Season Five Episode Guide

[prydain]

5.01 Arrival - Aired 9/29/05
5.02 Mortal - Aired 10/6/05
5.03 Hidden - Aired 10/13/05
5.04 Aqua - Aired 10/20/05
5.05 Thirst - Aired 10/27/05
5.06 Exposed - Aired 11/3/05
5.07 Splinter - Aired 11/10/05
5.08 Solitude - Aired 11/17/05
5.09 Lexmas - Aired 12/8/05
5.10 Fanatic - Aired 1/12/06
5.11 Lockdown - Aired 1/19/06
5.12 Reckoning - Aired 1/26/06
5.13 Vengeance - Aired 2/2/06
5.14 Tomb - Aired 2/9/06
5.15 Cyborg - Aired 2/16/06
5.16 Hypnotc - Aired 3/30/06
5.17 Void - Aired 4/6/06
5.18 Fragile - Aired 4/13/06
5.19 Mercy - Aired 4/20/06
5.20 Fade - Aired 4/27/06
5.21 Oracle - Aired 5/4/06
5.22 Vessel - Aired 5/11/06



Episode 5.01 - Arrival

The stone spins through the aid and crashes into the snow, and the ground shakes. A huge crystalline fortress emerges from the ground. Clark enters and one small crystal floats up to him. Jor-El addresses him and warns him that a new journey is beginning.

At the crash site in Smallville, Lana looks on as a burst of light flares from the ship and two figures, a man and woman, emerge. They confront Lana but before she can do anything police arrive. Lana limps off as the newcomers use superpowers like Clark’s to take out the police. Afterward they say they must find Kal-El, and they have tattoos similar to the one Lana had on her.

Lois arrives at the Kent house which has been hit by a meteor, and helps Jonathan find an injured Martha and take her to the hospital. In the Indian cave, Lex wakes up and looks for Chloe, but only finds her phone. He also finds the secret chamber and the hexagon key. He then turns and spots the two newcomers, who use x-ray vision to determine Lex has the key and then take it. They want to know if he’s Kal-El but determine he isn’t and toss him casually aside before superspeeding away.

Chloe wakes up in the Arctic as well and spots the fortress. Clark is speaking with Jor-El, who reveals the geography of Krypton has been replicated for his training. Jor-El warns that a dark force from Krypton poses a danger to everyone, and Clark must study to learn what he needs to save the planet. Chloe comes in and sees Clark, but a wind springs up and quickly freezes her as she calls out for Clark. Clark hears her and goes to her but Jor-El warns he cannot stop his studies. Jor-El agrees but warns Clark must return before the yellow sun sets or the consequences will be grave. Chloe wakes up enough to let Clark know she knows about his superpowers and he superspeed-runs her to a nearby hospital.

Lex is driving along and finds a shocked Lana, who warns him about the aliens and reveals they came out of a spaceship before collapsing. Chloe and Clark discuss how she knew about his powers, and he reveals he’s an alien. Clark hears a TV newscast about Smallville and a shot of his parents, and Chloe tells him he needs to go for them, which he does.

Lana wakes up at Lex’s mansion and finds Lionel drawing symbols on the floor. A seemingly blind Lionel speaks of the “disciples of Zod” and warns they can only be stopped by their home planet, which is poison. He points Lana toward the vault containing kryptonite. Martha wakes up at the hospital and Lois shows up, but they’re interrupted by explosions and the two aliens step in and demand Kal-El and know Jonathan knows of him. Lois intervenes and gets attacked, but Lana arrives and tells them Kal-El is at the mansion. They release Lois, release Lana, and leave.

Clark arrives at his house where Lex brings him up to speed then asks about Chloe. He claims that Clark was at the cave when the meteors hit but Clark denies it despite Lex’s asking for honesty. Afterward Clark meets Lois at the hospital and she warns him they were looking for Kal-El and went to the manor. At the manor, Lana leads them to the vault where they collapse but manage to stagger out and seal the door. They knock out Lana but Clark arrives and announces he’s Kal-El. They reveal they are the last survivors of Krypton and want him to join them in conquering the world. Clark refuses and the woman throws a bracelet-like device that creates some kind of portal to some kind of prison-dimension – the other one then knocks him into it but Clark manages to grab hold but is still slowly pulled in. When they turn away he manages to pull himself clear and throw them in. The portal-prison then turns into a rectangle and flies out the window, while Clark goes to help Lana as the sun sets. He spots the key but when he cuts his finger on glass he realizes he now powerless.

Martha and Jonathan return to the farm and Clark reveals he’s lost his powers, but that he’s happy he normal. Lex tracks Chloe down to the hospital in the Yukon and comes to take him home. Clark goes to visit Lana, who has received a message from Lex saying he covered up the deaths of Jason and his mother. Lana admits she meant it when she told him she loved him, and Clark reciprocates the feelings. Lana tells him about the spaceship and he goes to see it – it’s gone. At a LuthorCorp facility, the spaceship is in a secret hangar and is leaking a black oil. The oil streams away from the spaceship, and forms into a humanoid figure.

Episode 5.02 - Mortal

Lex comes to Belle Reve to visit his father, who is locked up in a cell and kept in a straight jacket. Elsewhere, a heavily guarded trio of prisoners are being escorted away – a big guy and a pair of bald twins. The big guy, Lee, bumps into Lex and somehow manages to release his electro-manacles. Seconds later he breaks free, displaying the ability to channel electricity. He frees the twins who can touch their hands and fire force projections. Together the three of them make their escape and head for…Smallville.

Jonathan and a non-powered Clark are helping their neighbors put up a new barn and Chloe pays a visit to commiserate over Clark’s new found mortality. Chloe wonders if he’s avoiding his destiny but Clark is happy, and gets together with Lana. Clark heads back to the Kent farm to get some nails and Lana goes with him, but not before Lex arrives to have a heart-to-heart with Clark. Lex thinks they’ve been given a second chance and they both dance around rebuilding their friendship before Clark heads out with Lana. En route, they decide to focus on the future and ignore their respective pasts. Clark and Lana get to his loft and go into a makeout session, but not before confessing they’re both virgins. They’re interrupted by the three prisoners, and the twins immobilize Clark to the roof. The leader announces they want…Clark.

The escapees take Clark and Lana into the partially rebuilt Clark household, while Chloe goes to the caves and the secret chamber with the key pedestal. The chamber is dead and Lex arrives to confront her about how she ended up in Alaska, and taunts her with the knowledge of Lana and Clark together. Chloe mentions the disappearance of the spaceship and Lex denies knowing about it, and Chloe threatens she’ll investigate if he doesn’t drop it.

The escapees reveal they want Clark to go into Level 3, a top secret research facility at LuthorCorp. The prisoners were in Level 3 and were subjected to green kryptonite injections – now they’re addicted. The place is guarded against them, but they think Clark can get in. Then Martha and Jonathan show up and Clark tries to get rid of them, without much success. They get taken hostage and Clark has no choice but to head for the LuthorCorp facility and get the serum in two hours.

Clark and Chloe manage to get inside, thanks to Chloe’s skills, while Sheriff Adams drops by. Lee holds Martha hostage to ensure their good behavior. Sheriff Adams wonders about Martha’s absence and decides to hang around for some coffee. Meanwhile Clark is climbing through the air vents under Chloe’s guidance, but triggers a lockdown protocol and ends up in Level 3. Sheriff Adams is getting ready to leave when she notices Lee’s cigarettes and figures out the prisoners are there. She alerts the police but Lee fries her and then Jonathan drops him. Lana slugs the twins and manages to pin one to the wall by his hand with a nail gun. The twins are psychically linked but they manage to knock Lana out and Lee punches out Jonathan. The police arrive but the twins seal off the farm with a force barrier, but they’re surrounded.

Clark pokes around Level 3 and lets Chloe in, then figures out they can bypass security using Lex’s fingerprint from the flashlight he was using in the cave and that Chloe kept. The twins are starting to weaken but Lee calls them, demanding the serum, just as they open the vault. However, there’s a laser barrier and Clark is injured, with no way to get by. Clark drives back to the farm and asks Adams to withdraw her men. She reluctantly agrees and Clark calls in so they’ll let him in. Clark has a suitcase and gives it to Lee, but when he opens it there’s one of Chloe’s tear gas grenades inside. Clark leaps aside and Lee accidentally nails the twins, then Clark cuts the power he’s drawing on and punches him out.

Chloe shows up to reveal that someone was watching them on the cameras, as they broke into the lab. Clark goes to confront Lex, who is watching the video. Clark slugs him and then hits him again. Lex denies it. Clark figures that Lex helped the prisoners get free and Lex punches him back – he’s confused when Clark bleeds. Clark meets up with Lana later at her apartment to commiserate and the two end up together.

Episode 5.03 - Hidden

A boy is holding a gun on two soldiers in a missile launch facility and takes the key from one and forces the other one to turn the key. He then shoots the two soldiers and sets the launch for one hour. Then he calls Chloe and it is revealed that he is Gabriel Duncan, a former Smallville High student. He warns Chloe to get out of Smallville before it is destroyed.

Clark and Lana awake together in Clark’s room and are caught trying to leave at 6:30 am by both of Clark’s parents. After Lana is sent, Jonathan starts with a lecture but Chloe arrives in time to see Lana fleeing the scene. She brings Clark up to speed and Jonathan goes to warn the sheriff. Lana returns to her Talon apartment and finds Lex rummaging through her things and admiring her sketches of her and Clark. Lex attempts to play the good friend card and find out what she saw in the field the day of the meteor shower. Lex reveals he sent an expert to the site and he believes something other then a meteor was responsible. He wonders if Lana told Clark and assures her she’s not crazy – Lana claims she didn’t tell Clark.

Jonathan squares off with Sheriff Adams who claims that the military action is just a drill but is actually a covert raid on the Hampstead farm, where they think Gabriel is. Unfortunately there’s no sign of him there as Gabriel has made ghost signals to send the authorities to a different abandoned silo.

Chloe and Clark break into Gabriel’s house with Chloe’s credit card and conclude Gabriel’s father, Colonel Duncan, was the “lighthouse keeper” for the local nuclear missiles. They find a room completely filled with articles about meteor freaks. They further explore only to find Gabriel’s father dead on the floor.

Lex is angrily addressing his scientists about their failure to open the spaceship and tells them to find a way in. But then notices a symbol on the bottom…that wasn’t there before. Meanwhile, Clark and Chloe formulate a plan to draw Gabriel out, Chloe calls him and says that her car is stuck and she can't get out of town.

Lex confronts Lionel and demands he tell him what the symbols mean and how to open the ship. Lionel, who has drawn the symbols all over his room, says that only “He” can open it.

When Gabriel comes to help, Clark confronts him but is shot. Gabriel grabs Chloe and rides off, leaving Clark in the middle of the road and bleeding profusely. Someone who heard the gun shot rushes Clark to the hospital.

At the missile silo, Chloe unsuccessfully tries to talk Gabriel out of destroying Smallville. Gabriel tells Chloe that those articles were his dad’s and that he had asked Gabriel to kill him because the last meteor shower had turned him into a meteor freak.

At the hospital Clark is stabilized and Lana enters to pour out her feelings and makes some confessions. After she finishes Clark regains consciousness for a moment and then flatlines. The doctor pushes Lana out and attempts to jump-start Clark’s heart. At the same time Lionel snaps out of his trance and uses newfound Kryptonian strength to punch through the glass then superspeed to leave Belle Reve. After failing to save Clark the doctor pronounce him dead and gives the news to Jonathan and Martha, but returns to find Clark gone. At the silo, Chloe gets free and knocks out Gabriel, but with a minute left, she can’t stop the launch sequence. Gabriel recovers conscious and the two of them fight over the gun, and Gabriel is shot. The missile launches as Chloe can only look on in horror.

At the Fortress of Solitude, Clark is healed then confronted by Lionel Luthor, who has been inhabited by Jor-El. To Clark's dismay “Jor-El” returns Clark's powers but warns him that someone else’s life must be exchanged in return for his return to health. "The life force that has been given to you in order to bring you back will soon be taken from someone you love. You are about to face your darkest hour, my son.” “Jor-El” embraces him and says that he will always love Clark. Clark then superspeeds back to Smallville just in time to jump on to the missile and throw the detonator into the depths of space just in time to save the day.

