Smallville Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Injustice" is the twenty-first episode in the eighth season of Smallville, and the one hundred-seventy-third episode overall. It aired on May 7, 2009.

Summary[]

Chloe returns and begs Clark to kill Davis, claiming she can no longer keep the beast under control. Tess has assembled a team of meteor freaks, including Plastique, to track down Davis so Clark can kill him. However, things get out of hand once Tess's team discovers she is double-crossing them.

Recap[]

→ see also Category:Screencaps from episode 8x21

00138

Tess and Clark at the Daily Planet.

Tess is at her office at the Daily Planet talking to someone on her cell phone when Clark comes in to confront her over her running articles on Davis's killing spree. Tess points out that Clark is the one endangering people, and once Davis kills someone else, Clark will know where to find him and kill his arch-nemesis. Clark refuses to be Tess's white knight and tells her Chloe is a hostage, but Tess wonders if he's afraid to find Davis because he can't face what he'll have to do. She tells him to embrace the inevitable. With his super hearing, Clark suddenly hears Chloe calling his name and asking for help. He super speeds out of the office to investigate.

00242

Chloe about to get hit by a truck.

Someone is in pursuit of Chloe, chasing her in the woods. Chloe screams for Clark's help. Then, as she stands on a road frozen in the lights of an oncoming truck, Clark superspeeds in and saves her before she gets hit. Chloe hugs him as Clark assures her it's okay. He's unaware that a woman wielding electrical powers is watching from the shadows, along with Bette (aka Plastique) and two other men.

00432

Clark and Chloe talk about what happened.

Later, at the Kent farm, Chloe explains that she and Davis were staying in a motel, but Davis wouldn't let her leave. When they left and stopped at a gas station, she ran away. However, Chloe says that even with Clark, she doesn't feel safe. She tells Clark that he needs to destroy Doomsday.

Plastique and one of the men, Parasite, are called in to help the woman with electrical powers, Livewire, who is with the fourth man, Neutron, who was recently killed by Doomsday. Tess arrives and reminds them that she trained the team of four to work together until she could call in the Traveler. Livewire wants to leave the team, but Plastique points out that Tess helped them all out and gave them a chance to do good. Livewire doesn't believe it, but before she can walk away, Parasite sneaks up behind her and absorbs her powers. Plastique promises they won't let Tess down. Livewire wonders what Tess is going to do with her.

00558

Tess is confronted by Livewire.

Clark checks in with Oliver who says that his team hasn't found any sign of Doomsday. Clark thinks there's something that will work but he needs Oliver's help, and even Lex Luthor's help. He thinks Tess has the black kryptonite from Lex's research and asks Oliver to steal it. Oliver agrees to help and says that Clark can always count on him. He then talks about how they sometimes have to do what's necessary, no matter what.

Clark goes to the barn and removes the crystal from its hiding place. Chloe emerges and asks what he's doing. He explains that he plans to save Davis and wasn't going to tell her until afterward. Clark also says that Oliver is helping him but Clark didn't tell him his whole plan, which is to use the black kryptonite which Oliver is getting to split Davis from Doomsday, and then send Doomsday to the Phantom Zone. Chloe insists she was wrong when she stopped Clark from doing that earlier, but Clark insists the plan will work and he needs to find the last bit of good in Davis to save. Dr. Emil Hamilton sends Clark a message saying Doomsday has struck again.

00908

Dr. Emil helps Clark and Chloe.

At a garage in Granville, Clark & Chloe meet with Emil, who is digging out a bone spur from a wall. There are two corpses present, and Emil confirms that the bodies were both meteor-infected and hunting Doomsday. However, he points out that Livewire was killed by a small, temporal-lobe GPS implant that exploded and was triggered by whoever planted it. Chloe seemingly panics and says she's going outside, overriding Clark's concerns. Emil says that something else is going on and Chloe came to him looking for a cure.

Outside, Chloe calls Plastique and meets with her & Parasite. They confirm that Livewire was alive when they left, but Chloe warns that Tess may be lying to them. Parasite & Plastique defend Tess, but Chloe wonders if Tess chipped all of them, including herself, when they were at Black Creek. The others leave.

