"The Atom"-The World's Smallest Superheroe's Exploits (During the 60's-70's)

The Silver-Age Atom / Ray Palmer was created during the early 60's revival / re-vamping of various Golden-Age superheroes, by Julius Schwartz (editor), Gil Kane (artist; extraordinaire') & Murphy Anderson (inker). The Atom made his debut in "Showcase"#34 (Oct. 1961), but gained his own title soon after (which was drawn by Kane for many years).

Ray Palmer (a physicist & professor at Ivy University) discovered that he was able to compress (shrink) matter, with the use of a lens made from white dwarf star matter. He brought it with him on a cave exploration, with his girlfriend Jean Loring and some of his students. When they became trapped, Ray was able to shrink himself (and re-enlarge without consequence) to save them. Upon returning, Ray developed the lens into a belt device, which would allow him to shrink to miniature (even sub-atomic size), and made a blue & red costume (that he would automatically be in, upon shrinking). He could even become tiny enough to travel through phone lines. ( Note: The 'original' Atom / Al Pratt (of Earth II) was a short statured man with superior strength & agility). Ray eventually married Jean Loring (although they later divorced).

The Atom joined The Justice League of America, during their early years and still remains a member. He became a close friend and ally to Hawkman, with whom he teamed many times. He also teamed with Batman (many times in "The Brave and the Bold") and Superman (in "World's Finest Comics"). Some of The Atom's major enemies included---Chronos, The Time Bandit; Bug-Eyed Bandit; Floronic Man; and Bat-Knights of Elvaran (miniature race).

His next series of adventures would involve an unknown colony of miniature yellow-skinned people, that he would come to protect ;in a comic book mini-series called "Sword of The Atom".

The Atom's TV appearances have included---(Animated) Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure; Super Friends; Justice League; Justice League Unlimited; Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Young Justice; DC Nation Shorts; and "Justice League: The New Frontier" (Warner Premiere Animated Movie). (Live-Action) "Legends of the Superheroes" (2nd half); and a failed Justice League of America TV pilot.

The Atom has amassed quite an enormous body of work; for a little guy!!!

"Justice League of America"- The Early Classic Years (1960's-1970's)

During DC Comics' late 50's-early 60's great revised-superhero revival; a truly amazing superhero team emerged! The Justice League of America made their smashing debut in "The Brave and the Bold"#28 (Feb./Mar. 1960)! They immediately gained their own title by Oct. 1960. The series was created by Julius Schwartz (editor), Gardner Fox (writer) and Mike Sekowsky (artist).

The Justice League's first members included---Green Lantern; The Flash; Wonder Woman; Aquaman; Martian Manhunter; and Lucas 'Snapper' Carr (a teenager who tagged along). Superman and Batman joined soon after; followed by Green Arrow; Hawkman; and The Atom (during the first 4 years). This was the core team for many years. Some of the early (and recurring) villains included---Starro the Conqueror; Dr. Light; Amazo (who could absorb all of the JLA's powers, at once); The Key; and Earth III's Crime Syndicate of America.

The Justice League (of Earth I) teamed with their Earth II counterparts; The Justice Society (Golden-Age superheroes), for the 1st time; in issues #21-22. This became an annual event for years to come. One of the early team-ups introduced a grown version of Earth II's Robin, as a member of The Justice Society. The Red Tornado (an android) made his 1st appearance, in the following year.Wonder Woman (in #69) and Martian Manhunter (in #71), left the series, but both returned in later years.

After Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky left the series, the reigns were given to Denny O'Neil (writer) & Dick Dillin (artist, who pencilled the series from issue #64-Aug. 1968 to #183-Oct. 1980; That's quite an amazing feat!). Other writers, whose work appeared during that time included---Len Wein; Cary Bates; Elliot S. Maggin; and Gerry Conway (who did a lot of writing for Marvel Comics, also); to name but a few of the greats!

Black Canary moved from Earth II to Earth I, after the death of her husband (issues #73-74) and joined the JLA. 'Snapper' Carr left the group, after he was tricked by The Joker, into betraying the whereabouts of the JLA's original cave headquarters (#77). The JLA moved to their orbiting satellite headquarters in the following issue! In issues #100-102 (JLA-JSA team-up), the Golden-Age superhero team-The Seven Soldiers of Victory---Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy; Green Arrow & Speedy; The Vigilante; The Shining Knight; The Crimson Avenger (and Wing), was re-introduced. The Red Tornado sacrificed himself to save Earth II (during this same adventure), but was somehow propelled to Earth I; where he soon joined the JLA!  Issues #107-108, The Freedom Fighters (Uncle Sam Black Condor; Doll Man; The Ray; The Phantom Lady; & The Human Bomb); were introduced. They were originally Golden-Age heroes from the cancelled "Quality Comics" company. They gained their own series soon after. Other heroes joined the JLA during the 70's including---Elongated Man; Hawkwoman; Zatanna; and Firestorm.

