Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls Could alt Clark kill himself?

Yes, Happy Ever After.

I was temporarily blindsided earlier, trying to figure it out from CC's post, because I spent quite a bit of time trying to fit the H into 'hurt' and the A into 'angst' and then couldn't work out what the E was for.

'excruciating?'

That says something significant and deep about me, I'm sure.

LabRat

PS: I just thought of a possible circumstance in which he might (and I believe it comes courtesy of one of Wendy's fics). What if he knew he was going to die and there was a danger that if, for whatever reason, he let nature take its natural course, nefarious people would get hold of his body and use it for criminal activities? Might he elect to kill himself if he knew that by doing so, he could prevent his body getting into the wrong hands?

Yvonne

My one thought on this is helping people gives even the most depressed altClark a reason to live.

However, my brain just argued back, would he kill himself if something drastic goes wrong with a rescue, though? If that's the only reason he has to live...after all, we've seen how afffected Clark can be, where Lois usually has to pull him back onto his feet. And altClark has no Lois...

Maybe. But I suppose I see him turning to drugs before suicide. I'd have to think about it some more.

Conversations With JD's Brain.

Actually, Yvonne's scenario would come under the heading of the 'greater good for others' and as such Clark/Superman would be willing to sacrifice his life to 'save' whomever might be hurt by 'bad guys' having his body for experimentation. Their might be a factor of desparation in it, but it would also have a noble component.

The real problem comes from our board conventions. Any serious wham, or death has little impact, or dramatic value, if it's known a head of time. But in deference to the probable majority of gentle readers who don't want to read deathfic, or unhappy endings, we have adopted a practice of putting warnings on those fics that might contain such subject matter.

I can totally understand someone not wanting to 'get into' a story then have his/her enjoyment trashed by having someone die, or worse. The unfortunate consequence is that without the 'will he or won't he' dynamic the story impact is blunted.

From what I understand, we have one of the most respectful, and congenial, fanfiction fandoms here. So, if that comes with some extra restrictions and responsiblilities to the gentle readers, then it does. As writers we have chosen to abide by those conventions in order to get the readership we desire. After all, it's all about the feedback... right?

Tank (who doesn't see any advantage to kill off altClark because there is still no Lois for him)

Even though I said I wasn't posting and will be a lurker, but can't help expressing my thought on this.


My alternate clark in one of my stories did.

What about if he cannot control it, like my serum 7 drug?

At least we can't blame Yvonne for that one! <G>

CC Aiken, I'm getting the urge to double dare you to turn this story of mine around by sending it to you but maybe wont.


The story is not posted like the other " Fountain of Youth " fic that I've mention in Queen of Capes' challange .

My answer was other.


I think that if he cant kill himself he can at least let Lex do it for him. He likes doing favors to old friends.


MDL.

Like Tank said, that would be more of a sacrifice than suicide. And just the dumb, noble thing any Clark would be inclined to do. But that's very different from just 'rolling over and giving up'.

LabRat, I've been thinking about Clark using Kryptonite: but I have a hard time seeing Clark actively searching for a piece of space rubble (maybe robbing StarLabs), then lie beside the thing and experience a very slow, painful dead! I'm thinking about Luthor's green cage in HOL here: that was a lot of K! Imagine how long it would take Clark to finally die, using just one chunk.

Wouldn't there be a moment when he'd think: what am I doing?? A person might be depressed and wanting to end his life, but wouldn't he want to do it quickly ?

Ursie

Other.

Happy endings are so 5 minutes ago.

Note to self: Speak to Mel.

Edit: Ok, so after reading the thread I decided to edit...

I think Alt-Clark is definately capable of killing himself, as is anyone under the right (or wrong, if you want to see it that way) stressors.

It may be hard to imagine him doing so, but isn't that what everybody who knows a suicide victim says? That they never thought the person could or would kill themselves?

As mentioned earlier, Alt-Clark is definately not "our Clark".
He didn't have a stable home life growing up as "our Clark" did, he doesn't have a supportive family or friends like "our Clark" does, he doesn't have the luxury of being anonymous like "our Clark" does, and he doesn't have the promise of a better future.

Certainly, he's basically good, but without the supporting network "our Clark" has, I think it's extremely plausible that he might crack under pressure.
Without the hope of a better future and with nothing to live for, I think it's more than plausible, and I think it's pretty brave for an author to consider a difficult topic matter (< BTW, that counts as sucking up )

Tank, I've always wondered why we do this. After all, don't most people just do what I do? If a fic starts to get a little 'iffy', flip to the last page. If Lois and Clark are together at the end, continue reading. If not, drop it like a hot potato

ML

Edit: Oh, just realized that if it's posted on these boards first, it's not possible to do that. Oops

Still think your idea has merit, ML, and personally I agree with it. If the story as posted on the mbs gets into an area that doesn't suit your individual reading tastes, then stop reading. If you're really, desperately keen to know how it turned out, you can always catch up with it later, on the Archive, or here on the mbs once it's had its last segment posted.

Really, I don't mind either way about warnings. I feel it's up to the author to decide whether to use one or not. Where I would object is if authors are told that it's a necessary thing, a requirement, and not up to individual choice.

But I don't think that's the case here on the mbs. Is it? (My free time is such these days that it's not often I venture into the fanfic folder at all now, so no idea really if things have changed. But I don't think there's a rule or expectation along those lines. That I know of, anyway. And that's just the way it should be, imo.)

LabRat

My alternate clark had it worse.

Well, my impression is that it's expected, or at least, keenly desired. Otherwise, one tends to get comments along the lines that it would have been thoughtful of the author to post some sort of warning.

Personally, I neither need nor want warnings, and don't like posting them at the top of my own stories. However, as Tank has said, it's a small price to pay for the largely harmonious atmosphere we enjoy on these boards.

Yvonne

I liked Tank's solution of posting a story warning in a separate thread (which I linked to from the ToC for him) when he started to post Serial Vengeance. That offered the warning for any reader who preferred to have it, while at the same time not giving spoilers to other readers apart from the fact that there was a WHAM warning of some sort in effect.

I wonder, though... you know we have the Tank Ending warning thread? How about a story WHAM warning thread, instead of the warning being at the top of the story? I know this wouldn't help for Archive purposes, but would it be useful, or would readers simply forget to check the thread?


Wendy

Gets my vote, Wendy!

Yvonne