles but every Kryptonian's got em and after that it's up to the chraracter to react how they do. Otho was frustrated and immediately getting into fights, Osul was trying but still not getting the hang of it and both of them exhibited their inability to adjust through a penchant for violence because of Mongul. Chris just, he just says "this is difficult" without any unique expression as to why. He just says it's hard and reports generic symptoms.

Otho and Osul each got a separate arc btw. Otho got the final PKJ arc with the Blue Earth Movement with Ra's Al Ghul's alternate dimension granddaughter trying to force her further into being a ruthless warrior. Osul got the opening arc on Earth where he had an entire go inside him and Mongul's lackeys were hunting after him.

Chris got.....afaik, individual arc only after his spontaneous age-up. I'm not counting it because atp he's not Clois's kid anymore.

Onto the next point.

Abuse itself is senseless, but we are not dealing with real people here. These are characters, and characters have motives, that's their entire deal. Zod isn't just generically evil, he's like that because he wants Kryptonian supremacy dictated by violence and might. Same goes for Ursa. You cannot just say "these characters are simply evil" because then I can replace Zod and Ursa with two robots if all we need is "generic evil person".

Characters, be they good or bad, stand for something. They have to, otherwise it's just bad writing.

These character motives define actions. So when I say the abuse doesn't make any sense, I'm talking about it in terms of character, and what the writers and creatives intended to tell the audience through these choices. Zod and Ursa arent just inherently cruel, there's a reason for why they're like that. Their families value military might and strategic importance, they consider kryptonians to be superior to humans and shun any intermingling with "lower species". If you paint Zod & Ursa as just "simple evil", then you dismiss the message CLARK is trying to convey by defeating them.

When Clark defeats Zod, it's not just "good guy defeats evil". It's showing that this kind of exceptionalism and what's basically an analogy for racism and colonization, THAT is what is bad. If Ursa and Zod are just evil, it's not about child abuse as a story arc. It's just "child suffers under villain".

If the message was "abuse bad", it was lackluster and stating the obvious. We all KNOW parental abuse is bad. Now what does that mean for Chris Kent? How is he impacted? You can't say Ursa and Zod abused Chris and then not explore such a severe topic. The entire Chris arc in Action Comics fully ignored this aspect until the final 2 issues, and even then it didn't show Chris's turmoil. He had all of 10 lines across the issues dealing with his abuse. There is no exploration, no insight, no genuine engagement by Geoff Johns with the topic of child abuse.

I am saying all this not because I think Ursa and Zod can in any way be justified. I want to reiterate that, nothing will justify what Ursa and Zod did. With that in mind, an explanation for their abuse is NOT a justification.

Abuse and its cruelty makes no sense. But every abuser has an explanation for why the do it (again this is not a justification, this is still bad, explanations don't make a single thing better). The point of a story is to give a believable explanation for the things that happen and Geoff Johns didn't even TRY to explain.

I feel like I grew less and less coherent as the post continued but I hope I got my point across. You are not going to make me enjoy Chris as a character. And in turn I am not going to make you hatete Chris as a character. That's not what I want, I don't care about asserting which character is better. My current favorite is an anime character who showed up for 4 episodes in a 40 episode anime who people say I need to move tf on from. I am doing this not to bash Chris, but to bash Geoff Johns, who failed to deliver a compelling story.

This is again, a criticism of writing. You can love Chris all you want, I just don't think the Chris arc is a well-crafted story, and there aren't enough well-crafted stories of him for me to try to like him.

[bulletsandbracelets]

I had a work retreat this last week and one of the highlights was a whole long discussion over how we’d fix some of the shows/movies we’ve watched in the past and loved, but whose endings have fallen short.

And I tell you what, Smallville is one of the top ones on my list. (Endgame, WW84, and the new Star Wars are about same level).

Definitely some spoilers here.

