Approximately eight years after its final season, Smallville still stands as one of the most popular Superman shows ever made. Numerous elements came together to make the series a hit; Alfred Gough and Miles Millar were superb writers, and the talented actors and actresses brought the characters to life! In particular, Tom Welling did an excellent job portraying Clark Kent in his early days.

Related: Where Are They Now: The Cast Of Smallville

Today, we're going to answer ten questions about Clark Kent - the man who would become Superman. We'll look at both the in-universe and real-life explanations behind some of Clark's greatest mysteries. Even if you're a die-hard Smallville fan, you're bound to learn something new!

10 Did Clark Love Anyone Else Between Lana and Lois?

Lois Lane is synonymous with Superman in many ways. In the DC Comics Universe, she and Clark are currently happily married. They also have a son together named Jonathan Kent. However, Smallville fans already know that Clark Kent used to be in love with Lana Lang. For the first few seasons of the series, Clark and Lana went steady.

RELATED: That Time Lana Lang and Ma Kent Both Talked Trash About Lois Lane

But did you know that Superman dated a mermaid? In the comics, Clark Kent went out with Lori Lemaris while attending Metropolis University. Kent worried that his true identity would ruin their relationship. As it turns out, Lori was an Atlantean in disguise! Despite the connection between them, Lori had to leave Clark and return to the sea.

9 Who's Superman's Granddad?

Krupton superman cape

Smallville dedicated a lot of time to discussing Superman's lineage. As earlier as season three, fans met Jor-El. Well, fans met an artificial intelligence based on Jor-El first. Later on, we got to see the real deal in the episode Relic. Eventually, Clark meets his cousin Kara and we learn a bit about Zor-El, Jor-El's younger brother.

RELATED: Krypton Season 2 Betrayal Leaves Core Character in Dire Straits

That's as far up the El family tree that Smallville climbs. However, Clark's Granddad was a hero in his own right. Seg-El (also spelled Seyg-El) is the father of Jor-El and Zor-El. He's also the main protagonist of Syfy's Krypton, where he's played by Cameron Cuffe.

8 Does 'Clark Kenting" Actually Work?

Smallville Clark Kent Glasses

Most superheroes have two identities; a persona that they adopt when fighting crime and their regular identity that they keep secret. Heroes like Batman, Green Arrow, The Flash, and most Green Lanterns wear on masks to protect their loved ones. Clark Kent does the opposite; he doesn't wear a mask as Superman but uses multiple techniques to throw people off.

'Clark Kenting' refers to the act of hiding your identity with a thin disguise. By now, it's common to joke about how ineffective Superman's subterfuge is. However, psychologists Robin Kramer and Kay Ritchie tested Clark's trick and succeeded! Kent also changes his posture and mannerisms when he's out of costume.

7 Where Are The Green Lanterns?

Green Lantern Corps Liam Sharp

Superman may be Earth's greatest champion, but the Green Lantern Corps watches over the entire galaxy! If there's trouble on Saturn, a Green Lantern would fly by ASAP! Is there a throwdown in the Keiper Belt? A GL would head over to keep the peace. All in all, the Lanterns act as a police force for the DC Universe.

However, one might wonder why they didn't intervene in Smallville. After all, Clark could've used the help when he dealt with villains like Dru-Zod, Brainiac, and Doomsday. Well, Kent not only meets the Lanterns in the Smallville comics - he becomes one! Later on, Superman learns that Oa, the GL's home base, is in ruins and heads off to help.

6 Why Didn't Clark Wear The Suit?

The Superman Curse is a modern Hollywood urban legend. According to myth, any actor that dons the Man of Steel's iconic blue and red suit suffers tragedy in their lives. Proponents of this curse cite George Reeves, Christopher Reeves, Brandon Routh, and Ben Affleck as prime examples of the myth's validity, as well as Tom Welling.

RELATED: Superman's Live-Action Costumes, Ranked: "On My World, It Means 'Haute Couture'"

Whether it's real or not, the Superman Curse isn't the reason why Clark didn't wear his sit on Smallville. According to Welling, there was a 'no tights, no flight' agreement between himself the showrunners. Welling also felt that the show was about Clark Kent becoming Superman. Once he does, Tom believed that the series was best off ending then and there.

5 What's With The 'S Shield?'

Superman suit Smallville finale

While we're on the topic of Superman's iconic suit, we bet some of you are wondering 'why an S?' Well, there are a lot of in-universe and real-life explanations behind the Action Ace's classic symbol. Smallville goes with the contemporary answer - that the 'S shield' is the House of El coat of arms.

However, this wasn't always the case. Back when Superman first debuted in Action Comics #1, the S didn't represent Krypton at all. Back then, the S simply stood for Superman. Rather, the symbol stood for Superboy, as Clark Kent made his first suit in his teens. It wasn't until the 2003 comic book Superman: Birthright that the Kryptonian origin became canon.

4 When Did Batman Meet Clark?

Hehe, this is a bit of a trick question for Smallville fans. Due to a labyrinth of red tape, the Dark Knight and the Last Son of Krypton never met during series! To add insult to injury, many core Justice League members became mainstays in Smallville's later seasons. However, Supes and Bats did still meet in the Smallvilleverse in the Season Eleven comic books.

RELATED: Smallville: Ranking The 16 Most Important Characters

During the Detective story arc, Batman and Nightwing travel to Metropolis. The Dynamic Duo isn't on vacation; they're hunting members of Intergang. Knowing Batman, his hunting methods don't gel with Clark Kent too well. The two heroes trade blows and rhetoric in Smallville Season Eleven - Chapter 16. The rest, as they say, is history.

3 Was Clark Always A Boyscout?

One of Clark Kent's defining characteristics is that he's a nice guy. And not an r/ niceguy either - Clark's a genuine man who cares for the wellbeing of others. Heck, one of his aliases is the Big Blue Boyscout. But we think you already know where we're going with this; Superman wasn't only mean in his early stories - he was a complete psychopath!

Back in the day, Superman used to interrogate criminals worse than Batman did! He also loved experimenting on Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen for kicks and giggles. You see, Clark heavily resembled heroes from Classical Mythology early in his career. He was only 'Super' because he had powers. These days, Kent is Super because of the content of his character.

2 Why Is His First Name Clark?

An image of Ma Kent, Pa Kent, and young Clark Kent aka Superman

The answer to this question isn't as obvious as some might think. In-universe, Clark Kent earned his name from Jonathan and Martha Kent. In Smallville, Superman's first name comes from Martha Kent's maiden name. In the original DC Comics, Clark's full name - Clark Joseph Kent - comes from various members of Jonathan and Martha Kent's families.

However, this isn't even the definitive reason behind the name; any time Supes gets a new origin story so does the rationale behind his secret identity. The real world reason is very straightforward; Clark Kent comes from Clark Gable and Kent Taylor - two of Jerry Shuster and Joe Siegel's favorite actors.

1 When Did He Take Up The Superman Mantle?

Well, the short answer to this question is 'when Clark wore on the Superman suit.' The long answer is 'after he went through multiple personas over the course of many years.' This true for both the Smallvilleverse and the original DC comics. Smallville fans already know that Clark Kent went by the Good Samaritan, Red-Blue Blur, and Blue monikers for years.

However, that's the show's version of events. In the comics, Clark first called himself Superboy. It wouldn't be until he moved to Metropolis as an adult that he'd earn the Superman title. In some stories, Lois comes up with the name. In others, the citizens of Metropolis create the alias for Clark based on his past deeds.

NEXT: Smallville: The 20 Strongest Heroes, Officially Ranked