Superman, the Father of a Tyrant
The Observants prided themselves on their foresight. They guided Ghost King Pariah Dark’s reign, curbed his excesses to some extent, and prevented the Ghost Zone from descending into chaos...most of the time.
Now, however, they faced a unique problem: Pariah had an heir after his defeat at the hands of the Halfa. Heirs of kings—especially dictatorial, war-hungry ones—needed careful guidance to avoid repeating their predecessors' mistakes. The goal was not to teach them how to rule, but rather how not to.
Before them stood infant Daniel "Danny" Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom, the hero. After the Ghostly Incursion War (GIW) bombing of Amity Park, they picked him up and took him to Clockwork. Now, they had to consider his future. They also had to consider how to prevent him from becoming depressed. They did just that by turning him into a child with Clockwork's help. It was much kinder that way, as no one in Amity Park had become a ghost from the anti-ghost bomb that the GIW had used. They had to make sure he is taken of.
One Observant floated before the Council. "It is decided. We will send the heir of a tyrant to—"
Another Observant blinked after their leader finished to explain. "So they can learn from the worst?"
"Precisely. The mistakes of one mad ruler will be the lessons of the next. As we know that the other heroes would save the child and once he becomes king they know what to not do as Ruler. Seeing all the evil that Tyrant did. But still be ready to finish the job."
There was a murmur of agreement. After all, if a king was a dictator, the council only advised; they didn't make choices for him. Best of all, if the heir was out of the Zone, there was less paperwork.
After a brief and highly questionable magical procedure, Pariah’s heir was transformed into a human infant.
"Who shall we pick?"
The lead Observant’s single eyelid narrowed. "We don't really have a list, but I know just the man."
Clark and Lois's Apartment — Morning
Clark Kent was in the middle of making coffee when a green light suddenly filled the kitchen. An enormous floating eyeball appeared, holding a swaddled baby.
Clark blinked. "That's new."
"You are Kal-El," the observer intoned, "also known as Clark Kent."
"...Yes?"
The Observant unfolded a scroll with one of his hands. "Husband of Lois Lane?"
Clark frowned. "Yes, I—wait, why are you reading my bio like it's my Wikipedia page?"
"Here it states," the Observant continued in the same flat tone, "that you murdered her and your unborn child."
Clark froze. “What?!”
"Yes, after the Joker tricked you into it, of course. Also, Metropolis was destroyed by the nuke the Joker used. You executed the Joker in prison before Batman and then became a cruel tyrant who still insists he is a hero.”
“Excuse me?!”
The observer tilted its head. "Oh, wait. What year is it?”
Clark, still in shock, told him. There was an awkward pause.
"Ah," the Observant said. "We appear to be early. My apologies. We'll come back later, once everything has happened. It's time to search for another tyrant—"
A burst of green light appeared, and the baby vanished with the Observant. A thick file landed with a thunk on Clark’s kitchen table. Across the cover, in bold letters, was written: INJUSTICE: THE REGIME.
Clark opened it. Each page was worse than the last—transcripts, photos, battle reports, and atrocities. His hands trembled. He had seen dark futures before, but this...this was about him.
Then the green light returned. The One Eye being floated back in with the same baby.
"On second thought," it said, placing the infant in Clark's arms, "you are perfect for our purposes. Raise him as an example of what not to do as a tyrant. Ensure he learns that power must be balanced with mercy.”
Clark stared at the baby. Bright blue eyes blinked up at him. Tiny fingers grabbed his cape.
"I—what?"
"Temporary arrangement," the Observant said. "Until we find another tyrant. Where he can life under."
Then, it vanished, leaving Clark alone, holding a baby and with a horrifying knowledge of his possible future.
Fifteen minutes later, the Justice League's communication line rings.
Ring. Ring.
"Pick up! Pick up! Pick up—"
A click. "Clark," said Batman's gravelly voice. "What's the emergency?"
Clark’s voice was tight. "What's your plan if I go insane and the Joker tricks me into killing Lois? I kill him. Then Metropolis gets nuked and I establish myself as a global tyrant."
"That's oddly specific."
“A floating eyeball from another dimension just dropped off a massive file documenting my descent into madness and left me with a baby!”
There was a pause on the line. "Describe the baby."
"Human. Black hair, blue eyes. I have no idea where he came from. They said I’m supposed to teach him not to be a tyrant."
“I have a plan,” Batman said at last.
"That plan is not 'take the baby,'" Clark warned.
"... Fine. I’ll make a new plan.”
"You seriously had a plan to take a baby if I were given one?"
“Yes. For all League members. It’s in the file labeled Parental Failure Protocols.”
Clark’s jaw dropped. “You have plans to take babies from everyone?”
“Yes.” “How many oddly specific plans do you have?” "Several dozen."
"Bruce," Clark groaned. “There’s being prepared, and then there’s being incredibly paranoid.”
“Do you want my help or not?”
Clark sighed and glanced at the baby, who had tangled himself in Superman’s cape and was giggling. "Yes."
Later that night at Wayne Manor:
Bruce examined the child's DNA using the Batcomputer. "He's not from our world. I can tell you that part of his DNA is human; the rest, I'm not sure about."
"Neither was the floating eyeball," Clark muttered.
Alfred appeared with a bottle. "If Master Kent insists on keeping the child alive until the tyrant's plan is resolved, he should learn how to feed the child."
The baby let out a soft coo, and his eyes glowed faintly green for a moment before returning to their normal baby blue color. Bruce noticed.
"This is going to be a problem," he said flatly.
Clark crossed his arms. "He's just a baby."
"That's what they all say," Bruce replied, turning away. "I'm still not sure how your parents hid your powers." Try telling people you know he's a meta baby and see if that works."
Somewhere in the Ghost Zone:
The Observant floated back to the council chambers.
"Has the heir been placed?" "Yes, in the care of Kal-El." "Excellent. Will he learn humility?"
The lead Observant hesitated. "...Possibly. Either that, or Superman will learn to never become a tyrant in the first place. Either outcome is acceptable."
The others nodded.
After all, the Ghost Zone's paperwork load had just been dramatically reduced. The young heir was no longer there to bring chaos. As Clockwork didn't do anything, it must have been part of a plan.
Back in Metropolis — Two Days Later:
Clark sat on the couch, rocking the baby. According to the name stitched into his blanket, his name was Danny.
The future loomed large in his mind. The file sat on the coffee table, unopened since the first day.
Lois walked in, having returned from her work overseas, and raised an eyebrow. "Whose baby is this?"
Clark looked at her, deadly serious. "Lois, we need to talk about the Joker."
