The Impact of Smallville’s Justice League Episode on the Show

The Big Picture

Smallville introduced the first live-action version of the Green Arrow, paving the way for superhero team-ups on television.

The Justice League made their long-awaited debut in Smallville's Season 6, finally joining forces after laying the foundation for their collaboration over the years. Smallville successfully demonstrated the immense potential of superheroes on television, paving the way for the show's transformation into a fully immersive superhero-centered production.

In the world of comic book-related media in our modern age, it is easy to overlook the significance of live-action superhero teams. However, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and popular shows like Titans, Doom Patrol, and the Arrowverse, it is evident that superhero content has come a long way since the early 2000s. Among these shows, there is one that is often credited with pushing the genre forward on television: Smallville. Smallville is a CW series that started on WB and revolves around the young Clark Kent (portrayed by Tom Welling) before he becomes the iconic Man of Steel.

In its sixth season, Smallville made a significant shift into the world of superheroes. This evolution was introduced through the character Oliver Queen, also known as the Green Arrow, portrayed by Justin Hartley. Hartley's portrayal of the Emerald Archer immediately captivated fans and laid the foundation for a larger superhero narrative in the series. By Episode 11 of the season, titled "Justice," Smallville unveiled its first official live-action appearance of the Justice League, marking a significant milestone for the show. It is worth noting that this was not the first attempt at a live-action Justice League, but Smallville's rendition was highly anticipated and well-received. However, the seeds for this team-up had been subtly planted throughout previous seasons, setting the stage for this momentous event.

'Smallville' Did Superhero Team-Ups Way Before Marvel

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Surprisingly, Marvel Studios was not the first to introduce the concept of bringing superheroes together after their solo stories. The TV show Smallville actually did it first in live-action. In the episode "Run" during Season 4, Clark encountered Bart Allen, a young speedster who attempted to steal from Lex Luthor. After helping Bart, Clark guided him towards a better path. In the following season, Clark also met the half-Atlantean prince Arthur "A.C." Curry and the cyborg Victor Stone in episodes titled "Aqua" and "Cyborg," respectively.

It is not surprising that after Oliver recruited Bart for another theft from Lex, A.C. and Victor joined in. Each of these heroes has their own connection with Lex and his LuthorCorp, as they had all been subjects of his experiments in previous Smallville episodes. However, it was their interactions with Clark Kent that inspired them to become true heroes. Unlike Clark, who often preferred to work alone, they chose to team up. Although we don't witness the team's formation in real time (according to "Justice," they had been working together for around a year), we do see the results of their collaboration.

Each member of Oliver's unnamed team (although he desires for their group to be named "something with the word 'justice' in it") has been bestowed with fresh equipment, new aliases, and, in Victor's case, substantial cybernetic enhancements to enhance their skills. Similar to the way the Avengers initially joined forces to conquer Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) in the 2012 film The Avengers, this early version of the Justice League also works together to thwart Lex Luthor's scheme to exploit metahumans for his personal army through the LuthorCorp project 33.1.

Superheroes Are Great on Their Own, But Stronger Together

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Each member of Smallville's Justice League possesses unique strengths. Bart, also known as Impulse, boasts unparalleled speed, even surpassing Clark. A.C., or Aquaman, exhibits remarkable strength that rivals the Man of Steel. Victor, also known as Cyborg, possesses exceptional hacking skills, capable of infiltrating any security system. As for Oliver, he assumes the role of the Batman equivalent within the group, providing financial support and leading the team. Individually, these individuals excel in their respective abilities. Despite encountering adversity such as being kidnapped or shot by Lex, they have grown from these encounters with Smallville's tragic figure. Moreover, they have come to realize that their collective strength far surpasses their individual capabilities.

In a few more seasons, Clark will finally learn a valuable lesson. It is only when Oliver becomes a main cast member in Season 8 that Clark begins to understand that relying on his friends is not a weakness, but a strength. However, he regresses the following season, but learns from a group of older heroes that it is crucial to depend on his allies. In the episode "Justice," Clark is unable to ignore the idea of working alongside other empowered beings and forming a team of heroes. Although he initially goes off on his own to save Bart, he quickly realizes his mistake and learns to trust his teammates.