Clark returns home and tells his parents about his new status but doesn't tell them about Jor-El's warning. Lana walks in and reunites with Clark. Later, Lana barges in on Lex at the manor and hands him Clark's medical record, telling him that all of Clark's tests were normal. After she leaves, a healthy conscious Lionel shows up but denies remembering anything of what has happened in the intervening weeks.

At his loft, Clark confides in Chloe, telling her everything that happened. Chloe tries to talk Clark into sharing his secret with Lana too. Clark says he can't expect her to react the same way that Chloe did, and he just can't afford to take that big of a risk, as that could make her never want to see him again. The, Clark tells Chloe of Jor-El’s warning, leaving them to wonder who will die.

Episode 5.04 - Aqua

At Crater Lake, the local teens are having a party and Clark is applying suntan lotion to Lana when Chloe and Lois show up. Lois goes for a dive off a pier but strikes her head on a board and is knocked out. Clark spots her and dives in to rescue her, but another boy has already got there, knocking Clark aside with his speed. He gets Lois to shore and administers emergency aid and Lois wakes up to take in her rescuer, who introduces himself as Arthur “A.C.” Curry, while Clark briefs Chloe on A.C.’s underwater speed.

Clark arrives late for his first class in Introduction to World History, where Professor Milton Fine seems to focus on Clark and talk about the future, and individuals such as Lex Luthor who have made an early name for themselves. Fine compares Lex to Hitler and Stalin and Clark defends him, and Fine is impressed.

At the Talon, A.C. stops in to chat with Lois while she waitresses and challenges her to go swimming with him. Clark confronts Fine after class and they discuss Lex further, with Fine dropping more hints about Lex’s sinister agenda. Lois and A.C. enjoy a swim at Crater Lake but A.C. suddenly hears some high-pitched noise that Lois can’t, and falls into the water. He swims toward its source, some kind of underwater projector, but is repelled and collapses back on shore, his ears bleeding. Dead fish start to surface on the water.

Lex is getting a briefing from an assistant on the project, codename “Leviathan,” and is hoping to sell it to the military despite its effects on fish. A.C. dismisses his symptoms and goes for a kiss, which Lois eventually accepts. Clark interrupts them and later Chloe checks his record – he’s a student at the University of Miami, majoring in marine biology. He got a criminal record for releasing dolphins but otherwise has a clean record. He’s never been in Smallville before so he isn’t a meteor freak, but Clark notes that Bart (from “Run”) was also super-powered but not a meteor freak.

Clark confronts A.C. as he’s talking to Lana and Lois, and A.C. passes it off and reveals he’s checking out on the fish deaths. When Clark gets confrontational, Lois reads him the riot act. A.C. takes off and Clark covertly follows him into a secret underwater base. A.C. plants an explosive charge but Clark shows up and absorbs the charge. He confronts A.C. in the water, but his opponent generates a water ball. The two have a brief fight until A.C. sends Clark flying out of the water with another blast then escapes.

Clark tries to explain to Lois but she doesn’t believe him, accusing him of jealousy. A.C. shows up and explains the weapon, Leviathan, is responsible for the dead fish, and Lex is responsible. There’s another demo coming up and A.C. plans to destroy the weapon but Clark isn’t interested and stops him from leaving. Clark insists they confront Lex and the two of them go to meet him. A.C. confronts Lex over Leviathan, who denies everything and claims it’s some kind of agricultural project. A skeptical Clark leaves, and Lex picks out A.C. on an underwater video tape. At the dock Lex has A.C. darted into unconsciousness.

Later Lex gives A.C. a stimulant to wake him up and it is clear A.C. is dehydrated. Lex taunts him with a glass of water but doesn’t get any answers and leaves him for the demo. Clark super speeds in and turns on the sprinkles, rejuvenating A.C. and letting him break free. Clark offers his help and the two of them go after the weapon. Lex is meeting with the admiral but the weapon self-destructs and the admiral stalks off – Lex goes to the window to see A.C. swim off.

Later Clark visits Lex, who claims his agricultural project was ruined. They dance over who was involved until Clark leaves in disgust. A.C. and Clark meet up and A.C. agrees to avoid using explosives, but will continue his eco-campaign. The two depart as friends, and back at the college Clark meets with Professor Fine and offers to take his position as a research assistant, working to expose LuthorCorp – Fine accepts.

A.C. bids goodbye to Lois, who hopes that he’ll come back and they can link up. Later she meets up with Clark and they both kind of apologize.

Episode 5.05 - Thirst

At the Daily Planet, new editor-in-chief Pauline Kahn meets with Chloe and is less than sympathetic when explaining that she didn’t get an internship. Kahn is skeptical of Chloe’s qualifications because she had a column and got it because of Lionel’s influence. Chloe kicks her on it and Kahn tells her she’ll consider it if Chloe brings her a story. Later Chloe narrates the story that she came up with.

At the Tri-Psi Sorority house, a pizza boy delivers pizzas and is greeted by three women in bikinis. They take him to the hot tub out back and are all over him…and then grow fangs and bite him, feeding on his blood.

Clark drops in to visit Lana, who reveals she got in at Metropolis University. However, there aren’t any dorm rooms and she decides to try a sorority. Lana arrives at the rush where the president, Buffy, warns them of the life-changing rigors ahead.

Professor Fine is giving a lesson on Rome and how the citizens stood by as an evil emperor destroyed them. Lex stops in and Fine puts Clark on the spot about LuthorCorp and its ownership of Smallville. Clark can’t answer and afterward Lex and Fine spar. Fine knows about secret LuthorCorp projects and Lex wonders if Clark is providing him with info. Lex threatens to use his access to cut off Fine before he gets to a second semester.

Lana and three other girls make it to the final initiation but the other three get rejected and Lana is the one to be accepted. Buffy points out there is one final initiation – they turn into vampires and Buffy feeds her some of her blood. When she’s done, Lana is now…a vampire!

Professor Fine visits Lex at the manor and wants to know why Lex has been looking into his past. Fine gives Lex his complete record and reveals he has a record of Lex using his funds to finance experiments on the campus. After Fine leaves, Lex has one of his henchmen follow him.

At her dorm room, Chloe has to deal with her roommate griping about her posting of articles on their wall, and how her friend is sleeping in there. Lana is lethargic and Chloe thinks she has a hangover. Clark arrives and she starts nuzzling his neck and starts acting a lot different. When he doesn’t respond, she dons a pair of sunglasses and heads out.

Professor Fine breaks in at the spaceship where Lex’s man draws a gun on him. Fine extends a bit of his apparently metallic body, killing the guard, and approaches the ship.

Lana is at the sorority drinking with the others when they knock her down a flight of stairs. Lana lands at the bottom, her neck broken and her body shattered, but she revives a minute later, snapping her bones back into place.

The next day Clark and Chloe compare notes and Chloe determines that six years ago Buffy took over and become wildly successful, but only choose one new girl a year. Since Buffy took over, no one has left the sorority. She figures they can sneak in during their Halloween party and snoop around. They manage to get in without invitations and Clark goes to check out the rooms while Chloe spots Lana hitting on a guy and drags her off. Clark finds an article about Buffy surviving a vampire attack in a Smallville cave and Buffy confronts him, but he super speeds out during a momentary distraction. Lana regrets that Chloe came and then attacks her – Clark hears them and breaks them up, then flees into the night, leaving an injured Chloe.

Clark takes Chloe to the hospital where they figure she has some kind of rabies-like disease that is keeping her blood cells from regenerating, and there’s nothing they can do. Professor Fine drops in and is skeptical, and after checking the records suggest Clark ask Lex about Project 1138. Buffy and the others aren’t happy that Lana messed things up and tell her to fix it.

At the manor, Clark confronts Lex about 1138 and he denies knowing anything. When Clark lays it out Lex tells him that six years ago Buffy was trapped in a cage for several days until LuthorCorp rescued her. There were meteor rocks in the cave that affected the bats. One LuthorCorp technician was infected but they came up with an injectable cure, a cure based on green kryptonite. Clark is weakened and Lana busts in, knocking out Lex and biting Clark. She reacts briefly to the blood and then realizes she has heat vision. Clark manages to grab the syringe but passes out.

Lana brings Clark back to the sorority house and suggests they convert him into a vampire, but Buffy and the others refuse. They fight and Lana vaporized Buffy with her borrowed heat vision. The other girls back down and run out at Lana’s command, and she goes to prepare to convert Clark into a vampire, saying they can be together. He manages to inject the cure.

Chloe reveals that the other girls were cured, the sorority house was closed down, and Chloe’s roommate moved out and Lana has moved in. Lana doesn’t remember much except the overwhelming feeling of strength that she feels was what was in Clark’s heart. Clark thanks Lex, who confronts him about Fine and reveals Fine has been stealing secret documents. He warns Clark that Fine isn’t the friend he thinks he is. Chloe turns her story over to Kahn who decides to take her on at the Planet.

Episode 5.06 - Exposed

At the Daily Planet, Chloe is screening news calls and Lois is stuck there keeping company. Lois reveals she needs Chloe’s help to move into the apartment at the Talon. Chloe then takes a call from a desperate woman who gives her address and says some guy is trying to find her. The two women get there and see the woman get intentionally killed by a hit-and-run driver.

Clark is helping out at the farm when a Blue Dodge Charger comes barreling in and out steps Jonathan’s old friend, Senator Jake Jennings. He’s in the middle of a campaign and wants Jonathan to help rally the farmers for him – he’s running against Lex Luthor.

Detective Maggie Sawyer talks to Chloe and Lois but isn’t happy with their lack of information. She believes there’s nothing to it but Chloe and Lois believe, the dead girl, Melissa Page, was more then a simple hooker and decide to look into it. Chloe checks the phone number of the booth and notices a nearby club, the Wingate. Jennings is entertaining Jonathan and Clark when Sawyer shows up and reveals they find a picture in the dead girl’s apartment of her and Jennings together. Jennings denies any knowledge of the girl and Jonathan thinks it’s a fake made up by Lex. Clark confronts Lex who denies any involvement but recognizes the club as the Windgate and warns it has a dangerous reputation, but gives him a VIP pass to get in.

Chloe and Lois find their way to the club as well but can’t talk their way past the bouncer. Noticing some women in costumes outside, they sneak in behind them then ask some questions without results, then spot a private office. They sneak in start searching the files, but are interrupted by the owner. Chloe covers by passing Lois off as an exotic dancer.

Lex comes by the Kent farm to talk to Senator Jennings and Jonathan vents on him. Lex reveals he checked out the photo and found cell phone records confirming Jennings was talking to the dead girl, but he’s going to let the press find it rather then go public with it himself.

Lois has succeeded in passing herself off as a stripper while Chloe doesn’t have any luck getting information on the dead girl from the other strippers. Clark has donned a suit and tie and entered the club, where he’s greeted by the owner, and claims he’s meeting with Jennings, who has a “usual table.” Clark looks on in astonishment as Lois emerges and goes through her (initially rather awkward) dance routine. Eventually she spots Clark and slips over after her dance routine, and drapes herself over him while trying to bring him up to date on what’s going on. Afterward Clark notices a European guy meeting with the owner and uses his super-hearing to overhear them talking about $500,000 and the owner’s “girls.”

The police bust in and the European guy manages to get Lois out while Clark gets arrested along with the other men. Sawyer is there to investigate the dead girl and the fact she worked at the club. Clark spots Chloe who doesn’t know where Lois is. Clark listens in on the conversation between the owner and Sawyer, where the owner claims Jennings was drunk and he took him home, but the senator had nothing to do with the murder. Chloe talks to the strippers about the European guy the owner was talking about, and how he takes a different girl out of the club every night, but the girls disappear and are never seen again. Chloe finds out Lois went with the guy, and then Sawyer cuts her and Clark free thanks to some calls by Lex. Sawyer isn’t impressed with their theory and tells them to get out.

Jonathan meets up with Jennings at the farm and they go for a ride, and Jonathan confronts Jennings about the dead girl and wants straight answers. Jennings admit he was involved with Melissa and doesn’t love his wife, but lied to keep Jonathan out of it.

Lois is with the European guy at his apartment and while changing her clothing, she finds Melissa’s personal belongings. He takes pictures of her in her new dress and talks about how she’ll make the other girls jealous. When she tries to get out, the guy grabs her and forces her to stay. She takes him out with some martial arts moves but the guy’s bodyguard tasers her unconscious.

