Look! Up in the sky...
Lois: I've been trying to interview Superman, but he keeps running away! Seriously, what is that guy so scared of?
Clark: Well, just a guess. Maaaybe he doesn't want you to… find-out-all-his-secrets-and-publish-them?
Lois: Yeah, but he doesn't know that's my plan!
Clark: Well, just a guess. Maaaybe he doesn't want you to… find-out-all-his-secrets-and-publish-them?
Lois: Yeah, but he doesn't know that's my plan!
— Season 1, Episode 3; "My Interview with Superman"
My Adventures with Superman is a 2023 animated superhero series based upon DC Comics’ very own Man of Steel, produced by Warner Bros. Animation for [adult swim] and Max. Featuring a highly Animesque take on the character, it is developed by Jake Wyatt (DuckTales (2017), Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus) and co-executive produced by Josie Campbell (Justice League Action, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power). Debuting on July 6, 2023, the series also marks the first solo Superman animated series since Superman: The Animated Series ended 23 years prior.
The show follows Clark Kent (Jack Quaid) as a budding intern reporter at the Daily Planet alongside fellow interns Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid). Haunted by a harrowing childhood discovery of his alien origins, Clark Kent has spent his life deliberately avoiding any answers about his true identity and his sudden arrival in rural Kansas. However, his carefully maintained anonymity is shattered when the relentlessly eager journalist Lois Lane drags him and his best friend, Jimmy Olsen, into investigating a ring of criminals.
The culprits have stolen suspiciously otherworldly technology from a mysterious government organization, plunging Clark directly onto the path of his long-lost Kryptonian heritage. Forced to navigate a world far bigger than he imagined while simultaneously adjusting to his new role as Superman and butting heads with the shadowy Task Force X, Clark must find time to save the day—and maybe, just maybe, take Lois out on a date.
A comic book mini-series of the same name was released on June 4th, 2024. Written by producer Josie Campbell with art by Pablo M. Collar, the comic is based on an unproduced episode of the show and serves as an interquel taking place between seasons one and two. Season 2 premiered on May 25th exclusively on Toonami, the anime block of Adult Swim. A third season has been greenlit
. On February 24, 2025, a spin-off series from Wyatt was announced in the form of My Adventures with Green Lantern, a Green Lantern series centered around the Jessica Cruz incarnation of the character.
Previews: Teaser, Trailer, Intro, Clip 1, Season 2 sneak peek, Season 2 trailer
Faster than a speeding trope:
General trope examples:
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#-C
- 20 Minutes into the Future: True to its epithet of "The City of Tomorrow", advanced technology is everywhere in Metropolis. Robot cleaners keep the city sparkling, Lois uses holograms while presenting a story to Perry, and both criminals and government agents are equipped with Energy Weapons.
- Abbey Road Crossing: A teaser image for Season 3 sees the main quartet crossing a street in this manner.
- Abled in the Adaptation: Slade still has both of his eyes in his appearances in early episodes. When he fights Superman in episode 5, his famous mask is symmetrical, uniformly orange with two eyeholes. Though in Episode 9, he loses his right eye to Livewire while she and several other villains are escaping Task Force X.
- Adaptational Attractiveness:
- In the second episode Slade Wilson (Deathstroke) debuts, looking younger than his usual middle-aged self, clean-shaven and not needing an eyepatch yet. While he is usually still depicted as ruggedly handsome for his age, this version is more akin to a Pretty Boy than a Silver Fox.
- Mr. Mxyzptlk has gone from an elderly-looking dwarf in a garish orange-and-purple outfit and bowler hat to an elf-like child in puffy robes who looks like he walked off the set of Dragon Ball. He has a relatively deep normal voice instead of the grating one he usually gets in voiced appearances.
- Adaptational Badass: While a dangerous opponent in any continuity, this version of Deathstroke wears Powered Armor that allows him to go toe to toe with Superman (although Clark still overpowers him when the battle begins to put innocent lives in danger).
- Adaptational Diversity: The show features a black Jimmy Olsen, a Korean Sam and Lois Lane and an Ambiguously Brown Cat Grant. As well as Heatwave and Ron Troupe being gender flipped.
- Adaptational Job Change:
- In most takes of the Superman mythos, Lois is well-established as star reporter of the Daily Planet, with Clark as the new up and comer with his stories about Superman, and Jimmy as the long established intern and/or junior photographer. Here, they're all interns and they have a lot of work to get to the top, while also becoming juniors to their usual colleagues Cat Grant, Ron Troupe, and Steve Lombard.
- In previous adaptations, Leslie Willis / Livewire starts off as a Shock Jock before gaining her powers. Here, she's already a hardened criminal stealing technology from the US military.
- Typically, Anthony Ivo is a Mad Scientist known as Professor Ivo. Here, he's a techbro CEO known as Doctor Ivo.
- Slade Wilson/Deathstroke is turned from a military veteran turned self-employed criminal mercenary in the comics to a black ops agent working under Task Force X here.
- Adaptational Name Change: Because of Lois's Race Lift, her mother's name was Eun-byeol rather than Ella.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: A lot of the villains that Clark faces are regular humans who get their powers from advanced tech, when in the comics, their powers and the reason they had them were much different. The best example being Leslie Willis / Livewire, who was a metahuman in the comic, but here she gets her electrical powers from Powered Armor. However, her skin starts glowing blue to her usual blue-skinned depiction after her tech is overloaded, and though it fades away once she's subdued, she's then left with permanent blue Volcanic Veins, implying that might have changed. Episode 9 confirms this, giving her the lightning powers without the use of the tech.
- Adaptational Timespan Change:
- In the vast majority of Superman media, Clark learns his origin while he is a teenager. This version first learns about his Muggle Foster Parents finding him in a spaceship when he's a child, though he doesn't try to seek out more information about his origins until he is a young adult. Even then, the information he gets is rather vague thanks to the hologram version of Jor-El speaking only Kryptonese.
- The romantic relationship between Clark and Lois. Usually the two don't enter in a relationship until years after working together in the Daily Planet. In the show, the two more or less fell in love at first sight and became a couple pretty quickly soon after.
- Adaptational Wimp:
- This appears to apply to Clark's abilities as Superman to an extent, in part because he seems to be subconsciously suppressing their full potential to better fit in as a "normal man", along with being younger and less experienced than previous incarnations. His fight with the stolen robots in episode one has him visibly struggling against just one of their number, and the punches it lands on him do visible damage, including a black eye. Clark ultimately exhausts himself taking it down by tearing out the power source rather than being able to dismantle it completely, and the rest of the robots being unleashed on him all at once are presented as having a good chance to actually kill him. However, seeing Lois in danger from one of them has Clark briefly tapping into his true strength, complete with a glowing Eye Colour Change and an electric Battle Aura, healing his injuries in seconds and punching the robot hard enough to launch it out of the city, suggesting that it's a matter of inexperience and lack of confidence in him fully controlling his powers that results in his lesser showing against weaker foes.
- Clark's suppression of the full extent of his powers means he never developed any of his extra-sensory abilities like Super-Hearing or X-Ray Vision, and appears to have the sensory range of an ordinary mortal initially, being unable to see in the dark or hear Perry pulling a Stealth Hi/Bye in the paper morgue. He even needs to use a police scanner to be alerted to impending danger outside his immediate area, unlike other versions who could pinpoint said danger on their own. This means that when he does start developing them, he's both inexperienced with handling the powers and incapacitated from Sensory Overload, whereas other versions have had years to fine-tune them during their childhood. For example, when Clark's Heat Vision starts to "warm up" suddenly, his vision distorts so badly he can't see or react to Lois walking into him in the middle of an open hallway despite his superhuman reflexes.
- Lampshaded by Amanda Waller, who notes when Task Force X battles Superman in the fifth episode that he’s weaker than their analysis predicted.
- Adaptation Personality Change:
- From the original Star-Spangled Comics onward, Scrapper was always the feistiest and most stereotypical "Dead End Kid" of the Newsboy Legion, up for a fight at any time. His counterpart here, Patti, keeps his energetic streak, but can best be described as "feral".