01282

Oliver and Tess.

Tess is monitoring Chloe's call to Plastique when Oliver comes in and offers some really classy wine for a celebration of a new geo-thermal center. Tess says she doesn't care, and Oliver notes that she used to care about such things. Despite Oliver's best efforts, Tess tells him to leave. In the elevator, Oliver gets Tess's fingerprint from the wine bottle with a handheld scanner, and smirks.

01418

Clark discovers that Chloe was Eva Greer.

At Isis, Chloe is going over photos when Clark arrives to ask why she left without telling him and ignored his calls. Chloe apologizes, but Clark wonders if he can trust her and asks what's going on. Chloe admits that she knew Livewire, aka Leslie Willis, and discovered she was part of a team assembled by Tess. One of them is Eva Greer, Tess's assistant who was meteor-infected and who Tess betrayed. Before Chloe can say anything further, Chloe clutches her head in pain and collapses and dies. Clark is grief-stricken over his friend's death, but then 'Chloe' transforms into Eva, and he calls in Emil, who explains Eva was a shapeshifter. He warns that the real Chloe could be caught in the crossfire as Tess tries to track down Davis, and that Tess may kill the other members of the team. Clark asks him to isolate the GPS signal, so they can track Tess's team.

In Metropolis, Plastique tries to get hold of Eva via cell phone but is unsuccessful. Clark tracks her down and offers her his help. He tells her that Tess killed Eva and Livewire, but Plastique doesn't believe him until he shows her the GPS tracker targeting herself. She vows vengeance on Tess, but Clark tries to stop her. Parasite then emerges and grabs Clark. He drains Clark's powers but is knocked back by the intensity. He remarks that he thought Clark's only power was super speed. Parasite is about to attack Clark again, but Plastique says that Clark can do nothing to stop them. He whisks Plastique away as a powerless Clark looks on.

01848

Oliver is knocked out.

Oliver as Green Arrow breaks into the Mansion.  He goes to Tess's room and opens the hidden safe using the duplicated fingerprint he retrieved. Inside he finds many of Lex's relics, including the black kryptonite. He then hears Tess coming down the hallway. Tess comes in and finds an undressed Oliver in her bed. She tells him to leave, and he gets out of the bed naked. He reminds her of a vacation they spent together where they were naked and suggests she still has some feelings for him. Suddenly the wall explodes and Oliver is knocked out by the flying debris. Parasite & Plastique come in and advance on Tess, who tries to activate their explosive implants, but nothing happens. Parasite tells her he used Livewire's power to knock out their implants. He then knocks Tess out.

01968

Tess is confronted by Plastique and Parasite.

Clark & Emil try to call Tess and warn her, but are too late.  Emil lends the powerless Clark a fast car to get to Smallville.  Tess wakes up tied to a chair in the study. Parasite tortures her, but Tess claims Eva & Livewire betrayed him and Plastique. Plastique wants the Black Creek files, so they can form their own league. Clark then comes in and warns them away. Plastique knocks Tess out while Parasite moves in. Clark tries to get through to Plastique, but is unsuccessful as she tells him she'd rather be with the bad guys.

Suddenly, Oliver shoots Plastique through the shoulder, swings in, and uses Lex's kryptonite ring to fell Parasite. He then viciously beats Parasite, but Clark calms him down and gets him to stop.  Clark tells Parasite he must give back Clark's powers to stop the pain. Parasite does so, and passes out from the strain. Clark turns to see Oliver carrying Tess out.

02062

Clark gets his powers back.

The next day, Clark visits Oliver at LuthorCorp as the latter is putting the black kryptonite in a drawer. Oliver explains that Plastique and Parasite are securely locked away. Clark wants to know why Oliver has the kryptonite ring, and Oliver explains that he took it from Lex after killing him. Clark wonders if Oliver plans to use it on him if Oliver disagrees with his decisions, but Oliver insists that Clark will do the same thing when he has to kill Davis. Clark tells him that he'll handle Davis in his own way and Oliver gives him the black kryptonite. Oliver realizes that Clark isn't going to kill Doomsday, but Clark explains his plan. Oliver wonders how many more lives he's willing to sacrifice, but Clark insists they can't descend to the level of the people they fight.

