Clark Kent (Smallville)
Encyclopedia
Clark Kent is a fictional character
on the television series Smallville
. The character of Clark Kent
, first created for comic book
s by Jerry Siegel
and Joe Shuster
in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman
, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough
and Miles Millar
—this is the fourth time the character has been adapted to a live-action television series. Clark Kent has been played continually by Tom Welling
, with various other actors portraying Clark as a child. The character has also appeared in various literature based on the Smallville television series, none of which directly continues from or into the television episodes. As of 2011, Smallvilles Clark Kent has appeared in eighteen young adult novels.
In the series, Clark Kent attempts to live the life of a normal human being, and struggles with keeping the secret of his alien heritage from his friends. He has an on-again, off-again relationship
with Lana Lang through the first seven seasons, the trials of which are based on his lack of honesty about his secret. In contrast to previous incarnations of the character, this Clark Kent starts out best friends with Lex Luthor, whom he meets after saving the latter's life. The pair's friendship eventually deteriorates into hatred for one another. In Smallville, Clark's powers appear over time. He is not aware of all of his powers at the start of the show; for instance, his heat vision
and super breath do not develop until season two
and six
, respectively.
When developing Smallville version of Clark Kent, the producers decided to strip him down to the "bare essence" of Superman; he is also fallible, which allows the audience to see his humanity, but also "good to the core". In the series, he has even been seen by critics, and intentionally portrayed by the filmmakers, as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ
. Tom Welling has been nominated for multiple Teen Choice Awards
and Saturn Award
s for his portrayal of Clark Kent since the show began its first season
.
first appears in the pilot episode of Smallville, as a teen with superhuman abilities
, which he uses to help others in danger. Clark is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent (John Schneider
and Annette O'Toole
) as an infant when he crash lands on Earth on the day of the Smallville meteor shower in 1989. Twelve years later, trying to find his place in life after being told he is an alien by his adoptive father, Clark saves the life of billionaire Lex Luthor
(Michael Rosenbaum
), and the pair become quick friends. During season one, Clark struggles with the burden of keeping his powers a secret from those close to him; he is afraid to open up to Lana Lang
(Kristin Kreuk
) for fear that she will not accept him if she were to learn the truth about him. In the season two episode "Rosetta", Clark learns of his Kryptonian
heritage, including his native language, his birth name "Kal-El" and that his birth father Jor-El
(Terence Stamp
) intends for him to rule the world. The fear that he will not be able to control his own destiny forces Clark to run away to Metropolis in the season two finale, leaving Lana, whom he had just started to develop a romantic relationship with, alone. In the season three premiere, three months later, Clark is brought home by his father, who makes a deal to let Jor-El take Clark when the time arrives. That time arrives in the season three finale, when a girl, referring to herself as "Kara", arrives at the Kent farm and claims to be from Krypton. After Kara predicts that Clark's friends will all either leave or betray him, Clark decides that it will be best for everyone if he just left Smallville. When Jonathan attempts to intervene, Jor-El threatens to kill Jonathan if Clark does not leave; to save Jonathan's life Clark agrees.
Clark returns to Smallville, in the season four premiere, "reprogrammed" by Jor-El to seek out the three stones of knowledge so he may fulfill his destiny; in the process, the reprogrammed Clark meets Lois Lane
(Erica Durance
), who is investigating the supposed death of her cousin, and Clark's best friend, Chloe Sullivan
(Allison Mack
). Clark, with Martha’s help, regains control over his body and refuses to look for the stones. In the season four finale, a "great evil" is awakened in space after Clark defies Jor-El’s instructions to obtain the three stones of knowledge. With a new meteor shower hitting Smallville, Clark finds the remaining stones and is transported to the Arctic
, where the three stones create the Fortress of Solitude
. In the season five premiere, Clark interrupts his training to return to Smallville, but when he fails to return to the Fortress before the Sun sets he is stripped of his powers. In season five's "Hidden", Clark begins an honest relationship with Lana, but is killed trying to save the town from a resident who hopes to kill all of the "meteor freaks". Jor-El resurrects his son, but warns him that someone he loves will eventually have to take his place. Clark worries about who will be sacrificed, and in the episode "Reckoning" Lana is killed, so Clark turns back time to save her. This results in Jonathan becoming the sacrifice, when he suffers a fatal heart attack.
In the season five finale, Clark battles Brainiac (James Marsters
), a Kryptonian artificial intelligence in the form of a man, in his attempts to release the Kryptonian criminal Zod
from the Phantom Zone
. Clark fails, and Zod imprisons Clark in the Phantom Zone, while he sets out to conquer the Earth. In the season six premiere, Clark is able to escape the Phantom Zone—inadvertently releasing several of the prisoners in the process—and returns to Smallville to defeat Zod. The Phantom Zone escapees become Clark's primary focus in season six, as well as Lana's relationship with Lex, which eventually turns into marriage by the season six episode "Promise". The season six finale reveals that the last of the Phantom Zone criminals is really a genetic experiment created by Kryptonian scientists. The escapee attacks Clark, cloning his DNA, and becomes Clark's doppelgänger
. Clark, with assistance from John Jones (Phil Morris), defeats his duplicate in the season seven premiere. In season seven, Clark discovers that a secret society known as Veritas was aware of his landing in Smallville during the first meteor shower and that they knew of a means to control him. In the season seven finale, Clark is confronted by Lex, who has the device and has discovered his secret, at the Fortress of Solitude. Lex uses the device, which brings the Fortress down around him and Clark.
In the season eight
premiere, it is revealed that the orb does not allow anyone to control Clark, but merely strips Clark of his powers. Wandering the globe with Russian gangsters, Clark is eventually found and rescued by Oliver Queen
(Justin Hartley
) and John Jones, the latter of who flies Clark to the yellow Sun
and restores Clark's powers. At the end of the episode, Clark takes a job at the Daily Planet, sitting across from Lois. During season eight, Clark uses his new job at the Daily Planet to gain access to information and stop crime around the city. In "Identity", Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore
) takes a photo of Clark in which he is moving so quickly one can only see a red and blue blur; Clark in later episodes adopts the name "Red-Blue Blur" as his own superhero moniker. In the later half of season eight, Clark wrestles with the idea of having to kill Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer), who is revealed to be Doomsday
in the episode "Bloodline", a genetically engineered creature created by General Zod to kill Clark and destroy Earth. With Oliver Queen and the other Justice Leaguers
pressuring him to kill Davis/Doomsday in the season eight finale, Clark ultimately decides to separate Davis's personality from the creature's, and bury Doomsday a mile underground. When Davis subsequently kills Jimmy, Clark tells Chloe that his human-learned emotions have caused him the most trouble—most recently resulting in Jimmy's death—and vows that "Clark Kent is dead".
At the start of season nine
, it is revealed that Clark has begun his training with Jor-El, and while he rescues people around Metropolis he wears his family crest
on his chest to remind him of what his true destiny is. After realizing there are other, powerless Kryptonians on Earth, who are being led by Zod (Callum Blue
), Clark decides to try and help them adjust to living as humans. When Clark uses his own blood to bring Zod back to life, after being shot, Zod is renewed with his full Kryptonian powers. Zod then provides the other Kryptonians with their powers and sets them out to destroy the world so that they can turn it into a new Krypton. This season, Lois and Clark officially begin a romantic relationship, while Lois also begins assisting "The Blur" in his heroic endeavors. Lois's trust in Clark is shaken when she thinks Clark is jealous of her relationship with "The Blur", and that he does not understand her need to find value in her own life's work. Ultimately, Clark kiss Lois, while he is "the Blur", in the season nine finale and unknowingly reveals to her the truth. Afterward, he convinces the Kryptonians to leave Earth for a new, uninhabited planet. Clark then sacrifices his own life to send Zod through a portal and off of Earth.