- The General appears to be much more reasonable than his comic counterpart Wade Eiling, as he orders Deathstroke to stand down and let Superman repair a collapsing bridge with civilians on it, while his comics counterpart would likely have screamed at Slade to take Superman out and damn the collateral damage. Turns out it’s not Eiling, it’s General Sam Lane. The trope still fits since comic Sam could be fairly ruthless with regards to civilian casualties at times.
- Adaptation Species Change: OMACs here are robots rather than transformed humans, though they still retain the single eye of the OMAC Project versions.
- A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted: At the end of Season 1, Jimmy comes into a large amount of money. Season 2 then features a Running Gag counting down his remaining money as he makes various expensive purchases on impulse. Ultimately subverted in S 2 E 7, where he consciously and willingly gives it all up at once to pay for Livewire's services.
- Age Cut:
- The show's intro shows a young Clark looking at a hologram of Jor-El in the Kents' corn field, then it cuts to adult Clark standing in the same or a similar field, joined by Lois and Jimmy.
- In "Two Lanes Diverged", a flashback to Lois' past with her father ends with her running through the woods while showing her at different ages; first as a child, then as a teenager, then as a young adult. She stops running when she's reached her present day self while in Metropolis.
- Alliterative Name:
- Lois Lane.
- Vicki Vale.
- Animesque: This particular series has more anime-inspired character designs and animation; one of the lead character designers and several animators for the series previously worked on the very similarly animesque Voltron: Legendary Defender. The staff has also admitted to taking inspiration for the show from classic anime such as Dragon Ball, Trigun, and even Pretty Cure.
- Arc Villain:
- For most of Season 1 The General functions as the main antagonist, being the leader of Task Force X and overseeing the organization’s efforts in weaponizing Kryptonian technology and hunting Superman. The final two episodes of the season see him undergo a Heel Realization and have his position as the group’s commander usurped by Amanda Waller.
- Amanda Waller is unambiguously this for the Earth arc of Season 2, continuing to hunt Superman with even more ruthlessness than The General did, while bringing Lex Luthor in as her new lead scientist. As of episode 5, however, Brainiac takes the stage, not only replacing her as the central threat for the remainder of the season but also revealing his status as the main antagonist of the entire series.
- Appropriated Appelation: Lois is the one who first calls Superman by his superhero name, since he fought the robots "like a super man" in Episode 1. Seeing as how nobody else has anything to call him, the name sticks.
- Big Good: A posthumous example. The choices made by Jor-El and his family in Krypton's final moments—sending both Clark and Kara away—set every event in the series into motion. While these decisions positively impacted many lives, Jor-El's final act of negotiating a peace treaty inadvertently invited a terrible consequence. In a move of sheer spite, Primus Brainiac eradicated his creators and vowed to forge a new Krypton, one drastically different from the world Jor-El remembered.
- Big Bad: Primus Brainiac is this for the first two seasons of the series. was once the artificial intelligence created to operate as Krypton's interface system, but following the destruction of Krypton, he took title of Primus and seeks to perfect the Kryptonian Empire in his twisted image. He not only wishes to use Superman as a Living Weapon to achieve this goal, but also has indoctrinated and brainwashed his cousin, Kara, into serving as his enforcer who assists in his brutal conquests across the galaxy. He is also set up as the Greater-Scope Villain for the first season through his implied role in the Zero Day invasion that hardened Sam Lane and Amanda Waller into the ruthless yet traumatized leaders of Task Force X and provided them with the Kryptonian technology they weaponize to hunt down Superman throughout the course of the show, and is eventually revealed to be the actual figure responsible for the destruction of Krypton, thereby making the evil machine responsible for the every event in the series.
- Bait-and-Switch: In the first episode, a young Clark is struggling to get his kite out of a tree. That's when he crouches down and squares up as if he's going to leap In a Single Bound… only to leap a normal height again, showing that he doesn't have his powers yet.
- Baker Street Regular: When she needs to know what is going on in Metropolis, Lois turns to the Newskid Legion, the kids who deliver the Daily Planet around the city, which means they see a lot of things. The Newskid Legion are actually a call back to the Newsboy Legion, who served a similar role in DC Comics.
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Kryptonians, without really needing to think on the why or how. Kara pranks Clark by pretending to be suffocating before revealing that it's no big deal. The show does nothing to explain how sound waves can still travel between them though.
- Batman Gambit: At the end of Episode 5, Lois decides to prove once and for all that Clark is Superman by stepping right off the roof of the Daily Planet. As she predicted, Clark immediately dives after her and is forced to use his ability to fly to save her, exposing his Secret Identity to her in the process.
- Beware the Superman:
- Task Force X is hostile towards Superman for this exact reason, labeling him "Nemesis Omega" and believing that he and his race are a threat towards the safety of Earth, even if their first actual fight against Superman has them surprised that he's not as strong as their analysis predicted. It's hinted that "Zero Day" (which visions of Clark's when interacting with Kryptonian tech indicate involved rampaging mechs on the day Clark fell to Earth) is the primary reason they assume he's secretly hostile, and putting on an act as a Nice Guy.
- Episode 7 introduces The League of Lois Lanes, who all carry Kryptonite blasters specifically for this eventuality, as they've seen numerous universes where a Clark Kent becomes a mass-murdering conqueror, such as the Justice Lords universe. By the episode's end, Mr Mxyzptlk shows Lois a file of these alternative Clarks laying waste to cities with their immense powers and leaves her a shard of Kryptonite, implicitly to be used against Clark should he turn evil as well, primarily for the drama of it.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Clark and Lois get one when they have their first real kiss in Episode 7, complete with fireworks curtesy of an exploding base. They have another one at the end of Episode 9 when they reaffirm their feelings for one another and Lois tells him that she loves him.
- Blatant Lies:
- Clark once ripped the door handle to his room in half in a bit of Power Incontinence with his Super-Strength. When asked what happened, Clark claims that the screws came loose... while holding the pieces of the door handle. It was this event that tipped his roommate Jimmy off to Clark's true identity as an alien and later Superman.
- Clark claims he simply doesn't have the constitution for being in the army when Sam Lane asks if Clark has ever been in the military. Clark, the most prominent Hunk in the show, is claiming to not be fit enough to join the military.
- Body Horror:
- After Dr. Ivo's Parasite suit nearly kills him, he's left as a shriveled, hairless husk with a blackened eye and Tainted Veins.
- When Superman is hit by a Kryptonite-powered laser gun, his veins turn green and crystals start growing out of his hands.
- Borrowed Without Permission: In the second episode.Lois: I can get us in, but you have to promise not to be upset.
Clark: Why would I—?
(Lois reveals the "borrowed" press badges)
Clark: You stole their badges?!
Lois: No! I borrowed them. Secretly, when they weren't looking.
Clark: That's the definition of stealing! - Call-Back: In the first episode of the series Lois makes finger gun gestures as part of her pep talk to herself. In episode 9 of the first season Sam Lane makes the same gesture to Waller during a flashback to Zero Day.
- Canon Character All Along: Two iconic Superman characters debut in Season 1 but are only identified in Season 2, with their debut appearances presenting them as show-original characters.
- Alex, Dr. Ivo's Beleaguered Assistant who later espouses Beware the Superman sentiments in the "Zero Day" two-parter, is revealed in "Adventures with My Girlfriend" to be a young, upstart Lex Luthor.
- The Kryptonian Warrior who appears alongside Brainiac in the final moments of "Hearts of the Fathers" is revealed in "Most Eligible Superman" to be Clark's cousin Kara Zor-El.
- Cassandra Truth:
- In episode three Superman finally agrees to take an interview with Lois. It's very short because he admits to her that he barely knows anything about his origins, how his powers work or what he is and he's still figuring all that out. When Clark talks to her right after she confidently calls Superman a liar.
