I was reading the following article on cracked.com:

Article

(Please be advised that cracked often uses some not-so-nice language.)

#2 on the list is Superman Returns.

Bascially, the question is raised: What if Superman became the villain? What if he decided that saving people was tedious when they just kept getting into trouble again, so he set himself up as some kind of world dictator? They also go on to ask: what if this meant that Lex Luthor became the good guy and had to take Superman out with his bottomless supply of Kryptonite?

I thought this was an interesting concept. But I can't see Superman just deciding to go all Godfather on the world. But what if some exposure to Red K made him jump off the deep end for a while?

I have too much on my plate to try to attempt a story like this right now, but I'm tossing the plot bunny out there for anyone who wants to give it a home!

... ...

It's not quite the same concept, but that's kind of what I'm grappling with in the real version of my "Mr. Kent Is Dead" fic (wherein I don't actually kill Jonathan)... so it's funny you should bring this up.

Of course, it's not like a dictatorship thing, and he's not evil per se, so I'd still like to see someone take a little bit of a darker turn with this. Have a bit of fun with it, you know? Well, my definition of fun...

I think they covered Superman as supreme ruler (kind of) in the comics. I read an excerpt or description in some anthology or something (sorry, this such a bad description ) and it ends with Kansas (yes, that would include his parent's farm and his hometown) being destroyed during Doomsday or a nuclear war or something. And because he couldn't save Kansas he renounces his supreme leader powers and goes back to being guilt-ridden Clark.

** SPOILERS ** Lex in Smallville show also hints at this same plot at the end of S3, when he suggests that the man who stops this all-powerful being (who is foretold by the local Indian tribe) maybe not the bad guy (as Lex or his father is foretold to be) but maybe the good guy. It certainly gives a Clark wary about his foretold future something to think about, especially their friendship.

I complete agree with #1 the retelling of the Star Wars prequels, though. (I hated... well, I was going to say #3 but actually all three of them).

There was an AU comic with a similar premise. In "Superman: Red Son," Clark's space ship landed, not in Kansas, but in the USSR. Long story short, he became a Soviet dictator. He started off with the best of intentions, but lets just say that his actions were nowhere near as noble as 'our' Superman's. I won't say any more for fear of spoiling the comic.

IIRC, there was another AU comic or series of comics in which Batman and Superman were both villains. IIRC, they had been raised by villains. I don't remember either the name of that comic or anything more specific about it. Sorry.

Also, in the DC universe, "Earth Three" had an evil counterpart of Superman called -- get ready for it -- Ultraman! I kid you not. This site will give you more details, if you wish.

Joy,
Lynn

Okay, so not such an original concept. But interesting to ponder!

(I was never into comics, so I didn't know about the premise sort of being touched upon.)

VirginiaR, I think the comic book story you might be referring to is Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In it, Superman isn't a world leader or anything to begin with, just the superhero we all know and love, but when Lois and the rest of the Daily Planet staff are killed by the Joker, a new 'hero' hunts down the Joker and puts a bullet through his head. Superman, naturally, arrests the 'hero' (I believe his name was Gog) and takes him to the police. They try him and find him innocent of any wrongdoing, then tell Superman that he's outdated, that his morals are archaic, and that they need a brand of hero like Gog who is willing to pull the trigger. Heartbroken and rejected, Superman exiles himself to his Fortress of Solitude and lives there, mourning, until a nuclear bomb destroys Kansas and decimates the entire Bread Basket of America. Wonder Woman pulls Superman back into the fray, and he brings back the Justice League, minus Batman. Superman, no longer answering to the name Clark, decides to do what needs to be done and starts building a prison in what's left of Kansas to keep the inmates in and to use as cells for those 'heroes' who won't obey rules and thumb their nose at the law. Batman, on the other hand, temporarily joins up with Luthor because they don't like the idea of superpowered beings placing themselves above humanity. I won't spoil the entire ending, but neither side was entirely wrong or right, and Superman is brought back to life when he once more dons the glasses of Clark Kent--an ending that I, as an L&C fan, found very satisfying!

And, Lynn, this probably isn't the only story involving Superman and Batman being raised as bad guys, but I do know there was a Superman/Batman storyline called Absolute Power, in which three enemies from the future change the past by killing Martha and Jonathan before they can find the rocket and taking Bruce away, I believe, just after his parents are killed, and then raising them to be world dictators. Of course, they convince them both that it's for the good of the world--and the only way they can keep Superman from fighting against their ruthless means is by 'giving' him Lois Lane. In the end, they both realize something is wrong and start traveling through time trying to restore the original timelines.

Both are very good stories, but I'm not sure they're exactly what you're looking for, Deadly Chakram.

Eh, I wasn't really *looking* for anything per se. I just read the cracked article and thought that it might be a good plot bunny for someone looking for an idea to develop into a story.

There's a vignette on the Archives that has Superman as Supreme Ruler and Lois Lane dead.

Michael

There's a reasonably good take on this in the Justice League Unlimited animated series, where a parallel world is ruled by the "Justice Lords," who are essentially the core members of the Justice League led by Superman - the catalyst for the take-over is the deaths of Lois Lane and The Flash, both killed by Luthor.

Anti-K,

Yes. That was the story I was thinking of. Thanks!

Joy,
Lynn

Joel Schuldt wrote a good series with Clark/Kal El as conqueror.