Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Challenge Fair-Weathered Powers

I just had an idea. I'm not sure how to develop it into a story myself, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see if it inspired anyone else.

Suppose something happened to Clark to make it so that his "batteries" no longer stored solar energy. He would still be "super" -- but only in direct sunlight. When he is indoors away from a window, he would be completely un-super. When he is outdoors, his powers would vary depending on whether there are clouds blocking the sun. At night, he might be slightly super depending on how much moonlight there were.

Have any stories like this already been written? Would anyone be interested in running with the idea?

Joy,
Lynn

This is something that I kind of wondered in the comicsverse (pre-Crisis.) There's a story called "Who took the Super out of Superman" (V.1 #296-299) where while Clark/Superman is wearing his business suits (apparently he likes Blue work suits because he says something to the effect of his "blue suits...") he's fully mortal but while wearing the uniform he's superpowered. He figured out the reason was somehow his blue (work) suits were sprayed with a sun-light blocker of some sort making it impossible for him to absorb and process the sunlight unless he had his superman suit visible. This is the story which strongly implies Lois and Clark were intimate in the Pre-Crisis and the suggestion of beef bourguignon began (#297.) I always wondered whether or not he would be able to process the moonlight as well as the sunlight (meaning their nighttime activities may not have been as human as implied but the fanboy public.)

Not something I'm interesting in writing just yet, just something that has been tossing around in my mind as of late.

An interesting concept. Not quite on board to do it myself (due to limited time and other bunnies I'm chasing) but would be interesting to read. And just for further debate, I'm of the opinion that his powers would work in moonlight (varying degrees, of course, with this concept), since essentially the moon is like a bounce card for sunlight. That's how I understand it anyways...

Christina,

Interesting! I hadn't been aware of that story line. So a variant of the idea is actually canon in the greater Superman universe.

Dumb question, but wouldn't he then have become super on his days off, or was he wearing a suit even in his free time?

Also, would this imply that his skin isn't photo-receptive on his hands and his face? If they were, wouldn't he still have been at least slightly super just from the parts of him that were not covered by his business suit? Or is this one of those story lines where one shouldn't scrutinize the plot too closely?

I had seen beef bourguignon used as a password between them in a later story line, and I had wondered how they had come up with that.

MouseRocks,I agree with you about the moonlight. I would guess, though, that since the light is reflected and not as intense that he would not be completely super even under a full moon. But he might just survive that jump from the DP's window.

Joy,
Lynn

In the story, he did one week as Clark alone (not wearing the Superman suit underneath although it seems that it made no difference on whether or not the powers worked) and a week where he was exclusively Superman (thus undermining his own relationship with Lois in the process because he noticed how different Lois treated Clark as opposed to Superman.) In the story, wearing even on item of the work suit (one of the panels had him wearing a shoe and sock over the Superman suit) seemed to prevent it working. Not sure why that made any difference as logically the amount of the Superman suit/himself covered would have made the powers less accordingly...then again this is Silver Age Superman so logic was sometimes left by the wayside.

Hmmm... Maybe he was allergic to the chemical in the business suit, and contact with any of the allergen at all (directly or through the Superman suit) was sufficient to cause a reaction which blocked his solar processing?

I think that that's the best rationale I can come up with for that bit of silliness.

Why let a little thing like logic ruin a good story?

Joy,
Lynn

I realize that I might be the only person to have actually seen the movie but this sounds similar to the storyline in Superman IV. The Superman clone, Nuclear Man, could only function in sunlight.

I like the Chrisopher Reeve Superman but not enough to see this movie again.

The only reason I watch it these days are for the Lois/Clark scenes. I think that version of Clark was the closest to a Bronze age Clark we ever saw (he was rarely jittery unless he REALLY needed to get away.) I remember seeing scenes of this as a kid (probably the first time I saw Superman on TV... BEFORE LnC.) I'd rather watch those individual clips on youtube than rent it.

I'm one thise suckers who fell for Supoerman IV... again. And again. And just recently a few months ago. I can't help it- it's so terrible, but it's at least good for laughs. Although I don't like the fact that he basically tells Lois he's Superman, kisses her, wipes her memory and repeats. Not to mention the whole Nuclearman thing wasn't the brightest, either...

Oh, yeah. I forgot about Superman IV. I did watch it, but I think I blocked it out of my mind. My subconscious might have latched onto the one interesting plot point in it, though, and handed it back to me to start this thread. Had I recalled the movie, I either wouldn't have started this thread at all, or else I would have given appropriate attribution.

I personally detest, hate, and loathe the Kiss of Forgetfulness. It is so manipulative. Frankly, it seems to me more like something that Lex Luthor would use, if he were able, than something that Clark would. After all, Superman supposedly respects the dignity and autonomy of humans in general, and supposedly loves Lois in particular. That kiss shows neither respect nor love, IMHO.

Joy,
Lynn

Aa-men sister. It's one of the things my favorite Movieverse Author despises about the film (I have read a fic from her that explains it away as Lois playing along with him for his sake and then they go post-film to talk about the truth that stands between them because of the "pep talk" Lois gives to Superman (in Clark's disguise) when he was injured and dying due to Nuclearman.