Retired — Roleplayer Guild

C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T   P R O P O S A LS U P E R M A N

C L A R K  K E N T  ♦   J O U R N A L I S T  ♦  M E T R O P O L I S  ♦   D A I L Y   P L A N E T
C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T:

Twenty-five years ago in Smallville, Kansas the sky fell. It wasn't a major event, the sole meteor that had apparently arced across the sky barely made the local news. Just a momentary light show in the early dawn hours noticed by a scant few. 

Of those few, it was Jonathan and Martha Kent, newlyweds, who noticed the falling object suddenly halt its descent, hover, and slowly lower to the ground. It was they who discovered the young boy, bundled in red cloth, nestled within the egg-shaped, metal craft. And they were the ones who later dragged the ship away to conceal its presence. 

The couple decided to keep the newborn and pass it off as their own flesh and blood, isolating Martha at their farm until the child's "birth." They raised the boy, Clark, as they would any other, keeping the knowledge of his true origin secret from all. 

Clark had an amazing childhood by all considerations. He had doting parents. He had his friends, especially Lana Lang - his next-door neighbor - and Lex Luthor - who he would consider almost an older brother. In high school, he would join the Smallville Crows and follow in Jonathan's footsteps as a star quarterback. 

It wasn't until his early teen years that Clark ever had reason to suspect he was different. He discovered his near-invulnerable skin one night while cliff jumping. Clark had misjudged the angle of his leap, overshooting his target by a dozen feet, and collided with a large boulder. While he had suffered no damage the rock wasn't as fortunate. 

Subsequently, his parents sat him down for a long conversation where they explained he was adopted. That they didn't know his birth parents but they knew Clark was special and unique. Over the next two years, Clark's abilities further developed to which Jonathan and Martha stressed the need for him to be careful and secretive. His secret didn't last for long, however. 

At sixteen, Lana discovered the dangers of texting while driving. She also discovered her new boyfriend was more than meets the eye when Clark saved her from colliding with a tree with not a moment to spare. Worried about how she would view him now, he was happily surprised to find in her the confidant he desperately needed. 

That same year, Lex graduated and left Smallville. Although the two promised to keep in touch, Clark knew the two would be heading in different directions in life. Lex, brilliant beyond belief and already starting his own business, would make a name for himself in the world. While Clark believed his future was destined for a life on the farm. 

Days before his high school graduation, Clark's life was rocked by the revelation of his true nature. The Kents finally revealed to their son the spacecraft that had brought him to Smallville. While he didn't blame his adoptive parents for keeping this from him, Clark knew nothing would ever be the same for him. Needing to discover himself, Clark followed Lex's path two years before and left Smallville. 

For seven years, Clark traveled the extent of North and South America. He paid his way by writing travel blogs for The Daily Star and sent weekly letters to his parents back at the farm. Throughout his journey, Clark found many people in need and did his best to help out in any way he could. More often than not, he would find himself needing to use his abilities to save or improve a life. In these circumstances, he would always take great care to avoid detection, remembering his parents' words of warning. Any evidence or trail he left behind he ensured would appear as natural circumstances or sheer, dumb luck. 

It was these moments where Clark felt he truly belonged to this world and could reconcile his alien heritage with his given humanity. 

Recently, Clark has decided to end his travels and begin to settle down into a proper life. After a return to Smallville to spend time with his parents, Clark now makes the move to Metropolis, the City of Tomorrow, where he feels he could make the best start at his future. 

C H A R A C T E R   M O T I V A T I O N S   &   G O A L S:
NOTE: Bare with me, there's important changes to discuss.

I used to love Superman stories when I was younger. I was such a fan that several of my earliest internet handles were Superman-themed. But as I got older I grew bored with the character. His stories were always the same, and, for the most part, I saw they were relegated to simple tales of "strong man punches another strong man" or "near god does miracle that invalidates everything else." That's not what first drew me into the character when I was younger and not what I wanted to see. 

I've never tried to play Superman before in one of these games. Not that I never had an interest in reimagining the character but because these RPs always, always have had history to them. They would start in a world that has been super for years. But with this game, with a true year one approach, I recognized that I finally had the opportunity to approach Superman as I feel is the most interesting. Which isn't the story of Superman wrestling with his humanity. It's a story of Clark Kent coming to terms with his alien nature and the powers that come with that. 

I hate that most Superman comics approach the character as Superman first with Clark Kent as the alter ego. That's not the heart of the character, I feel. And it's not how I will be writing him. Clark Kent is the true character and the center of his existence. Superman is just the identity he dons when necessary. As such, my Clark Kent is different from the classic versions. He's not meek and bumbling. He doesn't (yet) wear glasses or purposefully make himself less interesting. While he's naturally soft-spoken, this is a Clark who isn't trying to conceal another identity. Not yet, at least. 

I do plan on having him don the suit. He will become Superman. And soon. This isn't Smallville, as Hound feared, I'm not going to keep him away from the cape forever. In fact, by the end of the season (if those exist here) I want him to accept his role as a public hero. But, until then, I want to build up to that moment. I want it to feel like Clark is coming to terms with what it means to be a hero. I want it to feel like an earned moment and not just an inevitability. 

To that end, the start of this story is going to be following Clark Kent as he starts his new life in Metropolis as a reporter for The Daily Planet. It's going to show Clark learning to balance his real life with his extracurricular life-saving adventures he's now gotten used to over the last seven years. He's going to meet new friends and adversaries in his daily life, and reunite with Lex Luthor. And, until he becomes Superman at the end of the season, he's going to primarily be facing the seedy underworld of Metropolis and the inherent, human dangers within. After all, this is year one and I don't want there to already be a dozen metahumans and supervillains running around the city. Again, that's something I want to naturally build up to. 