Furthermore, the focus on the plot in this episode is what makes it particularly effective. While character development is important, when uniting a diverse group of superheroes, there needs to be a clear objective. In the case of Smallville's Justice League, their goal is to stop Lex's illegal experiments on metahumans and the potential consequences it poses. With no unnecessary relationship drama or extraneous characters interfering (such as Lana Lang), the League is able to concentrate on their primary objective and accomplish the seemingly impossible. Even Chloe, who goes by the superhero codename Watchtower, contributes to the team from a distance.

"Justice" Changed How People Saw 'Smallville'

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Audiences flocked to Smallville because it transformed from a teen drama into a thrilling young adult drama with a touch of sci-fi. Viewers were thrilled to finally see beloved comic book characters like Brainiac and General Zod brought to life on the small screen, especially after the disappointment of Superman Returns. The episode "Justice" demonstrated the untapped potential of superheroes on television, something that had been neglected or poorly executed in Hollywood since the mid-'90s.

As Smallville progressed, it embraced these superhero concepts even more. In Season 8, under the guidance of new showrunners, the show introduced fresh characters and annual formidable adversaries, leaving behind its young adult drama roots to fully embrace its superhero theme. From the season's start, characters like Oliver, A.C., and newcomer Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, appeared, and by the season's end, Clark was reunited with Dinah and Bart to confront Doomsday. Though the monster ultimately overpowered them (this was, after all, still a CW show), the transformation was evident.

Season 9 continued this trend, granting Clark a uniform proudly displaying the iconic Superman symbol on his chest, and introducing even more superheroes than before, with the memorable two-hour special, "Absolute Justice," being a standout moment. The League grew in size, and Clark's role within the team expanded as well.

By the final season, there was little doubt that Smallville had transformed into a superhero series, just like future Arrowverse projects The Flash or Supergirl. Although we all knew that Clark would eventually don the tights and soar through the sky (which he eventually did in the series finale), Smallville never fully embraced its superhero aesthetic until Clark was prepared. However, the introduction of "Justice" and the inclusion of Oliver Queen himself resonated with fans, sparking a desire to see more of this heroic ensemble that Oliver showcased across the world. Luckily, the CW continued the story, providing us with a satisfying continuation for just a little longer...

'Smallville's Justice League Almost Got a Spinoff

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Following the events in "Justice," the team departs from Kansas in pursuit of LuthorCorps's other 33.1 facilities. Although their endeavors remain largely undisclosed for the remainder of the season, a glimpse of Oliver-as-Green Arrow can be seen in "Combat" through a cameo appearance captured on a security footage. Fortunately, Smallville provides an explanation for what Oliver and the gang were occupied with during that time in the form of Smallville Legends: Justice & Doom. This digital on-screen comic book sheds light on the League's activities during the latter half of Season 6, intertwining their exploits with LuthorCorp's activities and connecting them to the challenges Clark faced in the episodes "Prototype" and "Phantom."

In the comic, the team is united by a mysterious figure who provides them with guidance. Initially, Oliver believes this figure to be Clark, ready to join the team remotely. However, it is later revealed that the mysterious figure is actually the Martian Manhunter named Phil Morris, who has been watching over Clark since his arrival on Earth. This digital addition, found on the Season 6 DVD/Blu-ray, showcased the potential for the Justice League to become a larger entity on Smallville. Many viewers hoped that this addition would inspire the return of other characters, and perhaps it played a role in that possibility. According to "Justice" director Steven S. DeKnight, there were plans for a spin-off series that involved Oliver Queen providing refuge for young individuals with superpowers, similar to Professor X from the X-Men. This was an opportunity to form a team and assist these individuals, just as Oliver mentioned in "Justice" when he helped Victor Stone, Bart Allen, and Arthur Curry. Unfortunately, the spin-off never came to fruition. Instead, the CW chose to reboot their DC Universe through the Arrowverse following the conclusion of Smallville, which enjoyed a successful decade-long run. It turns out that Smallville did, indeed, spark a frenzy for superhero TV shows.

Smallville is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.