The Last Son Of Krypton
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- This article is about the Superman: The Animated series episode. For the Elliot S! Maggin novel, see Last Son of Krypton.
"The Last Son Of Krypton" is a three part episode of Superman: The Animated Series that forms the first three episodes of the series. It details Superman's origins, with the first episode focusing solely on Superman's father, Jor-El, and Krypton. By the end of the three-parter Superman has established himself as a superhero in Metropolis and formed an arch-nemesis in Lex Luthor, thus setting the stage for the rest of the series.
These three episodes were later released together and billed as a direct-to-video movie.
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[edit] Plot
[edit] The Destruction of Krypton (Part I)
Jor-El conducts research in the desolate northern region of Krypton, in order to find evidence his theory that the planet is doomed to explode soon. After his research is complete, he reports his findings to Krypton's ruling council. This council includes Jor-El's father-in-law, Sul-Van, who believes that Jor-El's theories will only cause him to lose respect amongst the scientific community. Kypton's planet-wide computer, Brainiac dismisses Jor-El's findings. The council blindly agrees with Brainiac, despite Jor-El's warnings of their dependence on the machine.
After breaking into Brainiac's central unit, Jor-El discovers that he was right about Krypton's iminent destruction and that Brainiac had known all along. However, Brainiac had lied about this so that he could secretly download himself into a satellite and survive the destruction, which would occur on that very day. Jor-El is tempted to destroy Brainiac then and there, but Brainiac convinces him to hold back by reminding Jor-El that without Brainiac, the repository of all Kryptonian knowledge, the planet's legacy will be erased forever. Brainiac quickly summons a squad of security guards to take down Jor-El, advising them to use deadly force, but Jor-El is able to evade them and return to his home. There Sul-Van had taken the time to look through Jor-El's research and discovered that it was actually quite sound.
Jor-El arrived home and quickly made preparations for his back-up plan: to save his son, Kal-El, by sending him off in a small one-person spaceship he had developed. Sul-Van is also skeptical of this plan, but he ultimately agrees to distract the police while Jor-El and Lara prepare the ship to launch. Although Jor-El offers to make some quick flight modifications so that Lara can be saved with Kal-El, she refuses this and says that her place is with Jor-El. Kal-El's ship is soon launched and successfully lifts off while Krypton explodes behind it. The satellite probe containing the Brainiac program also escapes the destruction. Kal-El's spaceship, followed by a swarm of what appears to be Kryptonite, then enters a sudden wormhole in space.
[edit] Clark Kent (Part II)
Kal-El's ship leaves the wormhole near Earth. It makes touchdown in Smallville, Kansas. The ship is quickly discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who decide to adopt him despite some reluctance from Jonathan. Martha decides to name him Clark, after her maiden name.
The episode then skips forward several years. In this time Clark is now a teenager attending Smallville High. Clark has been developing some strange, superhuman powers recently. He confides in these powers to his childhood friend, Lana Lang. He then realizes more of his powers when he saves a family from a traffic accident.
Clark is actually disturbed by these new powers. Although Clark knows that he has been adopted, Jonathan Kent decides it is time to tell him the full story of his adoption. Clark is taken down to the farm's basement, where he is shown the spaceship that he was found in as a baby. Clark finds a holographic projector that shows him a holographic message from Jor-El and Lara. They tell him of his Kryptonian heritage as well as the increased powers he will gain from Earth's Sun, and they also warn him that his powers may bring fear and destruction from others, but that he should never use his powers in anger. This message only serves to further alienate Clark, who runs off in anger. However, he is able to cheer himself up after discovering his ability of flight.
[edit] Superman (Part II-III)
The episode then takes another leap forward in time. Clark Kent is now an adult and has gotten a job at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. He has also secretly used his superpowers to commit good deeds, these deeds being creditted to a "guardian angel" by news reporters. At the Planet, Clark soon becomes acquainted with his editor, Perry White, as well as his coworkers Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
Clark and Lois are sent to cover the unveiling of Lex Luthor newest military weapon. The weapon is a powerful battlesuit dubbed the Lexoskel 5000. During the ceremony, John Corben and a group of mercenaries attack and steal the Lexoskel for Kaznia, which America has a trade embargo with. Clark, in his superhero identity, attempts to pursue, but is distracted when he has to catch a falling plane after one of its wings had accidentally been destroyed by Corben's missile.