At the Planet, Chloe and Clark compare notes. Clark overheard Sawyer talk about the son of a diplomat and Chloe has photos of the cars’ license plates. They find a consulate plate in the photos and find the address, and Clark superspeeds there. The European guy is taking Lois out by helicopter from the rooftop helipad when Clark arrives. He prints out a fake passport the guy made for her while Chloe figures there’s a helipad on the roof. Clark superspeeds up there, hooks the helicopter with a line, and starts pulling it down. The pilot is knocked out and Clark yanks it back, and Lois takes out the other bad guys.

Sawyer shows up but reveals the guy, Mr. Lyon, has to be released due to diplomatic immunity. Lois this him once more but then he leaves. Sawyer suggests they stick to Smallville. Later Clark meets with Lex and thanks him for his help, then expresses his disappointment with Jennings. Lex then has an allegorical conversation with Clark about King David and how he fell in love with his best friend’s life, so King David sent the friend off to die in battle.

Clark meets with Jennings at the bar and Jennings reveals he’s calling a press conference – he’s pulling out of the race. Later Jennings suggests that Jonathan should consider running for Senator. Lois is moving out and ropes Clark into helping her. Chloe shows up with her news story revealing that Interpol arrested Mr. Lyon in Europe, thanks to an anonymous tip. Lois reluctantly thanks Clark for his help and they part as friends.

Episode 5.07 - Splinter

At the university, Lana is studying a computer simulation when Clark comes in with some food. Lana hedges on what she’s doing and then notices Clark has brought in a package that was outside her door. Clark opens the package, which is from Lex, and scratches his finger on the silver metallic object inside. He makes a hasty exit as Chloe arrives, and both her and Lana wonder why he hurried off.

Clark is driving home and looking at his scratched finger, when a car pulls up behind him and honks at him. He signals the other driver to pass but the guy rams him and then pursues him in a chase. Clark’s truck rolls over and off the road and Clark is left to look at the damage – the other driver has disappeared. He then gets a cell phone call and a mysterious voice says, “I know who you are.”

Jonathan is reading the paper about Lex’s senatorial run and discusses the possibility of him running in Jack Jenning’s place. Martha feels it could put Clark’s secret at risk as he arrives to announce the hit-and-run and the phone call. Jonathan advises caution. The next day, Professor Fine is talking about friends and powerful men being betrayed by those they trust. After class Clark goes for his backpack but a piece of green kryptonite falls out and the slide projector is set to show the message, “I Know How to Kill You.” Clark heads out and Professor Fine asks him what’s wrong. Clark tells him about the black truck and Fine says the same truck has been following him, and that he thinks Lex is involved. Clark seems to agree and Fine advises caution, and suggests they track the license plate.

At the Daily Planet, Chloe runs the license plate and then leaves, and Clark notes an incoming e-mail on her computer. He checks and finds out she’s been in communication with Lionel Luthor, including an e-mail saying “There are no secrets.” Chloe says there is no such truck and Clark confronts her over Lionel. He doesn’t believe her and stalks out.

Lana meets with Lex and thanks him for the silver rock, but Lex claims he doesn’t know anything about a rock. She doesn’t believe him and reveals she’s determined from the earlier program that the spaceship arrived. He claims he’s protecting her and when she says she doesn’t need to be protected, he shows her the spaceship and asks her to help open it.

At the Kent farm, Lionel visits Jonathan and offers his assistance in Jonathan’s Senate race. Lionel claims he wants to thwart Lex and warns he knows about Clark. Clark, listening in secret, hears Lionel admit that Chloe has told him everything about Clark, and forces Jonathan to take his money or he’ll have Clark experimented on. As Clark looks on in shock and horror, Jonathan accepts.

Lana is examining the spaceship, which has a frictionless surface, and is skeptical of Lex’s reasons for her help. Clark confronts Jonathan in front of Martha and pulls the money from his pocket, even though it’s simply ballot sheets. Clark then goes berserk, slugs Martha, and begins to choke Jonathan while demanding the truth. Jonathan expresses his disgust with Clark, the thing he found in the cornfield, but then Clark weakens as Chloe arrives with a piece of green kryptonite. Clark superspeeds away while the Kents recover, and are surprised about Chloe’s knowledge of Clark’s secret. They mention red kryptonite and Chloe makes the connection to the silver rock at Lana’s dorm. Lana walks into her room and Clark embraces her then tells her they have to go north. Lana’s skeptical and he knows Chloe is coming. He leaves and Chloe confronts Lana, who is initially skeptical due to Clark’s warning. She believes Chloe, who heads out to get a search going, and Lana reveals she has the silver kryptonite hidden away.

Clark goes to Professor Fine who reveals he hasn’t talked to Clark in over a week and doesn’t remember their earlier discussion. Fine reassures him that he’ll be right back and leaves, Clark steps out through the door…and finds himself in a chamber holding his spaceship, a cradle, and a child running through the shadows. Lex’s voice announces that Clark is an alien and the vanguard of an invasion, and finally he appears, saying he’s the one that’s going to kill Clark. Green kryptonite gas spews out but Clark manages to escape.

Lana confronts Lex who convinces her he doesn’t know about the rock. He insists they’re partners and that he’ll take the rock to LuthorCorp and find a cure. As they talk, Clark looks on and sees Lex and Lana kiss.

Lex coordinates the search when the lights go out and he goes out to find his unconscious security guards. He picks up a gun and spots a busted electrical board. Clark moves in from behind and Lex tries to calm him down. Clark takes the gun away then sends him flying. Lana hears the commotion and runs off, and Clark uses his super-hearing to follow her into the basement, professing they’re meant to be together. Lana tries to calm him down but he believes she’s lying and starts to choke her.

Professor Fine arrives and interrupts, and Clark drops Lana. He superspeeds after Fine, who somehow evades him and says that if Clark hurts Lana it’ll destroy him. Clark punches him and Fine, protected by some kind of field, uses a blast of heat vision to knock Clock down. He grabs him, announces he’s a Kryptonian, and slams a device into Clark that extracts the splinter of silver kryptonite. Fine calls him Kal-El and then superspeeds off as Lex arrives to find Lana in a recovered Clark’s arms.

Clark visits a recovering Lana in the hospital, where Chloe is with her but makes a hasty accident so Clark can apologize, and Chloe has explained that the meteor was responsible and gave him temporary powers. Lana accepts his apologies and the two share a moment. Clark asks Chloe about the rock, who notes it disappeared from Lex’s manor in the confusion. Chloe also admits that she’s been e-mailing with Lionel, but to get inside information on Lex’s campaign.

Lionel talks to Lex and advises he might not want to let the story get out that Clark beat him. Lionel advises that all Lex’s efforts to change his image won’t help with those who know him, and Lana Lang will never love him.

Clark talks with his parents and they reassure him, and it becomes clear Clark doesn’t remember exactly how he was cured. Jonathan says he won’t run for Senate but Clark tells him it’s the right thing to do and Jonathan gives in. Out in the barn, Professor Fine is waiting for him and wonders why Clark trusts humans, but won’t reveal his identity even to Lana. Fine, based on what he’s seen, isn’t impressed by humans, and warns they’re duplicitous and can’t be trusted. Clark concedes some can, but others are honorable and that he trusts his friends and family. Fine says that Clark can come to him when he’s ready to accept the truth. Fine then goes to the spaceship and extracts the “silver kryptonite” back into body, leaving a plain rock.

Episode 5.08 - Solitude

Lois gives Martha a ride home in the evening and drops her off at the farm. A wind springs up and Shelby senses something – an energy burst shoots out of the sky and hits Martha. Clark hears it from the barn, rushes out, and finds his mother lying unconscious in the driveway. She wakes up and thinks she’s fainted, and doesn’t remember anything of what happened.

The next day Clark is at the Daily Planet checking weather reports with Chloe, but there was nothing unusual. Clark suspects that Jor-El was involved, and he relates how Jor-El warned one of his loved ones would have to die.

Lex is holding a photo shoot at the Talon and Lois is unimpressed. Clark goes to Fine and asks for more information on Jor-El. Fine already knows about Clark’s deal with Jor-El but refuses to tell more despite Clark’s insistence. Clark reveals Fine’s true identity to his parents and Jonathan is suspicious of Fine based on the other Kryptonians they’ve had problems with. Martha’s hand goes numb and she has a strange burn pattern on her left shoulder.

At the hospital the doctors don’t have any answers about Martha and release her. At the Planet, Lionel drops in on Chloe and gives her flowers and congratulations. He also drops a story about a super-powered person at C&M Universe…Professor Milton Fine. Clark confronts Fine, who reveals that Jor-El caused similar injuries to political dissidents on Krypton, and was a ruthless dictator who imprisoned anyone who opposed him, including the rebel Zod. Jor-El destroyed the planet and sent Clark to Earth to conquer its people and recreate Krypton.

Fine examines Martha who is showing further symptoms then goes into convulsions. Fine advises treatment with a meteor rock, which Jonathan does and relieves her symptoms…temporarily. Fine warns that within a matter of hours she’ll be dead. Clark prepares to go to see Jor-El but stops to tell Jonathan about the deal he made with Jor-El. Jonathan tells him to go and Clark superspeeds off to the Fortress. There he establishes contact with Jor-El, who denies having done anything but warns that Clark can’t alter destiny.

At the manor, an underling reports to Lex that an electromagnetic tidal wave is emerging from the ship when Lionel arrives. He reveals he knows about the warehouse and warns that the public won’t tolerate a politician obsessed with little green men.

At the university, Chloe is following Professor Fine as he leaves while Clark tends to Martha, who tries to reassure her. Lois meets with Chloe and insists she try to come up with a way to bring down Lex. Chloe reveals she followed Fine to a LuthorCorp warehouse and they go off to investigate. Lois lures the guard away while Chloe sneaks in and sees a pool of liquid metal leave the ship and form into Professor Fine, holding a black crystal spike. Another guard comes up behind her and when she turns back Fine is gone. Lois hears the radio call, knocks out her car, and rescues Chloe.

Clark confronts Fine at the university and the professor suggests Clark destroy the Fortress and break Jor-El’s hold on Martha. Chloe meets with Jonathan at the farm and tells him what she’s seen, and warns he’s not as helpful as he claims. Clark and Fine go to the cavern and insert the key, teleporting them both to the Fortress. Fine tells Clark to stick the black crystal into the Fortress. Clark puts it in and the Fortress begins to collapse, at which point Clark collapses when Fine exposes him to green kryptonite. Fine reveals he was created by Kryptonians and that Zod is the one true Kryptonian, and now he’s free to recreate Krypton on Earth. He leaves the kryptonite on Clark’s chest and goes to welcome Zod, who is appearing out of the same prison the other Kryptonians were banished to by Clark (in “Arrival”).

Chloe arrives at the cavern and uses the key to teleport to the Fortress. She take the kryptonite off of Clark and he pulls the black spike out, sealing Zod back away. A fight ensues between Clark and Fine, who tries to stab Clark with the black spike. Clark sends him flying, impaling him on crystal spikes, and he disappears in a burst of light. At the same time the spaceship vanishes from the warehouse and Martha is completely cured.

Clark and Martha share a moment, then Chloe and Clark share a moment and she brings him up to speed on Fine, and Clark reveals the spaceship is gone. Lionel visits Lex, who accuses him of stealing the spaceship. Lionel denies it and express concern that Lex is giving in to his “delusions” again. Lois is determined to bring Lex down and gives the impression she plans to continue the story…possibly as a reporter. Jonathan and Clark share a moment.

Episode 5.09 - Lexmas

In Granville, Kansas, on Christmas Eve, Lex enters the sewer tunnels and meets with Griff, who says he plans to find information for Lex to use against Jonathan Kent…or make it up. Lex asks for 24 hours and the guy notes that Lionel wouldn’t have hesitated. Lex returns back to his car when a couple of street punks rob him. When Lex turns over his wallet and watch, one of them shoots him. He collapses…and wakes up in a sun-lit bedroom in bed with…Lana Lang. A young boy Alexander bounces in, calling Lex “Dad,” and Lana gets out of bed to reveal she’s pregnant. Lex checks his body and he has the scars of old gunshot wounds. Then his mother Lillian appears to him and says all of this can be his…if he makes the right choice.

