Hubris, Humility, and Heroism

Hubris, Humility, and Heroism

Written by SteelBlazer

                Superman, the Man of Steel, was tired of his ever-present vulnerability to kryptonite, and decided it was time for him to find a cure once and for all. Using his vast scientific resources available to him, he decided to conduct an experimental procedure in his Fortress of Solitude. Covering the story was none other than Lois Lane, the tenacious reporter who was always eager to uncover the latest scoop on Superman.

                “Don’t you think this experiment is dangerous?” Lois asked Superman.

                Superman chuckled and puffed out his chest as he answered her with his usual bravado, “Sure, it might be dangerous, but that’s all part of being a hero.”

                “And why do you want cure your vulnerability to kryptonite, seeing as there really isn’t much of it around anymore?” Lois inquisitively asked the Man of Steel.

                “Well... I guess... If I’m safer than the world would be safer... Why, without Kryptonite... I’d be invincible, nothing would be able to harm me,” Superman said pondering the question... At first there was genuine genuflection in his voice, but the more he thought about it, the more his ego got involved and so he couldn’t help ending his thought in the most vainglorious way possible as he struck his iconic hands on his hips pose, his voice dripping hubris.

                Narcissism aside he cut quick the heroic figure, and seeing all those super-muscles of his rippling, took Lois’s breath away, but still as much as she loved swooning over Superman and his superpowers, she had a job to do, and questions to ask.

                “Don’t you think that’s dangerous.”

                “It’s well worth the risk,” Superman responded confidently.

                “That’s not what I meant?” Lois said.

                “You needn’t fear me Lois,” Superman said as he flashed Lois that charming smile of his.

                “I don’t fear you,” Lois said truthfully as she’d always been more in awe of what Superman could do with his powers, than fearful of what he could do with them, “It’s just with no limits, no weakness you’d be--”

                “A god!” Superman stated smugly.

                “I was going to say unstoppable,” Lois interjected and both of them shared grin and Lois took a moment to imagine what it’d be like to have godlike powers, to have Superman’s powers and she couldn’t help but let out a soft moan thinking how wonderful it would be.

                Superman just grinned to himself, he loved the effect he had on Lois as Superman, but it was time for him to focus on the ill effects of kryptonite, and once he dealt with those, he could focus back on Lois. He made one final adjustment to his machine, and now it was finally time to test his experiment.

                Lois watched with her usual mix of curiosity and determination as Superman turned on the device, he had designed to rid himself of his kryptonite weakness. As the machine hummed to life, Superman wasn’t just grinning but he was beaming, as he was certain he’d never have to worry about Kryptonite ever again, full of hope and hubris he knew this would be the beginning of the end of his vulnerability to kryptonite. Lois, camera in hand, leaned in to capture every moment. Suddenly, sparks shot out of the device and a blinding light enveloped the room. And Superman felt his strength begin to drain away, his muscles shrinking, his stature diminishing. Meanwhile, Lois, caught in the energy field, began to change herself, but with inversely opposite results.

                Lois emerged from the blinding light transformed. No longer was she the trim and athletic ace reporter covering the story, but she was the story, as she was now a towering Amazonian muscle goddess with muscles that would put Superman’s to shame, if he wasn’t already literally half the man he used to be and perhaps even a whole lot less...Her new muscles bulged impressively, and she flexed them with a mix of shock and delight. 

                “Well, I don’t know about you Superman, but I’d say the experiment was a success!” she exclaimed, her voice resonating with newfound power. Superman, now reduced to a mere shadow of his former self, looked up at Lois in disbelief.

                “How, can you say that?” Superman whined.

                “Because, why... I just feel SUPER!” Lois shouted.

                “But, those are my powers,” Superman pouted.

                “Not anymore lil’ man, you tempted the fates in your desire to become all powerful, to become a god, and now look at you,” Lois said smugly as she brought her arms up in a double bicep flex and her whole body swelled and surged with power and as her biceps shot up and exploded up and out on her arms, so too did the shredded remnants and tatters of her clothes shoot off and explode off her super-powered muscular physique.

                “But, really you should be looking at me and my Mighty Female Muscles. I’d say I’m a goddess… A muscle goddess, but I’m a bit too modest for that... Even if I’m immodest at the moment,” Lois said with smirk as she popped her pecs up and down a few times and then she gave her eyebrows the same synchronized dance.

                Lois, now taller, stronger, and more super than Superman ever was, reveled in her new abilities, and Superman was helpless and both literally and figuratively powerless and all he could do was watch and witness the start of a new era... This was to be his new era, but it no longer belonged to him, just like how his powers no longer belonged to him as well. And while Superman might have lost his powers, he did indeed succeed in curing his weakness to kryptonite as it no longer has any effect on him—probably because he succeeding in transferring all his superpowers and super-muscles to Lois! In the end, Superman learned that sometimes, the cure can be worse than the ailment itself. As for Lois while Kryptonite didn’t have any effect on her, she knew she had awfully big shoes to fill, but she was more than up for the challenge and more than eager to prove to the world that she could fill those boots of Superman’s and also his blue and red tights too, and she filled them out spectacularly, as she looked way better in those tights than what Superman ever did!

                And all Superman could do was watch in jealousy as Lois saved the day, and Metropolis, and the world, day after day, thinking that should be him with those powers, and thinking maybe it's time for him to change his name from Superman to something else...