1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Superman: Eternal: S1: Superman: Eternal: Season 1, Episode 2 - Taking up Arms

by Generation Sect

Generation Sect Clark Kent takes up the iconic costume for the first time.
24-year old Clark Kent sat, arms folded atop the newspaper on his lap, as the train he was aboard sped closer and closer to its impending destination. The city of Metropolis. He let out a sighing breath. It had been 16 years since he had truly started on the path to this dream, and now, he was finally here. He had landed a job at the Daily Planet, the most popular newspaper in Metropolis, and he was ready to move into his new apartment in the city. Of course, there was the ever-looming factor of his… strengths, but nobody in Metropolis knew about that. He was sure he could hide it, keep himself looking normal, and keep the job stable. He’d never have to use them again anyway…


Metropolis – The Daily Planet building - 2018
“Please, Mr. White sir, you don’t understand, I NEED this job, any others I’ve not been able to keep-” John Corben pushed back his spiky short blonde hair as he stood up from the chair, his face a concerned grimace. He was interrupted by the man on the other side of the desk.
“I’m sorry Corben, but you just haven’t kept up quality and efficiency, I know the mess your life is in right now but this paper needs to do EVERYTHING it can right now to stay on top. You’re not the first person we’ve had to cut to get in a replacement, and you won’t be the last. Just don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be.” The Editor of the Daily Planet newspaper, Perry White, spoke firmly as he sat straight-backed in his seat, trying his best to show sympathy while still doing what he had to do. This didn’t help the anxious, twitching man in front of him.
“B-but Mr. White, this could ruin me… this was practically the last job I could get and with my track record…” Corben rang his hands together nervously.
“Just…” Perry White sighed. “Just get out Corben. You’re fired.”
John Corben swung open the door to the Editor’s office, leaving towards the elevator.
“Guess old habits really do die hard….” He mumbled under his breath.
Clark sat in a chair in the hallway outside the Editor’s office, raising an eyebrow as he watched the strange, on edge man leave.
“Clark Kent?” Mr. White’s voice resounded out from the office.
Clark got up from his seat, taking his folded up circular-lensed glasses from his pocket and putting them on as he entered the office through the still open door, sitting down in the same chair opposite the desk where John Corben had just sat.
“So, you’re here. I assume you’ve already set everything else up; I’ll get someone to show you to your office. Simply put…” Perry White extended a hand out over the desk. “Welcome to the Daily Planet Mr. Kent.”
“Pleased to be here.” Clark gave him a smile, shaking his hand.

After getting used to the new building, Clark wandered the hallways in search of his office, stopping a short, ginger-haired boy carrying a piece of paper on his way through the halls.
“Excuse me, would you know where I’m going to need to go for my first assignment?” Clark laughed, scratching his back. “I’m new here.”
“Me too! Sorta… I’m Jimmy Olsen! Aspiring photographer and journalist… and the copy-boy here.” He gave a nervous grin. “That means I just bring the printed stories around the building. Bit too young to be doing any proper work here… b-but I really want to, and best to get a foot in the door early I always say!” Jimmy’s upbeat spirit was infectious, causing Clark to grin.
“Well, you have any idea kid?”
“Hmm… I mean, I’m bringing the print for Miss Lane’s new article to her. She’s been here for ages, I bet she can tell ya.” He continued on down the hall, beckoning for Clark to follow him. “C’mon!”
The two eventually made it to the office of Lois Lane, who sat behind a computer tapping away at the keyboard, eyes fixed firmly on the screen. Jimmy went over to her desk, slapping the printed article down onto it and smiling. “Got your article Miss Lane!”
“Thank you Jimmy.” She picked it up, eyes darting away from her computer for a short time to check it over. The headline said “Lex Luthor: A shining light of hope for Metropolis’ future.” She then looked back to her computer, sending off an email before darting her eyes back to the two, observing Clark. “Who’s this?”
“Clark Kent. New journalist here.” He gave her a polite grin. “I believe I had something coming up and Jimmy here said he’d help me find out what it was-“
“Oh. The Luthor interview.” Lois interrupted him. “We had an interview with the man himself set up for my big piece on his plans for Metropolis’ future. I can’t go though, because of… family stuff. So Mr. White handed it off to you. Lucky. This is a big thing for someone’s first piece here.”
“Is it? Who’s Lex Luthor?” Clark raised an eyebrow.
“… you don’t know who Lex Luthor is? Owner of Lexcorp? Philanthropist?” Lois gave him a disdainful look.
“… country boy.” Clark sighed.
“Well, you better key yourself up quick. You’ve only got a day.” Lois remarked, stacking up some papers and placing them into a drawer in her desk. By the time she looked back up, Clark was already running out.
“If this is as important as you say it is then I’m not messing it up!” He shouted out behind him as he left the office.
“Interesting guy huh?” Jimmy turned back to Lois, grinning.
“… seems simple enough, but he’s got spirit I’ll give him that.” She commented.