02302

Clark and Tess in the barn.

At the barn, Clark puts the black kryptonite away. Then, he goes to get the crystal, only to find it's gone. Then Tess appears, and Clark realizes that Eva told her about the crystal. Tess claims Lex implanted the chips and they malfunctioned, but Clark doesn't believe her. She tells him that she has destroyed the crystal so that Clark now has no choice, but to kill Davis, and insists she's doing it for Clark, so he can fulfill his destiny. Clark says that she's no better than Lex and walks away. Tess tells him that she won't turn her back on Clark the way that Lex did and that the decision is no longer Clark's. He wonders why she wants Davis dead, and Tess says an entire civilization's survival depends on it. Tess walks away, leaving Clark to wonder what she means.

02508

Tess listens to the voice of the orb.

At the Mansion, Tess notices a glowing purple light from the study. She goes in to find the orb glowing with energy. It lifts into the air and a voice asks if Clark is ready to fulfill the prophecy. The orb glows again and the voice tells her that she will be the savior of Kandor.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Mentioned[]

Title[]

  • Injustice means being unjust or violating the rights of others.
  • Tess's team of supervillains is the Smallville version of the Injustice League.
  • Bette tells Tess that after they get information about the other Black Creek prisoners, they will "reach out to everyone who has suffered Tess's injustice, and form their own league".
  • This episode features the first appearance of the Injustice League, just as the episode Justice featured the debut of the Justice League.

Notes[]

  • Antagonist: Tess Mercer, Parasite and Plastique.
  • The symbol on the jackets of the Injustice League matches the symbol on the Orb.
  • Tess has been gathering meteor freaks since taking over at LuthorCorp.
  • This is the only appearance of Livewire, Neutron, and Parasite, who are all based on the comics. This is also the first appearance of the Injustice League of the comics.
  • Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Davis Bloome do not appear in this episode (and, technically, neither does Chloe Sullivan; see below in trivia).
  • This is the third episode to feature black kryptonite, following Crusade and Onyx.

In Other Media[]

  • Livewire, Neutron, and Parasite make 49 DC Comics characters adapted into the series.
  • Superman: The Animated Series involved a team up between Parasite and Livewire, with the former constantly trying to drain the latter's powers (and succeeding toward the end of the episode).
  • Superman: Doomsday had Lex Luthor implanting an explosive device similar to the ones in this episode inside the Superman clone he created. There, after discovering it, the clone used a mirror and his heat vision to drill a hole in his head, and then pincers to pull it out.
  • When Green Arrow is using Lex's kryptonite ring on Parasite, he strongly resembles Green Lantern, whose ring can be used to simulate the effects of green kryptonite. In the comics, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow and Hal Jordan/Green Lantern are best friends and they team up on several occasions.
  • This is another instance of Green Arrow being used as a surrogate for Batman; in the comics, Batman carries green kryptonite in his utility belt in case he needs to stop a rogue Superman.
  • The kryptonite ring is based on one worn by Lex Luthor in the comics when he was first revised by John Byrne as a ruthless, multi-millionaire businessman. Lex wore the ring at all times to make sure Superman kept his distance. Eventually the radiation from the ring infected Lex's hand to the point where his hand had to amputated. Afterwards, the ring passed through several hands before it was found by Superman and Batman. Superman entrusted the ring to Batman and it's that ring which has the kryptonite in Batman's utility belt. In the show, Oliver Queen as the show's Batman surrogate, takes the ring from Lex after killing him.

Trivia[]

  • While walking down a street, Clark says he's at the corner of Marshall and Beeman, a reference to two directors of Smallville, James Marshall and Greg Beeman.
  • When Clark finds Parasite after Eva dies of the implanted GPS, he is using a PlayStationPortable (PSP) as the device to track Plastique.
  • Although Allison Mack appears, she does not play the real Chloe, but rather Eva Greer in the form of Chloe. This is, therefore, the first time that the real Chloe has not been in an episode since Season Four's Sacred.
  • Tess tells Clark that "if everyone was more like you, the world would be a better place". Chloe says a similar line in Arrival.

