Chip Off the Old Clark

**Chip Off the Old Clark** is the eighth episode of the third season.

## Plot

Superdad? Clark denies that a little boy is his love child. Then why can the tot pick up a sofa?

## Plot Summary

A woman named Leigh-Anne Stipanovic draws a media storm by claiming to have had Superman's love child, Jesse. Clark insists that is untrue, but Lois is uncertain what to believe when Jesse picks up a sofa and flies during the interview with Leigh-Anne, who also produces a photo of her with Superman in front of a motel. While Superman asks for a DNA test for himself and Jesse, the density of his genes means that it will take a minimum of four months to get the test results.

Perry White does not buy into the media circus surrounding Superman's promiscuity. He is more concerned with mainstream news, in that the Balkan nation of Tanzor, an international pariah, has changed its ways by recently electing a pro-US president, who wishes to sign a peace treaty with its longtime enemy, the west Asian nation of Fostonia, and to hold the peace conference in Metropolis. This is remarkable to the international community, as Fostonia and Tanzor have been plagued by war and border skirmishes for decades. Wanting to prevent the signing of the treaty, Tanzorian extremists hire Anonymous, a master of disguise and voice impersonation, to launch Tanzor's nuclear arsenal at Fostonia. To accomplish this, he needs the launch codes from the Tanzorian president. However, his attempt to kidnap the president using an ultrasonic device is foiled by Superman. As a result, the US Secret Service intensifies its security around the President of Tanzor, to the point Anonymous cannot make another direct attempt.

A family lawyer named Donald Rafferty offers to represent Leigh-Anne, saying he can prove Superman's paternity "as DNA tests have proven unreliable" (hinting at a recent acquittal). Superman tries appealing to Leigh-Anne's sense of morality and concern for Jesse, telling her she knows they never had sex, but she refuses to give up the charade, saying she needs the money she can win in a paternity lawsuit to overcome the struggles of raising a child with superpowers.

After struggling over the lack of an explanation for Jesse and his powers, Lois tells Clark that she trusts him and realizes that his dual identity as Superman is the only lie he has ever told her.

At Clark's request, Jimmy produces a list of towns with the motel seen in the photo. Clark tells Lois he is indeed responsible for Jesse, albeit not by paternity. Clark then remembers that motel and the reason behind the picture. One year earlier, he rescued a plane in distress that was hit by lightning, of which Leigh-Anne and Jesse were passengers. As Superman has had a history of unknowingly transferring his powers through metal and electricity, he theorizes that a lightning bolt which hit him during the rescue transferred some of his power to Jesse. He got the plane to safety, then comforted the passengers by offering to pose with them for pictures at the motel, which explains the photo. However, Superman also pieces together that Donald Rafferty is a disguise of Anonymous, who Leigh-Anne left Jesse with! Meanwhile, with the peace treaty soon to begin, the President of Tanzor appears in public. Anonymous, now disguised as Jesse's grandfather, orders Jesse to kidnap the President (promising his mother and Superman will be waiting with lots of toys for him). Jesse offers a hug, which is readily accepted, only for Jesse to grab the President then fly straight up into the sky!

Confronted with the truth, Leigh-Anne confesses and is ashamed that her lie led to Jesse being kidnapped. Watching a video recording of the president's abduction, Clark hears Jesse say "Red choo choo", which he interprets as a train and races off as Superman to search. However, when Lois gives the news to Leigh-Anne, she informs her that Jesse uses "choo choo" to refer to any smokestack. Dr. Klein tells Lois an urgent discovery he made; when clipping a strand of Superman's hair, it broke the scissors, but when clipping a hair of Jesse's, it works. Dr. Klein explains that Jesse's superpowers are rapidly depreciating and in due time, he will be no safer than an ordinary child, causing Leigh-Anne and Lois to gasp in horror.

Anonymous uses truth serum to make the President give him the launch codes. Lois gets the drop on him, but Jesse pushes the button to launch a missile. Jesse's powers have now faded, so Anonymous locks the room and floods it with poison gas. At a bus stop, several old ladies are waiting for the bus. When one of them says she saw Jesse, Superman grabs a signpost, ties her up, then uses his heat vision on her head. This burns away her face to expose herself as Anonymous, whose true form is a red-haired male with an androgynous voice. Superman says Anonymous gave himself from the smell of his makeup from when he was at Leigh-Anne's house. Anonymous is impeded, but Lois, Jesse, and the President of Tanzor are about be to be killed by the gas. When Jesse cries out "Superman, help!", Superman hears this and flies to Anonymous' hideout, saving the three. The day is still not saved, as the President warns that thousands of Fostonians are going to die as a nuclear missile was deployed. Superman uses his super-spin power to tunnel beneath the surface of Earth. In Fostonia, the natives watch in horror as the missile is about to strike, but Superman emerges from the ground and grabs the warhead right before impact.

At the Daily Planet, Perry remarks Superman has made multiple headlines: not only did he capture Anonymous, but the peace treaty went through and the rebels who hired Anonymous were rooted out and now ready to stand trial in Tanzor. Superman was given a medal by the President of Tanzor for saving his life, as well as receiving a high honor from the government of Fostonia for saving its citizens from the missile. Leigh-Anne and Jesse appear at the Planet office, telling Lois that she has learned her lesson the hard way that there are no shortcuts nor easy money to be made when raising a child. Leigh-Anne is enrolled in beauty school and Jesse returns to kindergarten. Clark says with a knowing look that this is not the last they have seen of Superman; having a feeling that Superman will back to see Jesse one day!

## Guest Cast

### Guest starring

* Susan Batten as Leigh-Anne Stipanovic
* Alex D. Linz as Jesse Stipanovic
* Dave Coulier as "The Real Anonymous"
* Joel Brooks as Donald Rafferty
* Zale Kessler as Grandpa
* Ernestine Mercer as Elderly Woman
* Eric Saiet as Hacker
* Kristof Konrad as Rebel Leader
* Big Daddy Wayne as Secret Service Agent

**Episodes:** We Have a Lot to Talk About • Ordinary People • Contact • When Irish Eyes Are Killing • Just Say Noah • Don't Tug on Superman's Cape • Ultra Woman • **Chip Off the Old Clark** • Super Mann • Virtually Destroyed • Home Is Where the Hurt Is • Never on Sunday • The Dad Who Came In from the Cold • Tempus, Anyone? • I Now Pronounce You... • Double Jeopardy • Seconds • Forget Me Not • Oedipus Wrecks • It's a Small World After All • Through a Glass, Darkly • Big Girls Don't Fly