Smallville - 2006.05.11 Season Ender (Spoliers Wecome)

[Elodan]

No, that's simply not true.

But let's just look at Superman:

• 2002, Justice League season 2 episode 37, Superman kills President Lex Luthor.
• 2003, Superman/Batman #14-#18, he kills Wonder Woman and others

Haven't read the others but IIRC, in Justice League Superman's killing of President Lex happens in an alternate reality and in Superman/Batman those deaths happen in an alternate timeline which is all fixed by the end of the story arc.

For the episode, I enjoyed it a lot (although I am so sick of seaon ending cliff-hangers). I've put up with a lot of angst on this show to see some good Superman stuff.

 

[Fast Learner]

Most of those Superman kills were in alternate timelines, but it's obviously explorable. The kills in Superman #22 were not in an alternate timeline, and are why (iirc) John Byrne quit the book.

 

[Filby]

• 1985, Crisis on Infinite Earths, he kills Zod.

When the heck did that happen? I read Crisis, and nowhere did I see anything of the sort.

Anyway, the only time the modern Superman took anyone's life was in the case of the three Pocket Universe/Phantom Zone criminals post-Crisis -- and IIRC, he had a total mental breakdown due to massive guilt. Plus, it may have been retconned out of existance already due to Infinite Crisis -- we see Zod alive and well in the New Earth's history at the end of IC#6.

 

[Fast Learner]

(deleted reference to Zod, be back on that)

I don't get why his massive guilt means that it shouldn't be explored. Clearly it's been explored repeatedly. It's worth pointing out, I guess, that retconning doesn't make the previous stories go away.

My point is not that "Superman is a killer, so there!" It's that exploration of the gray areas of things like the greater good are also a staple of comics, including Superman. The world of comics isn't this wholly black and white thing, not even Superman's past, and there's no reason that Smallville has to stick to some code that doesn't actually exist.

 

[Fast Learner]

Yeah, I went back through Crisis and don't see it, either. Sorry, not sure what I was remembering. I'm almost positive I remember Zod and Superman killing each other simultaneously. Hmm.

 

[EricNoah]

Forgive my ignorance -- it was Jor-El who either created or discovered the PZ, right? Is there a chance he had the foresight to leave something in there for Clark to use? I don't mean an object -- but maybe another shard of himself with some useful wisdom? I'd love to see Clark's experience and escape be more of a mind game or a battle of wits or even willpower, rather than something he can smash with his hands. Something he's got to out-think.

 

[Orius]

I thought it was ridiculously silly myself, but then I always think Smallville is ridiculous.

The whole "kill Lex" storyline was just stupid to begin with. We know Clark isn't going to kill Lex for 2 reasons:

1. Superman, and by extention Clark, isn't known as a killer. Disregarding the examples to the contrary given here, Superman just isn't a cold-blooded murderer. And in this case, although he and Lex aren't getting along right now, they were still friends in the past, and he doesn't want to just bump off someone who was a friend. Especially when Jor-El tells him he must do it, because we know how well Clark has listened to dear old Dad in this show.
2. Lex Luthor is a major Superman character, and probably his most well-known villain. Clark simply can't kill him because of this and the audience knows this.

The result: Clark does the dumbest thing possible. Not surprising. He's been doing the dumbest thing possible all season. As a result, I was pleased to see Clark stuck in the Phantom Zone, since he deserves it for being such a dumbass. In Clark's defense, I doubt he knew trying to kill Fine would free Zod, but I feel like bashing him anyway.

I hope next season Clark does show some maturity, seriously. All this whining and teeny angst is grating. I want to see him finally tranform from Spineless Boy into the Man of Steel already.

 

[Orius]

Oh and I forgot to mention this earlier:

Kneel Before Zod!!!!!!​

This time, I'm right.

 

[kitoy]

Oh and I forgot to mention this earlier:

Kneel Before Zod!!!!!!​

This time, I'm right.

During the Clark/Zod confrontation I was really hoping that Zod would just belt out this line. Especially during the long pregnanat pause after Zod had taken over Lex.

 

[Jeremy]

http://www.generalzod.net/