Continuity[]

  • Bette Sans Souci was recruited by Tess in Plastique.
  • Tess tells Clark that when she finds Davis, he will finally be able to "slay the proverbial dragon". Ironically, in the episode Eternal, when a young Davis and Lex Luthor were fighting with mock swords, Lex said that he was St. George and Davis was the evil dragon that had to be slayed because he threatened to destroy the world.
  • Emil Hamilton was the doctor who saved John Jones' life after he was shot in Bulletproof. He also helped Chloe by trying to cure Davis Bloome in Beast.
  • Oliver uses Lex's kryptonite ring, which he acquired in Requiem after killing Lex.
  • Clark discovers that Oliver was the one who killed Lex in Requiem.
  • Tess uses the orb, which Lex first found in Quest and was revealed to be in Tess's possession in Eternal.
  • The black kryptonite was last seen in Onyx
  • As Allison Mack does not play the real Chloe, this is the fourth episode this season to feature only 3 main characters and the 2nd time that Tess has had the honor of being one of them.
  • After months of suspicion and speculation, Tess finally gets proof of Clark's secret through Eva's information about what Clark told her, thinking she was Chloe, about his parents once using black kryptonite "to split off my Kryptonian side".
  • Kandor was first mentioned by Kara in Season Seven and first seen in Lara.
  • The Injustice League are searching for Doomsday after he left town with Chloe in Beast.
  • Emil lends a powerless Clark a Lamborghini to get to Smallville. Clark stole and drove a Lamborghini briefly in Exile.
  • When discussing Davis's fate, Tess says to Clark: "You can't tell me that no one has ever escaped the Phantom Zone." In fact, eleven people have escaped the Phantom Zone: General Zod escaped with Brainiac's help (Vessel), Clark, Raya and six Zoners escaped using a House of El backdoor (Zod), and Faora, Lois, Clark, and Kara all escaped with Chloe's help in Bloodline.
  • Eva Greer shares the same last name with Tina Greer, who also was able to shapeshift. Tina Greer first appeared in Season One's X-Ray and died in Season Two's Visage.
  • Security Guard George was last seen in Eternal.

Spoilers[]

  • Up to the end of Season Nine, this is the last episode to feature meteor infected humans or the Isis Foundation.
  • Kara left Smallville in Bloodline to find Kandor, but ironically the key to its salvation is in Smallville with the Orb.
  • Oliver asks Clark, "how many more lives he's willing to sacrifice?", technically Clark's methods of defeating Doomsday, resulted in Jimmy losing his life in Doomsday. Though Davis' life was spared, he only lived long enough to be killed by a dying Jimmy, in order to protect Chloe.

Locations[]


Quotes[]

Tess: Well, you seem to be taking my open-door policy a little liberally these days, don't you?
Clark: I guess I assumed after you ambushed me in my barn and accused me of being an alien Jesus that we had dropped any formalities.

Clark: (to Tess) This is not some fairy tale. Obviously, there's some dark part of you that needs to be saved, but I am not your white knight.

Eva-as-Chloe: (to Clark, referring to Doomsday) He's still out there. Anything that was good in him is now gone. No one's safe. Not until you destroy that beast.

Tess: Your mission was to find him and then wait until I sent the Traveler!
Livewire: Is that all you can think about? ... I am not gonna be the opening act to this Traveler when you won't even clue us in to who it is!

Tess: If we find that beast, you will save so many lives. You can't walk away from that.
Livewire: Watch me. Go find another sucker to be your hero.

Clark: Great. Now that Tess made Davis public enemy number one, we've got super-charged bounty hunters on the case.

Oliver: How's Chloe?
Clark: Something happened. I can't believe I put her through something like this again. First Brainiac and now Davis. It's not even over yet. He's still out there.
Oliver: Yeah, something tells me that without his beauty to soothe the beast, we don't have much time.

Oliver: Well, it's been a while, but I could probably find my way into the Ice Queen's vault.
Clark: Thank you. I knew I could count on you.
Oliver: That's never gonna change.

