Concept for a Superman mini-series

I had a concept or idea for a Superman mini-series called "Superman: Powerless" I only wrote around 15 pages of a script for the pilot.

So the idea is that Superman is in his early stage of crime fighting, still not trusting of others. During a fight with parasite, Superman gets his powers drained, with Parasite putting him on the west coast of America. With each episode following Clark as he tries traveling across America to get back to Metropolis.

He's powerless and without money. Clark doesn't seek help because he feels like he's responsible for being captured by Parasite, showing how he needs to work through his stubborn-ness. Maybe Clark is still stubbrorn about how he's an alien, and is almost ashamed of it. Not telling anyone or seekin help because of it. Through his journey across the US, he learns about what it means to be human, learning that to be a hero, you need to connect with people. Finally learning to open up and tell Lois he's Superman.

I don't imagine this in the DCU, but I think it could work apart of it. I really like the idea of popular characters having movies and shows. That help show the smaller stories of each hero. Example - Like Batman and Damian working together and showing us why we should care about Damian as Robin.

For Superman, I think it can act as a prequal to the 2025 film, along with how he travels across America, maybe show us some world building, and other heroes across the US.

I'd imagine around 8 episodes:

Episode 1: Clark losing his powers and ending up on the west coast

Episode 2 - 3: Clark on the West Coast.

Episode 4: Clark visits a town in the midwest, with the episode being semi-based off SDuperman #705. Where he helps a boy from his abusive dad.

Episode 5: He visits Smallville and we learn about his upbringing.

Episode 6: Clark is in Texas where he fights the Clan, but he has to use more cunning stratagies instead of just beating them up as Superman.

Episode 7: Clark visits Gotham where he meets Batman. Finally telling someone how he's Superman. Where he says "I think we should form our own team sometime."

Episode 8: Clark is back in Metropolis, and fights Parasite and Lex Luthor (who's behind it). At the end, telling Lois his identity as Superman.

Lex Luthor

The two main villains are Lex Luthor and Parasite.

At the start, Lex is actively creating villains in order to fight Superman. Staging robberies and crimes in order to get his attention, so he can learn more about Superman.

Lex believes that everyone is like him, how everyone is power-hungry. He can't grasp the concept that Superman is trying to do good, believing he's using it as leverage. Deep down, if Lex had the powers of Superman, he'd use it to takeover the world, believing that Superman is gonna do that.

At the end, Superman confronts Lex and basically tells him how not everyone is power-hungry or awful people. There are good people in the world, who just want to leave the world as a better place than the day before.

Parasite
Although Lex is technically behind Superman losing his powers, it's really Parasite. Parasite was hired by Lex in order to fight Superman and steal his powers, then killing him. Parasite doesn't do that, instead keeping him alive. Parasite wants to use Clark as leverage, seeing that if Lex keeps thinking about how Clark is alive, he won't notice if Parasite leeches off his resources and wealth. With Superman gone and Lex occupied, he's free to basically do anything he wants in Metropolis.

I really wished that more versions did this with Parasite. How he's an actual parasite, manipulating and using people to get what he wants.

Throughout the series, he'll tell diffrent people diffrent versions of his backstory. Like he'll tell Lex that he was just a regular guy until Superman accidentally caused him to fall in a chemical that turned him into this hiddeous creature. Or how he'll tell reporters like Lois a sob story how it was an accident that turned him into a freak, mocked by the world.

In actuality, Parasite was Rudy Jones, a janitor at STAR labs (who only got that job because his friend worked there already). Rudy stole the chemical that turned him into Parasite, believing it will give him powers. Rudy wants power, actively seeking out the chemical to mantain his form. Without it, he's just some loser, but with it, he's a dangerous creature.

Parasite wants to be seen as an idiot, allowing Clark to live but put him out of reach. To appear as stupid, making people think that he isn't capable of manipulating others.