It should require a genius plan to use Kryptonite against a Kryptonian...

[MaximRecoil]

...who is aware of its effects.

It is ridiculous that any ham n' egger is able to incapacitate Clark (for the forty-eleventh time) with a plan no greater than casually opening a lead container.

A Kryptonian on earth has X-ray vision, and thus knows that when he can't see through something, then it is lead, and should be cause for alarm.

A Kryptonian on earth has extremely fast reaction time and speed, to the point that they can see things in "bullet time" and move fast enough to not be seen by humans. As soon as someone attempts to open said lead container (which the Krytonian should already be alarmed about ["once bitten, twice shy", and all that]), the Kryptonian can move a safe distance from it before it is opened; or grab it from them, or whatever.

It is all fine and good that Kryptonite is a Kryptonian weakness, but just because someone has a weakness doesn't mean that any idiot can exploit it at will, especially when the person with the weakness has such incredible defensive and offensive capabilities.

As a loose analogy, you could say that all human males have a certain famous weakness, but that doesn't mean that any Tom, Dick, or Harry could casually walk up to someone like Bruce Lee and kick him in the groin to exploit that famous weakness. And, approaching the future Superman while wielding Kryptonite should be exponentially more difficult to do than that.

[last man of krypton]

A Kryptonian on earth has X-ray vision, and thus knows that when he can't see through something, then it is lead, and should be cause for alarm.

Not really, or else he'd be getting jumpy every other minute.


A Kryptonian on earth has extremely fast reaction time and speed, to the point that they can see things in "bullet time" and move fast enough to not be seen by humans.

If Clark is anything like the Flash, it requires a moment to shift up into "bullet time" mode. If he's expecting someone to shoot at him, then he could dodge the attack since he knows its coming. But if he's having a casual conversation with someone and they suddenly shoot at him, then he'd be less likely to dodge.

But you made some fair points though, it would be nice to see Clark actually get away from Kryptonite once in a while.

[stenochick]

There is so much inconsistancy with how Kryptonite affects Clark. Last night, a little krypto-flashlight completely incapacitated him. In other episodes, he has strength even though he is near kryptonite.

[MaximRecoil]

Not really, or else he'd be getting jumpy every other minute.No, lead containers being carried by people are extremely uncommon. In fact, let's say you wanted a lead container. Aside from melting down some lead (where do you buy pure lead anyway? Wal-Mart? Assuming that a lead alloy would work, then you could use wheel weights), and casting it yourself, where would you get one?

If Clark is anything like the Flash, it requires a moment to shift up into "bullet time" mode. If he's expecting someone to shoot at him, then he could dodge the attack since he knows its coming. But if he's having a casual conversation with someone and they suddenly shoot at him, then he'd be less likely to dodge.Even if this is so, he should have been on alert due to a conspicuous lead container in the vicinity.

[last man of krypton]

No, lead containers being carried by people are extremely uncommon.
I agree. But you said "when he can't see through something". So that gave the impression he could walk around Smallville and suddenly panic when he passes the local hardware store, or when looking at Lois' garden ornaments (a la Superman: The Movie).


Even if this is so, he should have been on alert due to a conspicuous lead container in the vicinity.
As far as he was concerned (as we were), it wasn't a container but a solid sphere on Teague's staff.

[MaximRecoil]

I agree. But you said "when he can't see through something". So that gave the impression he could walk around Smallville and suddenly panic when he passes the local hardware store, or when looking at Lois' garden ornaments (a la Superman: The Movie).Well he would obviously use common sense. Plus, lead isn't even used much these days. Bullets, car batteries, and solder account for the bulk of it.

As far as he was concerned (as we were), it wasn't a container but a solid sphere on Teague's staff.Anything that can open has a seam, which should have been noticed by Kent.

