At last, the Anti-Universe is complete! Or at least, Book One is... Because this is such a long fic, I've decided to split the feedback threads into "Acts" to keep it together nicely. I will update the FDK thread with each chapter update. This first act will contain all thoughts for chapters 1-21.

Posting schedule will be Monday/Wednesday (even though, yes, I know it's technically Tuesday since it's after midnight). If you're good, I might throw in an extra chapter a week here or there.

Warnings for the sensitive or spoiler-inoculated:

Chapter 1 is up! Comments below.

Very very interesting. I cannot wait for more. Your stories always have a twist that I don't see coming. I'll sit back and enjoy the ride.

Interesting. This story definitely has my attention.

Morgana let’s loose a long, low whistle.

Clark was not on good terms with his Dad when he died?

Had not seen (or apparently didn’t care) that he had not seen his Mother in quite a while.

He has money coming out of his ears.

The bartender has to keep quiet about him being there? Also, this same guy knew who Kent was but ‘Lola’ didn’t?

Yep, this be a real alternative universe!

Yay!! You're posting. Okay... **zips mouth closed with super-glue**

I will not give it away. I will not give it away.

Great job reworking the beginning. Flows awesome. Hook is there with maximum effect.

Mmmm, my favorite thing about Alt-stories is the world building, and you certainly seem to be setting up a doozy!

Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. Twists ahead for sure. Buckle in.


Yay! Hope you like it.

*Bows*

Questions, questions. All in good time. I will say, good terms isn't exactly the issue.

I've got my eye on you.


Thank you! So much is your handiwork.

Thanks! I gotta admit, it's a lot of fun.

Chapter 2 is up!

(Just for reference, this story is rated PG-13. I forgot to mention that in the first chapter, so I'll put it here and in the TOC as well.)

OMG! Nigel is working with him. See I already didn't see that twist coming. What else does Mouse have up her sleeve?

O.M.G.!!!! What a great opening “shot across the bow.” Nigel an informant for Clark? Perry asking Lois to help intercede with Lex concerning the Planet? A cash 💵 loaded Clark.... Monday and Wednesday nights just became my two favorites days of the week.

Wow. Intense, very different. Really looking forward to the rest of this!

A fascinating beginning. I'm hooked! (This will be a wild ride... )

Oh, so much. My sleeves need to be altered.


Why thank you!

Had to be done. Nigel isn't a straight arrow in any universe.

There's a joke about three guys in a bar, and the first guy bets the other two that this shot will make him invincible. He bets $100, takes the shot, then jumps out the window only to walk back in the door. The other two follow suit, except they don't come back. The bartender just shakes his head and says: "Superman, you're a butthole."

Not saying that's how Clark made all his money in this fic, but a Clark less concerned by morals/hiding his powers has a lot more options for making money than the rest of us.


Awww! Thanks! Chapter three going up shortly.


Yay! Glad you're enjoying this. Intense is what I was going for.


/puts on best imitation cowboy voice/ "Hang on to your hats and glasses, 'cuz this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!"

Ahem. Sorry. Gotta take the Disney-hat off. Hope you will enjoy (although there probably have been wilder...)

Good afternoon! Chapter 3 is up! Comments here, per usual.

(Those of you still waiting on a 'Havana' update, sorry for the delay. Busy week, but should be posting ch 9 by the end of this week.)

Nice inner dialogue for Lex. Not sure how comfortable I am with Clark as the evil one ...

As long as you have evil Clark can we get a evil Drake? Not too evil since this isn’t an nfic.

Thanks. And I get it, it's weird at first. Who knows, maybe he's not as evil as he seems, maybe he's more evil... I'll never tell.


Drake? As in Mayson Drake? Isn't she already evil enough? Maybe. You never know who or what's coming next (although I will admit, the majority of the elements of this story are based in season 1).

Chapter 4 is up!

CK Enterprises.. I think I know who that is. Boy oh boy, this is getting so good. Looking forward to more. I can't believe he is the one trying to buy out the Planet. I should have known. Great job.

Absolutely priceless, classic irony. “CK Enterprises” with THE eyeglasses corporate logo. I am NOT necessarily convinced that Clark is the bad guy. Just saying....

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying. It took me awhile to land on CK Enterprises.


Thanks! Thought it'd be funny, plus adds to the whole hiding-in-plain-sight deal.

Now Clark... Clark is complicated.

Thanks guys! New chap will go up Monday.

Chapter 5 is up! Happy Monday

Very interesting part, delighted to see Trask and hints on the events that have warped Clark's development and thus his life.

Toasters, hmm, OK this makes it clear to me that in this 'Verse Lex is STILL a bad guy.

Thank you. More on Trask and Clark's past will be shown throughout. As for the second thing... *shrugs* Maybe. Maybe not.

