Smallville has a complicated relationship with the broader Superman universe. It simultaneously serves as a prequel showcasing Clark Kent’s adolescence and a reimagining of his early years as a superhero. Although Clark doesn’t officially become Superman until the final episode, he is already a hero. In fact, he faces many of his greatest enemies, joins the proto-Justice League, and even falls in love with Lois Lane, all before donning the cape.
Some characters received complete overhauls, such as Mister Mxyzptlk being a high school student with mind control powers instead of an imp. Others have minor characteristics altered, such as the Wonder Twins being comically incompetent. Still, these changes pale in comparison to what the show has done most substantially in Clark’s life and timeline. Here are 10 of the biggest changes Smallville made for Superman lore:
10
Clark developed all of his powers separately
Clark’s abilities were spread throughout the seasons
Instead of Smallville Having a fully powered Clark from the beginning, he slowly gained his powers over the course of 10 seasons. Interestingly, her abilities were still a result of Earth’s yellow sun, but previous seasons of the show presented them as being linked to puberty. This is easily explained. Neither Clark nor his parents knew his true heritage, so it’s a fair assumption on their part, especially since his heat vision was triggered by his attraction to a teacher.
In season 1, Clark is already strong and super fast, but he also develops X-Ray vision, followed by heat vision in season 2, super hearing in season 3, super breath in season 6 and flight in the series finale. Notably, though, Clark flies in Season 4, but this ability is temporary, as Clark was reprogrammed by Jor-El at the time and loses power upon regaining his original identity.
9
Clark’s closest ally was an original character
Chloe Sullivan sticks with Clark through thick and thin
Chloe Sullivan is the only character besides Clark to maintain main role status throughout all 10 seasons of Smallville. She starts out as Clark’s friend with a not-so-secret crush on him, and the two go through a rollercoaster of emotions before cementing themselves as each other’s closest platonic relationship. Chloe borrows many characteristics from Lois Lane. She’s a brave aspiring journalist whose investigations often move the plot forward, and the fact that she doesn’t know Clark’s secret can lead to conflict in the early seasons.
This is because Chloe is actually Lois’s cousin, thus setting up the latter’s introduction into the series. Once Lois joins Smallville, Chloe is slowly transitioned from the journalist role to the “face in the chair” role. as she discovers Clark and Green Arrow/Oliver Queen’s secret identities. She’s a fun addition to the show and makes good use of Clark’s seriousness, especially in later seasons when the infatuation storyline is dropped.
8
Clark arrived in a meteor shower
Instead of just sending Superman to Earth, Krypton also sent large chunks of its home planet to Kansas in Smallville. This change, on the surface, would just seem like a convenient way to ensure that Clark’s weakness prevails in his hometown, but it also impacts the series in other important ways. Lana Lang’s parents die in the kryptonite meteor shower that brought Clark, which gives her a sense of undeserved guilt during their relationship. Additionally, she wears a necklace made of kryptonite, which serves as a physical barrier to their romance from the start.
Perhaps a bigger result of the meteor shower is the creation of a band of metahumans. These super-powered individuals derived their abilities from kryptonite radiation, earning them the nickname “Meteor Freaks.” Most of the early episodes featured these characters as one-off villains, and although it became repetitive in later seasons, this gave the show a reliable episodic formula.
7
Judgment Day has a “human” side
Davis Bloome had anger issues
One of the strange decisions the writers of Smallville done was to incorporate Doomsday – as in the character best known for killing Superman. This iteration of the character was unusual at best. Instead of being a pure monster, Doomsday had a human alter ego, Davis Bloome. Doomsday’s revised origin painted him as the genetically engineered “son” of Zod and Faorawhich was attached to Clark’s ship. He is a bit like the Hulk in that the monster emerges from the man when he is angry or in danger.
Davis is a strange presence on the show; he acts as a romantic obstacle to Chloe and Jimmy Olsen’s relationship. He has feelings for Chloe, which culminates in him kidnapping her while in Doomsday form and later killing Jimmy. The inclusion of Doomsday is baffling in execution, but it’s an interesting ride.
6
Clark’s arrival on Earth was predestined
Jor-El chose the Kents to raise his son
Smallville took liberties with the broader Superman mythos, but a unique addition to the canon was the idea that Clark’s arrival on Earth was predestined. Introduced in Season 2, the Kawatche Caves contain drawings that indicate the arrival of a hero from another world who would come into conflict with a man he previously considered a brother. Supposedly, a Kryptonian arrived 500 years before the series to deliver the prophecy and prepare for Clark’s arrival. These caves would be highly relevant in the future, driving stories throughout. In 2024, the Kawatche Caverns were integrated into the mainstream DC Comic universe.
