Smallville Season 10

The **tenth and final season** of *Smallville* began airing on September 24, 2010, on The CW television network and concluded its initial airing on May 13, 2011, with 22 episodes.

### Lazarus

As the sky above closes after transporting the Kandorians and Zod away, Clark Kent drops from the crow's nest to the ground below as it rains all around him. Lois Lane, seeing him fall, runs to him and unsuccessfully tries to revive him. In his unconscious state, Clark finds himself in a spiritual astral plane of existence:

Clark awakens in a cornfield. The sky above him is lit up in a combination of blue/green. Clark makes his way through the cornfield until he comes to the very place where he was strung up in his freshman year. Jor-El begins speaking to him about a great evil coming to Earth and what a poor mistake Clark made in sacrificing himself. Clark begs Jor-El to send him back, but Jor-El doesn't think he should. Opposite from where he became a scarecrow, a tombstone appears with his name on it. Jor-El tells him that is what is left of him, now that he sacrificed himself. Clark again asks Jor-El to send him back to be Earth's hero. Jor-El disappears and Clark sees Lex Luthor dressed in white. Suddenly there is a flash of light...

Lois pulls the blue kryptonite knife out of Clark's body and throws it a great distance away from him, as the sun rises. As Clark starts regaining consciousness, Lois runs off and hides. She watches with delight and relief as Clark rises from the ground. His wounds heal and powers are fully restored by the yellow solar radiation; Lois smiles as she watches him speed off. Meanwhile, at Watchtower, Chloe Sullivan is watching the footage and sees Rick Flag appear who says he is coming after the rest of the team. Chloe takes out a key and gets ready to leave, but is interrupted when Clark arrives. He explains that he died, but was brought back to life. Chloe is startled by this news. After Clark tells her of his experience, he also tells her he believes Lex is the great evil that Jor-El spoke of. Chloe tells Clark that she had kept close tabs of all of Lex's secret facilities, but mentions that anything previous to digital records could be found in the archive room at the *Daily Planet*.

Lois heads to the Daily Planet, reviewing the archive database of Torch articles and of Clark's heroic deeds in his youth in Smallville (like saving Lana Lang and Pete Ross); she also finally understands why the the Kents were so protective of him. She realizes with a start that she is the last to find out, but turns off the computer just as Clark arrives.

Clark is surprised to see her, but she tells him she postponed her flight to Africa, perhaps indefinitely. Clark spots the Blur stories lying around and asks if her decision to stay has anything to do with the Blur, Lois tells him about her kiss with the Blur, and Clark is secretly pleased he made such an impression on her with his alter-ego. When Clark mentions having a deadline on a story, Lois purposely drops her pen and goes under the table to find it, knowing he would super-speed to find what he was looking for. While she's not looking, Clark looks for the file he needs. After he finds it, Lois pretends to find her pen and comes out of hiding; as he leaves, she asks Clark if they could talk later. Clark agrees to meet her that night at the Kent barn, and leaves without noticing the smile on Lois' face.

Clark calls Chloe and asks her to get some information for him about Cadmus Labs, but Chloe tells him she isn't at Watchtower. Instead, she is at the JSA Brownstone headquarters. Clark hears voices in the background and the word "Nabu" to which Chloe hangs up and takes the Helmet of Nabu out of its case. She asks it for Oliver's location and Nabu asks her if she is willing to give up her sanity for him. She agrees and the helmet wraps itself around her head. Clark quickly arrives on the scene to see Chloe lying unconscious, with the helmet beside her.

Meanwhile, Oliver Queen is blindfolded, being held captive and interrogated violently against his will by Rick Flag who attempts to retrieve useful information from him regarding the Blur's connection to the cryptic alien symbols that appeared all over the world's famous monuments when Zod and his battalion of soldiers were declaring war on Earth.

Tess Mercer wakes up in Cadmus Labs. She sees in her reflection that there is plastic placed over where her burns were. When she removes it, she finds that her face is healed. Unnerved, she leaves the room and comes across several clones of Lex. She stumbles and meets a young boy who calls himself "Alexander Luthor". He tells her that the other clones are his "brothers". Before Lex had died, he cloned himself so he could take what was needed from the clones to regenerate himself. Tess hears a banging coming from behind her and just as Alexander shouts not to open it, she does and an older clone of Lex escapes and attacks her. Tess tells Alexander to run, which he does, and she starts to fight the older clone. He recognizes her from all his original self's memories, but Tess continues to fight him. The clone gets the upper hand and sets the lab on fire, saying there can be only one Lex Luthor.

Clark takes Chloe back to Watchtower, and Emil Hamilton confirms that Chloe is suffering from an overload trauma. Clark tells Chloe that she is the strongest person he knows, when she wakes up and tells him that Oliver was missing, but he will be all right. She tells Clark that she saw Clark being the world's hero and that he wasn't wearing black. Then she told him she'd seen fire when she put on the Helmet of Nabu; Cadmus is on fire. She tells him to go and save it. A moment after Clark has left the tower, with a look of sadness, she bids him farewell.

Meanwhile, inside Clark's loft at the Kent Farm, Lois views a picture of herself and Clark framed on his desk. She sees the package Martha had left for Clark, and decides to take a quick sneak peek, and is truly delighted to see the new costume with the House of El emblem colorized. When she hears a creaking sound behind her, thinking it is Clark, she quickly places the lid back on the box and turns around to be knocked unconscious by Lex's degenerated clone.

Clark arrives at Cadmus to find the lab in ruins but Tess handcuffed in another room. She explains that she didn't know how she got there, but all of Lex's clones were destroyed by another clone who left her alive to give Clark a message to meet him in Lawson's Field.

Lois regains consciousness and discovers herself strung up as a scarecrow with a red 'S' painted on her shirt in a field. Lex's clone informs her that she is Clark's greatest weakness and attempts to break Clark emotionally by causing her death by setting the field ablaze.

Clark arrives in Lawson's Field and confronts "Lex" who mocks him for the self-righteous attitude he claims Clark has developed and carried with him ever since Clark's very first rescue of Lex's life on Loeb Bridge. "Lex" tells him that Clark has a great darkness inside of him just like himself. "Lex" also insults the House of El family crest and states that the only reason anyone sees Clark as a hero is because he prides himself in cleaning up the disasters he originally caused. This causes Clark to momentarily lose control of his anger and he begins to choke the life out of his former friend's clone. Clark regains control of his emotions when he notices the blood coming from the clone's nose.

"Lex" explains that Clark isn't responsible for his imminent death, but it is only the negative side effects of the accelerated cloning process. Before his death, "Lex" explains he has set into motion two chains of events to cause the world to hate Clark, which would ultimately destroy him emotionally. Clark could choose to save the citizens of Metropolis from the plummeting beacon of hope that was set to fall off due to a time bomb or he could choose to save Lois being crucified surrounded by fire in the very same field that he was strung up in as a scarecrow where Lex had saved his life. "Lex" taunts Clark, saying that he believes he isn't fast enough to save both. As Clark speeds away, the clone dies.

Clark super speeds at maximum velocity to save Lois' life using his speed as a vacuum to disperse the fire surrounding the field and getting Lois to safety. Lois awakens to see that she had been rescued and whisperingly encourages Clark to stop "Lex". As the globe begins to fall, Clark arrives on the scene in Metropolis and super leaps up into the air, catching the globe and guiding it back to the top of the roof with the crowd below cheering him on in appreciation.

Clark returns to his loft, intending to put on the colorized costume, only for the key to activate and transport both himself and the suit to the Fortress of Solitude which has been fully repaired. He informs Jor-El that he felt like he was flying and that he is now the hero he is supposed to be. However, Jor-El tells Clark that he almost took a life and that he is not the hero he wanted him to be. Clark says Jor-El told him he had unfinished business there, involving an evil he had to face. But Jor-El informs Clark the evil that he has to face is himself because the greatest threat Earth will face is coming and it will use Clark as its instrument of destruction. Jor-El explains that the dark force that is coming preys on the "darkness" inside peoples' hearts and uses it to corrupt and control them, and unless Clark rids himself of his faults, such as the arrogance and pride he has displayed recently, then he'd ultimately become Earth's greatest enemy.

Jor-El also states that Clark cannot be a beacon of hope as long as there is darkness in his heart. Clark demands to know why did Jor-El send him back, but Jor-El responds that he didn't and that it wasn't his decision to give Clark back his life. Clark defiantly says that Jor-El may not see him as a hero, but the rest of the world does and that his fate is his own. Jor-El becomes disappointed and tells Clark that he regrets that his faith in him has blinded him to the truth, telling Clark he will never be Earth's savior. Jor-El then goes silent and Clark leaves.

In the darkness, Chloe offers herself up in exchange for Oliver's safety without anyone's knowledge. At the Luthor Mansion, Alexander is seen playing with the toy soldiers belonging to Lex, with Tess watching over him like a motherly figure. Lois is seen in the desert, reminiscing over a photo of her and Clark as a happy couple. Meanwhile, back at the Kent farm, Clark reads a letter left by Lois, saying she "couldn't pass up Africa." Clark, saddened by Lois leaving, drops the letter to the ground.

Outside the Kent farm, Clark sees Jonathan Kent who tells him that he is proud of the man his son is becoming. Clark is distressed by knowing that he has the capacity to kill, but Jonathan tells him that the measure of a man is defined by his choices in the face of his trials. He also tells Clark that he could be the greatest hero the world has ever known and that he knows Clark can do it. Furthermore, he tells Clark that he is more than the man he ever wanted him to be and that he can prove Jor-El wrong as he has done in the past, but he also states that Jor-El's prediction about something dark coming to Earth is correct.

Meanwhile, at the crow's nest, Darkseid materializes from a cloud of dark smoke, flying into the air. Back in the Fortess of Solitude, Clark's costume is frozen in a solid ice crystal.

### Shield

Lois has arrived at the sand dunes of Egypt, Africa, at a special international archeological working base. She leaves Perry White a cellphone message telling him that she is hoping his "story" is worth working for, amid all the harsh circumstances in a desert. She enters a huge pavilion tent, filled with chairs, tables, books, ancient archeological artifacts, Including the medallion of Isis. She soon finds an ancient painting on parchment, showing two Egyptian deities side-by-side. Carter Hall soon enters telling Lois that they were star-crossed lovers and that she never knows what fate has planned for her.

Back at the *Daily Planet* in Metropolis, Clark is desperately trying to contact Chloe with his cellphone. He is desperate for her to find out what Jor-El was talking about when he spoke of "some dark force coming." After Clark leaves many messages, a journalist excitedly hands Clark a newspaper with a Page 3 article about Lois Lane joining Perry White on the Planet's Foreign Desk. Clark is really taken aback by this. He soon prints out a flight ticket, planning to go to Egypt for Lois. Clark is then stunned by a new chirpy cheeky colorful blonde woman that has taken Lois' desk as her own, and introduces herself as Cat Grant, the Daily Planet's newest recruit, AND Clark's new partner. Clark greets her. Cat then puts on a pink stereo with an obnoxious radio broadcaster known as Gordon Godfrey slandering the Blur. Clark slams the stereo off, telling Cat that HR doesn't allow them to listen to the radio during working hours.

Meanwhile, Oliver is at Watchtower, desperately trying to look for Chloe. Tess shows up, and tells Oliver that she got his message and she doesn't understand what happened to Chloe. Oliver professes that Chloe is gone, and he'll do everything he can to find her. Tess remarks that Clark tends to do the same thing for Lois, but Oliver states that they both of course know where Lois is, but Chloe has totally disappeared. Tess remarks that Chloe possibly erased her own "existence" records. Oliver believes that possibility is very unlikely, and hands Tess a printed e-mail that she supposedly sent him. Tess reads the e-mail, which reveals much affection, passion, and devotion for Oliver. Tess denies posting such an e-mail, and points out that Chloe did. Tess admits that she helped Chloe with her program of "erasing" herself, knowing that she had a plan.

Back in Africa, Lois is observing a lot of valuable Egyptian jewelry and trinkets, including a long beaded necklace. Carter tells her that it belonged to the Egyptian goddess, Isis, who spent a lifetime looking for the cut-up remains of her dead husband. Lois remarks that her own relationship with Clark isn't at present able to be repaired. She questions Carter about his archeological finds, and he states that they are much better un-touched (while sending a text message to Clark on his cellphone that Lois is safe and he owes him Big Time). Lois holds an artifact, an ancient statue, which Carter explains is the Sun god, Ra. He goes further into the Egyptian mythology about Ra and his origins, when a mysterious black-robed maid enters to set a tray of tea cups and hot pot on the table. Lois then remarks on and on about the crazy possibilities of thinking any deities existed, while the person sitting right across from you may very well be that deity. Carter gets annoyed, and pulls out a bottle of whiskey, hoping for Lois to calm down as well as informs Lois he is well aware she was referring to Clark and that he is also aware of his powers.

Out on the streets of Metropolis, Clark is walking along with Cat Grant to her car to follow a story, while a mysterious hatted-cloaked-man closes a red digital-tracking lenscape on his right eye. Clark and Cat get into her car, while the mysterious assassin takes aim, and fires a homing bullet that streaks past every obstacle, and lodges itself perfectly in the car's combustion, causing it to explode into the air. Luckily Clark superspeeds to get Cat out of the car, before the car blows up and the flames engulf them. Back at the Planet, Clark is holding the squished homing bullet, with the letters "A R N T" still visible on it. Clark thinks the assassin tried to kill Cat. She thinks he's crazy, and continues to talk about the so-called heroes of Metropolis as if they are plain evil. Clark gives her proof that a bullet was found in her car, and says that she needs to get somewhere safe.

Oliver is avidly searching through Chloe's belongings at Chloe's apartment, when he comes across a beautiful picture of Chloe, and a mysterious vial of cyanide. Cat Grant suddenly enters, when Oliver just in time stumbles away to dress up in his Green Arrow costume. Cat uses many humorous devices to defend herself, but Arrow overcomes them. Arrow keeps Cat from leaving, and she stresses that people like him are responsible for trying to kill her. Arrow states that he's one of the good guys. But she tries to show him proof that she knows what she saw, with her cellphone camera. He takes it from her. While she tries to get out of the room, Green Arrow escapes out the window.

Clark is going through some journalist identity files at Tess' office at the *Daily Planet* and finds Cat Grant's file. Tess returns, startled. Clark finds that Grant's real name is Mary Louise Shroger. Tess knows that Clark won't like anybody sitting at Lois' desk, and encourages him to do as he wishes and bring Lois back from Africa. But Clark knows that something weird is going on with Cat, making suspicious phone calls and almost getting blown up in her car. When he mentions the bullet with the only visible letters, Tess mentions that she's seen this work before. She comes up with a picture of the same mysterious hatted-cloaked-man closing a red digital-tracking lenscape on his right eye. She points out that they never could find out his name, and just called him "Deadshot".

Deadshot is shown in his warehouse, which is *filled* with various types of guns and bullets. He talks to someone on the phone about not letting targeted people walk away. The caller says it was just a test and making sure they were after the right target. Deadshot finishes engraving a name on a bullet, "CLARK KENT", revealing that Clark was the one they were trying to kill, not Cat Grant.

Back at the Talon apartment, Cat is wearing a bulletproof vest and is busy packing her belongings, when she hears footsteps coming up to the door. She grabs a kitchen knife. The visitor is only Clark. Cat Grant professes that Green Arrow tried to attack her, and that supposed "heroes" like him don't want her to be a reporter at the Planet to expose "the truth" about them. Clark questions her why she deceptively changed her name. She comes out to explain that she has a son named Adam, living with his grandparents at the moment. She had a boyfriend whom she went out with for two years, but never married. Clark tells her that he has had similar feelings of not ending up with someone. Grant explains that she needed to get Adam away from the guy she used to love, so she changed her name so he couldn't find them. Also, she doesn't want him to know who's writing the articles in the newspapers. She remarks that the world may not see her as a hero, but her son will. Clark receives an urgent text message from Tess, and leaves. Cat then finds a dark jacket and black wig, and determines to go out in disguise.

After several cups of whiskey, Lois is still talking to Carter, and tells him that she knows Clark has a very important destiny and she doesn't want to get in his way. But Carter tells her that she could be the very thing that can make him become what he needs to be. Lois suspects that Clark intentionally sent Carter to take care of her, and Carter admits it. Carter then says that Clark thinks Lois still doesn't know about his secret, and Lois remarks that that is one big reason for her to be in Africa. She thinks she's not good at keeping secrets. Carter says it requires strength. Lois states that she wants to go to sleep. Before she does, Carter gives her his wife's book. A story about him and his wife. He envisions Shayera standing right in front of him, and tries giving her a kiss, but accidentally kisses Lois. She slaps him, and threatens him that she will punch him the next time he does that.

Back at Tess' office at the *Daily Planet*, Tess shows Clark that the bullet lodged inside the car had the name "CLARK KENT" embedded on it. Clark points out that Deadshot doesn't know Clark's invulnerability. Tess says it's possible he was just testing him, even that he'll target someone else he knows he'll save. Clark starts to go, but Tess' tracking computer shows that Cat is already on the move.

At the bus station, Cat is wearing a black wig, and dark clothes, telling someone by phone that Deadshot may know about her. She hears someone call her from behind, and realizes it's Deadshot. He pulls out a gun, but she hits him with a bag, and makes a run for it. She jumps over, through, and under things and people, desperately trying to get away. She comes to a dead end with a strange black skull death symbol painted on the wall. She looks back to see a remote-controlled rifle aimed at the direct position of the painting and Cat Grant. Clark arrives, knocks out Deadshot with a super uppercut punch, and superspeeds to stop the bullet, and places it on her bulletproof vest. Cat is impressed by her vest, and tells Clark that she doesn't need a super-powered meta-human to help her - just Clark. Especially that others would prefer a hero in Red-and-blue. As she walks away, Clark is marked with the same death symbol.

Elsewhere in Africa, the same dark mysteriously-gowned maid hands Carter Hall a bowl of water to wash his face with. He, as well, is marked by the death symbol. She looks at him with fiery eyes, revealing that she's actually Plastique.

Meanwhile, Oliver is back at the warehouse in his Green Arrow suit where he was kept hostage. Rick Flag comes out, and they have deluded conversation. Rick shoots Oliver with a bullet that embeds the same symbol as on Clark and Carter. Oliver shoots and muggers Rick for answers as to where Chloe is. Rick says that Chloe wasn't kidnapped, but downed a cyanide pill and traded herself in to save Oliver. He professes that she's dead.

Back at the faded Watchtower, Oliver is sitting on the stairs, distraught over what he just heard. Clark arrives, and Oliver tells him that Chloe is gone, the people that kept him hostage took Chloe in trade, call themselves "crimefighters", and that Oliver and his friends all better keep hiding. He shows  Clark the cyanide vial, and states that Chloe faked her own death. Clark then understands that Chloe had been planning this, since she saw the future when she put on Dr. Fate's helmet. Oliver professes that he spends so much time protecting strangers so that they can be at home with those they care about, but is so disappointed that he failed the one person he cares most about. He states that he hates people painting heroes like them as vigilantes. Clark shows Oliver the plane tickets, stating that he does indeed want to go get Lois. Both Clark and Oliver's loved ones left them. Oliver says that it's time for them to make a new fate and change things since they've lost too much.

In a dark bunker, Rick Flag and Plastique come to a cell holding Deadshot, and get him out. They walk away, revealing their team name as the Suicide Squad.

Meanwhile, back in Africa, outside the tent, Carter Hall apologizes to Lois about accidentally kissing her. He was just thinking too much about his wife. Lois tells Carter that she wasn't fooled, because the book was an autobiography and not a story book. She hands him a love note written by his wife. And they start to have a conversation about destiny. Carter claims that the only way he could join his wife in their next reincarnation would be to die - so he intends to embrace his full destiny as a hero. He tells Lois about something important that Nietzsche talked about for living in the present and not for the future. He called a person who embraced the life that he or she was given and made it better, "Übermensch." Lois recognizes it as the German word for a "Superman".

Meanwhile, at the roof of the *Daily Planet*, Clark emerges from out of the shadows in a new prototype Red-and-Blue outfit with the House of El emblem engraved on the chest zipper of his jacket with his hair slicked back. He steps up to the edge of the building, and drops the plane tickets. And the camera pans to an angle where it has the American flag look like a cape behind Clark.

### Supergirl

Three weeks earlier, after the portal closed transporting the Kandorians from Earth, a Dark force of immense power begins to take form at the edge of the stone gargoyle at the crow's nest where it transforms into a swarm of ravens. Elsewhere, Gordon Godfrey, a washed up radio jockey, finishes his latest broadcast that has a small following concerning illegal immigration. The Dark force finds Godfrey to be a suitable vessel to inhabit in order to spread his message of mistrust among the citizens to lose their faith in Heroes.

After three weeks, Godfrey holds a press conference in downtown Metropolis where he's praised by the public for taking a stand against the masked vigilantes in his new book. Clark is assigned to cover the conference with Cat, however she doesn't show up and instead Lois returns and has a brief reunion with Clark who is delighted she's back. Godfrey continues to bash the heroes, including the Blur, which gets Lois upset! She intends to defend the Blur by heading to the platform to speak, just as Godfrey unveils his anti-hero billboard that begins to plummet below towards the crowd. Clark uses his super speed to push Lois out of harm's way and tries to catch the billboard when it is suddenly caught in midair by Kara, who flies upwards. She notices Clark and Lois in the crowd bellow and winks at them as she flies away. Lois points out the obvious, that the flying hero who just saved them was Clark's cousin.

Lois and Clark return to the *Daily Planet* where they see the headline article in the paper entitled "**The Maiden of Might"** which talks about Kara's Heroic rescue debut at the rally. Clark sees the reaction of the people and begins to question whether maybe The Blur should've come out into the public eye as well, but Lois points out that he can't afford to do that because he'd place everyone he cares about in danger. Lois is also concerned about Kara's newfound powers, which she assumes is a result of her exposure to the meteor rocks. Lois also feels that revealing her identity to the public could have grim consequences, especially if Godfrey begins to set his sights on her, which may also expose her connection to Clark.

On a rooftop, Kara is seen doing a photo shoot posing heroically for the cameras. Clark arrives and Kara tries to be coy about her return to Earth without revealing the truth surrounding her return. Kara explains to Clark that she traveled as far as she could in search of her mother only to discover that Kara and Clark are the only survivors of Krypton. Clark is still not convinced by the way Kara tries to change the subject surrounding her return to Earth, as well as her reason for publicly displaying her powers. Clark is shocked to discover that Jor-El has opted instead for Kara's aid to confront the Darkness that has come to Earth, because Jor-El has disowned Clark as his own son. Jor-El knows Clark has doubts, which would attract Darkseid to possess Clark and use him as a pawn to destroy Earth.

Lois confronts Godfrey at a church and warns him that she refuses to stand by and let him take cheap shots at the heroes of Metropolis. Godfrey insists that Kara risked people's lives and he has some people investigating her and the other so called 'heroes'. Lois warns Godfrey to back off before she does some investigating of her own against him, but Godfrey claims that he has nothing to hide. However, he informs her that one of his sources has learned that her ex-boyfriend (Oliver Queen) is Green Arrow and Godfrey plans to announce it in the final installment of his new book tomorrow.

Meanwhile at LuthorCorp inside the office of Oliver Queen, Oliver is seen focusing his anger into breaking a wooden board while he remembers his first kiss with Chloe. At that moment, Lois comes in and briefly explains her reason for temporarily leaving Clark. She then informs Oliver that Godfrey has evidence connecting him to his secret identity as Green Arrow. Oliver suggests not to take action: he believes that people might deserve to know the truth and besides, the cost of keeping his secret is too high a price to bear any more. Lois tells him that if he doesn't go after Godfrey, she will.

Inside a limousine Godfrey meets with his female publicist and he informs her that he has the only known copy of the final chapter of his book on a flash drive. He refuses to let her see it. The Dark Force manifests itself without outright revealing itself (as shown by its use of a darker toned voice) and tells her to make sure that he's on every television network, computer and newspaper so he can spread his seed of doubt across the entire world, eradicating mankind's faith in one another and in its so called 'heroes'. This way, they'll be so disarrayed that they'll easily be looking for a new voice of reason to follow. Godfrey's publicist is a little frightened by his speech: believing Godfrey to be a little too overworked, she suggests he take a break. Once she leaves, The Dark Force contemplates a brochure for a fetish club, known as Club Desaad and tells Godfrey's Limo driver to take him there, unaware that Lois is disguised as the driver.

Clark heads to his loft attempting to use the Key to teleport himself to the Fortress of Solitude, however he discovers it missing from his book and that Kara already has it. Kara informs Clark that Jor-El summoned her to confront the darkness that is spreading, as well as that she's using herself as live bait to attract the attention of the dark essence. Clark insists that he knows what he's doing and he can fight this threat, but Kara warns that the coming evil takes advantage of people's own doubts. She points out that he still doesn't have complete control of his abilities, which also includes the ability to fly, as well as he'll need all of his abilities if he's going to win against this darkness. Clark asks Kara if she has more faith in Jor-El than him, as well as reminds her that they are a family and she needs to trust him.