Season ten
begins with Clark stuck in the afterlife, where Jor-El informs him that a great darkness is coming to Earth. Clark is unknowingly resurrected by Lois, who is now aware that he is the Blur. Jor-El also informs Clark that he is not ready to be Earth's true savior, as there are inner demons that Clark must deal with first. In the episode "Homecoming", Clark is visited by Brainiac 5, who shows Clark how his past has shaped his present and will one day shape his future; this includes showing Clark his future self and what he will be capable of when he has fully embraced his destiny. Clark reveals his secret to Lois, who explains that she already knew, in the episode "Isis"; he later proposes marriage in "Icarus". In the episode "Masquerade", Clark realizes that in order to be the hero the world needs he will have to step out of the shadows and into the light. As a result, Clark makes the decision to turn "Clark Kent" into his real disquise—opting to wear eye glasses and alter his mannerisms to be more mild mannered—so that the Blur does not have to hide his face to the world. By the series finale, the darkness, which is revealed to be Darkseid
, arrives to Earth to enslave all of humanity. After realizing that his entire life has been one big trial by Jor-El, Clark accepts his true destiny and gains the ability to fly. He then receives the costume Martha made for him and saves Earth from Darkseid's coming Apokolips
. Moving into the future seven years, Clark and Lois are finally getting married and Clark has embraced his new identity as "Superman
".
Throughout the series, Clark gains and adjusts to new abilities. In season one it was X-ray vision
, heat vision
in season two, and super hearing in season three. Clark unofficially flew in the season four premiere, when he was reprogrammed as "Kal-El" by his biological father; upon regaining his memory he forgot how to use the ability. It would be season six before Clark would gain a new ability, this time it was his super breath. By the series finale, Clark did learn to control his flight capability. Clark also learns of new vulnerabilities as the series progresses. In the first season it was the "green meteor rocks" (kryptonite
) that would weaken and potentially kill him. Various other forms of kryptonite appeared as the show continued, each with a different effect. Red kryptonite removed Clark's inhibitions. It allows Clark the chance to get things off his chest, without worrying about whether he should bring them up to people. Black kryptonite separated his Kryptonian personality from his humanity into two distinct physical forms, silver kryptonite made him paranoid to the point that he believed everyone wanted to exploit his secret, and blue kryptonite completely stripped him of all his abilities for as long as he stayed in contact with it. Subsequent seasons also revealed that Clark is vulnerable to alien weapons and magic.
was the runner up for the role of Clark Kent in the pilot, he would go on to play Jason Teague as a season four
regular. Next to Welling, there have been three actors who have portrayed a "young Clark". Malkolm Alburquenque portrayed a three-year-old Clark in the pilot episode, and in the season two episode "Lineage". Brandon Fonseca would pick up the role of "young Clark" in the season five episode "Vengeance", and in the season eight episode "Abyss", Jackson Warris would fill in the role. In an alternate reality, as depicted in the seventh season episode "Apocalypse", the role of a teenage, human Clark Kent is portrayed by Brett Dier.
The pilot
director, David Nutter, was looking through pictures of actors and stumbled upon Tom Welling's image. When he asked about Welling, the casting director said Welling's manager did not want him to do the role because it could hurt his feature film career. After a conversation with Welling's manager, Nutter got Welling to read the script for the pilot, which convinced him to do the part. Welling's initial fear, and part of the reason why he did not immediately jump at the chance to play Clark Kent, was that the show as going to be "Superman in High School". After reading the script he realized that the show was not about Clark "being a super hero", but more about the character attempting to live a normal life as a teenager.
When Tom Welling came in to audition for the role he was not sure how to prepare. While waiting for his turn, he realized that the character is one thing above all else – "a high school kid". To Welling, simply acting like he was a "normal kid"—instead of trying to act like a super hero—was the perfect way to embody the character. Welling realized that by doing that, the special effects and other production elements could fill in the holes that would perfect the character on screen. For one of his auditions, he read the graveyard scene with Kristin Kreuk—the first actor to be cast for the show—and the network thought they had "great chemistry".
Welling was generally unfamiliar with the Superman mythology, so much so that when an episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman appeared on television that featured Clark learning about his Kryptonian heritage, Welling immediately turned the show off. According to Welling, he wanted to learn about Clark’s heritage at the same time that Clark was learning about it on Smallville. Welling believes that it is important for him to learn with the character, as it helps him be the Clark Kent that Al Gough and Miles Millar envision. The actor believes his lack of knowledge of the Superman mythology helps his performance, because Gough and Millar have set up the series so that the previous mythology is not as important. Welling also enjoys that he is in the same predicament as Clark with the fact that he does not know the future of his character, beyond the fact that he will be "Superman". When Welling landed the role of Clark Kent he was sent various Superman-related gifts, including books and toys, which Welling plans to leave unopened until the show is over so that he does not influence his decision making with the character. Welling has also been adamant since the beginning that he did not sign on to play Superman, and has no intention of wearing the costume. The actor reiterated this point while filming season four, insisting that he is here to show how the character evolves into what could "potentially" lead him down the path to wearing the tights. While filming, Welling is allowed input into how his character responds to certain situations, including: moving the scene from one room to another, or requesting the director film particular mannerisms he plans to give off to emphasize a specific emotion.
Writer Holly Harold notes that the introduction of Green Arrow
(Justin Hartley
) allows Clark to mature more in the sixth season. Clark was able to see how others can achieve the same goal as him, but with an alternative route that may cross the moral lines a few times. This teaches Clark to start thinking about things from his opponents’ perspective. Ultimately, season six was about Clark learning that it will be the human side of him that allows him to become the hero he needs to be; writer Turi Meyer sums this up as "soon-to-be Man of Steel". Each season Clark gains insight into how not to use your abilities, from the kryptonite-mutated villains that he faces who gain abilities and then use them for crime. In later seasons, Clark sees how those that use their abilities for good still have questionable actions, specifically Arthur Curry
(Alan Ritchson
) and Andrea Rojas
(Denise Quiñones
), though Clark does help them "take the high road". These episode reiterate the effect that Clark’s parents had on how he uses his abilities. Clark also learns that he cannot do everything alone, even though he chooses not to join Oliver’s team of superheroes at the end of "Justice". For Meyer, season six shows that Clark is still struggling to accept his destiny, which he needs to do one hundred percent, but that he does make steps toward the day that he puts on the cape and becomes Superman.
Even though Clark can make the wrong choices, season five’s "Aqua" helps illustrate the concept that Clark is "good to the core". The episode shows how protective he can be over someone, even when that person annoys him. In this case, he was trying to warn Lois that Arthur Curry may not be the man she believes him to be. The idea of Clark being "good to the core" is echoed by Seattle Times Julia Waterhous, who notes that Clark, despite all his flaws, always puts others before himself. Welling’s fellow actors also have their own insights into the character. Kristin Kreuk sees Clark as a “kindred spirit” who is sad, lonely, but also endearing; whereas John Schneider classifies Clark as a "special needs
child".
Just like with his comic book counterpart, Smallville’s Clark Kent is seen as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ
. Established early on, the pilot episode contains a moment when Clark is crucified to a scarecrow post during a high school hazing. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
’s Rob Owen
noted the Christ-like imagery of the scene, stating, "Is it any wonder Clark gets tied up there since Superman, too, was 'sent to save us'?" Echoing Owen, Judge Byun identifies the same symbolism: "Superman is, in a way, the secular pop culture stand-in for Jesus Christ, a messiah figure for our generation. The series makes this theme explicit in its pilot episode, in which Clark is symbolically 'crucified' in a cornfield. That striking bit of symbolism becomes the central preoccupation of the series; Clark is the savior who sacrifices all for the greater good of humanity, and Smallville shows us how he comes to accept and embrace that role."
This is extended to the end of season nine, where Clark sacrifices his own life in the finale to send General Zod and the rest of the Kandorians to their own world to live in peace. In doing so, Clark falls off a building "in full crucifixion pose, driving home the point that he is sacrificing himself for the good of the planet". To this point, Cinemafantastique's Tom Powers suggests that these images and metaphorical emphasis through dialogue exchanges come across so "heavy-handed" that a very devout individual might find them offensive.