The Justice League has made countless TV appearances including---(Animated) Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure; Super Friends (for quite a few seasons); Justice League; Justice League Unlimited; Batman: The Brave and the Bold; and several quality 'Warner Premiere' animated feature films.
(Live-Action) "Legends of the Superheroes"; and various episodes of "Smallville".
There have also been many Video Games, featuring The Justice League.

The series has undergone a lot of changes over the past few decades; but fantastic superheroes, exciting adventure, quality artwork & excellent storytelling will always remain!!!

"The Red Panda Adventures"-A 'North of the Border' Discovery (Season 1,2005)

With the recommendation of a like-minded co-worker, I recently discovered an exciting, suspenseful, sharply witty, and very retro pod-cast audio series (from Canada); called "The Red Panda Adventures"! It is an extremely well-made (and acted) superhero series,which is patterned after old-time radio shows & movie serials. The series is set in 1930's Toronto; the acting and dialogue are also done in the classic melodramatic style of 30's & 40's radio shows.The score is old-fashioned organ music! I have only listened to the 1st season so far (There are 8 seasons, that are still continuing to this day; 94 episodes and counting....), although I'm interested in listening to the entire series. The show can be found on DecoderRingTheatre.com, or also on iTunes. "The Red Panda Adventures" was created (and written) by Gregg Taylor in 2005 (although he'd done an earlier version of the character in a World War II setting, instead of the current 30's Toronto setting). The Red Panda seems to be a hybrid of The Shadow, Batman & The Green Hornet (he also closely resembles Will Eisner's "The Spirit").

August Fenwick, one of Toronto's wealthiest men (in the Bruce Wayne, Lamont Cranston, Don Diego Vega 'mold') became The Red Panda 'to help those in need, who can't help themselves, and to atone for his family's greedy / selfish ways. He wears a red mask, with a dark trenchcoat, suit & hat. He has the power to hypnotize and project false images; he is also excellent at judo & other forms of hand-to-hand combat! Some of his gadgets include---Static Shoes (which give the ability to walk up sheer surfaces & jump great distances; by static electricity); grapple guns; and gas grenades. The Red Panda also has a beautiful sidekick called The Flying Squirrel (Don't you just love that name?). The Red Panda is voiced by 'creator' Gregg Taylor.

'Kit' Baxter / The Flying Squirrel is August Fenwick's chauffeur by day and The Red Panda's superheroine partner by night. She is the only person who knows her boss's secret identity. She is head-over-heels in love with him, and is always slyly hinting about that to him; to which he always responds, "Kit Baxter, behave yourself!!!" I think at first, he pretended not to notice. Kit is a beautiful '20 something',brown-eyed red-head, who wears 'a delightfully fitting unitard' (as The Red Panda puts it), which is gray; with a cowl, goggles, and a utility belt (that she thinks makes her look 'hippy'). She is a very tough, as well as a skilled fighter. She has the same gadgets as her boss, but she also has a 'retractable gliding membrane', which helps her glide through the air for short distances. The Flying Squirrel is voiced by Clarissa Der Nederlanden-Taylor (with a wonderful east-coast accent).

1st Season villains include---The Sphinx (able to 'mummify victims); Prof. Zombie (lady villain, who turned others into zombies); Jackrabbit (super-fast lady, thief & murderer); The Golden Claw (lady criminal mastermind); Nick Diablos (claimed to be 'the devil', while inducing victim's darkest fears; which usually brought suicide); and many others.

Series creator Gregg Taylor has also written 4 "Tales of The Red Panda" pulp novels; to some acclaim. Gregg and artist Dean Kotz have recently created a 3-Part Digital Comic Book series called "Mask of The Red Panda", which has had great reviews ( I haven't read any of them yet, although I intend to). Gregg Taylor must have a fabulous imagination. I've really appreciated his 1st season work.

I plan on eventually going through all of the seasons. Come join me; it'll be fun!!!

"Archie"- A Tribute To America's Favorite Carrot-Topped Teenager!!!

