Disclaimer: All the characters, just like their respective films and TV shows, featured in this fic belong to DC Comics and Warner Brothers. I don't own any of them.
In this fic, the characters who appeared in my 'Alternate Events' DC Multiverse series will be interviewed by a woman named Tina, who will be played by Tara Strong for a visual. At the start of each chapter, the character will already be fully aware that the interview is entirely confidential, which means even questions related to the person's secret identity will be answered with honesty.
Although this fic is based around the 'Alternate Events' stories, these interviews didn't actually happen in-universe, but at the same time, the answers given by the characters will genuinely apply to the context of the series. In addition to doing this for fun, the character interviews are to tie up certain loose ends and resolve any questions that were left unanswered in the wake of the recreated Multiverse.
For reminders of the post-Crisis universe designations (particularly, the ones relevant to this fic), Earth-1 is Smallville, Earth-2 is Donnerverse/Wonder Woman 1975/Batman 1966, Earth-3 is Superman Returns/Burtonverse, Earth-4 is Arrowverse, Earth-5 is DCEU, Earth-7 is Lois & Clark/Flash 1990, Earth-10 is pre-Crisis Earths 2 and 3 merged into one world, and Earth-12 is DCAU.
Timeline-wise, the interviews take place in December 2024, five years after the Crisis.
Starting off is Clark Kent/Superman of Smallville, the first interviewee of this story.
An attractive blonde woman – dressed in a navy blue turtleneck shirt, a pair of black slacks, and black high-heel pumps – was sitting behind her desk in the office of a high-rise building. Seated across from her, on the opposite side of the desk, was her first interviewee, who prepared himself for the questions she was about to ask him.
"What is your full name?" Tina, the interviewer, asked with a polite smile.
"My birth name is Kal-El, while my civilian name on Earth is Clark Joseph Kent," he answered.
"Do you have any nicknames?"
"My wife often calls me 'Smallville'," Clark answered with a fond grin. "At first, she did it to tease me because Smallville is where I grew up, but after a while, it became her affectionate nickname for me. She calls me 'Clarkie' sometimes too, and some of my closest friends call me 'Kal' or 'Boy Scout'."
"What do you prefer to be called?"
"Clark."
"How old are you?"
"According to my birth certificate, I'm thirty-seven, but I'm actually a year older."
"How tall are you?"
"Six-three."
"What color is your hair?"
Clark frowned at the question, but answered it nonetheless. "Black."
"What color are your eyes?"
"Blue."
"How is your body built? For example, are you skinny, average, muscular, stocky, or overweight?"
"I've been quite tall and muscular since my teenage years."
"What planet are you from?"
"Krypton."
"What species are you?"
"Kryptonian."
"Which Earth is your home universe?"
"Originally, it was called Earth-21, but after the Crisis, it's now Earth-1."
"What are your parents' names?"
"My birth parents are Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, while my adoptive parents are Jonathan and Martha Kent."
"Describe your relationship with your parents."
"My adoptive parents have always been great," Clark explained with a smile. "I'll always be thankful every moment of life that they were the ones who found me shortly after I arrived on Earth. As for my biological parents, that's quite complicated, which wasn't helped in the slightest by my very rocky relationship with the artificial intelligence construct of my late father, who resorted to extreme measures several times to get me to fulfill my destiny. But we've been on much better terms ever since I finally completed my training in the Fortress. Although I've never actually met him, the real version of my biological father was much kinder. He was a good man from everything I know about him. I did meet a clone of my birth mother though. She was just as warm, caring, and compassionate as my adoptive mother."
Tina nodded, taking all that in before moving on to the next question. "Do you have any siblings?"
"My partial clone Conner is my younger brother, regardless of how he came into the world," Clark stated, before a feeling of sadness suddenly took him over. "My adoptive mom was once pregnant." He let out a guilt-ridden sigh. "She would've been a biological mother had she not lost the baby because of my actions."
Tina simply nodded. "Do you have a significant other? If yes, who is it and how did you two meet?"