He should have X-rayed the entire place before he entered, given that it was an unfamiliar place, with the context that he was going there on the trail of something that could be used to control him (read: danger). He would have noticed a guy holding a stick with a lead ball, with a seam, on top. And also, when the guy, that knew so much about him, started showing hostility in his voice and demeanor, that should have put him on guard as well. Is there a single person who knows Clark's weakness that has not exploited it at one time or another? Even his parents have used Kryptonite against him. That he's so easily, and repeatedly, caught off guard by people who are infinitely slower than him, is absurd; and quite frankly, paints him as a habitual "leap-before-you-look" buffoon.

[last man of krypton]

He should have X-rayed the entire place before he entered, given that it was an unfamiliar place, with the context that he was going there on the trail of something that could be used to control him (read: danger).
Totally agree. It made me angry that Teague actually snuck up on Clark, considering Clark seemingly looked around first.


Even his parents have used Kryptonite against him.
I see that as ok; he knows his parents keep Kryptonite just in case he gets out of hand, and wouldn't expect them to use it unless it was necessary.


That he's so easily, and repeatedly, caught off guard by people who are infinitely slower than him, is absurd; and quite frankly, paints him as a habitual "leap-before-you-look" buffoon.
Agreed.

[auctionmonster]

Oh, the comment about the flash. The flash actually lives in bullet time, he could never be caught off guard like that. The flash actually has to forceably slow himself down in order to interact with normal people.

For superman, superspeed is something he has to power up to do. He has to will himself fasters and can thus be caught unaware.

[MaximRecoil]

Oh, the comment about the flash. The flash actually lives in bullet time, he could never be caught off guard like that. The flash actually has to forceably slow himself down in order to interact with normal people.

For superman, superspeed is something he has to power up to do. He has to will himself fasters and can thus be caught unaware.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Clark on this show has gone into super speed mode after a gun has been fired and managed to divert/block/catch/whatever the bullet before it reached its intended target. I'd say he can shift into high gear fast enough to avoid getting nailed by Kryptonite due to someone casually opening a lead container in his presence.

[scifigirl]

The bottom line is that Clark is as powerful and/or intelligent as the story requires. For example, Clark does nothing to prevent Lex from getting to the safety deposit box and its contents because we need Lex to find the fortress so a final showdown can occur. Although it is extremely frustrating that his stupidity, negligence and incompetence are used so frequently as plot devices.

[TheANIMAL (marcus)]

Lets just call Clark a moron and be done. This is the bottom line of the thread.

[LastSonKalEl]

clark is naive and incapable of commiting to his destiny that is why these things happen once he is superman he will be totally aware and wont let things like this happen..he just isn't there yet...alltogether good points max

[karmick]

Hey hey all,


Not gonna use quotes because nearly all above posters make excellent and valid points...for Superman.

But not for Clark Kent. Many often tend to forget that these are the adventures of Clark Kent, Superhero-in-Waiting and, most relevant to Smallville, Hero-in-Reluctance, Denial and Self-doubt. Clark does not embrace his powers because he cannot yet embrace the heritage that is forever entwined with the source, reason and nature of his powers and abilities. Clark has always been a reluctant hero, only choosing to use his abilities when they are necessary to do the right thing. More and more often in recent years, as a way to deal with dangers and threats which he feels (and mostly rightly so) are his fault. More to the point, of course, is that they just happen to be the end result of him coming from a place chock-full of baddies. And the meteor freaks are because of pieces of his world, nothing to do with him. Just becaue all of us are from Earth does not make us responsible for the detriments of fossil fuels, or lava for that matter.

Clark is Clark, though, and his mopping ways are because he takes this all very personally. Until Clark can stop feeling guilty, even ashamed of his heritage and thus his powers, he won't enjoy them and thus embrace them as a blessing and a gift. A.Very Kool.Gift.

Like many rich kids who feel guilty for being rich as they witness a world of poverty around them. They feel undeserving, among other things...Tiny but relevant example for Clark.

The best episode I can think of that illustrates Clark's struggle with not enjoying/embracing his powers is Run; the epi with Flash AKA Bart. Bart reveled in his; Clark treated them like a cross between sex and drugs. HIs own private plague.