Biggest one? Let Lana be a villain. Let her follow her trajectory into taking down the Luthors, recognize that Clark’s way of handling things does not work for her, and have her kill Lex and take over the Luthor empire. They didn’t need to bring Lex back - it would have been such a neat twist on the usual narrative, it would have provided a MUCH better way for Clark and Lana to split, and it would have been great to see him grapple with her killing Lex (as opposed to Oliver, who never made much sense to me in the first place. Lionel was his big revenge focus, not Lex. He knows Lex was a product of his father. Lana had so many more great reasons)

Now, with Lana in control of Lex Corp, have her team up with Tess. And then bring back in Zod for the final season(s), combining 9 and 10. End 9 with the full knowledge that 10 is coming and don’t resolve things. Lana has so much (justified) fear around Zod at this point, it is easy to think she would cross any line necessary to protect the earth from him. Write Chloe out as running Watchtower on the move, traveling around to recruit. Her dislike of being the point of contact there made no sense with her character XD. I would change season 8 too, tbh, and let her marry Jimmy/get him in it too… but at the very least, she’s always going to be involved.

You get Clark outing himself publicly as Superman to openly show there’s something here that is on their side after Zod shows there’s dangerous, powerful life on other planets. You get a 2 season finale arc with historical buildup in other seasons of the show. You get Lana Luthor and Clark having to work together, grudgingly, and then end with her knowing she can’t trust Clark and preparing to begin developing safeguards against him - just like Lex always planned to. You get a fledgling Justice League facing off against an alien invasion that starts slow, then picks up in the public eye.

I’ve found a lot of shows disappoint me by going the “safer” route and trying to keep characters recognizeable, or appeal to fans, rather than looking at the characters they have and thinking about where they’d like them to end up. Or where the characters themselves would go. It’s hard to imagine how different a show Smallville would be if they’d let Lana pick up Lex’s mantle, alongside Tess, instead of her doing it alone. And instead of trying to bring him back. I think it would have made an infinitely better show. Don’t get me wrong though - as is, it’s still a favorite of mine!

(Season 8 divides me as few shows can - so many things to love, so many things to hate! But Jimmy and Lana particularly never got a fair shake at being their own characters with their own driving arcs, outside of brief glimpses. Just really feels like they deserved better!)

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

I've got a outcast feel super siblings ask: imagine if Chris felt like an outsider from Conner, Jon and Kara because of his birth as a zod. This knaws at him to the point he believes that Conner, Jon and Kara are only nice to his face but mean to his back and so Chris runs away:

1: would Conner, Jon, Kara and the rest of the family be worried.

2: would Chris think that the family is happier now that he's not there.

3: after some time searching would Conner, Jon and Kara find Chris and if so where.

4: once they find him would everyone ask why Chris ran away and would Chris tell them why.

5: once they hear the truth would that family tell Chris how long he is and if so what would they say specifically.

6: once they hear Chris's side of the story would Conner, Jon and Kara feel horrible for unintentionally making Chris feel like he didn't belong.

7: once everything is cleared up would the family especially Conner, Jon and Kara tell Chris how worried they were and how relieved that he's back home.

8: after some, time, love and sibling Bonding would Chris start to feel like he belongs with the super family?

1. Yes indeed they would. Especially once they find that letter on Chris’ pillow

2. He would think so, no matter how much it breaks his heart

3. Yes they will; he’s found within a deep cave somewhere in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Chris being isolated in there for the past three days since he ran off

4. Indeed they would ask since the letter let them know but they needed to ask Chris himself to confirm it. After some time and realizing he can’t run from them anymore, Chris tearfully confirms what the letter he left said and his reasoning for running off as he did

5. Yes they would learn he’s been under this misinterpretation of their feelings towards him almost ever since he first ever landed on Earth from the Phantom Zone all those years ago, especially after a recent invasion by his birth father General Zod that he feels at fault for. Conner would’ve been shocked on if that’s how long it’s been going on; Kara would feel saddened that Chris guilts himself out of being something he’s not, namely one of Zod’s minions instead of the lovable little boy her cousin rescued from the Department of Metahuman Affairs; Jon would feel like he has to let his older adoptive brother know what he was thinking wasn’t the case at all with tears in his eyes

6. They most definitely would and they each make and effort to let Chris know the truth. They all fly up to the surface of the Moon to get a good view of Earth, the planet they all call home and it’s there, since they have that visual aid that help Chris focus on what they say, Kara, Conner and Jon are able to get through to Chris, letting him know that he indeed belongs with them as he does to Earth

7. Yes they would on both accounts no doubt about it. A special mention should go to Lois who first thing seeing Chris again was to give him one big hug to him despite herself not being as hands with affection comparatively to her husband of Martha

8. After all that time with his family, Chris indeed starts to feel like a Kent instead of purely a Zod. It gets him so much of heartwarming feeling, he tears up from sheer joy at the dinner table due to feeling all that love, especially once Jon gives him a hug

@we-cross-universe-king-relate @spider-jaysart @camo-wolf @theredheaded-stuff

[cipher-fresh]

Ranking depictions of Superman I’ve seen

-My Adventures With Superman (2023-)

Our newcomer is my favorite as a whole package, I adore the show’s depiction of Clark, of his and Lois’ relationship, and the focus on Jimmy as an essential character. The show has a really pleasant style and the story has been thrilling.