In addition to religious allusions, the crew uses color schemes and camera movement to create their own themes for the characters. Since the show is told from Clark’s point of view, particular visual elements are utilized to illustrate a particular characteristic. When he is safe at home the colors used to illustrate the environment are "warm and gentle", with an earth tone; the camera movement is also "very gentle". When Clark is keeping his secret, but there is no danger around, the lighting is more neutral and the camera moves around more. When there is danger the lighting becomes colder, and the camera shifts to a handheld to allow for more "extreme angles".
" type of relationship. In the pilot, Clark first saves Lex from drowning when they get into a car accident; at the end of the episode, Lex saves Clark when he is strung up in the cornfield and immobilized by kryptonite. His relationship with Lex is tested by his lack of honesty, just like it is with Lana for the first six seasons; the same can be said for Lex’s dishonesty with Clark. Both characters want to be completely honest with each other, but they know that they cannot and that inhibits their friendship.
His relationship with Lana Lang is one of Smallville’s central relationships. When Clark and Lana meet in the cemetery Clark realizes that he has found someone who understands him, and that he can talk to, even though it is not in as strong of a way that he would like. Although Clark feels close to Lana, his fear that she will “kick him out of her life” if she learns his secret—that he came in the meteor shower that killed her parents—is strong enough to keep him from being as close to her as he possibly could be. The lack of honesty causes issues between them. Judge Byun wonders how this Clark Kent will have room in his heart for Lois Lane later in life, as the character bounces back and forth between Lana and Chloe with his love in the first season.
With Lana’s boyfriend gone by season two, the door opens up for Clark to step in, but Welling states that he understands why the producers continued to keep Clark and Lana apart in season two, even after Whitney was gone: "There’s the cliché that television shows with a main lover interest fail once they get it together." After briefly being together at the beginning of the fifth season, Clark’s upbringing was not enough to help him cope with the loss of Lana to Lex toward the end of season five. Welling admits that Clark has learned to let Lana make her own choices and not stand in her way, but his problem with her relationship with Lex is that Lex is a dangerous individual and it puts Lana’s safety in jeopardy. Apart from that, Clark has learned to walk the lonely road of a hero. His inability to cope with Lana moving on with Lex is carried over to season six. This season was the time the writers put Clark through an "emotional wringer" when they had Lana accept Lex’s marriage proposal. For writer Kelly Souders, this presents Clark’s worst fear—the woman he loves is marrying his worst enemy.
Apart from Lana, Clark also has an ever growing relationship with Lois—in the comics, Lois and Clark are married. Season five sees the "melting of the ice" between the two characters, who continue to "butt heads". Executive producer Darren Swimmer believes that the audience can finally start to see a growing attraction between the two, and the fact that both would be there for the other in a time of need. Erica Durance believes that Lois in season five, because of her self-imposed walls, would laugh off any notion that she had a romantic interest in Clark, even if that notion was true. In season six, Durance describes the relationship between Lois and Clark as something neither character wants to put an official label on. Instead, Durance believes that, by this point in the series, Clark and Lois are satisfied with identifying with a "brother-sister friendship" label, than trying to discover how each truly feels. By season eight, Durance notes that Lois is finally starting to accept the idea that she may be in love with Clark more than she has with anyone else in her life.
from The Matrix film series
, because of the color scheme and use of a trenchcoat. It was also compared to the black suit Superman wore after being resurrected following his death at the hands of Doomsday
. In the season ten premiere, the audience gets its first glimpse at the traditional Superman costume, which was left for Clark by Martha in the season nine finale. Although the suit was briefly seen through a reflection in Clark's eyes in the season nine finale, the suit that appears in the season ten premiere is a different design. The producers, working alongside Warner Bros. and DC Comics, managed to procure the costume worn by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. The team of individuals chose the Brandon Routh version over the Christopher Reeve suit of the 1980s. DC Comics offered the suit worn by Christopher Reeve
, but Peterson explained, "[it] just didn't quite fit with our world." According to producer Kelly Souders, "Well, the process was really a group effort. We worked with DC, and we have Alicia Louis, who does a lot of stuff for us at the studio, and who was really instrumental. It took quite a bit to get that costume. There’s a lot of sign-offs, it really was Warner Bros. and DC and us working to make it happen." Peterson confirmed that the costume would play a more prominent role in the final season, even going as far as to hint that the last scene of Smallville will see Clark wearing it. In the meantime, Clark began wearing a new costume in the season ten episode "Shield". Here, Clark has replaced the black trenchoat with a red leather jacket, and the "S" shield is now embossed onto the chest of the jacket.
for Best Actor in a Television series, for his portrayal of Clark Kent in Smallville. Following that nomination, Welling was nominated for another four consecutive years, 2003 to 2006, for the Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Television series. The same year he was nominated for a Saturn Award, Welling won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star, Male for his role as Clark Kent in the first season of Smallville. Although he has not won a Teen Choice Award since, just like with the Saturn Awards, he has been nominated for Choice Actor in television for the four consecutive years after his win, 2003 to 2006, Although he was not nominated in 2007, he did receive recognition with a nomination in 2008 and 2009 for Choice Male in an Action/Adventure series. Welling was also nominated for the 2006 Teen Choice Awards for Most Beautiful Couple (TV — Choice Chemistry), with his co-star Kristin Kreuk. In the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, Tom Welling received the award for Choice TV Actor — Action Adventure.
Bryan Byun, of DVD Verdict, believes that Welling was the perfect choice for Clark Kent: "I can't imagine a more ideal actor to play this superpowered farm boy than Tom Welling, with his wholesome, honest face and heroic good looks—Welling not only resembles Christopher Reeve physically, but has all of the earnest charm that made Reeve the quintessential Superman." The Free Lance–Stars Ron Hedelt likened Welling's performances as Clark Kent to that of Christopher Reeve's performances in the Superman films, stating that Welling manages portray a "sweet, unassuming teenager" while showing Clark struggle with the truth about himself. Comics2Film's Rob Worley also made note of the physical resemblance Welling has to Christopher Reeve, and notes that the actor gives the character depth with his convincing portrayal of Clark's longing to fit in. When comparing Smallville's Clark Kent to Bryan Singer
's Superman (Brandon Routh
), in Superman Returns
, Seattle Times Julia Waterhous finds Smallville's Clark Kent to be the more intriguing character. Waterhous explains that it is the inner turmoil of Clark—not being able to tell the people he loves his secret—and the fact that no matter what his faults are he continues to put others before himself, remains "pure and good", and allows the audience to become intimate with the character—something lacking in the film version. According to the Associated Press
, Welling's popularity as Clark Kent on Smallville even had fans of the show wishing that he would take the role Routh received in Superman Returns.
Clark first appeared in literature on October 1, 2002, when Aspect and Little, Brown Young Readers released three different novels—one from Aspect and two from Little, Brown Young Readers. In Aspect’s novel, Smallville: Strange Visitors, which was written by Roger Stern
, Clark attempts to stop two religious con-men from robbing the town with their kryptonite-enhanced spiritual seminars. Little, Brown Young Readers's first novel, Arrival, chronicles the events of the show’s pilot as written by author Michael Teitelbaum. Their second book, See No Evil, which was written by Cherie Bennett
and Jeff Gottesfeld
—who have also written various episodes of the show—features Clark trying to stop Dawn Mills, a young actress who wants to attend Juilliard and has the ability to turn invisible, from hurting people who spoke badly of her behind her back.
On November 1, 2002, Alan Grant’s wrote Smallville: Dragon, which had Clark being hypnotized into believing that he is a normal, human teenager, with no abilities. Little, Brown Young Readers’ Flight featured Clark trying to lend emotional support to a young girl, Tia, whom Clark discovers has full-sized wings. The next novel, Hauntings, follows Clark and his friends as they investigate a ghostly presence in one of Smallville’s haunted houses. Animal Rage follows Clark as he tries to stop an animal rights activist when she tries to hurt the people harming animals in Smallville. Aspect brought in Dean Wesley Smith
for their next novel. Whodunit involves Clark, Chloe, Lana and Pete investigating the murder of a boy and his sister.
