Superman - The Last Son of The Planet Krypton • An Part 002

"**The Last Son of Krypton**" is the three-part series premiere of *Superman: The Animated Series*. It depicts the origin of Superman. Finding that the planet Krypton is about to explode and unable to convince the populace of his theory, scientist Jor-El sends his infant son to Earth. There, he is found and raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent. On Earth, Clark Kent, as he's been named, discovers that he has amazing powers. After arriving in Metropolis, he adopts the name of Superman and becomes Earth's greatest hero. His first adventure pits him against John Corben, a mercenary employing a battle suit developed by the powerful businessman Lex Luthor.Lex Luthor.

### Writer

* Alan Burnett
* Paul Dini

### Director

* Dan Riba
* Bruce Walter Timm

## Plot

Kal-El's spaceship reaches Earth's solar system, and makes touchdown in Smallville, Kansas, briefly giving Martha and Jonathan Kent a scare when it passes over their truck. They locate the ship and discovering its young passenger, Martha decide to adopt him, despite some reluctance from Jonathan. Martha decides to name the infant foundling "Clark", after her maiden name, and the trio heads for home.

Several years later, Clark Kent is now a teenager attending Smallville High. He talks to his girlfriend, Lana Lang, and explains about how he has been developing some strange superhuman powers recently using examples such as hearing a conversation from a distance and seeing a teacher put up decorations for the school dance through a wall. As he talks to Lana, a family driving an RV has a traffic accident and is trapped in a fire. Without thinking, Clark races to the accident scene and frees the family, easily tearing through metal and remaining completely unscathed by the flames.

Clark is disturbed by these new powers and goes to talk them over with his parents. Deciding that he's old enough to know the truth, Jonathan tells him the full story of his adoption. Clark is taken down to the barn, where he is shown the spaceship that he was found in as a baby. His Earth parents give him a holographic projector that activates when he touches it, showing him a holographic message in his mind from Jor-El and Lara inside their family home. They tell him of his Kryptonian heritage as well as the powers he will gain from Earth's sun; they also warn him that his powers may bring fear and attempted destruction from others, but in spite of this, he should never use his powers in anger. This message, however, only serves to further alienate Clark, who runs off in anger and fear. However, he is able to cheer himself up after discovering his ability of flight and returns to the farm to reassure his parents.

Several more years later, in Metropolis, there has been talk of a "guardian angel" doing good deeds. In truth, Clark, now an adult, has been secretly using his superpowers to help people. At the same time, he is hired as a new reporter on the *Daily Planet*'s city desk. He becomes acquainted with his editor, Perry White, as well as his coworkers Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Lois, to her displeasure, is assigned to show Clark around for a few days.

Lois wastes no time trying to ditch him, but is surprised to find him already at work at the site of their first joint assignment: the unveiling of Lex Luthor's newest weapon. Lois admits that "Smallville", as she dubs Clark, is not as gullible or green as she had assumed and is suitably impressed. Luthor proudly presents a powerful battle suit dubbed the Lexo-Skel Suit 5000: "constructed by a patented alloy, and virtually indestructible", piloted by a single man, but with as much firepower as a battalion of troops. However, during the ceremony, a group of mercenaries attacks and steals the Lexoskel. Clark decides that it's time for his first public appearance and changes into his outfit. He saves Lois from being crushed and then attempts to pursue the mercenary group. The mercenaries attack, but their weapons are ineffective against the hero. At first, it seems that Clark will save the suit, but the group's leader fires a missile that misses Clark but strikes a passenger jet, causing it to fall.

## Continuity

* After Krypton explodes in the end of Part I, there is a shower of green flaming rocks falling behind Kal-El's ship. These rocks will become known as Kryptonite in "A Little Piece of Home".
* The spaceship that brings Kal-El to Earth is later converted by Professor Hamilton for Superman's outer space pursuits as shown in the beginning of "The Main Man".
* Superman later combines Jor-El and Lara's message tablet with an orb acquired from Brainiac (in "Stolen Memories") to form a Kryptonian computer, as also seen in "Blasts From the Past".
* When Clark first discusses his powers with his parents, he mentions that he ripped apart a camper like it was cardboard. In the *Justice League Unlimited* series finale "Destroyer," Clark recalls this feeling when he tells Darkseid how he always felt like he lived in a world made out of cardboard.

