The Fortress of Solitude

[Daybreak_st]

Its possible that somehow there is a technology that takes in and stores and even magnifies the light of our sun, and that the result of this is like high powered artificial yellow solar lighting on the inside.

Great idea supermike! That's a great workaround. so are you in favor of antartica? I kind of like it, and with your suggestion the sunlight isn't an issue.

Guys i have to say this is the best online collaboration i've seen on these boards it's really nice to see people getting along like this.

 

[SuperMike335!!]

Great idea supermike! That's a great workaround. so are you in favor of antartica? I kind of like it, and with your suggestion the sunlight isn't an issue.

Guys i have to say this is the best online collaboration i've seen on these boards it's really nice to see people getting along like this.

I'd be very cool with it being Antartica.

Its a very cold mostly isolated place, sure.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Yeah i think so, not sure of the exact location in the North Pole, guess it's not a big deal as long as it's well hidden. The cool thing about Antarctica (no pun intended) is that it's a huge continent, despite people doing research their (which also goes along with the idea of the kryptonian outpost) no permanent residence are there. So it would be easy for it to stay hidden. The lack of sunlight seems like a problem though.

If you are going with this outpost idea I think exactly under the north or south pole would be the perfect spot. Some sort of "magnetic fields hiding Kryptonian technology." Also, since it's an outpost it should have everything a Kryptonian would need to survive, think of one of those survivalist shelters, fallout shelters, research outposts. It's gonna be really secure, have tons of technology, food, everything a person would ever need, as well as a lot of learning material since we are considering it a scientific outpost.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Its always been in the north pole, so why change it?

 

[Daybreak_st]

If you are going with this outpost idea I think exactly under the north or south pole would be the perfect spot. Some sort of "magnetic fields hiding Kryptonian technology." Also, since it's an outpost it should have everything a Kryptonian would need to survive, think of one of those survivalist shelters, fallout shelters, research outposts. It's gonna be really secure, have tons of technology, food, everything a person would ever need, as well as a lot of learning material since we are considering it a scientific outpost.

Yeah that sounds good to me.

Its always been in the north pole, so why change it?

It hasn't always been their, it has been in the south pole and in the amazon before. The south pole is actually a continent which the north pole is not, so there's that. Not saying it has to change just saying it's an actual large continent.

In Action Comics Annual #2 (1989), Superman, on a self-imposed exile to space, was entrusted with a Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator, created by his ancestor Kem-El. Dedicated to preserving Krypton, this device built a new Fortress in the Antarctic as a precursor to recreating Krypton on Earth. Superman broke the Eradicator's control, but maintained the Fortress as a useful location for emergencies. The first appearance of this new post-Crisis version of the Fortress was in Adventures of Superman #461 (Dec. 1989).

read more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Solitude

 

[elgaz]

If we humans want to observe animals in the wild, what do we do? We build an outpost of some sort and camouflage it so it blends into it's environment without being noticeable.

The military take the exact same approach - bunker entrances and the like in jungles are covered with vine and leaves, those in the desert are sand-coloured, etc.

It stands to reason Kryptonians would have camouflaged their outposts in a similar way.

So .............. (and this may seem a silly suggestion) ............. why not have the Kryptonian fortress resemble a glacier. It could be as large as you envision it. By being exposed, it could remain solar-powered and have stored up hundreds - maybe thousands - of years of solar energy. And by taking the form of a glacier, it retains some of the crystaline ice-hewn look of the original fortress.

A floating version (an iceberg) would be virtually inaccessible by foot, which would reduce the chance of it being found. Of course, for someone like Superman who can fly, it would make no difference. The picture below shows just how large a structure there could be under the water.

Most importantly, any travellers to the North or South pole would likely not cast a second glance at any glacier as they're so common.

 

[elgaz]

Another example -can't find a smaller jpg sorry!

 

[Mr. Earle]

If we humans want to observe animals in the wild, what do we do? We build an outpost of some sort and camouflage it so it blends into it's environment without being noticeable.

The military take the exact same approach - bunker entrances and the like in jungles are covered with vine and leaves, those in the desert are sand-coloured, etc.

It stands to reason Kryptonians would have camouflaged their outposts in a similar way.