Clark frowned, surprised that his interviewer didn't inquire about his mother's miscarriage that he had caused. As his mood brightened, he smiled. "I do. My wife Lois Lane. We met when she found me in a field while I was, um..." He paused for a brief moment, blushing for what he had to say next. "...completely naked with total amnesia due to having been reprogrammed by Jor-El."
"Are you two married?"
"Of course, for nine and a half years now. While our first two weddings didn't go according to plan, the third one was a success."
"Do you have children?"
"Absolutely," Clark answered, smiling fondly at the thought of the two little girls who were his whole world. "Our daughters, Lauren Ella Kent and Karen Martha Kent, who are ages three and two respectively."
"Do you have any previous relationships?"
"I do," Clark answered. "There's Lana Lang, whom I was in love with for a longest time until circumstances broke us up permanently. Well, that was the case before the Crisis. After the Crisis, any romantic feelings between us disappeared much sooner because I continued dating Alicia Baker while Lana permanently moved back to Paris after high school graduation. Speaking of Alicia, my relationship with her was tragically cut short in the original version of reality when she was killed by a meta-human who was framing her for crimes he did." He shuddered at the memory of holding Alicia's corpse in his arms. "Thankfully, in the new reality, she was able to teleport away from her would-be killer just in time, saving herself." He smiled. "Because Alicia survived, our relationship continued for three more years until we broke up on good terms as she realized my growing chemistry with Lois and I realized hers with Bart. There was also a girl named Kyla Willowbrook that I dated very briefly during my sophomore year of high school. Unfortunately, she died the same way in both realities. Not that were ever officially together, but my friend Chloe was my date at the Spring Formal dance back in our freshmen year, but it didn't work out because I had to go save Lana from getting killed in the tornado. And that's pretty much it."
"Do you have any best friends? If yes, how long have you known them?"
"I've known my best friend Chloe Sullivan since the eighth grade," Clark began. "I've known Oliver Queen, my brother in all but blood, for eighteen years. There's my childhood best friend Pete Ross. We were like brothers for a long time, but after he moved away from Smallville at the end of our junior year when my secret proved too much for him to handle, we haven't really been as close as were once were, although we do still keep in contact every once in a while. As for my former friend Lex Luthor, we were like brothers while our friendship lasted, but afterwards, he became one of my greatest enemies."
"Who are three living people that you love more than life itself?"
"Lois and our daughters," Clark answered. His adoptive mother would be the fourth answer.
"Who is the person in your life, living or deceased, do you consider your role model?"
"My adoptive father," Clark answered.
"Who is the most annoying person to you, and why?"
"Lex, Zod, Darkseid, and Doomsday may be my greatest enemies, but of all the opponents I've faced over the years, Toyman was the most annoying for sure," Clark answered. "His overly childish nature aside, he took sadistic pleasure in the chaos he caused with his bombs, not caring how many people he killed. Winslow Schott is a textbook example of someone who just wants to watch the world burn, literally."
"What superpowers do you possess?"
"Super-strength, super-speed, flight, invulnerability, heat vision, x-ray vision, microscopic and telescopic vision, super-hearing, super-breath, and arctic breath," Clark answered. "I can also heal from injuries in a matter of seconds."
"Which superpower do you feel comes in handy the most?"
"Definitely super-speed, since it allows me to get to where I'm needed as quickly as possible. Being invulnerable comes in handy a lot as well."
"How did you get your powers?"
"The yellow sun is the source of my abilities, so, technically, I've had them since the day I arrived on Earth," Clark explained. "By the time I was a teenager, I already had super-strength, super-speed, and invulnerability before the rest of my powers eventually kicked in."
"Who is the first person you've shown your powers to?"
"My adoptive parents, since they're the ones who found and raised me."
"Have you misused your powers in any way?"
"When I was sixteen, I drugged myself with red kryptonite and went on a rampage in Metropolis for three months," Clark began in a remorseful tone. "I stole money from ATM machines and bank vaults, and took a Lamborghini. I also attacked my father twice."
"Have you ever used your powers for personal gain?"
"Aside from what I just said, I played football during my senior year, knowing that my powers would allow me to win every single game."