- Superman repeatedly tells others that he just wants to help others because he can. But everyone from Lois to Task Force X believes that he must have an ulterior motive instead of being exactly what he claims to be.
- Cat Up a Tree: While on his way to the Daily Planet in the first episode, Clark sees a cat stuck on a tree and immediately uses his powers to save and return it to the owner.
- Central Theme: Accepting change and differences. Most of the conflict stems from the world's reaction to learning they aren't alone in the universe, with Task Force X and many influential members of the public such as Hank Henshaw and Lex Luthor treating Superman with fear and apprehension solely because he's an alien. The Season 2 finale also reveals that Krypton was willing to abandon its militaristic ways for the good of its people, but Brainiac refused to allow it to change for the better and destroyed it so he could preserve its old values.
- Chance Meeting Between Antagonists: In "Hearts of the Father", Clark Kent has a shocking reaction to meeting Lois' father and realizing that he's The General that's been trying to kill him, the latter having no idea that Clark Kent is also Superman.
- Change the Uncomfortable Subject: It's implied that Clark destroying the alarm clock by accident is a semi-regular occurrence. He quickly changes the subject when Jimmy openly wonders why their alarm clock keeps exploding.
- Clark Kenting: Lampshaded by the man himself when he questions the idea that people won't recognize him as Superman. Martha replies that even she barely recognizes him. In practice, the disguise works fine; most people assume Superman doesn't have a secret identity and for those who do Clark himself is Beneath Notice. Even Lois, who is actively investigating Superman, can stare straight into Clark's eyes or admire his build without connecting the dots.When she does learn his identity, it's because other pieces of evidence pointed to Clark first with the physical resemblance being more like the final nail in the coffin that makes her certain. Zigzagged by her father, who notices Clark seems familiar minutes after meeting him and even questions if he always wears glasses, but ultimately never figures out who he really is.
- Classified Information: General Sam Lane says his actions are classified when his daughter Lois Lane inquires about his work in "Hearts of the Fathers". She complains that this is a constant excuse from him and flashbacks bear that out, albeit that he probably is telling the truth about his work being officially restricted.
- Combat, Magic, Trickery Trio: The main trio.
- Clark/Superman is the Combat, being a superpowered Kryptonian with the usual array of Flying Brick powers. In a twist, however, he usually doesn't resort to using brute force unless it's a last resort.
- Lois is the Trickery, being sneaky, cunning, and shows no small amount of guile when it comes to getting a big scoop. Also in a twist, she was raised by her father to be a Crazy-Prepared survivalist, and she uses what she's learned to sneak around or hide when needed.
- Jimmy is the Magic, of the technological variety. While none of them are hopeless with technology, he's the most tech-adept, having run a paranormal blog for years before starting his job at the Daily Planet, and he most often uses technological resources related to his Flamebird channel to help the group whenever possible.
- Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: Subverted in the premiere with Leslie Willis/Livewire. She's only referred to by her real name for the duration, but Slade mentions that she also goes by a codename only to be cut off mid-sentence before he can actually say it. Jimmy would start calling her "Livewire" in the next episode.
- Constant as the Northern Star: Flashbacks show Lois Lane's father teaching Lois to navigate by using the Northern Star to keep her bearings.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Clark's first visit to his spaceship had him meet a hologram of Jor-El, who speaks only in Kryptonese, and spooks Clark enough that he re-buries the ship and doesn't return until the time of the show years later. A following meeting with the hologram has him speak in perfect English and explain the translation software needed time to learn the language, before somewhat bitterly musing Clark left him alone for over a decade. Though he doesn't spell it out, the obvious inference is that if Clark had tried to communicate more earlier, Jor-El would have been able to speak back earlier too and much of Clark's angst about not knowing who or what he is could have been tackled far sooner.
- Counter Gag: At the end of Season 1, Jimmy Olsen becomes a millionaire by selling the rights to his blog, Flamebird, to The Daily Planet. Season 2 has a counter that shows up whenever Jimmy uses his funds for something plot-relevant, culminating in him giving away the rest of his fortune to hire Livewire to break into S.T.A.R. Labs to steal a ship that can reach Clark in deep space.
- Credits Running Sequence: The end credits for the show feature Jimmy walking with his camera while photos he took appear behind him, before he hurries up and it ends on one of the photos.
- Crush Blush: Both Clark and Lois blush when the former catches the latter when she's falling in the main trailer (and he's still dressed as Clark). In the first episode, this is just one of multiple times one or both of them blush while talking to each other.
- Cue the Sun: In episode 9, the battle with Parasite takes place just before dawn, with the glow visible in the background. When he is defeated and Clark's confidence is restored the sun finally bursts above the horizon and lights up the city.
- Cut Himself Shaving: Clark states this verbatim to Lois when he shows up bloodied and bruised. Given that she had recently put together that he's Superman and just earlier, Superman had raced off on a potentially dangerous mission, she's not buying it.
D-F
- Darkest Hour: By the middle of the second season, things are looking bleak. Moments after his relationship with Lois seems to end, Superman has been taken captive by Brainiac as Kara is only now realizing that she has been an instrument of destruction for her adoptive "father". Meanwhile, on Earth, Amanda Waller and Task Force X establish the Human Defense Corps, an anti-alien paramilitary organization that has declared martial law and is on the fast track to taking over the country in the name of "security".
- Deconstruction: Despite looking like a cheerful adaptation of Superman at first glance, this series is a deep deconstruction of the Superman mythology.
- One of the major themes behind Superman's character is that he uses his immense abilities to perform good deeds simply because he can and demands nothing in return. While this Clark is just as incredibly altruistic as the Silver Age versions, the modern-day world has far too cynical a mindset to take this at face value, refusing to believe Superman is a hero because he's just that much of a Nice Guy. Numerous characters from Task Force X to villains like Dr. Ivo to even Lois herself at first believe that he must have an "angle" or hidden agenda he's working on, and becoming more distrustful of him the more he protests that he's exactly what he appears to be on the surface.
- Clark has a whole slew of varied abilities from his Kryptonian heritage, but being The Needless is not one of them. While his mental and physical limits are greater than a normal human's, he still has them, and going for a long period of exertion without proper rest starts to impair his performance. Once his Super-Hearing is developed, Clark ends up overindulging in his Chronic Hero Syndrome now that he can literally hear the call for help everywhere, going non-stop for several days and keeping himself going with an unhealthy amount of stimulants, resulting in him accidentally causing a traffic accident and contributing to his loss against and capture by the weaker Task Force X.
- Clark can speak English because he was raised on Earth all his life. The same is not true of Kryptonians, as Jor-El's messages to him are all in his "native" language, implying that Jor-El wasn't able to research the native tongue before sending Clark to Earth. Without some means of translating their language or a common dialect, Clark cannot magically learn what Kryptonian means despite his heritage.
- Jimmy is a hyperactive, excitable newbie photographer who isn't even an official photographer yet, just an intern. Despite being present at Clark/Superman's fight against the robots at the dockside and taking photos of the battle from start to finish, Jimmy's inexperience and all the excitement caused the photos to come out blurred and indistinct. At best, Jimmy's photos just showed the robots falling over against an unclear blur. Much to Lois and Jimmy's surprise (and Clark's relief), Perry White isn't impressed, and the story about Superman doesn't get published. Of course, this does take a unique spin once it's revealed that Jimmy knew that Clark was Superman all along, and thus the blurriness is probably also to ensure his friend's identity isn't spoiled.
- The series also deconstructs Beware the Superman. Numerous villains point out - accurately - that Superman has the potential to be a threat, and that creating ways to stop him is simply pragmatic. However, it becomes increasingly clear over the course of the series that - with the exception of the General - all of them want Superman to fail and go out of their way to force him into becoming a threat to prove themselves right. By the end of Season 1 and throughout Season 2, it becomes evident that the fear towards Superman is motivated mainly because he's an immigrant, which marks him as a threat despite the lack of evidence. In essence, while there are logical reasons to Beware the Superman, it's mostly motivated by humanity's inherent mistrust of anything different. By the end of season 2, humanity's attempts to stop Superman as a future threat nearly doom it, as their precautions do nothing to Brainiac but do nearly take out Clark and Kara, the only people who can stop him.
