Characters of Smallville

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This article contains character biographies of the American drama action/adventure/sci-fi television series Smallville.

Contents

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Regular cast

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Recurring and significant characters

  • Terence Stamp - Voice of the elder Jor-El (7 episodes as of the end of season 4)
  • Christopher Reeve - Dr. Virgil Swann is a scientist who discovers a message from Krypton. (appeared in #2-17 (aired February 25, 2003) and #3-17 (aired April 14, 2004))
  • Erica Durance - Lois Lane (Becoming Main Character Season 5)
  • Jill Teed - Maggie Sawyer, police lieutenant in Metropolis' Special Crimes Unit.
  • Rutger Hauer - Metropolis crime boss Morgan Edge (2 episodes)
  • Joe Morton - Mad scientist Dr. Hamilton (4 episodes)
  • Patrick Bergin - Metropolis crime boss Morgan Edge (1 episode)
  • Ian Somerhalder - Adam Knight died in a car crash but was revived by Lionel Luthor who discovered a method of keeping dead people alive by using Clark's blood (8 episodes)
  • Kelly Brook - Victoria Hardwick, Lex Luthor's girlfriend (4 episodes)
  • Emmanuelle Vaugier - Dr. Helen Luthor (née Bryce), Lex Luthor's ex-wife
  • Camille Mitchell - Sheriff Nancy Adams (#2-19 ff.)
  • Sarah Carter - Alicia Baker, a girlfriend of Clark's who has the ability to teleport. She revealed Clark's powers to Chloe before being killed. (3 episodes)
  • Margot Kidder - Bridgette Crosby, a colleague of Dr. Swann introduced in season four who was killed off in the episode entitled, "Spirit".
  • Kyle Gallner - Bart Allen a.k.a Kid Flash that appeared in "Run" (In the DC comic books, Bart Allen was originally called Impulse, he now goes by Kid Flash as well)
  • Alana de la Garza - Female "Disciple of Zod" in the Season 5 premiere episode, "Arrival."
  • Alan Ritchson - Arthur Curry or AC a.k.a Aquaman that appeared in the Season 5 episode "Aqua" as a Marine Biologist Major from the University of Miami.
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Main character analysis

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Clark Kent

Clark Kent (Tom Welling) is the central character. The sole survivor of the destruction of the planet Krypton, he came to Smallville (and Earth) during the meteor shower of 1989. At the outset of the show, Clark is a fourteen-year-old freshman at Smallville High just learning of his true origins, and deeply troubled by that knowledge. The stories of Smallville center on Clark, his acceptance of his powers, his role in society and his relationships with others, most importantly Lex Luthor and Lana Lang. He does this with the support of his parents, especially his father.

Clark's mystique and famous (notorious?) habit of being the hero make him a busy, and conflicted teen. He is often torn between his feelings for Lana and the need to protect her from the truth. His need to conceal his identity also frequently puts him at odds with his best friend, Lex. Chloe Sullivan, his partner at the school newspaper, has feelings for him that she disguises with friendship.

Clark has a huge heart and wants there to be nothing between him and his friends -- most importantly, Lana. Unfortunately, his powers do not allow him to be completely honest with the ones that he loves. In order to prevent media exposure, Clark always has to take care when using his powers. Initially, the only people he speaks of his powers with are his mother, father and Pete. He eventually also tells his girlfriend, Alicia Baker. Later, a foster brother, Ryan James, and Chloe also discover his powers. Several others also stumble upon his secret, but always forget, die or disappear. He hopes that someday he can openly share the secret of his powers with those around him, but it seems unlikely to happen.

Clark has been able to communicate with his biological father Jor-El through the spaceship that brought him to Earth and, after its destruction, the caves whose Native American paintings seem to tell the story of his past and future. Incidentally, the caves have also enabled Clark to learn to read his native Kryptonian language. Clark resents Jor-El for attempting to manipulate him into using his powers to one day conquer the world. During the summer before his senior year, Clark was kidnapped by his father, brainwashed, and returned as the emotionless and obedient Kryptonian Kal-El. His true identity was restored through Martha's intervention with black kryptonite.

Apart from his powers and incessant heroism, Clark is a normal teenage boy just hoping to make it through the rest of the day. He gladly helps his parents out on the farm and even makes the difficult decision to commute to college so that Jonathan (who has health problems due to his own dealings with Jor-El) won't have to run the farm alone. Clark works as a reporter for the Smallville High newspaper (The Torch) for four years; he tries out for the football team his senior year and very quickly becomes captain despite his rookie status. His favorite place to hang out is the loft in his family's barn, which his father has nicknamed the Fortress of Solitude (a reference to Superman's future sanctuary in the North Pole).

