History Fanfic / ASupeOfAMan

** Clark explains his need for self-restraint by telling a story of how he accidentally killed his pet cat, Goldie, with his heat vision when it was snatched up by an eagle, which is what happened with his son, Jon Kent, in an early issue of ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth''.

* YoureNotMyFather: [[spoiler:While visiting Ryan and Becca (read: trying to rescue them from Homelander), Clark makes it clear to Homelander that he is not his son. He doesn't listen and dismisses it as lies Vought placed in the young Supe's head.]].

** [[spoiler:Deathstroke's hatred of Black Noir, the resident BatmanParody, echos the famous animosity the super-soldier has with members of the Bat-Family.]]

** Auntie Sis and the Superdupers are invited to the Kent Farm for [[spoiler:Johnathan Kent's funeral]], as well as an older Pete Ross and Lana Lang.

* ShoutOut: In Chapter 19, when Superman reveals his alien nature to [[spoiler:Diana Prince]], she's shocked, and her description of what she thought an alien would look like–"blue, with a tail and tentacles"–sounds a lot like the ones from ''Film/{{Avatar}}''.

** Homelander sees Clark protecting Annie and concludes that they're sleeping together and it's just the posturing of an alpha male defending his mate. He genuinely cannot comprehend that [[LikeBrotherAndSister their relationship]] could be anything [[SexForServices other than transactionally sexual in nature]].

* EvilInc: Vought is a corrupt-to-the-core organization that milks its superheroes for profit while covering up their misdeeds and ignoring their emotional needs. Even Vought's Supe "college" is a glorified reality show that exploits its students while turning a blind eye to their educational needs.

** Clark's fictional love interest in Dawn of the Seven is Lisa Lasalle, his love interest from ''ComicBook/SupermanEarthOne''.

* Homelander sees Clark protecting Annie and concludes that they're sleeping together and it's just the posturing of an alpha male defending his mate. He genuinely cannot comprehend that [[LikeBrotherAndSister their relationship]] could be anything [[SexForServices other than transactionally sexual in nature]].

** [[spoiler:In Chapter 15, When Clark was talking to Stan Edgar about if he has a plan to stop Homelander, since Homelander discovered Stan's contingency plans for him. When Stan tells Clark that he has plans to keep all superheroes in line, adding that at the moment, the public and nation are "so recently fearful of foreign-empowered '''''aliens''''' crossing their borders". At hearing this, Clark realizes that Stan knows about his alien origins.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Clark is extremely unamused to learn Lois and Hughie are Supe-killing vigilantes and that Hughie was using Annie to infiltrate the Seven]].

* EnemyMine: Thunderbolt Ross hates Supes. Extensively. But, he is actually willing to work alongside Superman's subversion of Vought because he sees him as the best asset the could have if a supe war broke out.

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In the series, Butcher brutally beats Mesmer to death in a subway restroom after he rats to Homelander on The Boys' actions. In this story, [[spoiler:Lois shoots him when she finds out he hid a camera to record what they're doing]].

* InherentInTheSystem: Another major theme of the story. Even the presence of genuine heroes like Superman, Starlight, [[spoiler:and Wonder Woman]] can't solve the true problem with the CrapsackWorld they're stuck–Vought and their irresponsible Supes can do damage and ruin lives, but the true antagonist of the story is the system that not only allows but ''encourages'' it to happen, and any attempt to change the system will cause it to fight back and reassert itself at any cost (as [[spoiler:Diana found out the hard way,]] and Clark is slowly learning). [[spoiler:Clark later speculates that this system was ''intentionally'' designed by some yet unseen AncientEvil to separate Supes from normal humans for some sort of long-term AssimilationPlot.]]

* GoodCapitalismEvilCapitalism: Deconstructed. As can be expected, the Kents are examples of "Good Capitalism" largely played straight–they are very tolerant, left-leaning people who use they wealth only on what they need, while donating basically everything else they don't to various charities. Clark himself, despite wanting as little to do with money as possible, has managed his finances enough that he's independently wealthy even without Vought's checks, and could retire without noticing a drop in his living standards. On the other end of the scale, [[EvilCorp Vought-America]] is pure CapitalismIsBad, with ThereAreNoGoodExecutives in full effect–none of the employees have any interest in making things better, and all of them (even Aunt Mary to an extent) are presented as greedy cutthroat corporate sharks who are trying to expand the company's influence no matter the cost. Despite Clark being a SelfMadeMan and a NonIdleRich with considerable influence, he's constantly reminded that Vought ''dwarfs'' him by several magnitudes, and they're the main reason [[CrapsackWorld the world is as screwed up as it is]]. Good Capitalism doesn't make up for the damage that Bad Capitalism inflicts on a daily basis.

** Superman represents "[[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream America the Beautiful]]," being a castaway from a foreign land and fully embraced by loving adoptive parents who help him establish his core values, eventually becoming a SelfMadeMan with the power his new home bestows on him, and [[NonIdleRich feels it's his duty to use his status to help others in his new home]].

* GoodCapitalismEvilCapitalism: Deconstructed. As can be expected, the Kents are examples of "Good Capitalism" largely played straight–they are very tolerant, left-leaning people who use they wealth only on what they need, while donating basically everything else they don't to various charities. Clark himself, despite wanting as little to do with money as possible, has manged his finances enough that he's independantly wealthy even without Vought's checks, and could retire without noticing a drop in his living standards. On the other end of the scale, [[EvilCorp Vought-America]] is pure CapitalismIsBad, with ThereAreNoGoodExecutives in full effect–none of the employees have any interest in making things better, and all of them (even Aunt Mary to an extent) are presented as greedy cutthroat corporate sharks who are trying to expand the company's influence no matter the cost. Despite Clark being a SelfMadeMan and a NonIdleRich with considerable influence, he's constantly reminded that Vought ''dwarfs'' him by several magnitudes, and they're the main reason [[CrapsackWorld the world is as screwed up as it is]].

* IAmNotYourFather: {{Discussed|Trope}}; Annie has heard rumors that Clark is Homelander's son, and isn't sure if she should believe them. Even Homelander muses that he might be Clark's father after meeting him and sharing their thoughts on the downside of their enhanced senses; he knows that he's never had sex with Martha Kent, but that doesn't rule out the idea that Clark was artificially engineered using his DNA or someone else was the mother and the Kents raised Clark on Vought's behalf. Unfortunately, after he sees how powerful Clark is, he soon becomes enamored with the idea that the young Supe is his son, and [[TheCorrupter tries to mold him into his own image]].

** Superman proposes working with the U.N to create a "[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica League of Justice]]", a nod to his status as founding member of the JLA in the comics.

* YouRemindMeOfX: Annie privately muses at one point that she never had a crush on Homelander when she was younger because he was so similar to Clark that it would have felt weird, since she basically sees Clark as a brother.