Where No Superman Has Gone Before

[The Watcher]

In the history you know chronicled by the documentary Man of Steel, the infant Kal El was sent forth by his father Jor El to escape the destruction of his home planet Krypton. Kal El's ship landed in Kansas during the latter half of the 20th Century, where he was discovered by the Kents. Renamed Clark and raised by the Kents as their own, the Last Son of Krypton hid his powers until he was an adult, when the discovery of his heritage led to the arrival of General Zod, enemy of his father, to Earth. Then he was forced to openly use his powers in the fight against Zod and his followers to prevent them from destroying the human race by their attempt to make Earth into a new Krypton.

But there are other realities in which things occurred differently. In one such reality the history of Krypton's destruction and young Kal El's exodus occurs roughly 300 years or so later as far as the rest of the universe is concerned. Kal El's life pod travels not to the relatively primitive Earth of the 20th Century but to a remarkably advanced Earth of the 23rd Century, the center of a Federation with technology that in someways surpasses Krypton's.

So, what becomes of Kal El? How is the course of his life changed by growing up on a more advanced world that's part of an extensive interstellar civilization consisting of many species? And how do events play out when Zod is eventually drawn to Kal El's new home?

I, The Watcher, pose this question to you all,

What If Superman Grew Up On Federation Earth?

[Shai-Hulud]

Clark sees that humanity is doing just fine and that there's no need for him to put on the cape.

Tricorders being what they are, it's obvious to all concerned that he's not human. But that's okay, nobody minds. He probably spends a lot of time researching Kryptonian history and getting in touch with his roots.

Bottom line, the Federation doesn't need Kryptonians. They do just fine on their own.

Clark perhaps becomes a happier, more light-hearted individual, since there's no great weight upon his shoulders.

Problem: Zod comes to Federation Earth.

Clark is much less hardened, much less well-prepared. He'd probably get creamed. Not that it matters. Some starship Captain and his whiz-bang science crew will whip up kryptonite and red sun radiation, and that will be that.

If Section 31 is part of the scenario, they may even have a "rogue Kryptonian" contingency plan prepared.

[Little_Mac]

In the history you know chronicled by the documentary Man of Steel, the infant Kal El was sent forth by his father Jor El to escape the destruction of his home planet Krypton. Kal El's ship landed in Kansas during the latter half of the 20th Century, where he was discovered by the Kents. Renamed Clark and raised by the Kents as their own, the Last Son of Krypton hid his powers until he was an adult, when the discovery of his heritage led to the arrival of General Zod, enemy of his father, to Earth. Then he was forced to openly use his powers in the fight against Zod and his followers to prevent them from destroying the human race by their attempt to make Earth into a new Krypton.

But there are other realities in which things occurred differently. In one such reality the history of Krypton's destruction and young Kal El's exodus occurs roughly 300 years or so later as far as the rest of the universe is concerned. Kal El's life pod travels not to the relatively primitive Earth of the 20th Century but to a remarkably advanced Earth of the 23rd Century, the center of a Federation with technology that in someways surpasses Krypton's.

So, what becomes of Kal El? How is the course of his life changed by growing up on a more advanced world that's part of an extensive interstellar civilization consisting of many species? And how do events play out when Zod is eventually drawn to Kal El's new home?

I, The Watcher, pose this question to you all,

What If Superman Grew Up On Federation Earth?

I would love to know which generation he shows up in. I could see quite a few changes depending of if it is DS9, NG, Discovery or Original. He might overwhelm the Klingons in the Klingon War, or make the Borg seem less of a threat in NG, for instance.

The real issue is the Phantom Zone Projector. The Federation is perfectly capable of reverse-engineering it and activate it, trying to rehabilitate all of the criminals there (Insert random Star Fleet Red Shirt Officer). Of course, I could see that going badly wrong and a Federation/Krypton war happens. I'm not certain who exactly wins that war.

[Guy1]

The real issue is the Phantom Zone Projector. The Federation is perfectly capable of reverse-engineering it and activate it, trying to rehabilitate all of the criminals there (Insert random Star Fleet Red Shirt Officer).

Ensign Ricky it is.

[Powerboy]

I would love to know which generation he shows up in. I could see quite a few changes depending of if it is DS9, NG, Discovery or Original. He might overwhelm the Klingons in the Klingon War, or make the Borg seem less of a threat in NG, for instance.

The real issue is the Phantom Zone Projector. The Federation is perfectly capable of reverse-engineering it and activate it, trying to rehabilitate all of the criminals there (Insert random Star Fleet Red Shirt Officer). Of course, I could see that going badly wrong and a Federation/Krypton war happens. I'm not certain who exactly wins that war.

