Media Essays: My Adventures With Superman Rewrite Part 2

Written by The Wandering Fox

Supporting Cast

Ron Troupe

Ron is a guy here as he is supposed to be. He’s a more reasonable reporter compared to the big and larger than life Cat and Steve, but still has a spine when it comes to tackling issues such as bigotry and stands up for Superman when Luthor tries to paint him as a untrustworthy alien. Ron helps Lucy settle into the Daily Planet with them both falling in love and Lucy confesses to him the truth of why she’s here, with Ron urging her to tell Lois the truth. He does stick with Lucy and goes to Kent Farm for Thanksgiving where he and Clark get the papa wolf treatment from Sam. Ron figures Clark is Superman but chooses to keep quiet because he can easily see Clark is a good guy who truly is more human than any of the criminals he has battled. Ron does end up getting caught in a tug between Lucy and her Superwoman costume which leaves him a little weirded out but he gets over it and by the end of the series he and Lucy marry and have a boy.

Maggie Sawyer

Much like her main self, Maggie is the police captain of Metropolis. While she’s quite uncertain of Superman at first she does come to like him thanks to how many lives he’s saved and has worked with her in finding the missing who they found were kidnapped by Sarge Steel and Elias. Sam did try to force Maggie to help him capture Superman but she refused, she wasn’t going to hurt a man who had done nothing to her and had helped the people. Maggie personally saw to it that Bruno was arrested and helped Lois, Jimmy, Lucy get to a plane to fly to the Fortress to get what they needed to rescue Superman. Maggie is almost killed by Hank but is saved by Jon.

Lucy Lane

Lois’s younger sister. Unlike the comics where she turned crazy, Lucy is a hero here. She starts as an air traffic controller but is then sent to work at the Daily Planet to keep an eye on Lois and to find out more of Superman. Lucy has a slightly tough relationship with Lois since she and her dad falling out had left a bit of an effect on Lucy though she never hated Lois, she just wishes they were together again. Lois figures that Sam sent Lucy to watch her because of Superman and it further annoys Lois that Sam has little faith in her and only seems to get Lucy to do something for him. They both take it easy and Lucy, getting to meet Superman, feels that her dad must have it wrong and since working with Lois she has started to feel more happy again. Ron Troupe helped Lucy settle in the Daily Planet and Lucy confided in him about her reasons for being here. He sympathised with her and told her to tell Lois. While Lois was annoyed she was more with Sam for making Lucy go there and his distrust for Superman further irked her. Lucy, having seen Superman fight for the people, told Sam she was done and was in a relationship with Ron. Lucy found out Clark was Superman but kept his identity a secret, going with him, Lois, Jimmy, and Sam to the Fortress. There Lucy found a costume and wore it for some fun. Taking it off she left it in the Fortress but the suit took in Lucy’s negative emotions and the suit gained consciousness and began to terrorise Metropolis by going after criminals and those who it felt hurt Lucy. It ended up fighting Lucy over Ron but Superman destroyed the suit. Lucy thought she was over her anger and was sorry to Lois whom forgave her. With Superman captured and Sarge Steel, Elias Orr and Metallo taking over Metropolis, Maggie got Lois, Jimmy and Lucy to the airport where they stole a plane, flying to the south of the planet. The Fortress created a new suit that was more up to standards and Lucy suited up in it while Lois took another and both went with Jimmy in going to save Clark. Lucy felt iffy with the suit and stuck it back in the Fortress after they defeated Zod and his followers. Lucy since then has been helping Kara getting to know Earth and happily teaches her all about fashion. Lucy would marry Ron and have a baby.

The suits Lois and Lucy get not only help them fly and raise their strength they create force fields around them.

