Smallville Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Savior" is the first episode in the ninth season of Smallville, and the one hundred-seventy-fifth episode overall. It aired on September 25, 2009.

Summary[]

Clark has been training with Jor-El for weeks and tells him he's tired of simple mental trials and wants to completely immerse himself in his Kryptonian training, but Jor-El sends him back to Metropolis to cut ties with Lois before he can begin. Chloe is shocked when Lois suddenly reappears after having been missing for weeks, but Lois has no recollection of vanishing into thin air with the Legion ring. While investigating a monorail crash, Lois meets John Corben, a new reporter at the Daily Planet with a negative attitude toward the Red-Blue Blur. Chloe begs Clark to use the Legion ring to go back in time to save Jimmy, but he refuses, driving a wedge into their friendship. Meanwhile, Oliver continues down a dark road, and Zod arrives at the Luthor Mansion.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 9x01

Savior 1

Chloe at the Watchtower.

It is night time in Metropolis three weeks after Doomsday's rampage on main street. Chloe Sullivan has taken up residence in the Watchtower and is arguing with an uncooperative woman on her cell phone, trying to find a lead to the mysterious disappearance of her cousin Lois Lane. Feeling she isn't getting the help she's looking for, Chloe hacks into their computer system. Suddenly, she hears a noise coming from the elevator entrance to the tower and pulls out a gun. Chloe walks to the balcony railing and, seeing a figure in the shadows, threatens to shoot. Then Emil Hamilton appears, requesting that she put down her gun. Chloe enquires if Oliver sent him to help in her search, but he says that Oliver, Dinah and Bart have all vanished off the grid, blaming themselves for Jimmy's death. Chloe says that in that case it's up to them to bring the team back together.

Savior 2

Lois returns from the future.

Meanwhile, a monorail train approaching the city is struck by a mysterious bolt of purple lightning that appears in the sky, arcs down and pierces one of the train cars. Inside, Lois Lane suddenly materializes, on her hands and knees in the aisle. She has a bandage on her left hand and the Legion ring on her right hand. Suddenly, another bolt of lighting, this time colored blue, strikes the car and a mysterious woman assassin is now transported aboard the train, who immediately attacks Lois. Lois holds her own against the assassin, but then the damage caused to the train by the bolt of lightning derails the train as it crosses a bridge over the river and it hurtles over the edge. Lois is knocked unconscious as the train plummets to the street below, where it is caught in mid-air just above the ground by Clark Kent, who is now dressed in an all-black costume with a long coat.

Savior 3

Clark saves the day

Clark spots Lois through the train window, and is delighted to see her alive after thinking she was one of the victims of Doomsday's rage through Metropolis. He places the train safely on the ground, and just before Lois awakens, he speeds away. Lois exits the car and then sees a strange emblem burned into the side of a building. At the top of the building, Clark is wearing the House of El family crest on his chest as he stands proudly watching over his city.

Savior 4

Clark at the Fortress.

Clark returns to the Fortress of Solitude to continue with his Kryptonian training, but Clark's lack of concentration is noticed by Jor-El who confronts his son about still being distracted by his human emotions. Clark attempts to change the subject by questioning his father on why he's unable to unlock his ability to fly like Kara, his cousin. Jor-El informs him that his Kryptonian DNA is the same as Kara's and what prevents him from taking flight is that he still thinks of himself as human. Clark disagrees, saying that he has cut all his ties to humans and embraced his Kryptonian family heritage in order to fulfill his destiny. Jor-El insists that someone is still holding him back, but Clark says he can do it.

Savior 5

Chloe reunites with Lois.