Little, Brown Young Readers published their next two books in April and June 2003. The first, Speed, has Clark fighting hate crime
s in Smallville. The second, Buried Secrets, follows Clark and Lex as they both fall in love with a mind-reading, substitute Spanish teacher. In the novel, Clark and Lex’s friendship is put in jeopardy as the two compete for the teacher’s love. On September 9, 2004, Aspect published Shadows, where Clark must stop a girl's scientist father, who has created a monster that is killing people. Runaway features Clark leaving Smallville and living on the streets of Metropolis with other homeless teenagers. Clark falls in love with one of the girls before eventually returning home. Smallville: Silence has Clark and his friends investigating the appearance of zombies. Little, Brown Young Readers' Greed follows Clark and his friends as they take jobs as summer counselors to disadvantaged youths. Pete tries to abuse Clark’s abilities by tricking him into playing in a basketball game, and then betting on the outcome.
Alan Grant returned for a second outing to write Curse, about a grave digger that unleashes a 150 year old curse onto Smallville, and Clark’s attempt to put everything back to the way it was. In Temptation, Clark uses red kryptonite to try and impress Lana and Chloe after they become infatuated with a new, French foreign exchange student. Aspect released their final novel on March 1, 2004; written by Devin K. Grayson
, City chronicles Clark and Lex's trip to Metropolis. While in the city, the pair gets caught between the Japanese mafia and a secret agent who believes he has found an alien. In Little, Brown Young Readers’ final novel, written by Cherie Bennett, Sparks features Clark trying to save Chloe after she is exposed to a kryptonite fireworks display that makes her the desire of every man—for one of the men, when the desire wears off he decides that he really does want Chloe and kidnaps her.
has released action figure
s for Clark Kent, along with other Smallville characters. The first set of action figures was released on October 2, 2002, and was modeled after Clark's appearance in the first season. The second series was released on May 7, 2008 and was designed after Clark's appearance in the season six episode "Justice".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the television series Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. The character of Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, first created for comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1...
in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough
Alfred Gough III is an American screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Born in Leonardtown, Maryland, Gough graduated from St. Mary's Ryken High School and The Catholic University of America...
and Miles Millar
Miles Millar
-Early life and Career:Millar was educated at Claremont Fan Court School, and is a graduate of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of Cambridge University Conservative Association.....
—this is the fourth time the character has been adapted to a live-action television series. Clark Kent has been played continually by Tom Welling
Tom Welling
Thomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
, with various other actors portraying Clark as a child. The character has also appeared in various literature based on the Smallville television series, none of which directly continues from or into the television episodes. As of 2011, Smallvilles Clark Kent has appeared in eighteen young adult novels.
In the series, Clark Kent attempts to live the life of a normal human being, and struggles with keeping the secret of his alien heritage from his friends. He has an on-again, off-again relationship
On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is a form of casual relationship, usually sexual, between two people. It is where the couple concerned do not see their discontinuous affair as an ongoing or formal relationship...
with Lana Lang through the first seven seasons, the trials of which are based on his lack of honesty about his secret. In contrast to previous incarnations of the character, this Clark Kent starts out best friends with Lex Luthor, whom he meets after saving the latter's life. The pair's friendship eventually deteriorates into hatred for one another. In Smallville, Clark's powers appear over time. He is not aware of all of his powers at the start of the show; for instance, his heat vision
Heat vision
Heat vision may refer to:*Thermography, image production using infrared radiation*Infrared vision, a capability of detecting infrared radiation*Heat vision, a fictional superpower...
and super breath do not develop until season two
Smallville (Season 2)
Season two of Smallville, an American television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, began airing on September 24, 2002, on The WB television network. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas,...
and six
Smallville (Season 6)
Season six of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 28, 2006. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, respectively.
When developing Smallville version of Clark Kent, the producers decided to strip him down to the "bare essence" of Superman; he is also fallible, which allows the audience to see his humanity, but also "good to the core". In the series, he has even been seen by critics, and intentionally portrayed by the filmmakers, as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Tom Welling has been nominated for multiple Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
and Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s for his portrayal of Clark Kent since the show began its first season
Smallville (season 1)
Season one of Smallville, an American television series developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, began airing on October 16, 2001, on The WB television network. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to his developing superpowers in the fictional town of...
.
Role in Smallville
Clark KentClark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
first appears in the pilot episode of Smallville, as a teen with superhuman abilities
Powers and abilities of Superman
The powers of DC Comics character Superman have changed a great deal since his introduction in the 1930s. The extent of his powers peaked during the 1970s and 1980s to the point where various writers found it difficult to create suitable challenges for the character...
, which he uses to help others in danger. Clark is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent (John Schneider
John Schneider (television actor)
John Richard Schneider III is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and as Jonathan Kent on Smallville, a 2001 television adaptation of Superman.Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a...
and Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole
Annette O'Toole is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is most recently known for portraying Martha Kent, the mother of Clark Kent on the television series Smallville.-Early life and career:...
) as an infant when he crash lands on Earth on the day of the Smallville meteor shower in 1989. Twelve years later, trying to find his place in life after being told he is an alien by his adoptive father, Clark saves the life of billionaire Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor (Smallville)
Lex Luthor is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. He was a series regular from the pilot episode until the season seven finale, and has been played continuously by Michael Rosenbaum, with various actors portraying Lex as a child throughout the series...
(Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
), and the pair become quick friends. During season one, Clark struggles with the burden of keeping his powers a secret from those close to him; he is afraid to open up to Lana Lang
Lana Lang (Smallville)
Lana Lang is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. She has been a series regular since the pilot episode, and has been played continuously by Kristin Kreuk, with two other actresses having portrayed Lana Lang as a child and as an elderly woman...
(Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Laura Kreuk is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of...
) for fear that she will not accept him if she were to learn the truth about him. In the season two episode "Rosetta", Clark learns of his Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
heritage, including his native language, his birth name "Kal-El" and that his birth father Jor-El
Jor-El
Jor-El is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial in the . He was created by the writer Jerry Siegel and the artist Joe Shuster, and he first appeared in a newspaper comic strip in 1939 as Superman's biological father....
(Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
) intends for him to rule the world. The fear that he will not be able to control his own destiny forces Clark to run away to Metropolis in the season two finale, leaving Lana, whom he had just started to develop a romantic relationship with, alone. In the season three premiere, three months later, Clark is brought home by his father, who makes a deal to let Jor-El take Clark when the time arrives. That time arrives in the season three finale, when a girl, referring to herself as "Kara", arrives at the Kent farm and claims to be from Krypton. After Kara predicts that Clark's friends will all either leave or betray him, Clark decides that it will be best for everyone if he just left Smallville. When Jonathan attempts to intervene, Jor-El threatens to kill Jonathan if Clark does not leave; to save Jonathan's life Clark agrees.
Clark returns to Smallville, in the season four premiere, "reprogrammed" by Jor-El to seek out the three stones of knowledge so he may fulfill his destiny; in the process, the reprogrammed Clark meets Lois Lane
Lois Lane (Smallville)
Lois Lane is a fictional character on the television series Smallville; she has been portrayed continually by Erica Durance since her first appearance in the season four premier "Crusade". Durance began as a guest star in season four, but was promoted to series regular status beginning in season five...
(Erica Durance
Erica Durance
Erica Durance is a Canadian actress. She has also been credited as Erica Parker. She is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.- Early life :...
), who is investigating the supposed death of her cousin, and Clark's best friend, Chloe Sullivan
Chloe Sullivan
Chloe Sullivan is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. Series regular Allison Mack has portrayed the character since the pilot episode; two other actresses performed the role of Chloe Sullivan as a child. The character was created exclusively for Smallville, by series...
(Allison Mack
Allison Mack
Not to be confused with Alison MacAllison Mack is an American actress. She is best known for her role of Chloe Sullivan on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.-Early life:...
