If you go the DCEU Superman route of him being a drifter before he becomes Superman, how would his friends back home feel? would they feel abandoned if he left without saying goodbye and haven't heard from him? mad at him when he returns home?
shareYou do it see in movies and TV shows where a character whose been gone a long time and when they return home a old girlfriend aren't pleased to see them like Lois in Superman Returns, Selina Kyle in the Gotham finale and Arrow.
shareThey'd be hurt, but most would likely move on with their lives. I think Chloe and Lex might be the exceptions, and continue seeking him out if they never got confirmation he was okay. If they did, both would be hurt and Lex might have a better reason to turn his back on Clark than he had in the series, as a kind of uno reverse card of "no, I reject you!" - but I can't see Chloe giving up on Clark, I think she'd go to the fortress and get answers. And eventually forgiving and helping him reintegrate back into the world once his drifter days are done.
shareBruce Wayne in Batman Begins disappears without contacting anyone back home for years before returning or Superman Returns where Superman left Earth without saying goodbye.
Chloe would look up any miraculous savings by a guardian angel. Retcon the Fortress as being like the Kawatche Caves but ice, have a key slot like Katwatche that uploads the Jor El telling him to test his limits by practising flying and and flies off as Superman. Like Superman & Lois have Clark be heartbroken to see Lana with someone else and decides to move on from her then, his time away would make him socially awkward in his reporter persona, his time in Metropolis would play as it would usually play out, in his first rescue he turns around to see Lois witnessing him just saving someone and looking at him in dumb amazement or have Lois come across Clark in his final drifter days with reworked scenes from Crusade and Gone.
They would be mad at him when shows in Metropolis after all these years especially Lana maybe Lex.
Batman is a damaged loner with immense wealth and therefore power, so no one would be hurt if he went off for years, not even Alfred. Concerned, maybe. Curious, absolutely. Clark is different, he has devoted friends, a loving mother, a community he belongs to. So for sure they would be hurt, but they'd also be understanding or angry.
shareWould be a better idea on why he doesn't end up with Lana, see in movies and TV shows where a character whose been gone a long time and when they return home a old girlfriend aren't pleased to see them like Selina Kyle in the Gotham finale.
shareBe hurt to see him with Lois over them, perhaps have unfair anger towards Lois knowing before Lana that Clark was Superman. Would be a better sense of loss and regret in his journey.
shareImagine them seeing him again first time in years at a high school reunion or walking down the streets of Smallville or Metropolis, be an awkward reunion seen he never had closure with any of them thinking one abandoned the other.
shareHow would Lois feel about Chloe being hurt by Clark being gone for years?
shareIf they did, both would be hurt and Lex might have a better reason to turn his back on Clark than he had in the series, as a kind of uno reverse card of "no, I reject you!"
Because there's no reason Clark couldn't include Lex in his travels, as far as Lex knows. He wouldn't need to turn his back on Lex to travel the world; if anything, Lex has access to a private jet and would want to come along or at least participate and join him at some point, giving how strong their friendship is in Lex's view. Sure, seeking independence for a little while is fine, but you still keep up with your friends when you travel, and Lex at a certain point was very invested in their friendship, almost to an unhealthy degree, since he viewed Clark as his only true friend.
shareLana and Chloe would feel the same way, not knowing where he is and not hearing one word from him. Would it be worse if it happened after Clark found Lex's secret room with his car and cave stuff?
Would Lana or Chloe be more upset that he finds someone else in Metropolis who he ends up sharing his secrets with?
Lex is different and would take things more personally, and wouldn't be able to forgive so easily, is what I think. I think all 3 would be upset, but Lex would take it the most personally, Lana would feel the most betrayed since she feels the most entitled, and though Chloe would be hurt, she would want to find out the truth of what happened and be the most compassionate out of the 3.
shareLex would take it personally because he was desperate for love and sought people who end up disappointing him, turning him down. Lana would feel betrayed because she loved Clark as a potential mate. Chloe loved Clark as a friend and more.
Why would Chloe want to find out where Clark is? would she hear stories about a mystery savior across America?
Clark would come back as Superman, starts off like The Blur but in costume an unseen hero in Metropolis. How would Lana, Lex and Chloe react to this new Superman guy?
Lana would feel the most betrayed since she feels the most entitled
Because she would likely feel she's owed a goodbye and an explanation more than anyone else - this is how she was in the series, constantly demanding Clark tell her everything as soon as she wanted to know it instead of giving him an opportunity to open up to her at the right time.
shareShe would have feelings of abandonment during his drifter years, pretty much how Lois was in Superman Returns. She would notice major changes like his glasses and more mature personality no longer the moody teenager she knew, her demanding an explanation be even worse as an adult than her in the series wanting to know where he was and be shocked to see him again after so long like at a school reunion or see him down a street in Smallville or Metropolis, probably be secretly bitter that he's found someone else in Metropolis to his secrets with.
After he's finishing wandering he'll probably try to rekindle their relationship but only to find she's moved on with someone else, be heartbroken over it.
She would be desperately waiting for him and miss him everyday until she gives up.
shareImagine him revealing to her he's Superman, feeling years of betrayal and deception, missing out in his Superman adventures.
sharethough Chloe would be hurt, she would want to find out the truth of what happened and be the most compassionate out of the 3.
It's her inner truth seeker, wanting to know what happened regardless of personal interest. And she's Clark's bestie, she's always been the most compassionate and understanding even when she's her most furious.
shareShe would look up stories about an guardian angel saving people and anyone matching Clark's description. She might go to a place where he maybe at and she'll notice him before he disappears, he may see her from a distance.
shareHe probably thought leaving for years, traveling from place to place would protect Lana but caused her more grief.
shareIf he left after graduation while if Lana stayed in Paris, Lois stayed at MU, Alicia never showed Chloe Clark using his powers.
What if he met Lois again on his travels in his final drifter days, seeing him use his powers but not his face?
I'm sure Lois would be curious about his identity and investigate, since she wasn't like Lana in that she didn't wait for or demand an answer to a question, she just looked into things on her own, often recklessly. I can still see Lois and Clark ending up together, they didn't both need to be reporters for that to happen. But if Lana moved on with someone else - because she's not the stay single type - and years passed, she'd be bitter about the past but she would also get over Clark. She was usually pretty loyal to whomever she was dating because she just wanted someone to be on her side. I don't know what would've happened if Alicia had never helped Chloe see the truth, but I imagine she would've found out eventually on her own as well, Lois and Chloe were similar on purpose.
shareLois would look up guardian angel acts over the years online, Clark would follow her around listening in at The Daily Planet talking about him, making him feel wanted, probably bring him out of his solitary life. Clark could find the stones of power on his travels and get teleported to the Arctic where the Fortress gets created or have a giant diamond shaped ship instead or Kawatche Ice Cave and learns to fly by running and jumping in the snow.
Lois wouldn't be hurt that Clark was gone for years unlike Lana, Lex or Chloe? probably suspect Clark is Superman due to showing up at he same time.
If Chloe found out on her own have him take his glasses and float up in mid air with her looking in shock and disbelief.
Imagine Lana or Chloe seeing Superman take on Zod disciples from Arrival or the clone Kandorians from season 9 in Smallville and destroy half the town in the process.
After returning home after years of travelling Clark goes to The Kawatche Caves, makes contact with Jor El and gives him the suit like in My Adventures With Superman.
shareHave Lois be on his trail like with The Blur.
shareHave him return to Smallville and the Kawatche Caves, makes contact with Jor El and comes out wearing the suit.
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