Clark and Lex
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"You're closer to me than any...blood-brother." –-Lex Luthor to Clark, Lucy
Clark and Lex's first encounter with one another actually occurred the day Clark's ship crashed to Earth during the meteor shower of 1989. Lex was in a nearby cornfield and was injured. While Jonathan and Martha were driving away from the crash site, they encountered Lex's father Lionel Luthor, who begged them to save his injured son. The five of them made their way to safety.
They met again when Clark was 14 years old and Lex was 21. Jaded by his father's upbringing, Lex seemingly saw Clark as the personification of everything a person should be and a direct contrast to his own destructive and self-serving youth. He also idolized Clark's relationship with his father Jonathan, seeing it as something he would love but would never obtain with his own father. Clark viewed Lex as worldly and informed; quickly misjudged and intriguingly out of place in the small country town. Over the years, Clark and Lex formed an unlikely friendship in which Clark often asked Lex for advice and Lex met Clark's contemporaries and gained a new circle of friends in his new home.
Initially, Lex's fascination with unexplained phenomena ran concurrently but separately with his curiosity of Clark's background. Lex was willing to forgo parts of his investigations that directly involved Clark, but eventually, the two inevitably coincided. Clark and Lex's friendship broke down because Lex was now almost certain Clark was hiding something from him and did anything to figure out what it was. Clark declared their relationship was over when Lex allowed three metahuman prisoners to hold Clark's family hostage. They remained civil to each other for a time, but without their friendship restraining him, Lex descended into cruelty and manipulation in order to get to the bottom of super-powered individuals, believing himself to be serving the greater good of humankind. Lex's romantic relationship and subsequent victimization of Lana Lang also contributed to the complete dissolution of their relationship and reduction to its current animosity.
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[edit] Clark's secret
I could have helped you become a hero.-- Lex Luthor, to Clark Kent, Arctic
Although Lex does not exactly know the entire story behind Clark's alien origins, he has known there was something odd about his friend from the moment that Clark saved him by pulling him from the Elbow River. He was completely sure his car hit Clark and immediately doubtful of Clark's claim that he dove after him. Lex gave Clark the opportunity to share his secret on his own terms as their friendship grew, but often could not resist asking Clark prying questions. Clark used a temporary loss of his powers to "prove" his vulnerability. But Lex's curiosity was not that easily satisfied. He financed Dr Steven Hamilton's excavation of Miller's Field and blackmailed Roger Nixon into investigating the car crash. However, when Nixon's investigation proved to extremely violate the Kents' privacy, Lex demonstrated that he was not ready to trade Nixon's secrets for the Kents' lives and shot and killed him.
Even as he delved deeper into the mysteries of the Kawatche Caves, Lex backed off from Clark's secret for a while. However, Lex witnessed Clark's super powers while in a drug-induced psychosis, confirming his beliefs. But the memory was lost after an intense shock treatment. However, Lionel showed Clark a secret room in the mansion that compiled all the information Lex had gathered on Clark; it is unclear if any of it was due to recent investigation. In any case, Lex had the room cleared out and told Clark in 2004 that he was done obsessing over him and asked his forgiveness. Lex kept his promise and did not investigate Clark for almost a year. However, he did question Clark's immunity to an airborne toxin and took advantage of Clark's temporary amnesia to ask him questions about the Caves. He again "tested" Clark in 2005 and was frustrated watching him get burned from a security laser, but instantly knew that Clark had somehow "come back from the dead" after being shot. After Clark declared their friendship over for good, Lex shifted his focus to other unexplained phenomena, but continued to observe the strange goings-on involving Clark. Lex assumed that Clark was the fast-moving blur in a security camera photo and was fully aware that a chisel bent after he stabbed Clark with it. After the two were trapped in a cave-in, Lex directly questioned how Clark could be hurt, indicating that Lex is aware that Clark has some degree of powers or invulnerability, but doesn't know the circumstances which can weaken him.
After the sudden arrival of Clark's Kryptonian cousin Kara, Lex extended his curiosity towards her as well. It remains to be seen what Lex will do with his compounded knowledge of Clark and Kara's powers. Their animosity towards each other made it unlikely that Clark would ever willingly telling Lex the truth, but also invited the possibility that Lex would do anything to discover it. Lex created things like Project Scion and Project Ares based on his experiences. He tracked the mysterious individuals he has encountered (other Kryptonians), believing his projects will protect Earth from upcoming threats.
