What if Clark Kent were a criminal? Not mistakenly or by accident, not faking it, but truly and honestly afoul of the law.

You mean like 'The Fox' or 'The Lone Rider'? Or would he be more of an Arsene Lupine type?

He's a politician! No, wait, they are always in accordance with the letter of the law, just not common decency. At least, till they're caught stealing from the tax payers. Anyway, Lois could be investigating him, trying to gain insight by attempting to date him.

Michael

I like the idea, how does it affect his interaction with Lois? Earth-3 of the Pre-crisis was like that (sort of) with Lois married to a (good) Alexander Luthor. The only thing is, Clark was still a reporter for their version of the Planet if I recall correctly. What do you think Clark would be involved in in terms of criminality? Maybe something that seems not so black and white?

How bad of a criminal would Clark be? Are his actions merely illegal, or are they also wrong? There's a big difference between civil disobedience (which is illegal but a very gray area as far as right and wrong are concerned) and acting as judge, jury, and executioner.

How about something that is a crime in one country but not another? For example, in the United States there is freedom of the press, so if Clark were to write an op-ed piece saying that President So-and-So was displaying the intellectual capacity of boiled cabbage, it would be legal (though perhaps not taken too well). In some other countries, it would be grounds for arrest, torture, execution, etc.

I'm working on an anti-verse where Clark actually is the bad guy... the Boss in fact. It may be a bit (read: a LOT) OOC, but I think given extenuating circumstances, anyone can snap. I don't think Clark is excluded from that, just the Clark we know from canon makes it seem unlikely.

Other ways I think he could be criminal... well, if the law was in the wrong and Clark has a strong sense of justice, I can definitely see Clark becoming a criminal. Steal from the rich to give to the needy type of stuff. Heck, he already bends the rules sometimes in canon-- he frees Lois from prison on the premise that she didn't do it. That's a crime. What else wouldn't he do for Lois? Or his parents? Being a criminal doesn't mean he's evil necessarily. Although that's fun too.

I'm waiting till I'm a bit farther in to start posting on my fic, but I'm almost to 20 chapters, so I'll probably be posting soon... On the other hand, I'd love to see what other people are able to do with this concept. I love it when the script gets flipped around like this.

Well, we DO see Lois and Clark both routine bend/break the law. (See the Lois and Clark Do 100 Crimes list.) I've always wondered about the diamonds Clark stole to keep his parents alive - that was a very intentional crime, even if it fell into a gray area because he was trying to save two lives in the only way he knew how.

I could see several scenarios here.

• Destruction of property. Somehow, those ships used for smuggling (guns, drugs, people) always seem to sink, with the innocent people on them usually surviving.
• Fraud. (In casinos, no less. Or how else would he be able to always win?)
• Theft. Bureau 39 always seems to misplace its UFOs.
• More theft. Thugs usually find their pockets or holsters empty when trying to rob a bank.
• Kidnapping. How else is he to save children from abusive parents?
• Statutory rape. He met Lois before she was 16... (He'd probably have to be a little older for that.)
• Arson. Darn that heat vision!

He would make the purrfect international jewel thief. Think Cary Grant's To Catch a Thief!

One of my ideas that wil never be written because I can't seem to write. Lucy makes has made her usual great choice in boyfriends and her luggage had drugs in it coming back from vacation and in a overseas hellhole of a prison. This is just before when Clark first meets Lois. So because of Lois he rescues her. How do people and governments react to Superman when one of his first acts is that.

Other idea. Infant Kal-El is found by someone like Alexander Mundy and Charlene 'Charlie' Brown and raised to be a 4th generation master thief. Maybe found by their son or daughter to make the age match better.

Oh! I love It Takes a Thief! Alistair would live to have him as a grandson!

What about like an Aladdin situation where he needs to steal/be a criminal in order to survive?

What if he was falsely accused of a crime/framed and had to break the law to prove his innocence?