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lonelywretchjervistetch · 1 year

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My DC Cinematic Universe: Superman (Part V)

Chapter Five: A Support System

This section's gonna be a little different. Might seem kinda like filler at first glance, but it sort of is, in a way. After all, we'll need to fill out the normal everyday world of Clark Kent, and what better way to do that than with his supporting cast. Because Clark has quite a bit of supporting cast, and because we've got other things to focus on in this theoretical film, I'm not gonna go too in-depth this time. Buuuuuut, while this'll be light on character analysis, we'll still need to ask why these characters exist, and how they'll be seen in the film itself.

One more thing: we'll divide this section down by location, and I'll go into those locations just a little bit. After all, a city is its own character, so it makes sense to talk about the environments in which Clark normally finds himself. And so, without further ado...

Smallville: Hometown Drama

OK, sing it with me now, SOMEBODY SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Smallville, Kansas is the town that made Clark Kent. It is and should be the most normal town in the United States of America. What I mean by this is that, unlike the TV series, Smallville, and even unlike the original Superboy comics, literally nothing should happen here. This should be an extremely average and boring place to live. I realize that that's probably a little boring, but...yeah. Fuggin' exactly. Smallville's biggest crisis should be that time the Johnson's cows got loose and interrupted the Smallville High homecoming game. And yeah, the official report was that the fence gate was left open, but everybody knows that Carl Draper snuck over and let them out on purpose just to mess with quarterback Kenny Braverman and the team. 'Cause, y'know, Carl blames Kenny for stealing Whitney Fordman from him, even though Whitney isn't even dating Kenny ever more since he started flirting with Lana Lang during-you get it, you get the idea, you get the point.

But, that said, there are a few people in Smallville who are a part of Clark's adolescent and adult life, so let's talk about them, as well as throwing them into this Cinematic Universe I'm making.

Gotta start with Lana Lang, the girl next door. And I'd like to preface this by saying that the most famous version of this character, from Smallville, is the WORST FUCKING THING ABOUT THAT SHOW. Period. Nothing against Kristin Kreuk, she did well with what she was given. To bad what she was given was just a box of new Cap'n Crunch cereal variety called "Oops, All Cringe!" I fucking hate Smallville Lana Lang. Mostly because her overly dramatic life and persona are completely against who Lana Lang is. And who is Lana Lang?

Like I said, Lana is the girl next door. She and Clark are good friends, as well as unrequited love interests. And that's almost entirely on Clark, because Lana's not as timid or shy. And yes, Clark is extremely reserved in high school, mostly because he's nervous about exposing himself and being a freak. He was NOT the popular kid, and Lana absolutely was. But because Lana is genuinely a nice person with good morals, she really likes Clark. Like, she REALLY likes Clark. And yes, she was ABSOLUTELY his first kiss, and she absolutely initiated it. The Clark-Lana relationship should be sweet and cute, and the most stereotypical teenager love story you've ever seen. But, in the end, Clark went to Metropolis and she went else, and they parted ways. Oh, and for the record, Lana knows that Clark is Superman. Didn't figure it out until a bit after Smallville, but she absolutely knows, and she texted him IMMEDIATELY when she figured it out.

OK, who's next? In Smallville, the show creators gave Clark two best friends, so I think that makes sense here as well. In that case...

Pete Ross, the childhood best friend! Ah, Pete, why do people remember and forget you simultaneously? You were a major supporting character in Smallville, but only for 3 seasons, then didn't appear again until season 7, and never after that. Which is super weird, considering the major role Pete had in the comics. The best friend of a young Clark, Pete Ross is also one of the first people to figure out Clark's secret, independently. In the comics, he figures it out and doesn't tell Clark until way later, but nah. Let's just make it a secret that the two of them share as kids; change things up a little.

My version of Pete is still best friends with Clark to this day. I realize that Jimmy Olsen often takes that role, but he'll be a little different in this universe. No, Pete is Clark's best friend, and I'm tired of people forgetting about him! Yeah, he made a small appearance in Man of Steel, but his role as support was shafted, in my opinion. Pete should be Clark's confidant, then and now.

In high school, Pete, Clark, and Lana are a trio of friends. They each roll in slightly different circles, though. Clark is the quiet loner who reads a lot (he's a library kid); Lana is definitely a theatre kid and a cheerleader; and Pete is the socially aware activist kid who always volunteers for various charity and conservation groups. He's one of the town darlings/annoyances. On a side note, why are the socially conscious activist characters in media always women? I dunno, it's a weird trend in media for some reason. Anyway, Pete will one day become a progressive senator for Kansas, with a lot of hard work and dedication. But for now, he's still Clark's best friend.

