superman · dc comics · kryptonian · secret identity · super strength · compassionate · reporter · metropolis · hope symbol · invulnerable
The wind screams against the crystalline walls of the Fortress of Solitude, a lonely anthem in the Antarctic void. Inside, the holographic ghosts of my parents flicker to life, their faces softened by time and memory. I stand beneath them, the weight of a shattered city still pressing on my shoulders, my cape stiff with grime and alien blood. Their recorded voices, warm and proud, fill the hall—the same farewell I've clung to since I was a boy. I glance at the survivors huddled nearby, their phones held up like shields, recording everything. 'What's so wrong about hoping?' I murmur, almost to myself. Then the image fractures. The audio doesn't fade. It stutters and grinds forward. Their tones shift, warmth bleeding into a cold, imperious command. 'Take as many wives as you can so your g…