-Superman I & II (1978, 1980)

I’ll admit I haven’t watched Superman III or IV but I do love the ones I’ve watched. I don’t think there’s anything I could say about Christopher Reeve’s Superman that someone else hasn’t said already, but wow, what a magical movie. The astounding special effects for the 70’s, the romance between Lois and Clark. This movie series sets out to make you believe a man can fly and it does.

-Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)

This really benefits from being a TV show, as we see Clark’s double identity be really important to his dynamic with Lois. Depictions of the Clark/Lois dynamic where Lois dismisses Clark but drools over Superman can feel misogynistic by reducing women to being superficial about men’s attractiveness but this show avoids that by making Lois a definitive main character and emphasize her coworker relationship with Clark. Her name comes first in the show’s title and you see why.

-Superman Smashes the Klan (2019-2020)

This is a 3-volume comic run that ACTUALLY EXPLORES CLARK AS AN IMMIGRANT!!! The fact other Superman media hasn’t done it like this is astounding. It allows for so much interesting storytelling and also destroys the “Superman is uninteresting because he’s invulnerable/has every power!” argument that is already disproven by like, actually engaging in a Superman story.

-Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)

I like this series, we see a lot of Clark saving people as Superman and the action is engaging. I do think it had a massive missed opportunity because we never see much of Clark’s life outside of superheroing or setup scenes in the Daily Planet. The episode The Late Mr. Kent is my favorite of this show for that reason- we get to see Clark.

-Superman Returns (2006)

I definitely understand people’s frustrations with this one, the usual complaints are that it just copies the plot of Superman: The Movie, the baffling timeline shift, Superman having a son out of wedlock, him disappearing for such a long time and the guy who plays Lex Luthor. I honestly can’t say any of these are wrong but I think that the movie has a charm, but it is definitely a missed opportunity. I like Brandon Routh, and it has my favorite live-action depiction of Jimmy.

-Man of Steel (2013)

This movie frustrates me. Not to say Superman: The Movie didn’t popularize it, but the Superman-as-Jesus metaphor is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Great job turning a Jewish character into a Jesus metaphor, Mr. I Hate Optimism In Superhero Movies. I think Henry Cavill is a great pick as Clark but I begin to doubt this during the times I’ve rewatched it because Clark never seems like he feels upset when bad things happen. I’d assume that’s less so his acting abilities but the way he was directed. Everyone has already talked about 9/11 the Sequel happening and the whole snapping Zod’s neck and Jonathan Kent telling Clark his secret is more important than saving people but what really bothers me is Clark doesn’t seem to actually like saving people. There are moments where he feels in character or where a moment that demonstrates his personality is about to pay off but they all do something worse than what I expected. I think this movie was embarrassed to be about Superman so it had to turn him into something else.

[thatpersonwhosaidtheywouldnt]

Attempting to catch up on as many comics as possible before Absolute Power starts so I read all of Kneel Before Zod yesterday and man, idk. One of the things I have really liked about the Zods since Rebirth is their moral greyness. I like that, though it meant no Chris, Dru and Ursa loved and cared about Lor. I liked how Clark had to grapple with his understanding of them and come to a point where he could perhaps not trust them but leave them to their own devices. Kneel Before Zod... Does not give us those characters. They're all blood thirsty. They're running a Eugenics program (in text the word is used multiple times) on the native population of the planet they've taken over. Both Lor and Ursa call Dru weak for not using a big ass weapon he made on... Well no one in particular they just think he's weak for not using it. Dru is hallucinating Jor-El for some reason. Bro kicks Lor off planet because of this secret horrible thing the Zods do to their first born sons where they disown them ig. But Dru doesn't tell Lor that's why. Oh and then random aliens attack their planet. Idk why. They go to war and Ursa (who is pregnant also) gets murdered. And oh, you wanna know why the random aliens attacked and shit? Lor told them. So Dru sends away his half of the bottle city of kandor, disappears the damn planet, murders a ton of aliens, takes over a prison for some reason and then the Emerald Empress happens to be in that prison. The comic has lots of violence, lots of "the Zods are bloodthirsty monsters tm" and lots of me upset cause now Lor has sucky parents again but isn't sweet little Chris so idk what we have now. Sadness ig. Can't say I recommend the comic. I think it also got cancelled so... We'll see how canon it remains.

