#*%%@^^!+ Clark, Fly Already!!!!!!

[Superbeard]

That's two episodes, and two characters have flat-out TOLD him to start flying. AG and MM, screw your "no flights no tights" rule. You've had, what, one, two, three, maybe more? characters flying in the show already, INCLUDING CLARK (but in "Kal-El" mode, so it *doesn't count*), so obviously you aren't worried about people flying sans costumes looking cheesy. We all want Clark to fly, the characters in the show want Clark to fly, even YOU guys want Clark to fly, so would you stop teasing us and just get to it!?!?

"So tell me exactly why you aren't able to fly yet?" = what every fan wants to know
"I don't know." = extremely lame way of saying "the script won't allow it," on par with Clark's overused "just lucky I guess" excuse to Lana for six long seasons

I was fine with him still getting the hang of things in the first few seasons, and I even would've allowed him some time to reorient himself for a few episodes after he was in Kal mode. But this is too much. He has mastered control of his powers. He can punch phantoms into the stratosphere, evaporate lakes with heat vision, run about twice as fast as a speeding bullet now to the point that it looks like he's moving outside of time, and he can even jump onto rockets a mile in the air, which isn't that far off. Now it's just obvious about them holding back. Even the characters in the show are getting anxious. His lack of flying is sticking out like a sore thumb, and with no explanation. It's not like he doesn't know what it feels like to do it; he didn't forget everything he did as Kal, he has full memory of it. What is the friggin' hold-up!?

I don't care about it looking all the more refreshing later on when he dons the costume, or if he has to go to the Fortress and finish his training first, I WANT CLARK TO START FLYING NOW.

Sorry this is long, but I am getting REALLY fed up with this.

[TampaVille]

You actually make some very good points. Just to add a couple:

Clark has flown before, several times.

1) Way back in Season 1, in the tornado.
2) Also Season 1, in a dream, he was hovering over Lana
3) Rosetta, when he sleep-flew to Route... 16?
4) As Kal (for which he does have memories)
5) As Jo (not really HIM flying, but he possessed the memories)
6) With fake Kara from the cave wall (mostly her flying, but it was still a flight experience)

And possibly one or more times I'm not recalling.

So, just backing you up here. There's really no excuse at this point.

[pycer]

Just in case anyone from ths show actually happenes to read these boards, I want to add my voice of agreement here as well.

[Jlandsw]

Originally posted by TampaVille
You actually make some very good points. Just to add a couple:

Clark has flown before, several times.

1) Way back in Season 1, in the tornado.
2) Also Season 1, in a dream, he was hovering over Lana
3) Rosetta, when he sleep-flew to Route... 16?
4) As Kal (for which he does have memories)
5) As Jo (not really HIM flying, but he possessed the memories)
6) With fake Kara from the cave wall (mostly her flying, but it was still a flight experience)

And possibly one or more times I'm not recalling.

So, just backing you up here. There's really no excuse at this point.

How about those 2 Super jumps from season 5. One when he stopped the missile and when he took Lana to the FOS in Reckoning.

it may not have been 'flight' but it was damn close.

[olliejk]

I think the FoS jump with Lana (during the erased day) was way to slow and gentle to be a jump. The missile jump WAS probably a jump but it was flat out CRAZY accurate. I have a theory about that one. The jump produced the bulk of the "thrust" but then for accuracy "flight" powers provided for course correction. Clark could have done that without even knowing he was doing it.

More telling is when he holds things down (once a helicopter once Kara). Little physics lesson here, but no matter how strong he his, he only weighs so much. If he is holding on to something going up, it's only gonna pull him up with it. To hold down Kara, and the helicopter, he HAD to basically be flying down. In the case of Kara, he had to be flying down with a greater force than she was.

I think Kara had it right, it's a maturity thing. I think from the "flying that doesn't count" episodes, we see it is mental maturity more than physical. All the boy needs to fly is 20 minutes with a good psychiatrist.

[98chase]

Originally posted by Superbeard
That's two episodes, and two characters have flat-out TOLD him to start flying. AG and MM, screw your "no flights no tights" rule. You've had, what, one, two, three, maybe more? characters flying in the show already, INCLUDING CLARK (but in "Kal-El" mode, so it *doesn't count*), so obviously you aren't worried about people flying sans costumes looking cheesy. We all want Clark to fly, the characters in the show want Clark to fly, even YOU guys want Clark to fly, so would you stop teasing us and just get to it!?!?

