SUPERMAN: RED SON

[Kire]

by Mark Miller, 2003

I've got a very different interpretation of Superman from what you've maybe seen these last fifteen or twenty years. To me, Superman is the son of God and he's here quite simply to make the world a better place. However, he's as troubled as Christ was in his forty days in the wildnerness or in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows he has this huge burden, but he's been raised to believe that his own fears must come secondary to the good of mankind. He's also the ultimate immigrant - an alien trying to fit into a system that he follows perhaps a little too much, his little human secret identity construct allowing him to mix with these ordinary people that his father sent him to save. He's a fascinating character. Christopher Reeve and Elliot Maggin nailed the multiple personality thing so clearly and perfectly that anyone could understand it.

Red Son is based on a thought that flitted through my head when I read Superman #300 as a six year old. It was an imaginary story where Superman's rocket landed in neutral waters between the USA and the USSR and both sides were rushing to claim the baby. As a kid growing up in the shadow of the Cold War, the notion of what might have happened if the Soviets had reached him first just seemed fascinating to me.

More: http://theages.superman.ws/History/redson/

[Mojambo]

1. It sounds immensly interesting

Thanks for posting that. I'll likely pick it up.

[Dob Bole]

2. It's good.

All the great DC stories of the last few years are alternate realities (Kingdom Come, etc.)

But maybe this "Crisis 2" thing will be good. DC Countdown was, but I guess we'll just have to see...

[gatorboy]

3. I wrote something similar years ago.

Back when I was trying to make my own little cool Elseworlds story where Superman crashed in Germany just before the Nazi reign and was found by a jewish family who was later sent to the concentration camps without Kal-L knowing. Hitler tries to use Superman's powers against the allies and the allies send in super spy Bruce Wayne to find out about this Nazi "Super Warrior" they've intercepted word about.

[Orsino]

4. I just flipped through it.

By the time I got to the Batman in the Russian fur hat, I was laughing out loud.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. I read that story!

The guy who got the capsule from water was named (something) Clark, and the general who raised him was named Kent Garrett. Hence Clark Kent.

And there was a "false Christ" named Moka or similar.