Kara decides to take Clark to Chandler's Field atop the windmill to try and teach Clark how to access his flight capabilities. Clark tries to concentrate, but is greatly overwhelmed by everything he can hear with his super hearing. Kara tells him to focus and uses the butterfly nearby on the ledge as an example of how Clark should approach harnessing his ability to fly, as well as to focus on that one noise. As Clark concentrates and for a brief moment, he proceeds to fly upwards into the sky, only to lose focus and come crashing down hard into the barn. Kara says that at least it's a start. However, she also admits she was wrong to go against Jor-El's wishes to train him, as well as warns Clark that he is still too distracted to fly, much less fight this darkness. When Kara reveals to Clark that Darkseid arrived on earth three weeks earlier, they head to the crow's nest together to discover that when Clark had transported the Kandorians with the Book of Rao it had left a rip in the universe allowing Darkseid to gain access to earth. Clark suggests that perhaps the darkness can be sent back through a similar gateway. Kara says she could use her bracelet, which can open gateways, as well as explains that the darkness has the ability to sense doubt in the heart and possess its victim. However, it can't possess someone with total clarity of purpose (a spirit pure of heart). She warns that if it manages to possess Clark, it could become the greatest weapon ever seen.

Oliver goes to a church and takes out a photo of his parents. He talks to them, confessing that he feels he's let them down in the way he's conducted his life so far, as well as that he can't let people like Chloe risk their lives for him any more. He leaves the photo behind and goes out promising to make a difference.

Meanwhile Lois follows Godfrey into Club DeSaad, where she disguises herself as a fellow Dominatrix working at the club, as well as captures incriminating evidence of Godfrey indulging in erotic activities, which she sends to the *Metropolis Inquisitor* via her camera cell phone. Godfrey is impressed by the great lengths Lois is willing to go to protect her loved ones. He offers her a trade to give her the evidence against Oliver so she can get a headline. Lois refuses and transmits the photos to the newspaper. Godfrey then breaks free from restraints and his voice changes to a darker tone as the Dark Force starts to manifest itself. Darkseid (in Godfrey's body) approaches Lois intending to possess her body until he realizes that Lois is pure of heart. Lois grabs a stun gun but Godfrey easily subdues her and his eyes turn black as Darkseid manifests completely within Gordon's body.

Clark takes Kara to Watchtower and they check the news broadcasts to find where the darkness might be. Clark notices that Godfrey is all over the media. With their super hearing, both Clark and Kara hear a darker toned voice hidden in the broadcast. They both realize that the darkness is inhabiting Godfrey, so Kara checks the security cameras in Metropolis to locate him. Clark realizes that the limo driver is Lois, as Kara zooms in on the video frame. Tracking Lois' cell phone, they both super speed to Club Desaad.

Inside a chamber in the club, Lois awakens to find herself bound and gagged while Darkseid begins to explain that her suffering will bring the Blur to him. He uses a wench to pull her bonds in different directions.

Clark and Kara enter the club and split up to search for Lois. Clark finds Godfrey in the back and Darkseid warns that Lois is in over her head but has served her purpose by luring Clark to him, so he asks Clark if he thinks he can actually defeat him. Darkseid via Godfrey talks about all the doubts deep within Clark's own heart. He says when people stop believing in Clark, it will ruin him. Godfrey/Darkseid mentions Clark's fear of never becoming the hero he wants to be, as well as also points out that Clark still has a desire to kill. Clark insists he won't help him, but Darkseid warns that he won't have a choice. The dark force emerges from Godfrey and approaches Clark, but Kara arrives and uses her bracelet to drive it away. When she asks Clark if he's all right, he admits that the dark force could see right inside him. He then hears Lois plead for help and goes to rescue her. Clark quickly leaves and Kara makes sure that Lois is all right.

After being set free, Lois confronts Kara about having powers. Kara mentions that there are two sides to everyone, even heroes. Kara says that there is "nothing holding her back," to which Lois unintentionally remarks that it is too bad, only to correct her error by saying that Kara is extraordinary but must get lonely. Lois asks if it is easier without someone holding the super-powered beings down. To which Kara responds that it's easy for people to see the powers instead of the person: that "even heroes need someone to come home to".

Back at the Planet, Clark tells Lois he believes that she went too far in trying to discredit Godfrey. Lois disagrees but does admit she was terrified. Lois says her fear is living in a world without heroes, then attempts to give Kara a decent nickname. Clark thinks that perhaps heroes are placed on too high a pedestal, to which Lois responds that heroes are people too. She claims that the Blur is different, as well as that she believes he will work out his fears and always be there for her. As she leaves, Clark looks on with mixed emotions, the doubt showing in his face as he ponders on the conversation.

While walking out on the street, Clark runs into Kara, who has adapted Clark's future disguise as a glasses wearing worker. He inquires about the change in her approach, to which she responds that you can’t save anyone while being the center of attention. She says that she isn't going anywhere till the darkness is gone.

Clark asks if he can use Kara's bracelet, but she tells him he is not ready. She explains that the darkness can not be drawn to her because of her pure spirit. Kara says that she has just as many issues as anyone else, but if she had not intervened the Darkseid would have possessed Clark with disastrous results.

Clark admits to his doubts, as well as that Kara sounds like Jor-El foretelling his failures. Kara responds that failure is something that everyone must overcome, as well as that it is how one overcomes their failures that truly defines one's self. She takes her leave after telling Clark that this is not his battle to fight. After she leaves, Clark again begins to doubt when a passerby comments that perhaps too much faith is put into these vigilantes.

Lois gives Oliver the USB drive that contains the chapter about the Green Arrow and proclaims that his secret is now safe. He thanks her and mentions that he is now going to fight his own battles. They talk about Chloe's disappearance, with Lois remaining optimistic. Oliver then exclaims that keeping his secret has gone on long enough and calls in a horde of reporters. In an attempt to set the record straight about the vigilante heroes he announces to the reporters that he is the Green Arrow.

### Homecoming

At his loft, Clark is looking at magazines, featuring Kara as a superhero, Oliver revealing himself to the world, and a Times Magazine that questions if the Blur is a hero. Clark then proceeds to look at the empty book that once held the key, beginning to believe that perhaps Jor-El is right and he is not the chosen savior of humanity after all. After he places the book in his chest box containing his new Blur costume, Lois arrives unannounced at the loft, responding to a three-day-old message Clark left her after she finished her latest assignment at the Daily Planet. Lois notices the magazines and insists that despite everyone turning against the Blur, recently causing him to take a leave of absence from the public, she knows that he would never let the citizens down and insists that she will always stand behind him no matter what. When Clark wonders why, Lois insists that is what someone does when they know they are needed.

Clearly saddened due to his doubts about being a hero, Lois tries to offer Clark some comfort and suggests that the two of them attend their five-year Smallville High class reunion. Clark notes that she was only enrolled there for 23 days, and ended up only attending for five, but Lois insists that is the best she had ever done and does not plan to miss it. She encourages Clark to go despite his fear of something going wrong at this reunion.

At Smallville High, the school guidance counselor is reviewing articles of various meteor-infected metahumans and is furious about their limited opportunities in life due to Clark's involvement. In her anger, she tries to stick a pin in an action figure that bears a striking resemblance to Clark, when suddenly, time stops and Brainiac 5 appears, altering her memory regarding Clark and reassures her he will deal with Clark personally.

The next day, Clark arrives with Lois at Smallville High School in his red truck. After parking the truck, Clark walks up the stairs to the school entrance with Lois, who is overjoyed in seeing her old classmates, to which Clark replies that he has a bad feeling about this. While not paying attention to his surroundings, Clark bumps into a woman who is carrying a pile of books that fall, and as he bends down to retrieve them he flashes back to a memory of Lana, wearing her necklace, as she picks up Clark's book about Friedrich Nietzsche and asks him if he is "man or superman?"

Clark returns the books to their owner, the school's guidance counselor, who is simply overjoyed to see Clark and gives him a hug, saying that they have a special surprise for him later on. As Clark and Lois go into the school, they are unaware of the arrival of former student Greg Arkin.

Lois continues to try and interact with the various former students she had briefly encountered during her five-day attendance to the school, with no one showing an interest in her or even remembering her. Upon arriving at the registration desk, Clark is greeted by Suzanne Capra, who is surprised to see the new improved version of Clark, inquiring what happened to his bumbling nerdy persona from his early years of high school, as she hands him his name tag. Suzanne also notices Lois and assumes that she is his date, unaware of Lois' identity or that she even attended the school. Frustrated and uncomfortable, Lois looks for her name badge on the desk of alumni, when she comes across Lana's name badge. Lois turns to Clark and realizes that he cannot escape the ghost of his past, and comments that maybe it was a mistake to come here. Lois mentions she has not seen Lana since the dance in the barn where they almost kissed, and Clark assures her that Lana will not be attending this reunion.

When Clark sees Chloe's name badge, he smiles as he heads to the former *Smallville Torch* room, where he sees the now vacant Wall of Weird bulletin board. This triggers another memory in which Chloe shows Clark the Wall of Weird for the first time and she explains how it started as a scrapbook and evolved into this bulletin. She asks him what he thinks of it. Lois arrives and apologizes for bringing him back to a place that holds so many of his memories, when Zoe and Clayton, the new Torch reporters, come in and recognize Clark and Lois as friends of Chloe.

They assume some kind of conspiracy is involved in Chloe's absence from society, as well as her former career as an up-and-coming reporter at the Daily Planet. The two cub reporters also recognize Lois because of her brief relationship with Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow. They ask Lois what it was like to date a real-life super-hero, to which she replies it was only a 'quick fling' and states that she would date one again, looking towards Clark.

The two young reporters then explain that they have taken up the Wall of Weird legacy and it is now viral, and share their theory that the Blur was originally from Smallville. Lois tries to throw the two off the trail of discovering Clark's secret when Zoe points out that Chloe wrote about all of the strange supernatural incidents that happened before the Blur appeared in Metropolis. Clark tells them that the Blur has gone away and may not be back, and Lois tries to cover for him by expressing how great it is to see that the Blur has inspired a whole new generation of followers. As Clark prepares to go, Clayton tells him that it is a good thing that the Blur is not there, because he would steal all of Clark's thunder, to which Clark is confused.

Clark and Lois are pronounced Homecoming King and Queen, much to Clark's own displeasure as he sits upon his throne, while Lois enjoys the attention and comments how it was a good thing he became the star quarterback in his senior year. Clark then notices Greg Arkin amongst the crowd, staring at him. As Clark is about to move, he notices that time has literally stopped and everyone else around him is frozen. Brainiac 5 appears before Clark, expressing his 'sincere apologies' for interrupting the event. Believing him to be a foe, Clark questions his motives as to why he arrived in Smallville. He explains he is here to see that Clark experiences this defining moment that will change his life as he transports himself and Clark away with the Legion ring. Time unfreezes, and Lois discovers that Clark is missing.

Arriving at their destination in the woods, Clark questions Brainiac 5 on his reappearance and what his hidden agenda is: if he is the evil threat Jor-El warned about or a ghost from his past. He introduces himself as Brainiac 5, a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes, who has been reprogrammed as a force for good thanks to Clark and the Legion's intervention. Brainiac 5 explains he has returned to prevent Clark from becoming an even greater evil than what he once was as Brainiac by confronting the darkness within Clark's heart, retracing it back to its place of origin: the death of Jonathan Kent. Clark is present at his father's funeral, full of sorrow and regret, as he picks up the dirt and spreads it across the casket as Martha watches.

As they both look on at the past flashback event, Brainiac 5 explains to Clark that this was the moment he allowed himself to be corrupted by his emotions as he blamed himself for Jonathan's death. Clark mentions he carries the burden because he believes he altered his father's fate when he changed back time. Brainiac 5 assures him he is not to blame and shows him the truth about what happened the night Jonathan died: Jonathan, in full rage, attacks Lionel, causing himself to suffer a heart attack. Clark tries to stop fate, but Brainiac 5 tells him that Jonathan decided his own fate to protect his son, no matter the cost. He then goes on to explain that in life, everyone makes choices that decide their fate and Jonathan decided his.

Brainiac 5 then transports Clark to an office in Metropolis. Clark realizes where they are and Brainiac 5 reassures him that is the present, relating to the current events surrounding Oliver. Oliver sits in his office, observing the various news broadcasts covering his recent unveiling as Green Arrow, which has not had the inspirational effect on the public that he had hoped. Oliver turns off the TV and checks his calls, only to discover that Clark still has not called him. Clark sees that Oliver needs him, and Brainiac 5 reminds him that the darkness is in his past, and as long as he continues to punish himself and everyone around him for past mistakes, he will never move forward with his life.

Brainiac 5 returns Clark to the class reunion to witness an example of the past repeating itself in his present relationship with Lois. Lois is left abandoned by Clark while the couples begin to share a slow dance. Feeling out of place, Lois retreats to the refreshments table in search of alcohol, which she hopes is in the punch drink. She meets Maddie, the punch girl, who is impressed and surprised that Lois has ended up with Clark, and admits she had a crush on him once. Maddie talks about Clark's previous romantic relationships with Lana and Chloe, and Lois admits that she and Clark are not currently dating, and Maddie asks if Clark really likes Lois. Lois appears to be upset and uneasy. Brainiac 5 asks Clark if he really does care about Lois. Clark tells him that he originally chose to distance himself to protect Lois, but Brainiac 5 mentions how Lois does not look very protected. Clark then sees Greg approaching Lois, who tells her he has a message for Clark.

Worried about her safety, Clark grabs the Legion ring from Brainiac 5's finger, attempting to intervene and confront Greg. Despite Brainiac's warnings, Clark accidentally triggers the ring, trapping Brainiac 5 in the present and transporting himself to the future.
Clark finds himself in the basement of the *Daily Planet*, bewildered by what just occurred, and he begins to search for some answers. Unbeknownst to him, he passes by a newsstand full of papers whose headline article reads **SUPERMAN SAVES THE DAY!** Clark looks around as he bumps into Lois, who is as shocked to see him as he is her. Lois quickly pushes Clark into the nearby phone booth with herself inside and hands him a pair of spare glasses she has to help conceal his identity from the other employees. She reminds him that it was his idea to create this type of disguise as a means to protect his alter-ego's identity and his current wardrobe appearance is not helping things. As Lois starts to go, Clark asks her about the reunion, but she says that they will need to talk about it later because they are both in a hurry. Lois leaves the booth and has a brief discussion with Perry White over her cell phone just as Clark exits the booth. One of the reporters that saw him earlier mentions to his fellow colleague that Clark bears a striking resemblance to someone very familiar to them, but realizes it is not possible when they notice Clark wearing glasses. Clark goes to his desk, but discovers that it has not belonged to him for at least seven years according to Jeff Hage, who has now taken up residence at the desk. Clark catches a quick glance at the newspaper on the desk, and notices that the date is October 15, 2017. Lois appears and inquires what Clark is doing. She directs Clark up to their own private office on the eighth floor of the *Daily Planet*. Inside their office, Lois reveals to a very startled and confused Clark her complete knowledge about his Kryptonian heritage, his weakness to various colors of kryptonite, and their anniversary, which is the day Clark finally confided his secret to Lois. Clark is in complete shock. He realizes that he needs the Legion ring, and asks her where it might be. She reminds him that she once had a bad experience with it, and then leaves for an interview she has scheduled with the mayor of Metropolis. Clark goes after her and tries to explain that he needs to get back to his own time line using the Legion ring. She suggests that he might want to check out his collection of souvenirs he has stored away at the farm, and pushes him into the elevator, lightly smacking his backside. Smiling, Clark then discovers someone waiting for him: his future self, who remarks that Lois is quite a handful. Inside the elevator, Clark looks upon his future self's disguised appearance, which now is that of a nerdy, glasses-wearing, uptight, mild-mannered reporter to conceal his identity as Superman. Future Clark explains how he knew that on this very day, an abandoned nuclear reactor was going to explode just outside Metropolis that could potentially destroy the city, and that he would be required to clean up while Lois would be in a helicopter that experienced problems and would fall off the rooftop of the Daily Planet. He had waited in the elevator so that he would purposely encounter his younger self and enlist his help in saving Lois, while he went to set up a containment field around the nuclear reactor. As the reactor explodes, Future Clark dashes out at superspeed from the elevator and Clark witnesses from the window a colorful red-and-blue streak flying in the sky, heading directly to the reactor, and containing it with a super spin. Meanwhile, Clark picks up on Lois's distress transmission from the helicopter radio and responds by heading to the roof and guiding the helicopter back to the landing pad on the roof. Lois sees Clark is not wearing his normal traditional uniform and decides to knock the pilot out in order to protect his secret.

When Clark goes to see if she is all right, Lois begins to reprimanded him for being careless by preforming a heroic act in public without his costume. Clark is amazed that Lois works so hard to protect his secret, and Lois passionately kisses Clark, telling him she would do anything for him. She thanks him for saving her and reminds him about their planned dinner reservations later that night, before leaving for her meeting with the mayor. Brainiac 5 arrives and tells Clark that he interfered with the ring, but regardless, he had intended for Clark to see this future, so he would stop fearing what was to come and instead look forward to it. The idea of being a hero and having Lois as his partner through it all strengthens Clark's resolve to embrace his destiny. Before returning to the present day, Brainiac 5 says to Clark that "the next time you decide to defy me, don't strand me back in the dark age", hinting Brainiac 5 remained stuck in the present age from 2010 to 2017.

Brainiac 5 then takes him back to the moment earlier with Lois and Greg, where Greg tells Lois how Clark helped so many of them and to give Clark his thanks. He observes how special Lois is, with Clark agreeing. Realizing what Brainiac 5 was teaching him, Clark thanks him. Before Brainiac 5 takes his leave to return to his future in the 31st century, he advises Clark to remember that a hero is made in the moment, not from questioning the past, or fearing what is to come. After Brainiac 5 leaves, Clark, now properly back in the present, walks towards Lois and begins to dance with her, only for the reunion to end abruptly. Both are disappointed, but Lois brushes it off as no big deal, though Clark knows how much it had meant to her.

Clark, now clad in his Blur attire, goes to Jonathan Kent's grave, where he admits that he has been unable to let go of the past, and of his father. Saying that he will always keep Smallville in his heart, Clark states it is time for him to move on. And taking Jonathan's old watch, Clark buries it under the grass of Jonathan's grave and says a final "good-bye" to his father, promising to be the man his father brought him up to be.

Meanwhile, at LuthorCorp, Oliver prepares an interview with the local TV-media to discuss the fact that he is Green Arrow. Oliver is initially uncomfortable with the reporter's obvious distaste of a billionaire-costumed vigilante, whom she believes does it for amusement. Clark, however, enters the room, offering Oliver his silent support. Strengthened by Clark's presence, Oliver admits that he recently lost Chloe. The reporter is taken-aback by this honest answer, but again attempts to smear what he is trying to stand for with a derisive comment.

Oliver pushes on, stating he is not doing it for attention or because he thinks he is special, but because it is what he just does. He states he is doing something to help protect his people, his city, and his country, and that he is not doing it alone, ending with "You're damn right I'm a hero!"

At Smallville High, meanwhile, Zoe and Clayton are shocked to receive an unexpected text message from "CS", which reads *"Glad to see you're carrying on my Torch."* The pair are thrilled and yet confused by the message.

At the Kent Farm, Lois is called to the barn by Clark, who has set up a disco ball and music, hoping to make up for missing the dance at the reunion. Lois tries to brush it off casually, but Clark asks her to dance with him. Their initial attempt results in Clark stepping on Lois' feet. Their next attempt goes much smoother, as Lois steps onto Clark's feet and the two begin to dance slowly. Clark  says, "I love you," to which Lois returns his love.

As Lois tries to bring up the fact that she knows his secret, Clark asks her to just let them enjoy the moment and that anything else can wait until tomorrow. Smiling, Lois presses herself closer to Clark and continues to dance, while Clark closes his eyes, and enjoys the moment. Due to this, neither of them is seemingly aware that Clark is floating several inches off the ground in mid-air.

### Isis

Oliver is taking a tour of the Metropolis Museum while discussing his big entrance as Green Arrow with its curator, Adrianna. Adrianna talks about how she wants to put him in a harness and helmet, much to Oliver's dismay. Tess comes in and pokes fun at Oliver, saying that he is nothing more than a caricature of himself and wonders what he is up to. Oliver responds by asking her whether or not she even knows real love anymore. After speaking to an employee, Adrianna informs Oliver and Tess that the amulet of Isis is missing from the show's pieces; she also tells them that the amulet is cursed and whoever posses it is doomed to spend eternity in the underworld. Back at the Talon, Lois is rehearsing how she is going to tell Clark that she knows his secret. She grabs her bag as she says to herself that "by tomorrow you'll be living in a brand new world," unaware that she had accidentally packed the amulet in her bag.

Oliver, back in his office, is on the phone trying to find out what happened to the amulet when Clark comes in and tells him that he is planning to tell Lois his secret. Oliver is surprised and wonders why now. Clark tells him of the future he saw when he was with Brainiac 5, and Oliver encourages him to go for it, telling him that coming out was the best thing Oliver had ever done. To help illustrate his point, he also shows him a table full of gift baskets his fans have sent him, including a cereal box with a Green Arrow cartoon on the cover. Clark reminds him of when he revealed his secret to Lois and how it led to their break-up. Oliver notes that he and Lois were never meant to be together, but because Lois loves Clark, Clark is a lucky man. Oliver, making his final point, asks Clark what he is willing to risk for love.

Back at the Daily Planet, Lois is rearranging her and Clark's desks and placing things in order as she prepares to tell him she knows. Clark walks in nervously and they both begin to tell each other about their respective secrets when they are interrupted by a desk being slammed into theirs. Cat Grant then appears and begins to undermine Lois by trying to get Clark to work on a story with her about the missing amulet of Isis. Clark defends Lois, with both of them being annoyed at Cat's entrance. Lois reveals that she is covering the Gala for Oliver and turns Cat down on working together on a prospective story. Clark leaves and subtly tells Lois to meet him on the roof in five minutes. Lois is ecstatic at Clark's message and heads to the roof.

She starts to prepare herself for what she is hoping to be the moment he tells her he is the Blur. She looks for her lucky lipstick and is shocked to find the missing amulet instead. When holding it up to the sun, she is subsequently possessed by the spirit of Isis. Clark arrives and tells the person whom he thinks is Lois, albeit badly, that he is the Blur; to which she responds that the news is unimportant to her. While Clark is stunned, Isis/Lois suddenly flies away after declaring that she is now Isis.

Clark is seen at Watchtower looking for Carter Hall, though he is offline and is not responding to any calls. Oliver arrives and rejects Clark's suggestion that they ask Tess for help. He mentions that she can never replace Chloe and that he canceled the Gala. He brings Clark information on Isis and Osiris and their mythology. Clark sets out to find Isis who is after Osiris' heart, but is briefly stopped by Oliver, who reveals that if Osiris is brought back to life, hell will be unleashed on Earth.

At the museum, Cat is snooping around when she sees Isis/Lois rip open a metal door and send a security guard flying. Isis/Lois heads towards the crate containing Osiris' heart and rips off the lid. Cat declares that she won't let Lois get away with another crime and begins to take a picture of her. Clark arrives and superspeeds Cat away to a café as she takes a picture of a coffee mug instead. She stands up, clearly disoriented and confused. Clark returns to the museum to find the crate empty. As he leaves, he fixes the door Isis/Lois ripped open and speeds away while being watched by Isis/Lois.

At the Daily Planet, a therapist discusses the state of Alexander to Tess. He says that Alexander's intelligence is off the charts and that he wants to move him to a facility where he can be monitored at all times because of his instability. Tess says that she will have him ready, then stares lovingly at his picture, but is interrupted by Cat Grant.

Cat comments that Tess would risk anything for him, and proceeds to give her advice saying she can tell the look of a worried mother. Tess brushes it off and says that he isn't her son, but clearly cares about him. Cat tells Tess that she knows the identity of the Blur and that the Blur works at the Planet. Tess attempts to disprove her theory, but stops once Cat reveals that she believes Lois to be the Blur, to which Tess responds with laughter. Cat sets out to prove her theory while Tess heads to LuthorCorp Plaza to warn Oliver about Cat. Oliver tries to throw Tess out of his office, as he doesn't trust her, but she argues that she is only trying to protect Clark.

Just then, Clark comes in and tells them that Isis/Lois has disappeared with the heart of Osiris, and both Tess and Oliver inform him that she might be headed for the Metropolis Museum to reunite Osiris' heart with his body. Tess tells them that she might know a way to get Isis out of Lois.

At the Metropolis Museum, Isis/Lois prepares to bring Osiris back to life, but she opens the sarcophagus only to find that it is full of dirt. She breaks down in tears just as Clark comes in and tells her it is over. Isis/Lois declares that it cannot be over because their love is eternal and that Clark knows nothing about love. Clark tells her that he does and that the woman that he loves is the vessel that she has taken over and he wants her back. Isis/Lois wonders if he would risk the world for Lois and notes that he holds himself back from her. Isis tells him that if he won't sacrifice his heart then she will. She then proceeds to push him onto the sarcophagus and binds him down, getting ready to sacrifice him to Osiris.