"So tell me exactly why you aren't able to fly yet?" = what every fan wants to know
"I don't know." = extremely lame way of saying "the script won't allow it," on par with Clark's overused "just lucky I guess" excuse to Lana for six long seasons

I was fine with him still getting the hang of things in the first few seasons, and I even would've allowed him some time to reorient himself for a few episodes after he was in Kal mode. But this is too much. He has mastered control of his powers. He can punch phantoms into the stratosphere, evaporate lakes with heat vision, run about twice as fast as a speeding bullet now to the point that it looks like he's moving outside of time, and he can even jump onto rockets a mile in the air, which isn't that far off. Now it's just obvious about them holding back. Even the characters in the show are getting anxious. His lack of flying is sticking out like a sore thumb, and with no explanation. It's not like he doesn't know what it feels like to do it; he didn't forget everything he did as Kal, he has full memory of it. What is the friggin' hold-up!?

I don't care about it looking all the more refreshing later on when he dons the costume, or if he has to go to the Fortress and finish his training first, I WANT CLARK TO START FLYING NOW.

Sorry this is long, but I am getting REALLY fed up with this.
Is there really going to be one of these every episode until he flies?

Originally posted by olliejk
I think the FoS jump with Lana (during the erased day) was way to slow and gentle to be a jump. The missile jump WAS probably a jump but it was flat out CRAZY accurate. I have a theory about that one. The jump produced the bulk of the "thrust" but then for accuracy "flight" powers provided for course correction. Clark could have done that without even knowing he was doing it.

More telling is when he holds things down (once a helicopter once Kara). Little physics lesson here, but no matter how strong he his, he only weighs so much. If he is holding on to something going up, it's only gonna pull him up with it. To hold down Kara, and the helicopter, he HAD to basically be flying down. In the case of Kara, he had to be flying down with a greater force than she was.

I think Kara had it right, it's a maturity thing. I think from the "flying that doesn't count" episodes, we see it is mental maturity more than physical. All the boy needs to fly is 20 minutes with a good psychiatrist.
OMG. I promise you, I will bet you money, when Clark actually flies for the first time, there will be no debate what-so-ever. Everyone and their mom will know that Clark flew. Ok? He HAS NOT FLOWN YET. Why would they give an entire episode to every power he has obtained, yet not do the same for the most identifiable power of Superman? They wouldn't. They wouldn't just throw little subtle "flights" in here and there. There will be an entire episode dedicated to it. I promise you, you are over thinking things. It appears that people here like "holes" or discontinuities in the plot. Think of Clark holding down a helicopter and Kara as plot holes.

[Mischael12]

Clark will fly when he accepts his kryptonian heritage, and stop worrying so much about being human.

At the same time he will also become Superman.

Superman is the Kryptonian, Clark is the human.

[superpal1]

Clark needs to fly. Now it is just stupid that he hasnt. Kara is suspended in animation for 18 years, comes out and flys right away. it is a power that Clark has, he has done it in the past, so it is not an ability he has not gained yet. It is probably a mental thing, but get him over it. WIth Kara flying, MM flying, it is way to stupid to not have the main man flying or at least testing the waters.

[98chase]

Originally posted by superpal1
Clark needs to fly. Now it is just stupid that he hasnt. Kara is suspended in animation for 18 years, comes out and flys right away. it is a power that Clark has, he has done it in the past, so it is not an ability he has not gained yet. It is probably a mental thing, but get him over it. WIth Kara flying, MM flying, it is way to stupid to not have the main man flying or at least testing the waters.
How about you wait a couple of episodes? I have a hunch that you will begin to become satisfied.

[MackLove]

I think he should fly to spite Kara for making fun of him about it!

[SSJConan]

Originally posted by 98chase
OMG. I promise you, I will bet you money, when Clark actually flies for the first time, there will be no debate what-so-ever. Everyone and their mom will know that Clark flew. Ok? He HAS NOT FLOWN YET.

