Fan Art Depicts Tom Welling Wearing the Superman Suit With His Family, Inspired by CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths

Summary

• Tom Welling’s Superman returns with full powers in new fan art depicting him as a family man with Lois and their daughters.
• The fan art is inspired by the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline but draws from the Smallville series as well.
• The fan art pays homage to the Superman mythology and showcases Welling in the iconic Superman suit at the Kent Farm in Smallville.

Tom Welling’s Superman seems to have found his powers again. As most Smallville fans know, Welling and his co-star Erica Durance reprized their roles as Clark Kent and Lois Lane for the CW’s massive crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths in 2019. However, it arguably came as a shock to many when Clark revealed that he’d given up his Kryptonian abilities in order to live a normal life and have a family. Check out Welling clad in his Superman suit in the brand-new fan art posted on Instagram by @superblurman and credited to @buffy2ville below:

During the Batwoman: Crisis on Infinite Earths — Part Two episode, it’s revealed that Lois and the former Man of Steel have daughters. This must certainly be a source of inspiration for this particular piece of fan art. “What’d the girls make?” Clark asks his wife. “A mess,” Lois responds during the CW show. So, the lovebirds have at least two children, which is captured beautifully in the four frames. Like her girls, Lois is sporting overalls, or at least suspenders. Meanwhile, Clark has donned his iconic Superman outfit. So, unless it’s Halloween out at the ole Kent Farm, it seems like Kal-El from Earth-167 is operating at full power again. In the comments, @huang.he.2022 wrote:

Yes, he gonna remove the blue ring soon.

The Instagram user is referring to Blue Kryptonite. In the Smallville television series, the radiation omitted by this particular mineral stripped Kryptonians of their powers. Unlike Gold K, which also took away their powers, the effects were not permanent. The problem is that in the aforementioned scene from the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Clark isn’t wearing a Blue K ring — only his wedding ring. So, there’s a more logical explanation for Superman’s full-powered appearance in the fan art, and yet another source of inspiration.

Related: How Smallville Redefined Superman For The 21st Century

Crisis Clark is From Earth-167

CW

The Last Son of Krypton has lost his powers multiple times across many mediums over the years. In the film Superman II (1980), Clark (Christopher Reeve) uses a crystal chamber in the Fortress of Solitude, which utilizes the rays of Krypton’s sun, to strip away his abilities. Like the Crisis on Infinite Earth’s version of Clark (Tom Welling), Reeve’s Superman gave up his powers to be with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). But the Man of Steel pictured in this brand-new fan art is likely not the character Welling portrayed on Batwoman.

Here’s where it gets a little complicated, thanks so much Elseworlds and multiverses for the confusion. The fan art is clearly inspired by CW’s Crisis storyline because of the mention of Clark and Lois’ “girls.” But its inspiration clearly comes from the television series Smallville, too, which exists outside of Batwoman’s Arrowverse. Grab the Tylenol, this is where it gets tricky — and the headaches begin because Smallville Clark and Crisis Clark are two totally different people who just happen to be portrayed by Welling.

Yes, Welling and Durance take on the roles of Clark Kent and Lois Lane again in the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, but they are not the same characters from Smallville. Same actors — yes. They look the same — obviously. But the Crisis versions of Clark and Lois are from Earth-167. The television series Smallville, which aired first on the WB and later the CW, existed within the confines of Earth, aka Earth-1. Fans of Arrowverse are probably typing right now: “No, the Arrowverse is Earth-1.” Yes, and so is Smallville. Technically, that means Smallville exists in the same universe as Superman & Lois?” Wait, what? Thanks again, CW.

Regardless, of the multiverse mess, the fan art is terrific, and it’s a wonderful nod to the Superman mythology, particularly the characters from Smallville. And it’s always nice to see Welling wearing the Superman suit since it was such a controversy on the television series. During the second half of the Smallville series finale, Clark battles Darkseid in the vessel of Lionel Luthor (John Glover). During the fight, Kal-El takes flight and defeats the ruler of Apokolips. He then becomes Superman after receiving the iconic suit from a ghostly Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) later in the Fortress of Solitude. “Always hold on to Smallville,” Jonathan implores.

And if the fan art is any indication, Clark is fighting crime still, but his home base is the Kent Farm in Smallville, and that’s where he enjoys married life and raises two wonderful daughters. Coincidentally, that’s exactly how the Man of Steel is portrayed on the CW’s Superman & Lois, but Clark (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois (Bitsie Tulloch) have two sons rather than daughters. Those who enjoyed the fan art, please visit @buffy2ville on Instagram to see even more Smallville-inspired creations below:

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