6 Times Smallville Improved Superman Mythology (& 4 Times It Failed)

This was an inspired idea that made Clark's star-crossed love only that more poignant in the beginning. It also gave a reason for him to have teenage awkward moments despite Tom Welling looking like he should have been the most popular guy in school. Lana Lang always wore her Kryptonite necklace as a reminder of her parents since it was from the meteor that killed them (ok, that part was a little weird), and served as a barrier to Clark.

Anytime he got close he would wipe out on the ground in an embarrassing way that kept his high school experience just as excruciating as everyone else's. In the series pilot, the necklace is used to stage an iconic scene which would become heavily used in promoting the series.

Lana's jealous boyfriend, sensing their attraction, ambushed Clark as part of a cruel tradition where inthe football team pick an unpopular boy to be "The Scarecrow". The team strips the victim down to their underwear, ties them to post in a field, and paints a red "S" on their chest. Get it? Unfortunately for Clark, they had the necklace with them, and then put it on Clark thus removing his powers.

Eventually the necklace would go, Clark would become popular, but in the beginning this plot device showed audiences that Superman wasn't always "The Man Who Had Everything".