Chapter 6 going up now!

Man oh man, CK gives Nigel chills?? (me too, so far). What's real, what's a fakeout, where does Lex know Clark's name from, who's a reliable narrator and who's not?

I'll try not to die from suspense poisoning between now and Monday, but I make no promises.

Yup. Nigel knows what's up... mostly. As for your questions... all I can say is you're a perceptive reader. More on Lex coming soon, but not this chapter soon. (Or maybe everything's a fakeout... maybe I'm not a reliable narrator...)

As for suspense poisoning... Never fear! Chapter 7 is up now! Happy Monday!

Chapter 8 is up! Short and... sweet isn't the word. But it's a short one for sure. So short that I could be persuaded to post chapter 9 early....

As always, all comments are welcome.

After a short hiatus, I finally caught up on the story. I like the confrontation in Perry's office between Lois and Clark. I also enjoyed how Lois did not back down. Looking forward to more.

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying still. More confrontations to come (although not directly in the next chapter... we're getting Lex-centric in this one).

Chapter 9 going up in the morning!

Happy Monday! Chapter 9 is up! All comments are welcome. What are your thoughts on Lex's adapted backstory?

(You may notice a formatting change-- no more chapter titles. I'll be going through the earlier postings to do much the same later.)

Chapter 10 is here.

Bonus Chapter 11 is here.

All right, I'm a day late on this guy, so to make amends, I'm posting double-duty on the chapters. But to be fair, I had a pretty perfect reason...

On Wednesday afternoon we said hello to my new baby nephew! He's happy and healthy and adorable, and has a shocking head of hair. He's very sleepy and has a super polite giggle-cry, except when he was strapped in his carseat. I'm so in love with him already, as is the whole fam, and I'm going to make sure he's a good little nerd, my little Mouseketeer. Lots of fun times ahead, and you may just get something WAFFy or Fluffy out of me because of him.

(Not this story, sorry. Never this story, lol.)

Congrats on your new nephew! Yes you must pass on the tradition of loving all the nerdiness to him. My kids are already following in my footsteps. haha Taught my daughter to make a fan video this past weekend.

Looks like things are getting interesting here but I'm waiting till the end of this act to comment because I know things. **zips mouth closed and covers with duct tape**

Thanks! I'm sure he's going to love it all haha (we've already talked Star Wars to him a little). And yay on the video skills! Maybe we'll get double the videos out of you and the mini-you now, huh? Please?


Don't worry. Halfway there now. Won't be long.

Chapter 12 will be up in the morning! Or more accurately, by the morning... technically, 1 am makes it Monday, right?

Banner here

I'm just going to leave this here and bump up your fic for you Mouse. You know, since you forgot to add Chapter 13 on the thread. Yes, it's up and I'm behaving and keeping my mouth zipped till the end of this act.

I've been following this, waiting for a good reason to like your main characters, and I must say that I have found only one person who appeals to me in any real way.

• Clark: He's bitter and mean and he uses people. To me, that's worse than him using his powers to enrich himself instead of helping. His morals are practically non-existent, and besides an almost worshipful attitude toward his father, people don't seem to be important to him. His only redeeming characteristic may be that he's not a criminal mastermind - not much of a character reference. No.
• Lois: She's selfish, self-centered, and self-indulgent. Despite her intelligence and understanding of how things work, she's self-destructive (drinks to excess and smokes almost incessantly), manipulative and I have grave doubts about her basic honesty. No.
• Nigel: He's his usual slimy, treacherous self. No.
• Jonathan: We don't know that much about him except that he was extremely protective of his family. But he lost control when he emptied a high-capacity magazine into Trask. No.
• Martha: She has limits to her love. When her husband killed Trask so violently, she withdrew her support and understanding. Instead of helping Jonathan to recover from this self-inflicted tragedy, she rejected him. The result of both Jonathan's and Martha's actions has helped to produce the quite disagreeable Clark Kent. No.
• Perry: This Perry seems hesitant and almost cowardly. He doesn't project the air of competence and confidence Perry usually does. And he asks one of his employees to use her sex appeal to prop up the Planet's coffers. No.
• Lex: I don't know for certain what kind of man this Lex is, but he's the only one who hasn't been unethical and/or dishonest. Maybe he just hasn't had the chance to show his true colors, but he's the only honest character so far, even if he is intense and a little bit stupid about the people in his life. Qualified yes.

Please understand that it is the characters who don't appeal to me, and I'm not complaining. (After all, you made it a point to warn us.) The story itself is fascinating, and I'm waiting for the next chapter to see what happens. This is a tale well-told, and one which - while it seems to turn nearly everything and everyone in it upside down - I plan to follow to its convoluted conclusion. Write on, Mouse!