Clark sat on the sofa in his apartment, searching the internet late at night with his laptop to find as much as he could about Lex Luthor before his interview tomorrow. He sipped from his glass, narrowing his eyes at the screen as he remarked out loud. “Huh… seems to do a lot for the city, and everyone sure seems proud of him, but he’s had some questionable ethics and business partners. Although a lot of it just looks like crazy conspiracy schlock.” He glanced across the room to his closet, where he knew another possibility of his rested. Clark sighed, looking back to his screen. “Not yet, not yet… maybe not ever.”

The next afternoon, Clark Kent was now sitting opposite Lex Luthor himself, in a strangely blank studio in a Lexcorp building, like being inside a black box with just two chairs opposite each other to fill the empty void.
“So, Mr. Luthor. Many have made the claim that you’re the most influential man in the city. What do you say to this?” Clark tapped the back end of his pen against his chin as he stared to the man opposite him.
“Well, frankly, I’m flattered to say the least.” The bald man wore a black suit with a green tie and black shoes that practically shone from how clean they were. He turned a hand, gesturing to himself as he spoke, a grin on his face that could only be described as smug. “The amount of support I’ve been receiving recently, from the public, the disadvantaged people of the city I help, those around me, and my customers, has been surprising. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s outstanding. Now I feel more than ever that what I’m doing has been effective.”
“I see...” Clark tapped his pen against his chin again. The last part, the thing he had lingered most long on had been his customers. This man certainly had priorities. But was that so bad? Sure, most seemed to naively ignore this part of him. But he WAS a businessman, first and foremost. Maybe on a bit of an ego trip, but from what he’d seen his company had been struggling prior, so it was fair to let the man enjoy the newfound heights and praise he had received. “So, what’s next for Lex Luthor?”
“Well, I’m glad you asked.” Lex laughed. “I’ve been chatting with Bruce Wayne recently, a man I have a great respect for, by the way, as a fellow of my kind. However, I’m afraid any more concrete details wouldn’t be right to give as of now. Of course, I’ll be keeping up with and pumping more funds into my successful aid projects as of right now, but no specifics on that regard too. Just expect more of what’s already worked.”
“Well, a lack of concrete details has been a recurring theme with you recently.” Clark focused as he prepared to see how far he could push it. Anyone else probably wouldn’t have wanted him to push this into the controversy zone, being his first piece and with such a high profile person, but he had answers he wanted. Journalistic integrity and the truth mattered more to him than what Lois or Perry White would think. “What do you say to the rumours of your involvement with government agencies, and will you finally be willing to discuss any details?”
The teeth of the man opposite him visibly clenched, caught off guard. A ‘Who the hell does this guy think he is?’ was definitely going through his head at that moment. However, he returned to his usual posture and attitude, resting a leg sideways across his knee as he sat.
“I would always be willing to discuss details, of course, if there WERE any” Lex laughed the concept off. “Let me get it out here now, something I’ve been meaning to for a long time, these rumours and any such like them are completely unsubstantiated. Picking for flaws that aren’t there. Humanity is naturally suspicious, I don’t blame anyone for it, and by nature we just can’t accept a saviour. There’s no such way to make the world suddenly do that.”
Saviour? Jeez, this man was an egoist and by simply actually meeting him it was becoming more and more easy to see. He was trying to show him, and everyone, that he couldn’t be broken. But as the interview had dragged on, he had become less and less subtle. Which meant pressing details out of him was possible… Clark knew that now. He just had to push the right buttons. As he thought, the watch on his wrist buzzed.
“Well, seems like we’re out of time…” Clark looked down at his wristwatch. Really? He thought he had much more time left… he had really been thrown off by how Lex acted compared to what he expected. Just when he’d started to get somewhere… started to prove something. Maybe this hard hitting stuff was less his style.
“Yes, yes we are. Great interview. As of now, I have places to be.” He looked to Clark, as if expecting thanks.
“Uh… thanks for the interview, Mr. Luthor.” Clark nodded, getting up. This was going to be interesting… but he had to stop trying to play detective, most likely he’d never meet this man again.