Martha and Jonathan are preparing for Christmas Eve and discussing his senatorial race. Clark and Lana are celebrating as well when Chloe calls and asks Clark to meet her at the Planet. Lex is brought into the hospital while in his alternate life, Lana Luthor tells him of how Lionel cut him off from his funds and later they’re heading to a party at the Kents. Lex takes off with his son to get a Christmas tree and they see Clark and Chloe there. They’re together and Clark is a reporter and Chloe is publishing an expose on Lionel thanks to Lex’s past help. They take off as Alexander finds a tree.

Back in the real world, Lionel visits Lex at the hospital and talks with Dr. Scanlan, who tells him he’ll be permanently paralyzed unless they can relieve the pressure. Lionel starts to make calls despite Scanlan’s warning that an operation could kill him. At the Planet, Chloe reveals she is helping out a toys-for-tots program and needs his help to deliver the toys…lots of toys. Clark begins his superspeed delivery and one girl spots him and points out there’s another Santa, the real one, on a nearby roof.

Clark superspeeds up to the guy, who is clearly drunk and is contemplating jumping. The guy is depressed over the lack of Christmas spirit. At the hospital, Lionel has Lex removed from the hospital against Scanlan’s advice. Lex and Alexander get back home and find a present from Lionel intended to remind him of how Lex turned his back on his father after getting shot.

Clark and “Santa” bond after Clark reveals how he and Chloe gave up their plans to deliver presents. “Santa” is convinced the spirit of Christmas is still alive then falls off the roof, but Clark pulls a rescue.

Lex and Lana arrive at the party where Lex is greeted by all, including Senator Jonathan Kent, who reveals Lex will be getting a humanitarian award. Jonathan then reveals it to the party-goers and proposes a toast. Outside on the porch, Lillian appears again and warns him to follow his heart, not his ambition. Clark interrupts and they discuss Lana and how they’re good friends and they both have what they want. Martha interrupts with news about Lana, while Lex undergoes surgery. In Lex’s dream, Lana gives birth to their daughter but then collapses from complications.

In the waiting room, the doctor tells Lex she’s lost a lot of blood and there’s nothing they can do. Lex goes to visit his father at the manor and ask his help to get Lana to a specialist in Metropolis. Lionel isn’t sympathetic and warns him that when he turned his back on the senate race seven years ago, that led to where he is now. Lex returns to the hospital and shares a moment with Lana before she dies. Lillian arrives and Lex accuses her of showing him a life of pain. Then Lex wakes up in the hospital with Lionel at his side.

Santa arrives at the Planet to talk with Chloe and offer his services and Chloe accepts. When she turns her back for a moment, he disappears along with the presents. At the hospital, Lex accuses Lionel of taking a gamble because he couldn’t bear having a cripple as a son, and playing god with his life.

At the Kents, the party is full swing while Chloe briefs Clark on “Santa,” and they wonder if it might have been the real Santa. It starts to snow and they celebrate a white Christmas. At the hospital, Griff pays Lex a visit and Lex resolves that he needs money and power to secure whatever he needs, and keep it that way. He tells Griff to find the information on Jonathan or fake it – whatever it takes.

Episode 5.10 - Fanatic

The episode starts with a hidden killer assembling a rifle at Jonathan Kent’s election rally. Jonathan steps up to the podium and gives a speech as Martha looks on, and the assassin draws a bead on him…and we see it’s Lois. She fires and the bullet streaks toward Jonathan…

48 Hours Earlier

Lex is meeting with the local Kansas college youth at the manor and gives a speech congratulating them and warning them not to be complacent. Afterward one woman, Samantha Drake, asks to have a picture with him as her and clearly knows a lot about Lex’s history and has a “Lex” charm around her neck. Lex leaves for a meeting and takes a call from his informant Griff, who asks for a meeting. Griff pulls a gun on him and Lionel offers him money in return for the incriminating evidence he has on Jonathan. Lionel burns the photo, much to Griff’s surprise.

Clark and Martha dress up for a photo shoot Jonathan doesn't like the way Jack Jenning's campaign manager Sosnick is running his campaign for him, so he fires him and hires Lois instead, because he thinks she will help him win on his beliefs and high standards. Jonathan is interrupted by a scrambled call giving him a last warning to drop out of the campaign. Afterward Jonathan secretly takes a heart medicine pill.

Lois is putting up election posters when Samantha and her buddies run up against her and tear down her posters – the two spar verbally and then Samantha stalks off vowing “Defeat is not an option.”

Clark pulls away from Lana because he is afraid that he will hurt her now that he has his abilities back. Samantha and her two lackeys decide to, in Lex's words, "Go the extra ten miles." The three of them corner Jonathan in the barn and beat him up Lionel offers Martha enough money to finance the rest of the campaign, but she refuses. He brings up the idea that maybe she doesn't want Jonathan to win. When Clark goes to Chloe for help with his relationship with Lois, she tells him he needs to be straight with Lana and tell her the truth.

Jonathan is rushed to the hospital after Martha and Clark come home to find him hanging upside down in the barn. When his family and Lois want him to postpone a rally until he's better, Jonathan refuses, because he doesn't want the ones who did it to him to win. Martha isn’t happy with Jonathan’s decision. Lex tries to convince Clark that he had nothing to do with the attack, but no one believes him.

When Samantha realizes that Jonathan's poll numbers are rising due to the attack, she decides to kill him. When her two co-conspirators baulk at the thought, she kills them then shaves her head bald. Lex returns to the manor to find Samantha waiting for her. When she confronts him with what she’s done, he tells her to get out and she knocks him out.

Clark and Chloe trace the call to Jonathan to the Youth group and Clark finds the two dead students and the evidence of Samantha’s obsession. At the rally, while Jonathan prepares to give his speech, Lois runs into Samantha. The two of them fight and Samantha gets the upper hand. She forces Lois to use a sniper rifle to shoot Jonathan, but at the last second Lois attacks Samantha. Samantha grabs the rifle and gets a shot off before Lois grabs her.

Just as Samantha shoots, Clark enters the room where his dad is giving the speech, hears the bullet, and super-speeds in front of Jonathan to catch it without anyone noticing By the time he gets to where Lois is, she has Samantha pinned to the ground.

Lionel drops in at Lex, and they spar. Lex reveals that Griff turned up dead and Lionel warns him that he’s slipping. Jonathan is ahead in the polls but Lois is concerned that Lex is dropping a lot of money into the next few weeks and tells Martha that they’re out of money.

Lana and Clark meet in the barn and decide to take it slow and try to build their relationship again. Lana reveals she is studying all about the meteor showers again, and discovered that a ship might have come in the first one too, and that someone from it has been in Smallville the entire time.

Martha decides to go to Lionel for help. The episode ends with her getting into his car and driving off.

Episode 5.11 - Lockdown

At Lex’s manor, Lex is unhappy that the race isn’t going well for him when two policemen arrive and order him to evacuate as there’s been a bomb threat. Lex is suspicious and when he tries to check his security, the policemen draw guns. Lex makes a break for it and his assistant gets gunned down while Lex gets into a security room. Lex taunts them from his secure room but they’ve cut off communications and the head cop, Greg Flynn, identifies him as an ex-cop and wants to know where the spaceship is.

Clark and Lana are studying but Lana is disappointed that Clark is repressing due to his concerns about his powers. When she goes she drops a notebook with research papers on a spaceship. Lana reveals she’s been working with Lex and is unhappy that Clark is trying to avoid it. At the manor, Flynn reveals that he was one of the deputies at the spaceship landing and that he’ll figure a way to get Lex out.

Clark and Martha are discussing Clark’s relationship and Martha suggests he should trust her like he did Pete and Chloe. They’re interrupted by Lois, arriving to help with Jonathan’s campaign as his manager. That night, Lana is driving along and talking to Chloe when the second cop and Flynn’s fiancée, Harris, pulls her over and takes her to the manor. Lana denies any knowledge of the ship but Flynn remembers her from the crash and Lex has no choice but to come out. Lex manages to get the drop on them and shoot out the scrambler Flynn is using. He and Lana both get back into the secure room, but Lex is shot in the chest.

Lois is at the Kent campaign center when Jonathan arrives and kicks everyone else out, then asks her where all the money for the last-minute publicity is coming from. She eventually reveals Lionel Luthor is the new contributor – Jonathan is not happy at the price he may have to pay. Clark visits Chloe for advice and she says she’ll stay out of it, then Chloe gets a call about Lana’s abandoned car.

Sheriff Adams is checking Lana’s car when Clark shows up and spots a GPS tracker in the wheel well, which he shows to Adams before speeding off. Seconds later Adams gets a warning of a security alarm at Lex’s and she calls Harris, who reassures her. Adams is still skeptical and goes to check it out. Flynn has cranked up the heating elements in the secure room while Lana tends to Lex. They see Adams arrive on the security camera and meet with Harris – Adams barges in and sees the dead assistant and Flynn, and Harris shoots her from behind.

Clark is back with Chloe at the Planet, checking out the GPS serial number and tracking it to Flynn, figuring he was at the spaceship landing. They go to see his psychiatrist while Jonathan vents to Martha. She confesses that she took the money from Lionel and tries to convince him it’s okay. Lana is still tending to Lex and trying to keep him awake. He talks about his dream and how Lana was the best part of it. Lex admits he doesn’t know where the spaceship is and that it disappeared. Lex passes out and Lana opens the vault and demands they give him help – in return she’ll take them to the ship. Flynn agrees and they head out.

Clark and Chloe sneak into the psychiatry wing and check the tapes of Flynn talking about the spaceship. They figure Flynn went after Lex and Clark superspeeds there and finds Adams and Lex. Lana and the others arrive at the warehouse where Flynn reveals he’s going to plant an explosive to draw the police and press, verifying his story. When they get there the ship is gone but Lana manages to release some pipes and hits Harris. Flynn drops the bomb while Lana struggles with Harris and loses. Clark gets Lex to a hospital and gets him to tell where Lana is.

With 34 seconds on the timer, Harris frees Flynn and they plant the bomb before running out. Clark superspeeds in and spots Lana and the bomb. It goes off and Clark makes a last microsecond rescue of Lana just ahead of the bomb burst. Flynn and Harris are sent flying.

Flynn and Harris are taken off and Lana admits it was her idea to lead the bad guys off, and that she saved his life because he saved hers. Jonathan has come to terms with Lionel’s campaign contribution…by deciding to pay it all back by selling the back 40. Lana and Lex share a moment and Lex promises she’ll always get the truth from him from now on. They resolve to be friends, and hug, as Clark comes in and sees them together. Later, Clark is grousing to Chloe about how Lex endangered Lana, and Chloe tells him that if he’d been honest she wouldn’t have linked up with Lex in the first place. Clark is left with something to think about...

Episode 5.12 - Reckoning

Clark meets with Lana at the barn and tells her they’re going on a “mystery date.” Clark takes her to the Kawatche caves and into the secret chamber. After asking if she trusts him, and her agreeing, Clark uses the spaceship key and they’re teleported to the Fortress. Clark takes her up to one of the upper chambers and reveals everything about his past, and how he hid it from Lana to protect her. Then he takes a piece of coal and applies pressure, turning it into a diamond and puts it on a ring for her, and proposes.

Martha and Jonathan return from voting in the election for State Senate and Clark tells him about the proposal. They’re happy and realize that he is finally a man now.

Lana meets with Lois to help decorate for Jonathan’s (presumed) victory party and Lois realizes something significant has happened with Lana. Lana asks how Lois would react to finding a secret about someone she cared for, and Lois talks about how she’d be honored to have a friend like Clark, no matter what secret he might have. After a chat with Chloe, Clark returns to the farm where Lana arrives and announces that she accepts his proposal.

At the Talon, Lois brings word that Jonathan has won and the people there go wild. Lana gets a call from Lex and goes to meet him. He’s drunk and depressed that he’s failed to escape Lionel’s shadow once more, and then he notices the ring and concludes Clark must have told him his secret for her to accept his proposal. When Lana lies and denies it, Lex gets angry and Lana leave in her car. Lex pursues and as he pulls up to her, she calls Clark and fails to see an approaching school bus. Clark gets there at super-speed as Lex looks on, but Lana is dead and there’s nothing he can do. Jonathan arrives and pulls him away, and then Clark travels to the Fortress and pleads with Jor-El to bring Lana back to life. Jor-El points out there must be a balance, and Lana’s life is the sacrifice for restoring Clark, as a result of his telling her his secret.