Chloe arrives at Metropolis General Hospital and is reunited with Lois, courtesy of a call from the desk nurse. Lois tells Chloe what took place before her disappearance, from her confrontation with Tess in the bullpen of the Daily Planet over the location of an alien Orb to waking up aboard a train with a deadly ninja assassin after her. Chloe pretends to be skeptical about Lois's account of an 'alien orb' and blames the bump on her head. Lois questions Chloe on how she managed to escape from Davis Bloome, and when Chloe says that she didn't exactly escape, Lois assumes the Red-Blue Blur had kept his promise to her and saved Chloe. She also realizes that he must have been responsible for the train rescue. Chloe is surprised and disappointed by the revelation of Lois's relationship with the Blur. Then Lois suddenly remembers she had arranged to meet the Blur at their rendezvous phone booth and starts to leave. Chloe stops Lois from leaving and starts to tell her about her missing three weeks, but Lois asks for a sedative and when Chloe goes to get it, Lois departs. But she leaves behind the Legion ring.

Lois runs to the phone booth for her appointment with the Blur, but, not realizing she's late by three weeks, she walks up and down the street talking to him as if he were there and begging him to reveal himself. But there is no response.

Clark stands at the top of the Statue of Liberty and throws himself off, apparently attempting to access his ability to fly, but then he is back in the Fortress from what was a holographic mental training simulation created by Jor-El. Clark believes he's ready to move past these mental tests. While Jor-El is impressed by his son's determination, he reminds him that, while his passion can be his greatest strength, it can also be his greatest obstacle, and that Clark already knows what is blocking his training efforts. Clark realizes he must go and say good-bye to Lois.

Inside the Luthor Mansion, a dark haired man dressed in military fatigues and wearing a dog tag featuring the House of Zod insignia enters the den to find another man and a woman, also dressed in military fatigues, waiting for him. He informs them he hasn't found any more of their people and they tell him that Tess Mercer has still not divulged any useful information. The man is revealed to be Major Zod who senses mutiny from these two soldiers. They question him on how they arrived on Earth and why they haven't acquired the natural Kryptonian powers under the yellow sun. Zod orders them not to question his authority and to "kneel before Zod!" but then the other man strikes him, knocking him down.

Savior 7

Lois discovers that she disappeared for three weeks.

Back in Metropolis, Lois returns to the train crash site looking for clues about why she is being targeted by an assassin. She also tries to contact Oliver to enlist his help but with no luck. A man appears at the car door and Lois, assuming he's a police detective, tries to leave but he stops her. He asks her name and when she tells him he asks where she's been for the last three weeks. Lois picks up a discarded newspaper and sees the date is September 25, 2009, confirming she has lost three weeks. The man then asks her how a seven-ton monorail train flew from its tracks and landed in the street without a single fatality. Lois says it must be a miracle but the man sees an emblem embedded in the car door's glass and says he thinks it was the Blur who saved the train. He believes the Blur to be an egotistical vigilante who can't resist leaving his symbol all over the city, and Lois tries to tell him he's wrong. Then the man grabs Lois and kisses her, and a passing policeman asks them to leave. Before she goes, Lois smashes her foot down on top of the man's foot.

Chloe returns to the Watchtower, and discovers that Emil Hamilton has used Oliver's money to purchase state-of-the-art technology for her headquarters. He says he felt inspired to help after their earlier conversation. They start working together to find answers to Lois's three-week disappearance. Chloe shows Dr. Hamilton the Legion ring Lois left behind in her hospital room and says she thinks her cousin traveled to the future. Dr. Hamilton shows no surprise at this idea and uses one of the computers to display a recorded image of "two rips in the fabric of our universe" at the site of the monorail train crash, indicating that Lois wasn't the only one to return from the future.

Elsewhere, the assassin woman displays the power of her heat vision by burning a poster about Lois's disappearance.

Savior 8

Tess talks with Major Zod.

Tess awakens in her bedroom, her face badly bruised, and finds a man doing push ups on the floor. He introduces himself to her as Major Zod.