Cat is sneaking around the Museum, looking for the "Blur", when she stumbles onto Isis/Lois performing the ritual to bring Osiris back. Shocked, she knocks a statue over and breaks it. Isis/Lois turns and Cat runs away, bumping into Green Arrow, who then locks Cat inside a sarcophagus and proceeds to deal with Isis.

Isis/Lois senses Oliver behind her and notes that he is brave but lonely; she also notes that he doesn't want to hurt Lois' body. She throws an energy ball at him, which he dodges,. Oliver reveals to Clark that the only way to trap Isis is for the sun to hit the amulet again, thus trapping her spirit. Isis again throws an energy ball at Oliver long enough for Clark to break free of his restraints and grab Osiris' heart. Clark threatens to destroy the heart unless Isis releases Lois. Isis/Lois, seeing no hope, asks Clark whether Lois loves him completely. She then tells him that because he has Osiris' heart, she will take Lois', and attempts to stab herself. Oliver fires an arrow at the amulet, sending it towards Clark, who uses his heat vision on the amulet as the "sun," retrapping Isis and freeing Lois. She collapses in Clark's arms. When she regains consciousness, she is confused as to where she is and asks him if they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum. She then tells him she loves him and calls him a nerd.

The next day, Tess finds Oliver in Watchtower, and she notes that he seems far away. He admits that she was right and that Tess is one of the only people who could see right through him. Tess points out that Chloe could see through him too, and Oliver admits that he misses her. He tells her that maybe she can still spot real love, and apologizes for what he said earlier. Tess tells him it's okay and admits that there hasn't been a lot of love in her life. Just then, Clark comes in and explains that they called her to give her control of Watchtower in recognition of her efforts and welcome her to the team. Tess thanks them and leaves the room overwhelmed. Oliver wonders if they can really trust her, and Clark says that they'll soon find out.

Back at the mansion, Tess walks in on the doctor who is there to pick up Alexander, and tells him that the boy is staying with her, insisting that Alexander needs to be loved. The doctor notes that he might be dangerous and wonders what she sees in him that he doesn't. Tess says it's his heart. She goes to his bedroom where Alexander is playing with some toy warriors. He has grown remarkably since he left Cadmus Labs, and Tess offers to read him the story of Peter Pan and Wendy. He sits on her lap, lays his head on her shoulders, and tells her he loves her. Tess, in response, kisses the top of his head and begins reading the story.

At the Daily Planet, Cat grabs a pen and, in an attempt to prove that Lois is the Blur, stabs Lois in the hand. Lois reacts in pain and tries to punch Cat, but is stopped by Clark. Cat tells him that Lois is the Blur, to which Lois replies that that is the stupidest thing she ever heard, and insults Cat, saying she thought she was only a bottle blonde. Cat says that she has photographic evidence of Lois performing a satanic sex ritual at the Museum. She says she is going to print the photos and reveal the Blur to be the "deviant menace that 'she' is". As Cat goes for the pictures, Clark super-speeds to the camera and damages it so that it falls apart when Cat holds it up. Cat, in shock, exclaims that those were her only copies, which Lois calls a rookie mistake and tells her that she should always back up her evidence. Clark intercedes and tells Cat that there is another explanation for everything that happened, that Lois was possessed by the spirit of Isis. Cat refuses to believe them and stands there flustered as Clark and Lois leave.

As Clark patches up Lois, she says that although she is amazing, she is not the world's greatest superhero. Clark apologizes for her having to be stabbed by a pen in the hand for the truth to come out. Lois asks what truth he means. She mentions the Blur, the questions about his identity, and that she "doesn't really know him" but feels like she does. She says that she and the Blur have a bond similar to what she and Clark have. Getting nervous, Lois tells Clark that she knows him, but Clark interrupts her and says that she doesn't know the Blur, and that he is probably keeping his identity a secret for a reason. Lois, clearly saddened, rhetorically concludes that the Blur is never going to reveal his identity to her. Clark adds not if it means putting her life at risk, to which Lois responds that she would be willing to take the risk.

As she begins to leave the room, Clark finally begins to speak. He says that he has been afraid of people knowing the truth about him his entire life, that he has feared people rejecting him or him losing them. But he says that he would regret losing her more than anything else by not telling her the truth about him. He says that if she is willing to take the leap then he is as well, with her. After noting that she has had a lot of questions about the Blur, Clark finally says, "It's me, I'm the Blur." Lois, overjoyed, runs at Clark and tackles him into a pile of boxes, sending papers flying everywhere. They kiss and Lois asks what took him so long. Clark, clearly shocked by her already knowing the truth, asks, "What!?" to which she simply smiles, places a finger to his lips and watches as he smiles as she pins him down.

### Harvest

Clark and Lois are driving out in the country when Lois asks about the time the Crystal of Knowledge transported both of them to the Phantom Zone. Clark confirms that the zone is Kryptonian. She then asks about Doomsday crashing Chloe and Jimmy's wedding, which he confirms was also Kryptonian. He even confirms that the spaceship near Reeves Dam was Kryptonian. It was not his, but his cousin's. Lois is thrilled to learn that her boyfriend is an alien, comparing it to dating a god or Bono. She is also glad that she's alone with Clark on assignment without Cat Grant interfering.

Clark says it's a good thing that Tess Mercer allowed them to cover the cherry festival. Clark's comment makes Lois very suspicious and she learns that he purposely got them this assignment so he could prevent her from attending the anti-vigilante rally, to protect her. Lois is touched by Clark's concern for her safety, but she also reassures him that just because she's an Earth girl, it doesn't mean she's a typical damsel in distress; she can take care of herself.

Just at that moment, their car receives two flat tires, causing them to veer off the road. Lois attempts to use her cell phone to call for tow truck assistance, but they are too far out to get clear phone service reception. Meanwhile, Clark uses his super strength to change the tire, which impresses Lois. Suddenly, they are both greeted by a girl named Charlotte Cavanagh, who is relieved that they survived the supposed accident. She offers Lois a glass of lemonade and gives Clark the directions to the nearest mechanic, which is in Meeker Springs.

Clark thanks Charlotte for her help and suggests that he and Lois start heading to the mechanic's location, but Lois decides to teach Clark a lesson in his over-protectiveness by letting him take the journey all by himself while she waits by the car with Charlotte. Clark walks forward a bit until he's out of sight, and then he super speeds back to the car to find that Lois and Charlotte have disappeared.

A local patrolman named Deputy Ellis appears on the scene and asks Clark what has happened, at which point, Clark discovers that he's cut himself and that he has lost his powers suddenly. Clark explains what has happened and shows him a board with nails that they drove over, suggesting that their supposed car accident wasn't one after all. He also finds the horse and buggy tracks, and Ellis agrees to help him search for Lois.

Meanwhile, Lois, wanting to prove to Clark that she is not some damsel in distress, has opted to go with Charlotte back to her small community village, in the hopes that the girl's father will take her to a nearby train station, so that she can return to Metropolis in time to cover the anti-hero rally. Charlotte's mother greets her daughter and Lois, and seems very insistent that Lois stay for dinner. Although finding the Amish-like community unnerving, Lois agrees. Charlotte meanwhile is greeted by her father, who tells her that she has done well.

At the Luthor Mansion, Tess is throwing a birthday party for Alexander. Unlike the original Lex Luthor, Alexander's party is packed with guests, all of whom sing "Happy Birthday" to the delighted boy. Alexander proceeds to hug Tess and thanks her for the party, right before Tess is called away. Outside the room, Tess talks to Dr. Christina Lamell who worked for Lex and Lionel Luthor's assorted cloning projects. The two women discuss the fact that Alexander is growing at an accelerated rate, and how both women want to make up for their past sins by curing Alexander and raising him to be a good person. However, inside at the party, Alexander begins to use the candle wax from his birthday cake to draw the House of El symbol on a paper plate, before collapsing from a seizure.

Meanwhile, Clark and the deputy find an abandoned house, during which the deputy seems to continue to try and get Clark to give up on his quest in finding Lois. Undaunted, Clark notices blue kryptonite near a water-pump, and realizes this could be the reason why his powers aren't functioning properly. The deputy claims that the blue rocks were a result of the meteor shower of 1989, and that since it happened, no one in their area has ever gotten sick, their crops have been perfect, and the water tastes great. Clark argues more about the need to find Lois and the dangers of the kryptonite that had plagued his home town Smallville. Clark then hears the sounds of bells tolling from the nearby village and wants to investigate the town as a possible lead in finding Lois. This goes against the deputy's wishes, who then proceeds to knock Clark unconscious.

As this happens, Lois is sharing a very awkward dinner with the Cavanagh family, during which she tries to make conversation and suggests that she'll find her own way back to Metropolis since Charlotte's father, Joseph Cavanagh, appears to be busy with his dinner. Joseph makes rudely dismissive comments about how his faith demands that Lois remain and eat while being silent. After he and his wife go off to put their dishes in the kitchen, Lois attempts to leave, only be to told by Charlotte that she will never leave, but will instead be sacrificed, as this was her last supper.

At Luthor Mansion, Tess attempts to talk to Alexander about what happened at the party, and also about the fact he's been drawing these S-Shield symbols for weeks now. Alexander tries to avoid the question, during which Tess tries to remind him that he is loved by her so he shouldn't shut her out. Alexander pretends to answer Tess' question but instead takes the key to his room out of Tess' pocket and proceeds to lock her inside, as he escapes.

Clark regains consciousness, and finds himself inside the Cavanagh house, where Lois is dressed in a white old-fashioned lace dress with a bonnet on her head. Lois explains how the local villagers are conducting a bizarre annual tradition they've had for their harvest every year, involving a human sacrifice. She says she needs Clark to get her out of here. But Clark tells her that the radiation effects of blue kryptonite that is projecting from the villagers' bodies due to the exposure from their water supply is suppressing his powers from functioning properly. Upon learning this information, Lois reveals that she was the one who'd pulled out the blue kryptonite knife after his fall. However, without his powers, Clark and Lois must instead escape through the house's cellar. Lois uses her expert lock picking skills to pick the lock. They attempt to blend in with the crowd and sneak away, dressed in farmer clothing and a cloak, but when Mrs. Cavanagh sees Lois' pink nail polish, Lois punches her out as she and Clark attempt to run to the gate entrance, but they are immediately intercepted by the villagers, who have donned scarecrow masks. The villagers explain that when Mr. Cavanagh's eldest daughter was killed during the meteor shower, they never again became sick, their crops grew perfectly and they lived longer. Believing that God wanted human sacrifices in exchange for good fortune, they have been kidnapping random girls ever since and killing them.

Clark attempts to protect Lois, but is sliced open by a scythe; Lois, meanwhile, is dragged back towards the town square pillar, which is also the sacrificial altar.

Tess' agents discover that Alexander has run away to the Kent barn loft, where he starts claiming that Clark Kent is out to destroy him, and that his dreams have been about how Clark is evil. Alexander also reveals that he is remembering Lex's past history with Clark such as tying Clark's bowtie for his first school dance, and how their friendship would be the "Stuff Of Legends". Tess attempts to reason with Alexander and reminds him that he isn't Lex. But Alexander sneers at her, saying that she only wants to redeem herself and that she's only protecting Clark because of her weak character that always needing to hide behind strong men like Lex, Oliver, Zod and Clark. Alexander manages to pushes Tess' buttons emotionally enough to provoke her into striking him across the face. Horrified by what she's done, she pleads "I'm sorry Alexander!" But Alexander pulls away, saying "My name is Lex!", leaving Tess horrified.

Back in the town, Lois is tied to the altar and she attempts to speak reason to the villagers, stating that killing her will not make God happy, and what they are doing is wrong. But Cavanagh sneers at her, saying she doesn't have their faith. Lois retorts she has faith, but she knows that killing is wrong. Clark, meanwhile, is buried alive by the villagers, who think he is dead. However, beneath the soil, he is protected from the low level of blue kryptonite radiating in their bodies, and is healed.

With a shotgun in hand, Clark heads to the town square just as they are about to pour a large dose of blue kryptonite fire on Lois. Clark races to Lois, using his body as a shield to protect her from the fire, receiving a dire burn on his back. After he heals, the villagers believe that Clark is a messenger sent by God, which Lois plays up as she sees his back is healing as the villagers move a great distance away from Clark. Lois states that if they don't continue to move back, Clark will use his abilities to punish them. Clark plays along after he realizes Lois' plan, he then grabs her up into his arms and super-speeds away. In awe of what they just witnessed, the entire town falls to their knees in total amazement.

Meanwhile at Luthor Mansion, Tess is drinking heavily, as the scientist from earlier arrives with a cure for Alexander. Having researched the original cloning project done by Lionel with Emily Dinsmore, they find a way to stabilize Alexander's accelerated growth. But Tess throws the vial into the fire, demanding that the scientist destroy her research, saying Alexander will be locked up. When asked why, Tess disappointingly explains that Alexander isn't a clone, but Lex Luthor himself, since he received all of Lex's memories and feelings and embraced them as his own.

Back at the Kent Farm, Lois arrives with the latest edition of the Daily Planet, where their story about the small town cult made front page headline article instead of Cat's coverage of the anti-vigilante rally. The villagers are arrested by the Feds, and they are all set to be tried and convicted for their unethical killing spree. Clark smirks and says how even in the middle of nowhere, **Lois and Clark** managed to make the front page news story. Lois delightfully gloats over Cat's failed story concerning the anti-hero piece that was knocked off the front page.

Clark apologizes for underestimating Lois earlier. And Lois reminds him if it hadn't been for his rescue she would have been a "crispy critter in Hellsville." But Clark still insists that she showed great courage in the face of danger even without him having his powers, which Clark found impressive.

Clark then gives Lois Swann's journal, stating that it will explain his Kryptonian heritage and anything else that she will ever need to know to understand who he really is, stating that she is "The One" and she "always will be." Lois is overwhelmed by his love and trust in her. They embrace and kiss passionately and

proceed back to the Kent House, where they consummate their love.

At that same moment, Alexander stands before a mirror in his room, having just finished shaving his head of all his red hair. Now dressed in Lex's purple and black attire, he stares at his reflection and gives a small, sinister smirk.

### Ambush

Inside a large van, Rick Flag looks over several computer screens tracking a marker. His second-in-command informs him the target is heading toward the Kent Farm.

At the farm, Lois and Clark come downstairs from having spent the previous night in intimacy. Clark pours two glasses of orange juice while Lois cuts up strawberries. Clark prepares breakfast and asks Lois what she's in the mood for. Lois replies that she's in the mood, but not for breakfast, suggesting she's ready for round two. She heads toward the front door and Clark tell Lois the bedroom is upstairs. Lois replies "but the porch swing is out there." Clark super speeds to her at the door, where they become tangled up in a passionate embrace. Lois turns to open the door, just as her father and Lucy show up on the porch ready to spend Thanksgiving with the two of them.

Later, Clark and Lois dress and come downstairs. Clark thinks that Sam is just there for Thanksgiving, but Lois figures her father is conducting recon on her new boyfriend. Clark assures her that there's nothing to worry about, but Lois warns him that Sam hates superheroes. Sam is going through Clark's scrapbook and immediately starts questioning Clark's credentials. He notes that Lois writes more articles than Clark and wonders what Clark does with his time, and Lois claims that Clark lets her have the bylines. Sam then gives Clark a list of chores to do around the house. The General notes that Martha Kent is his opposition in the Senate. He's the Senior Military Adviser on the Vigilante Registration Act. Sam disapproves of vigilantes, and Clark insists that they serve a purpose. The general is hostile and notes that a "superfreak" blew up the RAO Tower (unaware that it would have served Zod's sinister plan of dominating Earth). Lois tries to interrupt, but Sam insists that soldiers are the true heroes, and are accountable to a higher authority. Clark asks Lois for her opinion, but she ducks the entire argument.

Oliver returns to Watchtower to treat injuries from a recent battle, and notices that Tess has rearranged the place. Although initially hesitant to let Tess check his wounds, Oliver is reminded by her that they both have seen each other naked, so their is no need for embarrassment. She tends to his wounds and finds that Oliver's wounds react strangely to the iodine; Tess realizes that he has a sub-dermal tattoo bearing the logo of the Suicide Squad. She explains that when she worked at Checkmate, Amanda Waller used the Suicide Squad, a black-ops squad. Their leader was Rick Flag, and Oliver recognizes him as the man who captured and tortured him.

Lois prepares Thanksgiving dinner while Sam flips through the channels and comes across the news, which features a fire at a refinery. When Clark arrives with the groceries Lois hints at the refinery fire, and Clark super-speeds away. When the general asks where Clark is, Lois says he went upstairs, and Sam takes the grocery bags as the newscaster announces the fire is out because of the Blur. A soot-covered Clark returns, claiming he went out to get the cranberries, and Sam notes that Lois said he went upstairs. They try to pass it off by saying that he was checking out the chimney. Clark gets a phone call from Oliver.

Clark meets Oliver in the barn, while Sam calls his contacts for a background report on Clark; by now Sam is suspicious of Clark's all-too-perfect persona, and his taking off for odd things. In the barn, Oliver uses a scanner to confirm that Clark also has a sub-dermal tattoo; Clark realizes that Deadshot must have laced the bullet that hit him with Blue kryptonite. Oliver complains about Tess' presence at Watchtower, but Clark points out that if it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t know about Flag or the tattoos.

Clark has Oliver leave via the upper barn window as Lucy comes in with a glass of lemonade and starts flirting with him. When Clark ushers her out, she kisses him just as Lois comes in. Lois is unimpressed and takes Lucy outside; she knows it wasn't Clark's fault. She insists that Lucy's usual tricks won't work, and says that she's only keeping her around for their father's sake. Lois sends her to the store to get some crushed ice for their father.

A frustrated Clark is smashing firewood with his bare hands. Lois returns and  they start to have an argument. Clark notes that she isn't standing up to her father. When she says that she still believes in vigilantes, Clark says that she's making her choices based on fear. Lois starts to say that Clark doesn't have a father, and that he only has himself to answer to. She then tells him that if he wants to be with her  he will have to accept her family. When he says nothing, Lois walks away, leaving Clark to reconsider how he just handled things.

Lucy is getting ice when Rick Flag approaches her, claiming to be a soldier from a local base. He warns Lucy that her father is in danger from pro-vigilante sympathizers, and Clark is one of them. Flag asks Lucy to give Sam an envelope, and claim that she found it herself in Clark’s loft. Lucy agrees, and Flag asks her to plant a tracker pen on her father.

At Watchtower, Tess intercepts a termination notice to the Suicide Squad. Oliver complains that Chloe would do it faster. Tess confronts him and Oliver admits that Watchtower reminds him of the time he spent with Chloe, and he's having trouble dealing with someone else. Tess insists that she's not trying to take Chloe's place, but tells Oliver that he has to start treating her like she's on his side.

Clark goes out to the barn after completing the list, and finds Sam in military uniform, waiting to interrogate him. He wonders why Lois would date Clark since he’s not Lois' usual action-type boyfriend. Clark avoids the question, and Sam says that his contacts discovered Clark's record is clean, not even the slightest offense is on record (even a parking ticket). However, Sam thinks this is a high level cover up, rather than Clark being a good citizen. When Sam accuses Martha using her power as senator to wipe Clark's records, Clark insists Sam is not going to get anywhere with his witch-hunt for him or for the vigilantes. Sam notes that he didn't bring up vigilantes. He then shows Clark photos from the envelope that Lucy gave him, which show Clark with Kara. Clark points out Sam is reacting out of fear and has terrorized Lois. Sam snaps on him, telling him it's his right to protect his family. Clark responds saying that he loves Lois and doesn’t want a day to go by without her. Sam warns him that today is the last day that Clark will spend with Lois.

Clark returns to the house and Lois yells at him for not getting along with her father. He tells her what happened and that Lucy planted the photos of him and Kara. Lucy comes down with Sam, slips the tracking pen into his pocket, and says that they're going to the Talon, and that Lois should come with them. Sam orders her to go. Lois tries to compromise between the two sides. Sam warns that Clark is dangerous and can't be trusted. Distraught, Lois leaves with her father and sister after apologizing to Clark. Elsewhere, Flag's Squad agent confirms that Sam is leaving the farm. Now that he isn't under Clark's protection, the agent prepares to launch a missile at Sam. Lois, Lucy, and Sam arrive at the Talon, where Lois insists they go back and work things out with Clark. Sam says that he's going to bring in the NSA and find out what Clark is hiding, but Lois says that what matters is how she feels. She tells her father she's staying with Clark, and that if he loves her, he'll respect her decision. Seeing that they're at odds, Lucy gets her father to leave with her, and Sam reluctantly leaves. However, he leaves the pen (that has a tracker) on the counter.

Just as Flag's man prepares to launch the missile, Clark arrives at Watchtower to find that Tess has managed to decode the encrypted message. Clark thinks that he is the target, but Tess states that Rick identifies with super-powered individuals, and he would try to recruit Clark before killing him. She tells him that he'd attack anyone who would threaten them, and Clark realizes that Flag is targeting Sam. Reciting part of the *National Anthem*, Flag launches the rocket, which heads straight for the Talon.

Sam and Lucy are outside when the missile smashes into Lois' apartment. Clark arrives quickly and gets Lois out just in time. Sam screams in anguish, but turns and realizes that Lois is behind them, unharmed. The Blur has left his symbol, and Sam realizes who has saved his daughter.

Flag realizes that Sam has survived. Oliver and Clark flip over the agents' van and inform Flag that he's lost. Flag insists that he's a patriot, and the Registration Act is a weapon that the politicians will use to gather superheroes and force them to work for the government. When Clark says that he's stirring up antihero hysteria, Flag insists that they have to show people that vigilantes are their leaders and that violence is the only way. Flag's operative, a teleporter, gets himself and Flag away.

At the farm, Lucy apologizes to Lois and promises to replace everything that Lois lost in the explosion; she also admits that she's always envied Lois as the older daughter. In response, Lois admits that she always liked being the good one. They hug each other, their issues resolved.

At Watchtower, Oliver offers Tess beer and Chinese takeout, but warns that they're not quite friends yet. Tess notes that they've come a long way and Oliver agrees. However, he then says that since he's revealed his identity to the public, he can't risk associating himself with Watchtower and compromise its secrecy. Tess points out that it must be hard given its association with Chloe, and Oliver assures her that it's still in good hands.

Sam comes out to the barn to apologize to Clark. He admits he appreciated how Clark stood up to him, and that nobody has had the guts to tell him he isn't a perfect father since his wife died. Sam tells Clark that going to war made the simple things like spending time with family that much harder. Clark tells him that he's the girls' hero, but Sam says that he figures Lois has a new hero. He notes that the Blur saved Lois, but not all super-powered types have the Blur's integrity. Clark warns that some politicians could use the law to destroy people, but Sam believes that America will ultimately do the right thing.

Sam then notes that he gave the list of chores to Lois' boyfriends to test her, not them, and Clark is the only one that Lois has ever stood up for, which proves she loves him. As Sam goes, Clark has a question that he wants to ask him. Clark and the Lanes then have Thanksgiving dinner together.

Flag reads a newspaper article on the successful passage of the Vigilante Registration Act. He takes it as a declaration of war and tells his teleporter to go to work. The man plants explosives at an anti-vigilante act headquarters and teleports away as they go off.

### Abandoned

Tess is having a nightmare. In this nightmare, she's a very frightened little girl in a bare room. She listens to the song "Sugar Plum Fairy" from the 'nutcracker' on a musical toy before hastily stuffing it into a bag to stifle the song. She has been frightened by someone passing her door. There is a brief pause, but the shadow disappears and the light is turned off. Young Tess slides off the bed, careful to not make a sound, lifts up the floor boards and takes out a key. She unlocks the door and runs to the front door. It's locked. Someone has heard her and she's being chased, so she hides in an armoire. The door is wrenched open and an old woman with a sinister smile finds her and drags her out of the armoire. Young Tess' fingers grasp at the side of the wardrobe, making deep scratch marks in the wood; to no avail. She is dragged screaming down the hallway. Tess wakes up and hears the song from the 'Nutcracker' playing. Following the sound, Tess finds the music box from her nightmare with a note stuck to the bottom.

Lois is standing in the kitchen of the Kent house in the middle of the night. She's staring at a box, seeming very reluctant to open it. Clark comes down, joking that if she'd admit she'd moved into the farmhouse, she wouldn't have to unpack in the middle of the night. Lois reveals that her father had sent her this box that has been sitting at the back of her closet for the past 15 years, since her mother died. The box contains keepsakes that her mother gave to her. In the box, she finds videotapes that her mother had made for her while she was in the hospital. Lois tells Clark that she never visited her mother in the hospital. She tells Clark that she doesn't know if she can face the memories and pain that would come with watching the tapes. Clark says that she shouldn't feel guilty for opening up old wounds. When Lois asks him if he's felt like something is missing since he cut ties with his father Jor-El, Clark brushes the question off. Jor-El isn't a real human being, but rather a computer, after all.

