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Quote1 This is your destiny, son. You are going to touch the lives of so many people. Not just as a man, but as a symbol. You're a symbol of peace. You're a symbol of justice. And now it's time for you to go. Quote2
Jonathan Kent src

Jonathan Kent was the adoptive father of Clark Kent.

Early Life

Jonathan Kent was born in 1961 to Hiram and Jessica Kent.[1] While attending Smallville High School, Jonathan played for the school's football team the Smallville Crows. This ensured that Jonathan would get a full ride to Metropolis University. However, Hiram needed Jonathan on the family farm, so Jonathan stayed home. For the rest of his life, part of Jonathan resented his father for needing him so much.[2] After his father passed, Jonathan was able to take some classes at the university, where he met a girl named Martha Clark.[3] The two fell in love and got married, but they soon discovered a problem. Martha couldn't have children.[4]

Their lives would forever change in October 1989, when the town was struck by the largest meteor shower in history. After the meteor shower, they discovered an alien boy, who had arrived during the shower.[5] Jonathan was unsure about keeping the boy, but Martha insisted and soon named the boy "Clark Kent". As they needed legal documents, to prove that they had adopted the boy, Martha got help from Lionel Luthor. Lionel's help didn't come without a price. In return for his help, Jonathan was forced to convince the Ross family to sell their factory to Lionel. An act Jonathan came to deeply regret.[6] But, he soon found new problem he had to deal with. Clark began displaying superhuman abilities. Despite the difficulty, Jonathan did his best to teach the boy to control his developing abilities.[7][8] Jonathan was also unsure about him going to school, but Martha convinced him that Clark needed to see the world outside the farm.[9]

Season One

In 2001, Jonathan decided that it was time to tell Clark the truth that he was from another world, with Clark becoming angry at first that Jonathan had kept this from him, but he soon calmed down. The lives of Jonathan and his ability became more complicated. Lionel Luthor's son Lex moved to town and befriended Clark. Due to his hostility towards Lionel, Jonathan had a difficult time accepting Lex, believing him to be as bad as his father. Furthermore, Clark began using his abilities in secret to save people in Smallville, prompting Jonathan to fear that the boy's secret would be exposed.[10] Problems also arouse from a corrupt cop, who learned Clark's secret and wanted to exploit him. When Clark didn't play along, the cop framed Jonathan for murder, but Clark managed to expose the truth and got Jonathan released.[11]

Season Two

Jonathan was met with good news, when he learned that Clark's spaceship had healed Martha's fertility problem and that she was pregnant.[4] But, shortly before this, Jonathan had to make a difficult adjustment, when Martha got a job outside of the farm. He resented it at first, possibly coming from his own resentment of having had to stay on the farm as a young man, but eventually accepted it.[12] However, tragedy struck the family when Clark impulsively blew up the spaceship, resulting in both Jonathan and Martha being injured. To make matters worse, Martha lost the baby. Because of this Jonathan lashed out at Clark, prompting Clark to run away to Metropolis for the summer.[13]

Season Three

Eventually, Jonathan contacted Clark's biological father, Jor-El, in a desperate attempt to get Clark back. Jor-El offered to give Jonathan abilities that would allow him to take on Clark, but only on condition that Jonathan would return Clark to him. Jor-El kept his end of the deal, allowing Jonathan to bring Clark back to Smallville, but Jonathan didn't keep his end of the deal.[14][15] Furthermore, the strain of taking on the powers resulted in Jonathan developing a heart condition and began having health problems for the rest of his life.[16] When Jor-El decided that he waited enough, Jonathan tried to prevent Clark from going to Jor-El. In retaliation and as punishment for breaking their deal, Jor-El placed Jonathan in a coma.[15] Jonathan remained in the coma, until Clark was returned to Smallville.[17]

Season Four

As Clark entered his senior year, Jonathan had a difficult time accepting the idea that Clark joined the football team. He was afraid that Clark might hurt someone on the field, but eventually allowed Clark to stay on the team.[18] But, Jonathan's health problems were visibly affecting Clark's life choices. Clark had a chance to study at a college in another state but chose to attend a college closer to home. Jonathan feared that Clark was going to throw his future away, because he felt guilty of Jonathan's heart condition, but soon accepted Clark's choices.[2]

Season Five

Jonathan's life would make a major change, after his old friend, Jack Jennings, came to visit. Jack was a Kansas State Senator, up for re-election and going up against Lex. When Jack decided to pull himself out of the race, Jonathan decided to take his place and run for Senator.[19] However, on the night of the election, while Jonathan won the election, he also learned that Lionel knew about Clark. This enraged Jonathan. Enough to trigger a fatal heart attack. Jonathan died in the arms of his family and was buried.[20] Martha took his seat in the Kansas State Senate.[21]

Afterlife

Not long after his death, Clark had a vision of Jonathan, who revealed both that Lionel knew Clark's secret and that he had seen a glimpse of Clark's future, which made Jonathan proud. That his son would become a symbol for justice and peace.[22] Jonathan would appear to Clark again. The exact details are unknown, but it seemingly had to do with Jor-El. In his darkest hour, Jonathan advised Clark to let Jor-El guide him. Allowing Clark to take the final steps to accept his destiny. Afterwards, Jonathan appeared inside the Fortress of Solitude, where he handed Clark the suit he would wear in his new identity as "Superman" and told him to always hold on to Smallville, before vanishing.[23]

Powers

Abilities

  • Farming

Other Characteristics


Related

Footnotes


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Superman Family member
This character is or was an incarnation of or an ally of Superman, and a member of the Superman Family. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Superman Family members" category.

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