The Last Son of Krypton
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| Characters | Episodes | Movies | Comics | Video games | Cast and crew | Broadcasting | Awards | DVD releases |
| Superman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| “The Last Son of Krypton” | |
| Image:Stas001.jpg Brainiac confronts Jor-El on Krypton | |
| Episode no. | Season 01 Episode 01, 02, 03 |
| Writer(s) | Alan Burnett Paul Dini |
| Director | Dan Riba Scott Jeralds Curt Geda Bruce Timm |
| Production no. | 001, 002, 003 |
| Original airdate | September 6, 1996 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "-" | "Fun And Games" |
"The Last Son of Krypton" is a three-part episode of Superman: The Animated Series that forms the first 3 episodes of the series. It details Superman's origins, with the first episode focusing solely on Superman's father, Jor-El, and his home planet, 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.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] The Destruction of Krypton (Part I)
Jor-El conducts research in the desolate northern region of Krypton, looking for evidence of his theory that the planet is doomed to explode soon. After his research is complete, he reports his findings to Krypton's ruling council, which includes his father-in-law Sul-Van, who believes that Jor-El's theories will only cause him to lose respect amongst the scientific community. Brainiac, Krypton's planet-wide computer, dismisses Jor-El's findings, and the council blindly agrees with Brainiac, despite Jor-El's warnings that they are too dependent on the machine.
After breaking into Brainiac's central unit, Jor-El discovers that he was right about Krypton's imminent destruction. Knowing that the planet is doomed to explode in a matter of hours, Brainiac lied so that, rather than waste time on preparing an evacuation plan, he could secretly download himself into a satellite and escape the planet's destruction; according to his programming, the survival of Krypton's knowledge is more important than that of its people. Jor-El is tempted to destroy Brainiac then and there, but Brainiac reminds him that without him, 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 evades them.
At Jor-El's home, Sul-Van looks through Jor-El's research and discovers that it is actually quite sound. Jor-El arrives home and quickly makes preparations for his emergency plan. To save Krypton, he had planned to send all its people except himself into the Phantom Zone, then travel to Earth in a one-man spaceship he had designed, in order to release them. Now, he can only use the ship to save his son, Kal-El. Sul-Van is skeptical of this plan, but he ultimately agrees to distract the police while Jor-El and his wife, 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, saying that her place is with Jor-El. Kal-El's ship is soon launched and successfully lifts off. In another part of the planet's orbit, Brainiac's satellite launches into space. As Jor-El and Lara kiss, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions rock Krypton, and then the entire planet explodes.
As Kal-El sleeps peacefully inside his ship, followed by a swarm of green-glowing fragments of Krypton (later known as Kryptonite), it enters a wormhole in space and disappears.
[edit] Clark Kent (Part II)
Kal-El's spaceship reaches Earth's solar system, and makes touchdown in Smallville, Kansas. The ship is quickly discovered by Martha and Jonathan Kent, who decide to adopt him despite some reluctance from Jonathan. Martha decides to name the infant foundling "Clark," after her maiden name.
The episode skips forward several years, where Clark Kent is now a teenager attending Smallville High. Clark has been developing some strange superhuman powers recently, and confides about 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 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. He 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 powers he will gain from Earth's Sun; they also warn him that his powers may bring fear and hatred from others, but that he should never use them in anger. This message, however, only serves to further alienate Clark, who runs off in distress. However, he is able to cheer himself up after discovering his ability of flight.
[edit] Superman (Part II-III)
The episode takes another leap forward in time. Clark Kent, now an adult, has gotten a job at the Daily Planet in Metropolis. He has also secretly used his superpowers to commit good deeds, these deeds being credited to a "guardian angel" by news reporters. At the Planet, Clark becomes acquainted with his editor, Perry White, as well as his co-workers Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
Clark and Lois are sent to cover the unveiling of Lex Luthor's newest military weapon, a powerful battlesuit dubbed the "Lexoskel 5000." During the ceremony, John Corben and a team of mercenaries attack and steal the Lexoskel. Clark, in his superhero identity, attempts to pursue, but is distracted when a stray missile from Corben's plane destroys the wing of an incoming passenger jet.
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 his parents, Superman decides to have a private interview with Lois to earn the people's trust. Although he does not reveal his secret identity, he does tell Lois of his Kryptonian background.
Clark and Lois visit Lexcorp, where Luthor bemoans the loss of his battlesuit. Clark theorizes aloud that the theft will actually work out well for Luthor - now that the suit is in the hands of terrorists or a rogue nation, The Pentagon will undoubtedly contract with Luthor to build a bigger, better version.
Doing research in the Planet's archives, Clark finds a photo of Luthor with the regent of Kaznia, which the United States has a trade embargo with. Clark theorizes that, because Luthor couldn't sell the suit directly to Kaznia, he arranged the theft on purpose, thus making a sale while also securing a bigger deal with the U.S. government. Lois likes the theory, then takes off to investigate it herself.
Having worked the docks before on a gun-smuggling story, Lois finds a Kaznian tanker ship, aboard which Corben has hidden the Lexoskel. Lois is captured after spotting the device, and is about to be killed when Superman intervenes. Corben climbs into the Lexoskel in order to have a fighting chance against Superman. The fight drags out across Metropolis until Superman quite literally tears the suit apart, forcing Corben to surrender.
Superman then pays a visit to Luthor's office. At first, only Luthor talks as Superman gives him 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 powers to help Luthor, but Superman remains silent. Finally, Luthor loses his composure and throws a small model of the Lexoskel at Superman, who catches it and crushes it between his hands. He says, "I'll be watching you, Luthor", 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 Schmidt | 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] Quotes
- Martha Kent: Still, it wouldn't be bad if people knew a little more about Superman. I don't want anyone thinking you're like that nut in Gotham City.
- Superman: (after dismantling the suit) Shall we go a few rounds without the suit?
John Corben: Uh-uh.
Superman: Too bad.
[edit] Continuity
- Brainiac's next appearance is in the episode "Stolen Memories."
- John Corben is destined to become Metallo in "The Way of All Flesh."
- Jor-El's original plan to use his spaceship to save Krypton's population in the Phantom Zone explains the presence of the zone projector inside the ship, which Superman finds in "Blasts From The Past."
- Ma Kent says that an interview would be good to let people know Superman is not like that nut in Gotham City.
[edit] Trivia
- Argos, the DCAU 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 mentioned by Jor-El, when he claims his plan to explain Krypton by sending the entire population, save for one person, into the 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 Kal-El's spaceship in a later episode.
- Pete Ross makes a cameo appearance in the scene in Smallville. He is mentioned by name but has no dialogue.
- 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). The other is "New Kids in Town."
- In coining the term "Superman", Lois makes reference to Nietzsche's ideal of the Ubermensch, though this may represent a misunderstanding of Nietzche's meaning. (See Ubermensch in popular culture. The term is used again in the Justice League episode "The Savage Time" by Vandal Savage, though he is referring to J'onn J'onzz, and his reference likewise represents a misunderstanding of the concept. (See common misconceptions of the Ubermensch)