Clark visits Tess after getting a call. Tess tells Clark about her dreams, and how a box with a sticker under it came to her. Clark peels the sticker that says "Happy Birthday", and finds another label underneath that leads him to discover St. Louise's Orphanage, run by Granny Goodness.

At the orphanage, Granny tells a scared young girl named Haley, who is strapped to a wheelchair, that she will soon leave her past behind. The child insists that she doesn't want to forget, but Granny says she'll soon accept the truth and thank her. Granny begins the process as Haley screams.

The next morning, Lois plays the tape from her mother, Ella. Ella explains that she had her husband keep the girls away from the hospital so they would have only happy memories of her. Ella then talks of how losing a parent can create a hole in a person's heart, and that she knows one day Lois will fall in love with someone, and that she can't let someone leaving her stop her future with someone else. She tells Lois to watch the other tapes, and assures her that she will always love her.

Tess and Clark go to Saint Louise's, claiming to be doing a story for the Daily Planet. Granny Goodness greets them and has the girls sing, but Clark hears something with his super-hearing and makes up an excuse to head back to the car to get his notebook. He super-speeds into the orphanage and finds another young girl named Natasha, bound and gagged. She tells Clark that Granny tied her up and plans to make her forget her parents who just died in a car crash. Clark starts to get her out, but hears the sound of metal clashing. Natasha, in reference, says that's what Granny will turn her into. He hides Natasha and goes to investigate and finds several women fighting. As he approaches them, Clark starts to weaken and realizes they're forging kryptonite weapons. The women quickly subdue him and one of them, Harriet, tells him that no one there needs saving, except Clark.

Granny takes Tess inside and says she recognizes her as an abandoned soul. They talk about the girls at the orphanage, and Granny admits that many of them spend their entire childhoods there. She explains that she's been training her girls to conquer society and shows Tess photos of her many wards that have moved out into the world into positions of power. Tess sees the wardrobe from her dream and approaches it, while Granny says that she knows her girls will never abandon her. Granny then says that she left the music box in the hopes that it would bring Tess back, and reveals that one of the photos is of Tess.

At the Kent Farm, Lois reads Dr. Swann's journal, and explains to Shelby that she can't move forward with Clark until he deals with the absence of his parents. She sees a picture of the Kryptonian teleport disk and gets an idea. She finds the map of the Kawatche Caves, and realizes that it's the door to the Fortress. She searches for the key, the Kryptonian teleport disk, and finds it hidden behind the book shelves.

Granny explains that she had Tess for the first five years of her life, and then her birth parents took their daughter back and put her into a good home. They were powerful, and would have closed down the orphanage if Granny had fought back. However, she explains that she never stopped watching over Tess. Granny went to the hospital and saved Tess, taking her to Cadmus Labs. She explains that Tess was always the strongest of her girls, and she doesn't need to remember her true parents. Now lines will be drawn, and Tess will want Granny on her side. She then tells Tess that her girls will take care of Clark. Alarmed, Tess goes off to find him, but Granny waves her hand and smashes her across the floor through force of will. Tess runs to the phone and tries to call out, but Granny makes the phone fly out of her hands. Tess flees into a room, but Granny seals the windows and says that Tess will be her most valuable soldier in the coming war - whether she wants to be or not. Granny leaves, sealing Tess into her old room.

The orphan girls chain Clark up, and he offers to rescue them. Harriet insists that no one loves them like Granny, and that she'll never leave them. Clark insists that someone who loves you doesn't make you forget where you've come from. Granny arrives and says that she will bury Clark's memories, and his life will be much better without his painful past.

Tess finds her makeshift key from when she was a child, and uses it to escape. She runs down the hallway and Harriet confronts her. The two fight and Tess knocks her out, but another girl uses a whip to choke her unconscious.

Lois makes her way to the Fortress and calls out to Jor-El, saying that it must have been hard to send Clark away to protect him. She insists that Clark needs a father who believes in him, but gets no response. Frustrated, Lois then yells, saying that Clark is lucky to be rid of Jor-El. A force lifts her up into the air.

Granny straps Clark into a chair and prepares to remove his memories. Clark insists that he has no painful memories, but Granny says that she will remove his disappointment over his parents' rejection. He tells her that he wouldn't be who he is without his memories, but Granny says that she's the most compassionate one of all. Clark uses his superbreath to freeze a chain holding a ventilator hood above the kryptonite forge. As Granny starts to wipe his memories, the hood falls and banks the flames. Granny disappears and Clark super-speeds to find Tess. He saves her from hanging and knocks out the girl responsible, and Tess thanks him for his help. She admits that she's used to looking after herself, but Clark assures her that he wasn't going to abandon a teammate.

Clark returns to the farm and realizes what Lois has done. He goes to the Fortress and warns Jor-El that if he harms Lois, he will have failed all of Clark's expectations. Lois calls out to Jor-El, calling on him to come out. Clark says he's fine with Jor-El ignoring him, but Lois asks him to try to reconcile one more time. Images of Jor-El and Lara appear, and they express their love for him. They say that they can see themselves within him, and that they wish him a full and wonderful life, born of a great love. Jor-El promises never to lose faith in Clark, and assures him that they believe he will become Earth's greatest savior.

Granny meets with Desaad and Gordon Godfrey, Darkseid's two other minions. The unholy trinity is now complete: together they can form an army to serve their dark lord.

At the farm, Clark talks to Lois about Ella. Lois figures that part of Jor-El is human, and Clark realizes that his father blames himself for the destruction of his home. He's glad that Lois got to meet his parents, and she says that he should thank Ella. She then gives Clark her toothbrush and says that she's moving in. He offers to take her out to the Ace of Clubs and goes to get their coats. Lois goes through the box and finds a note from her mother, saying it's for her wedding day. When Clark comes back, Lois hides the note. As she goes out, Clark checks on the engagement ring he has bought for the occasion.

At the manor, Tess finds her birth certificate from the orphanage and remembers her past when her father left her at the orphanage: she is the daughter of Lionel Luthor and Pamela Jenkins (also making her Lex's half-sister). The birth certificate gives her real name as Lutessa Lena Luthor, and Tess goes to the window and wishes herself (Lutessa) a happy birthday.

### Patroit

In a war room located at Fort Ryan in Kansas, Lt. General Slade Wilson and several other key military officers are discussing the Vigilante Registration Act. Slade proclaims that the country's safety depends on it and that as long as the vigilantes are acting on their own, the security of the nation is at risk. He tells the others that the president has put him in charge of overseeing the bill's execution and states that "known-offenders" still haven't come forward.

Meanwhile off the coast of Florida, Aquaman and a red-headed woman jump out of the water onto an oil rig where he tells her to make sure everyone is clear. Moments later they come up out of the water onto the beach and passionately kiss while the rig explodes in the sunset behind them. Col. Wilson's aide tells him that the facility was just destroyed. Wilson tells the other meeting members it's beginning, and that it's time to find out "who's really fighting for truth, justice and the American way."

Clark is at Watchtower where Emil Hamilton has found a way to remove the tracking tattoos put on him, Oliver and others by the Suicide Squad. Oliver wonders why he was called there when he's been in a self-imposed exile from Watchtower to protect its secrecy now that people know he's Green Arrow. Green Arrow thinks that the VRA has gone too far and that maybe Rick Flag was right in his actions. Clark reveals they think Aquaman is behind the destruction of the oil rig, which Oliver admits is possible. They're both frustrated with the lack of communication between other heroes now that people are being more conservative with their secrets. Clark explains that the VRA is attracting a lot of attention and that people look at the heroes who won't sign up with distrust. He says Aquaman is now feeding the fear about heroes by blowing up the oil rig. He tells Oliver that he's given consideration to going public and registering to relieve public tension. Oliver says that Clark doesn't need to risk his identity when Oliver has already gone forward. Oliver decides to offer himself up as the guinea pig to find out what happens to the heroes after they sign up.

Lois walks into the Planet, finding a gift on her desk from Clark and admitting to herself that she misses him. Oliver appears and asks her if she's covering the VRA bill. She says that she wouldn't miss it because she thinks it's a bad idea. Oliver informs her that he's the one who's registering. She starts to tell him what a bad idea it is. He tells her that it's the only way to find out what's really going on and says he'd talked Clark out of doing it himself. This takes Lois by surprise because Clark had not told her that he'd been considering it. She is further frustrated that Clark has been communicating with everyone else about it but her and laments that she'd thought they'd started having an honest relationship, but has now been blindsided. Oliver tells her that they need to keep Clark from trying to act alone to fix the things that might go wrong. He tells her the world is going to need her.

Clark goes to a Miami aquarium to confront Arthur about the oil rig explosion. Arthur says he's past talking. Clark is concerned, but Arthur points out that no one got hurt. Clark wonders if Arthur's gone rogue and Arthur is frustrated with Clark's lack of trust in him. When Clark tells Arthur that he's not leaving, a wall of water comes out of nowhere and knocks Clark into the pool. The red-headed woman from earlier appears and reveals that she's his wife.

Back at Fort Ryan, Lois goes to meet Col. Wilson and finds his office full of charts and pictures of various vigilantes the government has identified or suspects. She is distraught when she sees a picture of Clark's symbol burned into a brick wall. Wilson enters, saying he knows that her father is Gen. Lane and admits that's why he gave her the interview. She brings him his favorite Cuban cigars and bourbon as a gift, saying she's done her homework on him. Pretending it's an interview, she turns on her tape recorder and asks him about the VRA bill and wonders what happens to the heroes who sign up. He tells her that when heroes sign up, they'll agree to act only on the government's behalf and that anyone who doesn't sign doesn't have the will of the people at heart. She turns the recorder back off and Slade reveals that he gave her the interview because she writes all the Planet's pro-Blur articles. He tries to convince her she's not doing her duty by supporting the VRA, but she suggests that the act will only spur vigilantes to be more secretive. Slade believes they'll fall in line, and Lois uses the opening to propose a toast of sorts. When Wilson turns his back to her for a moment to find a cigar cutter, she spots a blueprint of a holding facility on his desk and uses her camera to take a picture of it. He sees her movement and quickly grabs her hand, telling her that her name got her in, but it won't get her out of trouble, demanding to see what she's done. She quickly produces a lighter and says she merely wanted to light his cigar. He apologizes and admits he's suspicious of everyone these days because of the vigilantes.

Clark talks to Arthur and says that he never thought of Arthur as settling down and getting married due to his activist nature. Mera, his wife, reveals that the ideals they both share are part of what drew her to him in the first place. Clark says the government is making vigilantes look like terrorists. Arthur says he and Mera are going to show people they won't put up with the VRA. Mera says they're not going to wait for people to do the right thing because they won't. Arthur says that he and Mera are fighting the government in the service of heroes and that they are the ones who need protection right now. They tell Clark that the oil rig they destroyed had a secret holding facility for heroes and the government is building others like it around the country.

Lois is working in the Daily Planet when Tess walks up on her wondering why she's writing an article on the VRA when Tess forbade it since her father worked on the bill as it was a conflict of interest. Lois says there's something wrong with the whole thing and she is going to make sure the right people know what's really going on. Tess says her reasons seem personal. Lois tells her honestly she just found out that Oliver is the one registering. Tess asks if Clark is working with her on the story, as they walk to the elevators. Lois says he's not and covers, saying he has jury duty. Tess asks Lois what she knows about what's going on and Lois says they're torturing heroes. She tells Tess that Slade is in charge of the VRA's implementation. She recalls that he's been followed by allegations of war crimes that never stick because he's effective at power politics. Lois also adds that now Slade has turned his attention to heroes. As they get off of the elevator, they walk into the middle of Oliver's press conference, where he registers with Slade who says that Oliver's the first in a long line of people who will sign up. Slade goes on about how it will mark a new age of cooperation between heroes and the government. As Oliver leaves with the military liaisons for the helipad, Lois pleads with Tess to stop them from taking off. Tess says that she can't because they have military clearance, sadly telling her that Oliver is gone.

Emil Hamilton enters a supply room at Smallville General Hospital only to find Lois there. She demands that he tell her where Clark is, since he and Oliver might be in trouble. She informs him that she knows he's one of Clark's league affiliates. Emil denies any knowledge several times, but then Lois threatens him with a surgical implement against his throat. He tells her Clark is probably in Miami. Before she leaves, she tells him she was only bluffing and he smiles slightly. Lois books herself a plane ticket while she figures out where they might be.

Clark and Arthur go to one of the facilities and while entering, Arthur explains all of the things that he's accomplished with Mera at his side. Clark wonders why he's okay with putting her at risk. Arthur explains that she can hold her own and that there's a difference between playing on the team and sitting on the bench. Clark recognizes the facility bears a resemblance to Lex's 33.1 holding facilities which they shut down. Arthur guesses that the government stole the technology and blueprints for its own purposes. Arthur contacts Mera over the radio, who tells him that Watchtower has found more holding facilities and that Oliver has gone missing. Arthur says they can cover more ground apart and Clark says they need to get Oliver back. While apart, Arthur is captured.

Oliver is undergoing a rigorous exercise regimen to test his physical abilities at the holding facility. Slade comes in and tells him that his scores are off the charts, saying they could use his skills greatly and that they want him to bring in more of his friends. Oliver tells him that he'll be his poster boy, but he will not help him get the others. Slade tells him that he won't have a choice. Slade reveals that he's captured Arthur and is holding him under hot lamps which dries up the moisture in his body and take away his Atlantean abilities. While Oliver stands in horror, Slade knocks him out from behind.

Mera is swimming at the aquarium when Lois shows up. Mera knows who Lois is and starts explaining who she is. Lois is surprised that Arthur got married. Mera says that Arthur has embraced his destiny and is leading his people, which shocks Lois when she realizes Mera means the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Lois tells Mera she's there looking for Clark, which surprises Mera, who doesn't think Lois would be a part of Clark's heroic activities. Lois is dismissive of the comment and Mera thinks Lois has trouble finding men who suit her life, saying she always goes for stronger, powerful men like Arthur, Oliver and Clark. When Lois thinks that Mera was jealous of the brief romance that she and Arthur had, she gets annoyed. Mera is surprised that all of them had gone for Lois, who she describes as a woman of lesser ability. Lois reiterates she's looking for Clark, which doesn't surprise Mera. She chastises Lois for not being in the loop, protected but in the dark on what's happening with the team. She leads Lois to Clark, who is surprised to see her. Lois is angry that Clark hasn't been answering her calls or staying in contact with her, and that she had to come all the way to Miami just to tell Clark that Oliver is missing. Clark says he knows. At that moment, Tess appears on a monitor with information about the holding facilities. Lois is even more aggravated that Tess is in on what's happening, but not her. She berates Clark for treating her like she's not a part of his world. She complains that he won't let her help or try to contact her despite all of the momentous leaps their relationship had recently undergone. Bringing the conversation back on track, Tess tells them that the holding facility is equipped with holding cells that can be adapted to the heroes' abilities. Mera is concerned because Arthur should have come back by now. Lois interjects that she might know how to find him, giving them the blueprint she took from Slade's office. They realize that it belongs to the only running facility the government has at an operational level, in Alaska.

Slade is torturing Oliver by dunking him in a tank of water, effecting waterboard torture. Oliver asks Arthur if he was there to rescue him and Arthur admits they must have tracked him on his way in. Oliver realizes that Slade knew about the League's abilities. Slade says that he's always prepared. Slade is condescending to Arthur. Oliver realizes the government doesn't know what Slade is doing. Slade confirms that he's worked out a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with them. Slade says that the two of them are just the first in the line of vigilantes to be taken out of action by Slade, who hopes that after enough torture, they'll give up the other heroes. Slade turns his attention to Green Arrow and laughs at him for not having powers, saying it was easy to bring him down. The intruder alarm goes off and Mera arrives. Using her hydrokinetic abilities, she breaks open the tank Oliver is again being drowned in and sends the water across the room onto Arthur. Slade runs out of the room and hits another trap which closes in around Mera and confines her in a similar heating apparatus like Arthur was trapped in. Oliver uses a piece of broken glass to break his shackles and damages the control panel to the trap with it, freeing Mera. They all agree that it's time to leave as the self-destruct sequence has been activated.

As Slade tries to leave the facility, he is confront by the Blur. When Slade pulls a gun on him and shoots, nothing happens and Slade realizes who he's dealing with. Clark says that he will not let Slade continue to destroy people's faith in justice. Slade then traps him in a kryptonite cage and laughs that Clark's weakness was the hardest to figure out. Clark pleads with Slade to release him so that Clark can save him from the explosion. Slade tells him the prison was made to hold heroes like him and that no person should be more powerful than the law. Clark again begs him to release him so that he can save them. Slade says that it's his mission to destroy what he perceives to be the single greatest threat to order in the country. After Clark's third plea, Slade says he'd rather die than be saved by an abomination. Clark uses his x-ray vision on Slade to find the Omega symbol branded onto his forehead. He realizes that Slade is not going to back down and braces himself for the explosion which destroys the building around them.

Arthur finds Clark in the barn doing chores later and is impressed that he was able to survive the blast unharmed as well as find his way out of the cold depths of the ocean. Clark says he prefers dry land. Arthur pokes fun at him, saying he looks like a clown fish underwater. Clark thanks him for uncovering the truth about the holding cells. Arthur admits that not all people are bad and that Clark's optimism is what he likes about him the most. Arthur admits that his terrorist-like activism only makes them look like the bad guys. Clark admits that the VRA was effective in that it pushed the heroes apart and got them to stop trusting in each other and to stop communicating. Arthur says that while he won't trust the government forces, he'll always trust in Clark. Clark is appreciative that Arthur wants to do it his way. Arthur tells him that he needs to fix things with Lois. Clark laments that he thought telling Lois his secret would make everything perfect, but he'd kept her on the outside of some parts of himself in order to protect her. Arthur says that in facing evil, Clark needs to be able to face his problem at home as well and that it might be better if Clark made Lois a part of all aspects of his life, including the League. He challenges Clark that Lois can handle whatever problems came at them, but could Clark handle her being a part of it?

Mera is inside talking to Lois and admits that what she said before was a little off. She can see why Clark loves Lois and that it's because Lois sees Clark as an equal, but demands that he see her that way as well. While she may not have powers, she is what Clark needs. Lois thanks her for her compliment and Mera says she makes a good partner for Clark. Lois laughs and says if he lets her be. Mera says that it took time for her and Arthur to work out the kinks of their relationship and that Lois should just give Clark time. Arthur and Clark arrive and Arthur tells Mera that they need to go. Mera tells Clark she now understands what Arthur, who she only ever calls by his Atlantean name Orin, has seen in Clark and that he wants to bring justice along by example and not by force. She tells him that is the sign of a true patriot. They all say their goodbyes.

As they watch Arthur and Mera leave, Lois tells Clark how good it felt to be in his arms on the way home instead on a flight in coach. Clark apologizes to her for their lack of communication, saying she shouldn't have had to fly all the way to Florida to find him. He tells her that she was right to be upset, since he'd been running around acting like she wasn't a part of it all now, and as if it was just him instead of the two of them together. He explains to her that he relies on her more than anyone, to know the parts of him he doesn't trust himself. He admits that she is the only one he's told about his fear of failure in facing the darkness. Lois wonders if they can make it work since she's not like him, if only in that she has no abilities. Clark tells her that she's everything he isn't and that's why their relationship works. She still wonders about their relationship and Clark asks her if it matters that their relationship might seem strange to other people. Lois then tells Clark about her mother, and how when her dad would leave for deployment, her mother would always be strong for him and would always be there when he came home because she knew that's how she helped him save the world. She explains that it was because her mother and father were in it together, and now so are she and Clark. This puts a smile on his face. Lois then tells him that she's not the only person that Clark has to rely on. She points out that he hasn't told the others about the darkness because he thinks he's supposed to be invincible. Clark is concerned that if he can't protect himself from its corruption, how can he protect her and the rest of the world. Lois suggests that he not try to do it alone, and that he needs to tell the others what's going on.

Clark brings Lois to Watchtower, where Tess welcomes her into the League. Oliver shows up and wonders why he was called back. Clark then tells them about the darkness, how it got to Earth, how it's using Godfrey and Slade and the others. Clark says it's like a flood of evil spreading over the Earth and that it feeds on a person's inner doubts and distrust. Oliver thinks it might be on the winning side and Clark explains that he saw the Omega brand on Slade and believes it to be a mark of corruption. Lois thinks that's why Slade went so far off his marching orders. Lois questions what Kara said about it not affecting the pure of heart, but Clark challenges who of them doesn't have hidden fears and weaknesses for the darkness to exploit, eventually causing people to destroy themselves. Clark finishes by saying that if they can't stop it, the darkness will infect the whole planet.

Elsewhere, Slade's whole face is bandaged up after having survived the explosion and as the bandages are being cut off, it is revealed that he now wears an eye patch over his right eye as the Omega symbol flashes on screen over television static.

### Luthor

Tess Mercer receives a package from a Luthor lawyer that was to be given to Lionel Luthor's heir, who is now known to be Tess. Opening the package, she sees that it is a Kryptonian artifact. She then takes a phone call from Clark who tells her to meet him at Cadmus Labs. She puts the Kryptonian artifact in her purse and leaves.

At Cadmus Labs, Clark reveals to Tess that there is a Lex clone unaccounted for. When they discover a lead-lined room, Clark deduces that the Lex clone is in there. Tess tries to convince Clark to give this Lex a second chance, but Clark says that Luthor blood is poison, which puts a dejected look on Tess' face. When Clark and Tess walk into the messy room, they see a small bed and the crest of the House of El scratched on the walls. Clark notices a book on the desk, and finds a note addressed to Tess from "Lex" saying that he's "all grown up." Clark Confronts Tess about hiding the clone, and says that she has betrayed his and Oliver's trust. While Tess tries to explain, Clark notices the Kryptonian artifact in her purse and, as he questions her on why she has it, Clark unintentionally activates the mirror box and is immediately transported to an alternate reality.

Clark Kent wakes up in bed with two women and gets up to put on a black shirt from the dresser. When he looks in the mirror, he notices a symbol on the shirt, which is not his own. He is further surprised when a very much alive Lionel Luthor walks in and admonishes him to get dressed, referring to him as "son", saying he is a Luthor and should act like one. Clark K. tries to figure out exactly what is going on, and conjectures that he is in an altered timeline, as Lionel reminds him that he found him in the cornfield, raised him, and the two of them built his empire. Clark K. doesn't want Lionel to figure out that he is not the son he knows, so decides to play along.

Clark Kent goes to his loft in the barn and discovers Tess waiting for him, whereupon she starts to undress and kiss him. Clark K. is confused and resists, and when Tess says "Don't worry, father will never find us here", Clark K. is very surprised at the revelation that she is a Luthor. Clark K. reveals to Tess that he is not who she thinks he is, and when she discovers that a scar he had is gone, she realizes he has used the mirror box and gets mad at Clark Luthor for lying to her. Clark K. asks Tess what is going on, and Tess reveals that he is in a darker, alternate universe, and that Clark Kent's earth is about to get a huge awakening.

Clark Kent is walking outside the Daily Planet, which is called Luthorcorp Media, when Lois Lane hits him with her car. She gets out of the car, and is worried that Clark will fire her for this. Oliver steps in, and Clark K. discovers that they are engaged, so he tells Oliver he is lucky to have her. After Lois and Oliver leave, he hears an alarm go off, and finds a thief stealing merchandise. He pursues the thief and catches him. The thief is deathly afraid of Clark, and when Clark K. asks why, the thief says that no one sees Ultraman's face and lives to tell about it.

Meanwhile back on Earth, Clark Luthor approaches Tess in her office at the Daily Planet, believing her to be Tess from the Alternate Universe. He kisses her, and Tess at first resists, but then goes along after realizing that something is wrong. Her suspicions are confirmed when she sees a scar that the AU Lex Luthor gave Clark L. using gold kryptonite. Clark L. rejoices in the fact that Lionel is not in this universe and has been dead for years. Clark L. then says that he is surprised that she is there with him, and asks her where the mirror box is so he can destroy it and prevent the chance of him going back. Tess tells him to meet her at the mansion and she will have it there.

Tess calls Lois using the cell phone of a man standing behind Lois at the news vendor's kiosk. She tells Lois to get to Watchtower right away. When Lois arrives, she discovers Tess frantically searching for the other team members, but having no success. She tells Lois that Watchtower is the safest place for her right now, to be protected from Clark Luthor. But Clark L. finds them in Watchtower. Lois thinks that red kryptonite is the cause of his strange behavior. He grabs Lois and throws her violently across the room and demands that Tess give him the mirror box or else he will kill her.

Tess is looking for something in Lionel's office. Lionel catches her and finds what she was after - a drawing of the mirror box. Lionel and Tess have a heated argument about how she is a disappointment. Tess slaps Lionel after he calls her a half-bred tramp, and Lionel calls security. Before security takes her away, she asks why he treated Clark better than her, to which he replies that she was never special enough. She then tells Lionel that Clark will eventually betray and kill him.