- Deducing the Secret Identity:
- Lois investigates who Superman is but due to a lack of information is forced to start digging through old conspiracy theory tabloids for any leads. Finding an article about a flying boy in Kansas 15 years ago ripped from one such tabloid in Clark's jacket pocket helps her connect the dots, with the timing, location, and Clark wanting to hide such information all pointing to him being Superman.
- Jimmy tries a simpler approach. He realized Clark had powers years ago thanks to Clark's frequent bouts of Power Incontinence and so knew from the start who Superman is.
- The General notices Clark seems awfully familiar when they meet, but events conspire to interrupt that train of thought and even after living with Clark for some time and catching on to his erratic behavior Sam still has no idea about his other identity.
- Divided We Fall: While Task Force X is ostensibly about protecting Earth from another Kryptonian invasion, Waller is so bullheaded that her methods are the only valid way to do so that she's treacherous towards the people she's both supposed to work with and protect. The comics interquel between the seasons compounds this by introducing other divisions, all working under a nebulous organization called Checkmate, that are just as antagonistic and backstabbing to each other trying to be the sole defenders of Earth.
- Dramatic Irony:
- The main trio is tasked to find and capture proof of Superman to keep their jobs, with Lois and Jimmy unaware that Superman is right next to them and is very nervous about being found out.
- Lois interviews Superman where he tells her he's only interested in using his powers to help people and immediately dismisses that as a lie, to Clark's consternation. Clark "speculates" that Superman might truly be a Nice Guy who enjoys helping others and Lois remarks that's what he'd do if he had powers, but they're talking about Superman.
- Jimmy's conspiracy theories about psychic starfish and super-intelligent gorillas sound outlandish to Clark and Lois, but all are very real things in the DC Comics universe. In addition, despite Jimmy being a Conspiracy Theorist, he can't see that his best friend and roommate is incredibly powerful (though it's subverted when it's revealed he knew all along).
- Jimmy's comment that he knows how to spend his newfound wealth responsbily is contrasted with a meter appearing at the top of the screen showing he dropped thousands of dollars on Valentine's Day cards.
- Drama-Preserving Handicap:
- The energy field that hides Cadmus uses red sun energy, leaving Clark noticeably weaker than normal when fighting the various security mesaures.
- When the various agents of Task Force X break out they all have the advanced tech that gives them their powers (save Livewire, who no longer needs it). Slade, the only member who isn't a Boxed Crook and is trying to stop the escape, does not and is easily overpowered.
- Early-Bird Cameo:
- Anthony Ivo appears on a billboard in "Adventures of a Normal Man Part 2", before appearing properly in "Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say".
- Vicki Vale appears on a news article in Lois' room in the pilot, before appearing in "Zero Day, Part 1".
- Energy Weapon: Rather than use conventional firearms, pretty much everyone uses these, from Leslie's band of mercenaries and the government agents sent after them to prison guards and security guards at banks.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- In the A Minor Kidroduction of the first episode, Clark's first instinct when seeing a car spinning out of control is to run after it to try to help, revealing his Chronic Hero Syndrome and generally good nature. After discovering his powers and having a blast with them, he's brought down to earth by the sobering realization that humans can't do what he just did, leading him to ask "Who am I?" The question of his identity haunts Clark throughout the rest of the premiere episodes.
- Jimmy gushes about all the important news, like aliens, they'll be breaking when they're working at the Planet thanks to his "keen eye for observation" — right as he walks into traffic. Not only does Clark quickly push him out of the way (and is the one to notice Leslie driving it), but Jimmy remains blissfully unaware of it all, cementing him as a little too inside his own head.
- Lois perks up instantly when her alarm goes off, though she has to punch it a few times before it turns off. She also gives herself a pep talk to "be extraordinary" and to establish herself as a "real reporter" with Perry White. This highlights Lois being a Plucky Girl and a Determinator.
- Equal-Opportunity Fanservice: Equal amount of attention is given to Clark's toned physique (which was confirmed by the production team to be intentional) as it is to Lois' petite frame.
- Evolving Credits: The end credits changes most of the photos with each episode to highlight what happened in it.
- Expy:
- Mecha designs in this show, such as the robots from the pilot and Ivo's Parasite suit, bear an uncanny resemblance to human-sized Evas.
- Jake Green voices Dr. Anthony "Tony" Ivo as an impression of Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark.
- Family-Friendly Firearms: Every gun on the show is some sort of futuristic laser. Anything less really wouldn't pose much of a threat to Clark, even with his lesser showing compared to other versions of Superman. It's averted in episode 9, with the military wielding actual firearms against the Zero Day invasion in the flashback. It does absolutely nothing to the Mecha-Mooks, let alone Nemesis Omega itself, explaining why lasers and similar technology have become more widespread by the present day. The American Government is deeply concerned about a second invasion, and don't want their military to be the only ones capable of defending themselves from a possible alien threat across the entire country.
- Fantastic Honorifics: The Kryptonians had their own set of ranks and titles whose equivalency to Terran ones is yet to be revealed. Jor-El introduces himself as a "Scion" of the Kryptonian Empire, a title that Kara also holds in the present day in the new Kryptonian Empire that Brainiac has rebuilt. Kara in turn addresses Brainiac as "Primus".
- Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: A recurring theme with many of the human antagonists - especially Task Force X - is that they insist that because Superman has the potential to be a threat, he must be eliminated before he becomes one, even as Superman does basically nothing to justify their paranoia, leading them to deliberately manipulate situations to set him up to fail. While Waller and the General at least have a Freudian Excuse for it, others - most notably Lex Luthor - make it pretty clear it's motivated largely by xenophobia.
- Funbag Airbag: A gender-inverted example occurs in episode 3 when Lois, not paying attention to where she's going due to frustration, ends up running face-first into Clark's chest.
G-N
- Gender Flip:
- Flip Johnson of the Newsboy Legion is depicted as a girl instead of a boy, as are Gaby (Anthony "Gabby" Rodriguez) and Patti (Patrick "Scrapper" MacGuire), while Big Words remains a boy. As a result, they call themselves the Newskid Legion.
- Heat Wave is also male in the comics, but is a woman in the show.
- Ron Troupe is now a woman called Ronnie Troupe.
- The League of Lois Lanes features a male version of Lois, Lewis, and a female version of Jimmy, Jalana.
- Gilligan Cut: In episode 7, Jimmy finds Clark making a flowchart for his date with Lois. He says Lois isn't doing that, goes to see her, and there's a smashcut to her apartment where she's doing the same thing.
- Greater-Scope Villain:
- Nemesis Omega is the mysterious Kryptonian scout who led the charge on Zero Day — a deadly alien attack on a military base that traumatized Sam Lane and Amanda Waller and ultimately left remnants of Kryptonian technology on Earth, directly leading to them being hardened into ruthless Knight Templars and founding Task Force X with the purpose of reverse-engineering the alien weaponry and safeguarding the planet from another potential invasion, relentlessly targeting Superman throughout the series out of the mistaken belief that he is Nemesis.
- Primus Brainiac is heavily implied to be responsible for Zero Day due to his symbol appearing on the Mecha-Mooks that partook in the attack. He more directly acts as the overarching force behind the Season 1 finale, with his A.I. taking over Clark's ship after it senses a shard of Kryptonite and initiating a near-invasion of Earth that ultimately signals him to the planet's existence. It's also eventually revealed in the Season 2 finale that he destroyed Krypton and therefore set off every event in the show.