Later, Tess proves to be a force to be reckoned with during her interrogation by Zod's soldiers. Tess tells Zod it was not his voice she heard speaking to her from the Kryptonian orb that spoke of a place called Kandor. Zod is impressed but Tess tells him not to expect her to help him find out his missing facts, because she understood that someone from the orb would come and save the Earth from destruction. She tells Zod she now knows he has no idea how he and his people came to earth and why they haven't received their powers, and that this will cause his army to desert him. Tess tries to get the drop on Zod from behind but he easily slams her to the floor by the throat, telling her he won't hesitate to kill her if necessary.

Clark stands on the rooftop of the Daily Planet, and Chloe arrives, confronting him over how for three weeks she tried to track him down with no success, but as soon as Lois returns he's there, as predictable as ever. Clark tells her he chose to forsake his humanity in order to focus on his Kryptonian training with Jor-El to become the hero he's destined to be. Chloe asks how he accomplished this since it's obvious that hasn't fully discarded his attachment to humanity in the shape of Lois. Clark tells Chloe that he came back only to say goodbye to Lois. Chloe shows Clark the Legion ring and tells him of Lois's trip to the future and her return to the present, along with an assassin out to kill her.

Savior 9

Oliver at the fight club.

At an abandoned building, Oliver Queen is fighting at an underground fight club. Lois enters the ring as the girl carrying the round-number card and she tells him to stop the drunken brawling as she could really use a hero right now to help her find out how she went MIA for three weeks straight, only to return with an assassin sent to kill her.

Savior 10

Alia.

Suddenly, the outer wall of the building explodes inwards and the female assassin is standing there. Her eyes start to flare with heat vision and Oliver warns everyone to take cover. Just then, Clark appears behind the assassin, who reveals that her true motive for targeting Lois in the first place was to lure Clark out into the open. Clark grabs the assassin and super-speeds away leaving behind his symbol, much to Lois's delight.

Savior 11

Clark recognizes something familiar.

Clark arrives at his loft at the Kent farm, throwing the woman through the barn roof to crash into the dirt floor. She gets up and tells Clark he betrayed "them" in the future she comes from and then swings at Clark, who spots Jonathan's watch on her wrist and grabs it from her. He is still wearing the watch, and he notes that the date on the assassin's watch is set one year ahead. She tells Clark that he himself gave her the watch. Then she drops a piece of blue kryptonite on the floor between them, reveals that she's from Krypton and saying they are both powerless now, she attacks him. She draws a sword, telling Clark that this will be her best chance at defeating and killing him before he can destroy their world. She rushes Clark, slashing skillfully with her sword as Clark struggles to stay clear of her blade. He grabs a nearby pipe but she cuts that in half, and then he grabs her throat. As they move further from the weakening effects of the blue kryptonite, their powers are slowly returning but she knocks him down and only a swift upward kick from Clark saves him from being impaled. She flips over onto her feet with her powers also returning and hurls a saw blade at Clark who gets a small cut on his cheek while just barely avoiding it. She swings her blade now with desperation and one of her slices cuts a chain holding an engine block which rams into her, propelling her through a wall. When Clark reaches her side, he sees she's been accidentally impaled on her own sword. Clark tries to help her as she touches his cheek and with her dying breath tells Clark, "I'm sorry".

Back at the now deserted fight club, Lois tends to Oliver's wounds. Lois tells Oliver that he might have everyone else fooled into believing the rich spoiled playboy is the real persona of Oliver Queen but not her. She realizes it's a mask he hides behind and that Green Arrow is his real persona. Oliver insists he is nothing more than just a spoiled drunken fool and the hero thing was merely a distraction just like his previous romance with her. Lois calls him "an obnoxious jackass", which he fully agrees with. Lois realizes that if Oliver is giving up on his crusade as Green Arrow then she really doesn't need him after all, and says the Blur is the real hero she needs. Oliver lowers his head.

Savior 12

Tess looks over Zod's army.