"Have you ever lost your powers before?"
"It happened plenty of times before I became Superman, but not as much afterwards."
"Do you ever wish you didn't have superpowers?"
"I used to," Clark admitted. "When I was a teenager, I would've given anything to be normal, but after embracing my Kryptonian heritage, I wouldn't willingly give up my powers unless I absolutely had to."
"Are you a superhero or a supervillain?"
"Superhero."
"What is your alias?"
"Superman."
"How long have you been active as a superhero?"
"Well, I've been Superman for over thirteen years now," Clark stated. "In the three years before that, I was called the Red-Blue Blur and then simply the Blur. So that's sixteen years in total, not counting the previous years when I was only helping people anonymously around Smallville."
"Do you or have you worked with a team?"
"Yes. I'm the leader of the Justice League."
"What city do you live in?"
"Smallville."
"Have you lived there your whole life?"
"I did until 2011, which was when Lois and I moved into our apartment in Metropolis," Clark explained. "Two years ago, we moved back to Smallville so that we could raise our daughters on the farm."
"What is your occupation?"
"I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet outside of my duties as Superman."
"Do you like your job?"
"I love both of them."
"What are three of your hobbies?"
"Reading, helping people in need, and spending time with friends and family."
"What is your biggest pet peeve?"
"People who are motivated by greed and selfishness to harm or kill innocents."
"What do you consider your best quality?"
"My compassion for others and belief that even the worst of individuals deserves a chance of redemption," Clark explained. "Also, I'd give my life in a heartbeat if it meant saving not just the people of Earth, but the entire universe."
"What do you consider your most fatal flaw?"
"I have a tendency to blame myself for things that weren't my fault," Clark admitted.
"What three words do you think best describes your personality?"
"Heroic, selfless, and compassionate."
"What is your favorite color?"
"I've always liked the color blue the most."
"What is your favorite meal of the day?"
"If I have to choose, breakfast."
"Do you prefer summer or winter?"
"Summer."
"Do you prefer reading or watching television?"
"Reading."
"Are you more of a morning or night person?"
"Morning person."
"Are you generally introverted or extroverted?"
"Definitely introverted."
"Do you get close to people you've just met or keep them at a distance until they've earned your trust?"
"It depends on the situation, but generally, I'm willing to give people the benefit of the doubt when I first meet them," Clark answered.
"Besides the Anti-Monitor, name three of the worst enemies you've encountered."
"Darkseid, Doomsday, and Zod."
"Besides the Crisis on Infinite Earths, what is the most challenging fight you've been in?"
"My fights with Doomsday."
"What is the worst injury you've suffered?"
"Getting shot with green kryptonite bullets would be at the top of the list," Clark stated. "That pain is no joke."
"Have you ever been mind-controlled before?"
"Multiple times, unfortunately," Clark answered, recalling the instances when Simone Chesterman had hypnotized him into being her boyfriend with a magical gem, years later when the Dominators had temporarily taken control of him and some other heroes, and then when Lex and his counterparts had used the Book of Destiny to make him battle his Earth-78/Earth-2 counterpart. He also remembered Molly Griggs, who had influenced him to attempt to run Chloe over with his pickup truck.
"Have you ever been possessed by the spirit of another being?"
"I once swapped bodies with Lionel Luthor, and I was briefly possessed by the ghost of a female classmate named Dawn Stiles."
"Have you ever killed anyone before? If so, how did it make you feel?"
"I used my heat vision to melt a metal-morphing assassin who was hired by Lionel to kill Chloe," Clark recalled, referring to Trent MacGowen. "I'm also responsible for the deaths of Phantom Zone escapees Gloria and Titan. Then Conner and I had to toss Doomsday into the sun to get rid of that monster for good. Taking lives, even unintentionally, is never something I'll feel good about. I will always prioritize doing everything in my power to find non-lethal ways to stop my enemies."
"Have you ever died before? If yes, how did it happen and how did you come back to life? If no, what was your worst near-death experience?"
