Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Challenge Superman deathfic challenge anyone?

I'm one of those rare folks who like a well written Superman death-fic. A vision of a dark future where good does not necessarily win out.

I found a tantalizing death-fic here from years ago that only had 1 chapter. It was intriguing with lots of questions. Like who did it and would Lois bring that person to justice. E-mailed the author asking if she might finish it but never got a reply.

Then, just last week, I read a dark shocking death-fic. One chapter. Incredibly well written. A tragedy like a train-wreck you don't want to see but can't help but watch. One of the best Superman fics I've read. Incredibly talented author.

Luthor at his crulest. And Luthor wins. He gains financially in a macabre way from defeating Superman. You can't imagine what the author wrote. But it was so well done that the story is justified in itself. It could well become a graphic novel.

The reviewers, all Superman fans, are saying things like this:

"Ouch. I can totally see Luthor pulling that "for the good of humanity" if he ever won. Reminds me of that very disturbing story my grandmother once told me about when she visited the memorial sites in Auschwitz. Apparently, they had soap made of human fat and a lampshade made from human skin. Goes to show the level of contempt and superiority complex, and, in the case of Luthor/your story, his desire to hammer home that his archnemesis isn't human.

morbid, but poignant enough to justify it."

The story is that stunning.

So, are any authors up to a Superman death-fic?

Try Mouserocks' fic "Distraught." It's not really a fic where evil wins out. It's more about Clark's mental breakdown after Lois and their baby die. It's set like 6 months after the fact. Anyway, really well done, very emotional.

As you may know Chakram, death-fics have their origin with the co-creator of Superman. Jerry Siegal.

He wrote a vision of how the never-ending battle would end. It was a dark future in his final Supes story with Superman lying dead, glowing green, while a triumphant Luthor stood over him.

Few know of that. That the creators did not see a happy ending to the Superman saga. They were Jewish and saw what Germany had done to Jews in WW2. They transposed that into their "final" Superman story. The ascendancy of evil over good.

A dark future informed by their time.

So, based on what the creators envisioned, I do think there is a place for Superman death-fic. As with the story I mentioned, it can be some of the most compeling and poignant Superman fic.

Although I don't particularly like deathfics, I have written a couple. (mine, though, both have Clark trying to adjust to Lois' death.)

A clarification on something you wrote, Randi. The "Death of Superman" story was in Superman issue 149. It's been a while since I read it, but IIRC, it had been clearly labeled as an imaginary story. Also, it was definitely not the last story written by Siegel; or, at least, it wasn't his last published story. It was published in November of 1961. A quick perusal of mycomicshop.com shows that his scripts were used in new comic books for several years later.

As powerful as that story was, it was not Siegel's final word on his creation.

Joy,
Lynn

True.

DC comics needed to continue with the next week's Superman story.

It was called an imaginary tale in those days. They would call it Elseworlds today.

But it was the creator's vision of how the never ending battle would end. If indeed they were to write the final Superman story 'The Death of Superman' would have been it.

Now I am not saying that is how the story has to end. But I am saying that is how it could end and that there is a place for death fic with Luthor/evil/darkness triumphant. And frankly there are not enough fanfic writers willing to go there. For obvious reasons.

Superman #149 is the final story the creators would have written. If they had had a final story to write. But they didn't. it was out of their hands by then and bigger than them.

The fic I referenced is such a story. Dark, brutal, macabre but in the spirit of Siegal's "Death of Superman".

This is the first time I've heard this view, Randi. I'm curious, have you read an interview with Seigel in which he said that that would be his choice of ending, or are you just speculating? To be honest, I'm hoping the latter.

As I mentioned, I have written a couple of deathfics myself, but I would not want anyone to assume from those two works (especially the darker If Looks Could Kill ) that that was how I would actually want to have L&C end. My muse simply gave me two stories that I found too compelling to ignore. Perhaps Siegel was the same way?

And no, I am not in ignorance of the battle between Superman's creators and DC. I realize that, rightly or wrongly (I don't think the situation is quite as clear cut as some make it out to be), Siegel and Shuster both felt that DC did wrong by them financially. I also know that a lot of Shuster's other illustrations were, to put it delicately, not a force for good. But neither of these means that Siegel necessarily had the fatalistic attitude you infer from his imaginary story.