Back at the Luthor mansion, Zod and Tess are placed on trial by Zod's own troops. Military cadet Basqat leads the prosecution, demanding that Tess reveal when she joined forces with Zod and the location of the hundreds of army soldiers unaccounted for. Tess denies knowing the Major and any involvement in their missing troops, and says if they want answers they should ask Zod. Faora recounts her memory of blood being taken from herself and hundreds of other soldiers just before the battle for Kandor on Krypton. Zod tells them that the fact that they are all present means that Krypton has been destroyed. When Faora accuses Zod of betraying them, he rises, grabs a man by the throat and throws him into his chair and tells them his record of service and personal sacrifice is greater than anyone else's. Zod tells them that, as their leader, he won't cower in the mansion as they've been doing for weeks but he intends to venture out and find every refugee solider on the planet and he will die in that quest if necessary. Inspired by the words of his commander, one soldier rises from his chair and kneels on his right knee while crossing his right arm in a fist over his chest to his left shoulder, indicating his allegiance. He is then followed by the rest of the battalion of troops present kneeling before Zod - including the assassin who had just died in Clark's arms, now again alive and well. Tess is also impressed by Zod's leadership and smiles at him.

Savior 13

Chloe reconsiders her friendship with Clark.

Clark returns to the barn with a shovel, having buried the assassin, to find Chloe waiting for him and he tells her he has one year to try and stop the destruction of the world at his own hand. Chloe pleads with Clark to use the Legion ring to travel back in time to prevent Jimmy's death but Clark says he won't tamper with fate again. Clark angrily tells Chloe that he's not a God and the last time he tried to rewrite history Jonathan Kent died in his arms. As she leaves the barn, Chloe tells Clark through her tears that he has now truly embraced his Kryptonian side as there's nothing left of his humanity.

Tess returns to her office in the Mansion, now cleaned up, to discover Zod and his army have all vanished from the Mansion without a trace. Her personal security agent shows her that the video security tapes of Zod and his soldiers have all been erased, and she points out that they're dealing with an advanced society that would have no trouble hacking into our primitive technology.

Savior 14

John Corben flirts with Lois at the Daily Planet.

Lois Lane sits at her desk trying to log into the Planet's computer system with no luck when the man she saw earlier shows up again. He says he is John Corben, a field correspondent reporter for the Daily Planet who has just returned to the states from the trenches of Afghanistan. As her new partner sitting in Clark's desk, Lois tells him not to get used to the desk because Clark will be back. Corben informs her that presently she's no longer on staff as a reporter at the Planet, which she tells him is a minor technicality easily fixed. Corben remains looking enthusiastic to be partnered with Lois. As Corben leaves, Lois notices Clark's nameplate in the garbage can and she picks it up. Then she gets a call from Clark in his Blur persona using a voice modulator device. Lois thanks the Blur for saving her life earlier, uncertain she'd get the chance to before he disappeared completely. The Blur informs her that he is supposed to leave her but he won't, but he asks that she keep their relationship a secret, which she agrees to.

Savior 15

Man with the mark of Zod

Lois returns to her apartment above the Talon. She starts to fall asleep and suddenly experiences a series of vivid visions. The sky is red, a silhouette of a man bearing the insignia of the House of Zod on his chest leaps in front of a futuristic tower where one of the towers is projecting a red beam into the sky and the flag of Kandor is draped in the center of the building. A hand of a naked woman touches the back of a naked man, and then Tess is kneeling before a man who places a dog tag around her neck. Now the woman is seen to be Lois who is being passionately kissed on the neck by a man. Then there is another woman drawing a sword out to attack, Lois facing the man, a shovel placed in dirt, hands covered in blood, a red sun and a drop of blood, Oliver digging in the dirt, Chloe running, a hand grabbing a bed sheet, Chloe lying on the ground lifeless. Clark's face is revealed as the man who's been with Lois all along, and then Alia draws her sword to strike. Lois wakes up, confused and somewhat unnerved.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Special Guest Star[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Mentioned[]

Featured Music[]

  • "Siegfried's Funeral March" - Richard Wagner

Title[]

Notes[]