P.S. I've done some character inversion myself on these boards, and I advise you to prepare for some negative reactions to both your premise and your execution of the story. I assure you, I will send none of it your way. The story is well-written, self-consistent, and even its name (Anti-Universe) is a tip-off. Please take this feedback as encouragement and applause. I always look for the new chapter to this tale when I check the boards.

So is the next chapter up yet?

Thank you! For the chapter insert, and the banner and the icon (you're the best!). Last week was kind of a bear IRL so I forgot to bump this thread.

Will definitely be updating my icon soon, and wow! This story's cooking along faster than I anticipated. Chapter 14 is up! Happy Monday!

Hi, Terry! Thank you so much for your comments, I really love to hear your reactions and the in depth feedback.

Thank you again. This was done very strategically. You are on the right track. One of the original (read: very, very early) concepts for how to restructure these characters was to model each of them after one of the seven deadly sins. ("Seven Deadly Sinners" was a working title for a time.) They developed more over time so they weren't quite so two-dimensional, but it was a good marker for how to twist each character, and in different ways. You've definitely cut to the core of each of them here, and honestly, it makes me happier to see that their character traits came through so well, more so than that they are well liked. Very high compliment, especially coming from a writer of your caliber.

Yes. I will admit, he's going to get worse before he gets better. Round and round and round he goes, where he lands... only I know. And Val.

Good! Lois was probably the trickiest character for me to pin down in all this, so again I'm glad that her selfish tendencies come across well.

True. But this is one you might want to keep an eye on. No spoilers.

Little more to come on the Kents, although I'm afraid it's probably nothing to improve your opinions on them. Necessary evils to create this version of Clark.

You're scary accurate on these. Perry isn't explored extensively, but you'll see more from him which may or may not lift your opinion of him.

Yes. Lex was another complicated character to write. This Lex is an optimist, and he is an honest character, but he's desperate to hold onto his happiness.

I definitely understand that! Like I mentioned, I wrote it with the intent of turning everything in our Lois and Clark universe on it's head. I am always happy to hear (even negative) viewpoints on what I've written, although I don't take what you've written as a negative (you actually made me grin and laugh with your analysis). I'm happy to have hooked you-- it's a long spiral down, and I hope you continue to be enthralled, even if you have to read through your fingers.

I am definitely prepared for some backlash lol. This is not a happy story, nor a standard one, but it was a challenge and it's a story that I desperately wanted to tell. Like I said, I welcome any and all feedback, even if it's disagreeing. I'm mostly happy to just have the story completed for myself, and if a few of you enjoy it too, that's just an added bonus. Thank you again for the compliments, and do let me know if it ever loses consistency.

Posted 14 already! More to come Wednesday!

It's Wednesday! Which means exactly what you think it means... Chapter 15 is up! Happy Reading!

Yep, Clark’s not our usual hero of the day....
Something tells me he knows a lot about that “bomb.”
Loving the departure of character we normally associate with the canon figures.

And the plot thickens You really need your own little emoticons for these characters, Mouse.

Haha, yes, he's definitely not our typical Clark Kent... Bombs will be dropped, some of which Clark knows about and some he does not. Glad you're enjoying the twisted version of these characters so far! More to come Monday!

Hahaha, yeah, I bookmarked all those extra smilies on my phone, now I just have to filter through for the most evil ones!

Happy Monday! Chapter 16 is up and ready to read! Enjoy!

Clark is responsible for at least half of the crime in Metropolis? He’s the Boss? He paid Nigel to scare Dr. Platt, but not to kill him? Yet, he is dead. His blood is on Clark’s hands. Clark doesn’t seem to be overly upset about this development. And, he is more than willing to use this to get closer to Lois. Oily, disgusting, slithering, and sickening at the same time. You warned us. No happy endings....

I think she's onto you Mouse.

Dangerous dark Clark is interesting to watch as more of his story comes out.

I did warn you, didn't I? Yes, Clark is the Boss, and he is definitely a little manipulative. More unhappy times to come, and some happy times.

Chapter 17 is up and ready to go! Happy Wednesday! I might be posting something light this weekend to compensate for the darkness... otherwise I'll see you back on Monday for more!

Okay, even though I read this part like a bajillion times before during Beta its still creepy imagining Lois Lane in any type of relationship with Lex Luthor of all people. **shakes eebie jeebies off and pours bleach on brain** Ewww!

There's the creepy possessive Lex we all know and love! *shudder* I can't believe I just said that.

Clark isn't just darker, he's downright slick! I can't wait to see how (if) he gets past her defenses.

Hahaha, yeah. I'm glad that effect still comes through, especially for later events.

You know I couldn't eliminate that undertone completely. Possessive is right. Gotta show a few cracks in his character.


Yeah, I've been calling him DarkClark, but I've got better monikers for him. More to come with Clark and Lois, and if or when they get involved.

