Smallville is rightly credited with setting the stage for the surge in popularity of live-action superhero television shows seen in the current and previous decade.
The series, which aired on The WB and subsequently The CW from 2001 to 2011, followed a young adult version of Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he learned about and grappled with his alien heritage while protecting the titular Kansas town from super powered threats before moving to Metropolis and becoming Superman.
The series updated the Superman mythology from comic books and other media and tailored it to appeal to a wide, contemporary audience and its success contributed directly to that of later superhero series, including others on The CW like Arrow and its spin-offs.
But while arguably all current and recent superhero adaptations are influenced by it to various degrees, few of them actually have that much in common with Smallville.
The series remains fairly unique…
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