The premise is simple: someone other than Johnathan and Martha Kent finds Kal-El's rocket. Maybe it lands in another city, another state, or another country...maybe even another planet, if you feel so inclined. It could even fall through a wormhole and appear in another universe. Or, maybe it reaches its original destination of Smallville, but it so happens that someone else is driving by.

So, who raises Kal-El? What sort of man does he become? Does he still become Superman? And of course, how does he meet Lois Lane?

My favorite ElseWorlds comics deal with what would happen if Kal-El landed somewhere else or was raised by someone else. The best ones are Red Son, where he landed in Russia; The Nail, where Jonathan and Martha got a flat tire, so they weren't out driving that night and he was picked up by a nearby Amish group; and True Brit, where he lands in England. (That last one is co-written by John Cleese, and it's hilarious.)

I like these types of stories because they explore what makes baby Kal-El become Superman. Is he just inherently a good person? Is it the Kents' upbringing that instills those values in him and a desire to help others? Is he controllable if someone with less-than-virtuous motives raises him or tries to influence him?

I don't have any ideas for such a story, myself, but I certainly love to read them. :-)

I think I've recommended this story before, but it's one of my favorites. Set in the "Smallville" TV show continuity, this fic tells us what might have happened if Clark's ship was discovered by Lionel Luthor (Lex's father on the show, and a deliciously evil villain in the first 3 seasons).

It's Elsewhere by bulbus. I love it, but then I've always been partial to alt-universe stories.

There is also "Specimen S" by DC. Tempus helps Jason Trask's father to find baby Kal-El.

In Smallville there were episodes with Clark Luthor (Clark found by Lionel Luthor) and glimpses of that alt-world. This premise inspired a lot of fanfics. I don't remember any in particular because the character was too dark for my taste, but if you look for "Clark Luthor" fanfics you will find a lot of stories.

I haven't seen those Smallville episodes with Clark Luthor, but I'm fangirling that the logo on his shirt is the symbol used by Ultraman, a badguy Superman from an alternate Earth who is part of the Crime Syndicate (instead of the Justice League).