Overall, I intend to approach playing Clark Kent and Superman both in a modernist, grounded manner. I'm stripping Clark of several of his abilities, some of which he will develop later, most of which will be depicted to a lesser degree than is typical for the character - though still super. Starting off, Clark can't fly nor does he possess heat vision. He can bend steel with his hands and move fast enough to appear as a blur, but he won't be bench pressing any planets. He will face real physical challenges and he will be in danger. I want you the readers to actually wonder if he's going to make it out of a situation unharmed and not just expect him to breeze through without worry. 

This is not going to be a traditional Superman tale. But I hope it is viewed as a good one.

C H A R A C T E R   N O T E S:
NOTE: This will be updated as each post reveals new characters and plots. Otherwise, things will be basic to as to avoid spoilers.

Clark's adoptive parents. They instilled within their son great morals and values, and are very supportive of him. Though, Jonathan is slightly more concerned about hearing of Clark's adventures. Clark exchanges texts, emails, and letters with them frequently. They are in their early fifties and very much alive in this continuity.

In this universe, Lex didn't come from money. He was born in Smallville. His father, Lionel, was a verbally abusive drunk. He has alopecia causing hair loss and resulting in years of teasing as a child. He befriended Clark in middle school and the Kent family was an incredibly positive influence on his life; he spent more time on their farm than at his own house during his teen years and views Jonathan and Martha as second parents. 

He has always had a love for space and dreamed of exploring the stars one day. At sixteen he created his first app. At nineteen he sold a popular encrypted communications app for nine figures. At twenty-one, his company, L-Corp, was an innovator in clean energy. By twenty-two, Lex had become the youngest self-made billionaire ever. Soon after, he created his new company headquarters in Metropolis as a solar tower to prove clean energy was not only viable but superior. In 2017 he announced L-Corp would be branching out into aerospace manufacturing and space transportation. Professing his dream for humanity to transition to the stars, Lex promises a private, manned space flight to the moon by 2021. 

A known philanthropist, Lex is a popular public figure highly present on social media. However, he likes to keep details of his personal life private and has refused every attempt at an interview. 

After leaving Smallville, he and Clark kept in touch for two years until the latter's own personal journey of self-discovery. Since then, Lex has received letters similar to the ones Clark would send the elder Kents, but they have not seen one another in over seven years.

Former Pulitzer prize winner and the long-standing editor-in-chief at The Daily Planet. Due to the Planet failing and falling on hard times in recent years, Perry is desperate for new, fresh blood. He recently hired Clark Kent, former travel blogger for the online magazine The Daily Star.

An investigative journalist at The Daily Planet. Known for her aggressive pursuit of a lead and no-quit attitude. Something that has gotten her into trouble at other publications prior to Perry White giving her a break. Has a penchant for digging up corruption and several accommodations to show she's good at reporting on it. Has been trying to get an interview with Lex Luthor regarding his space program for two years.

Nineteen-year-old university student and intern at The Daily Planet. An aspiring photojournalist, he has thus far been relegated to coffee duty more than anything else. Sticks closely to Lois Lane who he sees as a mentor, though he does wish she'd stop calling him Jimmy.

Young college grad and single mother. Currently, the columnist for the Entertainment and Arts section at The Daily Planet, though she has aspirations to be a 'real' reporter. Her bright and cheerful demeanor brings a much-needed levity into the Planet's bullpen.

Childhood best friend of Clark's and one-time high school girlfriend. To this day, she is the only one outside of the Kent family to know about his abilities. Although they are not as close as they once were due to the seven years apart, they remain in contact with one another through social media. She is currently a fashion designer in New York City.

To be updated.

S A M P L E   P O S T:
The bright, flashing colors exploding above the Metropolis skyline caught Clark's attention as he typed away. The Fourth of July celebration marked not only the birthday of America but also the day the virus rampaging through the country was finally and totally stomped out. 

Tens of thousands afflicted with hundreds dead in America alone. If not for the swift actions of President Carr the loss of life could have been astronomical. Clark was thankful for people like Ted Kord and organizations like S.T.A.R. Labs who from the start of the pandemic openly and loudly encouraged for safe, responsible measures to be taken. While he was sure he would have been largely safe from most Earth-born viruses, having never gotten sick a day in his life, the young man had been worried for his parents. 

Though, even without his apparent immunity to illness, he'd have been perfectly alright in Metropolis. Lex Luthor had ensured that. 

From the earliest moments, the City of Tomorrow's most famous resident had pledged tens of millions of dollars to the cause. And as the days went on, Lex proved his actions weren't purely for the good publicity as he continually devoted resources to supplying the city with as many appropriate medical supplies as could possibly be needed. Metropolis had had just one case of the virus in the very first week, with the individual quickly recovering, and then for the remaining several months not a single other reported case. Unlike the rest of the country who had still been undergoing quarantine procedures until just a month earlier, Metropolis had managed to safely reopen in the span of just three weeks.

Lex Luthor was without a doubt a hero to this great city, Clark thought. 

He cast a glance out of The Daily Planet's windows. From his spot in the bullpen, even without his superior eyesight, Clark could make out the outline of L-Corp's tower off in the distance. Its constant soft glow like a beacon of hope, the golden explosions of sparkling lights above it giving a halo-like appearance. 

If someone had told Clark over a decade ago that Lex Luthor, the frail, socially awkward boy from Smallville, would go on to save hundreds of lives... Clark would have told them those numbers didn't do his friend justice.

As the new, junior reporter for The Daily Planet put the finishing touches on his story about Metropolis' savior, he leaned back and smiled in his chair. Grabbing his half-empty glass from the desk, he raised a toast to the building across the skyline. 

"Here's to you, brother."

P O S T   C A T A L O G:
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"Hayao Miyazaki"

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