Jor-El then says that there is a special crystal that can be used once and only once, but there still must be a balance. Clark takes the crystal, there’s a flash, and he’s now back at the moment where he met Lana at the barn. This time Clark doesn’t tell her his secret and Lana tells him she’s tired of his lies and she wants to separate.

Clark then meets with Chloe and explains what happened, and she agrees to stay with Lana to prevent her from dying this time around. That night at the victory party Jonathan’s victory is announced but Lois doesn’t make the announcement. The lights flicker and Clark races up to find Lois in a puddle of water with an overturned toaster, and he rescues her just in time. While he’s gone Lana gets the call from Lex and goes to meet him. But Jonathan also gets a call from Lionel who wants to discuss something with him after “their” victory.

This time Lana tells Lex that she and Clark have had their last fight and she’s tired of his lies and secrets. He kisses her and she storms out and he gives chase, just like the last time. Chloe warns Clark and he secretly gets there to stop the bus, while Lex catches up and apologizes to Lana. Lana notices Jonathan drive by on his way to his meeting with Lionel.

Lionel meets with Jonathan at the Kent barn and tells him he plans to collect on his financing of Jonathan’s campaign. Jonathan refuses and says he’ll pay him back, but Lionel shows him a piece of paper that he intends to use as blackmail. Jonathan throws the paper to the ground and stalks out, but he begins to stagger and then collapse. Lionel takes the paper and leaves while Martha and Clark go to Jonathan’s aid but there’s nothing they can do but watch him die.

As they prepare for the funeral, Martha assures Clark there’s nothing he could have done and that Jonathan will always be proud of him. At the end Clark is at the gravesite and Lana briefly holds his hand, but then she leaves him alone to face his responsibilities…as a man.

Episode 5.13 - Vengeance

At the Kent farm, Clark is working on a tractor in the barn and he tells Martha that he is dropping out of school. Martha is going to the Governor’s office in Metropolis to check out something but she’d prefer to donate Jonathan’s things to a Metropolis mission, and gives Clark his father’s watch. He gives it back to her, saying he’d prefer she have it. Martha arrives that night in Metropolis to drop off the stuff at a mission house when two gangers approach her. When she puts up a fight near an Apex Group factory they knock her out and prepare to kill her. A mysterious woman wearing a mask steps out of the shadows and knocks one out first then goes after the other. The first man puts a knife to Martha’s throat but the vigilante displays superhuman speed and strength and knocks them out…but not before noticing a tattoo of a “13” on one man’s neck as he flees. A police helicopter flies overhead and the figure reassures the unconscious Martha then takes off into the night.

Lana shows up at the Kents but Clark is heading out and isn’t big on talking to her despite her insistence. Martha arrives and tells what happened and how they took his father’s watch. Clark meets with Chloe who is happy she has a lead on the story and Clark isn’t thrilled with her enthusiasm and is insistent on getting the watch back. He then bumps into an assistant, Andrea, who notices the vigilante pictures Chloe has from Martha’s description.

Lex shows up at the Talon to meet with Lana to apologize, and wonder how she and Clark are doing. Then he offers her a shoulder to lean on if she needs it. Chloe’s is working on the story and comes up with the vigilante’s name of “Angel of Vengeance.” Then she goes off and the Angel drops in to warn her off. Clark spots her and she’s able to send Clark flying and warns him off before leaving, claiming she’s a good guy.

Chloe is enthused about having a “good guy” vigilante but Clark concludes the Angel is the only one who can identify the robbers. Clark has a plan and sends Chloe out on the streets as bait – a masked robber grabs her but it’s Clark and her rehearsing an attempt for her to act as bait. Then the Angel shows up and Clark, now prepared, fights her. Clark pulls off her mask and she is revealed as the assistant, Andrea. Then she knocks Clark into a generator and leaps off again. Clark is able to superspeed catch up to her and they meet face to face.

Lionel is considering a revolver, a gift from an overseas partner, and Lex comes in to give him grief about acting from surprise and his involvement with the Chinese to fund the Apex Group’s takeover of LuthorCorp. Lionel is proud of his actions and points out Lex can’t do anything after financing his campaign. Lionel warns “he has returned” and Lex stalks out.

Clark and Andrea are talking about how she got a heart transplant from a girl who died during the last meteor shower. She carries a lead-shielded piece of kryptonite which briefly weakens Clark. Clark then tries to get info on the robbers and she relents when he reveals it was from his dad. Andrea reveals how two robbers killed her mother and knifed her in the heart, and now she fights against the dealers, the robbers, and the businessmen who prey on the poor. She tells Clark that they’re members of the 13th street gang and she’ll help him go after them.

Martha comes in to visit with Chloe and is concerned about Clark’s absence. Chloe tells her about Clark’s feelings and Martha is worried Clark will take out his anger on the robbers. The masked Andrea and Clark approach the gang and find one of the men, Ono, who robbed Martha, but not the one with the watch. The other ones go for their guns and a concerned Clark leads Andrea off. Clark then uses his superhearing to pick up the guy calling his buddy, Snake, and grabs the phone at superspeed. He has Chloe check the cell phone – Andrea takes over and they call an escort service to place an “order” to the same address, but neither Clark or Andrea want Chloe to call in the police. Clark ignores Chloe’s advice to take it easy and superspeeds off – Andrea goes off to keep an eye on him.

Clark confront Snake and tosses him around, and Snake admits he sold the watch. Andrea shows up in costume to encourage him to kill the man. Clark refuses and Andrea uses her piece of kryptonite on him and goes after Snake – he’s the man who killed her mother before. Snake reveals he was hired to kill her mother by a guy working for Lionel Luthor. She kills the man as Clark can only look on in horror.

Lionel is back at the LuthorCorp building and Lex is sparring with him about the takeover bid. Lex suggests he might tell Martha about Lionel’s meeting with Jonathan right before his death and when Lionel caves, tells him to get out. Ono shows up and goes for Clark, but moves Clark off of the kryptonite. Clark cleans his clock and heads off to the LuthorCorp building as Andrea busts in and confronts Lionel. Lionel tries to appeal to her because they’re both orphans, and Clark shows up to try to talk her out of it as she dangles her over the ledge. Clark points out her mother wouldn’t want her to kill Lionel. She relents but drops Lionel out the window forcing Clark to grab him while she makes her escape rather then be captured.

Martha is at the Kent barn remembering Jonathan as she goes through her things, when Lionel shows up to offer his sympathies. He reveals the governor has asked Martha to take Jonathan’s place as Senator, and he turns down the payment Jonathan tried to give him for his loan. He offers any assistance she needs – as a friend – before taking off. At the Daily Planet, Clark finds that Andrea has left and Chloe has no idea where she is. Clark acknowledges he was ready to kill a man before he “heard” Jonathan’s voice and realized he wouldn’t have wanted Clark to kill someone.

Clark returns to the barn and finds his father’s watch – Lana is there and reveals she searched every pawnshop in Metropolis to find it. Clark apologizes and they seem to resolve their issues. Going into the house, Clark finds Martha watching videotapes of Jonathan with Clark as a young boy. When it’s done, the two embrace and cry.

Episode 5.14 - Tomb

It’s a dark and stormy night and Chloe is taking a shower at Lois’ apartment over the Talon. A lightning strike causes the lights to go out and Chloe is unaware of a shadowy figure peering at her through the shower curtain. She gets out and looks for candles as the figure moves by behind her. Clearing off a mirror, Chloe sees a girl behind her, pleading to her, and screams. Lois races up stairs and finds Chloe on the floor begging for help…her wrists cut.

Clark meets Lois at the hospital along with Chloe’s psychiatrist, Dr. Seidel. Seidel believes Chloe did it to herself and plans to treat it…aggressively. Clark talks to Chloe who doesn’t remember much but thinks there was someone in the room. Clark suggests they should mention Chloe’s mother, who had mental problems, but Chloe refuses.

Martha is working on budget papers when Lionel comes to visit and she’s clearly nervous around him. Lionel tries to console her over her loss and she considers his words. At the hospital, Chloe hears a girl’s voice and sees the lights in the bathroom flicker. She goes to investigate and sees something but Lana interrupts. Chloe follows a pair of bloody footprints that only she can see until Dr. Sydell catches up to her and has her sedated.

Lex is trying to find Professor Fine when Lana shows up to visit him about Chloe. She asks him to find some decent doctors from his time at Belle Reve and he agrees to help out. Lex then shows up at the hospital where Clark is and tells him Chloe’s going to be transferred to Belle Reve. Clark is upset even though Lex says Lana agrees Chloe should be moved. After Lex leaves, Clark takes Chloe to Lois’ apartment where Chloe wakes up. She starts hearing the voice again and seeing the girl, even though Clark can’t. The spirit vanishes into a wall and asks Clark to use his x-ray vision. He does so and finds…a skeleton. Yanking open the wall, he finds the skeleton…and a bracelet with kryptonite on it. He staggers out and Chloe touches the bracelet…and there’s a blast of energy. Clark calls the sheriff but when they go into the bathroom they find Chloe acting strange…and in the mirror “Chloe” can see herself as the spirit of the girl.

At the Kent Farm, Clark talks to “Chloe” who is clearly nervous and not herself. “Chloe” vows to try and find the man who killed the girl, and then Clark leaves. “Chloe” goes through her belongings and finds a taser-license identifying herself. Lois shows up to report the police have identified the girl as Gretchen Winters, who disappeared. They go upstairs only to find that “Chloe” has left already. “Chloe” is at her dorm room in Metropolis and wakes up Lois, who wonders what is going on. “Chloe” leaves and bumps into Lex – he and Lana try to calm her down. “Chloe” tasers Lex when he doesn’t get out of her way, and Clark shows up. Lex blames him for Chloe being free.

Clark calls Lois who is conducting an impromptu “aura cleansing” in her apartment and brings her up to speed. A guy arrives at her apartment and introduces himself as Michael, an orderly at the hospital from earlier. Michael claims he’s there to help and his dad ran the place when it was a movie theater, but Lois is suspicious. When he leaves Lois tries to call the hospital but Michael returns and chloroforms her unconscious. “Chloe” goes to an old house…where Michael lives. She asks for help and he lets her in, and “Chloe” talks about what he did to Gretchen and how he confessed to Gretchen and then he killed her. Michael grabs her and “Chloe” first tasers him then starts clubbing him. She’s interrupted by Lois calling for help and goes to the basement to investigate. She starts to free Lois but Michael comes down and knocks her out.

Michael now has them both tied up and is clearly nuts. He reveals that his father made the bracelets with the kryptonite, and puts on one “Chloe.” Then he cuts Lois free and gives her a knife, and tells her to slit her wrists or he’ll shoot Chloe.

At the Planet, Clark is checking the newspaper files and sees a picture of a candlelight vigil for Gretchen, with Michael in the background. He brings up Michael’s record and heads for his house.

An angry Lois throws the knife, taking Michael in the shoulder, but he knocks her over and prepares to stab her. Clark heat-visions the knife out of his hands but is weakened by the kryptonite bracelet and collapses. “Chloe” says she’s Gretchen and appealed to Michael to help her like he did before. When he gets close enough she touches him with the bracelet. Gretchen is now inside of Michael’s body and Chloe is free. Gretchen stabs “herself” with the knife, then emerges out of the body, smiles at Chloe, and departs. Chloe tells an awakening Lois and Clark what happened.

Lana visits Clark at the barn and wants to know why he wasn’t honest about what happened with Chloe. They don’t really resolve anything and she walks out. Clark talks to Martha and suggests she take over Jonathan’s Senate seat – she agrees. At the Daily Planet, Clark and Chloe discuss what happened and why Gretchen chose Chloe. Chloe admits she’s reluctant to see her mother, and Clark advises she should before she loses any chance to ever do so. Later Chloe goes to a mental hospital and sees her mother standing in front of a window. She faces the woman, who touches her face, and they hug.

