Which Characters Did "Smallville" Nail Perfectly?

[Frontier]

Everyone has their personal favorite incarnations of the various characters. For some people, Christopher Reeve will always be Superman. For a handful, Brandon Routh will. Even still, while someone might be your favorite flesh-and-blood incarnation, perhaps an animated version is your "defining" version of the character as a whole.

Who (if anyone) from "Smallville" will always be "your" definition of the character? The stand-out, above the rest, best incarnation, executed perfectly?

For me, the only one who I can't find any little quibble of fault with is Smallville's Lois Lane.

I think others did great jobs, mind you. But I think hers was the only one of the lot that was "defining" for me.

I look at the shows Jonathan Kent, and while I love the character a lot, and John Shneider's portrayal of him, I always envision Pa Kent a little less aggressive/physical than depicted here.

Same with Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor. Great portrayal, certainly the best physical flesh and blood actor to ever play Lex Luthor IMHO. But the late 1990s/early 2000s animated Lex voiced by Clancy Brown will always be "the best Lex" for me.

The Lois Lane of this show though, always had it all. The right attitude, the right level of getting into trouble, you could even believe her blinders about Clark being more than meets the eye, which I usually find tough to grasp with most depictions of Lois, as it just confounds me how one of the best reporters in the world, in love with Superman, can't see it's Clark Kent without glasses!

How about you?

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

While I loved Welling's Clark/Kal-El/Superman, being born in the 1970's makes me partial to Reeve still with TW being in 2nd place.

Do think that Rosenbaum's Lex and Durance's Lois are my favorite live action versions of their characters by a long shot.

The Kents were probably my favorite version as well sicne I myself grew up with younger parents, although Glen Ford and Phyllis Thaxter from S:TM will always hold a special place in my heart.

 

[Indy Flash]

Lex Lois Kents.

Tom Will Be 2nd To Mr. Reeve, but loved his portrayal of the Man Of Steel.
Reeve number 1 Superman.

 

[Prison Mike]

Reeve's Superman is my favorite. Welling's Clark Kent is my favorite. Never been a fan of the bumbling persona. Dean Cain's Clark Kent was pretty good too.

 

[RakuMon]

Lois Lane, hands down.

I'd say Lex too, but his last scene on the show kind of undoes all that, doesn't it?

Schneider's Pa Kent is my favorite version too.

 

[Prison Mike]

I don't think it reverses anything. Lex is still himself underneath it all. He may not remember it but it's embedded in him. Besides, Clark, Lois, Chloe, Oliver, Martha, etc. still know the real Lex Luthor. And I loved how Tess got in one last "**** you" to Lex before she died.

 

[Nemi]

Defenitily Lex for me. His character had some bad spots here and there but for the most part he was brilliant.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Out of all of them: Lois and Lex were the absolute best and filled out characters on the show. Their arcs were the most consistent and believable. Lex's resolution had a bit to be desired, but the majority of his arc was fantastic.

And to ecco Hulk, they are by far my favorite versions of the characters on any screen. It amazes me how Durance ended up beating out Hatcher which up till now had been my favorite Lois.

 

[Migu-EL]

For me Reeve and Welling are tied for best Superman.. Durance's Lois is by far my favorite.. The Kent's because I liked that they were younger in age than the previous incarnation... and Lex because you could see how conflicted and multi-dimensional his character was.

I also loved how Morris portrayed Martian Manhunter.

 

[louiebling$]

Lex and Lois

 

[Doc Ock]

Lois Lane definitely. She may not be my favorite character(Chloe is my fav) but Erica's Lois was just the comic book counterpart come to life! Lex and especially Jonathan Kent were great too.

I would say Chloe but she didn't exist before Smallville.

 

[Zionite]

Lex ,Lois and Jonathan kent.Everyone else was average.

 

[SuperDaniel]

As far as main characters, Jonathan Kent and Lois Lane. Lex would be in the list if there was no mindwipe.

But it got, imo, Booster Gold, Justice Society and the Legion right too.

 

[Doc Ock]

I thought Martian Manhunter, The JSA(especially Hawkman) was pretty accurate. MM just wasn't green.

 

[SuperDaniel]

So he wasnt perfect, then.

 

[Prison Mike]

They showed his green form when he got his powers back.

 

[Frontier]

Remember, you can count animated versions, Superman Returns, Lois & Clark, et cetera. It doesn't just need to be Reeve films or Smallville.

 

[Doc Ock]

So he wasnt perfect, then.

Oh...I guess not.

They showed his green form when he got his powers back.

Which was so awesome! But he wasn't green all the time.

 

[The Caped Knight]

1. LOIS LANE HANDS DOWN
2. LEX LUTHOR
3. THE KENTS
4. General Zod/Major Zod
5. Kryptonian Jor-El and Lara
6. Kara Zor-El
7. Perry White
8. Brainiac

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Remember, you can count animated versions, Superman Returns, Lois & Clark, et cetera. It doesn't just need to be Reeve films or Smallville.

Hard to rate a voice actor in a cartoon against a real live person. Also i think many here are well aware of the other live action versions, but to be frank there wasnt a ton of great character defining protrayals in either of them save maybe Terri Hatcher and John Shea on L&C. . .

 

[The Caped Knight]

Lois Lane
** Erica Durance - Smallville
** Teri Hatcher - Lois and Clark: TAOS
** Dana Delany - Superman : TAS
** Margot Kidder - Superman : The Movie
** Christina Hendricks - All-Star Superman
** Noel Neill - The first Lois Lane

** Superman
** Christopher Reeve - Superman: The Movie
** Tom Welling - Smallville
** George Reeves - Adventures Of Superman
** Bud Collyer- Fleischer Superman
** Tim Daly - Superman:TAS
** George Newbern - Justice League/JLU
** Kirk Alyn - Superman (serial)
** Dean Cain - Lois and Clark:TAOS

Clark Kent
** Tom Welling - Smallville
** Dean Cain - Lois & Clark :TAOS
** Tim Daly - Superman: TAS
** Christopher Reeves - Superman : The movie ( I loved Reeve portrayal I just don't like the bumbling idiot Clark Kent)
** George Reeves - Aventures of Superman
** Kirk Alyn - Superman (Serial)

Lex Luthor
** Michael Rosenbaum - Smallville
** Clancy Brown - Superman:TAS
** John Shea - Lois & Clark:TAOS
** Gene Hackman - Superman : The movie
*{Note} Spacey could've have been awesome if they made him the business multi-billionaire owner of Lex Corp instead of continuing the land obsessed Lex from the original movies.

 

[Sabaoth]

That's an easy one....that would have to be Shelby.

 

[Migu-EL]

Oh...I guess not.



Which was so awesome! But he wasn't green all the time.

In my opinion it would have been dumb to have him in his green form all the time when one of his abilities is to shapeshift because he was just trying to blend in to society.. My guess would be that if he was green most of the time someone would eventually take notice.

 

[Doc Ock]

In my opinion it would have been dumb to have him in his green form all the time when one of his abilities is to shapeshift because he was just trying to blend in to society.. My guess would be that if he was green most of the time someone would eventually take notice.

Oh yeah definitely! So maybe he is perfect after all.

 

[vantheman77]

Smallville nailed Clark before he's Superman when he's introspective. Lois and Lex they got right. Out of the heroes, they got Zatanna, Hawkman, Star Girl, Supergirl, Dr. Fate, Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, and Toyman right.