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Lana Lang

Formerly the girl-next-door, Lana Lang is the love of Clark’s life. She also has feelings for Clark. Unfortunately, every day that Clark does not share his secret with Lana is a day in which they grow further apart. She is free-spirited and has a love for horseback riding. Aside from being an equestrian, she’s also a cheerleader and gymnast. She is in several clubs including: French, Art, Math, and Poetry. She volunteers at the Smallville Nursing Home; her cheerleading squad took first place at summer camp; she has taken home many ribbons for equestrianism in 4-H. Despite her numerous extra-curricular activities, Lana also manages and is partial owner (partners with Lex Luthor) of the Talon; a restored movie-theater turned Egyptian-themed coffee shop. The Talon is the local teenage hot-spot due to “Smallville’s Best Cappuccino” and the occasional live band. Lana can often be seen re-filling sugar bowls and cookie trays.

Regardless of her actively involved character, Lana cannot hide the pain in her heart. She lost her parents during the meteor shower and is trying to discover herself, with only the guidance of her Aunt Nell. Lana wears/wore a lucky charm around her neck, which is made from the meteor that killed her parents (kryptonite). She continues to struggle with her relationship with Clark, as she is deeply conflicted by "not knowing the whole man".

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Lex Luthor

At the show's beginning, Alexander Luthor is a spoiled, angry, genius and extremely rich 21-year-old. His father, billionaire Lionel Luthor, has not had time for his son, and his mother is deceased. Lex lost his hair at the age of 9 during the meteor shower of 1989 in Smallville. At that time he was a self-described "brat", and his behavior only grew worse as he got older. If not for his father's considerable influence, he would have been expelled from his English private school, Excelsior. Growing up alone, Lex is an extremely bitter man.

Lex has been expelled from college and, to his horror, has not been invited to help run his father's corporation, but instead assigned to a small fertilizer factory in Smallville. A seminal event occurs when Lex hits Clark with his car and Clark saves his life. Following the accident (and a resultant near-death experience), Lex forges a friendship with Clark, believing they are meant to be friends. They grow very close, but cursed by an overwhelming curiosity, things start to take a turn as Lex digs deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Clark and his family. Additionally, he grows to distrust Clark as Clark repeatedly lies to cover his true identity. Their personal interests are at odds, and began to erode at their friendship. Their bond is critically damaged in Season Three, when Clark discovers Lex has an entire room devoted to peculiarities relating to Clark.

Lionel has raised Lex to be distrusting and conniving, and his lessons don't end with adulthood. His extreme cruelty and inhumane actions cause Lex to grow paranoid of his surroundings, especially of anything that could be related to his father. Their relationship comes to a head in Season Three when Lex discovers his father is a murderer, and has him imprisoned. In the fourth season, Lex becomes consumed with trying to find the three stones that, when brought together, are reputed to release the knowledge of the universe. The search for these stones further destroys his relationship with Clark and his father, and pushes him further to the dark side. Season four also gives subtle hints that Lex has developed feelings about Lana, which may be integral to his eventual fall from grace. During Q&A's with the shows creators they have revealed that Bruce Wayne went to boarding school with Lex Luthor. Whether this will ever incorporate itself in the show remains to be seen due to legal issues with Warner Bro.

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Chloe Sullivan

Young journalist and investigative reporter extraordinaire, Chloe Sullivan has a knack for getting to the truth. She is reporter and editor at The Torch, the Smallville High School newspaper. She also maintains "Wall of the Weird," on which she posts articles and theories concerning the often bizarre and eerie events that take place in Smallville, many of which are related to the effects of the meteor rocks (aka kryptonite). For Chloe, getting to the truth sometimes means getting herself in trouble. She has often gotten into muddy water with prominent people such as Lionel Luthor.

Chloe was born in Metropolis and moved to Smallville with her family when her father began work at LuthorCorp. Her mother abandoned the family at a young age(it was later revealed that her mother suffered from mental illness or insanity). Chloe first met Clark in the 8th grade when she moved to Smallville, and Clark was asked to show her around the school. Chloe's close friends are Clark, Pete, and Lana. Chloe developed a crush on Clark and they attended a school dance together, the pictures of which she often fawns over. Chloe's crush was shattered when she witnessed Clark and Lana embracing in Clark's loft. Needless to say, this has strained Lana and Chloe's friendship.

During the fourth season, Chloe finds out about Clark’s powers through his girlfriend Alicia. Her assumption is that his powers come from the meteor rocks like many other Smallville teens. She decides not to reveal her knowledge to Clark out of the hope that he will one day trust her enough to tell her himself. It was also revealed in the fourth season that Chloe lost her virginity to a guy named Jimmy. Based on the description given, it sounds like Jimmy Olsen.