In 2008, Lex realized that the strange symbols that occur around town have a connection to Clark and used Kara's amnesia to gain her trust and learn more about them. When he began to have resurfacing memories about a secret society called Veritas to which his father belonged, he began a consuming interest in finding out the purpose of the group: to protect a mysterious alien being known as the Traveler. Lex began to believe that his destiny was to save mankind from the Traveler. Brainiac disguised as Kara confirmed to Lex that the Traveler and she were from the same planet, leading Lex to connect that Clark was, in fact, the Traveler. In the spring of 2008, Lex finally realized that his once-closest friend was an alien from outer space, and traveled to Clark's Fortress of Solitude to fulfill what he believed his destiny and destroy him.
Lex's realization left him bitter and betrayed. He told Clark that they could have accomplished anything together, and that if Clark had trusted him, he could have helped him become a hero.
[edit] Season 1
We have a new future, Clark, and I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship. -Lex Luthor, Pilot
Eleven years later, Lex and Clark met again when Lex drove his car off of Loeb Bridge, hitting Clark and sending both of them into the Elbow River. Clark rescued Lex from drowning and they struck up a friendship. Lex initially tried to shower Clark with gifts and favors, which was not received well by Jonathan Kent, who alluded to a distrust of Lionel Luthor.
Clark always stuck up for Lex, giving him the benefit of the doubt and trying to remain friends with him, despite his father's warnings.
Clark was taken with Lex's experience and maturity and frequently took advice from him, paying particular attention to his dating advice. Lex, quick to see that new cars would not be accepted by a humble farming family, tried to set up Clark with his neighbor, Lana Lang. The first time Clark ever asked Lana out on a date was at the behest of Lex, who offered him tickets to a concert and a free ride in a limo if he would ask Lana to the concert. Lex treated Clark much like a younger brother, trying to use his influence to improve Clark's quality of life.
The relationship between the two was very two-sided, even from the beginning. Despite the good-natured facade that was on the surface, Lex kept some secrets hidden from Clark. Suspecting that he was not an average teenager, Lex began to secretly investigate Clark and his family, gathering any information he could and keeping it in a locked room in his mansion. Despite his own curiosity, he averts Roger Nixon's plans to expose Clark's identity. The complicated relationship that Lex and Clark shared in Season 1 foreshadows their predestined relationship as hero and villain.
[edit] Season 2
"Clark Kent and Lex Luthor. I like the sound of that" -- Clark Kent in Red
After Mr. Kent discovered that Lex was investigating Clark through Roger Nixon, he sternly warned Clark to stay away from him. However, the friendship continued throughout the remainder of the season. Lex even invited Clark to his wedding to Desiree Atkins in Heat. In Lineage, the idea of Clark being Lex's stepbrother is brought to the forefront by a visit from Lionel Luthor's mistress, Rachel Dunleavy. However, it's proven false by the end of the episode. By the end of the season, though, Clark was friends again with Lex, and was even chosen as Lex's best man at his wedding to Helen Bryce.
[edit] Season 3
In Season 3, Clark and Lex still had a strong friendship. In an attempt to save Lex's life, he revealed his powers to Lex by taking the hit of a car. However, Lionel had Lex's mind erased of the past seven weeks, and Clark's secret remained safe. After Clark survived his stab wound and was healed by Jor-El, Clark learned that either Lex or Lionel would become his ultimate enemy when they both touched a knife that was supposed to be destroyed when the owner of the knife's ultimate enemy touched it, but because they both touched the knife at the same time Clark could not tell which one. When Lionel told Clark about Lex's secret room, which contained the evidence of Lex investigating his secrets, Clark declared that since Lex had not stopped researching him, their friendship was over.
[edit] Season 4
At the beginning of Season 4, Clark and Lex did reconcile; however, Clark saw more of a different side to Lex. Clark had no choice but to steal a Stone of Power from Lex, and put it in the altar in the Kawatche Caves.
[edit] Season 5
Clark and Lex's friendship ended during the Season 5 episode Mortal, when Clark learned that Lex was responsible for releasing three metahuman criminals who held hostage and almost killed Clark's parents and Lana. Clark went to Lex's mansion and angrily confronted Lex. He punched him and dared Lex to punch him back. When Lex did and Clark bled, Lex had proof that Clark was human, but he refused to believe that he was 100% normal and continued to believe that Clark was keeping a secret.
