Reply #7: The root of that... [View All]

[Zomby Woof]

Back in the 50's, there was a Superboy comic, and in it, the teenage Lex and Clark were best friends in high school. Lex, who was a genius, but not necessarily wealthy, lost his hair in a science experiment he was conducting in his garage - a huge chemical explosion. Superboy saved him, and Lex blamed Superboy for his hair loss - his rage became uncontrollable toward Superboy as a result. He didn't know Clark was Superboy of course, and it wasn't really Superboy's fault that Lex lost his hair, but their adversarial relationship became complete out of the ashes of a once great friendship.

So for the TV show, they DO make it Clark's fault, in a way. Lex is a few years older and wealthy. The meteor shower which brought Clark to Earth causes Lex to lose his hair. Clark feels considerable guilt over that and the loss of Lana's parents in that shower. The guilt factor is an interesting angle which brings an element of martyrdom to the hero.

The sophistication of the characters' emotions helps this rise above the normal WB fare, in my opinion. :-)