DISCLAIMER: I don't own Superman, etc., which includes the book "Superman: Red Son," which this is based off of. All of that belongs to DC Comics and a bunch of other people. I just own a copy of "Superman: Red Son."
SUMMARY: "Superman: Red Son" is an Elseworlds tale written by Mark Millar, along with Dave Johnson, Kilian Plunkett, Andrew Robinson, and Walden Wong. Instead of landing on the Kents' farm in Smallville, little Kal-El crashes at a collective in the Ukraine. Even as a supporter of Communism and the Warsaw Pact, Superman still tries to use his powers to do the right thing… only this time, he ends up causing the world's greatest sociological disaster.
This is my attempt to write a missing scene or two from that story, where one of the older government officials tries to kill off Superman - and fails, thus suffering the consequences…
IMPORTANT! Even if you've never read "Superman: Red Son," by Mark Millar, you can still enjoy this story!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I originally removed this story from FFN some months ago after some of the recent decisions they made back then, but after seeing how it was only my Harry Potter fanfics that were at risk, I figured it was safe to repost this particular story.
A/N: The title for this was originally "Traitor's Tale," but Maddie, my girlfriend at the time, recommended the actual title. Thanks, Maddie!
"Red Rains Will Come"
By Quillian
(Originally named Kraeg001)
It was 1978. The Global Soviet Union was being run by none other than President Comrade Superman. He was a strange visitor from another world, who could change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands… and who, as the champion of the common worker, fought a never-ending battle for Stalin, Socialism, and the international expansion of the Warsaw Pact.
However, these days, nearly two decades after Superman finally took the highest job as the leader, it was something of a different story. Joseph Stalin was dead, which had been why Superman accepted the job to begin with, although he was hesitant to do so at first. The Soviet Union had become the Global Soviet Union, where every country allowed Superman to rebuild their weakening countries, except for the United States and Chile. Actually, Chile was showing signs of finally caving in, while the United States remained as stubborn as an ox, even whilst losing its states, one by one.
Still, times were good. Overall, anyway.
Very few people complained, even in private, about their benevolent leader, who cared for them and protected them. However, incitement was all it took these days to become a "Superman robot." These people who spoke out against the system would be forcibly taken to a hospital, undergo neurosurgery, and come out with a new personality, thanks to the mechanism now attached to the side of the offender's skull. In the old days, these people would die at the hands of Stalin's execution squads, or maybe just be sent to Siberian detention camps, only to die later on. However, unlike his predecessor, who had a bigger kill list than Hitler himself, Superman loathed killing anyone, so reprogramming them to obey was the next best thing.
Contrary to popular belief, not senior government officer from Stalin's old regime had not changed their ways. In fact, one of them, who was even an illegitimate son of Stalin himself, planned on bringing the old regime back. His name was Pyotr Iosif Roslov.
Back then, even as Stalin shunted Pyotr aside in favor of this new hero from the farmlands, this "super man" with the Communist hammer and sickle emblazoned on his chest, Pyotr still held his father dear. He always tried to do what his father wanted, whether it was serving him while he was still alive or remembering him after his death.
In Pyotr's opinion, Superman was just a walking disaster. Scratch that, he was a flying disaster. A complete hypocrisy, the complete opposite to the Marxist ideals. All men on this earth are equal, and he was a superman from a now-dead alien world; therefore, Superman, should not be the leader, let alone be a Soviet citizen!
For all Pyotr cared, Superman's spaceship could have landed on Earth twelve hours earlier, thus ending up in the United States instead. Only what would Superman wear as his chest emblem instead of the Communist hammer and sickle? A shield with a giant "S" on it for his name? As hard as that was for Pyotr to imagine, it was still strangely amusing in its own unique way.
From inside the Kremlin, Pyotr secretly communicated with Lex Luthor, that American red-headed scientist with the title of "Smartest Man Alive." From the United States, Dr. Luthor sent Pyotr encrypted messages, plus a cipher to decrypt them.
The plan was a simple: Pyotr sent information found from the spaceship which carried Superman to Earth all those years ago, and Luthor would find a weakness of Superman's to exploit.
Hopefully, this exploited weakness would prove to be more useful than Luthor's pathetic "killer robots."
A few weeks later…
Pyotr was in a foul mood. That freedom fighter, "Batman," had set off bombs at five official premises, and left no evidence whatsoever! And that whole time, Superman was in his own little sanctuary, completely oblivious to the situation as he chiseled away another statue for Moscow's Superman Museum (which, incidentally, was one of those five bombed-out premises)! Once again, Superman preached about "not killing like Comrade Stalin did," to which Pyotr made a scathing reply about his father being more than ten times the man that Superman would ever be. More would have been said on the matter, that is, if Superman hadn't dashed off with the excuse of an impending train collision in Minsk.
So now, Pyotr was sipping vodka at his desk, enjoying his lofty KGB office, entertaining himself with Luthor's latest hypotheses on how to kill Superman, once and for all (which were quite good, actually).
Suddenly, Sivanna burst in. This bespectacled little dork was a high-profile American traitor, who fled to the Soviet Union with several American secrets in tow. Ironically, this man who once worked as one of Luthor's lab assistants somehow wound up delivering his former boss' latest message, not even aware of it. It really didn't matter anyway; Pyotr already was getting enough help from Luthor himself to not need this hyperactive chatterbox. Comparing Sivanna to Luthor was like comparing a priest to his god; good, but definitely not up there in the big leagues.