So .............. (and this may seem a silly suggestion) ............. why not have the Kryptonian fortress resemble a glacier. It could be as large as you envision it. By being exposed, it could remain solar-powered and have stored up hundreds - maybe thousands - of years of solar energy. And by taking the form of a glacier, it retains some of the crystaline ice-hewn look of the original fortress.

A floating version (an iceberg) would be virtually inaccessible by foot, which would reduce the chance of it being found. Of course, for someone like Superman who can fly, it would make no difference. The picture below shows just how large a structure there could be under the water.

Most importantly, any travellers to the North or South pole would likely not cast a second glance at any glacier as they're so common.

"I told you we shouldnt trust Superman! He sank the Titanic with his house!!!"

But seriously, nice idea. Too innovative for my tastes, but good nonetheless. Besides in most comics the Fortress is hidden inside a mountain of ice so they got the camouflage part covered.

 

[Nightwing1983]

OK folks...

The potential for a new Superman film in the...future.

A reinterpretation of the mythology on film by an as-yet-undetermined filmmaker and the studio.

The Fortress of Solitude -- the visual and narrative aesthetic.

How would you like to see it portrayed?

Do you like caves?

Do you like crystals?

Do you like the Arctic?

What about a...space pocket or...interspace, or...inner space?

What if there were no crystals whatsoever?

Should there be alien species contained within?

Should there be computers?

Eradicator? No?

How would you like to see the Fortress integrated narratively?

Give me your best thoughts! (real and fictional, historical and mythological, potential tie-in knowledge appreciated!)



(I've seen a little bit of this discussion going on in the "Source material" thread, but Show approved me starting a separate topic here.)

I think it should look more-or-less like in the Carlin-era comics--that it's icy and all that, but also high-tech--and that while the Eradicator should be part of it and its creation, he should be called something else. "Eradicator" sounds great for a menacing villain, but not for something that simply wants to rebuilt/recreate Krypton.

 

[Webhead2006]

some cool ideas guys, i wouldnt mind if its north or south pole. i would perfer to keep it in the north. Then like u guys brought up have it be hidden by some means, either undeground, magnetic poles, or some cloaking field or something.

 

[Daybreak_st]

If we humans want to observe animals in the wild, what do we do? We build an outpost of some sort and camouflage it so it blends into it's environment without being noticeable.

The military take the exact same approach - bunker entrances and the like in jungles are covered with vine and leaves, those in the desert are sand-coloured, etc.

It stands to reason Kryptonians would have camouflaged their outposts in a similar way.

So .............. (and this may seem a silly suggestion) ............. why not have the Kryptonian fortress resemble a glacier. It could be as large as you envision it. By being exposed, it could remain solar-powered and have stored up hundreds - maybe thousands - of years of solar energy. And by taking the form of a glacier, it retains some of the crystaline ice-hewn look of the original fortress.

A floating version (an iceberg) would be virtually inaccessible by foot, which would reduce the chance of it being found. Of course, for someone like Superman who can fly, it would make no difference. The picture below shows just how large a structure there could be under the water.

Most importantly, any travellers to the North or South pole would likely not cast a second glance at any glacier as they're so common.

Great idea t: very cool! I personally don't care about the outer appearance as a variety of things could work well as long as it doesn't stand out in any way. I just want the inside to feel very functional like we've been talking about. That's the primary part. B/c as fancy as it looked in the Reeve's films on the outside the inside we only saw one room and a console and that just seemed silly.

I like the glacier idea, similar enough to what's come before but with a little twist.

 

[Daybreak_st]

Here's a pic i found that highlights kind of what i'm talking about when i say functional design:

 

[Webhead2006]

that would be cool.

 

[Daybreak_st]

I still want it to feel grand and epic in scale and alien tho if that makes sense.

 

[Kurosawa]

Its always been in the north pole, so why change it?

I think they had it at the South Pole at one time, but I see no reason for it to be there in a movie. I think it's okay for the base structure to come from Kryptonian tech and then for him to build onto that.

 

[Webhead2006]

I get what you are saying day.

 

[kalelkilla]

I really think it's hard to expalin the fact that noone has ever seen the Fortress of Solitude in this day or modern technology, there is no way Superman could have a massive fortress of solitude in the north pole without it getting discovered. If they have a FOS in the new movie, that is going to have to be explained.