Now, these two are the major support, but we can throw in some other main ones. How about Kenny Braverman, school bully? In the comics, he actually becomes a Kryptonite-wielding villain named Conduit, but this version of the character is a bully. Don't need much more than that; after all, this is a movie universe, not a TV series. How about Carl Draper? Draper is a weird one in the comics; he's basically a stalker who always hated Superboy/Superman, and made a giant death prison to kill Superman and impress Lana Lang, his high school crush. Yeah. Um...I'm just gonna make him another bully alongside Kenny, and a former friend of Clark's at the same time. 'Nuff said, I think.

And then, other than people like the Kents' neighbor Ben Hubbard...there isn't really anybody else to talk about. The name drop of Whitney Fordman up there was meant to be a reference to Smallville, but nothing more than...oh...oh, shit, Smallville. Right.

Hoo boy, Chloe Sullivan. Again, given the fact that this is a movie and not a TV series, Chloe as a character really doesn't matter. a character created for Smallville, she was the journalism kid, as well as a cousin to Lois Lane, and meant to be the other girl next door love interest character for Clark. And she was played by...Allison Mack. Cult leader Allison Mack. Yeah. Yikes. So, I'll just say this: I like Chloe as a character and character concept, but she carries a LOT of baggage. So instead, we'll bring in character Billie Cramer, who is the same in concept, but named after a male character in the comics who later goes to Metropolis University with Clark. Sorry, Chloe. Allison Mack kinda fucked over your character for me.

From there, Smallville is basically covered. Small town, small stories, and not much happening. But still, the people there molded Clark. And so, by the time he heads out of Smallville, he'll be going into a much bigger world. And with that...

Metropolis: City of Tomorrow

Where in the fuck is Metropolis? DC, you really need to make a decision here. Because the most common location for Metropolis is New York. Which, frankly, is dumb. New York has both New York City AND Metropolis? That's a lot of city for a small area, just saying. Plus, would Clark have wanted to go very far from home? So, where is my Metropolis? Easy: Illinois. "But what about Chicago," you say? Well, one, it's closer to Kansas, and Clark wouldn't want to be too far from home, for his parents' sake. Two, we can place the city along the Mississippi River, which forms the western coast of Illinois and gives us the water that we need for Metropolis. Three, this'll be at the very tip of southern Illinois, far away from Chicago, and in a place where no major city exists. And five, and most importantly for me, that's where the REAL Metropolis actually is. It is, in fact, maybe the real-world place that loves Superman the most. Let's give 'em some love back.

But OK, with that said and done, why Metropolis? Well, Clark wants to go to school for journalism, because he believes in uncovering the truth, and he wants to be in touch with all sides of humanity, both the good and the bad. Basically, journalism allows Clark to stay down-to-Earth in some very literal ways. And Metropolis University in this universe is a pretty big deal, especially considering that the city is the home to major newspaper The Daily Planet. After graduating from Metropolis U, Clark settles in the city and gets a job at the Daily Planet, his dream job. One of his colleagues is, of course, Lois Lane, but the people of the Daily Planet are an extremely important supporting cast. Considering Clark rarely goes anywhere else, we should talk about them a bit. So, we'll start with the most obvious.

Jimmy Olsen, the new best friend! I was SO tempted to give Jimmy his own post, but this series is gonna be long enough; I dunno if I can talk that much about Jimmy. That's a lie, actually, because I can talk a LOT about him. Now, some of you may be wondering why I used this GIF of Olsen from Superman: The Movie, instead of Mehcad Brooks from Supergirl, or Aaron Ashmore from Smallville. And the reason is that NEITHER OF THEM WERE JIMMY. The latter was his older brother named Henry James "Jimmy" Olsen, which YES, is stupid. And the former? That is Jimmy Olsen in name only. And why? Because...ah, shit, I'm getting into Jimmy in detail. OK, then, let's do this.

Jimmy Olsen is a kid. He's a dweeb, he's kinda naive, and he matches Clark for sheer optimism. He's either the most likeable person in the room, or the most annoying, or somehow both simultaneously. He's not suave, like Mehcad Brooks' version of the character. Honestly, that's the least Jimmy Olsen-like character I've ever goddamn seen. You know who actually was a lot more like Jimmy? Winn. Winn was Supergirl's Jimmy Olsen, and I DEFY YOU TO TELL ME OTHERWISE.

