Smallville 101: Finally Doing the First Topic in This Blog's Title

While politics has been the dominant focus in this blog, I did promise superheroes, correct? So since its Thursday, I'll share a primer on my fav Thursday show, the 7 season Smallville.

Smallville is about Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. But thankfully, its it modern times. I-pods, Macs, everything to catch crooks.

We are now in the first part of season 7. Clark began season 1 with his super strength, running speed, and virtual invulnerability. His skin took a few seasons to be fully bulletproof. And there was a seasonal episode where he acquired one of his niftier powers. In season 1, he got the X-ray eyes. In season 2, feuled by hormones, he activated heat vision. Season 3, his heat vision flicked off a piece of kryptonite, hit his eyes and blinded him for a time, requiring him to depend on other senses - lo came the ultra sonic hearing.

His ability to fly was intentionally prevented by the writers, to build climax, though when he was brainwashed by his biological father Jor-El, Clark flew. Hasn't done since (well....)

Anywho, season 6 was where he got his final power: super-breath. Watch out wildfires!

Clark's enemies

Lex Luthor

There's Lex Luthor of course, who actually started as his friend, but evolved to the dark side. He's sort of trying to be good again...after trying to create an army of meteor freaks. What are "meteor freaks"? Let's get to that:

Meteor Freaks

The politically insensitive name for any normal earth person who was infected by kryptonite. There's often pieces lying around since it came in two meteor showers that laid havok on Smallville. Many one-episode villians were faced off against Clark, with more tension since many were his high school classmates. Almost always, these infected people have superpowers, but don't project kryptonite themselves. So Clark can be near them. This wasn't as much the case with his next advesary:

Zoners

These were alien criminals stashed away in an interdimensional prison called the Phantom Zone. Some of these crooks were Kryptonian, like Clark, so they had his same powers. Others were from different alien races, thus different powers. They were scarier than the kryp-infected for two reasons:

1.) they were alien, so they could hurt Clark in ways that the meteor freaks could not.

2.) Because of their alien origin, they were raised in worlds completely unlike the earth humans who became meteor freaks. The freaks would typically be angry high schoolers who, while psychotic, had agendas drastically different than the aliens who wanted domination or cannibalism. Of course, I'm forgetting the one teen girl who became a fat-sucking vampire after eating nothing but juiced vegatables - grown in soil laced with kryptonite...

Normal criminals with guns (or knives)

Just to prove that we're evil enough without powers, Clark faced up against some crafty crooks often bent on revenge or exploitation of the people in Clark's world. Lex Luthor was intertwined with some, but often they were acting of their own agenda. Lesson: Not all evil is big-name.


But Clark had help:

Clark's Friends

Chloe Sullivan

Clark's cute, and genious, blonde friend who was helping him solve these crimes long before she knew of his powers. She was an investigative reporter of the high school paper and now works at the Daily Planet. Her cousin: Lois Lane.

Chloe has always loved Clark, but Clark has been in love with Lana Lang since episode 1. "What about Lois" you say? She came on season 4, and with all pre-destined love stories, they began as oil and water, annoying each other every step of the way. Lois and Clark will happen...whenever.

Chloe has revealed her feelings a few times, but Clark was often preoccupied with hiding his secret powers. All the women and friends in his life often were hurt and angry at his unexplained absences. So I was very happy when Chloe found out. Now she and Clark battle crime, just like always, but know they acknowledge Clark's "advantages" - and use them.

Chloe has sought love elsewhere, in photographer Jimmy Olson. This worked really well, until Chloe herself got meteor-infected. Now she has powers, doesn't quite understand them (I don't either), and she realizes why Clark hid his life from his lover for so long. Jimmy couldn't take Chloe's constant non-explanations and so last episode, he left. Tears.

The good news is that Clark has finally opened up to Lana. Now she's helping them fight crime too. Yay! Team Clark's got a girlfriend!!! What could be more right!!!!!!!!!

But there's a catch,

And I ain't telling...