And regarding the Jewish mindset: Yes, evil frequently does win out in the short-term -- the ascendancy of Nazi-ism leading up to and during WWII being an excellent example thereof -- but ultimately, the Messiah will come and good will triumph. (At least, that is the message I learned in all the Sunday school classes I went to growing up Jewish.)

I'm not saying you are wrong in what you wrote, Randi -- I honestly don't know whether you are; but I am saying that I hope you are wrong. It would be a sad irony if you were right.

Joy,
Lynn

You know, Lynn, your comment that "the Messiah will come and good will triumph" reminds me of a Superman (and Lois) deathfic and its sequel. In the one story, they die in some kind of nuclear meltdown involving kryptonite. And in the sequel, their son (which they left when he was quite young) takes up the mantle of Superman. If only I could remember the titles...

As the odd duck here who enjoys Superman deathfics when well written, I recall the story you are referring to (there are so few deathfics here it's easy to recall). It's called The End of The Beginning. Well-written and poignant.



one

The boards are generally about love and hope and a bright future.

Nothing is given however, death-fics have a place.

They can be among the most touching/profound/horrid stories told. But they have a place.

Warning - not for the faint of heart. But this fic touched me like only 2 or 3 Superman fics have.

Again, this is not for the faint of heart.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8700173/1/Lex-Luthor-Triumphant

My deathfic challenge would have it be someone besides Luthor who kills Superman. Someone surprising. The reasons as to why are what would make the story compelling. And maybe hard to write.

Randi, from the sounds of things, you and I would appear to be kindred spirits. I absolutely ADORE a good death fic. Happy endings have their place, of course, and it seems to be what the general concensus likes best, but for me, I'll take a sob story any day. Really it's the emotion that gets to me the most (WAFFy stuff can have that emotion, but the haunting stuff is what, well, haunts you I suppose). At the risk of sounding like a sociopath, I really do enjoy writing and reading a good deathfic.

Originally posted by Deadly Chakram: Thanks for the compliment. That one does go really dark, and you might actually like it, but I get the sense you're looking for something a little bit... more. To which I say... I do have more. Unpublished more. There's a couple I have in the works that are kind of in the same vein you're looking for that maybe I'll give a second look over and see if I can brush up/finish up for the boards. All I can say is be careful what you wish for... I can be evil.

Ooh. Eerie... I liked this a lot. Thsnks for the rec!

eerie yes but among the most powerful Superman fics I've read.

Here is another deathfic that is quite good:

'My Name Is Clark'

http://m.fanfiction.net/s/6952444/1/

Indeed kindred spirits.

Like the happy fic/relationship stories but a good deathfic (Superman dying) can be more powerful. I am not a socio-path either - LOL! Quite a happy camper actually. Still, the drama/emotion make such stories so more powerful generally - IMO.

The Puzzle pieces fic which was not continued by the author but was intriguing.

Superman shot to death (riddled with kryptonite bullets) by someone he sees but the reader doesn't and he was shocked by whom it was as far as I can tell from the 1 chapter.

Not Luthor then. In my vision it would be Lana or Jimmy and the story would be what brought either of these two to end up killing Superman.

Lana would be the easier story - scorned love/jealousy. Jimmy now that would be a complex tale to write.

Oh, please do finish up your works and post them - if you have the time.

Not Lois either - the story would involve her tracking down the true murderer.

Sorry for double posts. Can't seem to delete them. Weird. But then i'm sure some here think I'm weird cause I enjoy death-fics. LOL!

BTW, how does one delete a post? The option says edit/delete but when I got into that choice couldn't find a delete fuction.

You can edit a post, Randi, but only Admins/Mods can delete posts. If you need a post deleted you can mail me or PM me and I'll do that for you. :-)

LabRat :-)

Saw your review. Quite good. You should get a reply from the author.

I didn't review but PM'd the author. He is thinking of a follow-up like 5 years later.

W/o giving too much away, there are questions about the harvesting, brain and tear.

Found this for you. More part(s) posted soon. It's fairly dark, though not to the level of that one story. /shudders still/
Kill Your Heroes