To the point of my long winded opening: DO you honestly believe that anyone who is not able to enjoy/accept/embrace a gift they have is going to really learn to master their gifts, moreover even go so far as to use them with guile, skill and do so well. This is a big part of what Clark's Training at the FOS is all about. To learn about his Kryptonian heritage - his true one, not the mishmash of truth and subterfuge Jor-El has dished out over the years as part of Clark's Out Of Fortress training; testing his character by forcing him to follow his own path and choices even as he's pushed in other directions, including those he loves.

To Clark, using his powers is symbolic of his being an Alien; that he is not human and that's always been a central theme to Smallville, especially in the first 4 seasons, and still now.

His powers have also been something for him to hide. Never actually foster, nurture...etc. At best, he has discovered one gift after another, only just to learn how to control it so he doesn't hurt anyone.

So YES!; it is OH-SO annoying sometimes when Clark comes across as such a duntz for not using the full breadth of his abilities to ward off, prevent and know of dangers around the corner or, heaven forbid, in the very same room with him!!!

But this IS WHO HE IS RIGHT NOW. That's a big Theme in Smallville; he is not Superman yet because Superman is who Clark becomes after he's made peace with his KHeritage, "destiny" notwithstanding (which may be a big huge lark anyhow since one's destiny is best forged by one's own hands; Clarky just has much more powerful hands than most so whatever destiny he does carve will tend to reflect this rather sizable difference with the rest of us Human Mortals...) Yes, he does have some kind of destiny, but in a very real sense no different than yours and mine in as much as we shall all choose it and create it according to all of the things that make us who we are. IMHO, what makes Superman unique and amazing is that he is the most alone person in the world, with the twist that in overcoming his incredible isolation and then embracing what makes him so different, alone and isolated, he becomes SUPERMAN. It's a Super twist of fate, for him and the whole world.


Sorry for the long post but I've come across this notion of Clark being such a BDA for this and that a lot on these boards and while I groan myself at some stuff on SV at times, I wanted to put in my 2¢ worth. My post attempts to explain how I see why a lot of that "DOH, CLARK!" stuff happens for good reason.

PS: Now, off to the bank to cash that check the writers just sent m-...ooops! Better shut up.

Up, up and Away!!!

;-)

[scifigirl]

^^Karmick ITA with what you said. Thank you for your post. I think that because we know how the story ends we forget that in the words of al and miles this show "is about the journey." In addition to that, Clark's deepest desire is to be normal and have normal human relationships. That is the motivation for many of his actions, or lack of action. His struggle to be normal even though he is aware that he can never be normal is why I found the show compelling in the first place.I think that Clark should be cut some slack However, it doesn't keep me from groaning every time I see Kara or Chloe get him out of a jam or when I hear TW utter lines like "The only thing that is important is Lana."

[karmick]

Hey scifigirl ¨¨

oh yeah, do I ever groan sometimes too...just because of what I posted certainly doesn't mean that I sometimes think they don't go too far with it. TBH, I have no idea why they make some of the script and story choices they do, especially in the last 3 seasons, BUT--- when SV is good, it's awesome!!! Änd it Always, for me, follows the general rules I wrote about.

Me thinks however that much has been hapn'in' behind the scenes (2006-...)
to throw things off. Best laid plans and all that.

Still a great show that's still fun and, the crystals be blessed, at times sheer ecstasy!!!
ANd the last two Epis have got me stoked in the same way I felt last year...almost anyway...;-)

Que sera sera...up North that is..;-P)


PS: Whatever happened to the Martian Manhunter? I seriously thought he could be a fantastic part of Smallville. I was shocked and angry when I realised he was out of the picture. I mean, I haven't checked the boards on this (limited time) but I'm sure tons of people skwaked about how the whole Martian Manhunter take on SV is anti-traditional Superman cannon, but for me SV is an "Elseworlds" tale that they crank out at DC all the time..."taking familiar heroes and putting them in unfamiliar situations, places or scenarios". SV is an Elseworlds tale that flies sometimes close to, sometimes not so close to, Superman Cannon.