OK, I know this isn't DC or Marvel, or even a superhero series, but I'd say that a (nearly) 72 year old teenager & his pals are definitely worth further investigation (wouldn't you?).

Archie, along with his 'Pals N Gals', made the scene for the first time in "Pep Comics"#22 (Dec. 1941). He's actually been around almost as long as Superman, Batman & Captain America! Archie was created by John L. Goldwater (publisher / editor); Vic Bloom (writer) & Bob Montana (artist). He was said to be patterned after "Andy Hardy" (portrayed by Mickey Rooney, in the movie series). The main core group of characters consists of---Archie Andrews (an All-American, girl-crazy, hot rod- driving teenager); 'Jughead' Jones (Archie's best pal, who prefers a monsterous plate of hamburgers, to a date with a pretty girl); Veronica Lodge ( a beautiful, but very spoiled rich girl, who is one of Archie's 2 main squeezes); Betty Cooper ( a beautiful, sweet,' girl-next-door' type of girl, who is also one of Archie's 2 main girlfriends); and Reggie Mantle (Archie's main rival for Betty & Veronica's affections, who is very vain, and is usually out to make Archie look bad in front of the girls; although sometimes he & Archie can actually be friends). Other frequent characters include---Mr. Lodge (Veronica's rich 'Daddy'); Moose (a lunk-headed, but strong football player); Midge (Moose's girlfriend); Big Ethel (girl who is crazy about 'Jughead'); Mr. Weatherbee (High School Principal);Miss Grundy (teacher); Miss Beazley (school cook); Li'l Jinx; and later characters like---Hot Dog (Jughead's Dog); Sabrina, The Teenage Witch; Chuck (African-American pal & comic book artist); Cheryl Blossom (rival to Betty & Veronica); and Dilbert (boy genius). Archie's parents also played a very prominent role in the series.

The premise is very simple: Archie is always trying to impress and go out with Veronica or Betty (He can't decide which one he likes better). Jughead is just along for the ride, while munching hamburgers and dodging big Ethel). Veronica is usually trying to decide between suitors and how she should spend Daddy's money. Betty is usually pining over Archie, but will sometimes go out with Reggie.Reggie is always plotting some new trick on Archie & Jughead, while trying to impress the girls. The Gang doing their best to dodge Mr. Weatherbee (although most of them are pretty smart students). Believe it or not; the plot-lines have always remained fresh and funny over the years. All of the "Archie" Brand comic books have always been very clean-cut, moral and completely "Family Friendly"! I've always been impressed with any "Archie" Series comics I've seen! There are, and always have been countless "Archie" titles including---"Archie" (since 1942);"Betty & Veronica"; "Jughead"; and oodles more, that would more than fill this page (in regular & digest form)! Archie' newspaper comic strip has been around forever!

There are also many unusual or 'Alternate Universes' Archie story-lines such as---The Archies (pop music group); Little Archie (The Gang as kids); Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. (Archie as spy); Explorers of the Unknown (spoof of DC's "Challengers of the Unknown", with Archie & Gang); and Archie 3000 (future version). My  favorite of these is "Pureheart The Powerful" (started in "Life With Archie"#42 -Oct. 1965), which featured Archie as 'Pureheart', who possessed super-strength, flight & (almost) invulnerability. Jughead was "Captain Hero"; Betty was "Superteen"; Veronica was "Miss Vanity"; and Reggie was one of the villains, "Evilheart".

Spire Christian Comics released several Christian-Themed Archie titles during the 70's (with full rights from Archie Comics). They were drawn by Al Hartley (who also worked for Archie Comics at the time) They captured the same 'look'and feel of the regular "Archie" comics.

In 2007, the "Archie Comics" Company tried a 'New Look' Limited Series' which featured the characters in a more 'realistic, less cartoony style. This series was greatly surpassed by the 2009-2010 "Archie Marries Veronica / Archie Marries Betty" series. There were presented 2 possible "Marriage" future visions for Archie!
With Veronica 'Version' ("Archie"#600-602)---"The Proposal"; "The Wedding";and "It's Twins".
With Betty 'Version' ("Archie"#603-605)---"Will You Marry Me?"; "The Wedding"; and "Happily Ever After".
Issue #606 tied both stories together with an 'Epilogue' (Archie is trying to explain his 2 future visions to his friends).

Archie has several TV appearances including---"The Archie Show" (1968-animated), which only lasted one season, but spawned a #1 hit pop song-"Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies (Lead singer- Ron Dante)! There was also a live-action special in the 70's and a TV movie called "To Riverdale and Back Again", which featured Christopher Rich (from TV's "Reba") as a grown-up Archie, who returns home with the same dilemma of having to choose between Betty & Veronica. In 1999, there was an animated series, called "Archie's Weird Mysteries".