Clark Kent goes to the Fortress to try and get help from Jor-El, but finds Lionel there looking over machines that are set up in the Fortress to silence Jor-El. Lionel mentions to Clark K. that he saw Tess and asks why they were both after the mirror box. Clark K. lies and tells Lionel he wants it so he can destroy it. Lionel tells him that Oliver Queen has it, and Clark K. goes after it. Lionel starts to believe that Clark is going to betray him.

In order to get the box from Oliver, Clark Kent kidnaps Lois at their engagement party and offers to trade her for the box. While Clark K. has Lois he tries to convince her that he isn't the Clark she thinks he is and tells her personal information that he knows about her. She seems to believe it and he leaves her, promising that he will never let anything like this happen to his relationship with his Lois.

Clark Kent then meets Oliver, who tells Clark K. that Lois is now safe, but he has no idea what box he is talking about. Oliver reveals that he is hated by many because he takes land away from farmers and searches them for meteor rock. He then exposes Clark K. to kryptonite and is about to kill him, when Lionel hits him over the head and reveals that he had the mirror box the entire time. Then instead of helping Clark, Lionel says that he has failed him as a father and that if he was a true Luthor, he would have killed Lionel by now and Lionel blames himself. Lionel starts to beat Clark K. with his belt as he rants about how only the strong survive and how he will be the strongest in this earth or any other. At this point, Oliver realizes that Clark is the "good one" and turns off the kryptonite. Clark Kent tells Oliver to turn on the kryptonite again when Clark Luthor returns and assures Oliver that in the other world, they do save the world together. Clark K. grabs the mirror box and activates it, while in the background, Lionel runs towards him.

When the switch is done, Tess, Oliver and Lois are standing over Clark Kent about to fire their kryptonite weapons. Clark K. tries to tell them that it's him. He turns to Lois, who looks him in the eyes and realizes that it really is him and embraces him, relieved.

Later, Clark Kent meets Lois at the hospital. She has a broken arm and he gives her flowers as a sort of apology for what had happened, but she doesn’t blame him at all.

Clark Kent then meets Tess at the mansion and apologizes for what he said about Luthor blood being poison. He realizes that it's not blood that makes the Luthors bad, but how Lionel raised them. Tess tells Clark K. that she is upset with Lionel for giving her up. Clark K. tells her that she was lucky enough not to be raised by Lionel. Tess admits that the reason why she didn't tell him about the Lex clone was because she didn't want anyone to take away the only real family she’s ever had and that the Lex clone fooled her. She worriedly admits that he is just as smart as Lex if not smarter. She tells Clark K. that he won't be found until he wants to be. Clark K. tells Tess that when he does come out, they will face him together, and reassures her that she will never be alone again.

Meanwhile in Metropolis at a news stand, "Lionel" is buying a newspaper. The vendor says he looks familiar and Lionel responds by saying he just came in from out of town for an unexpected visit and that it looks like he got there in the nick of time. While looking at the camera (and breaking the fourth wall) he adds that he wouldn't want to miss how it all turns out (alluding the show's season finale). Then he walks away into a crowd.

### Icarus

At the jewelry store, Clark waits for Lois and checks on the ring in his pocket, planning to propose over a romantic dinner. Lois shows up for the date a little late, but Clark tells her she's "right on time -- for you." He offers to take her to dinner at a fancy new restaurant. She tells him there's a six-month waiting list. He tries to usher her inside and she, not realizing he already has a table ready, resists the offer once she sees VRA propaganda all over the street. Wanting to get Clark away from anti-vigilante protesters, she suggests they head back home. Realizing how stubborn she can be, he pretends to have to run off for a situation that needs saving and calls Lois from the phone booth nearby, their special phone booth. Answering the phone, Lois asks him if he was able to save the day and he tells her to look up. The entire street begins raining white rose petals. She turns to see Clark walking toward her and he tells her that she doesn't make it easy to ask a simple question, but that's what he loves about her. Clark tells her she is the woman he loves and wants to spend the rest of his life with and, bending to one knee, asks her to marry him. She happily says yes without hesitation, and they share a passionate kiss.

At the Daily Planet, the VRA has tightened security and everyone is going through metal detectors and searches. After unsuccessfully trying to call Oliver to tell him her good news, Lois tries flashing her engagement ring to several people who do not notice. When she gets to her desk, Lois receives a letter from Chloe that congratulates her on the engagement, and a necklace to use as her "something borrowed".

*She remembers a previous conversation she had with Chloe at the Talon before she left for Egypt and before Chloe disappeared, in which she asked Chloe how her and Oliver's relationship worked what with his heroic responsibilities considered. When Chloe asked what Lois really wanted to know, Lois asked her why Lana and Clark never really worked out. Chloe smiled and told her that it was because Lana wasn't the one fated to be in Clark's life.*

As Lois gazes at Chloe's necklace, Cat walks up to Lois, spots the engagement ring, and assumes that Lois is pregnant. Lois tells her if she starts that rumor, she'll knock her out. Cat talks about how her marriage train-wrecked and undermines Lois by saying she'll need to work on her domestic skills. Tess walks in and Cat blurts out that Lois is going to be the new Mrs. Clark Kent. Tess tells her she hopes it won't interfere with her work and dismisses Cat. She tells Lois that since the VRA is boosting security, so is Watchtower, and that Lois needs to be there to upgrade her retinal scan clearance that night.

When Lois shows up at Watchtower, she finds Clark there, who is also surprised about the new security measures. When they walk through the doors, they are surprised to find that they're being thrown an engagement party by Tess, Oliver, Carter, Courtney, and Emil. During the party, Oliver says he won't be coming to the wedding, since the public looks down on him as a vigilante, but Clark asks Oliver to be his best man, which Oliver proudly accepts. Carter jokes to Clark that the only thing he has to do in planning the wedding is nod his head a lot. In a private moment between the two of them, Carter comforts Oliver and says he is sorry about the loss of Chloe and knows that losing her is hardest in moments like these, to which Oliver is appreciative. Oliver then proposes a toast and congratulates Clark and Lois, saying that he, along with everyone else in the room, knew even before they did that they were destined to be together.

On his way home, Oliver is attacked by civilians while trying to stop a mugger. They beat him until Carter and Courtney arrive and push Ollie's attackers off of him. Courtney calls the Cosmic Rod to her and she, Carter and Oliver disappear in a flash of light.

At the farm, Clark and Lois reminisce about their engagement party and Lois muses about whether or not she'll adopt the Kent name when they get married. She turns on the news and they learn about Oliver resisting a citizens' arrest and causing a riot, which the news reporter refers to as a terrorist attack from the vigilantes. Lois urges Clark to go help, handing him his Blur attire.

Meanwhile, Tess is confronted by Cat for not running the story about Oliver and the VRA, but Tess dismisses her. A government agent then arrives to bring Tess in for questioning.

Emil is at work when the government comes for him as well. A tactical squad then raids the Kent farm searching for Lois, but she is not there.

Clark meets Oliver, Courtney, and Carter at Watchtower and wonders why they didn't call him for help when things went badly. When a news broadcast shows Slade still alive and inciting public unrest by saying the vigilantes mutilated him, everyone realizes how bad it's about to get. Clark determines that they'll all have to go underground, with Courtney going back to school, Carter moving into retirement, and Clark and Oliver disappearing altogether. Clark decides that in order to protect what secrets they have left, they will have to shut down Watchtower until things are safe for the heroes.

After reading a government ad demanding information about the heroes, Lois walks into an elevator at the Daily Planet. Lt. Trotter confronts her and brings her in for questioning. While they are all sitting together briefly, Lois tries to text Clark, but Tess and Emil silently inform her that their phones have been bugged. Trotter interrogates Emil, Lois, and Tess separately at the Daily Planet, but none of them give her the answers she's looking for, much to her frustration. Lois, locked away in Tess' office, finds Tess' secret exit slide and begins to make her escape, while Emil and Tess are sent to a warehouse, presumably to be executed.

Clark heads to Slade's office with Oliver and Carter. They learn there that Slade has an operation codenamed Icarus, which has tapped video surveillance and phone lines in Metropolis and Smallville for the locations of all the superheroes, their associates, family members, friends, sidekicks, partners and allies to take them down. Oliver reveals that all the people, including Slade, the muggers, angry civilians, VRA agents and SWAT teams are controlled by Darkseid. Carter then says Darkseid has come to Earth before, but he managed to defeat him during the most horrific events in human history. Clark then says Darkseid has returned and that the heroes are the key to defeating him and they must start by taking down Slade.

Lois runs into Cat Grant while trying to escape and Cat, assuming Lois knows something, tries to drag her back to be interrogated. Lois pleads with Cat that the heroes are not the bad guys, to which Cat asks her why she should change her entire beliefs. Lois simply suggests that she re-evaluate her definition of a hero. She explains to her that she knows the Blur has saved Cat on two different occasions and begs her to think of her son, and what kind of hero she would want him to believe in. A soldier approaches and Lois hides, begging Cat to give her an opening to escape. Cat decides to lie to Sgt. Garcia by telling him she had not seen Lois, but she would tell him if she did. After he leaves, Lois thanks Cat, who tells her that Slade and his men are planning to attack the heroes by going through all of Oliver's files in his office.

At the warehouse, Clark arrives and saves Tess and Emil by defeating Garcia and Trotter in a brief battle. He asks them where Lois is, but their silence makes him realize they have no idea and she's still missing.

At LuthorCorp Tower, Lois sneaks in, but is attacked by Slade, who puts a pistol to her head. Lois says they can talk it out and Slade decides not to shoot her, but she smashes a glass on his head. He grabs her and throws her against a table, temporarily knocking her out. Carter crashes through the window in full Hawkman gear.

Slade shoots him, but the bullets deflect off his armor. As Lois wakes up, Slade takes out a sword and battles Carter, who is armed with a mace. Slade cuts through one of the gas pipes and the vented gas blinds Carter, which allows Slade to mortally wound him by stabbing him in the back.

The gas tanks explode, lighting Carter's wings on fire. He is protected although stunned and Slade disappears in the flames as the room explodes around them. Although he is unharmed by the flames, the concussion of the blast knocks Lois out of the window and seconds later, Carter leaps out the window after her, his wings engulfed in flames.

Outside in Metropolis, Clark encounters Slade and is surprised to see him alive. Slade says that he is beyond death's stroke now. Clark asks him where Carter and Lois are. Clark tries to reason with Slade, saying that he wonders how Slade went so wrong and that he knows Slade once had a family too. Slade counters that although a soldier might serve the people, he can never love them. Slade states that it is ironic how he named the operation Icarus and that he watched Carter fall from the sky with his wings in flames. Clark asks what happened to Lois and Slade says Carter and she are both dead. Clark gets angry and accuses him of lying, but Slade counters that he'd do whatever it takes. An infuriated Clark traps Slade in the Phantom Zone, using a new crystal of El.

Clark then heads to LuthorCorp Plaza where Carter lays dying on the ground. Carter jokes that he has something that belongs to Clark, and Clark discovers Lois alive, enveloped in Carter's wings. Lois is shaken by his sacrifice for her and tries to go for help, but he tells her that it is his time and dying means he can be with Shayera again. He consoles a grief-stricken Clark, saying that this is what heroes do. Carter says he is sorry he can't fight Darkseid along with Clark and the heroes, but after looking thoughtfully at Lois, says that he has all the help he needs. Carter also tells Clark to hold onto Lois, because he won't be able to do what's necessary if there's an emptiness in his heart.

In Egypt, Clark, Lois, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Stargirl, Cyborg, Impulse, Aquaman, Zatanna, and John Jones attend Carter's funeral and bury him next to his wife Shayera. As the heroes stand over Carter and Shayera's graves in respect, a mysterious white pyramid object rises out of Carter's tomb and flashes a blinding light, which renders the entire team unconscious.

### Collateral

Lois waits in the kitchen of the Kent house, listening to soft instrumental music while on hold on the telephone. When an operator finally picks up, she rushes over to the phone, knocking a glass of water off the table. She picks up the phone to hear the operator tell her that no record of Clark or Oliver has been found in the government database. Knowing she is getting the run-around, Lois threatens the operator, resulting in the operator hanging up. Lois then attempts to clean up the glass as she hears the front door open. Hopeful, she rushes over to the door to find Clark, and, after a moment, she runs to him and embraces him. Clark informs her that it was indeed the VRA who captured them at Carter's funeral, but that they will wait until the next day to investigate.

Clark then mentions he was worried about her. Lois replies she has been on the phone trying to find him. Clark mentions it was the VRA at Carters funeral, and she says that the VRA said they had no involvement. Clark suggests they get answers tomorrow but for now they should be happy the VRA let them all go. Lois wonders if 'Smallville' is okay. Clark claims he is fine. Lois says she is going to get him something to eat as they walk into the kitchen. Clark stumbles a bit, but states he's fine once again. Lois wonders why they released him now. Clark then picks up some broken glass off the floor and grunts a little. Lois is surprised and turns around. Clark shows Lois his finger which has a cut with blood coming out of it without healing. Clark mentions the VRA took away his powers. Lois doesn't understand how they could do this. They both realize they don't remember anything from the VRA, that it is all hazy.

Clark then has a flashback, seeing Chloe plugging Clark into the machine as she says 'Put him back under.' Lois asks if Clark is okay, and Clark says someone was experimenting on him. When Lois asks who, he replies "Chloe". Oliver goes back to his home, finding the government had taped it shut. When he arrives, everything is normal. He pours a glass of wine, and drinks it. He looks at a picture of Chloe, then has a similar flashback of Chloe experimenting on him. He smashes the glass table, and sits on the floor, troubled.

Clark arrives at Watchtower, finding Dina, protecting herself. She explains to him that she had a flashback with Chloe in it, in which Chloe was experimenting on her. Clark and Dina are both troubled, wondering if it is true. They talk about how Clark lost his powers and that no one remembers anything. They plan to find out why Chloe was doing it. They discover that Oliver has been diagnosed as a dangerous schizophrenic, and has been taken to a facility and locked up. Clark visits Oliver, who has been put in a straight-jacket, and asks him about the visions. Oliver admits having the same flashback about Chloe, but doesn't believe Chloe would do that. Clark leaves, and Oliver calls after him. Oliver sees the lights go out, and the walls change shape. The shape of the wall forms into a human, and Chloe Sullivan emerges from the wall. He doesn't believe it is really Chloe, but she tells him he isn't insane. She tells him that she is also trying to save him, but he doesn't believe it due to the visions the other 3 heroes have been seeing. Chloe asks him if he would believe she did that. Oliver asks her what the real story is.

Chloe explains to him that the government trapped their minds in a virtual world to find out how to control their powers. She also explains that she was trying to pull them out when she found them, but when she did their bodies shut down. Since she had to put them back in, she hacked into the computer and created an avatar for herself. Chloe tells Oliver that if he believes everything is fake, then he'll have powers again. She demonstrates her power by opening the locked door. Oliver makes the straight jacket disappear, and Chloe explains that he was the one that did it. Chloe leads Oliver out of the building and explains that there are virtual avatars that will kill them if they find them. Two cops see them. Chloe asks Oliver if he trusts her, and when he answers yes, she pulls out two guns and shoots the cops. Oliver and Chloe head out.

Back at the Daily Planet, Clark, Lois, and Dinah talk about the possibility that Chloe would actually experiment on them. They find a camera, and see Chloe and Oliver escaping. Dina tries to explain that Chloe isn't on their side when they find another taping of Chloe shooting two men. Lois asks Clark what he thinks, but he gets a text from Chloe to meet on the top of the Daily Planet.

Clark finds her there with Oliver, and Oliver and Chloe explain what is happening. Chloe tells him that they're experimenting with blocking his powers in the virtual reality so they can do it in real life, forcing the heroes to work for the VRA. She can only get him out if Clark believes her assertion that they are in a virtual world. She tells him that they have to jump off the rooftop into the portal below, and asks if Clark trusts her. Clark wants to know where she's been, but Chloe says that he has to trust her and offers her hand. Clark starts to take it, but then loses his nerve and says that he can't. As the troopers break down the door, Chloe and Oliver leap off the rooftop and disappear into the portal.

Oliver wakes up in the VRA facility and finds Chloe waiting for him. Two men arrive: Rick Flag and Deadshot. Chloe tells them to stand down and they obey.

Oliver realizes that Chloe is working with them, and she says that she did what she had to do. Flag has Green Arrow and Deadshot cover the facility perimeters against the VRA troopers coming in. Meanwhile, Chloe re-enters the virtual world to rescue the others.

Chloe goes to an alleyway to find Black Canary, who refuses to believe Chloe's explanation and attacks her. Chloe's mastery of the virtual world lets her repel Black Canary's martial art strikes and blade attacks. When the heroine throws a blade, Chloe stops it in midair, and asks where Lois can be found. Black Canary now realizes Chloe is telling the truth. Lt. Trotter orders her men to move in. Black Canary overcomes them and emerges from her tube. She joins the others to hold off the VRA forces, so that Chloe can go to free Clark and the others.

Before she goes, Black Canary apologizes to Chloe, and Chloe assures her that it's fine. Chloe worries that Clark has lost his trust in her, and Oliver notes that it's because she left them. Clark finds Lois, who tells him that Chloe contacted her and explained everything. He refuses to accept her explanation of the virtual world and, because Chloe left without explanation, Clark rationalizes that therefore he can't trust her. Lois realizes that Clark has been hiding his resentment and points out that Clark expected Chloe to trust him all these years even when he was keeping secrets. She figures that Clark's heart is telling him the truth and that he should listen to it. Clark now starts to accept that he's trapped in an artificial world. Only Clark can decide to reject the virtual reality.

Chloe is working at the computers when the VRA breaks in and Trotter knocks her out. She has one of her men take over Chloe's avatar. It goes to the Planet as Clark and Lois prepare to jump into the portal. The fake avatar insists they're suffering from post-traumatic stress and asks how Clark can let Lois jump to her death. Lois realizes that the avatar is under someone else's control and punches her through the office, knocking it out. She then grabs Clark and heads for the elevator. Trotter gets word that the transport is ready for her and Chloe. She tells her man to keep Clark imprisoned and then goes with her men as they escort Chloe out. Flag opens fire and Trotter orders her three surviving men to kill Chloe.

While she runs off, two of the soldiers prepare to open fire. Deadshot kills them first, while Green Arrow subdues the third man. Black Canary avoids Trotter's fire until she runs out of ammo, and then knocks her out with her Canary Cry. Clark and Lois get to the rooftop of the Planet but find the Chloe avatar waiting for them...

she boasts that Clark is the one who has always refused to accept his abnormalities and let go of what ties him to normalcy. Clark walks past her as the avatar warns him that if he doesn't 100% reject the virtual reality, he'll kill himself. Multiple Chloe avatars appear and Lois tells Clark to trust himself and make the leap of faith, just like he trusted Lois to keep his secret. Clark grabs Lois, crouches, super jumps, and flies into the air, accepting that he can fly in the virtual reality. He soars around the Daily Planet with Lois, and then shoots down into the portal and returns to the real world. Later, Chloe comes to see Clark at the farm and admits that she's been out of touch. Clark admits that if she had been there, she would have been captured with him and the others. Chloe explains that she reprogrammed Flag's missile program and then threatened to turn Flag over to the government unless he worked for her. Clark asks her how she managed to trust him even when she suspected he had a secret, and Chloe figured that he was lying to protect her, and she trusted him.

Lois arrives and passes on a message that Trotter and her men are trapped in the virtual reality, ensuring Clark's secret identity. Lois asks Chloe to be her maid of honor at their upcoming wedding, and Chloe accepts. Later, Chloe comes to see Oliver at Watchtower.

He gives her flowers and admits that he stopped looking for her because he thought that's what she wanted. Oliver notes that she could have called him, but Chloe explains that the Fate helmet warned her to stay away. If she had reached out to him, she would have given in and stayed. But she's always dreamed of returning. She assures Oliver that she's staying for a while, and they kiss. Clark is in his loft reading through Carter's book when Lois comes in.

She assures Clark that Carter would have been proud of him, and Clark thanks Lois for letting him believe that he could fly, at least in cyberspace. They kiss and Lois admits the experience was amazing, and Clark hopes they'll fly in the real world. Lois believes he can do the impossible and says that one day he will.

### Beacon

Tess arrives at the *Daily Planet* to find half the staff staring and whispering at the sight of her. Lois approaches her and asks her why she has been rewriting her articles on the heroes and giving them a pro-VRA spin. Tess looks at the front page of the paper and tells her that she didn't approve any of the articles. Lois tells her that she has her own problems to deal with and she can’t be dealing with Tess, and walks off. Unnerved, Tess walks into her office only to find Lionel Luthor sitting at her desk. She quickly deduces that he is the Lionel of Earth-2 and he explains that the world believes that Lionel-1 simply faked his death in this world and now he is back to take care of his family, including his daughter Tess-1. He reveals that he knows about Alexander and that she abandoned him. He demands to know where Alexander is, but Tess-1 tells him she doesn't know. Lionel-2 vows to find him, stating that Alexander needs his father, and then leaves.

Back at Watchtower, Chloe and Oliver have spent the night getting "reacquired". Having awoken before Oliver, Chloe watches her lover snooze. When he wakes up he tells Chloe that he is going out for a walk. Chloe reminds him that the last time he went out he ended up stopping a robbery and almost got caught. She takes out her computer and watches a broadcast of a pro-Hero rally; to their surprise, Martha Kent is leading a pro-Hero campaign.

In the meantime, Clark comes home just as Lois walks through the door from campaigning against the VRA. She tells Clark that she managed to get 30 more votes in his favor, but Clark just tells her that he’d rather focus on fighting crime and saving people, not politics. She shows him the broadcast of the pro-Hero rally and he is surprised to see that his mother is the guest speaker. Martha gives a meaningful speech against the VRA and about not giving into fear, when all of a sudden a gunshot rings out through the crowd. Clark speeds off leaving Lois to worry.

Clark arrives at MetGen to discover that Martha is just fine; she was wearing a bulletproof vest which stopped one bullet, and the other bullet only grazed her shoulder. Clark asks her why she didn’t tell him she was coming to town so he could protect her, but Martha tells him that she can’t have him in the spotlight yet and that she needs to get back out there on the campaign trail. She ignores Clark’s objections and tells him how she and Jonathan vowed to do anything in order to protect their son, including giving up their lives, but Clark tells her that he is not ready lose her just yet and then leaves to find the shooter. Just as Clark leaves, Chloe arrives to check to see if Martha is all right. Martha asks her why she left and Chloe explains that she did it for the same reason Martha did; to allow Clark to stand on his own.

Clark goes to the site of the shooting and finds the pro-Heroes and pro-VRA supporters squaring off in a series of escalating confrontations. Oliver is also on the scene looking for the shooter, admitting to Clark that he just couldn’t stay cooped up in Watchtower all day or else he’d go crazy. He tells Clark that the police haven’t been able to find the bullets. Clark notices that the phone booth window is broken, but when he gets too close he realizes that there is kryptonite dust. Clark realizes that the police haven’t been able to find the bullets because they were made from kryptonite that disintegrated upon impact. This means that the killer was expecting Clark to step between his mother and the bullet, and be downed by the kryptonite. He realizes that the motive for shooting Martha was not political, but personal, and that the killer knows who he is.

Back at the farm, Lois is on the phone trying to get the newspapers to run her pro-Hero article, when Martha arrives. Lois tries to impress her with her new found cooking skills and research on her potential killer, but Martha just stops her and tells her that she has been impressed with her for years and that she doesn’t have to try so hard. Martha then gives her a heart shaped necklace and explains that it was given to her by Jonathan’s mother on their wedding day. She assures Lois that she is the perfect fit for her son and that she inspires him, but Lois admits that she can’t seem to inspire Clark since he is losing hope so quickly. Lois is also dismayed by the fact that no one will run her stories. Martha points out that Perry White started out as an outsider as well and when the paper wouldn’t run his stories he took matters into his own hands by printing pamphlets for his causes.

Lionel-2 tracks Alexander down to an abandoned building in Suicide Slums. He enters the room where Alexander is staying when suddenly Alexander draws a gun to his heart, stating that he remembers killing Lionel-1 and that it was the best day of his life. Lionel-2 assures him that he doesn’t need a gun, when he sees the kryptonite bullets. He realizes that Alexander is the one who shot Martha Kent-1. Alexander explains that he hoped that Clark would have arrived and stepped in front of the bullet, killing him. Lionel-2 tells him that he doesn’t have to worry and he is there to protect his “son.” He also tells him that in another life he betrayed his son and chose Clark, but now he plans to take advantage of this second chance and to make things right and rule the Luthor Dynasty with his son.

Lois is in the Daily Planet archive room when Chloe arrives. Lois explains to her that she needs Chloe to hack into a couple of national news websites in order to spread her pro-Hero pieces. Meanwhile Clark finds the shooter's crows nest, and finds his shield scratched into the surface and an "X" through it. He figures out that it was Alexander who shot at his mother. Clark calls Oliver, who is heading into his office. Oliver-1 assures him that they’ll find Alexander, but when he walks in he finds Lionel-2 and Alexander. Lionel-2 explains that he has been quietly reclaiming his assets and bought out Oliver-1’s shares and taken control of LuthorCorp. Oliver-1 gets ready to hit Lionel-2, but when Lionel-2 dares him to, he restrains himself. Lionel-2 tells him that he was a fool to seek out the spotlight and how the people have turned against him once and they will do it again when the VRA repeal vote fails. Oliver-1 insists that people are full of surprises and that he will be back for Lionel-2 once his named has been cleared.