- Interestingly enough, Mister Mxyzptlk ends up being this after his debut episode, with his actions having a knock-off effect that ends up sparking the conflict of the Season 1 finale and even a large part of Season 2. Him giving Lois access to Kryptonite through the "Superman — File X" orb leads to Clark's ship reactivating and signaling Brainiac to lead a near-invasion of Earth in "Hearts of the Fathers" that, while thwarted, ultimately informs Brainiac of the planet's existence and leads to him passing this onto the Kryptonian Warrior, eventually revealed to be Kara. Mxyzptlk merely bringing the dangerous rock to Earth also leads to pieces of it being weaponized by Task Force X later down the line.
- Darkseid is heavily implied to be the one behind the destruction of Krypton and kicking off the plot, as his zig-zagging Omega Beams or at least something resembling them are seen killing Kryptonians in Jor-El's flashback and Brainiac makes Clark fight the Virtual Ghost of one of his Parademons. Though the finale subverts this by revealing that he — or whoever "the enemy they could not defeat" was — actually didn't destroy the planet and was actually in peace talks with them: in reality, it was Brainiac.
- A smaller-scale example in comparison to the others, but Checkmate also counts as the mysterious government agency seemingly backing Task Force X, with its unseen members acting as Amanda Waller and formerly General Lane's superiors. Notably, they are the ones who strip Sam Lane of his leadership rank following Waller's Frame-Up of him and subsequently institute her as the organization's new leader, and a brief phone conversation Waller has with one of their operatives indicates it has the authority to dissolve Task Force X entirely should it prove ineffective, which seemingly occurs at the end of Season 2 following their failure to defeat Brainiac.
- Hero Insurance: Subverted. Rather than flying off after defeating Livewire, Superman pointedly puts as much as he can back as it originally was, including setting down cars back in their parked positions.
- Hostile Terraforming: The comics adaptation, an interquel between seasons one and two, introduces the Amazo android as another creation of Ivo. He turns out to be derived from a kryptonian fleet of androids designed to absorb all elements and energy on a target planet and convert them into a kryptonian environment.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Clark has always been bigger than Lois (and bigger than most people) but their size difference is particularly notable here.Lois: Boost me up.
Clark: Uh, what?
Lois: Just lift me up. You're, like, twice my size. - I Am Who?: In this continuity, the usual Jor-El hologram can't communicate in English and so leaves Clark in the dark as to what exactly he is beyond an alien with superpowers. Figuring out himself and what he can do is one of Clark's bigger motivations, while the antagonists are happy to assign their own, more sinister labels to him.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Deconstructed. Over the course of the first two seasons, as Waller becomes the leader of Task Force X, she dives into more amoral methods in her vendetta against Superman than Lane would allow, such as kidnapping known non-violent criminals with the purpose of experimenting on them with alien technology to perfect her meta-human super soldier project, hiring Lex Luthor to oversee development of Kryponite-powered robots to kill Superman, setting up disasters to frame Superman for in order to secure more funding for her projects and to turn the world against Superman and other aliens, even turning Metropolis into a police state when Kara nearly ravages the city in her fight with Clark. The problem is, when the exact scenario she prepared for happens, an evil Superman attacks Earth with world-destroying weapons, she finds herself sorely unprepared against an enemy who can outclass and outsmart her at every turn, causing her forces to be decimated or abandon her, forcing her to rely on every enemy she has made throughout the series to save the planet, and the aftermath leaves her a fugitive. There’s a reason the most extreme option is usually a last resort.
- I Have to Go Iron My Dog: As is typical Superman fare, Clark has to give a variety of excuses to duck out of a situation to tackle a problem as Superman, often pretty poor excuses. Lois even lampshades how often Clark will step out to get a bagel, yet he almost never actually returns with one.
- Immoral Journalist: The Scoop Troop, minus maybe Ronnie Troupe, are this. So, as it turns out, is Vicki Vale.
- The Joy of First Flight: After getting over the initial shock of floating off the ground, a young Clark soon takes off into the clouds at the beginning of the first episode. He's laughing and whooping the whole time as he flips, spins, and somersaults through the air. His fun is only soured by the realization that normal people can't do this, resulting in him wondering who and what he is.
- Keeping Secrets Sucks:
- Actually Played With. The series takes a nuanced approach to the concept of keeping secrets involved in Clark's superhero life, ranging from his Secret Identity to important revelations. Whilst Lois has a Berserk Button initially about people lying to her which fuels her reckless attitude and investigative reporting, it's also shown that Clark has good reasons to want to keep his private life confidential and feel "normal" as Clark Kent, and her desire to expose the "hidden agenda" behind Superman's heroics makes Clark uncomfortable with the idea of explaining himself fully, which causes a rocky patch between them when Lois eventually deduces the truth. And then it turns out that Jimmy has been Clark's unknowing Secret Secret-Keeper since before the show started, and was gently pushing him in subtle ways to tell him the truth when he felt comfortable with it, being content to keep the truth hidden despite having ample opportunities to expose him.
- On the other hand, the strain on personal relationships caused by not trusting somebody with important matters is also highlighted, such as Sam Lane/The General's refusal to tell his daughter Lois the truth about Zero Day and his work in the government keeping him absent for long period of her life making them estranged by the present day, despite his love for her being one of Sam's driving motivations to protect Earth. Even as they learn this Aesop themselves and try to go ahead with a "no more secrets" policy, it's also shown that the heroes struggle with being able to explain uncomfortable but important subjects to others out of fear of hurting them with the truth, like Lois and Jimmy debating over the best time to show Clark the file X they were given with proof about the evil version of Superman out there, because he's not in the best headspace to deal with that revelation right now. They fully acknowledge they're being hypocritical about it, but just aren't certain of the best choice to make.
- Kryptonite Factor:
- Red sunlight is most frequently used as the main way to weaken Clark. Many of Task Force X robots and equipments are powered by it, the Cadmus Laboratory is surrounded by an "Red Sun Omega Field" based on Kryptonian technology, and even Brainiac briefly uses said field during his confrontation with Clark to defeat him in Season 2. A flashback to Krypton's destruction in the second episode has a visual of the planet's sun turning from yellow to red, implying that the "enemy" responsible for destroying the Kryptonian Empire made sure to render its inhabitants vulnerable before wiping them out.
- While it's initially heavily implied that Kryptonite does not exist in the show's universe, the iconic green rock finally appears in Episode 7, used by the multiversal League of Lois Lanes to subdue Clark and later given to our Lois by Mister Mxyzptlk at the end of the episode, alongside an accompanying file showing Clark's Evil Doppelgangers. It is later confirmed that Kryptonite did exist in the series' dimension, but no traces of it were present on Earth prior to Mxyzptlk providing a shard to Lois. Season 2 sees small amounts of it fall into the hands of Task Force X and even be incorporated into the Metallo drones by Lex Luthor as an effective countermeasure against Clark. Notably, the version of Kryptonite in the series is depicted as far more dangerous and deadlier than even its typical portrayal, with just the one shard causing a grown Kryptonian to suffer what is akin to anaphylaxis and develop green veins and crystalline growths on his body (though the effects do recede if he is distanced from the substance or it is contained) and being poisonous enough to negatively effect and even destroy Kryptonian technology as well.
- Lightning Glare: In "Fullmetal Scientist", Lois and Vicki Vale share a glare of lightning as they're competing to cover the scoop on AmerTek first.
- Lovable Jock: Steve Lombard straddles the line between this and Jerk Jock. He's an arrogant, obnoxious dude bro who nobody at the Planet likes; but it's revealed in episode 5 that his attitude is a result of his isolation, not the cause. He admits that when he was a young reporter all the friends he came in with eventually moved on and away from him, leaving him alone, and so he decided to embrace his role as a "lone wolf". When he recognizes that Jimmy is becoming the third wheel in his group with Lois and Clark, he appoints himself the younger man's mentor and tries to take Jimmy under his wing, and with a surprising degree of empathy tells Jimmy that the others don't see him as an equal and will likely outgrow him soon. Even when proven wrong he retains his soft spot for Jimmy, and he's the first to congratulate him when the trio gets promoted to reporters.
- Likes Clark Kent, Hates Superman: Despite Superman stories usually being a case of Loves My Alter Ego, here Lois has feelings for Clark right off the bat, but finds Superman and his secrecy aggravating.