Chapter 18 is up and ready to read! Enjoy!

Chapter 19 is up and ready to read! It's still technically Wednesday, right?

Wow, he's an evil bastard isn't he?

And no death's door backstory exposition from Lois? Aw man, I was looking forward to that

Haha, how did you guess? More to come on Clark soon, very soon...

This version of Lois is a little harder too. And softer. And more complicated.

Chapter 20 is up! Act One is coming to a close this Wednesday!

And that's all for Act One! Chapter 21 is up and ready to read! Thanks for those of you who've stuck with it so far! I'll be taking a week off from posting before diving into Act Two, but don't worry! I'll be back at it on July 9th with the same MW posting schedule.

As always, any and all comments are welcome!

Keep your eyes out for Act Two: Only the Good Die Young. I'll have a new FDK thread for that as well.

Clark is willing to kill all aboard the transport. Depravity. But then he finds out Lois is on board and his moral ethics change faster than a speeding bullet. Somehow I should feel better when he spares the ship in order to save her? Grisly.

At the end of the chapter half of me was clapping excitedly and shouting "Oh boy, oh boy!" while the other half was rocking in a corner going "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap"

This is fascinating, and I can't wait to read more about The Adventures of SuperB*stard

Hahaha, no, no one is saying you should feel better about that. It's not exactly a "yay, Superman!" moment. Clark's character remains the same, super powers or no. If anything, you should definitely be feeling the opposite.

Thanks for your comment! Glad you've stuck with it. More changes to come soon.

"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... OH cRAP everybody duck!"

But yeah, in all sincerity, this Clark still having superpowers is a little bit terrifying. Here's hoping maybe Lois will have a good influence on him (she said as though she didn't know the answer to that question already because she spent ages writing it).



Glad you like it! And I think you gave me a new title idea haha. At the very least it's a more appropriate name.

More coming in a week and a half! *Rubs hands together*

Oh wow. I've just read this entire act in one go, it's so good. What you've done is fascinating, and a real show of skill that they are still so clearly recognisable as themselves - the same tendencies, the same mannerisms, the same base instincts, yet so utterly warped by what almost seems a single character trait inverted in each. Johnathan's steadfastness becomes impulsivity. Martha is unable to forgive. Perry is weak. Jimmy is proud. Luthor is ... well, human. Clark is ... umm, not. But, you know, not in the usual way. Lois is the only one that doesn't seem completely reversed - her negative characteristics are emphasised, rather than reversed (or at least that's how it seems to me).

This is a very uncomfortable - but insanely addictive and brilliant - read. Can't wait to see where it leads!

Hi, Bean!
Wow! Thank you so much!


Haha! Thanks again! I found it really important to not flip their characteristics entirely on their heads, but just twist them slightly until it's clearly not the same as canon. They're still sort of the same people, but not. Like it's an alternate universe-- which it is, kinda.

Lois was the most difficult character to write. She's a little bit on the fence, a little ambiguous as to which way she'll go. I didn't want to make her so overtly different, as we're watching her make decisions throughout this story that will irrevocably affect her perception/personality. It kind of puts her in the protagonist position, and (I hope anyway) makes her decisions seem less flip-floppy and more of a struggle. Long story short, I didn't feel the need to flip one of her characteristics other than making her more selfish than she is in the show, and possibly more indecisive. But I'm glad that comes through still.


Yay! My job here is done! (Wait, what do you mean I still have 41 chapters left to go? Rats.)

In all seriousness, I'm glad you're enjoying the ride. It is a bit uncomfortable (it was to write, too) but I can promise it's a fun ride. Thanks so much for your comments, and the next act has already started posting! Enjoy!

Hi, RJS! Thanks for your question! In the show, Clark doesn't have any distinguishable accent, which is what I'm referring to here. Jonathan does have a sort of Southern drawl, and even Martha at times, but Clark does not. I chose to make the lack of an accent apply to his character in this fic universe. Plus, people tend to make generalized assumptions about people from specific parts of the country depending on where they're from. Lois learning that Clark is from Kansas like this could make this question pop into her mind, whereas in the show, she knew where he was from at the start, and therefore maybe never thought to ask. All in all, just a little throwaway remark to show how much Clark wants to hide his past. Glad you caught it! Thanks for your comments!

I really love this story so far I start chapter 19 now xx I love to a bad boy Clark

Hahaha, thanks! I see you did make the jump from fanfic.net to here... Smart choice, as I'm like 50 chapters behind on posting over there...

Glad you're liking it so far! DarkClark was a lot of fun to write... so much fun in fact that I've got a sequel officially in the works. Provided the muse cooperates. She's skittish. But hey, as long as it gets finished in less than three years, I'll be happy. Hopefully sooner though.

Happy reading!