). Clark, with Martha’s help, regains control over his body and refuses to look for the stones. In the season four finale, a "great evil" is awakened in space after Clark defies Jor-El’s instructions to obtain the three stones of knowledge. With a new meteor shower hitting Smallville, Clark finds the remaining stones and is transported to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, where the three stones create the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
. In the season five premiere, Clark interrupts his training to return to Smallville, but when he fails to return to the Fortress before the Sun sets he is stripped of his powers. In season five's "Hidden", Clark begins an honest relationship with Lana, but is killed trying to save the town from a resident who hopes to kill all of the "meteor freaks". Jor-El resurrects his son, but warns him that someone he loves will eventually have to take his place. Clark worries about who will be sacrificed, and in the episode "Reckoning" Lana is killed, so Clark turns back time to save her. This results in Jonathan becoming the sacrifice, when he suffers a fatal heart attack.
In the season five finale, Clark battles Brainiac (James Marsters
James Marsters
James Wesley Marsters is an American actor and musician. Marsters first came to the attention of the general public playing the popular character Spike, a platinum-blond yobbish English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel from 1997 to 2004...
), a Kryptonian artificial intelligence in the form of a man, in his attempts to release the Kryptonian criminal Zod
General Zod
General Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
from the Phantom Zone
Phantom Zone
The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
. Clark fails, and Zod imprisons Clark in the Phantom Zone, while he sets out to conquer the Earth. In the season six premiere, Clark is able to escape the Phantom Zone—inadvertently releasing several of the prisoners in the process—and returns to Smallville to defeat Zod. The Phantom Zone escapees become Clark's primary focus in season six, as well as Lana's relationship with Lex, which eventually turns into marriage by the season six episode "Promise". The season six finale reveals that the last of the Phantom Zone criminals is really a genetic experiment created by Kryptonian scientists. The escapee attacks Clark, cloning his DNA, and becomes Clark's doppelgänger
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger is a paranormal double of a living person, typically representing evil or misfortune...
. Clark, with assistance from John Jones (Phil Morris), defeats his duplicate in the season seven premiere. In season seven, Clark discovers that a secret society known as Veritas was aware of his landing in Smallville during the first meteor shower and that they knew of a means to control him. In the season seven finale, Clark is confronted by Lex, who has the device and has discovered his secret, at the Fortress of Solitude. Lex uses the device, which brings the Fortress down around him and Clark.
In the season eight
Smallville (season 8)
Season eight of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 18, 2008. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
premiere, it is revealed that the orb does not allow anyone to control Clark, but merely strips Clark of his powers. Wandering the globe with Russian gangsters, Clark is eventually found and rescued by Oliver Queen
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
(Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley
Justin Scott Hartley is an American actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles of Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, and as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on the WB/CW Superman-inspired series Smallville....
) and John Jones, the latter of who flies Clark to the yellow Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
and restores Clark's powers. At the end of the episode, Clark takes a job at the Daily Planet, sitting across from Lois. During season eight, Clark uses his new job at the Daily Planet to gain access to information and stop crime around the city. In "Identity", Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Ashmore
Aaron Robert Ashmore is a Canadian film and television actor, perhaps best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in Smallville and as Steve Jinks in Warehouse 13. He is the twin brother of actor Shawn Ashmore.-Career:...
) takes a photo of Clark in which he is moving so quickly one can only see a red and blue blur; Clark in later episodes adopts the name "Red-Blue Blur" as his own superhero moniker. In the later half of season eight, Clark wrestles with the idea of having to kill Davis Bloome (Sam Witwer), who is revealed to be Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
in the episode "Bloodline", a genetically engineered creature created by General Zod to kill Clark and destroy Earth. With Oliver Queen and the other Justice Leaguers
Justice League (Smallville)
The Justice League is a fictional group of superheroes on the television series, Smallville, who were adapted for television by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The Justice League originally included Oliver Queen, Bart Allen, Victor Stone, and Arthur Curry; Clark Kent did not accept a role until...
pressuring him to kill Davis/Doomsday in the season eight finale, Clark ultimately decides to separate Davis's personality from the creature's, and bury Doomsday a mile underground. When Davis subsequently kills Jimmy, Clark tells Chloe that his human-learned emotions have caused him the most trouble—most recently resulting in Jimmy's death—and vows that "Clark Kent is dead".
At the start of season nine
Smallville (season 9)
Season nine of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 25, 2009. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman...
, it is revealed that Clark has begun his training with Jor-El, and while he rescues people around Metropolis he wears his family crest
Superman logo
The Superman logo, also informally known as the S shield, is the iconic emblem for the fictional DC Comics superhero Superman. As a representation of the first superhero, it served as a template for character design decades after Superman's first appearance...
on his chest to remind him of what his true destiny is. After realizing there are other, powerless Kryptonians on Earth, who are being led by Zod (Callum Blue
Callum Blue
Daniel James Callum Blue , better known as Callum Blue, is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles on the Showtime series The Tudors and Dead Like Me as well as for his role as Zod in the American television series Smallville and British...
), Clark decides to try and help them adjust to living as humans. When Clark uses his own blood to bring Zod back to life, after being shot, Zod is renewed with his full Kryptonian powers. Zod then provides the other Kryptonians with their powers and sets them out to destroy the world so that they can turn it into a new Krypton. This season, Lois and Clark officially begin a romantic relationship, while Lois also begins assisting "The Blur" in his heroic endeavors. Lois's trust in Clark is shaken when she thinks Clark is jealous of her relationship with "The Blur", and that he does not understand her need to find value in her own life's work. Ultimately, Clark kiss Lois, while he is "the Blur", in the season nine finale and unknowingly reveals to her the truth. Afterward, he convinces the Kryptonians to leave Earth for a new, uninhabited planet. Clark then sacrifices his own life to send Zod through a portal and off of Earth.
Season ten
Smallville (season 10)
Season ten of Smallville, an American television series, premiered on September 24, 2010 and consisted of 22 episodes. It was the tenth and final season to air, and the fifth one to air on The CW television network...
begins with Clark stuck in the afterlife, where Jor-El informs him that a great darkness is coming to Earth. Clark is unknowingly resurrected by Lois, who is now aware that he is the Blur. Jor-El also informs Clark that he is not ready to be Earth's true savior, as there are inner demons that Clark must deal with first. In the episode "Homecoming", Clark is visited by Brainiac 5, who shows Clark how his past has shaped his present and will one day shape his future; this includes showing Clark his future self and what he will be capable of when he has fully embraced his destiny. Clark reveals his secret to Lois, who explains that she already knew, in the episode "Isis"; he later proposes marriage in "Icarus". In the episode "Masquerade", Clark realizes that in order to be the hero the world needs he will have to step out of the shadows and into the light. As a result, Clark makes the decision to turn "Clark Kent" into his real disquise—opting to wear eye glasses and alter his mannerisms to be more mild mannered—so that the Blur does not have to hide his face to the world. By the series finale, the darkness, which is revealed to be Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, arrives to Earth to enslave all of humanity. After realizing that his entire life has been one big trial by Jor-El, Clark accepts his true destiny and gains the ability to fly. He then receives the costume Martha made for him and saves Earth from Darkseid's coming Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
. Moving into the future seven years, Clark and Lois are finally getting married and Clark has embraced his new identity as "Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
".
Throughout the series, Clark gains and adjusts to new abilities. In season one it was X-ray vision
X-Ray Vision
In science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the ability to see through physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' iconic superhero character, Superman....