Titano and Allura

In the series the Brain and Monsieur Mallah are portrayed as sympathetic characters. In my take they are replaced by Titano the Super Ape and Allura the giant queen. Lois finds out from her dad about the experiments he was working on to combat Kryptonians and they mutated an ape into super size. Going there, Lois, Clark, Lucy and Jimmy met a woman who was trying to get into the old lab and though they tried to convince her to leave she remarked she could tell Clark was not of this Earth much like her. Confused by this Clark asked her and the woman revealed herself to be Allura the giant queen, having heard Titano’s cries. Going inside they ended up activating the automated security and were left having to fight the robots left behind to guard Titano. The ape was found by Lois who greatly sympathised with him and she teared up for him. Titano escaped his cage and helped destroy the auto tanks and with that done he was taken in by Allura, who promised everybody he would be loved on her world. They don’t return for the season two finale.

John Henry Irons

Though John is in MAWS he’s under-utilised imo when he’s such a badass character. Here he was working for George Grant in creating a mech suit that would be helpful in the construction business. John wanted to help the working class and believed that George had those desires as well. Sadly George didn’t, he saw all of John’s blueprints and prototypes they worked on and believed they’d be best suited to be sold to the government, that way they’d get richer quicker. John was angry at this and so he told Maggie, who chose to distract George while Lois and Clark worked beside John to get the evidence. Clark took in the mech suit prototypes and was amazed, saying John was a genius who had his heart in the right place which Lois said was a rarity. John was pleased by their heartfelt words and worked beside Superman to fight George. With him arrested John Henry Irons continued his work with help from Silas Stone and got backing from Sam after he quitted fighting Superman. Clark would cover his work and was surprised to find John was building a private mech suit of his own with the S emblem, Irons saying that Superman inspired him, with all that power he chooses to help people rather than conquer and he wants to be there in the construction work to help the workers if they need help. After Superman was captured by Kara, John stepped up to help protect Metropolis and fended off a few Metallo’s who tried to muscle their way in on his workers and then joined in the fight against Zod. While he was in a mech suit, Irons held his own really well and managed to bust a few Kryptonians with his hammer. John would help Superman now and then and helped battle Hank Henshaw who gone rogue as Cyborg Superman. Hank tried to get Irons to quit it because he was human but Irons said Hank lost his humanity. When Superman lost his powers for a bit, Irons and Kara stepped up to cover for him. Luthor tried to get Irons to be his partner but Irons just bluntly said “You created a pair of monsters, Lex. You think i’ll throw my lot in with you?” John would end up falling in love with Lana Lang who returned after she mysteriously disappeared years ago, Lana came to Metropolis to pursue a career in engineering but was under the influence of the Insect Queen to plant eggs for her kind and had begun creating a insect like clone of Lana. Despite this, Lana was still a good woman and found love in John, both becoming not only a good couple in love, but also in heroics and business with Lana making good in her projects to bring better tools to the farmers.

Lana Lang

It’s odd, she was supposed to be in the series but she hasn’t even made it. Hence here I’ve worked it into the story. Lana was a childhood friend of Clark’s and helped him feel more at ease with his powers, reminding him that he’s not a freak, he’s her friend. Lana had a passion for engineering and enjoyed working on the old tools and farming gear. Lana though ended up disappearing while on holiday with her family and it worried Clark of what had become of her. Lana ends up returning, older now and having little memory of what came before. Lana went to the Kents who was surprised by her return as well as her family, who were just as confused as to where they were. Lana though had in fact done well in her engineering works and went to Metropolis, where she reunited with Clark and knew he was Superman, amazed he had a cousin. Lana was glad he found love in Lois and she was hoping to make it big like he did. Recommended to go to Irons, Lana went there and got along with him, but Clark was suspicious of wether this was Lana or not, telling Lois and Kara that she disappeared with her family on holiday. Lana was in fact under the influence of the Insect Queen, who she found on holiday and she and her family bonded with her, the Insect Queen cocooned them up and had Lana live in a dream world where she was a success at helping the farmers. The Insect Queen, realising she scored big with Lana, influenced her to take her eggs to the farm and to areas in Metropolis. The Insect Queen even took on Lana’s appearance to some extent then began to take over Metropolis and Smallville but was defeated by Superman who offered her an uninhabited planet for her people to live on. Seeing she was no match, the Insect Queen surrendered and was taken to that planet. Lana was sorry for the trouble but was comforted by everybody. Lana is now in for helping out the farmers with her going in business with Irons. With the Insect Queen’s influence, Lana could grow wings from her back, shot out venomous blasts and even released pheromones that confused her foes with them.

Jon Kent

Unlike the cartoon version who is obviously meant to be Conner, this version of Jon better resembles his own character with the chest and cape going together, the light blue marking and even has the boots he wore on DCeased. He wears a torn cape. Jon is still Lois and Clark’s son, coming from a dark future where Hank Henshaw kills everybody. He was raised by Kara, Jimmy and Lana in this future upon Lois and Clark’s deaths, his hybrid genetics becoming a force to be reckoned with against Hank. Despite his powers though Jon watched his aunts and uncle die. Luthor teamed with Jon, sending him back in time to the present to stop Hank. Jon was distracted by the beauty of everything and believed he had enough time to meet his mum and dad, both of them shocked by his appearance. Jon loved being with his mum and dad, helping his dad defeat a few criminals and helped his mum speed text an essay she was writing. Jon was a little awkward with his aunts and uncles having seen them die. Jon proved to be even stronger than his dad, withstanding Kryptonite longer than him. However, Jon had a hot temper if his family was near death and battered Hank close to death until Clark stopped him. Jon told Hank he was just a monster where he came from, asking him if that was the legacy he really wanted. Hank teared up at what he became and died. Jon hugged his parents, glad that he had saved them. However, returning to his future it now changed to a dystopian future where Luthor ruled Earth with his army of Metallo’s and Mercy Graves at his side. Jon would escape custody and teamed with a handful of future heroes, among them his childhood sweetheart Kathy, in reinventing the Time Machine Luthor made to go back and save his family. Jon worked alongside his parents in not just exposing Lex but destroying whatever he had left of Hank and Metallo. The future Lex followed him and in the battle Jon was injured by a Kryptonite knife. Superman almost killed future Lex but stopped, remembering this wasn’t who he was and with the evidence there and Lex’s past changing the future Lex disappeared. Jon felt that he was fading as well and realising this time there was no future to go back to he gently hugged his mum and dad, told them he loved them and faded. The next thing Jon opens his eyes as a baby and sees his mum and dad, meaning he saved the future. Jon would be revealed to be the youngest of Lois and Clark’s children which included Cir-El, Conner, and Lara Kent. Jon returns in the final to fight the Time Trapper, his future now finally stable. The Time Trapper wanted him here so killing him and Superman would in turn cause a paradox that would reset the timeline to how he wants it. The heroes win and Jon chuckles that they’ll be talking about this as soon as he gets back home to his family in his own present at last.

Freddy: That’s a lot of characters you rewrote there!

Teddy: And some really obscure ones I never heard of.

You’ll find that with a few of Superman’s villains, many are that obscure that you never knew them, but they’re so good they deserved a chance to come onto other DC works outside the comics. I think all that’s left now is the series layout.

Seasons

I think the first season is mostly the same albeit with these changes. And more episodes.

Episode 1 sees Clark, Lois and Jimmy on their first day at the Daily Planet and they disobey Perry to go and look into mysterious activities at the Metropolis dock warehouse, Lois believes it’s to do with Bruno Manheim. Going there they find that Bruno’s henchmen, Alex Trent, Les and the Archer are battling Bloodsport and John Corben inside the warehouse over pieces of tech and weapons. Clark disguised himself and defeats them but Bloodsport uses a smoke grenade to cover his escape which lets Bruno’s henchmen escape as well with various tech. Episode 2 follows on from this as it would normally be, only John blackmails the thieves into handing over the tech or he will have it all explode. Lois, Clark and Jimmy see John meeting Les who is plotting to kill him but is interrupted by Superman. Les doesn’t get caught by Sarge Steel, but instead arrested. Sarge and Elias see Superman and get in touch with Sam Lane of what their next action should be.

Episode 3 sees Lois trying to interview Superman while Bruno wants Les out of prison so she doesn’t tell anybody what they’ve stolen, hence he hires the Jailer to free her. Lois is tasked by Perry to look into Les’s connection to the DJ Leslie since they have the last surname, thus she and Clark go to Leslie just after she’s been done talking to Jailer who’s there in his civilian guise. Clark can overhear him saying “Leslie knows nothing about what we stole”. Lois questions Leslie on her connection to Les which she first denies but Clark notices her photo with Les just behind her trophy on the shelf so he calls her out for lying. The Jailer found out from Leslie that Les is going to be moved to another prison so he ambushes the van, which Clark hears and goes to stop. There Superman saves the guards from Jailer and tries to catch Les but Jailer tries to trap Superman with electric chains which slows him for a bit but he tears free and goes to grab the Jailer but turns out to be a hologram. Seeing Les running, Superman uses his x-ray vision and sees she’s a hologram as well. The real Les runs with Jailer and says that her equipment is still at the police evidence room, so they are on their way to get it back. Superman hears them and remembers which precent Les was taken to. Meanwhile Lois interrogates Leslie over her connection to Les, asking if Les bought her the radio studio she works in now because she finds it hard to take in an “everyday woman” like Leslie could afford it. Realising she’s been busted, Leslie runs for it. Lois calls the police but finds that Superman is trying to stop Les and Jailer getting in the precent. After a fight with help from Maggie, Superman manages to defeat Jailer but Les gets her gauntlets and tries to shock Superman, who moves out of the way but realises that Leslie was behind him, thus she’s shocked instead. Jailer and Les are arrested while Leslie is taken to hospital. Lois interviews Superman, Clark goes to see Lois the next day and Lois thinks Superman is lying.

Episode 4 sees Leslie awakening in hospital and is fuming at what has become of her, along with her connections to Les exposed her career is ruined. Lois thinks Superman is lying about what he’s doing here though Clark tells her that Superman is probably just a nice guy trying to help, pointing out how he saved the guards and made sure Leslie was taken to hospital. Lois gets a phone call from her dad who asks if she’s okay to which she says she’s fine, though she’s grumpy. Clark stops a blimp from crashing and saves Lois’s sister Lucy then returns to work, where Jimmy wants his help on his UFO coverage that he’s been gathering including such a UFO being seen over Smallville years ago. Clark discreetly hides the pieces connecting him to Superman while trying to get his work done. Lois thinks he’s getting stressed out with work and goes with him to the top of the building where they talk. Clark confesses he’s never really had time to take in the view this high after coming from Kansas, which he and Lois he into fun banter of and he tells her how much his mum and dad taught him to be good and fair to all others. Bloodsport then ends up sneaking in the hospital and offers Leslie the chance to get revenge on those who wronged her, she agrees. Bloodsport wants her to go after Superman but she rather would go after Les and Jailer, so she goes to Stryker’s Island to find them. Livewire goes to the prison which gets Clark’s focus and he flies there, battling her and stopping her from killing Les and Jailer. Bloodsport watches as Livewire fights Superman and is confused as to why he won’t use his full strength against her. In the fight Jailer switched places with a guard and escapes the prison which Bloodsport notices. He orders Livewire to retreat but she tries to give Les a deadly shock which Superman takes for her. Lois starts wondering why Clark isn’t there to see Superman in action, while Bloodsport finds Jailer and offers him a chance to help defeat Superman. Livewire isn’t up for it but she’s told to get use to it, Superman is their enemy and they should be working together to finally capture him.