- Magic from Technology: Siobhan McDougal, the Silver Banshee, has a mystical origin in the comics but is depicted in the show as a regular human woman using technology that amplifies sound.
- Meta Origin: In this continuity the first season has most of the antagonists (bar Mr. Mxyzptlk) deriving their abilities from Kryptonian technology apparently left behind from a previous invasion.
- Miniature Senior Citizens: The old lady manning the counter at Clark's favorite donut shop barely comes up to Clark's waist, needing to climb onto the counter to get a bib around his neck.
- Mistaken Identity:
- Leslie mistakes Clark, the so-called "flying man", for one of the government goons coming after her for her theft of important military technology. She's baffled when Waller and Slade torture her for information about him. In Episode 5, Heat Wave later mistakes Slade for Superman as well, since Slade's battle suit gives him super speed and strength, with glowing red eyes.
- Throughout the series, Task Force X repeatedly refers to Superman as "Nemesis Omega", marking him as the principal foe that the group is trying to defeat. But in Episode 9, Nemesis Omega is revealed to have been the first invader of Earth who wiped out a military camp 22 years ago. When Superman demonstrates genuine ignorance and horror at what Nemesis Omega did, the General realizes that it's possible that Superman and Nemesis Omega may not be the same being, as Superman is too young to have participated in that attack if he ages at the same rate as humans.
- Invoked on the audience, when the viewer is introduced to The Kryptonian Warrior. Due to voice distortion and talk of the people of Earth being made to kneel anyone familiar with the franchise would assume it was General Zod, it turns out to be a brainwashed Supergirl.
- Monster of the Week: The show follows this format, with Superman battling a villain each episode.
- Mood Whiplash: After reveling in his Super-Speed and ability to fly at the beginning of the first episode, a young Clark comes to the realization that human beings can't do these things. His joy is quickly replaced with sobering trepidation as he wonders who and what he really is. As if to underscore the point, the soaring orchestra and energetic guitar that accompanied Clark's ascent above the clouds is replaced with a low, somber horn as he's figuratively brought down to earth.
- The Multiverse: In comparison to other DC multiverses, this particular multiverse is one with infinite Earths, with Earth-1 designated its Earth-Prime. The League of Lois Lanes designated the show's Earth as Earth-12.
- Myth Arc: The legacy and true nature of Krypton, as well as the consequences of its destruction and Clark's journey to both become accepted and accept his heritage in the face of opposition from Task Force X and discovering his planet's darker secrets in the form of Brainiac, serves as the overarching storyline for the original production order spanning the first two seasons of the series.
- Never My Fault: A consistent feature of many of Superman's growing rogues' gallery is that they arrogantly misuse alien technology they do not and never did understand, suffer permanent disfigurement and potentially lethal damage as a result, and then when Superman saves them and everyone around them from the consequences of their actions, spitefully abnegate all personal responsibility in favor of blaming him instead.
- Never Trust a Trailer: Before the show's animation itself was glimpsed, an initial promo pic of the core three was released and here Clark's hair has a purplish tint compared to the trailers where it's the usual black, and Jimmy is wearing a green shirt instead of red.
- No Ontological Inertia: In episode three, when the malfunctioning Power Crystal is destroyed by Superman to stop its run-away freeze of Metropolis, the immense amount of ice it created immediately sublimates into mist.
- Not What It Looks Like: In "Zero Day, Part 1", Superman's search for Mist has him accidentally causing an accident when he pushed the latter (who was invisible at the time) to save him from a speeding truck, with the populace watching deeming Superman caused it deliberately.
O-S
- One Head Taller: Clark towers over Lois courtesy of his Heroic Build.
- Opposites Attract: Clark and Lois's relationship. She's a normal person who wants to be extraordiany, he is a superpowered alien who yearns to be normal. She has an extravagant personality, he's fairly meek. Lois lies easily and can come up with some elaborate deceptions, Clark is a Bad Liar to the core. And so on and so forth.
- Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: The fifth episode sees Clark's, Lois', and Jimmy's friendship strained to the breaking point by lack of communication. Both Clark and Lois miss their planned camping trip with Jimmy because of their respective personal issues (being Superman and proving that Clark is Superman respectively). Lois becomes frustrated with Clark's absences while Clark becomes increasingly nervous because of Lois' insistence on drawing out all of Superman's secrets. The episode ends with Lois rejecting Clark because she feels she can't trust him, Clark blowing up at Lois because of his worry for her and fear of being exposed, and Jimmy venturing off into the wilderness alone, only to be dragged away by a gorilla.
- Poor Communication Kills:
- Lois declares her desire to expose all of Superman's secrets in front of Clark, which naturally leaves him feeling less than forthcoming about his secret identity. After learning his identity, she doesn't bother to retract this statement in front of Clark and gets offended when he cites it as his reason for hiding who he is, Lois being angry that he thought she would expose her friend like that. A following discussion after she cuts off their budding relationship in the wake of this revelation shows that also part of why she's mad is she doesn't know how much of Clark's feelings for her were part of the act, with him confirming none of them were being a big step in them mending fences.
- A running theme of Season Two is that Clark and Lois have important things they want to talk about with each other, but circumstances prevent them from having a good time to do so. This is not helped by them both being seemingly adamant on having such talks face to face with a proper amount of time to go over such sensitive topics, making the other party not realize how important the matter is.
- Portal Cut: At the end of Season 1, Clark destroys the portal-generating ship only after the larger invading ship has already partially crossed through it, resulting in half of the ship being sliced when the portal closes.
- Punch Catch:
- When Leslie's goons sic a Humongous Mecha on Lois and Jimmy, Clark catches the blow to save them.
- Superman catches Rough House's punch, in episode 3.
- One of Heat Wave's goons tries to use a power glove to punch Lois in episode 5. Superman catches the blow, then removes the power glove and crushes it.
- In episode 8, Superman catches seveal of the kaiju-sized Parasites's punches.
- Race Lift:
- Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are white in the comics and in most adaptations. Here, Lois has Korean ancestry, while Jimmy is African-American.
- Perry White is African-American, as in the DC Extended Universe''.
- Leslie Willis/Livewire is white in the comics, but here is Ambiguously Brown (with platinum blonde hair too).
- Record Needle Scratch: In the first episode, Jimmy tries to convince the group that the stolen robots came from space before Lois corrects him in that they were from an army base, accompanied by a record scratch.
- Reconstruction: While this series is not afraid of getting dark and shows realistic consequences of a superpowered alien appearing and the public reaction to him, this series is a reconstruction of the Superman mythology. Superman is a genuinely good person who wants to use his powers to help the people of Metropolis. Some people are worried and skeptical of such a powerful being existing, and some refuse to believe that he or anyone with so much power would genuinely want to do good without an ulterior motive. Other people generally believe that Superman is who he appears to be and genuinely think he’s just a good man who wants to help them. And through it all, while Superman does suffer personal doubts and setbacks, the one thing that never wavers, even when people are afraid of him, is that he wants to do good and protect the world. Eventually, Superman wins the people of Metropolis over with his genuine good deeds, and the people unite to support him as he battles a monster threatening the city, showing that his goodness and goodwill towards the people of Metropolis is not only rewarded but shows a positive effect on the city and world.
- Rewatch Bonus: The reveal in "My Adventures with Mad Science" that Jimmy knew Clark was Superman from the beginning reframes a number of Jimmy's lines and actions from earlier episodes, such as wondering why their alarm clocks keep breaking.
- Ring-Ring-CRUNCH!: In "Adventures of a Normal Man", a variation occurs when Clark accidentally destroys his alarm clock while trying to turn it off gently with just one poke of his finger. This is also inverted by way of contrast when Lois wakes up; she energetically whacks her clock with her fist a couple of times but still fails to activate the snooze button.Clark: I can't believe we're late.
Jimmy: I can't believe our alarm clock exploded again. Why do you think that keeps happening?