, heat vision
Heat vision
Heat vision may refer to:*Thermography, image production using infrared radiation*Infrared vision, a capability of detecting infrared radiation*Heat vision, a fictional superpower...
in season two, and super hearing in season three. Clark unofficially flew in the season four premiere, when he was reprogrammed as "Kal-El" by his biological father; upon regaining his memory he forgot how to use the ability. It would be season six before Clark would gain a new ability, this time it was his super breath. By the series finale, Clark did learn to control his flight capability. Clark also learns of new vulnerabilities as the series progresses. In the first season it was the "green meteor rocks" (kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
) that would weaken and potentially kill him. Various other forms of kryptonite appeared as the show continued, each with a different effect. Red kryptonite removed Clark's inhibitions. It allows Clark the chance to get things off his chest, without worrying about whether he should bring them up to people. Black kryptonite separated his Kryptonian personality from his humanity into two distinct physical forms, silver kryptonite made him paranoid to the point that he believed everyone wanted to exploit his secret, and blue kryptonite completely stripped him of all his abilities for as long as he stayed in contact with it. Subsequent seasons also revealed that Clark is vulnerable to alien weapons and magic.
Portrayal
In October 2000, producers Al Gough and Miles Millar began their search for the three lead roles, and had casting directors in ten different cities looking at actors. After months of scouting, Tom Welling was cast as Clark Kent. Jensen AcklesJensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
was the runner up for the role of Clark Kent in the pilot, he would go on to play Jason Teague as a season four
Smallville (Season 4)
Season four of Smallville, an American television series, began airing on September 22, 2004. The series recounts the early adventures of Kryptonian Clark Kent as he adjusts to life in the fictional town of Smallville, Kansas, during the years before he becomes Superman. The fourth season comprises...
regular. Next to Welling, there have been three actors who have portrayed a "young Clark". Malkolm Alburquenque portrayed a three-year-old Clark in the pilot episode, and in the season two episode "Lineage". Brandon Fonseca would pick up the role of "young Clark" in the season five episode "Vengeance", and in the season eight episode "Abyss", Jackson Warris would fill in the role. In an alternate reality, as depicted in the seventh season episode "Apocalypse", the role of a teenage, human Clark Kent is portrayed by Brett Dier.
The pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
director, David Nutter, was looking through pictures of actors and stumbled upon Tom Welling's image. When he asked about Welling, the casting director said Welling's manager did not want him to do the role because it could hurt his feature film career. After a conversation with Welling's manager, Nutter got Welling to read the script for the pilot, which convinced him to do the part. Welling's initial fear, and part of the reason why he did not immediately jump at the chance to play Clark Kent, was that the show as going to be "Superman in High School". After reading the script he realized that the show was not about Clark "being a super hero", but more about the character attempting to live a normal life as a teenager.
When Tom Welling came in to audition for the role he was not sure how to prepare. While waiting for his turn, he realized that the character is one thing above all else – "a high school kid". To Welling, simply acting like he was a "normal kid"—instead of trying to act like a super hero—was the perfect way to embody the character. Welling realized that by doing that, the special effects and other production elements could fill in the holes that would perfect the character on screen. For one of his auditions, he read the graveyard scene with Kristin Kreuk—the first actor to be cast for the show—and the network thought they had "great chemistry".
Welling was generally unfamiliar with the Superman mythology, so much so that when an episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman appeared on television that featured Clark learning about his Kryptonian heritage, Welling immediately turned the show off. According to Welling, he wanted to learn about Clark’s heritage at the same time that Clark was learning about it on Smallville. Welling believes that it is important for him to learn with the character, as it helps him be the Clark Kent that Al Gough and Miles Millar envision. The actor believes his lack of knowledge of the Superman mythology helps his performance, because Gough and Millar have set up the series so that the previous mythology is not as important. Welling also enjoys that he is in the same predicament as Clark with the fact that he does not know the future of his character, beyond the fact that he will be "Superman". When Welling landed the role of Clark Kent he was sent various Superman-related gifts, including books and toys, which Welling plans to leave unopened until the show is over so that he does not influence his decision making with the character. Welling has also been adamant since the beginning that he did not sign on to play Superman, and has no intention of wearing the costume. The actor reiterated this point while filming season four, insisting that he is here to show how the character evolves into what could "potentially" lead him down the path to wearing the tights. While filming, Welling is allowed input into how his character responds to certain situations, including: moving the scene from one room to another, or requesting the director film particular mannerisms he plans to give off to emphasize a specific emotion.
Storyline progression
Early in the series, Clark is still learning how to handle his life, by learning to control his powers and find the best solution for everyone. His main priority in season one is to fit in with his friends at school, and be "an average guy". Clark’s biggest problem in season one is the fact that he cannot share his secret with anyone he cares about. According to Welling, "He is burdened with a lot of responsibility. He hasn’t been able to choose whether or not he has these abilities. All this responsibility has just been thrust on him, and he has to deal with it. There have got to be times when he goes home and thinks to himself, ‘Why me?’ He wishes it could all go away and he could just be normal. That’s part of the character dilemma which makes him interesting to play." Welling notes that the show is not about Clark always saving the day, but more about how using his powers to help other people "alienate[s] him from others". By that reason, Welling reasons that by the end of season three, Clark had decided that leaving Smallville and going with Jor-El was something that would save everyone a lot of pain in the long run. Tom Welling describes why Clark finally gave in to Jor-El at the end of season three:"If you can't fight them, you might as well join them [...] he was choosing the lesser of two evils to go with Jor-El. I think a combination of those two things would probably sum it up. A lot of times in your life, you get to a point where you go, 'I just can't fight this anymore. There's nothing I can do about it, so I better get up out of bed and go to work!' And in a sense, that's what Clark had to do. Somehow he had to try to face what it was that was causing him so much pain—and everyone else so much pain—and maybe he reasoned that by causing everyone else a little bit of pain, he could save them a lot of pain in the long run."A significant moment in the character’s story came when Clark decided play football in season four; this would provide conflict between him and his father for half the season. Writer Darren Swimmer refers to his moment as a "callback to [Hothead]" in season one. To him, when Clark defies Jonathan and joins the team anyway, it signifies the moment where Jonathan finally decides that he can trust Clark to not hurt anyone. Writer Todd Slavkin views it as Clark finally emerging from his father’s shadow. Two more significant moments came during season five. First, Clark lost his powers when he failed to return to Jor-El to finish his training; this left him human and vulnerable. According to Welling, "[Clark] learned a little bit more about what it’s like to be human, physically. Emotionally, he’s pretty close to trying to understand that. It added more weight to his abilities once he got them back, and it made him realize his responsibilities for what he has." The second moment came with the show’s 100th episode, with the death of Clark’s father. The decision to kill Jonathan is season five was made so that Clark could finally step into his destiny. As Gough explains, season five was about Clark the boy becoming Clark the man, and embracing his destiny. In order to do that he would need his mentor to die, so that no one would be "buffering" or "shielding" him from the world any longer. Welling saw the series’ 100th episode as the chance for his character to evolve, and grow. John Schneider sees the same catalyst for Clark’s evolution. According to Schneider, Jonathan’s death inspires Clark to make the move toward his eventual destiny. Jonathan provided such an example of sacrifice that it leaves a void in Clark. To fill that void Clark will have to become Superman. It is Schneider’s contention that had Jonathan not been the man he was then, when the time came that the world needed Superman, Clark would not be able to take on that persona because he would not realize that that world needed him.
Writer Holly Harold notes that the introduction of Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
(Justin Hartley
Justin Hartley
Justin Scott Hartley is an American actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles of Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions, and as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on the WB/CW Superman-inspired series Smallville....
) allows Clark to mature more in the sixth season. Clark was able to see how others can achieve the same goal as him, but with an alternative route that may cross the moral lines a few times. This teaches Clark to start thinking about things from his opponents’ perspective. Ultimately, season six was about Clark learning that it will be the human side of him that allows him to become the hero he needs to be; writer Turi Meyer sums this up as "soon-to-be Man of Steel". Each season Clark gains insight into how not to use your abilities, from the kryptonite-mutated villains that he faces who gain abilities and then use them for crime. In later seasons, Clark sees how those that use their abilities for good still have questionable actions, specifically Arthur Curry
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
(Alan Ritchson
Alan Ritchson
Alan Ritchson is an American actor, singer, and fashion model. He is best known for his modeling career as well as his portrayals of the superhero Aquaman on The CW's Smallville and Thad Castle on Spike TV's Blue Mountain State....