Yes, he has. Rather you want to believe it or not, he has. Never-mind the sleeping and tornado-assisted Easter-eggs in Seasons 1-2, when Jor-El "geared" him to find the Stones/Crystals/Artifacts/Elements in "Crusade", he wasn't possessing him; it was still Clark in full control. All that happened was that Jor-El essentially stripped him of all his emotions and geared him with the number 1 priority of collecting the Stones to save Earth, with only residual memories of his Human upbringing (such as Martha's name and the moments before he was sucked into the cave) intact. More or less, this was Superman we saw fly and go bad-ass on Lex's plane, only without the human upbringing and emotions that are needed in the full-tights genuine article. There only arose a problem when Martha hit him with the Black K, which ignited the struggle between the two sides of the upbringing the Kents gave him and the Kryptonian gearing Jor-El imbedded, thereby physically dividing Clark and Kal.

This was Clark's first true flight, as he IS Kal-El, no one else was in control of his body. He was physically 18 (though considered 17 by his Earth age) when he took that first true flight, thereby giving a nice nod to the age of the character in the post-crisis comics when he first mastered flight. Open and shut case.


Originally posted by 98chase
[B]Why would they give an entire episode to every power he has obtained, yet not do the same for the most identifiable power of Superman? They wouldn't.

Actually, they probably would, given the fact that Al/Miles seem anal-retentive obsessed with the No Tights/No Flights rule (they won't even allow a flight Easter-egg unless it's an episode they've written). Also, flight is developed VERY gradually for Clark over the course of the show. He's seen that he's capable of hovering and even flying outdoors in his sleep, has actually pulled off a will to move himself within confines like the Tempest tornados and swimming pools/lakes, has actually done it all on his own once (Crusade), and has seen nearly every other Kryptonian he's met (Jor-El, Zod, and Kara) pull it off (albeit he only came across Nam-Ek and Atheyer in a mansion fight and within the Phantom Zone, whilst he only spent enough time with Raya for them to have a foot race). With any luck, Clark will just now be starting with real flight lessons from Kara, as Jor-El did point out that his training begins with her; but flight is not the kind of power in this Superman universe that is learned in just one episode (if any at all, the series finale).


Originally posted by 98chase
[B]They wouldn't just throw little subtle "flights" in here and there.

"Metamorphosis", "Tempest"/"Vortex", "Rosetta", and of course "Crusade". *cough* Personally, I'm of the type that believes anything else where Clark "leaps" from Season 4's "Lucy" onward is a Super Jump, yes, even the ones on the rocket in "Hidden" and inside the Fortress in "Reckoning". Ya' know, mainly from the confirmations in seasons 6 and 7 that he can't fly.


Originally posted by 98chase
[B]There will be an entire episode dedicated to it. I promise you, you are over thinking things.

I promise you, there is such a thing as wishful thinking.

[ClarksNextGF]

I am SOOO sick of other characters telling Clark what to do!!

Who the ^&*% does that little blonde bimbo think she is anyway!? She's known him for what - 2 minutes, and she's giving him crap about not flying ?!?! &#$% her!!!!!

And Chloe - WTF ?!?!

There is NO justification for other characters EXPECTING him to fly. Yes, all of the fans know that Superman can fly. And it's getting rather silly that he has not yet (Superboy could fly). But, in this show - there is absolutely NOTHING that says that Clark is able to fly, or that he WILL be able to.

This is an excellent example of lazy damn writers. Can't come up with a scenario for him to learn to fly, so they just have the other characters badger him into it. Ridiculous!!!!

Oh - and I'm guessing we are just suppose to forget about his fear of heights? Or are the wimpy little girls just going to nag that one out of Clark too...

[SSJConan]

[i]Oh - and I'm guessing we are just suppose to forget about his fear of heights? Or are the wimpy little girls just going to nag that one out of Clark too... [/B]

He got over that fear as far back as Season 2's "Ryan", when he and Ryan got in the hot-air balloon together. After that he was willing to jump off a dam without hesitation in "Dichotic", make the Daily Planet/LuthorCorp jump in "Insurgence", and has of course seen that he can fall from Earth's atmosphere in "Hidden" and barely have a scratch. The fear of heights is no longer an issue, it's gotta be something deeper in his psyche.

