Übermensch spoilers!!! part 2
Explaining Lore, Part Two
Lately, I am starting to understand why so many people enjoy writing and sharing their ideas on the internet. There is something genuinely fun and satisfying about slowly building a story, connecting details, and seeing characters take shape over time. Writing this lore has helped me organize my thoughts and understand my own characters better, so this part focuses mainly on Simon, his role in the story, and how his presence affects the larger narrative.
Regarding Simon’s age, he is 29 years old in the fanfic. At first, I planned to write both him and Jackson in their thirties, but later I decided to make them slightly younger. One reason for this is practical, since the story will eventually require a lot of physical and emotional endurance, especially when they begin running from authorities. Youthful energy plays an important role in that. I also used Bob Parr, also known as Mister Incredible, as a loose reference, since he appears to be around 25 in 1947. Simon’s age is important to the plot because he is explicitly described as the youngest person in his firm.
I want to briefly address the age gap discourse in the fandom. I struggled a bit with this because many people seem to agree that Simon is older [which is fair], while others push the idea to unrealistic extremes. To be clear, Jackson is not meant to be twenty, and Simon is not meant to be forty. [I would like to gently clarify something that has come up a few times regarding the age gap between the characters. I truly appreciate the interest and engagement, but this aspect of the story has already been decided and is something I am comfortable with as it is. For that reason, I do not plan to change it, and I kindly ask for understanding on this point.
I also want to mention, with respect, that this story is written with a strong focus on character development, tension, and narrative progression rather than on specific dynamics or roles or at least thats my intention. While those themes are not inherently wrong and can be enjoyable in their own contexts, they are not the main focus of this particular work. Because of that, this story may not be the best fit for readers who are only interested in those elements.
This message is not meant to address all of my readers, as many of you have been thoughtful and supportive. It is simply a response to a few comments I have seen that suggested the story did not make sense or should be written in a different way. I welcome discussion and differing interpretations, but I also hope the story can be read and engaged with as it is intended. Thank you very much for taking the time to read and for your understanding.] ANYWAYS
I apologize for the frustration, but I needed to establish something that made sense both narratively and historically.
Simon’s work dynamic is deeply tied to his past. As a small spoiler of his backstory, Simon has always known that he has powers. However, an incident early in his life made him feel like a danger to others, someone who needed to be controlled or contained. This experience shaped how he sees himself and the world. In a strange way, this mirrors Jackson’s later treatment, though Jackson was confined after becoming a genuine threat to society. This parallel creates an unspoken empathy between them, even if neither fully understands it at first.
Trying to avoid becoming a weapon or a spectacle, Simon searched for another way to help people. He wanted to protect those who were ignored, abandoned, or failed by the system. Supers and police officers could not always help everyone, so he turned to the law. Becoming a lawyer felt like a safer, more ethical path. He began studying from a very young age, driven by a strong sense of justice. Unfortunately, another incident occurred during a court case in his youth. He witnessed how the law failed to protect people who could not afford it. The system did not help them, and the lawyer involved was powerless because of money and bureaucracy. That experience pushed Simon to become a pro bono lawyer. He genuinely wanted to help others and believed that change was possible. He was deeply idealistic, but also painfully realistic. He chose the only path that would allow him to survive while still trying to make a difference.
Years later, Simon is competent and professional, but his powers continue to affect his daily life. Because of his laser vision, he cannot maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds without risking harm. As a result, he avoids looking directly at people. This behavior is misunderstood by his coworkers, who interpret it as arrogance or superiority. They believe Simon thinks he is better than them. His boss, in particular, sees him as someone who needs to be put in his place, assuming that his silence and distance come from ego rather than fear and self control.
When Jackson’s case is announced, it is clear that it is meant to be a public spectacle. From the beginning, it is almost guaranteed to fail. That is precisely why Simon is assigned as Jackson’s lawyer. He is the youngest and least experienced, and the presence of a jury makes his poor communication skills a disadvantage. His inability to connect with people through eye contact and emotional appeal makes it unlikely that the jury will sympathize with Jackson. The firm also assumes that Jackson would dislike Simon immediately. Jackson is a man who thrives on attention, while Simon barely looks at anyone. In their eyes, Simon is expendable, and they are fully prepared for his career to be destroyed by this case.
The trial itself is not truly about justice. It is about control. Jackson is undeniably dangerous, but the goal is not simply to imprison him. The authorities want him to lose in the most humiliating way possible so they can study his powers, possibly extract samples, and analyze him. A human nuclear reactor is too valuable to ignore. Everything is arranged in advance. Even the room where Jackson is held has no visible interior, which Simon notices. He realizes that if Jackson were to escape and decide to harm him, no one would be able to intervene. That is intentional. If Jackson kills or attacks his own lawyer, it only ensures a darker future for him.
Simon’s own career is also being quietly destroyed. Defending a known villain will stain his previously clean reputation, regardless of whether he wins or loses. At the same time, Simon has begun uncovering corruption within the firm itself. Combined with the fact that he is an immigrant, this places him in an extremely vulnerable position. Every choice he makes carries serious consequences.
There are also several smaller but important details about Simon. During his first meeting with Jackson, he does not immediately notice the damage to half of Jackson’s face, partly because of the poor lighting in the room. Simon does not know how to feel about Jackson at first, and he remains cautious and distant. He is painfully aware of how often people take advantage of his kindness and his silence.
Simon struggles with depression, and possibly a depressive form of bipolar disorder, though this will never be stated explicitly in the story. It will be written subtly and based on personal experience, focusing on behavior rather than labels.
In the latest chapter, Simon rescues a small Yorkshire Terrier puppy. He is not technically allowed to keep pets where he rents, so he must hide the dog if he wants to keep it. The fact that Simon feels capable of saving the puppy after his first conversation with Jackson says a great deal about the emotional shift beginning within him. It is a quiet but meaningful moment.
This is a spoiler, but Simon eventually names the puppy Marconi, after the Italian inventor and electrical engineer often credited as the father of radio. The name reflects Simon’s love for radio, a medium he can enjoy without sight. This detail becomes especially meaningful when remembering that one of Jackson’s earliest acting jobs was a radio soap opera that did not last long. Simon happened to enjoy it, and Jackson genuinely liked performing in it.
One of the reasons Jackson begins to see Simon as a potential ally is because Simon does not see him as “Handsome Jack,” the actor or the glorified figure from films. Instead, Simon recognizes his voice. For Jackson, this is a strange relief. For the first time, he is not defined by the face that everyone else knew and admired, especially now that it is gone.
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