Oliver: (striding in) Your secretary said you were out. If your assignment was to insult your new business partner, you get an A+.
Tess: And you flunked getting the hint.

Tess: Where the hell are your pants?
Oliver: Yeah... yeah, I hid my pants.

Oliver: We're supposed to be the good guys. But sometimes we have to get our hands dirty, do what's necessary. It's the only option.

Clark: I'm gonna save Davis.
Eva-as-Chloe: What? When did you plan on telling me this?
Clark: I wasn't gonna tell you till after I took care of it.
Eva-as-Chloe: Clark, you told me that you sent Oliver on a mission to find your own brand of Kryptonian hemlock.
Clark: I lied.

Clark: (to Eva-as-Chloe) Look, I've already got reasons not to trust Oliver, but now you? First you want me to save Davis, now, you're asking me to kill him, so I need to know what's going on. I know you're hiding something.

Emil: When it comes to affairs of the heart, everyone uses secrets and lies to protect the ones they love.

Clark: Sometimes justice... it's not about making the easy decision. Sometimes it's about finding that last bit of good in someone and saving them from themselves.

Parasite: (to Clark, after stealing his powers) Oh, dude. I thought you were just fast on your feet. You're so much more.

Plastique: You can afford to do the right thing, Clark. Nobody can hurt you because you're some kind of super freak. Me? I want real justice, and I'm gonna make sure I get it.

Clark: I don't see anything.
Emil: All right, turn north, and walk about 30 feet. It's not faster than a speeding bullet, but it'll get you there pretty quick.

Tess: I'm not about to let the world get taken over by a bunch of freaks.

Clark: Get away from her.
Parasite: Gutsy move, coming in with no firepower.

Clark: You're better than this, Bette. I know you are.
Plastique: It's Plastique now. And no, I'm not. If being better means letting people like her get away with murder, we'd rather be the bad guys.

Clark: You know that ring can kill me. Why would you make something like that?
Oliver: I didn't make it. I took the ring. After I took Lex Luthor's life.

Oliver: You know what, this is great. Really, really great. You don't have the guts to take out that murdering bastard. I come in, I mop up your mess, and what do you do? You get all self-righteous on me. We do what we have to do, Clark! Deep down in your heart, you know that was my only choice, because you're gonna do the exact same thing when you find Davis Bloome.

Oliver: How many more lives are you willing to sacrifice if your plan fails this time, Clark? Put your ego aside. You have a responsibility.
Clark: My responsibility is to do what's right! Like it or not, we stand for something. We set an example for others to follow and if we don't, then we're no better than the people we fight.

Oliver: We're still on the same side.
Clark: No, we're not.

Orb: Is Kal-El ready to fulfill the prophecy?
Tess: I did as you asked. The crystal has been destroyed.
Orb: Then you shall be the savior of Kandor.

Tess: (referring to Chloe) If you're so worried about her getting hurt... why are you fighting my help, hmm? Maybe it's because you're actually afraid to find Davis. Because the pure and virtuous Clark Kent can't face what he'll have to do. What you were destined to do, when that moment comes.

Clark: This isn't your battle.
Tess: So you admit that it's yours?

Clark: You're so delusional you put together a small army to make some fictional prophecy come true.
Tess: Clark, the mark of a true hero is somebody who's willing to sacrifice their own personal morality to help keep the world safe.
Clark: No one has the right to choose who lives and dies. I was beginning to think that you were different from Lex. I was wrong.

Tess: I understand that if everyone was more like you, the world would be a better place. But the truth is that that's out of your hands now. You can't avoid your fate.
Clark: Lex did teach me one thing. The word 'fate' is used by people who've lost sight of who they are. Why are you so determined to see Davis Bloome die?
Tess: That's simple, Clark. An entire civilization's survival depends on it.

References[]


Previous Story:
Beast
Next Story:
Doomsday
EpisodesSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Minor CharactersSeason 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

Screencaps: Season 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10

CategoriesMain Characters · Relationships · Villains

ComicsThe Comic · Season 11 · Miniseries


Advertisement