SO, if you want some good clean, hilarious fun to pass the time, grab an "Archie" Digest or Regular Comic Book! You'll have a blast!        "Archie" is 'timeless'!!!

"Avengers Assemble!!!"-'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' During the 60's & 70's

The original Avengers (Iron Man; Thor; The Hulk; Ant-Man & The Wasp) first came together as a fighting unit in "The Avengers"#1 (Sept. 1963). This 'marvelous' creation was helmed by the amazing team of Stan 'The Man' Lee (writer / editor) & Jack 'King' Kirby (artist / co-plotter); OF COURSE!!!

Asgardian superhero Thor's evil half-brother, Loki planned to attack the Earth, by using The Hulk to battle Thor; so that he (Loki) could implement his invasion. To his dismay, Loki also got Iron Man, Ant-Man & The Wasp (as well as Thor & Hulk) in the bargain! He was sorely defeated and The Mighty Avengers group was born! (Thor; Iron Man / Tony Stark; Hulk / Bruce Banner; Ant-Man / Hank Pym; and The Wasp / Janet Van Dyne- 'later to be ' Pym).

By issue #2, The Hulk decided to quit (he sensed that the other members feared and mistrusted him), while Ant-Man became Giant-Man (later to be called Goliath; and much later, he became Yellowjacket). Captain America joined the team in issue #4 ( the team found him encased in ice, where he had been frozen after World War II; and they revived him), during a battle with The Sub-Mariner!

The Avengers underwent some roster changes after that time including---Hawkeye, Quicksilver & The Scarlet Witch (all former villains); Hercules (temporary member); The Black Knight & The Black Widow (non-members who joined in later years);The Black Panther & The Vision (who became full-time members, for many years to come); The Beast & Moondragon (in 1975). Special Note: The Vision (who was an android) married The Scarlet Witch, in later years. Some of their major enemies included---Baron Zemo & The Masters of Evil; Kang the Conqueror; Wonder Man; Count Nefaria; and The Squadron Supreme.

The Avengers Mansion was their headquarters (which was provided by Tony Stark).

An amazing group of writers (Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Steve Englehart & Jim Shooter) and artists (John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Bob Brown & George Perez) took the reigns of the series during the 70's!

 During the summer of '73', The Avengers were engaged in a 'battle royale' with The Defenders, in a multi-issue arc which involved both of their comic magazines. The series was a big hit (definitely to me)!

Over the years, The Avengers have been involved in many animated TV series' (separately & together). In recent times, Marvel has unleashed major motion picture hits including--- Iron Man ( I, II & III); Thor; Captain America-The First Avenger; The Hulk; and The Incredible Hulk! But the movie that I consider to be the pinnacle of superhero films is "The Avengers" (2012)! The cast was beyond amazing, which included---Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man); Chris Evans (Captain America); Chris Hemsworth (Thor); Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow); Mark Ruffalo (Hulk); Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye); Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury); Tom Hiddleston (Loki); and Clark Gregg (Agent Colson)!!! Some of my favorite dialogue in the movie was an exchange between The Black Widow & Captain America; as follows---B.W.:"I'd sit this one out, Cap."  C.A.:" I don't see how I can!"  B.W.: "These guys are from legend. They're basically 'gods'!"  C.A.: "There's only one God, Ma'am, and I'm sure He doesn't dress like that!" (That's Some Classic Lines!) I'm pumped for the sequel!

So, "Avengers Assemble" for many decades to come!!! The fans will be there!!!

"The 'TOTALLY' Fantastic Four"-(The Classic 60's & 70's)

"The Fantastic Four" exploded into the world of comic books in November,1961 with their very own title! This truly 'fantastic' series was created by Stan 'The Man' Lee (Writer / Editor) and Jack 'King' Kirby(Artist / Co-plotter); ushering in the 'Marvel Age of Comics'. Thus began one of  the most exciting, well-read, classic comic book series!