Episode 5.15 - Cyborg

In a darkened laboratory, filled with artificial cybernetic limbs, a scientist comes in and looks at a man suspended in a cage. He gives an injection to the subject, Victor, to wake him up, apologizes “for what we did to you,” and releases him. He gives her a picture of a girl but as Victor steps out he sets off an alarm. Security guards go after Victor who runs through the building and makes his way outside. Victor comes to a metal door and when the guards arrive seconds later, they’re torn asunder and Victor has escaped. Lana is driving through Metropolis when Victor steps in front of her – she fails to hit the breaks but Victor simply stops the car with his bare hands. Lana takes a head injury and is stunned as Victor looks on.

Victor takes Lana to the hospital and then quickly leaves – she calls Clark for help. At the Kents, Martha receives a package secretly delivered at her doorstep. It contains a DVD player that shows the explosion at Lex’s warehouse where the spaceship was stored (from “Lockdown”). Clark arrives at the hospital and Lana brings him up to speed. While Clark gets a description, Victor changes out of his lab clothing and leaves the hospital but a police car drives by and Clark confronts him. He recognizes Victor as Victor Stone, a Met U football player that supposedly died in a car crash. When Clark tries to stop him, Victor easily throws him into a wall but Clark is unhurt. Clark x-rays him and sees he has a metal skeleton and parts.

Martha gets an anonymous call demanding money – when she hangs up Lionel shows up for a conference. She doesn’t tell him anything and Lionel leaves after making sure she knows she can count on him.

Clark brings Victor to the barn where Victor explains he was pulled from the wreck, his death was faked, and he was taken in for experiments and was the only one to survive. Clark admits he’s “different” as well and Victor talks about his girlfriend Catherine and how he wants to see her, but he can’t face her as a “thing.” Clark goes to track down Katherine and meets with Chloe and Lana at the Planet. Chloe looks up the company that experimented on Victor, Cyntechnics, who are involved with prosthetic limbs and was owned by LuthorCorp.

Clark confronts Lex who denies knowing anything about Cyntechnics, which is one of hundreds of LuthorCorp purchases. Lana goes to see Victor and he decides to go find Katherine, but the guards have tracked him down and hit him with some kind of energy beam. Clark arrives and knocks out the guards but Victor is leaking fluid from his power cell and if they don’t fix the damage, he’ll die.

Clark links up with Chloe who tracks down the Dr. Hong that helped Victor escape – she’s skeptical of Lex’s involvement. Clark goes to his house and finds Hong dead in his car, an apparent suicide. Lex shows up there and says he looked into Cyntechnics but Clark still doesn’t believe him. Lex claims the head doctor, Alistair Kreig, has gone rogue and Clark reluctantly tells him what’s up. He calls Lana who tells Victor that Hong is dead and he insists on leaving to see Katherine before he dies. He bursts into Katherine’s home but Dr. Kreig is already there and tells Victor to cooperate or Catherine dies. Victor has no choice but to cooperate. After he’s taken out, Lex steps in and it’s clear he’s involved.

Out on the Metropolis docks, Martha shows up with the money for the blackmailer and he makes a brief appearance before running off when Lionel pulls up. He insists on helping her and advises she not give in to blackmail.

Victor wakes up at the laboratory where they’ve fixed him. Lex assures him that he should be patient but Victor is skeptical. He’s even more skeptical when Lex proposed to put a control chip in his brain to “moderate” his emotions. Lana tells Clark that Victor is missing and Clark goes to the laboratory and knocks out Kreig and his assistants just in time. They escape and later Clark confronts Lex, who admits he was there but claims he was confronting Craig and Victor didn’t understand what he said.

Victor is back at the barn and Lana brings in Katherine – the two lovers are reunited as Clark and Lana look on. Later, Martha is reviewing the tape and we see more of what is on it, including Lana unconscious and the explosion that almost killed her. Lionel arrives and tells Martha he’s dealt with the situation. He’s concerned she might hurt her reputation when he’s with her but she refuses to let that concern her. Lana meets with Clark in the barn where he’s reminiscing about his football days. They talk about how their relationship isn’t going anywhere and Clark vows to love her no matter what.

At his apartment, Lionel pays off the man who was blackmailing Martha and he reviews his own copy of the DVD, while Martha considers her picture of Jonathan. She burns her copy of the DVD…while Lionel studies the shot of Clark rescuing Lana at super speed on his copy and promises that “your secret is safe with me…Kal-El.”

Episode 5.16 - Hypnotic

In Honduras, two men in protective suits are making their way through the jungle as part of an evacuation. They find a hut containing several bloody corpses and start taking samples. An unprotected man enters – Professor Milton Fine. He rips off one man’s protective suit and skewers the other one, then incinerates the hut with heat vision and departs at superspeed with the sample.

In Smallville, Clark and Lana are sharing a cup after a date but Clark bows out when the talk turns to intimacy. Lana assures him she’ll wait and leaves, and a woman approaches Clark, introduces herself as Simone, and focuses on a necklace. It has an immediate effect on Clark, forcing him to obey her commands. They make out in the back alley but Lois shows up, interrupting them. Clark introduces Simone as his new girlfriend.

Lex is going over files on Honduras and information on Fine when Lana arrives. He tells her about Fine’s disappearance and his connection to the ship’s disappearance at the same name, and how Fine has been spotted in Honduras. He’s heading to Honduras but wants Lana to stay behind. At the Kent farm, Clark demonstrates his superspeed, much to Simone’s surprise and pleasure. At Chloe’s dorm, Lois tells Chloe about what she saw but Chloe figures something is up and wants Lois to not tell Lana. Lana arrives and they cover up, then Lana gets a call from Clark who wants to talk to her.

Clark and Simone go up to the barn and Simone has Clark show her his other abilities. Afterward they strip and she asks Clark to make lover to her despite his concerns about injuring her. Before they can get too far, Lana walks in, leaves in shock, and Simone commands Clark to break it off. He confronts Lana who breaks into tears and leaves.

Simone arrives at Lex’s manor and Lex talks to her by closed-circuit camera – he’s aware of her mind-control abilities and that he sent her to break up Clark and Lana. Simone doesn’t reveal what she knows of Clark’s special abilities. Lex has evidence that can put her in prison and asks her to travel to Honduras. An underling tells Lex that they’ve found out Fine isn’t who they think he is.

At the barn, Chloe talks to Clark and believes he’s under some kind of influence, and isn’t reassured by Clark’s claim that he’s in love. Chloe sneaks into the Kent house and runs into Simone, and lays on the praise to keep Simone unsuspicious, then takes her credit card from her purse when she isn’t looking.

In Honduras, Lex arrives and Fine greets him – he’s been laying a trail for Lex to follow. Lex reveals he knows what Fine is…a government operative working for a covert branch of the State department. It’s another cover story and Fine lays on a story about how he’s investigating the meteor shower and the ship that arrived with it.

At the Planet, Chloe tells Lois about her suspicion and has dug up information on how Simone’s father was a doctor and hypnotist who died. He had the same necklace that Simone is now wearing. Lois offers to help but Chloe plans to do it herself to avoid giving away Clark’s secret.

Fine takes Lex to village children, one who has a carving similar to the spaceship. The villager who saw the ship is dead, burned to death, and Fine warns that the race responsible poses a dire threat to Earth and they need LuthorCorp’s help to develop a weapon.

Lois confronts Clark at the Kent house where he announces he and Simone are heading off to California. Clark knocks out Lois on Simone’s command and when Martha shows up, Simone commands her to do whatever it takes to stop Lois from following them. Then she tells Clark she needs him to kill Lex.

Lois wakes up to find Martha pointing a shotgun at her and Chloe arrives to knock her out from behind then heads for the manor. Lex arrives at the manor to find Clark waiting for him. Clark tosses him around and Simone tells Clark to make Lex suffer. Clark starts to choke her but Chloe arrives with a piece of green kryptonite and puts it in Clark’s pocket. Lex goes for a gun but Simone uses her necklace to order him to kill Chloe then himself. In the struggle the gun goes off, shattering the necklace and killing Simone. Chloe removes the green kryptonite and tosses it away before Lex notices.

Clark and Chloe meet at the Planet and Clark admits he’s relieved that he broke up with Lana – her feelings were real and he’s sick of lying to her. Chloe warns him to consider. Later at the barn, Lana arrives and Clark says his feelings have changed and he doesn’t love her. An upset Lana says it’s over…forever.

In Honduras, Fine in his liquid-metal form appears before the spaceship…along with several clones. He announces they need more samples and they take off into the jungle. Clark talks to Martha about the break-up and she suggest Clark broke up because deep down he didn’t think she was the one, and that Clark not only broke up with her but angered her. Martha wonders if they might regret that…and at Lex’s manor, Lana arrives and announces the break-up. Lex reassures her and is clearly intrigued by the news.

Episode 5.17 - Void

In her dorm room, Lana is lying in bed and taps nervously as she waits for Chloe to leave. Finally she gets up, takes out some money, and goes to the college cafeteria. She meets with a young doctor type, Lance, and his girlfriend Ally, who prepare a kryptonite-based serum to inject her with in return for payment. She begs for more time to “find them” and Lance finally agrees. They strap her down on a table and inject her with the serum, and she starts to hallucinate…seeing her mom and dad. She tries to embrace them but is hauled away and wakes up in convulsions, then demands she needs to go back.

Chloe is checking news stories and spots Professor Fine in a photo from Honduras. She calls Clark who instantly arrives but is hesitant to come in until he knows Lana is out. Chloe reveals she’s been out regularly with two med students, then brings Clark up to speed on her suspicion that Fine is still alive. They’re interrupted when Lana and Ally arrive. Clark awkwardly slips out and Lana tells Chloe she’s fine – Chloe is skeptical.

Clark superspeeds to Honduras and starts asking around and spots a boy with a carved wooden toy – the spaceship that Fine arrived in. At the Talon, Martha holds a press conference and all goes well. Lionel meets with her afterward and gives her some information. Martha wants to know why he’s helping her and he demurs and offers to go with her to help her schmooze with her other senators. Martha warns him not to expect anything other then friendship and he seemingly accepts that.

Lana goes to see Lance in the middle of anatomy class and demands another “treatment” to see her parents. He demands even more money and she says no problem. Later, Lex is at his manor and hears someone breaking in – he goes to investigate and finds Lana going through his stuff. He confronts her and she admits that Lance has created a drug that kills the user and brings them back, and on the other side she saw her parents. Lex tells her they both need to let it go and Lana agrees. When he goes to get her a blanket, she leaves with his car.

Clark goes into the jungle with the boy who leads him to a large black charred mark where the spaceship was. Lex calls Chloe and wants to know where Lana is and as she prepares to leave she finds some books on near-death experiences and a piece of paper. She goes to the address and finds Lance’s friend, Ally, who is in bad shape and clearly into the near-death experience. Chloe threatens to go to the college authorities but Ally starts gasping for breath and coughs up blood, says “meteor rock,” then dies.

Lana visits Lance who is getting rid of the evidence since he’s heard that Ally is dead. He has the remainder of the drug and Lana demands another injection and gives Lex’s Porsche as payment. Lex arrives and he and Lance get into a fight, while Lana grabs a vial of the drug and runs. Lex goes after her but Lance stabs him in the back with a syringe and injects the drug. Lex collapses and Lance flees. Lex “wakes up” at the manor and hears his mother Lillian playing the piano. She points out how he was dying the last time they “met” and how he ignored her advice then. She warns the path he’s chosen will hurt and he’s not the only one who will suffer. She asks him to stay and avoiding killing so many…and then he is yanked back. Chloe is there and gave him the second injection to revive him. However, he has no idea where Lana is.

Clark arrives and Chloe brings her up to speed, pointing out that Lana was seeking love from the only two people who would do so unconditionally – her parents. Chloe uses the computer to track Lana’s ID card where she is breaking into the campus infirmary. She gets a syringe and prepares to inject herself and Lance arrives and tosses her into a cart of glassware. He prepares to inject her and finish her off but Clark knocks him away. She begs him for an injection and Lance gets close enough with the green-k syringe to inject a weakened Clark. Clark collapses and Lance prepares to take a bone saw to Lana. She grabs a beaker and smashes it into his face – he drops the saw then falls on it.

Lana goes to Clark, who is hallucinating that he’s back in the Kent barn uninjured. He opens the door to a bright light and in steps…Jonathan Kent. Jonathan tells him he must go back and Clark tells him about the deal he made with Jor-El. Jonathan reassures him he’s not to blame and he’s proud protecting Clark…from Lionel Luthor. Jonathan reveals Lionel knows everything and that Clark must go back to keep his mother and the whole world safe. Jonathan tells him to go and find his destiny to help others, then shove him back to where Clark wakes up with Lana over him.