[lonespektr]

Oct 9th Day 23 The Shape of Water

I realized I wanted a del toro

By all rights this should be a re-watch but I never saw it

Obvs del toro but I LOVE me a zealot Michael shannon

And sign language user leac

Absolutely up my alley but I just kept saving it and never saw it

Okay using the budget right out of the gate full under water scene

I'm sure this isn't like horror horror but I actually don't know how fr fr

Egg timer for that

Oh obvs early association with water/sensuality

I appreciate the characterization of mouse doesn't mean door mat or no personality or afraid of life

Old man neighbor? I thought maybe coworker for some reason

Night shift

Top secret

Maid

Talky talk Wack husband complain

Blasphemy

There is my boy

Ugh might need to pause to cook soon mad hungry but then hungry only thing keeping me awake

Keylime

Terrible flirt

Bright green gross

More establishing of her personality

Lots of stepping

Cat booty why

Some of the best minds in the country peeing on the floor

Fucking electric prod? With water?

WTF ewww before

Lol napoleon complex the air down there

Shit already??? No just fingers

Afraid of blood dude

Lol rather blood than poop any day and urine

Mama don't touch it

Those two ex?

Surprised the man acknowledged the help but then top secret facility they probably actually do know them because they would look out for spies

Egg smart choice

Abe sapient 🖐🏿

Lol that's not common for your people

Delialiah

By the river

It wasn't clear she could read sign language

It's actually great that everyone she hangs with reads sign language as opposed to like she has a notepad

Another assertion of her character

You understand me not the other way round

Funny he said or even you then retracted it Shannon often plays a zealot that over plays his zealotry then reveals he actually maybe doesn't totally believe it - when he plays a racist... Not like Zod or something

Music egg dates

OK no he likes her

Spy

Lost subs for the Russian 😬😬😬😬😬😬

Rescue mission

"Old man"

And racist

Changed his mind.

|okay dinner break|

She didn't tell her work work beastie?

He should flirt through

Missed opportunity

Another missed opportunity should have signed something

She didn't get the damn oh yea he just told her

Good suit every where but the lips

Lot's of themes of isolation

Y'all both missed a punch

Oh no she covered their booties

Lol sarcasm

He of course suspects the reason she is pissy is the sexual harassment

Ate and ran

Pandora lol great cat name

Roaming the streets

Why isn't he utilizing his language skills

He's very sorry and he's trying to be nice with the kitties now

Light show

Sneaky fish penis

It's going to flood everything

How does she expect

No physics le sigh ok

And the toilet water

Oh hair right I thought it was just thin I never looked

Just in front the winda

What's with the damn water

An alternate universe is quite a modern phrase

Green theme

Those soap dispensers are the worst

Go to the damn hospital they are rotted

Musical number

His lack of language comprehension as well as other scenes reads like cognitive delay

Brussels and bacon

Brewster

Wow divorce him/ I mean leave I guess what's divorce policy

He's fully gangrenous

He knew

Just drops eaves and eat

How did he get their home address so quickly

Damn

1 2 3

I appreciate the realistic he not waiting no speech until afterwards

Not the transformation

And you can't chain a g_d, not for long not for good

Gills

They did a good job by only implying one side of her neck as cut

[kaunis-sielu]

Crash and Burn: 10

“Is it true,” Mr. Zod asks, “That your mate is District Attorney Kent?”

“No.”

“No?”

“Do you see a mating mark?” You ask him and out of the corner of your eye you see Clark smirk. He’d warned you that this might come, that the defense would discredit you any way that they could.

“Answer only the questions I ask.”

“I am.” You prickle with irritation.

“Is it true that you lived with DA Kent?”

“No.” Three days doesn’t count as living with someone, at least not in your opinion.

“Is it true that you now live with his cousin?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think that colors your opinion of my client?”

“No. When I turned him in he owned my home and was the owner of the diner I worked at. So if anything I had more reason to keep my nose out of his business.”