"Believe it or not, I've died quite a few times," Clark stated. "The first time was when I got shot without my powers before Jor-El revived me in the Fortress. The second time was when an enemy injected me with a drug that causes people to briefly die and visit their loved ones on the other side before coming back." He smiled fondly at the memory of reuniting with his father during that incident. "Then there was the third instance when Oliver, under the influence of a mind-control drug, shot me in the heart with an arrow. Our Martian ally John Jones flew me to the sun, which healed me and restored my powers. There was also the time that I fell to my death after I let Zod stab me with his blue kryptonite dagger so he'd get sent away. Thankfully, Lois found me and pulled the dagger out of my body, allowing me to heal."
"Have you ever been to outer space?"
"Countless times, owing to the fact that I can fly and the lack of oxygen in space being no problem for me."
"Have you ever traveled through time?"
"I have," Clark nodded. "When I went back in time a day to save Lana from dying, and again to undo the world knowing my secret after Linda Lake turned everyone against me. But neither of those happened after the Crisis, since, as I mentioned before, Lana moved to Paris after high school and I was able to defeat Linda Lake without ever revealing my secret to the public. I also traveled seven years in the future by accident and met my older self, who was already Superman, and I've been to the 31st century a few times as well. And, of course, there's the Dawn of Time during the Crisis, where the Anti-Monitor was defeated and the Multiverse was recreated."
"Have you ever visited other Earths?"
"Let's just say inter-dimensional travel has become a regular occurrence in the last eight years."
"Have you met any inter-dimensional counterparts of yourself? If so, what are they like and how well do you get along with them? Also, which counterpart are you the closest to?"
"The first counterpart I've met was Clark Luthor, who was raised by Lionel instead of Jonathan and Martha Kent," Clark began. "Instead of using his powers to protect people, he became a mass-murdering tyrant who turned his world into a hellhole. I gave Clark Luthor a chance to redeem himself and become the hero his world desperately needed, but when I saw him again years later, he'd become even worse than what he was. He told me he tried to change his ways, but the people of his world rejected him, so he threw away all attempts to become better. At the end of our conflict, I sent him to a Phantom Zone where he wouldn't be able to kill anyone else ever again. During the Crisis, he was one of our enemies recruited by the Anti-Monitor, but the Lex of his world killed him in the end. I believe we could've been allies had Clark Luthor successfully taken my advice, but, unfortunately, he proved to be a lost cause. On the bright side, I get along great with my counterparts of Earths 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 due to the fact that, like me, they're both Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter, and Superman, the world's powerful protector. The same goes for Clara, my female doppelganger from Earth-11. As for which one of them I'm the closest to, I guess that'd be Earth-2 Clark since I interact with him the most. And, of course, there's his resemblance to my mentor Dr. Virgil Swann, who helped me discover my Kryptonian origins. Unfortunately, there are a few more villainous versions of myself that I'm aware of. Overman from Earth-X, who looked identical to Earth-5 Clark, though, in the new Multiverse, that particular version was from Earth-27 and, instead of being a Nazi, was the leader of the Crime Syndicate. There's also Earth-22 Superman, who became a very ruthless dictator after what happened to his Lois and their unborn son. While that version isn't as bad as Clark Luthor, he's a terrifying reminder of what could happen to me if I allowed a single bad day to completely destroy me. The Justice Lords Superman of Earth-51 was a dictator as well after murdering his Lex Luthor, but eventually redeemed himself."
Tina nodded, taking all of that in. "Besides saving the Multiverse during the Crisis, what do you consider your greatest achievement in life?"
"Saving the world from Darkseid by destroying his vessel and pushing his planet Apokolips out of the Solar System."
"What is your greatest regret?"
"Being responsible for my adoptive father's death," Clark admitted, glumly. "He wouldn't have had heart problems if I hadn't put on that red kryptonite ring and ran off to Metropolis. Before Jor-El gave him powers to help bring me home, his heart was in excellent condition, but my actions changed that."
Unfortunately, despite the time travel stuff with Lana never happening in the post-Crisis reality, the death of Jonathan Kent on the same night was one event that hadn't changed.
