Originally aired May 5, 2004
Written by Kenneth Biller
Directed by John Schneider
Jeremiah Holdsclaw, a young Kawatche, gains superhuman powers similar to Clark's after touching a Kawatche artifact and believes that he is Naman, the legendary savior from the stars. When Jeremiah sets out to kill Lionel, Clark sets out to stop him.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Anti-Villain: Jeremiah is a Type III. Under the Starblade's influence, he believes he's protecting his people from Lionel, whom he believes to be Sageeth.
- Arch-Enemy: Sageeth is this to Naman, according to Kawatche legend.
- Big "NO!": In the teaser, Lionel bellows one right before Jeremiah smashes the artifact with a rock, revealing the Starblade.
- Cain and Abel: Kawatche myth says that Naman and Sageeth start out having a brotherly relationship before becoming enemies, much like two other certain characters on the show.
- Dark Messiah: Exposure to the Starblade causes Jeremiah to believe he's Naman and that it is his duty to kill Lionel, whom he believes is Naman's mortal enemy, Sageeth.
- Deus ex Machina: After Clark is stabbed by Jeremiah with the Starblade, Jor-El heals Clark through Jonathan using Healing Hands.
- Foil: Jeremiah, to Clark. Lampshaded by Joseph Willowbrook:Joseph Willowbrook: [to Clark] Jeremiah is desperate to be someone he's not. And you are desperate not to be someone you are.
- Get Out!: Clark's response to Lionel when the latter threatens Joseph and the Kawatche people.Clark: [to Lionel] Mr. Luthor, those caves may not belong to my family, but this barn does. So get out.
- A God Am I: After touching the Starblade and being given superpowers equivalent to Clark's, Jeremiah believes he is the mythological Naman and denounces Clark (whom the Kawatche, particularly Joseph Willowbrook, view as the true Naman) as a false prophet.
- Healing Hands: Jonathan heals a mortally-wounded Clark this way, with a little help from Jor-El.
- Human Sacrifice: Near the end of the episode, Jeremiah kidnaps Lionel, binds him to an altar, and prepares to kill him. Fortunately, Clark arrives to save the day.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Clark in the first act.Clark: [to Jonathan] Professor Willowbrook thinks that I'm Naman. And Jor-El wants me to be some sort of Kryptonian warrior, but I just want to be Clark Kent.
- Magical Native American: Played with in the case of Jeremiah. He has no magical abilities on his own, but when wielding the Kryptonian starblade he gets the same powers as Clark. Given it's Kryptonian origins this makes him more of a Highly Advanced Technology Native American.
- Mythology Gag:
- Jeremiah is first seen wearing glasses, but once he gains powers, he ditches them, much like how Clark removes his glasses as he changes into his Superman costume in the comics.
- After finding Clark bleeding to death, Jonathan rips open his son's shirt to reveal a blue shirt underneath it, similar to how Clark rips open his work clothes to reveal his Superman costume.
- Clark is seen with a red blanket wrapped around his shoulders after Jonathan heals him from a stab wound.
- Lex muses that the Kawatche legend might actually be that Sageeth, the implied bad guy, might actually be the savior against the unstoppable Naman. In some earlier canon, Lex saw himself as a savior against the tyranny that is Superman/Clark.
- Oh, Crap!: Clark attempts to subdue Jeremiah peacefully with a piece of Kryptonite, only for Jeremiah to be unaffected and ask "What's this?" Clark's face says it all.
- Plot Device: The Starblade, which grants anyone who touches it Kryptonian abilities. It's also supposed to reveal who is Sageeth, Naman's greatest enemy.
- Satanic Archetype: Willowbrook refers to Sageeth's, Naman's mortal enemy, as "the bearer of darkness."
- Save the Villain: Near the end, Clark saves Lionel from being sacrificed by Jeremiah.
- The Strength of Ten Men: Naman, and by extension Jeremiah and Clark, are explicitly described as having the strength of ten men. Presumably this is meant metaphorically, because the actual feats of strength on display in just this episode alone is far beyond ten men .
- Touched by Vorlons: The Starblade gives Jeremiah superhuman powers similar to Clark's.
- Villain of the Week: Jeremiah Holdsclaw is the main villain of the episode.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Holding the Starblade and gaining superpowers gives Jeremiah delusions of being the Kawatche people's messiah and that Lionel Luthor needs to be killed.