“Shut up Omega.” Zod snaps, you lift your right pointer finger slightly off of the desk but you know Clark sees it.

“Objection, Alpha command.” Clark says standing from the table he’s behind.

“Zod.” The judge a man named John Jones, warns the defense attorney.

“It was an accident Your Honor.” Zod says but you don’t believe him, he looks too pleased with himself. He turns back to you, “How did you end up with the list of addresses?”

“It was stuck to the bottom of a coffee pot at the diner I worked at and I found it when I was cleaning up after Mr. Luthor and Mr. Corbin had left.”

“Worked?”

“Yes.” You’re doing as he asks and only answering his questions.

“What do you mean worked?”

“That I worked there.” Mr. Zod glares at you baring his teeth and again Clark stands,

“Objection! Your Honor threatening the witness.”

“I didn’t threaten!”

“Baring your teeth, is, in fact, a nonverbal threat Your Honor.” Clark says calmly.

“Mr. Zod, you are on a very short leash. Either treat the witness with respect or you will no longer be allowed to question her.”

“Yes Your Honor.” Mr. Zod turns away from you and takes a deep breath, it’s like he’s steadying himself, trying to recenter. “Do you currently work for Mr. Luthor?”

“No.”

“Who do you work for?”

“The city.” Not a lie, you don’t want to tell him that you work for Clark if you don’t have to. He’s been trying to make it seem like you’re doing this because of Clark and that’s just not true.

“Doing what?”

“I’m an office administrator.”

“How are you qualified for that?”

“I have an associates in business administration.”

“So why were you working in a diner?”

“I don’t particularly like other people.”

“So you worked in a diner?”

“A small diner, with mostly regulars and very few of them would boss me around.” You tell him with a shrug. When you glance over at Clark he’s biting back a grin.

“Do you work for District Attorney Clark?”

“Yes.” Damn it.

“I move to dismiss this witness due to conflicting personal issues.” Mr. Zod says with a grin.

“Objection.” Clark says again sounding bored, “Witness didn’t, and still does not have a personal relationship with me.” Judge Jones nods before looking over at Mr. Zod.

“Mr. Zod are you done with the witness?”

“No further questions Your Honor.”

“Prosecution, your witness.” Judge Jones says as Mr. Zod sits down next to a glaring Lex and Clark stands up, buttons the front of his suit jacket and strolls toward you.

“Ms. Punkie, the first time you met me, when you brought the list of addresses to my office did you ever mention Mr. Luthor’s name?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I didn’t think he had anything to do with it.”

“Did you mention any name?”

“Yes.”

“What name was that?”

“Corbin.”

“And is that the first name or the last of the man you suspected?”

“I didn’t know.” When he doesn’t say anything you add, “Honestly I still don’t.”

“Why didn’t you suspect Mr. Luthor?”

“He’s a millionaire. Why would he be burning down buildings?”

“Did you know he owns all of the buildings that were started on fire?”

“No.” You stare at him in surprise, “Really?”

“Really, Mr. Luthor owns every building that burned down and none of them were making him any money. At least not until he burned down your apartment.”

“Objection.” Judge Jones looks over at Mr. Zod with a burrowed brow.

“Why are you objecting?”

“Um, speculation?”

“It’s not actually,” Clark says strolling back over to the table he and assistant district attorney Helena have been working at. She hands him a stack of papers that he brings over to Judge Jones, “I’d like to present exhibit 7, financial information from Mr. Luthor and his company LexCorps.” The Judge takes his time looking at the papers that Clark had given him.

“Do you have any further questions for the witness?”

“Do you have an Alpha?”

“No.”

“Have you ever considered Mr. Luthor your Alpha?”

“No.” You knew that he was going to be asking these questions but it doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable.

“What did you consider him?”

“My boss and landlord.”

“Did you ever call him for help?”

“Yes.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“If I ever felt uncomfortable from an Alpha at the diner we were told to call him. If we were every harassed by an Alpha or Beta in the neighborhood, or we needed something he always said that we could call.”

“Any other time?”

“Once, when I was mad at another Alpha and wanted a ride to work.”

“Were you afraid of that other Alpha?”

“No, just mad and knew that Mr. Luthor would irritate him the most.” Clark’s eyes narrow for just a second before he schools his expression, you’re probably going to hear about that one later.