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Pete Ross

He plays football and golf, and participates in several clubs (Agriculture, Chess, Journalism, Key Club, and Math). Pete's mother is a judge in Smallville.

Pete is Clark’s best friend in their childhood and high school years. Clark revealed his powers to Pete, after he discovered the spacecraft in a field after it flew out of the Kent's storm cellar during the tornado. Clark finds great relief in having a peer to confide in about his powers. At times Pete feels overshadowed by Clark, and is jealous of the developing friendship between Clark and Lex Luthor.

After getting beat up by Federal Agents working with Lex, Pete moves to Wichita, Kansas, with his Mother, who got a Federal Judgeship there towards the end of the 3rd season.

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Martha Kent

The adoptive mother of Clark Kent and wife of Jonathan Kent, Martha is usually portrayed as a kind and caring parent. She helped to instill strong morals within Clark. She, with her husband, runs Kent Organic Produce. During Season Two, she worked briefly for Lionel Luthor and, during Season Four, she also became the manager of the Talon.

She has a poor relationship with her father, as he didn't support her marriage to Jonathan. She also didn't trust her father with Clark's secret. She became pregnant in Season Two, when she was cured from infertility by Clark's ship; however, a tragic accident caused her to lose the baby.

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Jonathan Kent

The adoptive father of Clark Kent and husband of Martha Kent, Jonathan is usually portrayed as strong, supportive, and caring, though he is sometimes stubborn. He, with his wife, runs Kent Organic Produce, and he and Martha are responsible for instilling strong morals in Clark. He is portrayed as the epitome of a wise country gentleman, making him the perfect father for an American legend. He and Clark are very close.

He was born in 1961 to Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Kent. He was a football hero in high school (Smallville High) and dated Nell Potter. He has lived in Smallville all of his life. He has heart trouble as a result of being given temporary powers by Jor-El. He is occasionally jealous of Jor-El and deeply suspicious of the Luthors.

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Lionel Luthor

Famous billionaire and founder of LuthorCorp, Lionel is a dark character that brings out the worst in his son, Lex. He is briefly blinded in Season Two, is incarcerated and later released during Seasons Three and Four, and is left catatonic at the conclusion of Season Four. Lex took over LuthorCorp during Lionel's incarceration. His parenting style is often contrasted with that of Jonathan Kent.

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Whitney Fordman

A typical jock, Whitney Fordman is involved in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He dated Lana Lang and later joined the marines, where he was killed in action.

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Lois Lane

Lois is introduced in Season Four as a freshman in college. Even though she and Clark will be married in the future, at this early stage in their lives they get along about as well as oil and water. Clark and Lois are forced to work together as they seek out the true fate of Lois' cousin, Chloe Sullivan, who “died” in the third season. While Chloe and Lana both seem to adore Clark to a fault, Lois is not impressed by him, and will not hesitate to bust his chops and bring him back down to Earth.

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Jason Teague

Jason Teague appears as a main character in the fourth season. He was Lana’s boyfriend in Paris and moved to Smallville, unannounced, so he could continue his relationship with Lana. Positioning himself closer into Lana's life, he was hired as an assistant football coach for Smallville High. The unexpected visit of Jason's mother and Lana’s provoking ancestral spirit, prompted a journey that entangled him and Lana to search for the sacred stones of power. By his mother's manipulation, he became corrupted in his journey. In the Season 4 Finale, Jason and his mother were killed. Though a second meteor shower hit Smallville and pummeled the Kent's house that Jason was in, it is suspected that Lex Luther ensured that Jason would not come out alive. This concept may be considered by the note on the newspaper pertaining to the "Mother and son killed" article that Lana Lang was reviewing in the Season Five Premier.

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Jor-El

While never physically around, Jor-El has had a major influence in Clark's actions as the series progresses. In Seasons Two, Three, and Four; Jor-El was believed to be pushing for Clark to take over the earth. At the end of Season Two, this belief led Clark to destroy the ship, causing his mother to have a miscarriage. Jor-El then helped Jonathan Kent receive temporary superpowers to stop Clark, who was wearing Red Kryptonite to deal with the pain. This is what caused Jonathan's heart problems as time went on. Later, in Season Four, Jor-El "reprogrammed" Clark to search for three powerful stones. Despite Jor-El's warnings, Clark allowed one of the stones to be touched by human blood, which caused the meteor shower in Season Four. Contrary to what Clark believed, Jor-El was only preparing him for his eventual clash with Zod.

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