Smallville was a popular TV series on the WB and CW networks that revolved around a young Superman as he struggled to find his destiny. Even before superheroes were all over various TV, Smallville amassed great success and a devoted audience. Even though the show has been over for almost a decade, there are still a lot of people who respect the interpretation that the cast and creators brought to the table.
In its 10 season run, the show certainly had a lot to explore in regards to Superman himself. However, several other DC heroes came to play a minor role throughout the series. Since some guests had more of an impact than others, here is our list of the 10 best DC superhero appearances on Smallville, ranked.
10 Booster Gold
In the comics, Booster Gold is a fan-favorite hero from the future. While he initially traveled back in time to gain wealth and fame, the character actually grew into a very respectable individual. He is also known for his relationship with Ted Kord - the Blue Beetle - and the two have been on many fun and wacky adventures together.
Booster made his debut in Smallville during the series’ final season in the episode, Booster. Actor Eric Martsolf portrays the classic hero as he tries to use his abilities for selfish reasons. The show’s portrayal of Booster is actually fairly faithful to the original version, even if his whole character arc is condensed down into a single episode.
9 Blue Beetle
In the same episode, Smallville also managed to introduce Blue Beetle. However, the show chose to focus on the Jaime Reyes version of the character who, in the comics, is actually the third Blue Beetle. Like with Booster Gold, the show is fairly accurate to Jaime’s origin, though a few more tweaks are made to help him fit within the world of the show.
As mentioned previously, in the comics, Booster Gold is best friends with the Ted Kord iteration of the Blue Beetle. Despite this, Smallville still finds a way to make the relationship between the two characters work. Jaime even helps evolve Booster as a character, much like Ted did. For any fan of the duo, Booster was an especially cool episode to watch, making for some great moments and homages to the comics.
8 Zatanna
Zatanna actually makes an appearance twice on Smallville. Initially, she served as a great way for the characters to handle some magical situations, especially considering how sci-fi based the series was in its earlier days. Actress Serinda Swan plays the character and her depiction is also quite faithful to her comic book counterpart.
Zatanna was always a bit flirtatious, which was certainly played out as Lois Lane had to witness as she and Clark worked together. Her magical talents are also utilized in a very nice manner, though Smallville did seem to tone down just how powerful she actually is. Overall though, Zatanna made for a great guest star and a greater nod to the comics.
7 Impulse
When the time came for the show to introduce a classic speedster into the mix, fans were pretty surprised to see Bart Allen in the role instead of Barry Allen or Wally West. In doing so, the show also deviated from a lot of important DC continuity and history. However, actor Kyle Gallner still brought a lot of charm to the role.
Despite the inaccuracies to his history, Bart was still the lovable character he always is in the comics. He even appeared once again for an episode titled, Justice, that saw an unofficial version of the Justice League come together. Even though he’s not one of the more accurate characters on the show, Bart was still a welcome part within the world of Smallville.
6 Legion
Towards the end of the series, the Legion of Super-Heroes was actually introduced. In the comics, a young Superman was part of the team of time-traveling super-teens for a time. Since they all have close ties to Superman as a symbol, it was incredibly nice to see a version of the team appear on the show.
Though they were a more limited interpretation of the team, Smallville’s Legion still offered some fan-favorite characters like Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad. Seeing the Legion in the past also foreshadowed some events that would come well beyond the show’s own timeline. Even beyond the incredibly fun guest appearance, the Legion offered a lot to Smallville in just a single episode.
5 Supergirl
Of course, Supergirl has to be mentioned on this list. She has been a very active member in the DC Universe for quite some time and is even popular enough to be awarded a show of her own. While the actresses from Smallville and the character’s solo series certainly take the character in different directions, both remain fairly accurate to the comics, at least in regards to her origin.
Eventually, Smallville makes some more bold choices with supergirl's character. For example, She begins to call herself Supergirl and reveals herself publicly well before Clark becomes Superman. Though it was nice to see a version of the character on the show, the creative direction for her seemed to drastically alter the course of Clark’s development, making her feel a bit out of place by the time the series ended.
4 JSA
Any fan of DC Comics likely had a blast when the episode Absolute Justice first aired. The episode itself focuses on the Justice Society of America, a group who, in the comics, predates the famous Justice League. This group consists of classic characters like Hawkman, Black Canary, Jay Garrick’s Flash, Doctor Fate, and Alan Scott’s Green Lantern.
While not all of these characters make an appearance in the episode, most of them are mentioned in some way or another. Furthermore, seeing some of these characters come to life should have been a total blast for most hardcore DC fan. The episode just captures the fun and charm of early comics in such a magnificent way, making the JSA’s guest appearance one of the best in the show.
3 Cyborg
Like Bart, Cyborg only appeared on Smallville for a brief few episodes. Once again, the show took some interesting liberties with the character’s origin, though it does fit within Smallville's universe. Initially, Cyborg brought a somewhat younger charm to the show, although Smallville had to distance itself from this aspect following the 4th season.
Furthermore, he was also seen again to help rescue Bart in the Justice episode. While there have certainly been better interpretations of the character, actor Lee Thompson Young still brought a lot of heart to the character. Cyborg's cheesy nature was fun and he was still a welcome sight whenever he appeared. He also added a lot to expand on the world and bring it ever so closer to the world of the comics.
2 Aquaman
Aquaman is actually introduced fairly early on in Smallville’s 10-year run. After an injury nearly causes Lois to drown, actor Alan Ritchson emerges from the water to save her as a young Arthur Curry. The show's portrayal of Aquaman is just as cheesy as you might expect, though it also does a lot to showcase the hero as well.
While it may be corny, the episode also shows that Aquaman can be cool, without making it seem like they’re trying to force their audience to like him. Rather, it seems like a fun episode for fans of the character to enjoy while those who dislike Aquaman still have something to entertain them. Furthermore, Aquaman returns for the Justice episode, which adds all the more depth to his character.
1 Green Arrow
Of course, the most frequent and important guest role from another DC hero is Justin Hartley as Green Arrow. Originally introduced as a one-off character, Hartley would eventually find himself as a series regular and be a major part of Smallville's final seasons. Though he didn’t exactly look the part, Hartley still brought his A-game to the role of Oliver Queen.
The character's comic-accurate origin and charming abilities made Green Arrow a welcome addition to the show. While Queen would also go through some odd character arcs, it is much more understandable considering the role he would come to play. He also allowed the series to explore some darker moments, though Hartley’s Oliver Queen would always maintain the same type of personality that everyone loved about Green Arrow.