## Background information

### Home video releases

* Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (VHS)
* Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (Mini-DVD)
* Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (DVD)
* Superman: The Animated Series, Volume One (DVD)
* Superman: The Complete Animated Series (DVD)
* Best of Superman (DVD)

### Production inconsistencies

* Brainiac attributes Jor-El's theory of Krypton's destruction to "human error". This is strange, since Jor-El is technically Kryptonian, although it can be attributed to the fact that Kryptonians on Krypton are virtually identical to humans on Earth.
* The first shot of LexCorp Laboratories, an "e" was used instead of a "b", thereby misspelling the building's sign as "LexCorp Laeoratories". It was fixed in the next shot it appeared in.

### Trivia

* According to James Tucker, breaking the three part structure around Krypton, Smallville, and Metropolis was an attempto to Mimic Richard Donner's Superman film.
* Krypto appears in part one of this episode as a puppy.
* Jor-El calls the creature that attacked him in the ice cave a "shoggoth". Shoggoths were originally created by H. P. Lovecraft for his Cthulhu Mythos, though he described them quite differently from the creature seen in this episode.
* This is the first mention of Kaznia in the DC Animated Universe.
* Part I of this episode is one of the only two episodes in the series where the Superman persona is absent (as he only appears as Kal-El in that episode). The other is "New Kids in Town".
* Martha Kent's comment that Clark should avoid being compared to Batman suggests that, in the DCAU's continuity, Batman began his crimefighting career before Superman made his first appearance in Metropolis.
* As a note to the above, among the passengers of the airliner are Bruce Wayne's secretary Dana Blessing from "The Worry Men" and Ethan Clark from "Prophecy of Doom". A man with a vaguely similar appearance to Arnold Rundle is also seen.
* The energy pistols used by Krypton's security forces are identical in appearance to those used by the inhabitants of Gorilla City in the *Justice League* episode "The Brave and the Bold" and the *Justice League Unlimited* episode "Dead Reckoning".
* Jonathan Kent speculates that Kal-El's ship might be a Sputnik, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth.
* When Jonathan shows Clark's spaceship to him for the first time, he remarks that "some babies are found in baskets", referring to the Biblical legend of Moses, which Superman's origin is partially based on.
* When Martha finds Kal-El, Jonathan and her discussed possible names for their adopted baby. Martha suggested Christopher or Kirk, direct references to Christopher Reeve and Kirk Alyn, who played Superman in other productions. Reeve played Superman in classic Richard Donner's film series and Alyn played Superman in the movie serials *Superman* and *Atom Man vs. Superman*.
* Lois dated Luthor, and subsequently dumped him.
* Lois says "nice S" after seeing Superman's suit. This part was removed from the Toon Disney version, likely because it was a pun on "nice ass", which would be inappropriate for a younger audience. Lobo made a similar pun in "The Main Man, Part II".
* The exchange (or lack thereof) between Superman and Lex Luthor is mirrored by Iron Man and Obadiah Stane at the beginning of part 2 of the *Iron Man: Armored Adventures* series premiere, as both of the bald, successful businessmen are talking in their office about weapons and armor when someone points out the hero floating outside the window. An offer is given to the hero only to be met with continual "arm-crossed" floating. After becoming frustrated at the hero for not responding, the businessmen are both told "I'll be watching you".
* Dana Delany voices Lois Lane, Delany previously voiced Andrea Beaumont in the 1993 feature film based on *Batman: The Animated Series*, *Batman: Mask of the Phantasm*, the producers were impressed with Delany's performance in that film, which led to her being cast as Lane.

## Cast

### Uncredited appearances

* Annie
* Pete Ross
* Jenny

## Quotes

 **Lana Lang:** You're saying you can see through walls? So, how many times have you peeked into the girls locker-room?