Clark sat on his bed in his apartment, pondering. Why did he push so far in that interview… was it the wrong decision? Was it a mistake? Thinking about it now, if he’d pushed it too far, this was his dream job, he didn’t want to mess it up. He didn’t fit in this world… Ma and Pa had always said he was special. And he’d seen that, for the first time, back in the bus crash… and ever since, he had been testing himself, partly due to Kenny’s insistence and his own curiosity. He was stronger, more durable, faster… and he could REALLY jump. Enhanced senses too… and THAT was when he heard it. A woman’s scream, from down the street… the alleyways near the Daily Planet? How… was he hearing this from so far? Because he needed to? That didn’t matter… he had to do something, right? He hopped up, swinging open the door to his closet, and looking in at what he had been working on. He changed into it; looking into the mirror… he stood now in a light blue costume, his cloth red cape hanging from his back. On his chest was his insignia: the same S twisting inside the diamond shape: the S and its outline red, with the rest of the diamonds insides yellow in colour. Red, blue, and yellow… he had made this costume with his own hands, in the colours of the Smallville Crows. Was it a little stupid? Maybe. Maybe not wearing a mask was also a bad idea… but nothing he could think of particularly suited him. Nobody in Metropolis would have seen him without his glasses on really… he just had to give off a different aura than the mild-mannered Clark Kent…

John Corben pointed his gun towards the cowering woman, caught against the wall in the dead end of the alleyway. His face, his twitching expression, was all disguised by the balaclava over his head. He couldn’t believe he was this desperate again all of a sudden… back to this again after all these years of trying to keep it straight.
“Okay lady, just hand over anything of value ya got and this can be easy.” He advanced closer, cornering her in the alley as he raised his hand, the barrel of a gun staring down her crying eyes.
“P-please… N-no, I need this money to-”She sobbed, only to be interrupted.
“SO DO I!” He sighed, keeping his weapon pointed to her. “Listen, just hand it over, I need it and there’s no other way-” As he finished his words, he was suddenly thrown aside by a sudden force, falling onto the floor as he was pushed back out the entrance of the alleyway.
Clark had found himself jumping across the rooftops with supernatural force, his feet somehow adjusting to the sudden pressure of his take-offs and landings. As he ran forwards to the ledge down into the alley, he heard the woman’s sobbing. Bingo. With what was intended to be a jump, he practically spring-boarded himself off the ledge, making cracks in the stone as he flew over the woman’s head and through the alleyway, the mere force of his passage throwing the assailant onto his back. Clark skidded to the stop, landing steady on his feet further down the street outside the alleyway. The man seemed confused… had he gone so fast he couldn’t even see him? He had to take advantage of that if that was the case.
Corben picked himself up, staggering to his feet as he turned his head, looking down the street to the left, pointing his gun only to see nothing. What? His breathing slowed, turning slowly to the right, only to see that same blur having already dashed before him. He jolted back as Clark was suddenly right in front of him, clasping down his fingers on the trigger. Thoughts ran at lighting pace through Clark’s mind as he realised the mistake he’d made. Had he been more used to his sudden fast movements, he could have went to grab the mugger by the neck like he had planned, but the speed of it made him freeze up to adjust momentarily. And now, he was about to get hit by a bullet at point blank range. Before he had time to flinch, there was a devastating clang, a metallic snap and ping as… nothing happened? Clark looked down, the mugger’s eyes following his, to see a small hole in his costume, at his chest where the bullet had hit. His skin was completely unharmed, and the bullet nowhere to be seen. Both were understandably- pretty shaken. More questions raced through Clark’s mind, not obvious from his grave, emotionless expression. Had a bullet just seriously BOUNCED off him? The man threw his gun aside in fear, a look of complete and utter confusion in his eyes as he turned around to run, the arm that had not been holding the weapon lagging behind as he span around, giving Clark the chance to reach out, a crushing grasp on the man’s arm, his feet slamming into the pavement as he struggled against his grip, to move forward, only to realise he couldn’t. Making the most of his opportunity, he span around, with his hold on just one arm somehow allowing him to spin the man around out into the road as well, letting go as he turned, a terrible twisting tearing sound as his arm flailed in the air, the man flying down the street, his back arching painfully as he landed on his bottom, slamming directly into a lamppost. Clark just stared down the street, his mind racing as he kept his grave face up. Had he underestimated his own supernatural strength? The man’s mask fluttered to the floor, having slipped from his face with the forceful throw. Was that… the same man he had seen at the Daily Planet? His head snapped to the side as he looked down the road, hearing the impending sound of police sirens. And he was fairly certain this wasn’t more super sense… the woman in the alley must have called the police. He wanted to see if he had accidentally done any lasting damage, but he had to go before he had to answer some difficult questions… he wasn’t ready for this. He jumped up while the man’s sunken eyes looked down to the floor as he squirmed in pain, landing with a crash on the nearest rooftop. He continued up this action as fast as he could. It was like he could fly like this….