Episode 5 introduces Siobhan and Bevan, both of them going to their uncle’s estate where Siobhan finds the item the Banshee is trapped in and touches it, she screams. Lois asks Clark where he was when Livewire was trying to kill people in prison, to which he says he saw his food was out of date and had to change it. Lois is a bit suspicious but keeps quiet. Jimmy comes back with more sightings of spacecraft with another seen over the Antarctic and reckons Superman’s secret hideout is there which Clark finds amusing since he doesn’t have that. He is though worried about where Livewire is and who it is that’s been helping her, he doesn’t want anybody to be hurt. Lois smiles with her saying Superman will stop her and Jimmy winks at Clark, saying superheroes save the day. They get told by Perry to go to the museum as Ferlin Nyxly is holding a presentation of the occult artefacts the museum has. Jimmy thinks they’re not the real deal but goes anyway. Bloodsport is told by Sarge that such an event will be just fine to get Superman to come, Bloodsport is unsure but does so, taking Jailer with him. There, Ferlin shows some items and is asked by Jimmy if they’re real. Clark feels a bit ill around the items and steps back and says it’s just home sickness to Lois. They talk a bit of his life in Kansas but Clark then notices Bevan acting strangely and assumes he’s stealing something. Before he can tell security the museum is besieged by Livewire and Jailer, who trap a few folks in cages and demand Superman come or they will die. Clark hides Lois and then runs out to “find an exit”. Becoming Superman, he confronts Livewire and Jailer, telling them to let the people go. Jailer wraps a chain around Superman who gets electrocuted by Livewire but he fights back by layering the chain and freezes Livewire, but during the scuffle Bevan is knocked over and drops the item, freeing the Silver Banshee. Jimmy gets scared as he realises the spiritual side of things are real. Lois gets out and quickly opens all the doors, freeing those inside. Superman battles the Banshee who tries to drain him and while he gets weakened he’s not dying. Livewire blasts her with lightning but it has no effect on the banshee who tries to kill Livewire but Bevan gets in between them and begs Siobhan to fight. Livewire is told to retreat while Jimmy photographs all he’s seeing. The Jailer traps Silver Banshee and shrinks her into a box, escaping. The episode ends with Bevan explaining what happened to Siobhan and he was trying to help her. Superman, hearing out how Bevan is scared for her, feels there’s been enough kidnapping and flies out to finally stop it.

Episode 6 follows on with Lois and Jimmy finding out what Bevan was looking for, a book that contains the spell to reverse the Banshee. His uncle sold it to the museum since Ferlin is an occult collector. With all the chaos going on, Lois and Jimmy take their chance, helping Bevan look for the book. The Banshee is held in a containment chamber beneath an old construction yard where Elias and Sarge look at her curiously and think she could be a good member to their anti-Kryptonian group. The Banshee screams, trying to shatter the cell. Superman hears her and flies to the construction site where he goes in and sees both Elias and Sarge who send out Livewire, Banshee and Jailer. Superman tries to reason with Leslie and Siobhan but Leslie is consumed by anger while Siobhan is trapped by the Banshee. Lois, Jimmy and Bevan find the book and discover Ferlin has been selling the real museum pieces and replacing them with copies. Lois quickly emailed it Perry then get out, following Cat Grant to the construction site where Superman is battling them. Lois helps to order out the Banshee, letting Superman deal with Livewire and Jailer. Livewire escapes while Superman traps Jailer in his own chains but before he can get answers out of him Jailer is shocked in the back and gets rendered amnesiac. Siobhan and Bevan thank them for helping save her and suggest they will take the book back home to stop something like this happening again. Lois reckons they should since Ferlin was going to sell it. Writing her expose’ on him, Lois makes her first big score in the Daily Planet, with Ferlin fleeing to Bruno. Clark though is confused as to what Sarge and Elias are up to. It ends with Elias and Sarge being yelled at by Sam for endangering so many people though is reminded that their efforts are for the betterment of mankind hence he’s forced to back up but he does get in touch with somebody he knows from his outside life.

