| “ | I am Kal-El of Krypton. It is time to fulfill my destiny. | „ |
| ~ Kal-El |
Kal-El is a major antagonist who appeared on the WB/CW television series Smallville appearing in the Season Four premiere "Crusade". He is Clark Kent's cold and ruthless Kryptonian counterpart, created when Clark was abducted and brainwashed by Jor-El.
Like his normal counterpart, he is portrayed by Tom Welling, who also portrayed Kal, Bizarro, and Clark Luthor in the same series, and Marcus Pierce in Lucifer.
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Personality
Like his "father" Jor-El, Kal-El isn't necessarily evil; just uncaring, cold and ruthless. Unlike Clark, Kal-El is void of emotion, fully skilled in the use of his powers, and obsessed with finding the Stones of Power. He sees humanity as a weakness. Kal-El is a militant permutation set on fulfilling the destiny that Jor-El formulated. He is very mechanical and has no concern for those around him, only for his mission.
Though he hasn't been shown to kill anybody, Kal-El ripped off the door of Lex Luthor's airplane, clearly not intent on rescuing him. He is curious and observing, examining an angel statue in the hospital and was able to tell that Lois talked too much.
Biography
Covenant
In the Season three finale "Covenant", Jor-El sent Kara to coerce Clark into entering a portal by threatening to kill his adoptive father Jonathan Kent with a rope of energy; Clark thus surrenders to Jor-El to save Jonathan and is absorbed into the portal. The episode ends with Clark imprisoned inside a cocoon of energy floating naked into an unknown void as Jor-El announces that he "shall be reborn."
Crusade
| “ | Your humanity has made you weak."— Kal-El to Clark | „ |
In the Season four premiere "Crusade", set three months after the events of "Covenant," an amnesiac Clark is returned to Smallville in a flash of blinding light and energy, where he is found in a cornfield in a hole the shape of a pentagon is burned into the corn by Lois Lane, a cousin of Chloe, and brought to the Smallville Medical Center. Upon being returned to Smallville completely naked, Kal-El was provided by Lois with a bright-red blanket for covering. They arrive at the hospital, but the orderly says that she has to stay with him until he can be identified. Lois starts talking about why she's in Smallville, but Clark is apathetic and keeps trying to leave.
Clark is later spotted by his adoptive mother Martha Kent and she is overwhelmed when she sees him, but he does not recognize her. Clark tells her he's looking for "the sign". Martha offers to help him and brings him home to the Kent Farm, where she shows him around his loft, hoping to jog his memory. Martha gave Kal-El proper clothes in the form of a black button-up t-shirt, grayish bluejeans with a black belt, and black worker's boots. Clark only remembers being in a place he states felt like home, then recognizes a photo of Jonathan but coldly says that Jonathan was trying to stop him from being reborn and exits the barn.
Moments later, Clark hears a high-pitched tone emanating from one of the Stones of Power recently unearthed in Egypt by Lex Luthor. Once the noise stops, he announces to Martha that he is Kal-El of Krypton and that it is time to fulfill his destiny. When Martha claims that Jor-El is controlling him and demands that Jor-El return Clark, Kal-El insists that "Clark Kent is dead" and then uses his powers to suspend gravity's pull on him at will - breaking through Earth's atmosphere and launches himself into the sky, throwing Martha aside, flying away from the farm leaving a shocked Martha behind.
Kal-El flies through the skies to Lex's jet and rips the door off the plane, at 20,000 feet, causing turbulence. Once aboard the jet, he telekinetically summons the Kryptonian stone, Crystal of Fire, to his hand and departs just before Lex tries to catch a glimpse of the intruder.
Kal-El then heads to the Kawatche Caves, where he activates three symbols around the octagonal hole that opens a hidden chamber containing an altar with Kryptonian symbols. He places the first Stone on the altar and exits the chamber, only to then be confronted by Martha. Kal-El advances on Martha, who slams a piece of Black Kryptonite onto his chest, causing him to split into two beings: Clark and Kal-El. Kal-El grabs Clark by his neck and tells him that his humanity has made him weak. Clark yells for his mother, who tosses him the Black Kryptonite, which he then uses to apparently destroy Kal-El and thereby restoring himself to normal.
Powers and Abilities
Being completely rid and void of any ambition and focus on everything except to fulfill his destiny, Kal-El possesses powers that far dwarfs and overshadows Clark's at Season four, to at least Season 7.
- Solar battery: Kal-El's abilities are nourished by the yellow sun. [citation needed] Kal-El power
Kal-El overpowers Clark.
- Super strength: Kal-El possesses boundless strength being excessively way more powerful than Clark. He tore off a plane door off its hinges with one hand.
- Super speed: Kal-El can most likely reach speeds that Clark couldn't even dream of.
- Flight: Kal-El can fly at insane velocities, able to reach altitudes that far exceed 20,000 feet.
- Telekinesis: Kal-El can call Kryptonian objects to him by using his mind.
- Super stamina: Kal-El may not be able to tire under normal circumstances.
- Super breathing: Kal-El could function in space.
Kal-El did not demonstrate heat vision, X-ray vision, super hearing, super breath, Arctic breath, telescopic vision or micro vision, but he most likely could have used them perfectly if he wanted to.
Vulnerabilities
Kal-El is most likely to have the same vulnerabilities as Clark Kent and other Kryptonians, though he did not display any.
- Green kryptonite: Even though it was not shown, Kal-El was vulnerable to green kryptonite.
- Blue kryptonite: Blue kryptonite can strip Kal-El of his abilities.
- Black kryptonite: was able to restore the balance between Kal-El and Clark Kent.
- Kryptonian dagger: A dagger of Kryptonian can kill Kal-El.
- Doomsday: Doomsday can simply and effortlessly slaughter Kal-El.
Trivia
- Kal means "child" and El means "star" in the Kryptonian dialect. In Kryptonian language, the family name is spoken first and the given name next when the meaning of the name is expressed. Hence, Kal-El means "star child." The name was suggested to Lara by Kara while they were visiting the Kent Farm before the first meteor shower.
- With the help of Dr. Virgil Swann, Clark learned that his birth name was "Kal-El." He has been referred to as "Kal-El" by Dr. Swann, Lionel Luthor, Jonathan Kent, Jor-El, Zor-El, Lara, Kara, the Disciples of Zod, Brainiac, General Zod, Raya, Bizarro, Baern, Titan, Martian Manhunter, Chloe Sullivan, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Faora, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Tess Mercer, Alia, Major Zod, Carter Hall and Lois Lane.
- Clark has introduced himself as "Kal-El" to the Disciples of Zod, Lara, Martha Kent, Dax-Ur and Linda Danvers (the alternate universe version of his cousin Kara).
- Clark Kent is the first person on the show to be split by Black Kryptonite.
- Kal-El has the same Mark of El on his chest that Clark had in season 2 of Smallville.
- The red blanket that Lois gives to Clark makes him resemble his future iconic figure as Superman as it almost resembles a red cape, while walking around in the hospital.
- When Kal-El flies, his arms are at his sides — unlike Superman.
