Super Freak Parade

Superman in disguise spots some of his enemies in a city parade.

Super Freak Parade

An ace reporter from the Daily Planet, Clark decided he hated this assignment. Every year, his boss Perry White insisted that he cover the city's Freak Parade. Usually, White wanted Jimmy Olsen to go with his star reporter to get some action shots of the freakier of the of the freaks, but this year Jimmy was in the parade as Grand Marshal.

Clark was half-hoping Lois Lane would show up in the rapidly growing crowd to keep him company, but if she was there, he hadn't seen her yet. It was amazing how many people came to this thing; maybe he could get a couple of crowd interviews after the parade. It was beginning to look like things were getting underway, so Clark decided her better focus on the work at hand.

The reporter casually watched as the parade passed in front of him, jotting notes when something caught his attention. Like seeing what looked like Brainiac, the alien android nemesis of Superman walking jerkily among the group of the more ordinary kind of freaks found in his fair city. The mild-mannered reporter blinked owlishly at the sight from behind the dark rimmed glasses he didn't really need.

Clark was startled to see yet another Superman's enemy pass him soon after. Doctor Zod, the Kryptonian criminal had somehow found his way back to Earth. Clark began to feel uneasy.

"Is that Prankster, the very unfunny felon who makes Superman's life no joke? It sure looks like it! he asked himself as his suspicions grew.

"Well, if it isn't the newest thorn in Superman's side, Rainspit! From what my sources have been able to tell me, this crook is somatic; but so far, he hasn't shown his true colors to any degree," But Clark feared he might have just picked today to so.

"My folks always said: 'better the enemy you know '" he reminded himself.

Clark smiled grimly at the next parade participant he recognized. Lex Luthor, the rogue scientific genius in the flesh! If he is here, it didn't look good for the city or the Earth itself!

Racing to the nearest phone booth, Clark changed into his alter ego, Superman and took off with a noise like thunder to follow the parade from the air and keep a better eye on all the felonious freaks he'd noticed in the parade. After all, the height of tourist season was not the time for a major crime spree!

"I can't believe I lost them!" Clark berated himself.

He'd gone to the parade breakup area, in front of City Hall, but none of the evil doers he had spotted earlier among the run-of-the-mill freaks in the parade, were nowhere to be found. Not to let an opportunity pass, Superman had turned back into his mild-manner reporter guise and started interviewing some of the participants that still lingered. There would certainly be the kind of local color his editor always screamed for in this story.

Clark felt his skin tingle. In that instant he knew that somehow Superman's freakish enemies had gotten behind him. All too familiar hands grabbed him. Since he felt he knew that one or more of them had kryptonite! Doctor Zot probably, since that was his favorite trick.

Although he struggled mightily, he had no power. A black bag was thrown over his head and through it he heard the Prankster enjoying the joke over and over. Clark hated feeling powerless especially around these particular reprobates.

He was roughly hustled in, out and around so many corners, he soon became disoriented and couldn't tell up from down. Finally, after what seemed like eons, the bag was ripped off his head.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Clark" was heard from all sides as he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkened room he was in. When the lights flashed on.

All his friends and enemies were there! He couldn't believe he'd forgotten his own birthday again this year, at least the birthday his earth parents had chosen for him. After he leaned over the blazing cake, a voice that held a menacing note whispered in his ear.

"Yes, let's celebrate the freakiest of all the freaks, right Superman?"

Clark turned toward the sound and found himself looking into a deathless stare filled with all that was evil. Rainspit!

Clark sat up suddenly, his heart pounding and sweat pouring off of him. Blinking half-blindly he managed to reach for his glasses on his bedside table. Putting them on he peered at the clock radio. Three in the morning!

"I really have to stop reading my comic collection before sleeping, especially after an extra-large pizza with the works from Greasy Gary's Pizza Piazza!"

Since he was awake, the other Clark reached into his bedside table drawer and pulled out a sketch pad and charcoal pencil. Maybe the nightmare he just had was the idea he needed to break into the comic book industry. He smiled to himself as Supermen's newest archenemy, Rainspit took shape with a few strokes of the pencil.

The finished sketch gave him another idea. He needed a costume for Canadore College's annual Freak Parade. He added color with soft pastels and knew right away he was a shoo-in to win the "Best Parade Freak" cup this year.

881 WORDS 8/31/2025