Aw, crap. I've never even SEEN Smallville unless you count maybe a five-minute clip, and I'm really a bit clueless about Superman in general, but Lex Luthor as you wrote him here really stands out. I felt like I understood his character even though I don't have any previous references for it. Very nicely done. (Incidentally I love the Ben/Lex interaction, it's so... what. Adult. Sophisticated, without getting dry and ridiculously over-intellectual. And it was HOT.)

I'm all torn up about the ending, though -- or I guess I should say, the last chapter. Just... aah! Heartbreaking and hopeful all at once.

Ditto what everybody said about the DS tradition of names. That worked out terrifically here.