Clark: So... Hey! Our… Our… [clears throat] Our first day at the Daily Planet! You nervous? - Rogues' Gallery Transplant:
- The second part of "Adventures of a Normal Man" introduces Deathstroke, nominally a Batman, Teen Titans and Nightwing villain.
- Heat Wave, normally one of The Flash's rogues, shows up here as a crook who finds herself and her gang getting targeted by Deathstroke.
- The Brain and Monsieur Mallah, who are classic foes of the Doom Patrol, appear in episode 6. Funnily enough, the two did once briefly appear in a Smallville tie-in comic that also didn't include any mention of the Doom Patrol.
- The Golden Age Mist/Kyle was the nemesis of the Ted Knight version of Starman. This version is part of Intergang and fought against Superman.
- Anthony Ivo, who's normally a Justice League of America villain, here pits himself against a solo Superman; indeed, he goes onto become this particular setting's version of the villain Parasite.
- While not a member of his Rogues' Gallery, Vicki Vale is primarily a Batman character. She appears here as a foil and rival for Lois. Silver St. Cloud also appears in a similar, though far less belligerent role.
- Rule of Symbolism: Martha Kent looks over Clark's newly fashioned costume in "Adventures of a Normal Man" and muses that it's good, but it needs "something more", before adding the traditional belt and shorts herself. With the DCEU's shortless Superman suit being a topic of ambivalence for some time among fans, it effectively serves as the show itself saying it doesn't mind seeming a little corny if it's in service of a more classical take on the character.
- Running Gag:
- Whenever Flamebird is mentioned or referenced, it is accompanied by a distinct high-pitched bird call.
- In the second season, a running joke of Jimmy's net worth after selling the rights to Flamebird appears whenever he makes large and extravagant purchases, which always drives it down. By the middle of the season, he burns through his remaining money to hire Livewire as part of a plan to save Superman.
- See the Invisible: Superman is able to detect Mist when he is using his invisbility by listening for his footsteps on puddles.
- Sequel Adaptation Iconic Villain: The main antagonists of season one are Task Force X, who don't normally face the Man of Steel, though The General is Sam Lane, who has antagonized the Super Family in the comics but is very low in Superman's rogues gallery. Meanwhile, the season one finale introduced the more familiar Brainiac, who takes center stage as the greatest threat in Season 2. Said season also reveals side character Alex to be the show's incarnation of Lex Luthor while having him become a major antagonist.
- Sheathe Your Sword: Dr. Ivo's Parasite armor feeds off any energy thrown at it, meaning that Superman's attempts to fight back only make it stronger. After realizing this, Superman chooses to simply dodge all of Ivo's attacks, letting the Powered Armor slowly run out of energy on its own after Lois and Jimmy cut its external power source. Ivo, an even less experienced fighter than him, can only throw clumsy swings and charge attacks that drain the armor of power until it starts draining the life out of Ivo himself.
- Signature Sound Effect:
- Whenever Flamebird is mentioned or referenced, it is accompanied by a distinct high-pitched bird call.
- Kryptonite is often accompanied by the sound of a Geiger counter's clicking, further illustrating how dangerous its radiation is to Superman and other Kryptonians.
- Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers!: Despite the show's tendency to dip into the more cynical nature of the modern world, the series goes out of its way to remind us that being too cynical for your own good can be just as damaging as being too idealistic. During the course of the series, the General strains his relationship with his daughter Lois due to his constant paranoia and inability to properly deal with his trauma, and Task Force X's attempts to kill Superman due to their belief he's an alien invader sent to destroy Earth create threats that only Superman can stop, such as Livewire, Intergang, and the Parasite, with their methods move from morally ambiguous to inexcusable when Waller stabs Lane in the back to take over.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Deconstructed. Underneath the shiny, colorful exterior of the show, there's a pervasive cynicism among the cast.
- Lois, Vicki Vale, and Task Force X all believe that it's impossible for Superman to want to help others just because he wants to. Lois and Vicki repeatedly try to dig up dirt on Superman to prove their suspicions right, while Task Force X is convinced that Superman's altruism is just an act and that he's scouting for an Alien Invasion. The show itself seems to be highlighting how difficult it would be for the overarching themes behind Superman's character to be taken seriously in the modern day.
- However, the show almost always shows that this cynicism is misplaced at best, actively harmful at worst. Lois and Vicki trying to dig up dirt is portrayed as a bad thing while Task Force X's paranoia leads them to cause far more harm to humanity than good, [[spoiler:to the point that they prove to be completely ineffective and nearly doom humanity when an actual alien invader shows up, and General Lane, who was actually willing to question his own views and eventually accepting Superman as a hero (and even before then was shown as choosing to withdraw if continuing to engage Superman would endanger civilians), proves to be far more effective than Amanda Waller, who refuses to change her views even when presented with concrete evidence and is so obsessed with killing Superman that she becomes a threat to the country she claims to protect, and by the end of Season 2 is a fugitive from the US Government while Lane is proven right and is no longer a fugitive.
- Villains like Intergang, Livewire, and Heatwave are shown in a more positive light, actually caring about others and being willing to put their lives on the line to save Earth (with Livewire planning to ditch Lois and Jimmy after using them to rescue Heatwave, until she hears Lois crying over how she'll never see Clark again)]]. And, finally, The Power of Love is what allows Superman and Supergirl to break free of Brainiac's brainwashing, and it is made clear that even getting Supergirl to comply with his plans took numerous mind wipes and heavy brainwashing and manipulation, as she is an inherently good person.
- Space Is Noisy: Not only are Superman and Supergirl able to talk to each other audibly through the vacuum of space, someone sitting in a spaceship can use the ship’s intercom to talk to them.
- Spoiler Opening: The opening sequence, first released on YouTube but first broadcast starting with the second episode (after the 2-part premiere), shows a bunch of villains before their proper introductions in the storyline, though only for a few seconds. Examples include Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (albeit he's not immediately recognisable in his Powered Armour), and Mr. Mxyzptlk with Glowing Eyes of Doom spoiling that his claims to Clark about being an inter-dimensional peacekeeper on introduction are complete bunk. An inversion occurs with Mist, who is absent despite the other members of Intergang being shown, helping to support his claims of evading Task Force X in "Zero Day, Part 1" before it's revealed that he's actually The Bait luring Superman into an ambush. Most importantly, Nemesis Omega, a being referred to throughout the series is shown prominently in the middle of the screen along with his spaceship, but far back enough to be out of focus despite his overarching influence on the plot. The framing also makes him look similarly-sized to Clark as well, highlighting their opposing roles.
- Standard Office Setting: In the second episode, Lois brings Clark and Jimmy to their "new" office, which is actually the Daily Planet's newspaper morgue with faulty pipes.
- String Theory: Lois likes using them for figuring things out, calling it a "murder board". Clark prefers "investigation board". In Episode 7, they both put up separate boards to plan out their first date, with Clark's going all the way onto the ceiling and floor.
- Surrounded by Idiots: After spending most of the first episode trying to transport several Humongous Mechas discreetly, Leslie is outraged when one of the mercenaries she hired unleashes a robot to attack Lois and Jimmy.Leslie: Why. Would you use. The robot!?
T-Z
- Taken During the Ending:
- In Season 1 "You Will Believe a Man Can Lie", because Clark and Lois had some issues to deal with, they completely forgot to meet up with Jimmy for his camping trip. After four hours of waiting for Clark and Lois to show up, Jimmy decides to go on the trip alone, but he soon gets kidnapped by a gorilla in the woods.
- At the end of "Zero Day, Part 1", Superman is kidnapped by Task Force X after beating beaten and electrocuted unconscious by the organization's Boxed Crooks.
- Team Member in the Adaptation:
- Leslie Willis/Livewire is a member of a group of criminal mercenaries.
- Slade Wilson is introduced as a black ops government agent instead of a self-employed mercenary criminal working for Task Force X.