Episode 7 introduces Lucy Lane, we first meet her during which a helicopter she’s piloting is about to crash until Superman stops it and gets it on the ground. Lucy is amazed by him until her dad gives her a call. We then go to Bruno who is annoyed Ferlin got exposed and tells him he can’t protect him forever but Ferlin assures him he’s got a way to get rid of Lois for good, revealing he took pictures of the spell book’s texts. At the Daily Planet Clark is talked to by Jimmy about Roderick Rose’s genetic experiments that makes him think could be an answer to the other alien conspiracies. Clark chuckles and says that since Roderick is holding a gala soon they can ask him. Lois meanwhile is getting closer to figuring out who Superman is but is then stunned when Lucy comes to the Daily Planet to do a job. Clark is stunned to find they are sisters and shakes Lucy’s hand though Lois and Lucy are a little awkward with each other which Clark and Ron notice. Ron gets Lucy settled in while Lois goes to the roof with Clark and gets a little emotional about Lucy being here, confessing to Clark she and her had a bit of a tough childhood and since school they haven’t talked as much. Clark thinks now’s the time to talk. Lois goes back in and cheekily scolds Lombard for trying to chat up Lucy and gets talking to her, Lucy confesses she met Superman and wants to know more of him thus it’s why she’s here at the Daily Planet. Lois isn’t so sure. Just after hearing a prison break on Stryker’s Island the the Daily Planet is then besieged by the Archer, Les and the Robo Banshee, the Archer using trick and tech arrows. Lois protects Lucy while Clark becomes Superman, surprised the Banshee is back and sees it’s a robot hosting the Banshee. Superman defeats the Archer and Les but the Banshee escapes. Lois has it figured Clark is Superman but doesn’t approach him as she wants to figure out why he’s here. Lois and Lucy talk to each other with Lois happy she’s back. It ends with Lucy calling Sam telling him Lois is okay and Superman seems like a nice guy.

Episode 8 mostly adapts the Ivo Tower story but instead it replaces Dr Ivo with Roderick Rose, and Sam pulls a few strings to get the Archer and Les brought to him to interrogate them on who they work for. Volcana appears here, Leslie beats up Les for making her like this. Lois can see Clark is a good person but wants him to be open with her. Lucy gets closer with Ron. Lex appears here as a guest at Roderick’s tower. Sarge Steel and Elias Orr bail Roderick out of jail.

Episode 9 adapts the episode Lois makes Clark reveal himself. Difference here is Superman is working with Maggie to bust a few of Bruno’s hideouts but ends up fighting John Corben who had been sent out to try and not only kill Bruno’s loyalists but to fight Superman. Though John is defeated he is bailed out by Orr. Episode ends with Clark revealing his identity to Lois.

Episode 10 introduces George Grant and John Henry Irons, Lois and Clark reconcile and Jimmy knows Clark is Superman.

Episode 11 and 12 adapt the Zero Day two parter, Superman is caught by the combined team of Corben, Livewire, Bloodsport and Sarge Steel. Les manages to escape during a change in the rotor and goes to find help. Superman is interrogated about Zero Day and shown recordings of Faora and Nemesis Omega. Sarge Steel exposes him to Kryptonite but Superman still argues he isn’t Nemesis Omega. Sam starts to realise he was wrong and after seeing Volcana being forced to fight Equss he realises he got caught up in far more darker stuff. Les tells Lois of where Superman is so she begs Maggie to help. Maggie goes there with the cops, Lois, Jimmy, Les and Lucy going as well. Sam lets Superman go and tells him to take Volcana. There is a fight in which a robot is sent to fight Superman, Roderick is caught, Equss is moved out. Lucy saw Sam during the fight and chews him out for being so cruel and stops talking to him. Elias and Sarge are willing to overlook what Sam did if he helps kill Bruno.

Episode 13 has Sam take Bloodsport, Corben, and Livewire to Bruno’s mansion. In the fight Alex Trent is killed, Livewire almost kills Les but surrenders to Superman, Corben is injured, the Banshee is banished, Ferlin is arrested and Bruno turns bigger but is defeated by Superman. Archer, Blackrock and more of Bruno’s loyalists are arrested, Bloodsport slips away. Seeing that Sam no longer wants to help them, Sarge and Elias choose to send Equss out to kill him.

Episode 14 is the finale, the Kent’s have Clark, Lois, Jimmy, Ron, Lucy and Sam over for Thanksgiving. Equss follows Sam and they fight it out, Lois and Lucy find out Sam was behind a lot of what was going on. Superman punches Equss into space while Sam promises to make up for what he did. The season ends with Equss found by Kara and other Kryptonians who are looking for Kal-El.

To be continued in Part 3...

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