Superman & Lois episode 4’s big reveal could be a sign that the Arrowverse will take a cue from Smallville and show that Kryptonians were living on Earth long before Clark’s arrival. At the end of the episode, a stash of a mineral known as X-Kryptonite was found underneath Smallville.
X-Kryptonite, which originated from the comic books, appears to be integral to the plans of Morgan Edge (Adam Rayner), whose presence in Smallville has been a major point of interest for characters like Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch). Now, it looks like Edge will use X-Kryptonite to fulfill some sort of nefarious goal. While it may be a vital part of Edge’s scheme, it could additionally lead to new stories unrelated to the DC Comics gangster. It’s possible that the introduction of X-Kryptonite on Superman & Lois will lead to some huge revelations about Kryptonians. In fact, what the show explains about them could draw direct inspiration from Smallville, which made some big changes to their comic history.
Through Supergirl, it’s become clear that Kal-El and his cousin aren’t the only members of their species to have lived on Earth. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) battled genetically-engineered villains who were living there in secret. She’s also crossed paths with other Kryptonian visitors as well. If Superman & Lois goes down the same path as Smallville, it could establish that there were Kryptonians on Earth before the planet was destroyed. Going this route would have some interesting implications for the series. Here’s why this may be what Superman & Lois is building toward, and what it would mean for the show.
Superman & Lois’ X-Kryptonite Creates A New Arrowverse Mystery
At the end of episode, Morgan Edge and his workers uncovered a large amount of X-Kryptonite hidden within the Shuster Mines in Smallville. In the comics, it can be used to give humans the powers of Clark's people for a short period of time. According to Edge, there’s enough there for him to raise an “army”. What Edge doesn’t explain is how X-Kryptonite could be under Smallville. Obviously, this is the place where Clark’s spaceship crashed, but that doesn’t make sense of why so many Kryptonian minerals are hidden deep underneath the town. It’s hard to imagine how the crashing of Clark’s ship could be responsible for something like this. The existence of the X-Kryptonite raises some interesting questions about how it found its way underground, and if someone intentionally hid it there long ago. This is a mystery that will hopefully be cleared up later.
Smallville’s Kawatche Caves & Kryptonian History Explained
A Kryptonian-related discovery in the Shuster Mines draws parallels to a big find that Smallville’s Clark (Tom Welling) made in season 2. While riding dirt bikes with Pete Ross (Sam Jones III), Clark accidentally fell into a long-buried cave. He found out that this place once belonged to a Native American tribe called the Kawatche. By observing the paintings on the cave walls and speaking with descendants of the tribe, Clark was shocked to learn that he shared a connection to them. Transcribed on the walls was a prophecy about Naman, a man who fell from the stars and possessed the ability to shoot fire from his eyes. A modern-day member of the tribe, Professor Willowbrook (Gordon Tootoosis), became convinced that Clark was Naman, and before long, Clark began to believe it himself.
The walls were also filled with the Kryptonian language, which Clark became obsessed with deciphering. It was partially through them that Clark found out about his heritage and what he was destined for. Also, the Kawatche Caves held other secrets that Clark was able to use to his benefit during his journey to becoming Superman. As for how the Kawatche had access to this knowledge, it was suggested that it came directly from a Kryptonian. Willowbrook told Clark that “a man from the stars” visited the Native Americans 500 years ago and fell in love with a woman who became the “mother” of the Kawatche tribe. During his stay with the Native Americans, the visitor shared stories with them and presumably told them about the coming of Naman. What all this indicates is that somehow a Kryptonian from the distant past knew that Clark would come to Earth, and made secret preparations for his arrival. It could be that if he knew this much, he may have believed that Clark Kent represented the future of their species. Plus, he may not have been the only Kryptonian to know about Superman’s birth before the planet’s destruction. The Stones of Power were scattered across the Earth hundreds of years ago so that Clark could unite them and create the Fortress of Solitude.
Kryptonians Could Have Come To Smallville Before Superman
It could be that what was found in the Shuster Mines will lead to Morgan Edge uncovering Superman & Lois’ interpretation of the Kawatche Caves. If so, he could find a place filled with Kryptonian symbols, and other characters could begin researching them. This could set in motion more interesting reveals about Kryptonian history. Similar to what occurred in Smallville, it seems plausible that Kryptonians came to Earth centuries before Krypton was destroyed. In fact, they may have come to the exact location that Clark did. That would make sense, if Superman & Lois is following in Smallville’s footsteps. The Kryptonians and Clark just happening to land in the same Kansas town would be too big of a coincidence, which is why there must be a connection of some kind. Like the mysterious man who visited the Native Americans in Smallville, the Arrowverse’s ancient Kryptonians could have come to Smallville because one of them could see the future, and knew that one day the Last Son of Krypton would live there. The difference between the two continuities would be that this Clark didn’t need their guidance to become Superman. Even so, what they left behind could still have its uses in the future. Clark could use their knowledge to battle a later threat, or it could be used by Superman & Lois' villains for evil purposes. That may already be happening with the X-Kryptonite, which could have been brought to the planet by the Kryptonians for an unknown reason.
It’s worth wondering what it would mean in the long run if Superman & Lois did adapt the Kawatche Caves, the Naman and Sageeth prophecy, and the ancient link between Clark’s hometown and Krypton. In Smallville, this addition to the Superman mythos was sadly abandoned before it could be fully explored, so hopefully the Arrowverse won’t repeat this in Superman & Lois. It would be better for the series to go deeper with it than Smallville did, and provide some in-depth explanations on its ancient Kryptonians, how they knew about Clark, and what ultimately happened to them.