Anyhooo, sticking to the thread, I see Clark getting duped by Teague as also just plain normal too much trust in a guy whose worshiped you for decades. Then again, those types can be dangerous, expecially when going beyond the autograph mania.

All in all, it was just a ploy for the real big SF/X = Clark's chest!!!

[adromidon]

You guys seem to miss the point that the writters of SV want to convey apparently

Clark has no inteligence until he trains in the FOS maybe Jor-EL gives him a comon sense upgrade

[karmick]

Clark has no inteligence until he trains in the FOS maybe Jor-EL gives him a comon sense upgrade

:rotfl:

lol

Seems to to be huh?

I thought I said that in a round about my own special way back there, but your take is by far more succinct, effective...and short. :)

Maybe Clark's super-brain crash landed a little too hard when he dropped out of the PZ way back when. :confused: :eek:

L8tr adro'

:lol:

[adromidon]

Maybe I mean at some point that boy is going to have to go from clueless to Superman quality inteligent and I just do not see that happening on its own

[susangail]

The comics originally introduced Kryptonite as a way to build suspense in the Superman story. As Superman got more powerful, there were fewer things and people that could thwart him; green K made him vulnerable. Just as the writers have manipulated Clark's powers and intellect to serve their story, they've continued to manipulate his reaction to Kryptonite as well. Sometimes he or Kara can avoid the worst of the effects; sometimes he totally collapses. The amount of green K doesn't seem to matter; it's all about what the story needs.

I get that, but really annoys me is how common green K is in Smallville. It didn't start out that way; early in S1, the Kents couldn't seem to agree on whether its (rare) effects were real or imagined. So why was it showing up so commonly, barely half a season later? I would think that the Meteor Capital of the World would contain hunks of the stuff, and Clark would know very well by high school what effect the stuff would have on him. I think that in the comics, Superman ultimately gathered most of it up and got rid of it.

[TheLeague]

There is so much inconsistancy with how Kryptonite affects Clark. Last night, a little krypto-flashlight completely incapacitated him. In other episodes, he has strength even though he is near kryptonite.


kryptonite changes in potency

[karmick]

Kryptonite does indeed vary in its potency and it has me thinking that if anyoe would know this (excluding lil' CK), it's Last Veritas Standing Monk The Teague, who no doubt has some fairly potent concoction of the stuff if he intends to use Just In Case. In that way, it makes perfect sense that CK would have been knocked out so easily by the Quest Kryptonite.


Just me making excuses, but damn good ones darnit! :D

Up up & Away...Up North Young Man!!

[madcatlady]

I get real tired of seeing Kryptonite in nearly every episode of the series, but I believe in the long run we're gonna find out that the reason Clark makes so many stupid moves is that he's in fact Kryptonite infected. He's been exposed to it even more than Chloe - therefore, he's a meteor freak, and the meteor-enhanced ability is a combination of stupidity and Lana-obsession.

[adromidon]

lmao that would be way way wrong but super funny

[Eri-El]

I get real tired of seeing Kryptonite in nearly every episode of the series, but I believe in the long run we're gonna find out that the reason Clark makes so many stupid moves is that he's in fact Kryptonite infected. He's been exposed to it even more than Chloe - therefore, he's a meteor freak, and the meteor-enhanced ability is a combination of stupidity and Lana-obsession.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[karmick]

he's in fact Kryptonite infected. He's been exposed to it even more than Chloe - therefore, he's a meteor freak, and the meteor-enhanced ability is a combination of stupidity and Lana-obsession.

:lol: ROTFLMAO

U jusss killed me. ON Monday morn'. Funeral pending.

My boss is comin' after U with with pink kryptonite...and we all know what THAT does.

lol