) and Andrea Rojas
Acrata
Acrata is a fictional character from DC Comics who was created as part of the Planet DC annuals event. Her first appearance is in Superman Annual 2 #12 . She was created by Oscar Pinto, Giovanni Barberi, and F.G. Haghenbeck...
(Denise Quiñones
Denise Quiñones
Denise Marie Quiñones August is a Puerto Rican actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was the fourth woman from her country to win the Miss Universe contest...
), though Clark does help them "take the high road". These episode reiterate the effect that Clark’s parents had on how he uses his abilities. Clark also learns that he cannot do everything alone, even though he chooses not to join Oliver’s team of superheroes at the end of "Justice". For Meyer, season six shows that Clark is still struggling to accept his destiny, which he needs to do one hundred percent, but that he does make steps toward the day that he puts on the cape and becomes Superman.
Characterization
The idea Gough and Millar came up with for the show's version of Clark Kent was to strip Superman down to his "bare essence", and see the reasons behind why Clark became Superman. For Smallville, Clark is meant to be seen as fallible – not beyond making the choice. As Gough explains, "The thing that we’ve tried to portray [...] is that Clark doesn’t always make the right decisions, and by not making the right decisions, he brings further consequences on himself. Whether it’s running away from Jor-El at the end of season two, or choosing humanity over some sort of Kryptonian mission, those decisions get him in more trouble, and cause more people to suffer, or in Jonathan Kent’s case, to die." Welling agrees with Gough's opinion of Clark’s fallibility, stating that the mistakes that Clark makes show his humanity.Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
child".
Just like with his comic book counterpart, Smallville’s Clark Kent is seen as a symbolic representation of Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. Established early on, the pilot episode contains a moment when Clark is crucified to a scarecrow post during a high school hazing. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
’s Rob Owen
Rob Owen (journalist)
Rob Owen is an American journalist and newspaper editor.- Columnist and editor :Owen's career included stints as a radio and television columnist at the Albany Times Union in Albany, New York. He was also a features writer at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia...
noted the Christ-like imagery of the scene, stating, "Is it any wonder Clark gets tied up there since Superman, too, was 'sent to save us'?" Echoing Owen, Judge Byun identifies the same symbolism: "Superman is, in a way, the secular pop culture stand-in for Jesus Christ, a messiah figure for our generation. The series makes this theme explicit in its pilot episode, in which Clark is symbolically 'crucified' in a cornfield. That striking bit of symbolism becomes the central preoccupation of the series; Clark is the savior who sacrifices all for the greater good of humanity, and Smallville shows us how he comes to accept and embrace that role."
This is extended to the end of season nine, where Clark sacrifices his own life in the finale to send General Zod and the rest of the Kandorians to their own world to live in peace. In doing so, Clark falls off a building "in full crucifixion pose, driving home the point that he is sacrificing himself for the good of the planet". To this point, Cinemafantastique's Tom Powers suggests that these images and metaphorical emphasis through dialogue exchanges come across so "heavy-handed" that a very devout individual might find them offensive.
In addition to religious allusions, the crew uses color schemes and camera movement to create their own themes for the characters. Since the show is told from Clark’s point of view, particular visual elements are utilized to illustrate a particular characteristic. When he is safe at home the colors used to illustrate the environment are "warm and gentle", with an earth tone; the camera movement is also "very gentle". When Clark is keeping his secret, but there is no danger around, the lighting is more neutral and the camera moves around more. When there is danger the lighting becomes colder, and the camera shifts to a handheld to allow for more "extreme angles".
Relationships
Clark displays an ever evolving relationship with the other characters of the show. Clark’s relationship with Lex Luthor is a symbolic one, with the two sharing a "yin and yangYin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
" type of relationship. In the pilot, Clark first saves Lex from drowning when they get into a car accident; at the end of the episode, Lex saves Clark when he is strung up in the cornfield and immobilized by kryptonite. His relationship with Lex is tested by his lack of honesty, just like it is with Lana for the first six seasons; the same can be said for Lex’s dishonesty with Clark. Both characters want to be completely honest with each other, but they know that they cannot and that inhibits their friendship.
His relationship with Lana Lang is one of Smallville’s central relationships. When Clark and Lana meet in the cemetery Clark realizes that he has found someone who understands him, and that he can talk to, even though it is not in as strong of a way that he would like. Although Clark feels close to Lana, his fear that she will “kick him out of her life” if she learns his secret—that he came in the meteor shower that killed her parents—is strong enough to keep him from being as close to her as he possibly could be. The lack of honesty causes issues between them. Judge Byun wonders how this Clark Kent will have room in his heart for Lois Lane later in life, as the character bounces back and forth between Lana and Chloe with his love in the first season.
With Lana’s boyfriend gone by season two, the door opens up for Clark to step in, but Welling states that he understands why the producers continued to keep Clark and Lana apart in season two, even after Whitney was gone: "There’s the cliché that television shows with a main lover interest fail once they get it together." After briefly being together at the beginning of the fifth season, Clark’s upbringing was not enough to help him cope with the loss of Lana to Lex toward the end of season five. Welling admits that Clark has learned to let Lana make her own choices and not stand in her way, but his problem with her relationship with Lex is that Lex is a dangerous individual and it puts Lana’s safety in jeopardy. Apart from that, Clark has learned to walk the lonely road of a hero. His inability to cope with Lana moving on with Lex is carried over to season six. This season was the time the writers put Clark through an "emotional wringer" when they had Lana accept Lex’s marriage proposal. For writer Kelly Souders, this presents Clark’s worst fear—the woman he loves is marrying his worst enemy.
Apart from Lana, Clark also has an ever growing relationship with Lois—in the comics, Lois and Clark are married. Season five sees the "melting of the ice" between the two characters, who continue to "butt heads". Executive producer Darren Swimmer believes that the audience can finally start to see a growing attraction between the two, and the fact that both would be there for the other in a time of need. Erica Durance believes that Lois in season five, because of her self-imposed walls, would laugh off any notion that she had a romantic interest in Clark, even if that notion was true. In season six, Durance describes the relationship between Lois and Clark as something neither character wants to put an official label on. Instead, Durance believes that, by this point in the series, Clark and Lois are satisfied with identifying with a "brother-sister friendship" label, than trying to discover how each truly feels. By season eight, Durance notes that Lois is finally starting to accept the idea that she may be in love with Clark more than she has with anyone else in her life.
Costume
For most of the series, Clark does not wear any sort of costume when he fights crime or battles villains. From seasons one through eight, Clark is also typically dressed in red, yellow and blue, the traditional colors of the Superman costume, as well as the colors of the "All American", red, white, and blue. This includes the primary usage of either a blue t-shirt underneath a red jacket, or a red t-shirt worn under a blue jacket. In season nine, the producers decided to design an actual costume for Clark to wear while he is patrolling the streets of Metropolis. Abandoning the theme of red, blue, and yellow, the producers chose to keep the costume completely black, save for a silver Superman "S" shield painted on the front of Clark's shirt. Instead of a cape, Clark's red jacket is traded for a black trenchcoat, which is intended to double as a cape. Clark's season nine costume drew unfavorable comparison to the character of NeoNeo (The Matrix)
Thomas A. Anderson is a fictional character and the main protagonist in The Matrix franchise, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film, Kid's Story. He was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy and The Animatrix. Andrew Bowen provided Neo's voice in The Matrix: Path of Neo...
from The Matrix film series
The Matrix (franchise)
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
, because of the color scheme and use of a trenchcoat. It was also compared to the black suit Superman wore after being resurrected following his death at the hands of Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
. In the season ten premiere, the audience gets its first glimpse at the traditional Superman costume, which was left for Clark by Martha in the season nine finale. Although the suit was briefly seen through a reflection in Clark's eyes in the season nine finale, the suit that appears in the season ten premiere is a different design. The producers, working alongside Warner Bros. and DC Comics, managed to procure the costume worn by Brandon Routh in Superman Returns. The team of individuals chose the Brandon Routh version over the Christopher Reeve suit of the 1980s. DC Comics offered the suit worn by Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
, but Peterson explained, "[it] just didn't quite fit with our world." According to producer Kelly Souders, "Well, the process was really a group effort. We worked with DC, and we have Alicia Louis, who does a lot of stuff for us at the studio, and who was really instrumental. It took quite a bit to get that costume. There’s a lot of sign-offs, it really was Warner Bros. and DC and us working to make it happen." Peterson confirmed that the costume would play a more prominent role in the final season, even going as far as to hint that the last scene of Smallville will see Clark wearing it. In the meantime, Clark began wearing a new costume in the season ten episode "Shield". Here, Clark has replaced the black trenchoat with a red leather jacket, and the "S" shield is now embossed onto the chest of the jacket.