- Silver Banshee and Mist are both portrayed as members of Intergang here, despite having never been members of the team in the comics.
- Heat Wave is normally a member of the Rogues, but here appears without them.
- General Lane is the founder and leader of Task Force X in the series, while his comic counterpart is typically independent of the organization.
- The show's version of Lex Luthor is not only initially a subordinate of Dr. Anthony Ivo, but later gains his resources, public image, and eventually his company by working for Task Force X. His comic book counterpart is generally portrayed as having rose to the top through his own ruthlessness and intellect.
- That Poor Cat: As Flip is explaining what her group knows about the trucks they saw, Patti pulls a cat's tail that causes it to jump on her.
- Time for Plan B: After Livewire finds out that all buyers and fixers have disappeared in Metropolis, she resorts to taking the robots out of the city.
- To Catch Heroes, Hire Villains:
- In the first season, Task Force X employs a team of supervillains that Superman had previously fought to capture the Man of Steel.
- By the second season, Task Force X's ranks now include superpowered agents like Damage and Atomic Skull, whom they have engineered specifically to help them kill Superman. Amanda Waller also hires Dr. Ivo's former assistant, Alex Luthor, as her new lead scientist to develop more anti-Kryptonian weapons.
- Trailers Always Spoil:
- One of the early trailers for Season 1 featured a brief shot of Clark in a casual outfit flying away with Lois in a forest, revealing early on that she would at some point find out about his powers.
- The trailer for Season 2 wasted no time revealing that Alex was the show's take on Lex Luthor, completely removing any surprise for what was meant to be a major character reveal in the episode itself (though to be fair, him being Luthor was a very popular fan theory since his debut). It additionally featured a shot of Kara in her blue Supergirl outfit (while her being raised by Brainiac was kept out of the marketing, the fact that we see her as Supergirl spoils her inevitable Heel–Face Turn when she does properly appear in "Most Eligible Superman"), which does not happen until the Season 2 finale, not to mention the fact itself that Clark has a cousin was also intended to be an important revelation season premiere.
- Even the episode synopses spoiled some details as well. The official synopses of the back half of Season 2, which were revealed well before the episodes' air date, end up revealing subtle yet key details about what will happen, most notably that Kara would eventually undergo a Heel–Face Turnnote and Clark would be put under some kind of "control" by Brainiac.
- Transformation Sequence: Clark has a brief magical-girl-esque transformation sequence to don his Superman outfit for the first time. The sequence does not give him the belt or shorts, however; Martha adds them herself.
- Truer to the Text: The series is the first time Mallah and the Brain have been allowed to explicitly be a couple and in love outside of the comics. Every other series, animated or live-action, either completely ignores their relationship status (such as Teen Titans), has them explicitly NOT be a couple (such as Doom Patrol), or only just hints at it in a more low-key manner, such as Teen Titans Go! where Mallah kissed Brain lovingly once but otherwise they don't get too affectionate when they're shown living together in their A Day in the Limelight episode.
- Two-Person Love Triangle: Unlike most adaptations, Lois is clearly attracted to Clark straight off, but she's still got her typical crush on Superman as shown by her blushing when flying with him, though she gets more frustrated with the Man of Steel as he seemingly dodges her questions.
- Ungrateful Townsfolk: Double Subverted. Superman becomes a beloved hero in Metropolis and the talk of the city as he helps everyone every single day. People stop to take photos with him and the police thank him over the radio. But in "Zero Day, Part 1", the townsfolk instantly start turning on him and calling him a menace after he makes some destructive mistakes and collapses from Sensory Overload while chasing Mist. No one save for Lois and Jimmy questions Vicki Vale's smear article against him either, even after she was only able to find a single, incredibly biased source willing to speak badly about him. It's then triple subverted when Ivo is rampaging through Metropolis and Superman is the only one able to stop him. Lois uses Jimmy's Flamebird account to issue a broadcast to all of Metropolis reminding them of the good Superman has done and begging for them to turn off the power and starve Parasite of energy. Metropolis does so while cheering Superman on from what few screens are left on, giving Superman the edge he needs to take Ivo down. Season Two cements that while powerful figures are wary at best of Superman, the general public loves him.
- Upgrade Artifact: The Kryptonian tech operates as this, granting the users enhanced abilities immediately with no apparent need to familiarize oneself with how it works.
- We Are as Mayflies: Discussed. Task Force X believes Superman to be Nemesis Omega, an alien that briefly invaded Earth 22 years ago. After getting a good look at him, the General casts doubt on that theory and notes that it's possible for Superman's species to have longer lifespans, but if not Superman is simply too young to be Nemesis.
- Wham Line: Jimmy gives a massive one in episode 6. After Lois spent the last two episodes reacting to the revelation that Clark is Superman, they hesitantly begin to let Jimmy in on the secret too... only for him to confirm he already knew.Jimmy: Clark, I know you're Superman. This is not a big reveal.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: A sign in the first episode suggests that Metropolis should be somewhere west of the Mississippi river, being located 198 miles from the Kent farm, which is in Kansas. But the city appears to be on the coast - this is most visible in background shots to Episode 8, which show a Manhattan-style island as the city's core, and an ocean horizon behind the airborne Silver Banshee.
- You Don't Look Like You: Quite a few actually, with a number of characters (particularly villains) undergoing radical redesigns, to the point one could be forgiven for not immediately making the connection. Among the more prominent ones:
- Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, instead of a Silver Fox with short, gray hair and a beard missing one eye, is a much younger man with spiky hair that's tied back in a ponytail, with no facial hair at all, and possessing both eyes, though he does later lose one in battle against Livewire.
- The OMACs of the comics have the appearance of blue-skinned, muscular humanoids with a mohawk like appendage and a single red eye. In this show, they're colored black and range anywhere from tiny floating robots to giant, long-armed machines.
- Instead of a purple skinned humanoid with internal abilities, Parasite is a depicted as an otherwise regular man wearing a purple battlesuit, that grows and evolves in relation to the power it absorbs, to the point when it absorbs enough, it turns into a repto-insectoid, Kaiju-like monster. After losing his initial fight to Superman, his body becomes much more emaciated, and gets purple veins, and one eye glowing purple, possibly as a Shout-Out to his original design.
- Mister Myxlplyx is normally depicted as a small, elderly man wearing a purple suit and top hat. In this, he’s a blue-skinned, youthful, fairy like being, dressed in more fantastical clothing. Even his distinct top hat, once he puts it on, shifts its appearance to a more fantastical-style crown.
- In the end, we see Brainiac, where instead of being a green-skinned, alien cyborg, he’s an android with a triangular head, Tron Lines, and a flowing cape. Really, the only thing he has in common with his original design, is the three dots on his forehead.
- As revealed in the Season 2 trailer, Alex is revealed to be this show's incarnation of Lex Luthor. Outside of assuming Alex would be Lex from the name, one wouldn't expect such due to the fact Alex has all of his hair intact when Lex Luthor appearance involves an iconic Bald of Evil look, and is also wearing a pair of glasses which Lex isn't known for wearing in other incarnations.
- Metallo is generally a metallic skeleton, a'la Terminator with a kryptonite core; in Season 2, "Metallo" refers to a series of drones that are sleek, and sharp and run by a form of internal generator.
- Younger and Hipper: Many characters have received an Age Lift that puts them as young adults rather than their comic counterparts being in their late 30's or such. In particular, the main trio are new interns at the Daily Planet, and Slade Wilson has been de-aged from a grizzled veteran in his 50s to a Pretty Boy who looks to be about 30 at best. Clark's age in particular becomes a plot point, as when the General is interrogating him in "Zero Day, Part 2", he notices Clark's statement about "growing up on Earth" and on seeing his horrified reaction to the events of Zero Day, starts to reconsider if he really is the "Nemesis Omega" figure that slaughtered his entire squad. The general notes that if Clark's species actually ages similar to humanity (which is indeed the case) he'd have been too young to participate in it 22 years ago, showing that Task Force X believed Older Than They Look was in play with Superman.