"What is your greatest fear?"
"Losing everyone I care about."
"What do you believe is the most benevolent thing you've done?"
"Save the world from the likes of Darkseid, Doomsday, and the Anti-Monitor."
"What do you believe is the most immoral thing you've done?"
"On top of causing my father's death, I caused my mother's miscarriage," Clark admitted with deep regret. The loss of his unborn sibling was the one incident that he would never stop blaming himself for, no matter what.
"What is the worst thing that's ever happened to you?"
"My home planet exploded when I was a baby," Clark said, gloomily. As much as he loved his life on Earth, the human-raised Kryptonian often wondered what his life would've been like had Krypton never been destroyed.
"What is the best thing that's ever happened to you?"
Clark smiled. "I became the husband of the most amazing and independent woman I've ever known, and the father of two beautiful angels."
"What is an unusual fact about you?"
"Um… I used to have a fear of heights, despite knowing that falls can't kill me," Clark admitted.
"What is the most embarrassing or humiliating thing that's ever happened to you?"
"At the beginning of my freshmen year in high school, I was strung up on a wooden cross in a cornfield wearing only my underwear with an 'S' spray-painted on my chest," Clark recalled, shuddering at the memory. "I couldn't do anything about it because of the kryptonite necklace that was around my neck."
"What is the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you?"
"I met my future wife while I was completely naked and had total amnesia."
"Have you ever had a friend who became an enemy?"
"That would be Lex in a nutshell. Also, my former football coach Jason Teague."
"Have you ever had an enemy who became a friend?"
"Lex's sister, Tess, and their father Lionel. Also Brainiac, ever since he was reprogrammed by the Legion in the future."
"If you could change one thing from your past without consequences, what would it be, and why?"
"If I could do so without consequences, I would definitely prevent myself from destroying my spaceship," Clark said. "Not only would my father still be alive today, since I never would've been driven to run off to Metropolis in the first place, but I would have a younger brother born from my adoptive mother."
"If you could have an hour-long conversation each with up to three of your deceased loved ones, who would they be, and what would you say to them?"
"My adoptive father, of course," Clark answered. "I would talk to him about everything that's happened in my life since the night he died. I would also talk to my biological father, the real Jor-El, to see with my own eyes what he was really like and get to know him. I would tell him about the life I had on Earth and ask him what his and Mom's lives on Krypton were like. My third choice is Lionel. The first thing I would do is apologize for the way I treated him during that final week before his death. Then I would tell him, while he might've failed Lex, he would definitely be proud of the woman his daughter Tess had become."
"Do you believe people are inherently good or evil?"
"As much as I would like to say that people are inherently good, the truth is, it's not really that simple. I believe they're capable of both, depending on their circumstances or how they were raised. On one hand, people can be petty and dishonest, betraying or even killing each other nothing, and making poor decisions based on emotions. On the other hand, people can also be honest, loyal, and kind, willing to give up everything they have, even putting their lives on the line, to protect those they love. Then again, darkness doesn't just come out of nowhere, so I'd like to think that, in the end, the good of humanity, or any race in the universe, is stronger than the bad."
"Do you believe everyone, no matter how immoral they are, deserves a chance of redemption?"
"Absolutely."
"Do you consider yourself a good person?"
"I do, and all my friends and family members would certainly agree," Clark nodded. "As Superman, it's my job to represent the best of humanity, stand for what's right, and be a positive example that inspire others even in the darkest of times."
"Where do you see yourself ten years from now?"
"Well, my daughters will already be in middle school by then," Clark pointed out. "Hopefully, Lois will have achieved her dream of becoming the Daily Planet's next editor-in-chief. I'll still be protecting the world as Superman, of course, while giving Lauren and Karen the nice, wholesome life they deserve."
"That concludes the interview, Mr. Kent. Thank you for your time."
"You're welcome."
After shaking Tina's hand, Clark got up from his chair and exited the office.
That wraps up Smallville Clark's interview. In each chapter, the hero/villain/loved one will be asked these exact same questions with he or she answering them accordingly.