Clark returns to the Daily Planet to find Tess who has been calling him all day. He tells her that Alexander is the shooter. Tess explains that Lionel from Earth-2 has followed him to this world. Oliver-1 arrives and brings them both up-to-date on Lionel-2’ s LuthorCorp takeover. Tess-1 suggests that Clark use the mirror box to send Lionel-2 back to his world, but Clark tells them that he destroyed the box after he got back from Earth-2. He figures that maybe Jor-El might have a way of sending him back and tells them to wait until he comes back from the Fortress before they do anything.

Back at the Luthor Mansion, Lionel-2 beings Alexander back home only to find Martha-1 there waiting for him. She reveals that she knows that Lionel-2 is not from their world, and Lionel-2 sends Alexander outside while they talk. She tells him to stay away from Clark or else she will destroy him. Lionel-2 merely brushes it off and tells her that he finds her attractive and knows all about the relationship she had with his counterpart. He leans in to kiss her when she warns him one last time to stay away from her son. As she is leaving she tells him that she wont let him use Clark to kill Lex a second time. When she turns Alexander knocks her unconscious and asks Lionel-2 if what she said was true. Lionel-2 admits that he was wrong to choose Clark over him and he wants a second chance. Alexander tells him that there is no second chance and throws a liquor bottle at the wall. He tells Lionel-2 that he knows that he is aging at an accelerated rate, and that he has all of the original Lex’s memories and he despises them all. As Lionel-2 tries to get through to him, Alexander knocks him unconscious and sets the mansion on fire before leaving.

Back at the farm, Clark realizes what Tess has planned and returns to find her looking through his trunk for the Phantom Zone Crystal. She reminds him of when he used the crystal to send Slade away, but Clark states that the VRA forced his hand, but that Clark plans to bring Slade back for justice once Darkseid is taken care of.

She asks him how he can be so good. Alexander arrives with the gun with the kryptonite bullets, rendering Clark ill. Once Clark collapses, Alexander tells them about everything he has done and boasts about how he set the mansion on fire with both Lionel-2 and Martha-1 inside. Clark insists that Alexander isn’t a killer and that he can still come back, but Alexander tells him that he is the last Lex Luthor; after him there is no coming back. Tess tells him that she understands how Alexander feels regarding how he can’t step back into the light after being an outcast in the dark for so long. Alexander wonders why Clark would help him. Clark tells him that he has something that the real Lex never had: Tess. She assures Alexander that she still loves him and will always be there for him. Alexander gives up his gun and Tess throws it away allowing Clark to speed off to save Martha.

Martha-1 and Lionel-2 are still trapped in the mansion when Clark arrives and takes Martha to safety. After hesitating for a moment Clark goes back into the mansion and saves Lionel-2, throwing him to the ground. Clark tells him that it’s not over, and leaves with Martha-1, as Lionel-2 looks on at the burning mansion.

Clark meets Lois at the Daily Planet. She tries to get him to cheer up, but he worries that despite his triumphs he will soon be an outlaw when the VRA repeal fails. However Chloe and Lois show Clark hundreds of videos of Blur supporters thanking him for everything he has done in their lives. Chloe tells him that his supporters were there all along; they just needed a place to be heard.

The next day Clark, Lois, Martha, Oliver and Chloe all gather around the Kent's living room as they watch the news of the VRA repeal. They anxiously watch as the news reporter announces that the bill to repeal the VRA has passed. Clark thanks Lois for her support and she tells him to thank both Martha and Perry for inspiring her. Clark talks to his mother and tells her of his trip to the future in which he hides behind the disguise of a “Nerd with a bad Haircut.” He wonders how he can stand up to the values that his parents taught him if he is hiding behind a disguise, but Martha assures him that his father would be proud of him. With the VRA now gone Clark, Lois and Chloe reactivate Watchtower.

Back at the loft Tess examines a syringe full of cyanide, when Alexander comes up. He tells Tess that he feels sick and he is starting to forget things. He worries that he might end up forgetting her. She asks him if he remembers what he did the night before, but he can’t. As she embraces him she tells him that she is going to make everything all right and then tries to stab him with the syringe, only to find that it bends against his skin without penetrating.

### Masquerade

Lois Lane is at the Daily Planet, in Metropolis, on the phone with Clark Kent, who is in London. She tells him that she knows where he is, and that people all over the world are looking for the Blur after his recent burst of activity. He superspeeds back to the Planet. She shows him an article about heroes coming forward after the VRA was lifted, and tells him that she's not printing it because it might put in danger Clark's identity as The Blur.

Chloe Sullivan arrives at The Ace of Clubs to meet a very disguised Oliver Queen. They start to flirt with each other, and end up taking the identity of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, a couple that failed to show up for their reservation. After they're seated by the hostess, Oliver tells Chloe that he feels they might be in danger, but Chloe says she doesn't feel the same way and they both share a toast.

At the Kent Farm, Lois is trying to help Clark find a disguise to protect his identity by adding a hoodie and shades. Clark is less than thrilled about this, but Lois reminds him that he needs to come up with a disguise or he will end up like Oliver. When Clark tries to leave, Lois insists that he stays until they resolve the issue.

Oliver and Chloe are finishing up their meal at Ace of Clubs when the hostess brings a phone over to Oliver/Mr. Jones saying that he has a call from his wife, Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones is on the other end of the line telling Oliver, who she assumes is Mr. Jones, that she found the prisoners, they're dead, and she doesn't have much time before she's next. She starts to scream as her eyes start to bleed. Oliver tries to get more information about who she is and what's happening but Desaad attacks her, picks up the phone and says, "You are next." Leaving the Ace of Clubs, Oliver and Chloe decide to take the Jones limo while Chloe tries to trace the call. They are then greeted by men with guns pointed at them.

Clark goes to a crime scene where bodies have been discovered, and meets Bert Camp, a photographer, who explains that a worker found them in a nearby tunnel. Bert notices that Clark looks like the Blur as seen in a viral clip, but Clark dismisses his suspicions and tries to focus on the case. Bert almost falls into a hole but Clark catches him with one hand. Bert is amazed, but Clark tries to make it sound like a normal occurrence. Bert insists that he's a hero.

Later Clark goes to Metropolis General Hospital and meets a coroner who introduces himself and admits that he's been working full-out since the bodies came in. The coroner says all the victims died of internal hemorrhaging, Clark  uses microscopic vision and spots several small black dots on the body's hand.

Oliver and Chloe are put in the trunk of the limo. During the drive Oliver tells Chloe that this is not the way he intended that they spend their anniversary, and then realizes that Chloe forgot their anniversary. Oliver and Chloe discuss the status of their relationship. When the car pulls over the gunmen take them to an apartment and demand to know who they are. Chloe and Oliver then take out the their captors and share a kiss. After dispatching the men, they discover that the men were actually FBI agents serving as backup for the FBI agents posing as the Joneses. Chloe discovers a room with several X-rays of skulls showing an Omega symbol branded into them.

The next morning Chloe and Oliver head to Club Desaad, where they discover everyone that had the omega symbol on their skull came here. Oliver gets in through a window while Chloe stays outside. Mr. Jones comes up behind her and arrests her, however his eyes start to bleed and Desaad steps out of the shadows he realizes that Chloe knows about him and knocks her out.

At the Daily Planet, Lois is coordinating her wedding plans. Clark arrives and tells Lois that the coroner was unable to find a connection between the victims. Lois shows Clark a photo that reveals everyone had an Ace of Clubs stamp on their hand. Clark states that he used micro vision and spotted bits of ink, and realizes that the coroner was covering the killer's tracks.

At Watchtower Clark tries to track down the coroner, when Oliver walks in and tells Clark that Chloe is missing at the club. Clark realizes that Desaad works for Darkseid, converting who he can and killing the others. They find a property that Desaad owns. Clark leaves, telling Oliver he is in no condition to take on Desaad because of his current emotional state. As soon as Clark leaves, Oliver soon follows.

Chloe wakes up in a church, hanging from the ceiling. The light in the room changes and Clark comes to free her. He tells her this is their chance to be together and tries to kiss her, but Chloe refuses. Clark disappears and Oliver appears. She tells him there's something wrong with Clark. Oliver tells her to run away with him without a disguise and insists that they don't have to try to so hard to be heroes. Oliver asks her to take his hand, but Chloe realizes that something is wrong and asks who he really is. Oliver then leaves and Lois appears saying that Chloe is envious of the relationship she has with Clark. By now Chloe realizes that her captor is giving her illusions based on the seven deadly sins. The room returns to normal. Desaad confronts Chloe, who insists that he can't convert her, but Desaad explains that he exploits sin to convert his victims, and she's more vulnerable than she thinks.

Desaad gives Chloe a knife and dares her to kill him. A white-clad Chloe appears and suggests that taking a life may be necessary, Chloe says that she's strong and appeals to her pride, and that Chloe was too proud to give up what she had built for a relationship with Oliver. After a moment's hesitation, Chloe throws the knife away, and Desaad prepares to unleash another mental barrage.

Clark arrives and whisks Chloe away and returns to confront Desaad. Desaad states that he is a servant of Darkseid and that Clark has more love in his heart than when he faced Godfrey, and is stronger than when he faced Granny. Clark accuses them of burning Omegas into innocent people, but he explains that the brands were already there, and then sends a burst of black energy to pin Clark to the wall.

As Desaad leaves Oliver asks where Chloe is. Desaad tells him that she is dead. Oliver in rage beats him up while Desaad laughs saying that his sin is obvious. Clark frees himself and runs outside to stop Oliver. He assures his friend that Chloe is safe. Oliver stares at Desaad, realizing what he's done, and walks away.

Later at the Daily Planet Lois discovers that Clark has removed his name from the article. He admits to her that he is drawing too much attention and will need to wear a mask, but states that he always wants to present his face to the world. Lois says that he's had a breakthrough, but wonders how they can have a life together. Clark explains that now he has to adopt "Clark Kent" as a disguise, and dons a pair of glasses while explaining that he'll have to act normal as a civilian. As they leave, Clark bumps into Jeff, who initially gets angry at him. Clark apologizes and says he has to be more careful, and Jeff brushes past him.

At Watchtower Chloe is looking through her old photos and high school year book when Oliver arrives and asks how she's doing. She proclaims that she is Omega mark free and wondering what her next step is since resurfacing into the world. After being so many different things to so many different people, she's not sure if she'll lose the last part of who she really is. Oliver assures her that he'll never forget who she is. Chloe tells him that's why she loves him, and wonders what they will do now. Oliver admits that he was kidding himself trying to be normal, and now he has to face up to who he is. Oliver wonders who people will think she is, and Chloe says they can start with "girlfriend." They start to go and Oliver hangs back to turn off the power. He's unaware that the Omega brand is on his forehead.

### Fortune

Lois makes her entrance in a wild leopard print outfit, at which Clark gawks appropriately. Clark then asks Lois if she has any second thoughts, to which Lois assures Clark that her dating search is over. Tess and Chloe enter, dressed for the occasion, and adorn Lois with her party Tiara. Chloe pronounces Clark the happiest she's ever seen him. Emil starts rolling the camera, as Oliver announces the limo's arrival and calls for a toast with a bottle of champagne. Chloe makes a toast first to the bride and groom and then to friends, to which everyone drinks laughing.

Fast forward to the morning after. A lemur is making crunching noises, as Clark opens his eyes to an upside-down room in his bedroom which looks the worse because, for him, it's spinning. The Blur's "S" is burned into the ceiling. Clark wipes his bleary eyes and notices the silver band on his ring finger; he's also wearing a crushed, half-open black tux. The sound of a crash hints for him to look in the closet, from where Chloe tumbles out, decked in a veil, short frilly wedding dress, and layers of white and silver costume jewelry.

Clark inspects Chloe's finger to find she is also wearing a ring and equally confused about how they got to where they are. Panicked, they question each other, even considering whether or not they have consummated what looks like their honeymoon. A quick search leads them back to the champagne bottle which has a note from Zatanna. They deduce that Zatanna charmed the champagne, which put a spell on all of them, complete with a memory charm. The phone rings, and Clark learns that his wallet is downtown. Clark and Chloe then go to the limo, which is now decorated with flowers and "just married" written on the side. Inside, Chloe finds half a marriage certificate, with her name inscribed upon it, as well as signed and printed at the bottom; Chloe concludes that Clark's name must appear on the other half.

At that moment, Clark sees a text message from Lois from the night before, which says "I just need more time." Chloe persuades Clark not to doubt what he has, that his relationship is in a solid place. Suddenly, two young girls pass by, clad in leather jackets with Elvis pictures, listening to an Elvis impostor crooning show tunes. Chloe stops the girls, and a closer look reveals that Elvis is none other than Emil, who seems to be an overnight success. Chloe notes the lead and tells Clark to meet at Watchtower.

The scene shifts to a casino club, where Elvis (Emil) and Tess, clad as a June Cash look-alike showgirl, are sharing the spotlight in a country rock song onstage. Clark enters, taking in the scene, when some police officers pull Emil off the stage and arrest him on charges of stealing an armored vehicle.

Lois and Oliver are asleep on railroad tracks in a shady part of town next to graffiti-covered architecture. We see a pair of feet, now clad in Lois's patent heels. After she walks off, Lois awakens by shoving Oliver's hand off her chest and shouting him awake. They are confused about last night's events as well, both with splitting migraines and without money, ID, or cellphones. Lois then discovers her engagement ring gone.

Back at Watchtower, Tess is popping hangover pills, her head beginning to clear. Looking for leads, they find that the armored car can be traced by sounding the alarm and having Clark catch the signal with his super hearing. His superpowers prove unnecessary, when the alarm beeps from inside his pocket. He traces the signal from the car back to no other location than the barn. When he opens the door, money plops onto the floor.

Lois and Oliver are walking, somewhat recovered, and Lois complains about how she needs her ring back. She then finds a chip in her pocket from "Metropolis Fortune Casino," a $500 token. They hitch a ride back to find the ring.

Back at Watchtower, Chloe has realized that since Emil's name has no trace in the current police records, Emil must not be in prison. Clark concludes that the "police officers" who arrested him must have been criminals posing as cops.

Sure enough, a tied up Emil is being beaten up by the drivers who want to know the whereabouts of their vehicle and the money. He claims ignorance until they show him footage from the night before that shows the rowdy crew. Chloe laughs as she watches the video of Clark doing damage to the guards by superspeeding over to them undetected by the camera. Emil is the last one shown in the video, so they assume he is the guilty one. Emil just looks on dumbfounded as he is further accused by the casino boss, Amos Fortune, of stealing his lemur.

Back inside the casino, Lois and Oliver arrive, seeking answers. Oliver suggests Lois was probably playing blackjack, which prompts Lois to guess she bet the ring in a game. Some security personnel tell her she shouldn't have come back here.

Lois catches sight of the casino boss, who is wearing her engagement ring. Lois is about to go ballistic, but is stopped by the security guards, who take her and Oliver to the back and tie them to each other on chairs. Oliver has Lois cooperate as he frees them from their duct tape chains. They go back out to the club scene, but are immediately spotted, so thinking quick, Oliver and Lois quickly don the spare risqué showgirl costumes and join the dance troop on stage.

Chloe and Clark enter, discussing how the Watchtower search gave results linking the casino personnel to various crimes. They then catch sight of their friends onstage, as does the casino boss.

As Oliver passes in drag, Amos Fortune comments on how good he looks. Amos then spots Chloe and yells that she was part of the group that stole his money. A chase ensues, and Lois makes use of the confusion to claim her ring back, which she does after some crawling on the floor. Oliver throws punches, as Chloe fires shots with two pistols she manages to take from Fortune's guards.

Meanwhile, in another room, as the guards are about to crush Emil's head, he figures out that the henchmen hijacked the truck, so that Fortune can pick up double from the insurance company. Clark rushes in to save Emil in the nick of time.

Back at the barn, safe and sound, Chloe informs Clark that the wedding chapel declared Clark's and Chloe's wedding a drunk prank. They relax and discuss the Lois-Clark relationship, with Chloe expressing her congratulations. Clark guesses that Chloe is thinking of leaving again. Chloe affirms that she doesn't feel she can be Watchtower again, but is afraid to break it to Oliver. She proposes instead that she wants to be a hero guide, who finds potentials and helps them explore it. Clark assures her that he will support her, but that they should be there for each other no matter what. Chloe then reveals that she is "*The Star City Register's* newest hire" and agrees to be there as well.

Emil is typing away rapidly in Watchtower. Tess enters and jokingly greets him as a "hound dog" who "really took this town by surprise." Emil sort of grunts in acknowledgment at first, but then softens when Tess expresses how pleasant she found this other side of Emil, especially his singing talent. He nods and in a moment of mutual understanding confides that his late wife enjoyed it. Tess says that Emil should nurture his talent because his wife would have wanted that. Lois barges in, breaking up the tête-à-tête, and Emil goes back to typing shyly, as if caught.

Lois has Emil's camera with the yet to be seen footage from last night. Ironically, Oliver uses the opportunity to suggest more spirits for the crew, but they opt for cider for the occasion instead. Lois confesses to Clark that she bet the ring, Clark tells Lois " the ring is not important, you are." He confesses that he was worried that he had scared Lois off. She accepts that she has runaway bride syndrome, to which Clark assures her that " I am going to want to marry you in 5 days or 5 years." She is happy. And the slightly damaged video starts rolling.

In the film, a drunken Clark sobers up enough to tell Lois who is watching the video "Lois if you are watching this 20 years from now, you are the love of my life". There's a lot of general partying, laughing, goofing around, and falling over each other. The film cuts to Clark and Oliver discussing rings in the bathroom. Oliver is telling Clark that ambiguous "she" deserves better than the $20 ring Clark is holding. He then sees Emil and tells the *Blair Witch Project* to hit the road.

Next, we see footage of Clark retrieving a statue of the LuthorCorp logo with superspeed, and everyone laughs him on. Oliver approaches Lois and asks her for some help, and the two run off in the video. The mugging scene rolls, and we see the same details of Chloe in her wedding dress, laughing Clark on as he flashes to the newly understood staged crime scene, halts it, and returns with Fortune's pet lemur. Visibly upset watching the film, Chloe suddenly leaves the room, but no one notices, because it is dark, and the film is too exciting and entertaining. Except Oliver, who hurries out after her. We see the TV screen again, and in one scene, Emil is in sunglasses, next to a bottle, drawling about being "The King."

In the next scene, he is in his boxers. Watching the video, Tess is smiling, until she hears herself laughing in the background. She jolts up, as she watches Emil shaking his pelvis for her, as she cheers him on. He flirtingly taunts "you don't got what I got." Tess sways seductively back in her negligee. Tess turns tiger-like and pushes the camera onto the dresser so Emil can put his arms around her. Back in real time, a mortified Emil and Tess make a scramble for the power and volume buttons in front of shocked Lois and Clark. The film keeps rolling, showing Tess and Emil getting on further, lying down and kissing passionately as Tess leans her head back underneath Emil. They start gyrating rhythmically, as Emil sucks Tess's neck...They cut the film, but the obvious has already been stated.

Outside, Oliver calls after Chloe and accuses her of running off. She plays dumb, but without guile. They share a look, and Oliver tells Chloe that he never intended for Chloe to sit up in Watchtower for the rest of her life. He then pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to her. Chloe unfolds the other half of the marriage certificate she thought was hers and Clark's; it has Oliver's name written on it, with his signature at the bottom. She then displays the other half, which she must have been keeping with her, thus revealing that Chloe and Oliver are legally married. He half-jokingly refers to himself as her husband, and they walk off to their new life together, leaving Metropolis.

### Scion

Clark Kent speeds back home from a day of patrol to find Tess Mercer with a cup of coffee. He tells her she could have gotten some in Metropolis, and she says she's there because she feels they haven't had time to "catch up" on things. After exchanging introductions, Tess brings up the matter of Alexander's metamorphosis; she says he is becoming smarter and that, as he grows, they have learned more about his genetic origin. Suddenly, they hear a loud noise. Clark and Tess walk into the barn to find Alexander (now with dark hair) lifting a tractor above himself. Tess explains to Clark that Alexander's DNA is only half Lex Luthor's, while the other half is Clark's.

At the ruined Cadmus Labs, Lionel Luthor-2 walks in hoping to find Alexander. Tess-1 refuses to give Alexander to Lionel-2, and she asks why Lionel-2 is so determined to reunite with Lex-1, considering Lex-1 was the one who killed the native Lionel. Lionel-2 simply states that it proves the Lex she knew was a real Luthor. As Tess-1 tries to leave, he tells her he would have given her up for adoption just as the native Lionel had done. Tess-1 thinks it's because she's uncontrollable, but he claims it is because she is inferior. Lionel-2 asks her what she thinks a boy like Alexander could do with the right guidance. Tess-1 leads him into a room with a yellow tube on display. She claims they could not find a cure to stop the accelerated mitosis, and those are Alexander's ashes. Lionel-2 refuses to believe it, but Tess-1 says there are enough bone chips for a DNA test. She leaves, saying Alexander is dead and Lionel-2 will never be able to hurt him again.

Back at the barn, Alexander is helping Clark stack hay. Alexander tells Clark he hasn't had a real home because Tess keeps him on the move, and that he hates having to play lab rat for doctors. Clark learns that Alexander now goes by "Conner", from his abbreviated name CNR (Cognitional Neuroplastic Replicant). He tells Clark Tess thinks she's kept that a secret. Conner tells Clark he feels Tess is embarrassed about him and his powers. Clark tries to reassure him that Tess doesn't think that way and that she wants to protect him. Conner asks if Clark knows how people would react if they knew what he was. Clark tells him that once people know you, it doesn't matter. Conner claims Clark doesn't know how he feels and how worried he is when he meets someone new. Clark asks if Conner remembers anything before his metamorphosis, and Conner tells him no; due to Clark's DNA emerging in Conner, it wiped Lex's memories from his mind and left it a blank slate to be molded into a better person. Conner says he wants to know why he is the way he is. Clark says Tess will tell him when he's ready. Conner claims he's ready now and wishes to leave. Clark disagrees, and the two come to a brief disagreement.

Conner claims Clark cannot catch him and attempts to speed away, but Clark speeds up and blocks his path, to  Conner's amazement. Conner asks how Clark was able to move so fast, and Clark tells him he's just like him. Conner asks if Clark is his dad, and a disturbed Clark replies he prefers the term "brother". He tells Clark he thought Conner and the Blur were the only ones with these powers, and then realizes Clark is the Blur. Clark asks how Conner knows about the Blur, and Conner reveals that he is a big fan. Conner wants to go save someone in Metropolis with Clark, but Clark says he feels it would be safer if Conner practiced controlling his powers. Lois Lane enters the barn and tells Clark she needs him to sign the byline so their article can make the evening edition. She steps on a metal tool, and as Lois tries to fix her heel, she unintentionally arouses Conner, activating his heat vision. Clark turns him around just in time and his heat vision hits a metal plate in a powerful burst. Lois, alarmed, asks what just happened, and the two of them answer "Nothing".

Out of earshot of Conner, Clark explains that that Conner is now a much more kind and happy version of Alexander. Lois mutters it's like when Prince and Diddy changed their names. He explains that Conner's name wasn't the only thing to change. He begins to explain he is only half-Lex. Lois assumes the other half is Tess (given how messed up the Luthors are), but Clark tells her it is him. Lois is shocked to learn Conner is Clark and Lex's "genetic love child" and asks if Conner has his powers. Clark nods, and Lois says she has no idea how she should feel about this. Clark says it doesn't matter and that Conner needs their help. Lois tells Clark they do not know what he is capable of. She reminds him that it wasn't too long ago that 'Alexander' tried to kill Clark. Clark says he knows he's asking her to take on a lot.

Lois says she knew surprises would come when she agreed to marry him. She asks how Lex was able to cook up a human-Kryptonian hybrid. Clark explains that Lex stole a vial of his blood from Helen Bryce's office years ago, and that he thought Clark's DNA would stop the accelerated mitosis, and it worked. However, it had the unintended side-effect of largely overriding Lex's traits and personality with Clark's. Clark then blames himself for Conner not given a normal life. Lois asks how Clark knows Conner wouldn't want to take him out. Clark remembers Lois never had to go what he and Conner go through, especially Clark, where he tells Lois that he forgets that Lois never saw what it was like when he grew up being different, feeling like an outsider and a freak. She says Clark turned out normal, but Clark says the feeling of having powers never goes away. He tells Lois she is the only thing to ever make him feel normal, and Lois assures him they will take care of Conner.

