Geoff Johns, also known as The Teflon Tailback, was a college football star at Metropolis University and a metahuman with the ability to paralyze others by simply touching them.
He was the main antagonist in the Season Four episode "Recruit" of the WB TV series Smallville.
He was portrayed by Chris Carmack, who also played Dennis Crim in Shark Night.
History[]
Early life[]
Geoff Johns was a native to Smallville, who became infected by meteorites during the meteor shower, gaining an ability to paralyze other people through touch, during his childhood. In high school, Geoff played for the Smallville Crows as their star player. But he never used his metahuman ability to paralyze people by touching them on the field.
However, things drastically changed when he attended Metropolis University as college football was more competitive and he started using his powers on the field. Geoff feared that his metahuman abilities would be discovered and he'd be kicked off the team for it, so he tried to avoid taking mandatory drug tests. Even going so far as to paying students for their urine samples.
Season Four[]
During their fall semester, Coop, another player on the team, discovered what Geoff was doing. At a frat party, Coop was competing in a drinking contest with Lois Lane. Geoff tried to break it up due to upcoming physicals but Coop continued and lost to Lois. After the party, a drunken Coop attempted to make his move on Lois. Once he grabbed a hold of her shoulder, Lois kicks him to ground and walked away. Geoff secretly paralyzed him and took him to the hospital and framed Lois for the incident.
Geoff returned to Smallville to recruit Clark to come play for the team at Met U. Geoff showed up at the Kent Farm to escort Clark to Metropolis University, after they stopped by Smallville High, and encouraged him that he will be a great football player there. At Smallville High, Geoff went to say hello to his former coach Wayne Quigley while Clark met with Lois and Chloe in the hallway. Before the conversation could go any further, Geoff returns to bring Clark to Metropolis University. On the ride to Metropolis, Geoff showed Clark his luxury truck with a tracking system and took him to the Bulldogs Stadium where a large welcoming party awaited for Clark.
Bulldog football players, cheerleaders, coaches and marching band all attended to convince Clark to join Met U. Geoff then took Clark to a sorority house of the Tri-Alpha where a party had been thrown just for him. Geoff left Clark at the sorority house and went to the hospital to visit Coop. At the hospital, Coop was visited by Geoff as he sees Coop's paralysis is wearing off. Geoff suspects when Coop regains consciousness, he will tell the world about his secret. So Geoff induces more paralysis and then smothered him with a pillow.
At Met U, Lois and Clark were looking for Geoff at his dormitory. Geoff, teary-eyed, informs them that the coach just called to inform them that Coop is dead. Lois, fearing that she will be locked up for sure, tells Geoff she knows that Coop wanted to go to the newspaper to reveal something. After some tension between Geoff and Lois, Geoff tells Clark that Lois has done enough damage already. At Met U, a wake is being held for Coop with Geoff giving a speech. Geoff begins drinking and tells Clark that being a Metropolis Bulldog player is a dream come true, but it also brings much pressure from everyone. Clark uses his super hearing when Geoff meets with a student, Marcus, outside of the room.
He learns that Marcus has been paid to provide fake urine samples for Geoff's physicals, and witnesses Geoff momentarily paralyzing Marcus with his hands. Clark informed Chloe that Geoff paralyzed Coop and that he passes his physicals using Marcus' urine samples. Clark realizes that Geoff must have the ability to paralyze other people with the touch of his hand.
Concluding that he must be meteor-infected, Lois tells Clark that no one beyond the Smallville town limits would believe that the Metropolis football star has superhuman powers. Lois found Marcus and obliquely asks him where she can find a clean urine sample. Marcus denies this and Geoff comes from behind. Lois attempts to leave, but is completely paralyzed by Geoff.
He tells her that in high school, he played football fairly, but once he entered college, there was far too much pressure to win. Now that Lois knows too much, Geoff decides to take matters into his own hands. He drags her into his truck and he drives away as her sunglasses fall from her pocket. Chloe looks for Lois in the parking lot and sees Geoff's truck drive by.
Down in the sewers, Geoff is carrying the paralyzed Lois and places her on the ground. He apologizes, saying he never meant to hurt anyone, and turns on the valve, slowly flooding the floor as he leaves Lois. Geoff heads towards his truck until Clark gets a hold of him. Geoff's paralysis ability is ineffective against Clark and Geoff confesses that his ambition to win is what led him to use his abilities out in the field. He lightly paralyzes any football players that come in his way.
He had to resort to killing those that would expose him, beginning with Coop. He confesses where Lois was, and Clark knocked him out before heading down the sewers. At the Kent house, Jonathan and Martha were speechless after discovering what Geoff the football star did. Clark reconsiders his football scholarship, not wanting to have to lie on every physical and ultimately resort to using his abilities on the field like Geoff, where the stakes are much higher than in high school.
Trivia[]
- He was named after DC comic writer Geoff Johns.