Since it's the 23rd century, that would be Kirk. Luckily, they have Spock and all sorts of information about Kal-El to help him whip up artificial kryptonite and artificial red sun radiation.

[The MunchKING]

If they thought Kirk was a reckless adrenalin junkie, wait until they see the kind of stunts a near-indestructible alien teen gets up to.

Also without Pa Kent to give him that old-timey folksy wisdom of good ol' salt-of-the-Earth people, Clark's personality may turn out VERY differently.

[Little_Mac]

Since it's the 23rd century, that would be Kirk. Luckily, they have Spock and all sorts of information about Kal-El to help him whip up artificial kryptonite and artificial red sun radiation.

I could see it that happening. That's a typical ST:OG episode in the 60's. If Zod and company need the Enterprise to escape the planet/ship (and travel to a different galaxy) that they are released on, that's the end result.

If they thought Kirk was a reckless adrenalin junkie, wait until they see the kind of stunts a near-indestructible alien teen gets up to.

Also without Pa Kent to give him that old-timey folksy wisdom of good ol' salt-of-the-Earth people, Clark's personality may turn out VERY differently.

*nods* I thought of the old Superboy and the Legion of Superhero comic books. Kal-el without the Kent's morality turns out very different. Watching him meet a Klingon would be enlightening....(and probably very painful for the Klingon).

[Captain Smith]

Given the technology we have to discover planets, the 23rd is obviously better and can go there. They discover the various Kryptonite variants and understand them. They might even have discovered some survivors of various sorts. Is Kara's floating city fragment still in the picture - I haven't followed that line of her story - or was she a direct flight from Krypton.

Clark's pod was probably detected by the various navigation and defense scanners around the solar system, so he's picked up and adopted by some nice family and becomes a Star Fleet asset as he grows up.

[Powerboy]

Given the technology we have to discover planets, the 23rd is obviously better and can go there. They discover the various Kryptonite variants and understand them. They might even have discovered some survivors of various sorts. Is Kara's floating city fragment still in the picture - I haven't followed that line of her story - or was she a direct flight from Krypton.

Clark's pod was probably detected by the various navigation and defense scanners around the solar system, so he's picked up and adopted by some nice family and becomes a Star Fleet asset as he grows up.

The Picards were traditionally farmers, hence Jean Luc's issues with his father and brother. Maybe Kal-El crashed in the vinyards and the Picard family adopted him, with no need to hide that he's an alien. Jean Luc brags endlessly about France's greatest hero and his ancestor by adoption, Admiral Kal Picard.

[Spamotron]

Most versions of the pod have a database of all of Krypton's knowledge in it. That could cause complications with stuff that's even more advanced than Federation Tech. For example Pre-Crisis the Superman Robots were portrayed as fully sapient and Post Crisis so was the Kryptonian Robot Kellex. The ethical crisis Data caused in the Federation could happen centuries early. Then there's the "Krypton-Forming," crystals that could inspire the Genesis device decades early. The Kryptonian biotech that created some versions of Doomsday is pretty far beyond anything the Federation can do as well.

[Captain Smith]

I do not recall Kryptonian robots have the romantic abilities of Data. So that will be interesting. Pre COIE Kryptonian remanants (not K) were indestructible. The Federal might go hunt for them for all kinds of military and industrial usages. If they could replicate them - like the textiles, it would be a scientific revolution.

While Kal is very powerful, the Federation has dealt with cosmics, so they probably wouldn't freak out about his abilities.

[Shai-Hulud]

While Kal is very powerful, the Federation has dealt with cosmics, so they probably wouldn't freak out about his abilities.

Yes, exactly. Q shows up on the Enterprise (and Voyager) multiple times and nobody freaks. They just go about their duties and let the senior staff handle it.

[Slade1]

It would be scary to think if the Borg assimilated Krptonian tech.

[Zagreus]

Kal-el would just be another human looking alien. I can imagine Kal El serving in the "Riker" position as first officer to Picard (say Riker actually took one of those promotions) or as security chief, or on Kirk's ship as a fourth hinge to the triumvirate. Of course he could be on a different ship, but why wouldn't the flagship want the powerful Kryptonian on board? Zod is no big deal, honestly. The ship would have to be outfitted with a room that provides Kal with the UV rays he needs to keep his powers going, as they are often far away from a yellow sun, so his powers fading could be a key plot point. It would be no big deal to the Enterprise crew.

"Commander Kent, would you please fly out and do a scan of that class M plan? Our probe is running into interference."

"Aye, Captain."

[MichaelC]

Good point about the ship often being far away from a yellow sun. Heck, how many times has Troy's empathic powers failed? I saw an entire youtube video that was all about her being worthless. And she's worthless because her power would completely destroy any mystery or attempt at deceit in the first five minutes of the episode if the plot didn't conspire to make her worthless.