[Shardz]

clark not flying would make most die hard fans peeved but its a good plot tool to NOT make him fly. it just makes for more interesting storylines because clark has to show struggle a little bit before saving the day. flying would just make saving the day MUCH more easier.

[Heroes]

Originally posted by Jlandsw
How about those 2 Super jumps from season 5. One when he stopped the missile and when he took Lana to the FOS in Reckoning.

it may not have been 'flight' but it was damn close. when he stopped the rocket from blowing up smallville he has some semi flight there

[ClarksNextGF]

Originally posted by SSJConan
He got over that fear as far back as Season 2's "Ryan", when he and Ryan got in the hot-air balloon together. After that he was willing to jump off a dam without hesitation in "Dichotic", make the Daily Planet/LuthorCorp jump in "Insurgence", and has of course seen that he can fall from Earth's atmosphere in "Hidden" and barely have a scratch. The fear of flight is no longer an issue, it's gotta be something deeper in his psyche.

He did NOT get over it in Season 2. His fear has been brought up several times since then. He was putting on a brave-face for Ryan (very Heroic).

He jumped off the dam to save Chloe - or was it Lana - either way, he was saving someone else's life.

In Insurgence - he stood of the roof top for like a minute shaking, trying to build up his nerve before jumping. They even did a "zoom-thing" with the camera to point out how much his hand was shaking.

The fear of heights has not been addressed.

[SSJConan]

Originally posted by ClarksNextGF
In Insurgence - he stood of the roof top for like a minute shaking, trying to build up his nerve before jumping. They even did a "zoom-thing" with the camera to point out how much his hand was shaking.

Yeah, because he was about to literally jump into a lion's den where he didn't know if his Mother had yet been killed or if he might get her killed by doing this. When Jonathan brought up the fear, Clark replied very confidently and without a fear of jumping. When he was shaking atop the Daily Planet, it was in fear of his Mother, not dropping down to the streets. The Smallville Visual Guide of Craig Bryne's confirmed that the balloon ride with Ryan got rid of his fear.

[98chase]

Originally posted by SSJConan



"Metamorphosis", "Tempest"/"Vortex", "Rosetta", and of course "Crusade". *cough* Personally, I'm of the type that believes anything else where Clark "leaps" from Season 4's "Lucy" onward is a Super Jump, yes, even the ones on the rocket in "Hidden" and inside the Fortress in "Reckoning". Ya' know, mainly from the confirmations in seasons 6 and 7 that he can't fly.

Here's just my quick thoughts on the whole "flight" thing. In 102, Clark floated. I personally do not see that as flying. Even if some do, it's still not intentional, which is what people are looking for. Intentional flight.

"Crusade". I completely see where you are coming from. Even though it was "Kal-EL," it still was Clark. However, again, it wasn't the Clark we all know and love intentionally flying. It was his alternate ego, one who has fully accepted his Kryptonian heritage, that flew. It was, in a sense, Clark and Kal-EL. Right now, the way I am looking at it is, a normal person "Joe" has a psychotic break and kills some one. While it was most definitely still "Joe," he wasn't quite himself. I'm not trying to compare Clark/Kal-EL to a murderer, but I hope you see what I am trying to get at.

Besides those two things (I hope I'm not missing anything), I whole heartily believe that everything was a super jump. Reckoning, Mortal, Lucy...all just super jumps. I honestly believe that when "Clark Kent" intentionally flies, there will be an episode dedicated to it.

*I forgot about the tornado. Clark said that it felt like he willed himself up there. To me, that doesn't say that he did. When people get the flu, they say that they feel like they've been run over by a truck but, that doesn't mean that they were actually run over.

[darkkrypton81]

It's mentioned that Clark will try to fly. I'm okay with no tights, but it's time to fly!

I hope we find out what's keeping Clark grounded. Leaping tall buildings in a single bound is close but no cigar.

[ClarksNextGF]

Originally posted by SSJConan
When Jonathan brought up the fear, Clark replied very confidently and without a fear of jumping.

No, he didn't. He didn't answer Jonathon at all - just gave him a dirty look. And yes, Clark's concern for his mother was more important to him that his own safety - that's what makes him a hero.