  • Antagonist: Alia
  • Less than three weeks have passed since the events of the episode Doomsday.
  • Clark uses the following powers in this episode:Telescopic vision, Multi-spectrum Vision, super strength, super speed, heat vision, and healing factor.
  • Clark confronts Jor-El about not being able to fly. Jor-El informs him that his powers lie within him and that his physical composition is no different than Kara's, but that Clark still thinks of himself as human. Clark deduces that his inability to fly is all in his head. Later, in a mental trial, he attempted to fly, leaping off the Statue of Liberty, but did not succeed.
  • In this first scene with Corben and Lois, Lois asks John what day it is. He reveals the day to be Friday, September 25, which was the actual date of the episode's initial airing.
  • This marks the first episode in which Clark wears a uniform to represent his crime-fighting alter-ego, the Blur, as well as having the modern House of El emblem on his chest. His black uniform with silver emblem is reminiscent of the black Kryptonian costume which Superman wore in the comics after returning from death at the hands of Doomsday. It also resembles the outfit that Jor-El would sometimes wear on Krypton as seen in Superman: The Movie and the Superboy TV series.
  • This is the first season premiere to feature all main cast members since Season Six. It is also the first season premiere to feature the voice of Jor-El since Season 6.
  • This is the first season premiere not to feature the Martian Manhunter since Season 6.
  • When Lois is in the train, the paper is from the night before, even though it has the next day's date.
  • The flag of Zod's army is very similar to the flag of Nazi Germany. The symbol in the flag is, in fact, the same symbol that is placed on top of the orb.
  • The scene in which John Corben is squeaking the chair to reveal that he is sitting at the desk across from Lois before revealing he's now her new partner shares many intentional parallels to Clark revealing that he was now Lois's co-worker in Odyssey.
  • This is the 2nd and last season premiere not to feature Lex Luthor.
  • This is the 4th and last season premiere not to feature Jonathan Kent.
  • Brian Austin Green and Terence Stamp are billed as "Special Guest Stars."
  • This is the fourth appearance of New York City. The city had previously appeared in Rosetta, Legacy, and Vessel. Though, this time it was only a simulation within the Fortress of Solitude.

In Other Media[]

Trivia[]

Continuity[]

  • Alia's appearance marks the third time that somebody from the future has gone into the past to execute Kal-El. The first time was when Brainiac went back to Krypton to kill him as a baby in Apocalypse and the second was when the Persuader attacked Clark in Legion.
  • John Corben comes to the Daily Planet after Clark Kent went missing in Doomsday.
  • Lois returns from the future where she went in Doomsday.
  • Jor-El and the Fortress of Solitude are returned to normal after it was infected by Brainiac in Abyss.
  • Clark references the last time he tried to save a life by altering time in Reckoning, which resulted in his father's death.
  • Tess refers to the voice she heard from the orb in Injustice.
  • Blue kryptonite makes a return appearance after it was introduced in Blue and was last seen in Persona.
  • Chloe refers to Jimmy's death, which happened in Doomsday.
  • Kara Kent was mentioned by Clark. She was last seen in Bloodline.
  • A younger version of Zod appears in Smallville. His older self was seen in Vessel and Zod.
  • Lois mistakes John Corben for Clark when he tries to annoy her with his creaking chair like Clark did in Odyssey.
  • Chloe finds the Legion ring, which was last seen in Doomsday.
  • Emil Hamilton and Chloe first developed a working relationship in Beast.
  • This marks the third episode where Chloe carries a firearm. Earlier episodes include Zod and Progeny.
  • This is the first season premiere since Season Four's Crusade that Clark doesn't wear his Red jacket/Blue shirt outfit.
  • Davis Bloome was mentioned by Lois and Chloe. He was last seen in Doomsday.
  • Jor-El was last heard in Abyss.

