Superman (TV series)

***Superman*** is an American superhero drama television series that premiered on NBC on February 14, 2013 and aired for eight seasons and 155 episodes. The series followed Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter working for the Daily Planet who is secretly an alien from the planet Krypton and uses his superpowers to fight crime as Superman in the city of Metropolis.

## Plot

In the first season, Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Planet, has abilities as a result of his alien heritage. He uses these powers to publicly save a train from collapsing, introducing the world to "Superman". Clark is dating his childhood crush Lana Lang, although his new partner Lois Lane captures his attention. The owner of the Daily Planet, Lex Luthor, takes an interest in Superman, as does Lois's father, General Sam Lane. Luthor and Lane work together to capture Superman, all the while a Kryptonian general, Zod, escapes the Phantom Zone and comes looking for Clark, the supposedly only remaining survivor of Krypton.

In the second season, Clark manages to defeat Zod and returns him to the Phantom Zone, but in doing so, he unknowingly releases several "Phantoms" from the prison. Meanwhile, the mysterious organization A.R.G.U.S. begins kidnapping meta-humans, which causes Lois to investigate. Clark and Lana get engaged, but his attachment to Lois causes Lana to break it off, and she begins dating Lex. Jimmy and Cat also begin dating. Clark meets billionaire Bruce Wayne, but discovers he is the Gotham City vigilante Batman. They grow a mutual trust for one another. Clark eventually takes down all the Phantoms, including one final face-off with Bizarro, a alternate version of himself.

The third season begins with Bruce temporarily moving to Metropolis after the GCPD declares a manhunt for Batman. Clark and Bruce begin working together. Lex and General Lane ramp up their investigation into Superman, but when he saves Lois, Lane calls off the investigation. Clark and Lois begin dating, but she breaks it off when she begins to distrust Clark. Lana realizes what Lex is up to and discovers Clark's identity. She becomes obsessed with gaining powers for herself, and kills Lex to gain control of LexCorp, using their technology to give herself abilities. She and Clark have an emotional showdown, culminating in Lana killing herself. Lois finds out Clark's secret and rekindles their relationship.

In the fourth season, Clark and Lois continue their relationship and work together to solve crimes. Perry and Martha get married and retire to Smallville. Jimmy and Cat's relationship is strained when she meets Davis Bloome, a man with a hidden dark side. Lex's adoptive sister Lena takes over LexCorp, renaming it LuthorCorp. She is secretly harboring a still-alive, yet comatose, Lex, attempting to bring him back. Davis is revealed to be the Kryptonian monster Doomsday, sent to Earth with Clark and destined to kill him. Davis is thought to be killed, but he returns with a vengeance and kills Clark. Lois and Jimmy bring him back, while Cat tries to save Davis, culminating in a climactic battle, where Clark overcomes Doomsday and destroys him for good.

The fifth season opens with Clark and Lois's wedding. It also introduces Lois's sister Lucy, who is secretly an A.R.G.U.S. agent sent to spy on them, and Morgan Edge, a competitive businessman who buys the Daily Planet from Lena. Lena completes a Kryptonite suit for Lex, who is restored to his health. The first half also features the discovery of a Mother Box, an Apokoliptian technology and one of three sent to Earth. After teaming up with Bruce and new superhero Wonder Woman, Clark learns to trust A.R.G.U.S. Jimmy and Lucy begin a relationship. Scientist Silas Stone steals the Mother Box and uses it to bring his son Victor back to life as a Cyborg. Victor begins working with Clark. Lena soon learns that Lex has plans for world domination and tries to stop him but he kills her. Clark and Lex have a climactic battle that ends with the latter's arrest.

In the sixth season, Clark meets Kara, his Kryptonian cousin who was sent to Earth with him, but her pod was trapped in the Phantom Zone for twenty-five years. She and Clark discover that Brainiac, the alien that destroyed Krypton, is making his way to Earth, secretly aligned with Kara's father, Zor-El. Zor-El is leading a city of Krypton that survived and is trying to make Earth their new home. Kara becomes conflicted by her allegiances, but Clark convinces her to stay on his side. Kara and Jimmy begin dating as well, after the latter breaks up with Lucy. Zor-El and Brainiac turn on each other and enter a three-way battle with Clark and Kara. The battle causes great destruction to Metropolis, which causes Clark to leave everyone, even Lois.

The seventh season sees Clark returning after being gone for three months. Lois struggles to reunite with him, but after learning she is pregnant, they fully reconcile. Amanda Waller moves to oversee the Metropolis branch, as Lois gets a full-time job with A.R.G.U.S. Kara discovers that there were others that came to Earth with Doomsday, a group called the Worldkillers. Clark meets Detective John Jones, who is actually the last living Martian in disguise, J'onn J'onzz. J'onn reveals to Clark that a Crisis is coming, and the Worldkillers' arrival on Earth is the first step. Clark also discovers that a younger clone of him has been created by Cadmus, named Conner, and Clark takes him under his wing. The Worldkillers begin manifesting, under the leadership of Reign, who makes an adversary out of Kara. Lois gives birth to a son that they name Jonathan Jor, after both of Clark's fathers. Clark, Kara, and Conner work together to take on the Worldkillers, and they manage to defeat them, but not before Reign sends out a signal, that awakens the Anti-Monitor.

The eighth season serves as a prelude to the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event. The Monitor makes himself known to Clark and his allies. He assigns them on missions to prepare for the Crisis and collect artifacts that will be needed. Eventually, the Anti-Monitor begins destroying Earths, and finds Earth-1.

## Cast and characters

* Tyler Hoechlin as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman
* Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane
* Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor (seasons 1-3 and 5)
* Brenda Song as Lana Lang (seasons 1-3)
* Freddie Highmore as Jimmy Olsen
* Britt Robertson as Cat Grant (seasons 1-4)
* Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent (seasons 1-4)
* Laurence Fishburne as Perry White (seasons 1-4)
* Bruce Wayne/Batman (season 3)
* Sam Lane (seasons 3-4)
* Lena Luthor (seasons 4-5)
* Davis Bloome (season 4)
* Lucy Lane (seasons 5-6)
* Morgan Edge (seasons 5-6)
* Kara Zor-El/Kara Kent/Supergirl (seasons 6-8)
* Victor Stone/Cyborg (seasons 6-8)
* J'onn J'onzz/John Jones/Martian Manhunter (seasons 7-8)
* Amanda Waller (seasons 7-8)
* Conner Kent/Superboy (season 8)