Linda Lake was the weekly gossip columnist for the Daily Planet and a supporting antagonist in the WB/CW Television series Smallville.
She appeared as the main antagonist in seasons six and season eight episodes "Hydro" and "Infamous".
She was portrayed by Tori Spelling of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame who also played Marci in The Mistle-Tones.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Linda Lake was a reporter, who covered the second meteor shower that struck Smallville. Her van crashed into Crater Lake and Linda was mutated by meteorites, gaining the ability to turn her body into water. Learning to control this ability, Linda exploited her gift to advance her career and landed a gossip column at the Daily Planet.
Hydro[]
Using her ability, Linda was able to expose a local baseball player, Mike Dawson, for using steroids. She barged into the bullpen and ordered Chloe Sullivan make copies of her article but she refused because she wasn't her assistant. Chloe called her out against her tacky journalism but Lake was unapologetic, claiming she only prints the truth. Leaving work, Linda was approached by Dawson who was angry and said he wouldn't let her destroy any more lives.
He chased Linda into a plaza with a fountain but she disappears. When he approached the fountain, he was suddenly pulled into it by the water and held under until he drowns. Linda later used her ability to gain information about the relationship between Lana Lang and Lex Luthor.
Lana spoke to Chloe in the Daily Planet where Chloe guessed that Lana still had feelings for Clark Kent and Lana admits that if Clark had asked her, she would have said yes immediately. Chloe told her that she won't be able to move on from Clark unless she talks to him. As they leave, the water in the cooler bubbles.
She used this as her new headline and published it in the morning edition of the newspaper, causing serious problems between Clark, Lana, Chloe and Lex. After the column was published, Linda was approached by Luthor in her unfinished new office, impressed by her ability to get information Lex gave her a blank check, telling her to collect anything she can on Clark and Lana.
At Chloe's apartment, Clark confronted her about Lana's pregnancy and of keeping secrets as well. Close to tears, Chloe counters that it's unfair for him to be mad at her because she keeps his secret every day of being an alien and had to protect someone else. During their conversation, the bathtub overflowed and Linda Lake forms from the water on the floor, having heard the entire exchange and smiles deviously. Lana was upset with Chloe thinking she sold her out but Chloe said she would never do that to her. They both decide to find out how Linda Lake overheard their conversation.
Chloe sneaks into Linda's office and was working with Lana over a webcam to find out what other secrets Lake knew about Lex and Lana. Chloe discovers Linda's newest headline, which details that Clark is an alien. She is shocked and Lana witnesses her reaction. They were interrupted when Linda walked in telling her that everyone will believe the article because Chloe can verify it.
She is surprised that Chloe has kept a secret about her "farm boy friend" that could make her career skyrocket. Lana is listening to the whole exchange but just as Linda is about to reveal exactly what and who the article is about, Chloe grabs a hammer and smashes the laptop, cutting the feed.
Chloe tells her that she knows Linda killed Mike Dawson, probably from some special ability she obtained when her news van crashed into Crater Lake filled with meteorites. Linda grabbed a nail gun and tries to shoot Chloe but she runs out of the building. They fight in the street and Linda runs after her. She is struck by Lana's car and bursts into a puddle of water, which drained away.
Infamous[]
During her time away, Linda found herself incarcerated at Black Creek, a LuthorCorp facility that ran experiments on metahumans. LuthorCorp had only been able to hold her after learning that electricity caused her molecules to stabilize and render her solid. After Tess Mercer had Black Creek shut down, Linda was free to resume her career.
Returning to Metropolis, Linda learned about Clark's secret and how he's been using his powers to save people as the "Red-Blue Blur". She attempts to revive her career by showing him a story she wrote about his secret and threatened to publish it unless he allowed her to become the voice of his heroics.
Clark tried to grab Linda Lake, but she turned into water and disappears. Clark decided to tell the world about his secret but on his own terms, using Lois Lane to write the story. Linda was infuriated by this and says that she will have the last word after he scooped her. Linda went to see the Daily Planet 's City Editor, Randall Brady and tells him that she has a story for him. Randall dismisses her, saying that the Daily Planet does not care for gossip columns anymore and he suggests that she gets a new career. She said it's about the alien, which arouses his interest.
She retaliated by publishing a story about Clark being the first wave of an alien invasion and blamed him for killing the real hero, Lex Luthor. Because of these declarations, the world turned against Clark. Chloe discovered that Linda had been locked up all this time at Black Creek and found a way to stop her. Clark caught up with Chloe and says that they need to leave Smallville and hide until the media fuss dies down. He says he will find her later and that he plans to use the Legion ring to go back in time.
Chloe warns Clark that he may also change something else, but he insists he must stop Linda Lake before she can blackmail him. But Linda was hiding in the undergrowth listening. At the Daily Planet, Lois gets in the elevator on her way to protest to Tess, but finds herself with Linda, who is thrilled that people have turned on Clark.
Lois barges into Tess' office, only to find the agents waiting for her, but before they can arrest her, Clark super-speeds her away. They arrive at the barn, and Clark tells her that he can make everything go away by using the Legion ring. Clark went to find the ring in his toolbox, but is exposed to Green Kryptonite planted by Linda, who comes out of hiding and knocks Lois out.
As Clark lies helpless on the floor of the barn, Linda shows him that she has the Legion ring and tells him that she plans to go into the future and find out big stories before they happen, which will restart her career. As she continues speaking, Lois then awakens and tackles Linda. They tussle until Lois knocked Linda out, giving Clark the opportunity to take the ring. After Clark went back in time, he confronted Linda before she had typed the article about him being an alien.