Originally posted by SSJConan
The Smallville Visual Guide of Craig Bryne's confirmed that the balloon ride with Ryan got rid of his fear.

Good for him - but, that has nothing to do with this conversation. I am referring to events that have ACTUALLY happened IN Smallville ON SCREEN. Referring to something that is outside the TV show just proves my point - the writers are too lazy to create a scenario for Clark to learn to fly.

That's like in Season 4 - when they couldn't write a decent ending to the whole Lex 33.1 mess, so they just started sending text messages to the fans. Laziness. Sheer Laziness.

[skywalker28]

They just have to drop the No Flights, No Tights rule. They had to have made that rule because they thought the show was only going to last 4-5 seasons. Here we are in S7 and every other Kryptonian around him is flying and he's stuck on the ground. Just let the man fly!!!!

[Superbeard]

For those "flying without realizing it" moments, did anyone else ever notice that when the camera slows down and shows Clark running at superspeed, he falls at the same rate as he's running? Now, this could've just been a mistake on the editors' part, because Clark is running WAY faster than the rate at which gravity is pulling him to the ground (in actuality in the slow-mo scenes he should look like he's running on air when he hops a balcony or something, given his horizontal momentum from running), but it's my theory that he could be unconsciously flying down to reach the ground faster.

One instance of this that I'm POSITIVE it's the case: "Static," when that phantom throws him into the crane. When Clark gets up and superspeeds out, he does not hop and fall to the ground. He rockets toward and slams into the ground. I am positive that was some kind of flying.

Also, in that episode where he saves Santa from falling off the roof by running down the building, I don't know about the physics of someone running at supersonic speeds, but would that actually be possible, even with as fast as he's going? What was to stop him from losing his footing on the wall? Maybe some kind of flight, in the form of controlling his gravity, was involved there too.

And why shouldn't the characters be telling him what to do? Chloe made a correct assumption that if Bizarro, an imperfect clone of Clark with all of his abilites, can fly, surely Clark can. And of anybody surely Kara should know that as Kryptonians he should be flying by now. "I'm flying already, what are you waiting for?"

What I really hope doesn't happen is they have him fly like one or two episodes before the end of the series. That would be horrible. Ideally he'll learn to fly somewhere in the middle to the end of this season, and he'll be flying all of Season 8 (which I heard Welling has signed on for). Because his lack of flight is awkwardly obvious at this point.

And at this point Clark's fear of heights is not even an issue. With all the superjumps he's done (the missile, Lana at the Fortress, Lois and "leaping tall buildings in a single bound," and that half mile he jumped from the bridge to that truck's trailer), it's obvious his courage and determination have overcome that. With Clark's Superman talk as of late, his no-nonsense and confident "we have to do what we have to do" attitude, I really hope that's a good indication that he'll be flying soon. He is definitely accepting his destiny at this point. But, of course, Lana's return will but a damper on that and delay his destiny accepting even more....

[afireinside]

on krypton kara would be normal so a fear a falling or heights would have b een there. but on earth everything goes out the window. she hasn't been programmed, she is somewhere new. you would just fly. its ****ing ridiculous.
also if clark wasn't superclark but just some other random stranger, when she pushed him, she would have killed him. careless........................

[pycer]

My memory may be a little faulty as I have drifted from the show and back again a time or two, but, wasnt the reason his fear of heights started adressed in like the second or third episode? Pete said something about him getting sick everytime they went to the tree house of an old friend of theirs and turned out the tree house was built next to a meteor site so it was actually the kryptonite that made him sick?

[Superbeard]

Kara flying makes perfect sense. She hasn't been raised to be as emotionally tied to humans, and isn't as distracted as Clark. She came to Earth with a mission, and has fully accepted her destiny, therefore flying is no problem for her. Clark on the other hand has been conflicted between the whole nature vs. nurture thing, but as of late it seems like he's overcoming it.

[olliejk]

Originally posted by 98chase
Is there really going to be one of these every episode until he flies?

