Kry-Tor: A Different Superman

The First Signs

Clyde Bent grew up in Riverton, Missouri, a small town with more history than most people cared to remember. Mary and Jeremiah were kind-hearted people who had always wanted children, and when they found Clyde, they knew their prayers had been answered. They didn't question where he came from or how he arrived; they simply raised him with love and care.

For Clyde, Riverton was home, a place of comfort and routine. He attended school like any other boy, though he always stood out. Even at a young age, Clyde seemed to do everything better than the other kids. He was faster, stronger, and more agile, often surpassing his classmates in physical activities. But it wasn't just his strength that made him different-there was something in his eyes, a depth to them that hinted at something far beyond the small town he called home.

At the age of five, Clyde was already running faster than any child his age. By ten, he had developed an uncanny ability to leap incredible distances. At first, it was only a few feet, but soon, he was soaring through the air, his small body lifting off the ground as if gravity had no hold on him. He had no idea why or how it was happening, but he had learned to control it. The strange thing was that it never felt like a gift-it felt like something he couldn't quite understand, something that was always just out of his reach.

His adoptive parents, Mary and Jeremiah, noticed the oddities, of course. They saw how Clyde never got tired, how he could bend metal bars with his bare hands, or lift objects far heavier than any other child should be able to. But rather than asking questions, they simply accepted him for who he was. They loved him like their own son, and they were determined to protect him, no matter what.

Yet, even as they tried to shield him from the world, Clyde could sense the difference within himself. He felt out of place, as if something was missing. At night, he would often look up at the stars, wondering where he truly belonged. The feeling was overwhelming, yet it was never something he could voice to anyone.

One summer evening, when Clyde was fifteen, he decided to run an errand for Mary. The moment he stepped outside, the familiar feeling of something stirring within him flared up. He was running down the street when a powerful sensation overtook him. Without thinking, his feet left the ground, and before he knew it, he was soaring high above the rooftops.

He tried to steady himself, panic rising as he realized he had no idea how to land. But the instinct kicked in-his body adjusted in mid-air, and he gently descended back to the ground, landing softly on the grass. His heart raced as he looked around to see if anyone had witnessed his flight. But the street was quiet, and the world seemed unaware of his extraordinary feat.

As he stood there, breathing heavily, Clyde's mind raced. "What is happening to me?" he whispered to himself.