One of the distinct advantages of writing fan fiction is that one has an existing universe to play in, one in which one need not build a set of characters for the readers to respond to because they already exist.
One of the strongest limitations of writing fan fiction is that one has an existing universe to play in, one in which one need not build a set of characters for the readers to respond to because they already exist.
See, I kinda knew this would happen. Y'all see the name "Lex Luthor" and you automatically assume "BAD GUY!" And it's a reasonable assumption, given the weight of decades of Superman comic book stories and the movies and the Lois and Clark TV series.
But it's not necessarily the only way to interpret this character.
One of my favorite alt-Clark stories is Elle Roberts' "When The West Wind Moves," partly because Cat Grant becomes the editor of the Planet when Perry moves on to political success (and she's actually something of a prude), and partly because Lex Luthor is a missionary - and it's not a cover, he really is a family man and a missionary. In her story, Lex is a minor character whose life path has been totally different, but there's still that Luthor edge to him. He even says at one point that he isn't sure how he might have turned out if not for his loving parents.
In this story, I didn't initially write Lex as quite the nice guy he seems to be. But while doing a good bit of revising and adding parts to it, I ran up against the same wall Tank hit with the Lex-Lois pairing, that Lois was too smart to fall for the charming evil man. So his character insisted that I give him a better personality and a more sympathetic back story, and that's the Lex Luthor being presented in this very alt-world tale.
I ask that you give both Lex and this story a chance to stand on their own respective two feet. Lex may not be the ultimate evil in this universe, but he's not without faults, either. I hope you stay with me to what I hope is an explosive and surprising climax.
Oh, Ann, thanks so much for the picture of Rebecca! That's actually pretty close to my own mental image of her. It's amazing where you find all these great images.