OMG. I promise you, I will bet you money, when Clark actually flies for the first time, there will be no debate what-so-ever. Everyone and their mom will know that Clark flew. Ok? He HAS NOT FLOWN YET. Why would they give an entire episode to every power he has obtained, yet not do the same for the most identifiable power of Superman? They wouldn't. They wouldn't just throw little subtle "flights" in here and there. There will be an entire episode dedicated to it. I promise you, you are over thinking things. It appears that people here like "holes" or discontinuities in the plot. Think of Clark holding down a helicopter and Kara as plot holes.



You’ve got a lot of good points, and I’m not disagreeing with the general result of your point (except for your characterization of previous times he’s defied gravity as “plot holes”).

What I’m saying is that there is Clark “CAN’T” fly (biologically) and Clark “WON’T” fly (psychological). Trying to claim Cark cannot fly because he isn’t biologically ready is just silly in the face of mountains of evidence (which are a lot more than just “plot holes”). His body is capable of flight. His mind, however, is not. The result though, is the same. He cannot fly. He doesn’t need to suck up more solar power, or have his cells age more biologically. He just needs some psychological help to fly.

I agree when he does it will be a big deal, and it will be obvious. It will be, however, because he finally chooses (allows himself) to fly. There will be some huge risk that can only be resolved if he flies.

All the FTDC (“flying that doesn’t count…trying to get an acronym started) is more than just plot holes, and it’s more than a way to start arguments between people who think it’s finally time for Clark to fly, and people who think “No Flights No Tights” is the only true absolute in the Universe. FTDC (and Chloe and Kara nagging it about him) is to show that when he finally flies, it’s a major psychological development in the character. His body has been ready to be Superman for a while. He’ll fly when his MIND is ready.

That being said….enough already, his mind HAS to be ready by now. Let’s get him flying.

[Krpyto]

Kara will teach him to fly just as he taught her to use super hearing, it may take all season though to come to fruition.

[Lobby4Chloe]

I thought his deal was fear of heights (according to Pete). I think that's a good reason. I never ate tomatoes until I was in my twenties either.

[afireinside]

if kara teaches clark. who taught kara. you dont just fly. you have to know what makes you fly. don't say its because she has embraced her destiny or i will beat you with a stick. how does she know how to do it. in superman two they weren't controlling it straight away. she should have at least be shown struggling for a minute or two.

[HowardFilms]

Originally posted by olliejk
I think the FoS jump with Lana (during the erased day) was way to slow and gentle to be a jump. The missile jump WAS probably a jump but it was flat out CRAZY accurate. I have a theory about that one. The jump produced the bulk of the "thrust" but then for accuracy "flight" powers provided for course correction. Clark could have done that without even knowing he was doing it.

More telling is when he holds things down (once a helicopter once Kara). Little physics lesson here, but no matter how strong he his, he only weighs so much. If he is holding on to something going up, it's only gonna pull him up with it. To hold down Kara, and the helicopter, he HAD to basically be flying down. In the case of Kara, he had to be flying down with a greater force than she was.

I think Kara had it right, it's a maturity thing. I think from the "flying that doesn't count" episodes, we see it is mental maturity more than physical. All the boy needs to fly is 20 minutes with a good psychiatrist.


These are all extremely good points, I particularly like the second about the physics of holding something down, because you are absolutely right. We have been shown *several* times that he can fly, particularly unconsciously. This happened with all his other powers too, so we figure that it must do this until it truly manifests. I agree when it manifests it will be in a big way, but he has used his flying ability before, just in a less controlled way, and certainly not in the way we all want him to.

[mistaguitarmasta]

but maybe everyone nagging him to learn to fly is supposed to help build it up. i really can't see them ending the series (whether it's at the end of S7 or S8) w/o SOME kind of true flight, "no tights no flights" be damned.

[jack1487]

This is a little off, but they need to have him to also start wearing the glass and with the flying you could say that he was well on the road to becoming Superman, just my 2cents.

Thanks,

Jack

[kryptonite_123]

Yes he does need to fly, If he doesnt start flying then it will be the Kara/Supergirl show.

[supergirl945]

^^i agree. i mean, after awhile, if i was Kara i would push him off the FOS to make him fly

[Superbeard]

But he would just hit the ground unharmed....

[Alexander III]

Calm the #*%%@^^! down ppl !!