Lois is in the *Daily Planet*, photo-copying a book on how to raise teenagers, when Tess comes in and locks the doors. She says Lois is the only member of the League who can help her now. She tries to get Lois-1 to convince Clark to kill Lionel-2. Lois-1 refuses, saying Clark would not agree to it, hoping this Lionel will change like the native one did. Tess says it's time they drew a line in the sand. Lois-1 says Lionel-2 knows Clark's secret and knows how to kill him, and if they battle, Lionel-2 may kill him. Tess-1 says they both know how Lionel-2 destroyed his own world when he had a super-powered son, and if this Lionel can influence Conner, he would do the same on their Earth. She says they no longer have a choice. Lois-1 says they know Lionel-2 has done a lot to hide the fact that he is a fake. She points out that if they can find a document he overlooked, they could exploit it and have him removed from LuthorCorp.

Lionel-2's scientist examines the remains and confirms that the ashes came from one of the other Lex clones, and manages to torture Conner's current location out of Dr. Lamell, but Lionel-2 brushes it off, saying that it's time for his son to return. There is no way he is letting Tess prevent his son from becoming a perfect Luthor.

Back at the farm, Conner is practicing with his heat vision, but grows frustrated with each failed attempt. Conner wonders how Clark managed to control his powers. Clark simply tells him that his parents were always there for him, and promises that he will be there for Conner. With Clark's encouraging words, Conner gives his heat vision another try, but misses and ends up burning Clark's shirt.

Back at the house, Clark changes his clothes and finds Tess waiting for him in the kitchen. She asks how Conner is doing. Clark tells her that he is getting things faster that he did. Tess-1 notes that Clark is taking pride in Conner, but tells him that Lionel-2 has learned Conner's location and he should be moved. Conner overhears them and speeds off.

Meanwhile, back in Metropolis-1, Lois-1 breaks into Lionel-2's office at LuthorCorp-1 and contacts Tess-1 to let her know what she has found so far. She concludes that Lionel-2's paper trail is flawless and they have to find something else. As Lois-1 leaves the office, Lionel-2's guard holds her at gunpoint.

Conner goes to the Luthor Mansion's remains and finds a photo of Lex and Lionel. He hears someone coming and hides. Lionel-2 calls out for him to come out. When Conner wonders who he is, Lionel-2 tells him that he's his "father" and that Clark lied to him to keep him away from his family. Lionel-2 also tells Conner that Clark believes he is a threat because he is a Luthor and tells him to embrace his destiny. He hands Conner a lead box with a red kryptonite ring inside. Conner puts the ring on and, for a moment, his eyes glow red.

Lionel-2 takes Conner to a slaughterhouse where he is holding Lois-1 hostage and tells her that Clark uses others to do his dirty work for him, but Lois-1 insists that she came on her own. Lionel-2 draws a gun and tells her that no one will ever take his son away and prepares to shoot her when Conner whisks her away to safety.

As Lois goes to call Clark, Conner insists that he can protect her and that they don't need Clark. When Lois complains that she is cold, Conner speeds away and comes back with a fur coat, then speeds away again and brings her a diamond necklace he stole from the store next door. As the manager accuses Lois of stealing, Conner speeds away and comes back with a sports car. Lois has no choice but to go with him.

Back in his office, Lionel-2 revels in Conner's crush on Lois-1 and tells his people to let him have a little fun but to make sure that Lois-1 doesn't lead him back to Clark. He tells them not to remove his ring since it has a tracking device on it. Clark bursts into the office and reveals that he knows what Lionel-2 has done. He grabs Lionel-2, who tells him that he wanted to unleash Conner's dark side and see what he was capable of. Clark tells Lionel-2 that he won't let Lionel-2 destroy Conner like he destroyed Lex, but Lionel-2 points out that it was Clark's secrets and lies that destroyed Lex. Lionel-2 also boasts that Conner is going to take everything Clark loves, starting with Lois-1.

Conner takes Lois to the Luthor Mansion's ruins and promises that he will keep her safe. Lois tells him that she is already spoken for and tries to leave. Conner states that he won't let her go back to Clark, and knocks her unconscious. Lois wakes up next to a fire and candles. She spots the ring on Conner's finger. Conner apologizes for being so rough with her. Lois suggests that Conner get some champagne to toast their new future together, but he realizes that she is lying. Lois tries to warn Conner about the ring, but he brushes it off. He says that he is at the top of his game thanks to Clark, but the one thing that Clark has that he doesn't is Lois, and now he will have her as well. Lois warns Conner that the ring is unleashing Lex's side of him and they need to help him. Conner insists that he doesn't want a cure, but if he can't have her then neither will Clark. As he prepares to kill her rather than lose her, Clark arrives. Conner speeds away while Lois staggers off.

Clark realizes that Lois was there. Conner shows up behind him and tells him that he is not welcome. Clark offers his help against Lionel-2, but Conner refuses and attacks Clark. Clark tells him that the ring is making him do all these things and that it's not who he is. Conner insists that he is a Luthor. Clark tells him that he is coming home with him, then grabs him, pushes him against a wall and smashes the ring, returning Conner to normal. Lionel-2 comes with a piece of green kryptonite and leaves it at Clark's side, then starts to drag Conner away, saying that Conner was meant to be a god. Conner hesitates and tells Lionel-2 that he knows who he is. Conner uses his heat vision to destroy the green meteor rock. While Conner goes to check on Clark, Lionel-2 makes his escape.

The next morning, Lionel-2 is in his office, when Tess-1 comes in and tells him that security is coming up to escort him out of the building. She reveals that she has copies of all the documents that he has signed and that there was one document he was never aware off: Her certificate of adoption. Tess-1 explains that Lionel-2's fingerprints on the document are the reverse of the native Lionel's, meaning she can prove he is a fake. When Lionel-2 wonders why he would relinquish control to her, Tess-1 tells him that the scotch he is drinking is laced with nano-trackers so she will always know his every move and that if he tries to retaliate against her or her friends, she will destroy him. When Lionel-2 asks her why not have him killed immediately, she tells him that is not who she is any more. As Lionel-2 leaves, he turns and tells Tess-1 that she will always be a Luthor.

At the barn, Conner is doing chores to make up for the trouble that he caused. Clark apologizes for lying to him and tells Conner not to beat himself up over not knowing what Lionel-2 was capable of. Conner notes that the ring brought out his Lex side, but Clark tells him that he is the one to decide who he is and is confident that Connor will be a hero one day. Connor agrees and reveals that he has crafted himself a costume: a black T-shirt with the Mark of El written in red. Clark hands him an application to Smallville High in the name of "Conner Kent" and welcomes him to his new home. Conner goes back out to finish his chores. Just then, Lois comes in and notes that Clark's nurturing approach worked. She apologizes for not telling him that she was looking into Lionel-2. Clark admits that it's hard to know where the line is when it comes to loved ones. He admits that he has learned a new respect for the way his parents raised him. Lois assures him that one day when they have children, he will be an amazing father.

Later that night, Lionel-2 visits Lex-1's grave and says he would give anything to have him by his side. Just then, Darkseid materializes before him.

### Kent

Lois Lane is falling asleep at her desk in the *Daily Planet* at almost five in the morning. Just then Clark Kent speeds in and drops off cartons of Chinese food. Clark and Lois talk about how they have not seen much of each other at the farm: with Lois working so hard to get an upcoming job promotion opportunity and Clark patrolling around the Earth. Clark presents Lois with an early wedding gift from Martha. It is also revealed that Conner is staying with Martha in Washington. When they open the gift, they find the deed to the farm. Lois assumes they were given the farm because it would be a great place to start their life together. But Clark wonders if she gave it to them to sell it. Meanwhile back at the loft, Clark Luthor returns from the alternate universe.

The next morning Lois is in the kitchen when there is a knock at the door. She is shocked to find a real estate agent who comes barging into the house and begins to look around. Lois assumes Clark called her and becomes very upset.

Clark then returns to the loft and is on the phone with Martha. He thanks her for the wedding present and promises that he will visit her and Conner soon. He then notices that some of his things are all over the floor and spots the mirror box on the table. Clark Luthor comes out from behind the corner and activates the mirror box in Clark Kent's hand, sending him to Earth-2, as well as then crushes the mirror box.

Clark Kent is transported to the Smallville Cemetery where a funeral is being held for Oliver Queen in Earth-2. Lois is revealed as Oliver's widow. She places flowers on his casket and spots Clark. While the priest gives the eulogy Jonathan Kent appears. Jonathan begins to rant about how Oliver ruined Smallville, as well as destroyed good hard working families and then he spits on his casket.

While Kent is at the funeral he is weakened by the Earth-2 Lois Queen, who opens a box of kryptonite in front of him. She says that he has a lot of nerve showing up after he murdered Oliver for exposing Luthor's identity as Ultraman and weakness to green kryptonite to the rest of the Earth. She asks him what it feels like to be the most hated man on the Earth. Kent is able to convince her that he is the "Good Clark" from the other reality. Frightened, Lois tells him that everybody knows about his weakness, as well as that everybody in the city is armed with kryptonite and that he will be hit on every side. She tells him to find a way out of this reality as quickly as possible. Clark agrees but says he first has to take care of something, as he watches Jonathan Kent walk away from the funeral.

Back in Earth 1, Clark Luthor reads a message from Lois to meet him at an apartment. When he gets there Lois apologizes for acting crazy towards the real estate agent and that she found the apartment in the rental pages. Luthor doesn’t let on that he is not who Lois thinks he is. He tries to get her to tell him how to find Lionel, so he can kill him. Lois tells him to go find Tess and ask her about it. When "Clark" contemptously breaks the telescope Lois has set up for sentimental value, Lois realizes that it is Ultraman. When he leaves, Lois desperately tries to call Tess, but to no avail.

Tess is at the Luthor Mansion, asking the foreman how much it would cost to tear the place down to the ground. Clark Luthor shows up. Tess jokingly asks him to use his powers to burn the place to the ground to help save her money. However Luthor laments at how a family lived here. Tess says that the weeds will take over the place. Clark Luthor begins to gently rub his hand and Tess realizes who he is. Clark tells her that he wants to get rid of Lionel but before the conversation can go further they are interrupted by the foreman. Ultraman smiles and says that they have all the time in the world.

Clark Kent follows Jonathan Kent back to the barn and searches for him. He walks up the stairs and is hit across the face and falls down the stairs. Jonathan approaches him holding kryptonite rock.

Lois and Emil Hamilton are back at the barn trying to piece back together the mirror box that Emil and Tess had recovered after Kent had destroyed it. Tess calls them from the Daily Planet and says that she will do everything she can to find and stall Luthor until they get the mirror box working.

Just then she sees a box on her desk and opens it to find a dress with a note from Clark Luthor telling her to meet him at the Ace of Clubs. Luthor then appears behind Tess. Tess is surprised that the dress is in her perfect size. Clark says that he knows everything about her and every step she takes, as well as then disappears.

Jonathan Kent has Clark Kent tied to a chair exposing him to green kryptonite. He blames Clark for ruining his life because the meteor shower destroyed the farm and the fields. When Jonathan wasn’t able to pay for the farm Oliver Queen bought it out from under him so he could harvest the land for meteor rocks. Jonathan says he has been secretly living there since Oliver Queen bought it in order to find more gold kryptonite so he could buy back the farm and go back to living his life. When Clark asks where Martha is, Jonathan says that she left him once things started to get bad. Clark Kent tells Jonathan the truth about where he is from, as well as how in his reality, Jonathan and Martha find Clark and raise him as their own son. He convinces Jonathan to let him go so he can prove it to him.

Tess meets Ultraman for dinner at the Ace of Clubs. Clark tells Tess that he wants to find Lionel Luthor so he can kill him and finally free them both from the hold Lionel has over them. He appeals to Tess’ vulnerability in feeling abandoned and wanting to be free from nightmares. He also claims that she harbors feelings for Clark Kent and she knows that he will never feel the same. Clark Luthor offers her a new life with him, the Clark that "wants" her. He then gives her an ultimatum to either help him, or die.

Jonathan has untied Clark Kent. Clark then walks down the hallway and grabs a shot gun that was hidden in a ceiling board. He tells Jonathan that it belonged to his grandfather. Jonathan asks how he knew it was there and Clark tells him Jonathan always likes to keep it close when Coyotes come into the fields. He reminds Jonathan of all the lessons that he ever taught Clark growing up and how he is the man he is today because of Jonathan's guidance. As police sirens are heard in the distance (Jonathan called them earlier) he tells Clark Kent to leave, but Clark says that he won't leave without him. Clark then tells him to fix his life by going after Martha and getting her back. Jonathan thanks him and calls him "son." They go to hug but before they can, Clark Kent is pulled back to his version of Earth.

Clark Kent lands back in the house with Lois and Emil. Lois is thrilled to have her Clark back, they embrace each other. Kent then asks where Luthor is.

At the LuthorCorp building, Tess shows Clark Luthor how to find Lionel via the GPS they planted on them. When Clark speeds off to catch him, Tess re-routes the GPS to somewhere else. Seconds later, Luthor is back saying that it’s done and now they can live their new life together. At first Tess is shocked, but Ultraman reveals that he knew about Tess re-routing the GPS, as well as grabs her by the neck. He bangs her head against the window, shattering it. Tess pleads with him to give her another chance because deep down she really does wants to start a life with him. Luthor says that he can no longer trust her. Before he can push her out the window, Kent comes in and saves her. Kent and Luthor then have a fight which takes them to the fortress of Solitude. Kent tells Luthor that their biological father is there, as well as has given them all the knowledge of the universe. Luthor says that it’s nothing but a music box with no music. Kent assures Luthor that Lionel lied to him, as well as that he can still talk with his father and also gain redemption on Earth 2 for the things he has done. Kent tells Luthor that he can make a difference in the other Earth, before calling out for Jor-El. Jor-El then sends him back to the Earth 2 fortress of Solitude.

Clark Luthor calls out for his father and Jor-El welcomes his son home.

Later Tess and Emil are talking about Gold kryptonite and how it has the ability to permanently take away Clark’s powers. Tess tells him that she will get her team on it. Emil then inquires about Tess' dinner with Ultraman. He tells her he reviewed the footage of them together and that she looked tempted to take him up on his offer. Tess tells Emil that he doesn't know the kind of person she really is. Emil says he does know the real her, even if she doesn't believe it yet herself.

Back at the farm Clark Kent and Lois are on the porch. Lois asks Clark what happened in the other universe that shook him up so bad. Kent doesn’t tell her about meeting Jonathan, as well as says that all he tried to do was to get home. Clark reveals that he did not call the real estate agent, but it did shed some light about how they really feel about selling the farm. Clark Kent says that lately he has been trying to keep the things that protected him, such as the Kent farm. Kent tells Lois " I've been worried that if we didn't have this place to come home to, we'd lose each other, this place grounds us". Lois reassures Clark that no matter where they live, he is all she needs. Clark Kent then tells her that he is going to call the real estate agent in the morning.

Jonathan Kent walks up to an apartment building and rings the buzzer of Martha Kent's apartment, hoping to start anew.

### Booster

On the streets, Clark and Lois argue over making the 'Clark Kent' disguise more mild-mannered and less recognizable, almost forgettable. Lois tries to teach Clark how to develop a new persona. Lois mentions that The Blur has been offered the key to the city by the mayor. Lois points out an example of a mild-mannered young teen. When Clark sees the teen, he is reminded of what he used to be like in his early years in high school growing up in Smallville. It took a lot for him to overcome that persona of his character and he feels he can't go back to that. Lois reminds him that his real persona is the Hero he is and if he wants to earn the citizens' trust completely he's going to have to reveal himself publicly soon. But before his hero debut in public, He's got to perfect his civilian identity first and that requires him to keep his glasses on. Clark mentions to Lois she shouldn't be focused on helping him right now, but on getting the available job promotion that opened up with Steve Lombard's transfer to the *Daily Star*. Lois is confident that she'll get the position.

Jaime is running to some friends. He trips and falls into the path of a Kord Industries transport truck. Clark hears him and starts running to the rescue. However, a mysterious man in a yellow and blue costume arrives before Clark, and stops the car with powerful energy emissions from his hand. Skeets, an in-ear I.A. computer, congratulates his master on the heroic rescue. Booster Gold tells Jaime to smile for the press. The man introduces himself to the press and public as Booster Gold. Meanwhile, a blue scarab beetle escapes from the truck and makes its way into Jaime's backpack. Booster Gold remarks on Clark having 'nice glasses,' and flies away.

At the *Daily Planet*, Clark talks to Lois about Booster Gold's arrival and his remark on Clark's glasses. Meanwhile, Lois continues to try to make Clark clumsy and forgettable by making him bump into fellow work colleague Ron Troupe. Clark stumbles upon Booster Gold sitting at his desk. Booster Gold tries to get Lois to write an article about him, and flirts with her. He guarantees her that if she writes an article on him, she'll get the promotion she is working for. Lois turns him down flat just as Skeets informs Booster Gold that he's going to be late for his signing, and he leaves the Daily Planet.

Cat Grant comes running a bit too late for an interview with Booster Gold and exclaims how Booster Gold could be the hero of inspiration for Metropolis. Cat also mentions to Lois that she's also competing for the promotion upstairs. Clark continues to worry about Booster Gold and Lois remains focused on helping Clark adapt to his new persona.

Jaime is sitting on a sidewalk with a few other teens, but still a little away from them. He opens a can of soda, but it sprays all over him. The other adolescents laugh at him. One girl, Dora, comes over and offers him a new drink; however, it also pops and sprays all over him, Dora insincerely apologizes, and the others laugh at him again. He walks away with a sign on his back that reads "Kick Me". Lois witnesses this and encourages Jaime to stand up to his peers and express his feelings of anger. However, the other teens leave and then Jaime does too. Jaime runs into an alley and the blue scarab beetle crawls into his shirt and fuses with his body. He is left gasping for breath.

Clark is at Watchtower viewing Booster Gold's commercial in what seems to be a Booster Gold website. Lois walks in with flowers that she thinks Clark sent to her; however, it turns out they are from Booster Gold. Clark continues to question Booster Gold's agenda. Lois thinks that Clark is jealous of the attention Booster is getting. Clark suspects that Booster Gold knows when and where these accidents are going to happen, so that Booster Gold can sweep in at the last moment and stay for the photo op. Clark also shows Lois a Kord Industries press conference, where Ted Kord is answering questions about the earlier incident involving missing tech. Clark reveals that there was a missing super weapon from the Kord Industries truck. Clark goes to investigate Kord Industries and Lois decides to investigate more into Booster Gold.

At the Ace of Clubs, Booster Gold is autographing his photo for fans, which consist of mostly kids. Cat Grant appears, praising Booster Gold and requesting an interview. She offers to help him gain a larger fan base than the Blur's. Booster Gold says he will only take an interview from Lois Lane. Cat tells Booster that she can get him to be more popular than The Blur. Lois appears, telling Booster Gold to "hit the skies", claiming that Metropolis is The Blur's jurisdiction. Booster Gold states that he is here to take The Blur's place. As Lois leaves, Skeets asks Booster Gold whether or not it is a good idea to take Clark Kent's destiny as his own. Booster Gold states it is the only option he has.

Lois and Cat are in an elevator together. Cat claims Booster Gold as her story. Lois exclaims that she doesn't want anything to do with Booster Gold or Cat. Cat questions that fact that The Blur stays in the shadows and Lois says that The Blur has a reason for everything he does. Cat says that Booster Gold does too, then leaves the elevator and shows Lois the Booster Gold Fan Club T-shirt, which strikes interest in her.

At Kord Industries, Clark questions Ted Kord on the missing weapon, using his mild-mannered persona. He asks if the weapon was dangerous, and Ted Kord asks how he knew it was a weapon. Clark mumbles and asks for directions to a restroom. Ted Kord orders him to leave. Ted Kord calls Booster Gold, hoping to get his assistance on finding the scarab. Booster Gold requests that Ted Kord get the mayor to give him the key to the city. Ted Kord complies. Clark speeds in and takes the scarab blueprints.

Clark ends up in the streets of Metropolis and sees a Booster Gold billboard suddenly covered up by a new one advertising the Blur as "The *Real* Man of Steel". Clark suspects Lois.

Booster Gold is rehearsing his acceptance speech for the key to the city. When Jaime shows up pleading for Booster Gold's help, Booster Gold tells him he is busy and can't help. Jaime walks away in distress. Booster Gold asks the showgirls which of them wants to hand him the key to the city. Cat Grant turns out to be disguised as a showgirl and takes the role.

Meanwhile, Jaime struggles to leave, but the scarab eventually takes over his body, converts into a powerful suit of armor and sets out on a path of destruction.

Back at the Daily Planet, Clark questions Lois on the billboard advertising The Blur. Lois refuses to let The Blur be forgotten as Metropolis' savior. Clark insists that it is not a competition and that they should focus on the lost scarab. Clark shows her the Kord Industries files on the scarab. Clark mentions that Booster Gold is getting the key to the city in exchange for his services. Lois exclaims that it should be Clark's and he may want to show himself to the world. Lois gets a call from Booster Gold. Clark answers it and Booster Gold reveals that he knows Clark's secret. Clark insists that they need to team-up to find this scarab.

Clark speeds to Booster Gold. Clark notices that Booster Gold has a Legion flight ring. Clark realizes that Booster Gold stole the ring. Booster Gold reveals that he is from the future and that Skeets informs him of impending accidents and Booster makes the saves. Booster Gold claims to be the greatest hero of the 25th Century and says that he can handle anything that comes his way. Booster Gold gives Clark the chance to claim the key to the city, stating that history says that whoever claims the key becomes the city's man of steel... or gold. Clark says, "The suit doesn't make the hero." Booster returns to the studio after telling Clark to give up the glasses and the red-and-blue suit.

Booster rehearses his acceptance of the key to the city one more time. Jaime shows up, completely overtaken by the scarab. The Scarab armor causes havoc as he destroys the studio. Jaime inside the suit pleads with the scarab to stop. The armor releases energy from its arms destroying the studio. Booster Gold ducks in cover. Skeets states that Clark was right that Booster Gold's presence has changed history. Clark notices the hysteria and uses a phone booth to change into his Blur costume. Clark takes the energy shot from the scarab armor to protect Cat. Booster Gold shoots the armor with energy from his suit. Jaime screams for help inside the armor, but can't be heard.

The armor holds Booster Gold up, choking him. Jaime gets enough control to show his real face and ask for help. Booster Gold says that the suit doesn't make the hero and encourages Jaime to fight it. He says he isn't a hero but Jaime can be one. The armor lets go of Booster Gold and Jaime gains control of the scarab as he transforms back into his human from. Jaime hugs Booster Gold. Clark was watching the whole time and nods in approval.

Booster Gold is regretful of his actions as he talks to Clark. He explains how he missed that feeling of being a great hero and that's why he came back to the past to become a hero. Booster Gold reveals that he was a sports-star and he missed being in the spotlight. He reveals he stole the suit, the ring and even Skeets and that his own sister told him that the suit doesn't make the hero. Clark encourages Booster Gold to be a true hero and take Jaime as his protege. Booster Gold comments on Clark's current superhero name, The Blur. He says that he should change it into something more "super".

Ted Kord says Jaime is unique. Jaime asks to keep the scarab and says he wants to learn to use the suit's powers and be a hero. Booster Gold insists Lois interview Jaime Reyes, the real hero of the day.

Lois Lane is promoted upstairs. Cat Grant apologizes and gives Lois cookies with the House of El mark on them. Lois advises that if Cat wants to be a great reporter she has to do it her own way. Cat reveals that she is taking Lois' old desk. Clark continues to be more mild-mannered and drops Cat's box of desk supplies. Cat expresses that Clark is nice, but he's no Blur.

At the Kent farm, Lois is reviewing Booster's profile while wearing Clark's glasses. Clark comes in and tells her after seeing how well Booster hides his own insecurities, he thinks he can make the transition to mild-mannered reporter work. Clark reveals to Lois the real reason he was worried about adapting the mild-mannered persona to his everyday life. He wasn't afraid of what people might think of him, but about what people would think of the strong and sexy Lois Lane for being married to a mild-mannered Clark Kent. Lois reassures him that they can make this work and kisses Clark passionately.

### Dominion

Lois and Clark are moving into their new apartment. Clark comes in with boxes, including one with Lois' Whitesnake throwing pillow. She tells him that she made it in the 8th grade, and that loving her means loving her love of heavy metal. She tells him that she talked to Chloe and that she and Oliver are doing fine in Star City. Clark suggests unpacking at super-speed, but Lois stops him, telling him that they need to take the time to find the perfect spot for everything. Just then, Tess calls them from Watchtower and informs them that Slade Wilson was found on a street corner unconscious. Clark wonders how Slade could be back in this world, when only a member of the House of El could open the portal from the Phantom Zone.

Back at Watchtower, Clark and Tess prepare the Crystal of El to send him into the Phantom Zone. Oliver walks in and tells him that he is going with him. Clark realizes that Tess told Oliver that he was planning to go. Tess explains to Clark that Oliver has more experience fighting without powers, and that Clark will need him in there. Clark disagrees, telling them that he needs to do this alone. Tess gives him a communication wristwatch that will allow them to communicate through the dimensions. Tess activates the crystal and tells Clark to be careful. When Clark turns to leave, Oliver jumps on his back just as he enters the portal.

