Smallville

Season one sees the introduction of the regular cast, and storylines that regularly included a villain deriving a power from kryptonite exposure. The one-episode villains were a plot device developed by Gough and Millar. Instead of creating physical monsters, the kryptonite would enhance the personal demons of the character.[7] To prove the show was not simply about a new kryptonite monster every week, the writers attempted to craft episodes that had nothing to do with kryptonite, like "Rogue".[14] The first season primarily dealt with Clark trying to come to terms with his alien origins, and the revelation that his arrival on Earth was connected to the deaths of Lana's parents.[4] Clark develops X-ray vision this season, and, unlike his super strength and speed that he was already aware of, is forced to exercise his new ability to gain control over it.[15] Season two has fewer villain of the week episodes, focusing more on story arcs that affect each character and explore Clark's origins.[16] Several key plot points include Lex becoming more entangled in conflict with his father, Chloe digging into Clark's past while dealing with Lionel, Martha and Jonathan Kent's financial troubles, and Lana and Clark's vacillating relationship though they end the season apart. The main story arc, however, focuses on Clark's discovery of his Kryptonian origins.[17] The disembodied voice of Clark's biological father Jor-El is introduced, communicating to Clark via his space ship, setting the stage for plots involving the fulfillment of Clark's earthly destiny.[18] Christopher Reeve, who portrayed Superman in the 1970s and 1980s film series, appears as Dr. Virgil Swann to provide Welling's Clark with information regarding his heritage.[17] Season two saw the emergence of heat vision,[19] as well as a new form of kryptonite. Red kryptonite causes Clark to set aside moral compunctions and act out on his impulses and dark desires,[20], unlike green kryptonite, which physically weakens him and could possibly kill him if he is exposed to it for too long.[9] Season three focuses on loyalty, betrayal, and new revelations involving Jor-El. Early in the season, Michael McKean, Annette O'Toole's real-life husband, portrays Clark's future Daily Planet editor Perry White; from this point on, other major characters present in the Superman mythology and the DC Universe are introduced to Smallville.[21] Pete Ross' inability to deal with keeping Clark's secret causes him to move to Wichita, Kansas with his mother after his parents' divorce.[22] Season three introduced Clark's "super hearing", which developed when his heat vision accidentally blinded him.[23] Season four ventures further into the Superman mythology by creating a story arc that runs the length of the season; it involved Clark seeking out three Kryptonian stones, at the instruction of Jor-El, which contain the knowledge of the universe.[24] The majority of this season revolves around Lex trying to rekindle a strained friendship with Clark, Lana dating Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles), a young man she meets in France, Clark and numerous other characters vying with one another in attempts to obtain the stones, and Lionel's ambiguous transformation into a good father and person.[25] This season introduced Lois Lane (Erica Durance), Chloe Sullivan's (Allison Mack) cousin, as well as Bart Allen.[24][26] The season began with the appearance of a new form of kryptonite; black kryptonite held the ability to split Clark into—and merge back together from—two separate beings exhibiting two personalities.[24] Season five brings in more elements of the Superman mythology, including [27] the Fortress of Solitude,[28] the Phantom Zone,[28] and Zod.[29] The villain Brainiac, in the guise of Professor Milton Fine (James Marsters), becomes a recurring antagonist. The season's central plot revolves around Clark using the knowledge contained in the Fortress of Solitude to train for an impending doom that will befall Earth: the release of Zod from the Phantom Zone due to Fine's machinations.[30] Clark and Lana finally begin a relationship with one another.[31] Season five featured a gradually unveiling storyline in conjunction with multiple minor story arcs running in parallel, mid-season and season finale cliffhangers, and cameos from two other notable DC characters, Aquaman and Cyborg.[32][33] Season six takes Clark inside the Phantom Zone, inhabited by a society of exiled criminals from the "28 known inhabited galaxies".[34] The destinies of Lionel and Lex play out in the aftermath of Lex's possession by Zod and Lionel's adoption as the "oracle" of Jor-El. Several prisoners escape the Phantom Zone with Clark.[34] Clark acquires "super breath", after developing a cold from over-exerting himself cleaning up Lex/Zod's destruction in Metropolis, and having no abilities while in the Phantom Zone.[35] DC Comics characters Jimmy Olsen,[34] Oliver Queen (and his superhero alias Green Arrow) and Martian Manhunter are introduced this season, and many of them unite in Smallville to fight a common threat.[38] Clark promises to continue his training, at the Fortress of Solitude, once all the escaped Phantom Zone criminals are either returned or destroyed. Other storylines involve Lana and Lex's marriage, Lex's secret "33.1" experiments,[38] and the introduction of a Clark clone.