[maryjanewatson]

Originally posted by SSJConan
He got over that fear as far back as Season 2's "Ryan", when he and Ryan got in the hot-air balloon together. After that he was willing to jump off a dam without hesitation in "Dichotic", make the Daily Planet/LuthorCorp jump in "Insurgence", and has of course seen that he can fall from Earth's atmosphere in "Hidden" and barely have a scratch. The fear of heights is no longer an issue, it's gotta be something deeper in his psyche.
it's lana. She's holding him back.

I think Landon Pigg sang it best:

"Well I can't let go, No, I can't let go of you. You're holding me back without even trying to. I can't let go, I can't move on from the past. Without lifting a finger you're holding me back."

right there, is the Clana relationship. Lana is holding Clark back. Clark can't let go.

[TML]

I would quite well like Clark to fly already.
It's getting a bit stupid already, and who gives a rats about the "no tights no flights"-rule anymore. It's been too long and with so many others doing it Clark seems weak.

Originally posted by superpal1
Clark needs to fly. Now it is just stupid that he hasnt. Kara is suspended in animation for 18 years, comes out and flys right away. it is a power that Clark has, he has done it in the past, so it is not an ability he has not gained yet. It is probably a mental thing, but get him over it. WIth Kara flying, MM flying, it is way to stupid to not have the main man flying or at least testing the waters.
This reminded me of the point that always bothers me when you see others flying.
It's not like the other kryptonians have been under a yellow sun before, at least most of them (such as Kara). Still they fly immediately?
Clark has what, 17-19 years of experience being a kryptonian under the yellow sun and he still can't do it?

Come on now... it's starting to seem like Clark is a bit "slow".

[TampaVille]

I see a lot of arguments on this issue. I think everybody can accept a few basic points though.

1) Clark cannot currently, consciously, decide he wants to go somewhere and use flight as a means of getting from point A to point B.
2) Clark has flown before on the show. There are several instances. One good one is when he comes back from inside the cave wall all brainwashed. I've read all of the "when Clark flies it will be a big deal" arguments, and I agree with them! When the writers give Clark flight as a power, which he can use in the same way that he uses his heat vision or super hearing, on command, whenever he wants to, it will definitely be a big deal. But there have been times on the show when he's flown. He's even said it. He told Jonathan he felt like he was flying in the tornado. In Rosetta, he told his folks "I told Lex I was sleep walking, but I'm not sure how much WALKING was involved" (paraphrase). Physically, he's capable of it.
3) It's about time Clark starts at least practicing, or trying to fly. So far we've seen no evidence that he even cares. Especially after the Zod incident, he must realize that flight could be potentially useful.

[98chase]

Originally posted by olliejk
You’ve got a lot of good points, and I’m not disagreeing with the general result of your point (except for your characterization of previous times he’s defied gravity as “plot holes”).

What I’m saying is that there is Clark “CAN’T” fly (biologically) and Clark “WON’T” fly (psychological). Trying to claim Cark cannot fly because he isn’t biologically ready is just silly in the face of mountains of evidence (which are a lot more than just “plot holes”). His body is capable of flight. His mind, however, is not. The result though, is the same. He cannot fly. He doesn’t need to suck up more solar power, or have his cells age more biologically. He just needs some psychological help to fly.

I agree when he does it will be a big deal, and it will be obvious. It will be, however, because he finally chooses (allows himself) to fly. There will be some huge risk that can only be resolved if he flies.

All the FTDC (“flying that doesn’t count…trying to get an acronym started) is more than just plot holes, and it’s more than a way to start arguments between people who think it’s finally time for Clark to fly, and people who think “No Flights No Tights” is the only true absolute in the Universe. FTDC (and Chloe and Kara nagging it about him) is to show that when he finally flies, it’s a major psychological development in the character. His body has been ready to be Superman for a while. He’ll fly when his MIND is ready.

That being said….enough already, his mind HAS to be ready by now. Let’s get him flying.
I completely agree with you. Clark IS physiologically ready to fly, there is just something mentally holding him back. My statement that you quoted was just saying that he has not flown yet, not that he is not capable of flying yet. I don't personally believe that there are any plot holes, I'd just rather someone call them plot holes instead of flying.