 

[NotFadeAway]

The FOS should be an artic base of operations type deal, like the Hoth base from The Empire Strikes back. No cheesy crystal stuff.

 

[Daybreak_st]

I really think it's hard to expalin the fact that noone has ever seen the Fortress of Solitude in this day or modern technology, there is no way Superman could have a massive fortress of solitude in the north pole without it getting discovered. If they have a FOS in the new movie, that is going to have to be explained.

Like how hard is it for the US to locate Osama in the deserts of Afghanistan? With Kryptonian technology and a base that is concealed, ie not a huge crystal palace but something that doesn't have a obvious outer appearance it wouldn't be too hard to explain.

The FOS should be an artic base of operations type deal, like the Hoth base from The Empire Strikes back. No cheesy crystal stuff.

Yeah that's what we've been saying for the last few pages. Something along the lines of an old kryptonian outpost left by ancient kryptonian explorers that clark discovers.

 

[Bad Superman]

Here's a pic i found that highlights kind of what i'm talking about when i say functional design:

I definitely want to see something like that.

 

[Daybreak_st]

It's also why the antartic was suggested as it's an entire continent vs a smaller area in the north pole. If you saw the film "8 below" the antartic is massive and dangerous for humans to explore, especially during certain seasons. he could easily have the fortress in a location humans can't access, along with it being cloaked by the same technology that allowed his ship to enter earth's atmosphere w/o being detected. Something like could work.

 

[Webhead2006]

as others have said if they have some cloaking tech or its hidden underground it wouldnt be easily spotted/found by folks.

 

[Daybreak_st]

Here's the fortress of Solitude thread. Perhaps the portions of the Costume thread focused on the fortress can be merged with this one.

 

[Raith]

This is a tricky topic because no matter how you look at it, studios like to attract people with what they are familiar with (which is why we are in remake land right now). So, the Donnerverse, I think, will have an impact in this area. I suspect an FOS will be a given and that it will be in the North Pole. Will it be crystals? Hard to say. It COULD be. I hope that it won't. Not that I don't like it, but its been done.

The FOS needs to be hidden in some way. Crystals look like ice so they blend in....if it's above ground. I would like a place that is either underground or hidden by some shield that makes it invisible. Crystals could be there as a nod to the Donner version, but in no way as the main thing. Make it look alien and fill it with interesting things. Give it a reason to exist other than a hole in the ground for supes to get away from it all. If that's all it will be, then don't even bother having it.

 

[Daybreak_st]

This is a tricky topic because no matter how you look at it, studios like to attract people with what they are familiar with (which is why we are in remake land right now). So, the Donnerverse, I think, will have an impact in this area. I suspect an FOS will be a given and that it will be in the North Pole. Will it be crystals? Hard to say. It COULD be. I hope that it won't. Not that I don't like it, but its been done.

The FOS needs to be hidden in some way. Crystals look like ice so they blend in....if it's above ground. I would like a place that is either underground or hidden by some shield that makes it invisible. Crystals could be there as a nod to the Donner version, but in no way as the main thing. Make it look alien and fill it with interesting things. Give it a reason to exist other than a hole in the ground for supes to get away from it all. If that's all it will be, then don't even bother having it.

Totally agreed. I love the idea of a functional fortress like the one seen in All-Star. A place fully of other worldly wonders that he's come across over time and doesn't trust to be placed anywhere else. Also kryptonain tech that he comes across in his journey's. Also i was thinking similar to how the animated series progressively build his fortress by the artifacts he found, or one example when he fought the "collector" who had an alien zoo on his ship, once he was defeated those animals needed a place to go so he added to the fortress and placed them there.

Well what if the first film he doesn't really have a fortres but after defeating Brainiac, he takes brainiac's ship and places it somewhere safe where no human can access it or try to reverse engineer the technology. He places the remains of the ship in the arctic. Also Brainiac has some ties to krypton so there are huge areas of his ship full of kryptonina artifacts. Supes spends times exploring these areas and fiinds that his ship (the one that brought him to earth) can interface with those sections of brainiacs ship. So he makes that area his Fortress of Solitude. He spends his time there exploring, researching, performing experiments, using Brainics tech along with kryptonian tech to create a unique location for himself where he can explore "Kal-el" a little more.