Clark Kent has been committed to a mental health facility.

Why? Is he there wrongly--framed, or mistaken for a patient? Is he undercover, like Nellie Bly in her famous Blackwell Island expose'? Or did he actually snap at some point?

What kind of place is he in? Is it a top-of-the-line, modern hospital? Or is he in Arkham Assylum for the Criminally Insane?

Who is he there as? Do the doctors believe they are treating Clark Kent, Superman, both at once (i.e. they know), or someone else altogether (i.e. a false or wrong identity)?

Will he suddenly get the urge to fight Batman?

Oooh. I like this.

My take is an alternate version of Strange Visitor: The lie detector indicated that Clark Kent was telling the truth when he answered that he was Superman. Clearly, this glasses-wearing reporter couldn't possibly be Superman, and yet he believed himself to be. After verifying that the lie detector was working properly -- and even trying again with a different lie detector -- it was determined that Kent did, indeed, hold this obviously-counterfactual belief.

Rather than putting those close to him in danger by revealing the truth, Clark permitted himself to be committed and wound up going to the same facility in which Wandamae Waldecker was a patient.

While there, he taught himself how to control his body's functioning in such a way that he could pass a subsequent lie detector test and he faked out the attending psychiatrists so that they believed him "cured" and he was eventually released.

Oooh. What if he lost his powers permanently and ended up committed for insisting he *was* Superman?

After Nightfall would work too. Maybe Superman is insisting he's Clark. Maybe Clark is insisting he's Superman, but everyone thinks he's suffering from issues stemming from being hit by the car.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yes! I like this.

NO. No more plot bunnies. Just... No.

But dang, if this isn't my kind of twisted. Please someone else take this on. What if Lois is the one who has him committed? Because her partner's losing his marbles and she's in so much denial about him being Superman that there's just *no way* he's telling the truth. Besides, she's seen him bleed. And whenever she'd been suspicious before, he always threw her off track, proved that he wasn't Superman. Why would he suddenly change his tune? Why should she ever believe him?

If we went the Superman thinks he's Clark route, it could go back to one of the body-snatchers things I think we've batted around here before-- Superman is crazy, but he does look a lot like Clark Kent. When and how did he take over Clark's identity? Where did the real Clark Kent disappear to? How many more times will this alien steal people's lives?

The darker iteration is that Superman sees bad stuff happen every day; it's not a far stretch to say something made him crack. We know he's mentally susceptible to the same things as humans. Who knows what could push him over the edge?

I have a polt idea involving Alt Clark but don't think I can do it alone

Hmmm...what if Clark gets committed as a delusional stalker. Lex could set it up either during the height of his power or after his resurrection. Especially in season one, he could surely make up evidence that Clark is stalking and a danger to Lois Lane. Lex might even set things up so Lois herself becomes convinced/creeped out. Then, maybe even renowned psychiatrist Arianna Carlin could be called as an expert witness after examining him. In the end, it would come down to revealing who he is by breaking out or relying on hope and friends to solve this thing. And if Lex uses his influence to superproof the room/cell with a bit of kryptonite, Clark would be in even more trouble.

"Committed to Love"

Michael

Michael,

Consider the way Clark hung out just outside of Lois's window in the pilot, it could easily be argued that Clark was, in fact, stalking her.

Hmmm... What if Lex somehow managed to get a hold of some poor quality video footage of that incident. He wouldn't be able to see Clark's face, but who else but Superman could possibly do what the stalker did? Clearly, Superman must be committed!

Joy,
Lynn

Challenge accepted and written. In the beta phase now, but stay tuned!

I just had a mental flash of the series finale for M*A*S*H - hmmmm...

Okay, I've started posting my answer to the challenge! 24 parts in all. I'd say enjoy but...

Erased TOC

GAH! Plot bunny attack!

If this plot bunny completely matures to allow the story to see the light of day: it will be going the Nellie Bly route.

Although the comment made about M*A*S*H is possibly going to take it in another route...