Frederick Walden
From Smallville Wiki
| |
| Frederick Walden | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Linguist, author |
| Powers and Abilities | Energy emission |
| Played By | Rob LaBelle |
| Status | Deceased (Calling) |
| Appeared In | Rush, Rosetta, Calling |
Dr. Frederick Walden was a world-renowned linguist. He was arrogant, aloof, and preferred to work alone. He was not interested in sharing his findings with Lex Luthor until Lex threatened him.
He published a book entitled Deciphering the Mysteries of Hieroglyphics, which Clark Kent used to study the etchings in the Kawatche Caves. Lex Luthor discovered Clark's copy of the book and hired Dr. Walden to translate the strange markings.
At first, Dr. Walden was not interested in working with Lex no matter how much he was going to pay him, but when he got to see them firsthand, his interest was piqued. Against Dr. Walden's wishes, Lex provided Clark with unlimited access to the caves because he was convinced that Clark knew more about the markings than he let on. Dr. Walden was doubtful that a Kansas farm boy could have deciphered the language and continued to balk at Clark's presence in the caves.
After Clark put the key into the identically-shaped impression in the cave wall, it flew out and wedged itself sideways into the opposite wall. Dr. Walden pried it out and also put it in the slot. However, the resulting burst of energy short-circuited his cerebral cortex and put him into a coma. Doctors declared him catatonic due to a sort of "information overload" and predicted that he would probably not recover. Dr. Walden was transferred to Belle Reve.
When Clark's ship began to broadcast a Kryptonian message, Dr. Walden's brain functions normalized and he woke up. Also able to hear the message, he kept repeating the phrase "The day is coming." He continued to slowly improve, eventually scribbling Kryptonian symbols all over the ceiling of his padded hospital room. Walden gained energy-projection powers, burst out of his room, and escaped to the Kawatche Caves. He discovered that the messages were for Clark and tried to expose Clark's alien origins to Lex. He ranted that Lex must kill Clark until Lex's security guards tasered him.
On the way to the hospital, Dr. Walden came out of sedation, shorted out the ambulance, and escaped to recover the Key at the Kent farm. Clark encountered him and he emitted bursts of energy that threw Clark several feet. While trying to destroy Clark, Walden caused an explosion that incinerated himself and burned the key's imprint into his palm. Lionel Luthor used this imprint to create a duplicate key out of refined kryptonite.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Upon emerging from his coma, Dr. Walden gained the ability to emit powerful rays of energy from his hands that seemed to have multiple purposes; destructive (as seen when he blasted Clark through the wall of the barn) and telekinesis (as seen when he levitated Clark and rearranged the symbols of the Kawatche Caves). Interestingly enough, the energy blast that put him to coma, looked just like when he used his ability.
[edit] Notes
- Rob LaBelle, who played Dr Walden, also appeared on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, in the episode "Just Say Noah".