Ahem. Anyway, back to Jimmy.

Jimmy is the unpaid intern who gets hired, and is then surprised that there's a paid option for this job, despite that being his career. He's the kid in high school who took pictures of EVERYTHING, and then just never stopped. He's not entirely sure who the mayor of the city is, but knows in excruciating detail through experience and an overly detailed annotated map where the best goddamn hot dog in the city is, and every hot dog vendor in a ten-block radius knows him and his order by heart. Jimmy is a city kid who somehow seems like he came from the country. Jimmy should be a massive nerd, kind of a ditz, and definitely a clutz, but not only is he the best photographer the Planet has to offer, he's also somebody who you want to hang out with. Jimmy Olsen is maybe, maybe about to turn 21, but has not and will not drink. He is the most vanilla human being possible, and I goddamn love him for it. He's also gone through a TON OF INSANE SHIT in the comics, from being turned into a giant turtle Godzilla, to getting becoming a superhero in his own right MULTIPLE TIMES, to becoming the love-interest to a fledgling God for a hot second...a lot, is what I'm saying. Jimmy Olsen is my favorite Superman supporting character, and that is a hill I am glad to die on.

...Jesus. That was a lot of overly specific headcanon to vomit out, even for me. But really, all of that? That's my Jimmy Olsen. Clark's best friend in the city, even if he is a few years younger, as well as a damned good photographer and...well, a pal. There's a reason he's called Superman's Pal, after all.

Perry White, the stern-but-caring boss! Editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, Perry's a strict traditionalist when it comes to this whole newspaper thing. Perry's actually had quite a lot of history in the comics, and while it is all genuinely interesting, I'm not gonna go into it here. Just know that Perry is a caring boss, but extremely strict when it comes to his job and those who write for him. One of the last great reporters and writers, as well as a genuinely good man with his own problems and troubles, Perry White is an understatedly important character in the Superman mythos. In truth, there doesn't need to be too much to Perry.

In terms of his relationship with Clark, he shouldn't be too involved with his personal life, but should be willing to offer advice if Clark looks like he needs it. He should choose his employees based upon their talent and their moral fiber, as he wants his reporters to find the truth, and nothing but the truth. If you lie, alter facts, or otherwise obscure the truth in your reporting, you're OUT, pal! And honestly, that's my Perry White: a classic reporter who expects only the truth from his employees and from himself.

Speaking of the reporters of the Daily Planet, let's get into Clark's co-workers! Cat Grant is one of the best known, thanks to Power Girl, and as the gossip and fashion columnist, she makes her presence known basically immediately when she enters the office. While she's definitely a bit blunt, in person and in her writing, people actually do enjoy her blogs and writing, and she has a pretty good on-screen presence as well. She's a bit of an acquired taste, but Perry values her honesty. Also, she's a little bit of a rival to Lois in multiple ways, including initially for Clark's affection, but mostly in terms of her reporting and popularity. Cat Grant is considered by many to be the public face of the Daily Planet, and she doesn't shy away from that title, either.

Steve Lombard made a VERY random appearance in Man of Steel, as was a very different version of the character than what we see in the comics. My version of Lombard is a massive blowhard, as well as the Planet's sports reporter, which aligns with the comic-book version of the character. He's hired by Perry because of his absurdly accurate sports reporting, and his sheer knowledge of the sport, as well as for his incredibly accurate predictions. The one downside about the dude is that he's the epitome of a meathead. His intelligence in in sports, and that's basically it. Still, he's VERY good at his job. Also, he THINKS that he's a rival to Clark for Lois' affections, but literally nobody else thinks that.

OK, last major person here is Ron Troupe, whom I can't find a GIF for. Makes sense; he's relatively obscure, and hasn't been in enough media for a lot of exposure. My version of Troupe is the politics and editorials writer for the Planet, as well as being one of the more serious and uptight members of the Planet bullpen staff. He tends not to go out into the field too much, but is well-known on paper. Perry hired him because of his objectivity and practicality, as well as a feverish devotion to the truth. And of everybody, Ron is the reporter most likely to succeed Perry White as editor-in-chief one day in this universe. YES! Not Lois, not Clark, RON. Somebody give Ron his day in court, please, he's way too neglected in comics and media nowadays.