The next day, during a meeting at the Daily Planet, Lois dubs the superhero Superman after the S on his costume's chest, and the name sticks. After a conversation with the Kents, Superman decides to have a private interview with Lois Lane to earn the people's trust. Although he does not reveal his identity as Clark Kent, he does tell her of his Kryptonian background. After a visit to LuthorCorp, Clark tells Lois about his suspicions that Luthor actually arranged the theft of the Lexosel suit, in order to make a sale to Kaznia as well as America, when the American government would want him to build a bigger battlesuit in opposition to the one that Kaznia possesses.
Lois's investigation leads her to a Kaznian tanker, where John Corben has hidden the Lexoskel Suit. Lois is captured after spotting the device and is about to be murdered when Superman intervenes. In desperation, Corben boards the Lexoskel 5000 in order to have a fighting chance against Superman. The fight drags out across Metropolis until Superman quite literally tears the suit apart. Corben then surrenders.
Superman then pays a visit to Luthor's office. At first only Luthor talks, as Superman gives Luthor the silent treatment. Luthor warns Superman that he has total control over Metropolis, and Superman cannot prove Luthor's connection to Kaznia. Luthor then reveals his global ambitions and asks Superman to use his talents to help Luthor. But Superman remains silent, causing Luthor to lose his composure and toss a small model of the Lexoskel 5000 at Luthor. Superman crushes the figure in his hands, warns Luthor that he'll be watching him, and then flies through Metropolis while various citizens cheer him on.
Elsewhere, in the deep reaches of space, Brainiac's satellite is discovered by a crew of aliens. The satellite quickly comes to life, killing the entire crew and taking over their ship.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tim Daly | Superman/Clark Kent |
| Dana Delany | Lois Lane |
| Clancy Brown | Lex Luthor |
| Malcolm McDowell | John Corben |
| Christopher McDonald | Jor-El |
| Finola Hughes | Lara |
| Mike Farrell | Jonathan Kent |
| Shelley Fabares | Martha Kent |
| Tony Jay | Sul-Van |
| Corey Burton | Brainiac |
| George Dzundza | Perry White |
| David Kaufman | Jimmy Olsen |
| Lauren Tom | Angela Chen |
| Brad Garrett | Bibbo |
| Dorian Harewood | Ron Troupe |
| Charles Howerton | Terrorist Guard |
| Tress MacNeille | Mrs. Stevenson |
| Jason Marsden | Teenage Clark Kent |
| Nick Savalas | Attorney |
| Kelley Shmidt | Teenage Lana Lang |
| Miracle Vincent | Danitra Evans |
| Roger Rose | Driver Cop |
| Brian George | Councilman |
| Jesse Batten | Baby Kal-El |
| Vernee Watson-Johnson | Female Worker |
[edit] Trivia
- Argos, the DC animated universe version of Argo City is mentioned briefly in this episode. It is later visited in the episode "Little Girl Lost".
- Krypto is seen in several of the scenes on Krypton, playing with the young Kal-El.
- The Phantom Zone is also mentioned by Jor-El. He claims his plan to explain Krypton by sending the entire population, save for one person, into the Phantom Zone. That person would then travel to a new planet in Jor-El's one-man spaceship and free the Kryptonians upon arrival. This may explain why the Phantom Zone Projector was found in Jor-El's spaceship in a later episode.
- Pete Ross makes a cameo appearance in the scene at Smallville. He is mentioned by name but has no dialogue.
- There is a humorous reference to Batman, when Martha refers to him as "that nut in Gotham City."
- Commissioner Henderson is briefly mentioned at one point.
- This is the first mentioning of Kaznia in the DC animated universe.
- Part I of this episode is one of the only two episodes in the series where Superman is absent (as he only appears as Kal-El in that episode).