Clark returns home and calls for Martha as she prepares to go out to the dinner with Lionel. But before he can warn her, Lionel arrives and takes her off and Clark can only glower angrily.

At the Daily Planet, Clark reveals to Chloe that he didn’t find anything on Fine but he saw Jonathan who warned him about Lionel’s knowledge of his secret. Chloe reveals that Lionel was her source on the Honduras photos and Clark wonders if he’s playing them all.

Lex is practicing the piano when Lana arrives to apologize and Lex is okay with it. He reveals to her that he saw his mother but lies about what she said. Lana is at her dorm considering her family photos when Clark arrives and she gives him an explanation of sorts about how she’s always felt alone, but now she won’t allow herself to be so dependent. They part on good terms as Clark assures her he just wants her to be happy…and she says she will be.

Episode 5.18 - Fragile

Martha’s chief of staff Naomi Van Horn is making supper for her foster daughter Maddie and trying to get her to come to the table. When Maddie refuses, they have a struggle and a nearby glass water pitcher shatters by itself. Her mother realizes that Maddie caused it with her mind. Her mother panics and tries to call the foster home and Maddie goes up to her room as the windows vibrate behind her. As Maddie hides beneath her bed, the aquarium all the windows and lamps shatter, raining her foster mother with broken glass. The mother emerges from the wreckage and stares as a mirror vibrates then shatters in her face, killing her.

A deputy drops off Maddie with Martha and Clark after investigating the murder. Martha reveals Maddie hasn’t been able to speak since her birth mother died at age 3. Over Clark’s objections, Martha wants to call Lionel who ran the foster organization. Clark talks to Maddie who is drawing a tree and manages to get a smile out of her. Lex and Lana come back to her dorm room from a dinner after Lex has revealed his information about Fine and his supposed government connections. Chloe comes in and notices them and makes a hasty exit.

The next morning Clark shows Maddie around the barn and has her turn around so he can superspeed assemble a hay pile to leap on. While she pets Shelby he hears Maddie whispering to the dog and promises not to say mean things to her. She talks to him and they chat, but Lois barges in and she clams up. When Lois gets a bit insistent Maddie frowns and the light bulbs shatter. She runs out and Clark goes into the house after her and Maddie explains she didn’t kill Naomi as her powers don’t work through walls. Clark takes off and asks Lois to stay with Maddie.

Clark checks in with Chloe who has Maddie’s background and determined that Maddie’s birth mother died in a freak car accident when her windshield cracked. Lois is taking Maddie out about the farm, but the girl makes a break for it to find Shelby. Lois manages to calm her down just as they’re interrupted by Frank Colbert from Child Services, who tries to take her away. Lois tries to explain without much success.

Clark is checking up on videos of Milton Fine being seen across the world when Chloe arrives to confront him about his taking advantage of Lana. Lex denies any romantic involvement and Chloe warns him not to hurt Lana.

Colbert gets Maddie in the car despite Lois’ warnings. When she goes to get Maddie’s belongings, the car windows start to vibrate and Maddie sees a man standing just out of sight of Lois. The windows explode, killing Colbert, and a badly injured Lois can only look on as the man takes the car and leaves with Maddie.

Clark meets Lois at the hospital and gets a description of the man. Maddie has slipped away to try and call Clark but the man catches up to her – he’s her dad. Maddie accuses him of killing Naomi and his wife and the man cops to it. He shows her a crystal butterfly and demonstrates that he can control crystal and glass as well, creating as well as destroying.

Chloe has identified the man as Tyler McKnight, Maddie’s birth father who was imprisoned and sentenced to Belle Reve after stealing seven diamonds. He goes to McKnight’s mother, who is unaware that he’s out or that he has a granddaughter. Clark sees a stained-glass window sketch from the Talon that has the missing diamonds in it. Tyler has taken Maddie to the Talon and recovers the diamonds. He offers them to Maddie but she refuses. Clark comes in and Tyler tries to direct the glass at him, but Tyler throws him into a case and then comforts Maddie.

Lana has heard from Lex and confronts Chloe at the Daily Planet. Lana denies any romantic involvement with Lex and tells Chloe to let it go. Clark helps Lois back to her apartment and talks about Maddie going to stay with her grandmother. Martha comes in and announces that Lois will be taking over as her chief staffer, and Lois agrees.

The deputy takes Tyler out of the hospital but McKnight kills him with his own glasses and makes his escape. Maddie is at the Kents helping out and Clark talks about his father. Maddie would rather stay with them but when Clark tries to explain Maddie starts to lose control of her powers. Clark gets her to calm down.

That evening Clark and Maddie come downstairs and find the door window broken. He goes out to the barn to find Martha with a piece of glass floating at her neck. Tyler demands that Clark bring his daughter to her but Clark uses his heat vision on the glass. Tyler throws every piece of glass in the barn at him but it spins around – Maddie has taken control. Clark convinces her not to kill him and she lets the glass drop.

Clark convinces Maddie to go with her grandmother and assures her she can call him if she ever starts to lose control. Maddie goes after leaving Clark with a new more cheerful picture. Chloe is happy that Lois can provide her with information from the capital and Clark asks about Lana. Chloe is angry that Clark is using her as a “spy,” but backs off when Clark wonders if there’s something she’s not telling him. Lex is on the computer tracking Fine when Lana comes in to talk about their relationship, or lack thereof. Then impulsively kisses her, apologizes, and she kisses him back before running out of the room.

Episode 5.19 - Mercy

Lionel is driving along and taking a business call when the divider window shows up and a masked figure comes on the television screen. The limo screeches to a halt on the railroad tracks and the driver gets out, locking the doors. The Figure taunts him to a game of Hangman to win the game before the train hits the limo, and hints that he learned the answer from Lionel, who figures out the answer is “no mercy.” The doors unlock and he gets out just in time, to see a billboard painted with “Having fun yet?” on it.

Clark is at the Daily Planet grousing to Chloe about Lionel’s growing familiarity with Martha, and admits he’s reluctant to put her through more. Lionel confronts Lex to accuse him of the murder attempt – Lex denies it and Lionel reluctantly accepts his explanation but refuses to accept his help.

Clark returns home and tells Martha that Lionel knows about his secret. In return she tells Clark about the recording of Clark at the warehouse rescuing Lana, and that she didn’t want to tell him because of everything he’s been through. They decide not to confront him but see what else he might know.

Lionel has his security office swept by a security guard who finds nothing. After he leaves, the Figure appears on Lionel’s computer screen and taunts Lionel, having cut off the phone lines. The Figure appears behind him and drugs him unconscious.

Lionel wakes up in a furnace chamber and finds a charred corpse. The Figure torments him further via TV and is clearly a former worker. The lights come on to reveal a fuel tank and two buckets. For the new game, Lionel must fill the two buckets equally and balance them on a hook – if he fails the furnace will go off. The Figure shows how the limo driver died trying to pass the text, and warns Lionel only has ten minutes or the flames will come on anyway.

Lex is teaching Lana how to play chess and they start talking about their kiss, with Lana reluctant to pursue the matter. When there’s a phone call, Lana takes off and Lex gets the news that Lionel is missing. Lionel works to complete the game while the Figure torments him with the accusation that Lionel killed his parents, a charge Lionel denies. Ignoring him, Lionel balances the scales, opening the doors and letting him dive through into the next chamber. There he finds Martha sealed in an airtight chamber.

The tank begins to fill with water and Lionel can’t get her out. The Figure shows him a board with letters and a scrambled series of letters. Clark meets with Chloe to discuss Fine when he gets a call from Lois that Martha is missing. Lex is working with the security team when Clark and Chloe arrive. Clark spots a hidden camera and finds an excuse to reveal it, and Chloe offers to trace the signal.

While Martha and Lionel work on the anagram, Clark, Chloe, and Lionel work together but Lex is interrupted by a call from Lana. Chloe finds the signal while Lionel solves the puzzle and Martha is freed with seconds to spare. The lights come on to display a door and they have no choice but to go through it for the final game. They enter an elevator which closes and ascends by itself. Lionel connects it to his takeover of Apex to teach Lex a lesson, a “lesson” Martha can’t comprehend.

They arrive at the top and a gun opens – the Figure demands that Lionel take the gun and only one of them can leave the elevator alive, or the elevator cable will break and they both lose. Clark and Lex have gone to the building and find a camera transmitting Lionel and Martha in the elevator. Lionel picks up the gun and apologizes, talking about how Clark is such a special boy and he’ll need Martha more then ever. He asks her to shoot him but she can’t, and expresses his wish that it would end differently for them as he prepares to shoot himself…but the gun is empty. The signal cuts off and Chloe reveals it was shut off at the source.

The Figure comes out to confront Lionel and Martha while Chloe gets the new address to Clark, who super speeds away from Lionel. The Figure reveals he never planned to let Lionel live and takes off the mask to show he was the security guard who checked Lionel’s office earlier, and that he lost everything in the Apex takeover. Lionel begs for Martha’s life and apologizes, but the man releases the elevator. Clark catches it at the bottom in clear sight of Lionel, who wanders off after saying, “thank you…son.”

At the house Clark and Martha discuss the situation and Clark is skeptical, but Martha points out Lionel was willing to sacrifice his life for Clark’s future. Clark doesn’t buy it but Martha points out they may not have a choice. Back at the warehouse where the games were held, Lionel is considering the gun when Lex shows up to reveal they’ve found the killer, Lincoln Cole. Lionel tries to cover for their miraculous rescue and Clark’s involvement, and Lex wants to know why Lionel referred to Clark as a “special boy.” Lionel dismisses Lex’s suspicions about Clark and tells him to let it go.

Clark goes to visit Lionel who addresses him as Kal-El and reveals he’s known since he held the crystal. Lionel admits he doesn’t want to endanger Clark’s destiny and he wants what’s best for Clark and Martha, calling him “son.” Clark takes offense and warns Lionel to stay away from Martha. After Clark goes, Lionel has some kind of spell and clutches at his head, then scribbles something down.

Episode 5.20 - Fade

In Metropolis, the police are escorting a witness into a courtyard as a man looks on. Clark is accompanying Chloe on an assignment when Clark notices the man is about ready to be run over. Clark superspeeds to the rescue and saves his life, and the man notices Clark’s name on his press badge. The police take the witness into a sealed holding room and find nothing, then lock him in. After they leave, the man Clark rescues appears behind the witness and strangles him to death. When the alarm goes off, the police burst in and find nothing but the dead witness, as the killer reappears outside in the hallway.

Clark and Martha return home and find Lois playing video games on a new big-screen TV. Someone had it delivered and the present simply has a card saying “Enjoy!” Clark suspects Lionel then goes to talk to Chloe who tells him about the dead witness. Chloe tries to track the sale but doesn’t have any luck. Chloe almost manages to give away that she knows about Lana and Lex’s secret but covers.

At the Kents, the man is watching Lois exercise and then appears out of nowhere to introduce himself as Graham. When Graham finds out Clark returned the TV, he’s unhappy and Lois invites him to stay and wait for Clark. Lex returns home to find Lois waiting for him. He has been checking on Fine’s background and hasn’t found anything, and wonders if he’s really working for the government. Then they admit they missed each other and kiss…while Clark arrives to see them without their noticing him.

He leaves and confronts Chloe about keeping it secret and in return Chloe advises him to let it drop since he broke up with her. Back at the loft, Clark is mooning over Lois’ picture when Graham shows up. Graham insists he doesn’t want to be in debt to anyone and convinces Clark to go to a party in Metropolis with him. Graham has also invited Lois who is there to get closer to Graham. Graham then gets Clark out on the balcony where a woman is waiting for him – Gia. Graham set her up with Clark but he quickly takes off. Graham is impressed by Clark’s dedication to Lana and plans to help get them together. Graham is undeterred when he finds out Lex is Lana’s new boyfriend and assures Clark things will work out.

At the manor, Lex is unaware that he’s being watched by an invisible Graham who tries to strangle him. Lex fights back unsuccessfully and only Lana’s intervention save him. Clark visits an unconscious Lex at the hospital and talks to Lana, who gives him a description of Graham.

