SMALLVILLE's Clark Kent gets Iron Age'd

[King Krypton]

I noticed the absence of the Smallville forum, so I was at kind of a loss where to post this. But as it relates to the "darker, more disgusting" Iron Age mentality of the current DCU, I guessed this was as good a place as any post this.

With the appearance of Brainiac, the Phantom Zone bad guys, Aquaman, and Lois Lane as a stripper, the show's much-touted "Clexana = Superman vs. Lex" triangle (in which the showrunners proclaimed that Clek Kent would become so jealous and angry over Lex Luthor dating Lana Lang that he would declare Lex his arch-enemy) was overlooked and in many cases made excuses for. Well, with the 100th episode this week, I feel more than vidicated in my disgust with the series, because Gough and Millar finally crossed a line with many of their hardcore viewers....

S

P

O

I

L

E

R

O

F

T

H

E

I

R

O

N

A

G

E

V

A

R

I

E

T

Y

In the episode, Lana dies in a car wreck. Clark flies her corpse to the Fortress of Solitude where he begs the spirit of Jor-El to resurrect her. Jor-El warns him that if he resurrects Lana, another of Clark's loved ones will die in her place. Now, anybody familiar with Superman knows what, in a proper version of the saga, Superman's response would be: No way  would he EVER barter an innocent life, ANY innocent life, for his own selfish desires.

However, Smallville's Clark, being told that resurrecting Lana will result in the death of another loved one in her place, doesn't hesitate. He wants Lana back, full stop. So he chooses to bring Lana back at the cost of another life...Jonathan Kent.

Yes, you read that right. Smallville's CKINO (Clark Kent in Name Only) willingly sacrifices his own father to bring his girlfriend back to life. And in the end he winds up losing Lana anyway, and she begins bonding with Lex Luthor...the beginning of the infamous Clexana triangle we've been promised will happen. So not only will CKINO be at fault for his friend becoming his worst enemy, but he's also got the blood of his father on his hands. Blood that, in a moment of pure selfishness, he all too gladly traded for Lana. Superman, the hero whose reverence for human life is critical to his character, doesn't even value his own family when it comes to Lana.

This turn of events has got the Smallville fandom (from what I've seen on the 'Net) split down the center. Many believe--and rightly so--that CKINO is a murderer and a selfish jerk (actually, the language used is much worse and far more fitting), and thus unfit to bear the Superman mantle. Others, like the Millerites who make stupid excuses for the All-Star Batman and Dark Knight garbage and the Iron Age fanboys who think any qualms with DC's current direction are a childish demand for the Silver Age to come back, claiming that "Fate was coming after Lana and Clark was scared for her" and "You know you would have made the same choice Clark did if you lost a loved one!" These same people, by the way, assert that what CKINO did to Jonathan is totally in keeping with Superman's character and consider this episode the greatest moment in the show's--and Superman's--history. (I don't suppose I should mention that a good chunk of the apologists are Millerites and/or Iron Age fanbrats....)

One good thing that did come out of this whole mess...Clexana is no longer being overlooked or made excuses for. Now that CKINO has been  stripped of Superman's basic moral code, people are beginning to realize that Smallville, in making Lana the motivation for everything in the Superman mythos, is violating the essence of Superman himself. It's also got people rooting AGAINST CKINO, which I have to admit warms my heart. Yeah, the Wellingites (the Smallville answer to the Millerites and Iron Age fanboys) are on the defensive, but the damage is done, and Gough and Millar are taking it in the teeth. I guess that's one GOOD thing to come out of CKINO being turned into an Iron Age creep. People know it's happening and they're turning on it.

I guess the Byrne Era isn't the only host to a Supermurderer. :evil:

[Anonymous]

this post needs to be on supermanisadick.com

[King Krypton]

How so?

[Dial H For Hero]

Smallville has never tried very hard to stay within the accepted Superman mythos, so it's no surprise that this version of Clark Kent acts in a morally questionable manner. Frankly, I'm tired of Lana and hope that the producers end Clark's fascination with her and have him begin to act like a true Superman. Smallville can be an entertaining show at times, but the teen angst is often excruciating.

[MatterEaterLad]

The need to make the show teen soap oriented has been killling it for years...I do watch it from time to time, but there are so many things going against it...

Hence, the end of the Smallville forum here...

The only thing I would mention is it wasn't clear to me that Clark knew who would die if he let Jor-El's stupid crystal re-set time...

[King Krypton]

He was told that resurrecting Lana would result in one of his loved ones dying in her place. Jonathan, Martha, Lois, Chloe...all of them were at risk by his decision. He willingly endangered them all by going ahead with it.

Any "Clark Kent" who would willingly sacrifice any of his loved ones--or anybody at all--to ressurect someone who was already dead out of lurve (fan-fiction slang for soap-opera love) isn't Clark Kent at all. I expect better of Superman.

[MatterEaterLad]

I don't disagree...

Though why he would even listen to an "entity" that makes as little rational sense as whatever the hay "Jor-El" is supposed to be is beyond me... :roll:

[Super Monkey]

There is a reason why there isn't a board for this show anymore... because it stinks and it is not worth discussing here, total waste of time.

moving on...