Reception
In 2002, Welling was nominated for his first Saturn AwardSaturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
for Best Actor in a Television series, for his portrayal of Clark Kent in Smallville. Following that nomination, Welling was nominated for another four consecutive years, 2003 to 2006, for the Saturn Award for Best Actor in a Television series. The same year he was nominated for a Saturn Award, Welling won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Star, Male for his role as Clark Kent in the first season of Smallville. Although he has not won a Teen Choice Award since, just like with the Saturn Awards, he has been nominated for Choice Actor in television for the four consecutive years after his win, 2003 to 2006, Although he was not nominated in 2007, he did receive recognition with a nomination in 2008 and 2009 for Choice Male in an Action/Adventure series. Welling was also nominated for the 2006 Teen Choice Awards for Most Beautiful Couple (TV — Choice Chemistry), with his co-star Kristin Kreuk. In the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, Tom Welling received the award for Choice TV Actor — Action Adventure.
Bryan Byun, of DVD Verdict, believes that Welling was the perfect choice for Clark Kent: "I can't imagine a more ideal actor to play this superpowered farm boy than Tom Welling, with his wholesome, honest face and heroic good looks—Welling not only resembles Christopher Reeve physically, but has all of the earnest charm that made Reeve the quintessential Superman." The Free Lance–Stars Ron Hedelt likened Welling's performances as Clark Kent to that of Christopher Reeve's performances in the Superman films, stating that Welling manages portray a "sweet, unassuming teenager" while showing Clark struggle with the truth about himself. Comics2Film's Rob Worley also made note of the physical resemblance Welling has to Christopher Reeve, and notes that the actor gives the character depth with his convincing portrayal of Clark's longing to fit in. When comparing Smallville's Clark Kent to Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer
Bryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially well-known among fans of the science fiction and superhero genres for his work on the X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
's Superman (Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh
Brandon James Routh is an American actor and former fashion model. He grew up in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and subsequently appeared on multiple television series throughout the early 2000s. In 2006, he gained greater recognition for his role as the titular hero...
), in Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
, Seattle Times Julia Waterhous finds Smallville's Clark Kent to be the more intriguing character. Waterhous explains that it is the inner turmoil of Clark—not being able to tell the people he loves his secret—and the fact that no matter what his faults are he continues to put others before himself, remains "pure and good", and allows the audience to become intimate with the character—something lacking in the film version. According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Welling's popularity as Clark Kent on Smallville even had fans of the show wishing that he would take the role Routh received in Superman Returns.
Other media appearances
Smallville Clark Kent has also appeared in various young adult novels. There have been two series of novels published since the second season of the show began airing. One series was published by Aspect publishing. They published eight young adult novels in total, beginning in October 2002 and ending in March 2004. The second series was published by Little, Brown Young Readers, beginning in October 2002, alongside Aspect’s series of novels. Ten young adult novels were published until April 2004.Clark first appeared in literature on October 1, 2002, when Aspect and Little, Brown Young Readers released three different novels—one from Aspect and two from Little, Brown Young Readers. In Aspect’s novel, Smallville: Strange Visitors, which was written by Roger Stern
Roger Stern
Roger Stern is an American comic book author and novelist.-Early career:In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine CPL , one of the first platforms for the work of John Byrne...
, Clark attempts to stop two religious con-men from robbing the town with their kryptonite-enhanced spiritual seminars. Little, Brown Young Readers's first novel, Arrival, chronicles the events of the show’s pilot as written by author Michael Teitelbaum. Their second book, See No Evil, which was written by Cherie Bennett
Cherie Bennett
Cherie Bennett is an American novelist, actress, director, playwright, newspaper columnist, singer, and television writer on the CBS Daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless.-Biography:...
and Jeff Gottesfeld
Jeff Gottesfeld
Jeff Gottesfeld is an American essayist, novelist, and screen and television writer.- Biography :Jeff Gottesfeld grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, attended Teaneck High School, Colby College, and then the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he was president of his class and a member of...
—who have also written various episodes of the show—features Clark trying to stop Dawn Mills, a young actress who wants to attend Juilliard and has the ability to turn invisible, from hurting people who spoke badly of her behind her back.
On November 1, 2002, Alan Grant’s wrote Smallville: Dragon, which had Clark being hypnotized into believing that he is a normal, human teenager, with no abilities. Little, Brown Young Readers’ Flight featured Clark trying to lend emotional support to a young girl, Tia, whom Clark discovers has full-sized wings. The next novel, Hauntings, follows Clark and his friends as they investigate a ghostly presence in one of Smallville’s haunted houses. Animal Rage follows Clark as he tries to stop an animal rights activist when she tries to hurt the people harming animals in Smallville. Aspect brought in Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith
Dean Wesley Smith is a science fiction author, known primarily for his Star Trek novels, movie novelizations, and other novels of licensed properties such as Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, Roswell, Men in Black, and Quantum Leap...
for their next novel. Whodunit involves Clark, Chloe, Lana and Pete investigating the murder of a boy and his sister.
Little, Brown Young Readers published their next two books in April and June 2003. The first, Speed, has Clark fighting hate crime
Hate crime
In crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or...
s in Smallville. The second, Buried Secrets, follows Clark and Lex as they both fall in love with a mind-reading, substitute Spanish teacher. In the novel, Clark and Lex’s friendship is put in jeopardy as the two compete for the teacher’s love. On September 9, 2004, Aspect published Shadows, where Clark must stop a girl's scientist father, who has created a monster that is killing people. Runaway features Clark leaving Smallville and living on the streets of Metropolis with other homeless teenagers. Clark falls in love with one of the girls before eventually returning home. Smallville: Silence has Clark and his friends investigating the appearance of zombies. Little, Brown Young Readers' Greed follows Clark and his friends as they take jobs as summer counselors to disadvantaged youths. Pete tries to abuse Clark’s abilities by tricking him into playing in a basketball game, and then betting on the outcome.
Alan Grant returned for a second outing to write Curse, about a grave digger that unleashes a 150 year old curse onto Smallville, and Clark’s attempt to put everything back to the way it was. In Temptation, Clark uses red kryptonite to try and impress Lana and Chloe after they become infatuated with a new, French foreign exchange student. Aspect released their final novel on March 1, 2004; written by Devin K. Grayson
Devin K. Grayson
Devin Kalile Grayson is an American writer of comic books and novels. Titles that she has written include Gotham Knights, The Titans, the Vertigo series USER, and Nightwing.-Biography:...
, City chronicles Clark and Lex's trip to Metropolis. While in the city, the pair gets caught between the Japanese mafia and a secret agent who believes he has found an alien. In Little, Brown Young Readers’ final novel, written by Cherie Bennett, Sparks features Clark trying to save Chloe after she is exposed to a kryptonite fireworks display that makes her the desire of every man—for one of the men, when the desire wears off he decides that he really does want Chloe and kidnaps her.
Merchandise
DC DirectDC Direct
DC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
has released action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s for Clark Kent, along with other Smallville characters. The first set of action figures was released on October 2, 2002, and was modeled after Clark's appearance in the first season. The second series was released on May 7, 2008 and was designed after Clark's appearance in the season six episode "Justice".