In addition to the Kawatche Caverns, there is another case of Kryptonians visiting Earth before Clark. Jor-El actually came to Earth in 1961, where he met and fell in love with Lana Lang’s great-aunt Louise. He also met Hiram Kent, Jonathan Kent’s father, and due to his kindness, decided to send his son to the Kent Farm after the fall of Krypton. Clark’s arrival in Smallville was announced by both the original Kryptonian and Jor-El.
5
Clark encounters a clone of Zod before Zod escapes the ghost zone
Another Superman enemy arrived at the beginning of his timeline
THE Smallville The version of Zod is a younger clone of the DC General Zod that fans know and love to hate. Formally introduced in Season 9, he was created to preserve Zod in the event Krypton is destroyed. This Zod is interesting; he has no memory of his crimes against his home planet because his clone only remembers life up until the moment the original DNA was harvested. In addition to Zod, other Kandorian clones were released after Doomsday’s defeat in the previous season, including Faora.
Zod appearing before Clark became Superman is yet another example of Smallville jumping the gun. However, both Doomsday and Zod’s setups end with the potential for a more comedic sequel once Clark accepts the nickname. Doomsday is trapped beneath the Earth’s surface, while Clone Zod is sent to the Phantom Zone, where he merges with the real General Zod.
4
Lionel Luthor is Lex Luthor’s father
Lex’s father becomes a much bigger presence in Smallville
Smallville placed a greater emphasis on Clark and Lex’s lives before they became the hero and villain they were destined to be. As a result, Lex’s family received more screen time than in previous shows and comics. Jules Luthor received the biggest makeover, becoming Lionel Luthor, a ruthless business mogul. LexCorp was renamed Luthor Corp and became a family company rather than a Lex built from scratch. Interestingly, Lionel’s story shares some similarities with Lex’s in some comics; both killed their parents for the insurance money and built their empires on fraud.
Furthermore, Lionel was such an iconic presence that he is now canon in a fair amount of DC media. For example, he appears in “Flashpoint” and “Forever Evil,” before having a larger role in DC’s Rebirth relaunch. Its popularity is largely tied to John Glover’s performance, which made Lionel a fan favorite. due to the seriousness he brought to Smallville.
3
There are two Jimmy Olsens
Smallville Featured a Huge Character Death Followed by an Even Bigger Retcon
Smallville confused audiences when Jimmy Olsen debuted in season 6. The clumsy but well-intentioned photographer is typically portrayed as significantly younger than Lois and Clark. Smallville’s Jimmy is the same age as the main characters, having interned at the Daily Planet with Chloe during their second year. Throughout his time on the series, he is primarily a supporting character. His biggest storylines involve romances with Kara Kent/Supergirl and Chloe, the latter of whom he marries in season 8.
Unfortunately, he dies later that season after Davis becomes jealous of his marriage. Killing off Jimmy Olsen was a wild choice, and the writers would later backtrack. Last season revealed that the Jimmy we knew was “Henry James Olsen,” and comedian Jimmy’s counterpart is the former’s younger brother, who looks identical to him. It’s a bizarre twist, but the Smallville the team likely wanted to redefine the status quo to resemble traditional Superman media.
2
Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were best friends
Their relationship was destined to end in tragedy
Smallville’s The most striking feature is the relationship between Clark and Lex. By deepening their bond, the series ratcheted up the emotional tension whenever Lex made a morally dubious decision or Clark struggled to hide his powers. The dramatic irony was that the audience knew and understood the characters’ fates, even though they were clueless, just looking for a connection. The longer the series went on, the more strained their relationship became, and by the time Lex existed in Season 7, they were complete enemies.
It’s tragic. Between their parents’ shared animosity, Clark’s secret, and Lex’s desire for power, the duo never stood a chance. Regardless, they were further driven apart by a shared romantic interest in Lana. Smallville Make the most of this dynamic. Clark and Lex have strong onscreen chemistry, playing friendly, distant, and dismissive equally well.
1
Lois knew Clark was Superman from the beginning
Superman, Lois and Clark didn’t have a big love triangle
Smallville It took him a while to reveal Clark’s secret to Lois. Despite debuting in Season 4, she did not deduce her identity until the end of Season 9. Furthermore, Clark only confessed to her in Season 10 Episode 5, “Isis.” Although Lois’ time reporting on The Blur echoes her fascination with Superman in most DC media, Smallville in general, it overcomes tradition by telling you the secret. This means that the show also doesn’t show the entire Superman-Clark-Lois love triangle, which typically shows Lois having a romantic interest in Superman and not Clark.
Why Smallville already had Lois and Clark in a serious relationship, it only makes sense that her powers would be revealed to her. At the very least, their relationship wouldn’t have ended the series on a high note if they still had lingering secrets. Smallville made the right decision by allowing Lois to know Clark’s identity before he became Superman.
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