Let's get out of the bullpen, and into the city! Now, some people won't be featured in this first film, since it's a big city with a lot of parts to it. I actually do have some ideas for other films, but let's get through this first one before anything else. No cart before the horse, and all that. But since we're talking about the city, let's talk about Superman's predecessors: the cops.

The Metropolis Police Department, unlike the Gotham cops, are not corrupt and actually do their jobs. After all, Metropolis is a pretty safe city before Superman comes around. Supes definitely shouldn't be the savior from street crime, for should he be trying to replace the cops. Superman is there to stop the accidents, disasters, and large-scale crimes that the police can't handle on their own. This means that while the police are efficient, the villains of this movie are going to be a bit too much for them to handle. But, because Superman isn't a detective or a cop, he'll need to talk to and work with the police to stop these villains. So, who are our cops?

The main liaison for Clark is Maggie Sawyer, a no-nonsense captain and leader of the newly-established Special Crimes Unit. As such, she's got a pretty good relationship with Superman. She prefers police work over relying on a vigilante, but Superman is hard not to trust in a lot of ways. So, she willingly works with him. Oh, and obviously she's happily married to her wife, Toby, who works for the Daily Planet alongside Clark. Maggie's one of the first out-lesbians in comics, and that ain't gonna end with me!

Maggie's the main policeman featured in this universe, but her partner Dan "Terrible" Turpin will also appear alongside her. Another hard-nosed detective, he grew up in the worst parts of Metropolis, and grew up to defend the parts of the city that don't get a lot of attention. Won't get too much of Turpin in this film, but we will use him to get across the idea that not all cops think Superman is necessary. He's not Superman's biggest fan, but he doesn't turn him away, either. Sort of like Harvey Bullock to Batman, if you get my drift.

Finally, I'll just mention that the chief of police is William Henderson, who respects Superman fine enough, and is on his way out, ready for retirement. Not much to say about Henderson, and he could honestly just be a name-drop by Maggie at some point. But with that, we move on to our final citizen of Metropolis...and one of my favorites.

Meet the one and only Bo "Bibbo" Bibbowski. You might wonder why I included an image here when I didn't for Ron Troupe. And frankly, it's because Bibbo is too important. Because Bibbo, to me, is a representative of the civilian public that Superman is trying to save. The reporters of the Daily Planet are often putting themselves in danger in order to get the story, and they're supposed to remain objective. The cops are...well, the cops; of course they're in danger. But Bibbo is just...a guy. He was a sailor and former military man, he's a small business owner, and he's a guy on the streets of Metropolis. And, of course, he's Superman's biggest fan.

Now, that's not to say Superman only fights for those people who like him, and I actually want to reflect that through my version of Bibbo. Bibbo'll actually be one of the ways we start the movie, and how we're initially introduced to Metropolis. And because Superman is a fairly new figure in the city, he's not a fan when the movie starts. He's not an active detractor, but he isn't exactly a fan of anybody with power who places themselves above the little guy. And Superman does that literally, so why would he like him? Just another person playing dress-up and pretending to be hero. He listens to local shock jock Leslie Willis, who regularly expresses the same sentiments, but he's not as harsh as she is to Superman. He just doesn't really care for the guy. Over the course of the movie, we'll check in with Bibbo, whose establishment, the Ace o' Clubs, is a regular haunt of Jimmy Olsen and his friend Clark Kent. And so, Clark will get an idea of how Bibbo feels pretty early on, and he'll have to reflect on that.

However, over the course of the movie, Superman will act in ways that begin to change Bibbo's mind. As we check in on him over the course of the movie, the change in his attitude will be noticeable, if somewhat subtle throughout most of the movie. But then, the last time we see Bibbo, he'll be wearing his signature Superman shirt. Because by the end of the movie, Superman will have saved the "little guys" of the city, possibly even saving Bibbo directly. And that makes him considerably different than the other person in Metropolis with power who puts themselves above the city. That person, the real focus of Bibbo's ire...is the topic of the next entry in this series.

Index: Superman

Part I: Why I Love Superman

Part II: On Lois Lane

Part III: The Kents

Part IV: The 'Rents

Part V: The...Frendts?

Part VI: Lex Luthor

Part VII: The Real Villains

Part VIII: Superman's Rogues Gallery

Part IX: The Story - Act One

Part X: The Story (Acts Two and Three)

Part XI: The Story - Climax

Part XII: Epilogue (Part One)

Part XIII: Epilogue (Part Two)

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