[edit] Season 6
Lex was possessed by a Kryptonian criminal named General Zod and defeated by Clark. Lex was later kidnapped and Lionel begged Clark to rescue him, though Clark said they didn't have much to do with each other. Lex no longer welcomed Clark in his mansion. Clark wasn't invited to Lex and Lana's engagement party but was invited to their wedding because Lex wanted him to see "what he had lost". But when Clark was under the influence of red kryptonite in Crimson, he crashed the party with Lois' help because she was also under influence of red kryptonite, and madly in love with him at the time. He then revealed to everyone in the room that Lana was pregnant.
When Moira Sullivan forced Chloe to confront Lex with a gun, Clark hesitated saving Lex. Clark and Lex later got trapped in an underground tunnel and they had a talk about their relationship. Lex said that Clark was the only true friend he ever had, and Clark wondered if maybe he gave up on Lex too soon.
[edit] Season 7
In the episode Bizarro, the Zoner Bizarro approached Lex for assistance in finding and killing Clark and was taken to an area of Reeves Dam that contained kryptonite, only for Lex to double cross him and and threaten to shoot him. Lex tried to trick Bizarro by showing him a room full of kryptonite which he thought would weaken him, but it only powered him up. He later tried to kill Bizarro only to be knocked unconscious.
In the episode Cure, Lex told Clark he was happy to be saved by him from Curtis Knox. He tried to kill Lex only for Clark to save him. Clark told Lex that he was just like Knox. Lex on the other hand informed Clark that Knox is immortal and that Lana Lang stole $10 million from him. Lana said that it was her divorce settlement and that she is helping all the meteor infected people that Lex hurt.
In the Action episode, Clark went to Lex for help when someone was trying to kill the main character's girlfriend, since Clark knows that Lex was a fan of the Warrior Angel comics. Lex helped Clark find the clues he needed to solve the mystery.
Their relationship now, isn't as dark as it was in season 6. Possibly due to Lana leaving Lex, Lex didn't have anyone to brag about. In Siren Clark was willing to let the Black Canary's daggers hit Lex, but destroyed Green Arrow's arrows and Lex's bullets. In Fracture, Clark learned more about Lex's childhood. Clark vowed to help the good in Lex. Lex mentioned to Kara about his former friendship with Clark, saying they stopped being friends because "he grew up".
When Lex killed Lionel, Clark already suspected Lex being responsible for his death. He met with Lex after Chloe received evidence on Lionel's death and started to sharpen the image to see if Lex really killed him. Lex wanted Clark to leave, as his father just died, but Clark refused to leave this time, saying he needed to know how he really died. In Lex's mind, his good side tries to get Lex to tell Clark the truth but Lex continues to "grieve" over his father's death to Clark. The two talk about how both Jonathan Kent and Lionel Luthor were both the same; they both thought of Clark a lot, even Lionel. Clark tells Lex he could've gotten the same thing if he tried but Lex tells him he did try, but he tried again when they met. Clark tells Lex he tried to be his friend but only wanted power and control. Lex lashes out at Clark at all the things that have happened in Smallville in the last seven years, believing nobody wouldn't stop it and that he had to take control and protect the world. Clark says Lex has been caught up in what's been going on in Smallville that he hasn't looked at the people around him. But Lex says that after so many years to gain Lionel's affections, he focused on Clark instead and wondered why his own father would do that. Clark simply says that Lionel probably trusted him more than Lex. Lex is nearly in tears when he responds, saying that Clark is the perfect son, but questions Clark on why Johnathan was always stressed, and believes that may have affected his heart. Clark gets angry and yells at Lex for blaming Clark for his father's death and says he's going to put Lex away for good, also implying he has proof. However, the evidence is erased from the Isis Foundation and Lex has only one person at the funeral:him. But Clark decides to go, believing Lionel deserves better. When the two meet at Lionel's grave, Lex walks away without sprinkling dirt onto his father's grave, but Clark decides to do it.
Any possible chance of Lex and Clark salvaging their friendship was ended when Lex, having been manipulated by Brainiac, used the Kryptonian control device to track down the Fortress of Solitude, where he confronted Clark and finally learned his secret. Believing that Clark- the 'Traveler' whose coming had been foretold by the Veritas Society- had to be destroyed in order to save the world, he inserted the device into the Fortress, somehow bringing Clark to his knees as the crystals of the Fortress began to fall apart around them.