Graham visits Lois at the Talon – she’s reluctant to go out with him but he eventually prevails. Clark goes to Graham’s apartment and confronts him, and when Graham attacks him Clark reveals his invulnerability and Graham turns invisible and escapes. Clark links up with Chloe who figure out Graham is a professional hit man with a meteor power. As they discuss Clark’s weakness they’re unaware that Graham is invisibly watching them.

Lois is taking a shower at her apartment when Graham sneaks in to watch her. Lois suspects something is up and opens the door to find Clark. He figures Graham was there and then uses his super-hearing to fix on Graham’s heartbeat. Clark spots him leave after bumping into someone and goes outside to see him down the street. Clark grabs him but Graham has a piece of green kryptonite and leaves him to die while going after Lex at the hospital.

Lana is with Lex and Lex is melancholy over the fact Clark visited while he was unconscious. He also suggests that Lana should tell Clark about them before he finds out on his own. Lois is preparing to go on her date with Graham when Chloe comes in and tells her about Graham. They go outside and find Clark in a construction area where Graham buried him. Chloe secretly ditches the kryptonite and Clark tells them where Graham is heading.

Lex is alone in his room receiving a message from Fine asking if the “compound virus” is ready. Lex answers in the affirmative and then Lana comes in. Graham takes out Lex’s guard and sneaks in but Lex notices him and opens fire. He scores a hit but Graham knocks Lex down and takes the gun, while they make a run for it. Clark arrives in time to intercept the bullet just as Graham collapses, dead.

The next day Lois visits Martha and complains about her luck with men. Clark visits Chloe at the Planet who has gotten her first front-page story for her story on Graham. Clark is reluctant about saving people but Chloe assures him he has to rescue who he can and not pick and choose. Clark apologizes to Chloe and then goes back to his barn to take down his telescope. Lana arrives and explains she’s been spending time with Lex. Clark tries to explain she’s in danger but she insists she doesn’t need protecting and it was Clark’s decision to break up, and he’ll have to live with it.

Episode 5.21 - Oracle

Clark arrives home at night to a surprise birthday party thrown by Lois, Chloe, and Martha. Martha gives him a present of a birthday card Jonathan had signed before his death, along with a pair of tickets to a Milwaukee baseball game. Clark goes to Jonathan’s grave to thank him and leaves the tickets but he turns to see…Jonathan standing behind him. Jonathan apologizes for not being at the birthday party and tells Clark he’ll have to “stop it” on his first own. Jonathan talks of so many people who will die and warns Clark that Lionel Luthor will do something terrible. Jonathan tells him he must kill Lionel to save the world, then fades off into the mist.

The next morning Martha suggests to Clark he might have imagined Jonathan but Clark recounts how he saw Jonathan once before (in “Void”). Martha wonders at what could be so serious that Jonathan would ask Clark to kill anyone, even Lionel. Lana comes into the Talon to get coffee for Lex and Lois realizes she’s dating Lex, although Lana denies it. Lois offers her a sympathetic ear while Clark checks in with Chloe and tells her about the blackmail tape from the warehouse. Chloe agrees they should investigate but wonders what they could find that would drive Clark to kill Lionel.

Lionel is waiting for Lex at the manor and is taking pills. He confronts Lex over his business in Honduras and the fact he and Fine are smuggling deadly viruses into the country. Lionel advises Lex to break up the partnership but Lex dismisses his concerns. After he leaves for a board meeting Lionel has another seizure then grabs a marker and paper and starts writing Kryptonian symbols as his eyes fill with computer data.

Chloe and Clark break into Lionel’s office and Chloe finds an appointment Lionel has made with a reporter, Leon Rowland, about a weapon and Chloe wonders if he might intend to discuss Clark.

Lana meets with Lex who admits to her that he’s been working on something and warns her that if he tells her, she’ll be in all the way. He takes her to a secret Luthorcorp laboratory and reveals he’s been collecting deadly viruses and altering them into an ultimate vaccine that works against any disease. He warns Lana that Fine doesn’t know about the vaccine and shows her two photos of the ship taken a second apart – Fine is in the first but gone for the second. Lex hoped to buy time to find a weakness but worries Fine doesn’t have one. Lana reveals that Lionel told her how to stop the kryptonians, using kryptonite.

Martha arrives home and finds a message waiting for her from Lionel warning he needs to talk to Clark. Before she can call Clark she sees Jonathan sitting in the dark. He asks her how long she’s had feelings for Lionel and she assures him he’s the only man she’s ever loved. Before she can touch him he disappears and reappears behind her, then warns her Lionel plans to kill many more just like he killed Jonathan. He tells her that Lionel must die and then disappears to reappear outside…where he reverts to the form of Milton Fine.

Clark and Martha wonder what “Jonathan” knows while Fine confronts Lex and wonders what Lex is hiding from him. When Fine questions him further, Lex pulls out a piece of kryptonite but Fine is unimpressed, noting he was only made by Kryptonians. He holds a sword-hand to Lex’s neck and demands the virus.

Chloe has discovered that Lionel was calling Jonathan regularly up to the time of his death and was at the barn the night of Jonathan’s death. Clark sets up a meeting at the barn with Lionel and confronts him over Jonathan’s death and Lionel’s involvement. He throws Lionel around but Lionel denies knowing anything about any plans to use Clark as a weapon. “Jonathan” shows up to tell Clark to kill Lionel, but Lionel points out “Jonathan” would never make Clark a murderer.

Clark realizes Lionel is telling the truth and uses his heat vision on “Jonathan.” “Jonathan” gets to his feet, undamaged, and throws a tractor at Clark before superspeeding off to come at Clark from behind. Lionel, his eyes glazed white, touches “Jonathan” and he reverts into Fine before disappearing. Lionel’s eyes return to normal and he has no memory of what happened.

Clark takes Lionel to his office and they conclude Fine isn’t a Kryptonian. Lionel insists they not tell Lex anything and Clark agrees, and then Lionel reveals a secret vault containing all of the Kryptonian writing he has been doing. They take the papers to Chloe to scan the information and Lionel reveals the virus is ready, but the warning channeled through him may be of something even more dangerous, but they need to find the lab.

Clark goes to Lana’s dorm room and finds the photos she has, and Lana and Lois come in. Lois ducks out and Lana is furious but Clark warns her that Lex is in trouble and needs the lab’s location. Fine is at the lab with Lex, who concludes Fine wants the virus to wipe out Earth for when the Kryptonians arrive. Fine warns that he never intended to mass-produce the vaccine but only needs one dose. He merges a bit of his nanotech body with the vaccine and injects Lex with it. Lex collapses and Fine sets the lab on fire. Clark superspeeds in, sees a recovering Lex, then goes after Fine.

The next day Lex has his doctor check him out but the guy finds nothing. Clark arrives to tell him he should have listened to Lionel but Lex denies everything, says they now have the records of the vaccine, and admits he doesn’t know where Fine is. As Clark leaves, Lex warns him to come to him, not Lana, if he needs something. The two argue and Lex points out Clark lost Lana all on his own.

At the Kent farm, Lionel arrives to “confess” to Martha that he talked to Jonathan on the phone the night Jonathan died, and that he admitted he knew Clark’s secret. He then leaves, telling Martha at least he was honest with her and maybe some day she can forgive him.

Lex and Lana share a meal and as they talk, Lex notices a circular mark on his left wrist. He opens a bottle and cuts his thumb, and looks on in astonishment as the wound heals over. Lex tells Lana he’s fine and considers the possibilities. At the barn, Clark contemplates his father’s birthday card as Lois shows up to tell him Lana has moved on, which he already knows. Lois assures him that there may be somebody else in the future. Chloe shows up with the cake for a belated birthday and after Lois takes off, Chloe shows him the translation of the symbols, including words Clark recognizes – “Zod is coming.”

Episode 5.22 - Vessel

At the Kent farm, the animals act up and a bright light flashes outside. At the manor, Lex awakens from Lana’s embrace and clutches at his head as the light shine through the windows. He barges out and starts driving at speed with Lana following and trying to call him on her cell phone. He comes to a halt and gets out as Lana follows him across a creek and through the woods. In the middle of a field Lex yells to Lana to stay back and then the ground erupts all around him in a circle of dirt and light. A shadow passes overhead and Professor Fine appears behind Lana, saying he’s “preparing” Lex, as the black ship appears overhead. A beam of light shines down on Lex and Lana goes into the light, but Lex is gone, and the only thing left is a huge Kryptonian symbol of Zod burned into the ground.

At the Kent farm, Lois is trying to get tickets for Martha when Lionel shows up and offers her transportation. It’s clear he’s trying to get closer to her. Lana arrives at the Daily Planet to tell Chloe what she saw and she goes to the barn to tell Clark. Chloe warns against Clark listening to Jor-El but Clark goes to the Fortress. Jor-El explains the ship, and Fine, are a single construct that won’t stop until Zod is released. Jor-El notes Zod’s physical body was destroyed and he needs a vessel. A knife appears and Jor-El tells Clark he must use it to destroy the “vessel” – no matter who it is.

Clark meets with Chloe again and tells her he doesn’t plan to kill anyone. Chloe figures that Lex is the vessel and Clark announces he may have to kill Lex…as Lana overhears him from outside the room.

Clark is at the barn considering the knife when Lionel arrives and reveals he’s written more warnings from Jor-El. The new warning says “Sacrifice the vessel” and Clark tells Lionel that Lex is the vessel. Back in the field, Lex is lying unconscious within the Zod symbol. He gets to his feet as Lionel arrives and warns him there’s nothing he can do. When he reaches for Lex, Lex throws him away with super-strength and into a car window. Lex superspeeds over as Lionel looks on in horror, then Lex goes to the manor. Lana is there and he shoots himself with a gun to reveal that he is bulletproof as well. Lex says it’s still him, but Lana backs away in horror momentarily but then comes to him as he confesses he couldn’t keep anything secret from him. Lana reveals that she overheard Clark planning to kill him. Lex needs to go and tells Lana she can’t come with him but she can meet him on the LutherCorp roof that night.

Clark meets with Lionel who confesses he taught Lex to be completely ruthless, although Clark believes that’ll give Lex what he needs to fight back. Lionel warns Clark may have to sacrifice Lex or Lana.

Lois and Martha are bordering Lionel’s LutherCorp plane and Lois warns Martha that it won’t be the first time Lionel does her a “favor.” Clark arrives at the manor to confront Lex and finds Lana who refuses to betray Lex. Lana refuses unless Clark tells her the truth, and he refuses. She storms out and Fine arrives to taunt Clark and reveal that Clark was to be the vessel. He offers Clark one more chance and says he’ll destroy the humans. Fine slaps Lex’s laptop computer and every power system in the state begins to shut down.

Clark meets with Chloe at the Daily Planet and she reveals there’s a computer virus and it’s spreading – every major city in the world will soon be infiltrated. They’re interrupted by a car flying in through the window – Clark manages to grab it then go out to save who he can. Before he leaves, Chloe gives him a kiss. They’re interrupted when the phone rings and Lex calls.

Lois and Martha are in-flight when they realize the flight has been delayed and they’re heading into the mountains. They’re unaware that a Fine is flying the plane.

Clark goes to the barn to meet Lex and the two spar verbally before they fight. Clark draws the knife and holds it to Lex’s throat and Fine appears to goad him on. Clark refuses and throws the knife into Fine. It glows red as do the lights at the fortress, and a burst of energy shoots into the sky. Fine reveals Clark has opened the portal to Zod, and the energy slams into Lex and then Fine.

Fine disappears and Lex turns to speak as Zod. Lex/Zod tells Clark that he has no choice but to join him or he will destroy Earth. When Clark refuses, Lex/Zod tosses the circlet out into the sky and it pulls Clark in.

Lois tires to get the pilot’s door open without success as the oxygen begins to run out. Martha collapses and Lois manages to open the oxygen masks but collapses before she can get to them.

Riots are breaking out across the world as Chloe makes her way across Metropolis. She spots Lionel’s limo and gets in with him, but the mob overwhelm the car and pull them out. Lana is on her way to the LuthorCorp wear Lex/Zod is waiting for her as Lex promised. Lana assures him that she wouldn’t fail and Lex/Zod kisses her. And across the globe, the power goes out as Clark hangs suspended within Zod’s former prison, drifting off through space.

(to be continued)

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