John Corben woke up groggily, his vision clearing; looking down to see himself in a white hospital gown… he was in a hospital bed. Wouldn’t be the first time. He looked up to the doctor at his side, mumbling out his words.
“What… happened?”
“You were caught by the Metropolis Police department. But, we had to take you into intensive care before they can properly arrest and punish you. The injuries you sustained were… unlike anything we’d expect. Your arm was practically torn from its socket… it’s a miracle it still works. You’re lucky.” The doctor didn’t look up from the notepad in his hands.
“S-some costumed freak… like one of those superheroes. Blue, red and yellow blur… Just flew outta nowhere, but I got a good look at it, but it looked like a man, but moved like something unnatural… That’s what nailed me like this. I-I shot at it, but it didn’t do nothing!” He mumbled out deliriously, pressing his arms against the bed to lift himself up, his strength failing him, causing him to fall back down. “Ya gotta believe me!”
“Yes, you mumbled about stuff like that in your sleep. And the injuries you sustained were, indeed, incredible… but that can’t be the case. … We’ve been checking you for recent drug usage.” The doctor looked up from his pad, staring at Corben disdainfully. “Now, don’t try and move more. No need to break yourself more than you already did.” The doctor turned, leaving Corben alone in the room, staring to the door as it closed.
He knew it… they were gonna try and call him crazy. But he knew what he saw… he wouldn’t let that freak get away with what he did… And he’d be darned if he was getting out of care and straight into prison.

NEXT TIME ON: SUPERMAN ETERNAL

Professor Stone leaned over, staring out the window and below to the containment chamber, where the projector-like extra-terrestrial device shuddered and shone, before projecting an astral portal, creating a void the colour of space, speckling with sparks like stars, it was as if the scientists were witnessing the entrance to another world entirely.
“Should we stop it Professor Stone?”
“No, I want to see this…”
As the man stared, the portal rippled, before out of it came a metallic, silver foot, clanging to the ground. Then, another advanced forward, the full body of the being coming into view. The scientists eyes widened at the armoured being, its face, strangely enough, human like, with a piercing blue, cold gaze, and short black hair.
“Finally… free of that accursed prison.” The being’s voice boomed out, staring around the room. “So this is Earth… what a pitifully unadvanced planet. Bland… unassuming. Now I see why Jor-El would hide something here…” His glare settled on Professor Stone through the glass, the towering invader looking up and blasting out his words proudly.
“You pitiful animals are about to have your eyes opened by Krypton’s light… All who resist shall be crushed by my might. Your entire planet shall kneel, starting from here…
Kneel… BEFORE ZOD.”
Tags: