Clark Kent's Destiny - SirJeffCena

**Clark Kent's destiny** is a major theme in Smallville.

Throughout the series, Clark struggles with his destiny, as he decides what to do with his powers:

* Hide his powers and use them largely to help his family and friends
* Use his powers to help humanity and save lives
* Use his powers to rule Earth
* Balance his Kryptonian and human sides
* True love

### Hide His Powers

Clark largely hides his powers from people outside of his immediate circle, using them mostly to help his family and friends. He is willing to reveal his powers to save a life but, so far, has yet to reveal his powers and abilities to the world at large. For years, Clark has tried to hide his abilities from the world as the ultimate anonymous hero until recently. Clark joined the *Daily Planet* in order to stop crime. After the death of Jimmy, Lois' disappearance, and Davis finally turning evil, Clark gave up hope on humanity and decided that his human persona, Clark Kent, is now dead, believing his human attachments caused him to lose perspective and prevented him from saving more lives. However, he came back to the *Daily Planet* to keep an eye on Lois.

Clark has begun to come up with a secret identity - first with an alias, then two separate identities. After an incident with Lois almost finding out he is the Blur, Clark decided to wear glasses more. In a recent dream sequence of the future in the year 2013, on Clark's desk there was glasses which he took off in order to save the bi-plane as Superman which probably means he wear it more in the future. By October 15, 2017, Clark had been known as Superman for nearly 6 years. He and Lois both still worked at the Daily Planet but were now top reporters, working on the 8th floor of the building in their own private office. Clark's disguise appearance was now that of a nerdy, glasses wearing uptight mild-mannered reporter to conceal his identity as Superman.

Lois brings up to Clark attention that he needs to be more careful in protecting his identity now that the Blur is starting to be seeing more frequently in the public eye. Clark sees first-hand how some of his work colleagues are already starting to jump to the conclusion that he's the Blur. So he decides that in order for him to continue his superhero duties as the Blur and still maintain an ordinary life, he must make "Clark Kent" the disguise and so he dons a pair of black horn rimmed glasses and begins to adapt a mild mannered persona as "Clark Kent".

### Help humanity

Clark has yet to embrace his true destiny: To use his powers to protect humanity and give them hope. However, many people try to convince him to embrace it. The Kawatche try to convince Clark that he is Naman and that it is his destiny to protect the world. Ben Meyers, an obsessed *Warrior Angel* fan, believed that if he killed Lana, Clark would embrace his destiny as a hero and save the world.

This destiny was foreshadowed in Clark's conversation with Oliver Queen, who told Clark that using his abilities to help his family is honorable, but he can't wait for people to ask him for help. Oliver suggested that Clark use his powers to help anybody who needs it, and tells Clark that he can contact him when he is ready to do so.

Kyla Willowbrook told Clark that Naman was destined to protect the entire Earth. Several other members of the Kawatche believe that Clark is destined to become Naman and save the world.

Jor-El wanted to help prepare Clark to save Earth from the coming of Brainiac and General Zod.

Recently, it seems that Clark has accepted this destiny by working at the *Daily Planet* to find those who need him. While working at the *Planet*, Clark, by night, listens to a police scanner, waiting for trouble, then steps in as the Red-Blue Blur/Good Samaritan, trying to inspire hope by letting people know about his existence. He is also acting more of a leader, taking a more active role as a member of the Justice League. Wanting to be a better hero, Clark is training with Jor-El as well as saving people and leaving the House of El family crest as a calling card to give people hope. As the Blur, Clark wears dark clothing with his family's Kryptonian symbol on his chest, which alludes to the Superman costume.

Doctor Fate told Clark that he is destined to lead the present generation of heroes on Earth and bring hope to mankind.

Jordan Cross told Clark that he didn't have an end like other people. *"You don't have an end like other people. It's like you live forever."* He was the only one who could change fate, and stop one of Jordan Cross's fates from coming true. Which would give him the power of altering destiny for the better.

In a recent dream sequence of the future in the year 2013, Clark has assumed the role he was destined for as Earth's protector. He is dressed in the traditional red and blue attire with the House Of El family crest placed on the chest of his costume and a yellow crest on the back of his cape.

Brainiac 5 comes back from the future to help Clark to leave the past behind and become the hero who is, and through a journey into the past and future. Clark knew that on this very day, an abandoned nuclear reactor was going to blow up just outside Metropolis that could destroy the city and also that while this happens, Lois would be in a helicopter that experienced problems and would fall off the roof of the Daily Planet. Clark awaited in the elevator so that he would bump into his younger self who was still only 24 years old and had not yet become Superman. He said he knew to be here because the same thing happened to him when he was 24 and when he met his future self. Also, he told his younger self to go to the roof to save Lois while he went to contain the blast. After the event, Clark was able to have more self-belief and finally let go of his past, visiting Jonathan's grave. After professing his love for Lois for the first time, he began to float in the air while dancing with her.