[vikingjedi]

Maybe Clark doesn't want to fly yet. If he did you would think he would have at least tried before

[Ardiem3]

The lame reason that they said Clark wont 100% fly on "Smallville" is that they say when he flys on the show, he wont be the young Clark anymore, but Superman, and the show would be over. This is sooo not true. Clark Kent can fly alot of times before he becomes Superman. After all, he has to get used to it. You dont just fly once and are used to it. Show Clark flying already!!!!!

[mistaguitarmasta]

^^yeah folks. it's called superboy, lol

[Son of Kal-El20]

Hey, if Singer can make it so young Clark can float and fly in SR. Then I see no problem with Clark doing it on this show which is supposed to be about him learning how to use his powers to become the Man of Steel. I mean this is supposed to be about young Superman. And he can't even do his signature power? Lame!!!!!

Heroes>Smallville

Peter>Clark

Claire>Lois and Chloe

Sylar>Lex

Hiro>everybody

[olliejk]

Originally posted by TampaVille
I see a lot of arguments on this issue. I think everybody can accept a few basic points though.

1) Clark cannot currently, consciously, decide he wants to go somewhere and use flight as a means of getting from point A to point B.
2) Clark has flown before on the show. There are several instances. One good one is when he comes back from inside the cave wall all brainwashed. I've read all of the "when Clark flies it will be a big deal" arguments, and I agree with them! When the writers give Clark flight as a power, which he can use in the same way that he uses his heat vision or super hearing, on command, whenever he wants to, it will definitely be a big deal. But there have been times on the show when he's flown. He's even said it. He told Jonathan he felt like he was flying in the tornado. In Rosetta, he told his folks "I told Lex I was sleep walking, but I'm not sure how much WALKING was involved" (paraphrase). Physically, he's capable of it.
3) It's about time Clark starts at least practicing, or trying to fly. So far we've seen no evidence that he even cares. Especially after the Zod incident, he must realize that flight could be potentially useful.



I think you almost have it except for one point. You said, in point #1, that "
Clark cannot currently, consciously, decide he wants to go somewhere and use flight as a means of getting from point A to point B. That's only kind of correct if you emphasis the word consciously. It's just a semantic quibble, but since it's his mind holding him back not his body, you could say Clark won't fly not that he can't fly. On the other hand, the power of flight is essentially involves using your mind to move yourself around space. The mind does play a very central role in that power. As where heat vision, for example, was originally triggered by lust, this power probably does rely more on his mindset then any others....like I said, at most a semantic quibble, and depending on how you perceive a mental block on flying it might not even be that.

[KristinKrazy]

Originally posted by olliejk
[B
More telling is when he holds things down (once a helicopter once Kara). Little physics lesson here, but no matter how strong he his, he only weighs so much. If he is holding on to something going up, it's only gonna pull him up with it. To hold down Kara, and the helicopter, he HAD to basically be flying down. In the case of Kara, he had to be flying down with a greater force than she was.

I think Kara had it right, it's a maturity thing. I think from the "flying that doesn't count" episodes, we see it is mental maturity more than physical. All the boy needs to fly is 20 minutes with a good psychiatrist. [/B]

well even in the canon, comic he didn't fly at first he started jumping first ("Leaps tall buildings in a single bound"...loved the line in Smallville btw)

and I think olliejk was onto the reason why...i mean if we take his explanation on the helicopter it was Clark's will that said "thou Helicopter shall not take off because Lois is in danger" triggering the unconcscious flying power into effect (in theory) so Clark's flying power is arguably his strongest power and it takes a lot to develop..and is also linked to his subconscious methinks that's why Clark hasn't learned how to already...

[aXem]

stop being so impatient.

[Superbeard]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=35FOL6sw0oQ&mode=related&search=smallville%20superman%20clark%20kent%20acro ss%20the%20nation%20wwe%20wrestling%20fighting%20a ction

Here. After the fight with Aldar/the wrestler Batista. Clark is totally flying here. But again, probably without even knowing it, he confused it with his superspeed, not even thinking about the fact that he wasn't doing it on the ground. Heh. Clark, start paying attention!

[VAMPIREJUWELL]

He can fly he just choose not to. To unhuman the act of flying is.