Scientist Reed Richards; along with his girlfriend, Sue Storm; Sue's younger brother, Johnny; and Reed's friend / college room-mate / pilot, Ben Grimm; embarked on a mission into outer space. While in space, the four travelers were bombarded by cosmic radiation, changing their lives forever! After crash-landing back on Earth, they began to discover just what those changes were. Reed could stretch his body in all different ways and distances; Sue could turn invisible (and later create invisible force fields); Johnny could burst into flame (without harm), shoot bursts of flame, and fly while covered in flame; Ben was covered with a rock-like skin coating, which gave him super-strength and endurance. They decided to use their abilities for the good of mankind and took on the title "The Fantastic Four" (Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic; Sue Storm (later 'Richards' / The Invisible Girl (later 'Invisible Woman"); and last, but not least, Ben Grimm / The Thing.

Issue #4 re-introduced The Sub-Mariner (sometimes hero / sometimes villain from the 1940's), who became a frequent nemesis during the early days. Issue #5 introduced Victor Von Doom / Doctor Doom, who is probably their greatest enemy of all time! Issue #12 marked their first encounter with the Hulk (leading to the historic 'Thing vs Hulk' battles in issues #25 & 26)!!!  Lee and Kirby created another master-work, when they introduced The Silver Surfer (who became a major superhero) and the planet-devouring Galactus, in issues #48-50 (and let's not forget The Watcher). Some of the other notable villains of that era include---The Frightful Four; Blastaar; the Kree & the Skrull races (including The Super-Skrull); and Annihilus. Other superheroes that were introduced in the series included (besides the already mentioned Silver Surfer)---The Inhumans & The Black Panther (the first mainstream Black superhero). There were also times when others would substitute for members of the F.F., including Crystal & Medusa (from The Inhumans); and Powerman (Luke Cage).

The double-sized 'Annual' issues featured some spectacular story-lines including---Sub-Mariner becomes King of Atlantis (#1); Origin of Doctor Doom (#2); The Wedding of Reed & Sue (#3); The battle between the Human Torches of two eras (#4); and the birth of Franklin Richards (Reed & Sue's son) & the coming of Annihilus (#6)!!!

After the Lee / Kirby period (102 issues straight through), other truly 'fantastic' writers (Roy Thomas; Gerry Conway; Marv Wolfman) and artists (John Romita Sr.; John Buscema; Rich Buckler; George Perez) joined the fold. No wonder the magazine was dubbed "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine"!

"The Fantastic Four" have been in 4 different TV animated series---by Hanna Barbera (Sept. '67'-Mar. '70'); by De Patie-Freleng ( Sept '78'-Dec '78', which featured H.E.R.B.I.E. the Robot in the place of The Human Torch); "The Marvel Action Hour" (Sept. '94'-Feb. '96'); and "Fantastic Four-The World's Greatest Heroes" (Sept. 2006, ended after 26 episodes). Note: I wish they would release the '67-70' Hanna Barbera series on DVD (it was my favorite!). The stories were very true to the comic book.

"The Fantastic Four" have also been the subject of 3 movies. The first one was produced in 1994 (by Roger Corman). It was never released theatrically,but was a lot of fun in its own special low-budget way. Alex Hyde-White played Mr. Fantastic; Rebecca Staab played The Invisible Girl; Jay Underwood played The Human Torch; Michael Baily Smith played The Thing; and Joseph Culp played Doctor Doom. 2005 brought the first of 2 blockbuster big-budget feature films. The Fantastic Four was portrayed by--- Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic; Jessica Alba as The Invisible Woman; Chris Evans as The Human Torch; and Michael Chiklis as The Thing. Doctor Doom was played by Julian McMahon (they all did a wonderful job!).They returned for a well-made sequel in 2007 ("Fantastic Four-Rise of The Silver Surfer"). Laurence Fishburne supplied the voice for the CGI produced "Silver Surfer". I've heard that they are planning another F.F. movie (a re-boot with a new cast) for 2015. They could dig up enough 'fantastic' plots from the comic books to last a lifetime. The Fantastic Four series has set an extremely high standard!!!

"Smallville"-A Tribute to the 10 Year Hit (Superman) Series!!!

OK, I'll admit it! When I first heard about the series "Smallville", I wrote it off as just another teen 'Alien boy loves Earth girl' series that would last maybe one or two seasons, tops (even though it was about one of my favorite superheroes, Superman). I got hooked on the show after purchasing "Smallville"-Season One on DVD for a ridiculously low price, and decided to give it a chance (the show had just completed Season Four by that time). I then systematically began to purchase other seasons, when the price was right. Although the first season dealt mainly with with Kryptonite radiation-infected 'meteor freaks' (like 'Superboy meets the X-Files'), I was thoroughly won over by the young fresh-faced cast, the veteran actors, the involving story-lines, and the amazing special effects. Clark Kent (Superman in training) spent much of the first season learning about his developing powers, his Kryptonian heritage, and forming a budding friendship / love with Lana Lang (his beautiful class-mate / crush, who already had a football 'jock' for a boyfriend).Lex Luthor's uneasy friendship with Clark also began at this time. This series was made as a 'revisionist version' of the Superman legend.

