Smallville is the forefather for the rush of superhero shows that have been hitting television over the past couple years. It's strange to think of how different the entertainment landscape was back when Smallville first came on the air. Now, superheroes are a beloved quantity by everyone, not just comic nerds, but back then the producers of Smallville had to tread lightly. They were quick to assure people that this was not going to be some goofy show about a man flying around in spandex, it was going to deal with the day to day life of a young Clark Kent (the geeky outcast played by former underwear model Tom Welling in a particularly impressive example of Hollywood Nerd casting). "No tights, no flights" was their mantra, presumably because they assumed that they wouldn't be able to maintain mainstream viewers if they overtly used the more fantasy elements of Superman canon.