### Rule Earth

The message in Clark's spaceship suggested that his Kryptonian destiny was to rule Earth:

This is also what Zor-El suggested to Clark when he was resurrected by Clark using the blue crystal.

Clark rejected this destiny, and often struggled against what he felt was Jor-El's efforts to push him to embrace his destiny as a tyrant. Eventually, it emerged that Jor-El actually wanted to help prepare Clark to save Earth from the coming of Brainiac and Zod, suggesting that the message in the ship did not truly mean that Clark was supposed to take over Earth but instead simply meant to protect, and that Clark interpreted the message incorrectly. This message could also refer to what Doctor Fate said about Clark leading the present generation of heroes and inspiring mankind. The Legion of Super-Heroes reveal to Clark that he is the reason Earth learns to welcome and accept alien immigrants in the future. The message could have also been refering to Clark ruling the Kandorians as Tess Mercer believed it was Clark's destiny to lead the Kandorian army.

### Balancing his Kryptonian and human side

For most of his life, Clark was afraid of his Kryptonian side, but multiple events and interactions with other Kryptonians, such as Raya, Dax-Ur, among others lead Clark to eventually embrace and accept his Kryptonian heritage and destiny. In season 7, he met his cousin Kara, who told him more about his mother as well as having three personal interactions with his mother, through uncovered memories from his and Kara and a recording meeting his mother himself. In season 8 and season 9 and season 10, his relationship with Jor-El greatly improved over time, especially with meeting and seeing who Jor-el is as a person, through recordings and memories of his life as well as his clone dying in his arms. Clark always went to Jor-el when he was in the form of Kal-El's Ship, the Kawatche Caves and the Fortress of Solitude for advice on things such as information on alien matters sometimes asking him for aid in overcoming problems and facing particularly challenging foes.

Clark has come to realize that the circumstances surrounding his destiny affect a greater circle than his small hometown, and seemed torn on exactly when he will continue his Kryptonian training, but had clearly decided to embark on it in the near future. However, when he reunited with Lana in the fall of 2007, he abandoned these plans and declared his intent to attempt to make a "normal" life with her on the farm. In the episode *Action*, Clark walked away from the red cape he received from Rachel Davenport and followed Lana into the house, effectively rejecting his destiny. About a year later, Clark finally realized that he had been holding onto a life that hadn't existed for years and decided to "get in the middle of the action," and so joined the Daily Planet as a reporter. After the death of Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane's mysterious disappearance, Clark decided that he wanted to become a better hero and decided to accept his Kryptonian side, declaring that "Clark Kent is dead."

With the death of Jimmy, Lois' sudden disappearance and Davis Bloome becoming evil, Clark accepted his Kryptonian side in order to become a better hero. However, Jor-El told him that he still sees himself as a human. Clark decided to wear his Kryptonian family crest to remind himself he has a different destiny. He also used the Mark of El crest as a way to spread hope among the for the people to be inspired by and embraced the shield as his own, even going as far as viewing himself as an extension and representation of the family crest himself, even going as far as willing to reveal himself as the Blur again in order to protect the Shield and Jor-El. With the return of Lois, Clark began to reach out to her more as the Blur which for a time helped filled the emptiness inside himself. However After the fight with John Corben, Clark realized what was the use of saving humanity when he couldn't relate and decided to re-join the *Daily Planet* as Clark Kent again and is reunited with Lois.

Clark saw his relationship with Lois as a solid anchor to humanity that was greatly strengthened. When he was accidentally transported to the future year of 2017 in which he got to interact with both future Lois and Clark, He saw that he was able to balance his responsibilities as both a Hero to the world and husband to Lois. Clark admits to Lois that she makes him feel human.

## Notes

* The Legion of Super-Heroes revealed that Clark is the reason that aliens are accepted on Earth in the future.
* Doctor Fate saw Clark's fate when Clark touched him. Clark learned from Doctor Fate that he would lead the current generation of heroes and that he would be the hope that Earth needed.
* Indirectly to Clark's destiny of becoming Superman, Lex Luthor, Lana, Lois and Chloe are the only ones in the series who get to say Superman. (Lana in *Pilot*, Lex in *Reaper*, Lois in *Shield*, and Chloe in *Finale, Part 2*).