As the seasons progressed, there was much more character development, and meatier story-lines, which began to include more of the Superman 'mythology'. Lois Lane (Superman's future love interest) made her first appearance in the Season 3 finale. Villains (besides Lex Luthor) such as Brainiac; Zod; Doomsday; and Darkseid showed up over the years. Green Arrow / Oliver Queen and other superheroes & superheroines , such as--- Aquaman; Legion of Superheroes members; a teen version of The Flash; Black Canary; The Justice Society; and Clark's Kryptonian cousin, Kara (Supergirl) arrived to share the spotlight.. Special guest stars from Superman-related movies & TV shows, also popped up, such as---Christopher Reeve & Margot Kidder (Superman 1,2,3,& 4); Terence Stamp (Superman 2); Helen Slater (Supergirl); and several others. Supporting characters like Jimmy Olson & Perry White (from the comic books) also appeared.The amazing 100th episode featured such milestones as---Clark revealing his secret to Lana, then having to make her forget it; after changing time to save her life---Clark's adoptive father dying of a heart attack after he is elected state senator.

The show boasted a fantastic cast over the years. Here are some of the most notable members---Tom Welling (as Clark Kent, our Superman-in -training ), who was perfectly cast as a compassionate young hero in the process of becoming the world's champion, while keeping his powers secret.Tom was consistently excellent during all 10 years of the show (quite a 'SUPER' feat, I would say)!!! In later seasons, he got involved in producing & directing some episodes. Kristin Kreuk (as Lana Lang), who wonderfully portrayed 'girl-next-door' sweetness, and warmth, combined with a tragedy-honed independence. It was difficult knowing that Clark would never end up with her. Kristin left after Season 7 (but returned for 5 episodes in Season 8. Michael Rosenbaum (as Lex Luthor, Clark's sometime friend and later bitter enemy); in what I would consider the finest portrayal that I've ever seen of Lex. Michael conveyed the perfect mix of a rich,but neglected son; suspicious friend to Clark; budding misguided genius; and later, an all-out super-villain (and sworn enemy to Clark). Lex was supposedly killed in the Season 7 finale, but he returned for the series finale! John Schneider & Annette O'Toole (Jonathan & Martha Kent) excellently portrayed the 'perfect' adoptive parents, who would sacrifice anything for their son, Clark. Jonathan died of a heart attack, during the 100th episode. Martha later became a state senator.(Special Note: Annette O'Toole had portrayed Lana Lang in the movie "Superman 3)! Alison Mack (as Chloe Sullivan, one of Clark's best friends & confidante); Chloe had an un-reciprocated crush on Clark for several seasons. She was wonderfully portrayed as 'the perfect girl Friday', especially after finding out Clark's secret.During the early years, she had an area covered with articles about' meteor freaks and strange Smallville occurrances, called the"Wall of Weird"!!! Chloe's character was created just for the series (although DC later added Chloe to the comic books). She married Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) in the series finale. Erica Durance (Lois Lane,Clark's future love interest) did a fabulous job of portraying Lois' drive & spunk.When she first arrived, she was constantly heckling Clark (calling him 'Smallville' or farm boy). The Clark Kent / Lois Lane relationship was handled well, slowly building to full-blown love (and marriage)!

Other VERY Notable Characters---John Glover (Lionel Luthor); Sam Jones, The 3rd (Pete Ross); Terence Stamp (voice of Jor-El); Justin Hartley (Green Arrow / Oliver Queen); Aaron Ashmore (Jimmy Olson); Laura Vandervoort (Kara, Supergirl); and Michael Shanks (Hawkman / Carter Hall). Note: One character I wish they would have included is Batman / Bruce Wayne, since he & Superman have been teamed-up together for so many years in the comic books (but I'm not complaining).

The theme song for "Smallville" (all 10 seasons) was "Save Me" by Remy Zero (who made a guest appearance during the 1st Season Finale). The music score was done by Mark Snow, until Season 7, when Louis Febre took over.

The show spanned from Oct. 16, 2001-May 13, 2011!!!

Special Thanks to Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, for creating Superman in the first place, and to Alfred Gough & Miles Millar for developing this truly inspired version of Superman's story; "Smallville"!!!