Clark and Oliver arrive at the Phantom Zone, and Clark berates Oliver for not listening and coming along. They explore the cave and find mounted skulls with the Omega symbol branded on them. Clark contacts Tess just as he hears the other Zoners nearby. They get to the altar, only to find that the crystal that opens the portal has gone missing, meaning that they have no way of getting back to Earth. Clark and Oliver prepare to fight the incoming Zoners.

Back at Watchtower, Lois arrives just as Tess hastily turns off the equipment so Lois won’t hear Clark and Oliver being pummeled. Just then, the crystal’s signal cuts off. Tess is unable to re-establish contact, and realizes that the communication device must have been destroyed. Lois wonders what to do next. Tess tells her that there is no alternate plan and Clark and Oliver are on their own now.

The Zoners bring Clark and Oliver to their new leader, a hooded figure who sits on a throne. He stands and reveals himself to be Zod, and tells them to kneel.

The Zoners take Oliver away while Zod and Clark talk. Zod explains that when he arrived at the Zone, he met up with the original Zod's phantom and the two merged, giving him the knowledge of two lives. Zod asks him what Jor-El would think of Clark for having sent Slade to the Zone without a trial or jury. Clark realizes that it was Zod who sent Slade back to earth through the portal as a way to lure Clark to the Zone to get his revenge. Clark asks Zod how he was able to open the portal. Zod explains that he still has some of Clark’s blood from when Clark healed him back on Earth. Clark insists that he saved him because it was the right thing to do, but other than that they have no connection. Just then, Clark notices the crystal from the console hanging around Zod's neck. Zod reminds him that as Kryptonians, they were meant to be leaders and recounts the story of Cain and Abel. Clark states that he would never murder Zod. Zod hits him and tells him that he will find out what it means to live under Zod's rule.

The Zoners escort Clark to an arena where two men are fighting and Oliver is in a cage. He tells Clark that they want him to fight to the death. One of the gladiators kills his opponent and then attacks Clark, who grabs a shield to defend himself until it breaks. Oliver then tosses him a helmet, which Clark uses to beat the other gladiator to the ground. As Clark is about to deal the final blow, he stops as the crowd around him yells for him to kill, but Clark drops the helmet, refusing to kill. Zod steps down and tells him that in the arena, they answer failure with death. Zod draws his sword and heads towards Clark, but kills the fallen gladiator. Zod turns and tells Clark that it’s "kill or be killed" in his world and that next time, he’ll kill him.

Back at Watchtower, Tess checks her watch repeatedly as Lois grows more and more impatient and worried. Tess tells her that she is working as hard as she can, but Lois tells her to work harder in trying to find them. Lois tells Tess to check the crystal. As Tess goes to do so, Lois takes the opportunity to check the computers only to find that Tess plans to blow up the gate in two hours.

Back in the Zone, Clark is locked in a cage next to Oliver. Clark explains that he set a plan into motion with Tess that if he didn’t return by a set time she would set the crystal to self-destruct and destroy the gate to keep any phantoms from making it back to Earth. He admits that Lois has no idea about the plan, and that he has read everything that Jor-El has ever written about the Phantom Zone and knows how Zod thinks.

Tess tells Lois that the crystal is fine and that the problem has to be on their end. She turns to find that Lois had discovered their plan. Lois accuses her of betraying her friends, but Tess explains that she is following Clark’s orders. Lois doesn’t believe her and draws a gun at Tess, insisting that they have a responsibility and that she can’t risk the world for selfish reasons. Lois refuses to let Tess sacrifice Clark. Tess tells her that being a hero means accepting that hero’s sacrifice, but Lois counters that being a hero’s wife means never accepting defeat.

Zod has Oliver brought to him and taunts him, saying that it must be hard working with someone who has the power of a god. He explains that Darkseid came to him and promised him dominion of the Zone if he helped him get rid of Clark. Oliver insists that they defeated Darkseid and his prophets already, but Zod warns him that there are millions under Darkseid’s control, including Oliver. He points out that Oliver is filled with anger and a desire for revenge and asks him what would Clark think if he found out that Oliver was marked. Oliver insists that Clark would stand by him. Zod doesn’t believe it and tells him that Clark would turn his back on Oliver just like he did with him. He offers Oliver a chance to rule with him as a brother as he and Clark have nothing in common. Zod removes Oliver’s manacles, telling him that Clark will never embrace his dark side and for that, he will die.

Oliver is given a sword and led back into the arena, where he discovers that he will be fighting Clark. Oliver brutally attacks Clark, who after hesitating, finally fights back. He lunges at Oliver, who stabs him once more; as he prepares to deliver the final blow, Zod stops him. Zod steps down, welcomes Oliver as his brother-in-arms and draws his sword. He tells Oliver that he, Zod, will be the one to kill Clark, as he raises his sword. Oliver stops him while Clark grabs the crystal from Zod. This opens the portal back to Earth, where the yellow sun heals his wounds. Clark tells Zod that he has no more second chances. Clark enters the portal with Oliver and destroys the crystal, trapping Zod and his minions once and for all.

Back at Watchtower, Tess tends to Oliver’s wounds while Clark explains that the fight was all part of their plan all along and he knew he could trust Oliver to play his part. Once Tess leaves to call Emil, Oliver warns that the darkness is everywhere and wonders what would happen if it comes back. Clark says that they will fight it. Oliver asks him what would happen if one of them were to get infected. Clark tells him that they’d have to quarantine the victim because he doesn’t believe there is a cure. Clark tells him that Zod knows how to play on people’s insecurities, and that he shouldn’t listen to him. After Oliver tells him to go and see Lois, Clark speeds away.

When Clark gets to their apartment, Clark notices that everything is unpacked; Lois runs to him and embraces him. He asks her how she managed to unpack everything in just a couple of hours. Lois explains that he and Oliver were gone for three weeks while Clark only experienced a few hours. She tells him that she and Tess took turns trying to reestablish contact with them, after bringing Tess to seeing things her way. She wishes that Clark would have had a little more faith in her. Clark tells her that he was trying to protect her from making that kind of decision. Lois insists that she is a part of him now and that in the future, he should warn her about the risks because she would rather be in hell with him than not knowing if she would ever see him again. Clark admits that sometimes his Kryptonian side tends to take over, and he is sorry. Lois tells him that there are two days before the wedding and that she couldn’t bring herself to postpone it. Clark assures her that there is nothing that would stop him from walking down the aisle with her.

Oliver meets Tess, who has information on the Bow of Orion from the Veritas journals. She gives Oliver the coordinates to find the Bow, which was used once to defeat Darkseid. Tess tells him that it is not his quest, but Oliver tells her he has to do it. Tess agrees not to ask any more questions. Oliver goes to a church and goes through Carter’s journal while remembering the violence he’s committed. After hesitating for a moment, he leaves and walks by a statue of an angel, which weeps blood as he leaves.

### Prophecy

Clark arrives at Lois' new office at the *Planet* and takes off his glasses. Lois is busy with a story; a mysterious company known as Marionette Ventures is buying numerous companies/shops around Metropolis. Clark tells Lois that there is something they forgot to do, and takes Lois to the Fortress of Solitude. He informs her that Kara told him it's Kryptonian tradition that the groom's father approve all marriages. Jor-El welcomes Clark, who tells Jor-El he wants to marry Lois.

Jor-El asks Lois if she truly intends to spend the rest of her life with Clark. Lois says "I do." Jor-El says there is something they both need to understand. A huge pile of ice crystals falls on Lois, knocking her unconscious, but Clark is unable to lift them off her. Clark says he needs his powers back. Lois surprisingly wakes up with Clark's super powers, able to use all of them. Lois looks at Clark in surprise. Jor-El tells them her powers will last until sunset.

Oliver is traversing down an opening to an underground cave/mine. He turns on a flashlight and begins walking, stopping to look at walls with symbols on them. He hears a voice and begins to walk towards it, taking out his bow and aiming it. He sees Kara, surrounded by a ring of light. He asks her if she's Clark's cousin, she says yes. Oliver steps forward to release Kara, but she tells him to wait, throwing a stone at the barrier surrounding her. The stone disintegrates. Oliver sees some strange writing on the wall and asks her to translate. She does, speaking of the two symbols for light and dark, and how they must be in balance. He reasons that the dark symbol, Omega, should counteract the other and release her. He asks her permission to press on the symbol representing omega. She agrees, and it works, releasing her. They walk forward together.

Back in Lois' office, Clark attempts to follow Lois with his eyes while she super-speeds around doing multiple things while talking. Lois accidentally breaks the keyboard while typing. Clark checks how much time is left before sunset, and sees that sunset occurs at 6:58 pm. Lois then gets up on her desk, seeing something Clark can't see; she super-speeds, but returns to Clark, who puts on his glasses and goes with her. Clark is then seen in his disguise, looking at the street, when Lois super-speeds behind him. Clark notices a bullet hole in her jacket, and Lois then hands him a medium sized slice of cheese, a souvenir from Wisconsin, where she mentions having resolved a hostage situation. Clark starts teaching Lois how to use his powers, starting with super hearing, since she already mastered control of super-speed and super-strength. Lois hears too many noises, so Clark tells her to focus on one thing only, which she does, hearing screams for help. Clark asks her where is it coming from, she replies she doesn't know. Lois listens, then tells Clark it's a kitchen fire, and that they are calling 911. Lois tells Clark she can ignore it. Lois, using super hearing, hears someone attacking a woman. Lois rushes to the rescue of the hostage, arriving and throwing the robber into a wall, knocking him out. Clark arrives, stepping forward and taking the mask off the robber, revealing it to be none other than Courtney Whitmore.

Kara and Oliver are still searching for the Bow of Orion, seeing more symbols along the way, Kara translates them, they then enter a room which features several representations of the omega symbol and the bow of Orion. They deduce that they have to activate them simultaneously. Oliver gives his bow to Kara, then takes out another bow for himself, but before they can step inside to take the shot, Kara's beacon calls her. She hands the bow to Oliver and super-speeds off.

In the Fortress of Solitude, Kara asks Jor-El why he called her, annoyed that he interrupted her during her mission to protect Clark. Jor-El answers, saying that she should leave Clark and move on to her own destiny. Kara answers that Clark is her only family left.

Tess Mercer is looking at the device which allowed the Marionette Ventures to control Courtney Whitmore. They discover that the mastermind behind the device is none other than the Toyman. Lois super-speeds to where Toyman is jailed. Toyman threatens that if she doesn't do as he says, he won't call off his men who are on their way to kill Clark.

Lois checks how much time is left until Clark will have his powers back. Not wanting Clark to be harmed, Lois agrees to do Toyman's bidding. Toyman tells Lois to put on the mind-control device. She does, which places her under the control of Toyman, who then commands her to kill The Blur.

Oliver has entered the room containing the Bow of Orion. He steps forward to take it and banish Darkseid from Earth, which will in turn release him from the Omega Symbol. But as he puts out a hand to take it, Granny Goodness arrives and telepathically pulls the bow towards her, grabs it and destroys the bow while Oliver yells "No!". Granny Goodness then starts teasing Oliver. Swearing he will find a way to destroy her, she telepathically forces Green Arrow to kneel. Granny Goodness then begins preparing Oliver to become a minion of Darkseid, making the darkness inside Oliver corrupt him.

A screen turns on while 6 people are seen listening to the Toyman, who tells them to open the bag in front of them which contains data on their targets.

Back at Watchtower, Clark wants to go look for Lois, who super-speeds in. He realizes she is wearing the mind-control device, and attempts to get her to resist, to no avail. Lois then throws him. Stepping forward, Lois strangles Clark. Tess tells Clark to hold on for 20 seconds longer. Lois snaps out of the mind-control when Clark tells her he loves her. She turns around, screaming in pain as she is once again placed under the control of Toyman. Clark gets his powers back just in time, stops Lois' fist and grabs her as she struggles to regain control of herself. Lois faints and Clark attempts to wake her up.

Toyman is on the phone talking to members of his gang when Clark suddenly arrives, surprising Toyman and crushing his phone. In response, Toyman threatens to tell the whole world who Clark really is, to which Clark says that if he wanted, Toyman would have already done it. Clark then tells Toyman that he will always be there to stop him, after which Clark super-speeds off.

Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude for the last time. He tells Jor-El that no matter whether he's Jor-El's son or Jonathan Kent's son, there will be a time when neither of them will be able to guide him any more, and that time is now. Stepping to the console, Clark turns off the Fortress of Solitude. Clark then says a last goodbye and super-speeds out. The Superman costume is shown.

Oliver, now serving Darkseid, digs out gold kryptonite.

Lois is shown starting to take her engagement ring off when Clark arrives wondering if she is all right. They embrace. Kara secretly watches from outside Watchtower. She then dons her Legion ring, wishes Clark well, and travels to the future.

Lois tells Clark that she let Winslow control her to save him, because he's her greatest weakness. She worries that she might be his greatest weakness, but Clark assures Lois that she's his greatest strength, and Jor-El is part of his past now. Before they leave to join the others for dinner, Lois emotionally tells Clark she can't marry him because she believes herself to be stealing time when people need to be saved. Clark refuses to accept this as he tenderly embraces her.

### Finale

In 2018, Chloe reads a *Smallville* comic book to her young son, who eagerly listens as he lies in bed. She tells the story of a boy from Kansas whose greatest challenge had yet to come.

**Seven years earlier**

At the *Daily Planet*, Lois and Clark go back and forth about their upcoming wedding; Lois trying to convince Clark that they are going to call it off and Clark doing the opposite, taking her list of guests and her phone to stop her from calling everyone. Eventually, Clark tells her that she is not in his way, but by his side. He declares that if she really wants to call off the wedding, she will have to leave him standing at the altar.

At the wedding chapel, Oliver and Chloe are decorating the aisle while reminiscing about the missing memories that was their wedding night. They tell each other that they would have gone through with it even if they hadn’t been under Zatanna’s spell. Oliver tells Chloe that she needs to make sure Lois is on time, as she has apparently gone missing for her wedding.

At the Luthor Mansion, Tess is reviewing plans for the mansion's rebuilding when she is confronted by Granny Goodness. Granny offers her one final chance to join Darkseid's forces, so that her life could be spared during the coming destruction. Tess adamantly refuses the offer, declaring that just because she was born into darkness, her fate is not sealed. As Granny leaves, Tess asks when the apocalypse that she mentioned was occurring. Granny replies that it is already beginning.

At the Kent Farm, Martha looks around in shock at all of the boxes that she sees. She looks into a family picture and Jonathan’s reflection is seen. Clark arrives and she tells him that he misunderstood her message when she gave him the farm. She tells Clark that he needs to remember his past and what made him who he is. Clark refutes what she is saying and says that they have to move on and forget what they have lost to progress in their lives. As he leaves after declaring that he has left his past, Jonathan is seen to be crying.

Chloe appears at the *Daily Planet* and in order to convince Lois, who is insistent that she and Clark should not get married, gives her Clark’s vows. Once Lois reads them, she realizes the mistake she was about to make and runs out of the *Daily Planet* to prepare for the wedding.

At Watchtower, Tess is desperately trying to access the satellites, only to be blocked out at every try. She orders Watchtower to access security footage which reveals Oliver as the person who disabled the satellites. She then tells Watchtower to bring up previous satellite footage which reveals a massive fireball planet descending towards Earth.

Granny, Desaad, and Gordon Godfrey meet at their lair. Oliver comes in and tells them of his accomplished mission. They are pleased and then assign him his next task: to remove Clark's powers using a gold kryptonite wedding ring.

At Smallville's cemetery, Clark kneels at Jonathan’s grave and expresses his concerns. Jonathan, still unseen by Clark, talks to Clark as he expresses his doubts. Jonathan counters what Clark is saying and does his best to give his unheard advice; Clark says that he has to go beyond that and Oliver appears. Oliver tells Clark that he has to remember his past, and not hide away from everything that has made him who he is. He tells Clark that he has been down this road, and that Clark is the one who saved him.

Clark, adamant on letting go of everything, visits Lois at their apartment. She surprises him by telling him that the wedding is on. She admits that she read his vows and gives him hers in exchange. After discussing what they should do, Clark reads her vows and tells her after moments of silence that he will meet her at the chapel.

Meanwhile, Tess tries her best to alert the team that Apokolips is really a planet inbound for Earth. Before she can finish her warning however, she is ambushed by a group of armed men and taken captive.

Martha is seated at the wedding, while Oliver and Chloe take their positions as the best man and maid of honor. Lois arrives in the doorway and looks around nervous, until Clark takes her by the hand and they walk down the aisle. As Martha and Jonathan as well as everyone else look on, they begin the wedding. Near the final moments of the wedding, Oliver hands Lois the ring for Clark, and Chloe realizes that it is made of gold kryptonite mere seconds before it is placed on Clark's hand and knocks it away before it touches Clark's finger. She tries to speak to Oliver, and once Clark realizes what is going on, tells her to get everyone out of there.

After Clark refuses to surrender to the darkness, Oliver knocks him out of the window. He then attacks Lois, and Clark super-speeds to her rescue. He takes her to safety and returns to confront Oliver.

After they fight briefly, Clark tells Oliver that he believes in him; Oliver overcomes the power of Darkseid and the Omega symbol fades from his skull. Clark believes everything is all right at that point, but Oliver tells him that the world needs its hero sooner than they thought as he shows Clark the coming Apokolips.

Lois listens to Tess’ voicemail as everyone gathers at the Kent farm. Martha tells them that none of the government officials are saying anything until the President speaks. Before Chloe leaves for Star City and for her database, she and Oliver kiss under the volcanic solar eclipse now occurring while Martha and Lois watch the impending doom. Clark spots Jonathan out of the corner of his eye and follows him to the loft. Jonathan tells Clark that he knew he would see him again when he was ready and as Clark admits he can't forget his past, Jonathan gives him his final words of guidance.

He tells him that Clark has become the man who he was meant to be and that he must return to Jor-El for guidance as they have done all that they can. Martha walks up the stairs and tells Clark that this has been coming for a long time. She reaffirms to him that he is the world’s much needed miracle; at this, Clark goes to embrace the trial to come as Jonathan and Martha gaze at Apokolips.

Tess Mercer wakes up on a table inside of a laboratory. Lionel Luthor greets her as she awakens and tells her that he has underestimated her. After revealing that Lex Luthor had took his imperfect clones' best pieces and put them together to create a "masterwork", Lionel tells her that her ultimate purpose here is to give Lex that which he could not recreate: a working heart.

While Clark finds Tess’ phone in her car using his X-ray vision, Lionel tells Tess that she put herself in this position, and that Lex means everything to him. As they attempt to remove her heart, she escapes from captivity. But before she flees the lab, shoots Lionel in the chest. As Lionel drags himself towards Lex, Darkseid appears and Lionel offers him all that he has in order to save Lex. Darkseid declares that it will be done, in exchange for Lionel’s soul. Lionel is engulfed in a black smoke and as his eyes glow red, his heart is taken from his chest.

Lex suddenly wakes and removes the mask from his face.

In Metropolis, the people look in terror at the burning planet in the sky. At the *Daily Planet*, while Clark tells Lois about the message on Tess’ phone, they discuss the prophecies about this event in history and wonder how to lift the darkness from the infected world. In an attempt to locate Tess, Clark and Lois find the final point where they believe Tess’ kidnapper to be. After discovering the Luthor Mansion was the final location, Clark speeds off after he and Lois reaffirm their love for each other with a kiss. Lois attempts to tell the reporter set to interview the President that she needs to tell the President what is really going on. When she refuses and disapproves of the Blur, she is knocked unconscious by Lois and has her ID badge stolen.

At the mansion, Clark begins to look around when a voice from his past proclaims "Hello, Clark.". Lex reintroduces himself and somewhat explains his return. Lex then tells Clark that it is not family or friends that define who people become, but their enemies. Clark tries to tell Lex that he can change, but instead Lex says that they will both be great men in the world because of each other with Clark on the one side and Lex on the other. Clark tells Lex that he will always be there to stop Lex, and Lex says that he is counting on it and that their story hasn't been written yet. Calling Clark by his birth name Kal-El, Lex tells Clark that he himself can only be as great as Clark becomes. Lex tells him about what he learned in the Veritas journals about Darkseid. Lex tells Clark that they both know who can save the world. Clark apologizes for not being able to save Lex and then abruptly departs, leaving Lex with a sinister smile on his face.

Oliver enters Watchtower and activates all of the computers. He searches for where Darkseid’s trio are hiding and once locating them with his satellites, reclaims his Green Arrow uniform. As Granny Goodness, Desaad and Gordon Godfrey declare their victory, Green Arrow arrives without his Omega symbol to the surprise of the others. Amidst their condemnation and rebuke, he tells them about his belief in Clark and that he will save them. Raising his bow, Green Arrow fires three arrows simultaneously and vanquishes the trio. They disintegrate into clouds of smoke.

Aboard Air Force One, Lois attempts to get past security to speak with the President. She eventually manages to manipulate her way to the room with the Secretary. She tells him that the supposed meteor is really an entire planet and that their plan to stop it with nuclear weapons will result in the deaths of millions of people. Realizing that they know this already, she tells them that the heroes that they have tried to destroy can save them. They agree to give the heroes a chance, but limiting the time to five minutes.

In the Kent barn, as Clark retrieves the console crystal, he is confronted by Darkseid possessing Lionel’s body. Clark says that his destiny is to defeat Darkseid and refuses to submit to his temptations and power. Darkseid flings Clark across the barn, and while in mid-air, upon Clark remembering Jonathan Kent’s final words of guidance, Jor-El intervenes and shows Clark with images of his trials over the past 10 years that he has always had the power inside of him. Jor-El tells him that this is his final trial and that he is ready to seize his destiny. Clark reawakens in the present, floating in the barn staring down Darkseid. He finally embraces his powers and flies into Darkseid, casting him out of his vessel as well as destroying it in the process.

At LuthorCorp tower, Tess confronts Lex in the executive office. Lex reveals that he always knew that she was his sister and that he used her, but Lionel was the one to abuse her. Tess tells Lex that she only wanted what she could never have: redemption. Lex hugs her and tells her that he loves her as he stabs her in the abdomen. He tells her that he is saving her from turning into him, but Tess claims that Clark already did that. After touching Lex on the face with a poisoned glove, she reveals that she has infected Lex with a neurotoxin that he had been developing years earlier at Summerholt. He is told that it will erase all of his memories up until this moment; as she dies, Lex stands up and stands in solitude as all of the memories of his past are erased as the seconds pass by. As the final memory fades, he walks towards the window and stares out at the world. As the view pulls back from Lex standing looking out the window, an explosion "destroys" the LuthorCorp building, leaving behind the shattered framework which loosely spells "LexCorp".

At the Fortress of Solitude, Clark is embraced by Jor-El’s presence. Jor-El tells him that his journey has come to an end and that he is proud of him for embracing his heritage and who he is. He tells his son that he is the only one that can lift the darkness from the Earth. He returns the Superman suit to the surface and gives Clark his final words of wisdom, to not forget that even though he has Jor-El’s blood, he must remember his time in Smallville and his Earth parents and friends that made him a hero. Jonathan presents Clark the suit and tells him to always hold on to Smallville. Clark takes it and with a nod to Jonathan, soars into the sky with his suit on and his red cape blowing in the wind finally becoming Superman.

Superman arrives just in time to save the now out of control Air Force One from crashing. He appears to Lois and nods to her, telling her that everything is all right. As he flies off to stop Apokolips from crashing into Earth, Lois takes a camera and after introducing herself, begins to interview the President. Oliver watches on amidst the crowds of Metropolis as the red and blue blur from Superman’s cape flies into the sky and moves the planet away from Earth. Oliver smiles with pride as the people are freed from Darkseid's control thanks to the efforts of his friend. Superman throws the planet into space and faces the world as he embraces his destiny.

**Seven years later**

In 2018, Chloe Sullivan concludes reading her son the comic book about Superman and puts the boy to sleep. Just as she leaves the bedroom, she receives a call from Lois at the *Daily Planet* thanking her for sending the "something blue" that is needed.

Lois approaches the office of Perry White, who is now the editor of the *Planet*. James Bartholomew Olsen (now grown up and working as a photographer) stops her and warns that it is a bad idea right now to speak to White, who is on the phone tirading about Lex Luthor. Olsen then shows Lois his snapshots of Superman, but she charges him to get better pictures, telling him that he has his brother's big shoes to fill but that she knows he can do it. They then leaves abruptly when White starts scolding her to get back to work.

On a TV broadcast, Lex Luthor has just been elected the President of the United States, wearing a white suit as he turns to embrace power over the nation and world that he now seemingly controls.

Clark bumblingly runs into Lois and knocks her stuff out of her hands. She tells him that he can stop acting clumsy as no one is looking, and asks if he has their wedding rings. She asks if he is ready and he says that he has been ready for seven years, just as they are alerted to the news that a bomb has been found in an elevator uptown. Clark tells Lois to tell the minister he'll be a few minutes late to their wedding ceremony. Lois says she'll be waiting for him as she encourages him to go off and save the day. Clark departs for the roof, and looks around at the world and begins to pull open his shirt, revealing the red and yellow House of El family crest, as he goes off to save the day as Superman.