After finally shooing Sivanna out of his office, Pyotr received the information he had been waiting for: How to Kill Superman in X Number of Not-So-Easy Steps.
It was all based on a priceless bit of information found out: Superman's native planet belonged to a red sun. The red sun (or any red sun, for that matter) would weaken Superman to an average man, albeit one in a costume.
No more superpowers. No more strength, speed, flight, eyes which could see through things and shoot fire, sensitive hearing, impenetrable skin, or even "super breath." Just a mortal man like everybody else.
At this point, Pyotr wondered exactly what Karl Marx would have thought of this little irony.
Pyotr would continue to spread word onto the streets to catch Batman's attention. That way, Pyotr could propose the plan to this one freedom fighter who still wasn't caught by Superman.
In the meantime, Pyotr went down to a basement of the KGB building which only he had access to. Once secured, the head of Security Services examined the merchandise, shipped straight from the U.S.A.
Red sun lamps…
A week later…
Pyotr's meeting with Batman had been interesting, to say the least. Both of them only united in the face of a common enemy. Otherwise, it was the unholiest of unholy alliances.
For now, Batman would seek out and capture Wonder Woman while Pyotr would set up the trap at the old Siberian detention camp which Batman had picked out.
Soon enough, Pyotr would have Superman's head on a platter. Or plaque. It really didn't matter which, so long as it parted company from the rest of his alien body.
Pyotr's thoughts then turned to Batman's vengeful promise of killing him afterwards. Just like then, Pyotr was still sure that Batman couldn't manage it.
What amused Pyotr the most was the single clue of how he killed Batman's parents.
If only Batman knew how little that narrowed it down.
Superman's birthday…
It finally came. President Superman's birthday. When every Soviet citizen would mark his prestige, his honor, his deeds, etc.
And eventually, his assassination…
Superman, of course, noticed that Princess Diana of Themyscira, a.k.a. "Wonder Woman," was missing. Even her mother, Queen Hippolyta, didn't seem too concerned. Since Diana was Superman's international Peace Ambassador, maybe she was just running late or something.
Pyotr really didn't care if these people at the high table were close to Superman. Within their hour, their almighty leader would be gone from the history books forever.
After the Bat Signal was set off with the fireworks, Superman dashed off to whatever the problem was. Pyotr lazed about, smoking his cigarettes, whilst going back and forth between Sivanna and that red-headed woman who knew Superman as a kid. What was her name? Oh yeah, Lana Lazarenko. Whatever.
Everyone remained calm for the ten to fifteen minutes while Superman was out fighting Batman and trying to rescue Wonder Woman. If Pyotr had super hearing like his secret hated enemy did, he would have heard Batman's final words:
"Oh, and by the way, it was Pyotr who betrayed you."
A few minutes later, Superman flew back in with an injured and weak-looking Wonder Woman, and everyone looked up and gasped. Hippolyta rushed to her daughter's side while the medical teams led her to the infirmary of the building.
Pyotr was just sipping his champagne when Superman returned, and nearly spat it all over the table. Damn it, he was still alive! How in all the hells?
As Wonder Woman was taken aside, Superman turned to Pyotr, keeping a very tight poker face.
"Comrade Pyotr, as head of the K.G.B., you will need to help me with something," Superman said officially.
Deciding to play along, just in case he had the chance to somehow make it out of this mess, Pyotr went with Superman, along with armed guards.
Once in a silent, secure room, Superman said, "Why, Pyotr? Why betray me? What did you have to gain from all this?"
That was it. Pyotr knew he was screwed. He might as well go out with flair. "Your job, Superman. To make sure that Mother Russia was run by a fully qualified human figurehead. In other words, not you."
There was some anger and loathing in Superman's cobalt eyes, but mainly hurt and betrayal.
'In retrospect,' Pyotr thought to himself, 'I should have hired someone more likely to actually kill Superman, rather than give into his weakness for dramatics. I guess Batman wasn't exactly the best man for the job after all.'
As the guards moved in on him, Superman said, "I trusted you, Pyotr."
"Just remember this, Superman," Pyotr said defiantly, "No matter who opposes you, one way or another, red rains will come."
As Superman shook his head and left, disgusted, one last thought went through Pyotr's mind: 'As many people as I've killed, even death would be better than my current fate.'
And then everything went black.
Several weeks later…
Lana Lazarenko walked into the guest quarters where Wonder Woman was staying and recuperating. Lana had been told that Pyotr had been replaced.
"Commander Roslov?" Lana asked, looking through the giant room. "Where have you been? I heard they'd replaced you, but there was no official word why you'd been fired, sir! All I heard was that you'd gone missing for six weeks and-"
She was cut off as she found a most unexpected sight. Pyotr looked up from the tray and meal he was serving to Wonder Woman, and with wide eyes, a fake smile, and neurological implant on the side of his head.
In a cheery voice that was highly out of character for him, Pyotr responded, "What? Spent a little time in the hospital? Quite true, dear Lana. Quite true."
FIN
A/N: That last scene was from the actual book itself. So, what do you guys think?