“No further questions Your Honor.” He says before sitting down at the table again. You’re allowed to leave the stand after that but you sit with Diana and watch the trial for the rest of the day.

You’re shocked when Lex takes the stand,

“Mr. Luthor, did you ever have a relationship with Ms. Punkie?”

“Yes.” He lies and Diana is faster than you, putting a hand on your lap to keep you from standing up in protest. You’re in such a rage you don’t even hear the rest of Mr. Zod’s questions, then Clark stands, he glances back at you and gives you a reassuring smile.

“Mr. Luthor, how many Omegas do you have?”

“I don’t see how that matters.”

“Well, since your lawyer offered up the lie that Ms. Punkie was one of your mates I’m allowed to ask.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Your Honor.” Clark says sounding bored but you can see the tension in his shoulders.

“Answer the question Mr. Luthor.”

“Five.” He snaps, looking furiously over at Clark.

“And is it true that you have them on a cycle, so you always have an Omega in heat for when you want them.”

“Objection!”

“It’s relevant to his previous testimony Your Honor.”

“I’ll allow it.” Judge Jones says.

“Yes.” Lex spits through clenched teeth and you suddenly feel sick to your stomach.

“So if Ms. Punkie is one of your Omegas, when is her next heat?”

“What?”

“You claim to have five Omegas in the mix and that you know when their heats are, when is Ms. Punkie’s next heat?”

“Next week.”

“Your Honor I’d like to request to bring Ms. Punkie back to the stand.”

“No need, ask her from where she’s at. Ms. VanDyne please take record of what Ms. Punkie says.” He says to the court reporter who continues to click away on her keyboard type thing.

“Ms. Punkie, when is your next heat?” Clark asks.

“Three weeks from now. Yes, I can prove it with texts not only to you but several others as well as previous heat cycles from when I worked at the diner.”

“So, Mr. Luthor, were you actually with Ms. Punkie wouldn’t you know that?” Lex doesn’t say anything, he just glares at Clark looking more furious than you’ve ever seen him. “So, now that we’ve established that you like to make up stories-”

“Objection!” Mr. Zod cries, and Judge Jones gives Clark a disapproving look.

“I’d like to know if any of these properties were still making you money.” Clark says before putting some papers on the desk, “Exhibit 8 Your Honor.”

“Of course they were, they’re commercial properties after all.”

“It’s my understanding, Mr. Luthor, that in order to make money on a property you need something to be actually happening on it. So how were these properties making you money?”

“Do I look like an accountant to you?”

“You claim to be the owner.”

“I am the owner.”

“Who has no idea about fires that are burning down only properties that have little to no value to them.” Clark says, “Is this your handwriting?” He asks taking another piece of paper from Helena, “Exhibit 9 Your Honor.”

“I don’t know.” Lex says and you want to scream, does he honestly think he’s fooling anyone? You tune him out, you’re so uninterested in Lex’s lies and bullshit that honestly it’s probably best for everyone. This way at least you won’t get kicked out.

“No further questions Your Honor.” Clark says and you start, Diana chuckles softly.

“You good?”

“Yea, don’t tell Clark but I was totally tuned out for a while there.”

“Didn’t look like it,” She says, “Looked like you were checking him out the whole time.” You scrunch your nose at her and she laughs as you walk back to her car, you’re going to wait for the verdict in Clark’s office.

Judge Jones takes his time deciding, you pace the length of Clark’s office while you wait. It’s horrible waiting, all you want is for this to be over and it could be, or it couldn’t. It all comes down to one man’s decision.

“Honey, you need to eat something.” Clark says softly as you pace past his desk for what feels like the 700th time.

“Only if you want me to throw up.” You tell him, as you pace by again, your stomach churns at the thought of eating anything.

“When was the last time you had an actual meal?”

“Um,”

“I don’t love that answer.” Clark says getting up from his desk where he’s been watching you, “Please, just try a breadstick? Or I think I have some crackers in here. I don’t need you passing out.”

“I have never passed out in my life.” You tell him before pursing your lips in irritation.

“So you want this to be the first time?” He challenges and you glare at him.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“I’m not doing anything.” He says leaning against his desk, when you pass by him again Clark gently catches you and pulls you into him. “Punkie,” he says softly, the door flies open and he yanks you closer in defense letting out a warning growl.

“Sorry, there’s a verdict.” Kara says from the doorway, “thought you might want to know.”

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