Allusions[]

Spoilers[]

  • Brian Austin Green makes his first of three appearances this season as John Corben.
  • When Jor-El says that something or someone is holding Clark back from flying, Clark assumes that it is Lois. But in the 200th episode Homecoming, it is revealed by Brainiac 5 that the person that Clark has to let go of in order to move forward is Jonathan because he still mistakenly blames himself for his death.
  • This episode marks the first appearance of Clark's black Blur outfit, which he wears frequently throughout Season Nine and in the Season Ten premiere Lazarus.
  • Chloe also carries a gun in later episodes: Collateral and Fortune.

Locations[]

Quotes[]

Zod: I will find the answers we are looking for or I will die in the quest!

Lois: Who the hell are you, then?
John: I'm a field reporter. I spent the last few years in Afghanistan. Hopefully that gave me enough training to be your desk mate.

Zod: (to his soldiers) You dare defy me? Kneel before Zod!

Chloe: I think Lois hitchhiked to the future. And she didn't come back alone.

Alia: (to Clark) I was never after Lois. I wanted you.

Chloe: Ollie, Dinah, Bart... they just vanished off the grid...
Dr. Hamilton: They don't want to be found.

Lois: (to Oliver Queen) You're an obnoxious jackass.

Lois: (referring to the Blur) Holy... It's almost midnight, I promised I'd meet him, I'm going to be late.

Lois: I promise you can trust me! I want to meet you. I want you to show me what you can't show anyone else.

Clark: You followed Lois from the future to come after me, why?!
Alia: Because you betrayed us.

Chloe: Who was she?
Clark: I don't know. I have a feeling I'm gonna find out. She's from Krypton.
Chloe: Krypton? I don't understand. What was she doing here? What did she say?
Clark: (referring to Alia) She told me that I would cause the end of the world. It's like I have a ticking time bomb on me, Chloe, and I only have a year to figure out how to stop it.
Chloe: Well, you can't believe everything an assassin tells you. I mean, what does she know, anyway, right?
Clark: The future.
Chloe: Right. The future.

Jor-El: Kal-El, my son, you are distracted. When you decided to return to your training, I assumed you were ready.
Clark: I've been coming here for weeks. I've done everything you've asked. Why are you questioning me now?
Jor-El: Until today, you had focus. You had cleared your mind and heart of those who had kept you tethered to the human realm.
Clark: If there's anything that's keeping me tethered, it's that I still can't fly. Have I not earned the same powers that Kara has?
Jor-El: Your powers lie within you, Kal-El. Your physical composition is no different than your cousin's.
Clark: You're saying it's all in my head?
Jor-El: You still see yourself as a human.
Clark: You're wrong. I gave up everyone I cared about. I gave up everyone who was important to me. I wear the symbol of our family every day to remind me that I have a different destiny.
Jor-El: Perhaps you tried to move on too quickly. The test of a true hero is to struggle with feelings of loss and to overcome them, not to avoid them. Something or someone is holding you back.
Clark: No. I've come this far, and I'm not looking back. I can do this.

Chloe: I want you to go back and save Jimmy. Take the ring and stop him from being killed.
Clark: You can't ask me to.
Chloe: Clark, you said that your sole purpose for giving everything up is so that you can dedicate your life to helping people. So, help him, Clark. Save him.
Clark: That would be changing destiny.
Chloe: Whose destiny? Not Jimmy's. You and I both know that. He didn't deserve to die, Clark. He died because you and I screwed up, because we made a mistake. Now you have to fix it!
Clark: I'm not a god! And the last time I tried to rewrite fate, my own father died. He died right here in my arms because of me.
Chloe: (voice breaks) I've given up so much for you, Clark. This is the only thing I've asked for you. Please? Please do this for me. Please save Jimmy.
Clark: I can't.
Chloe: That's good. It's good that you're embracing your Kryptonian side. There isn't really anything human left in you.

Chloe: Dr. Hamilton!
Emil: If you would be so kind as to lower the nine millimeter Jericho nine four one, I'd prefer Emil.

External links[]

References[]


Previous Story:
Doomsday
Next Story:
Metallo
EpisodesSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Minor CharactersSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Screencaps: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


Advertisement