Smallville: "PHANTOM" *Season 6 Finale*

Tonight aired one of the best season finale's of Smallville so far! I loved it, and yet I hated it! Now we have to wait until September for Season 7!!! Bummer!

Anyway, onto the Season 6 Finale!

The opening scene shows a girl in distress over her father's illness. She goes to answer the door, and outside stands the Martian named John with the glowing red eyes from the episode "Labyrinth." He enters and goes to the room where the girl's father lays. Upon seeing the Martian, the Phantom awakens within the old man, and he jabs his fist into the Martian and rips out his flesh. The Phantom then strikes the Martian, tossing him into the night sky, and the Martian flies off. The Phantom then goes after the daughter and the priest that are there. At that moment, Lex Luthor and his cronies enter and try to capture the Phantom, but he rips apart the old man and escapes.

Lex returns to his mansion where he is greeted by his father. Lex tells Lionel that he knows about Lana giving him information. Lionel then tells his son that Lana does not love him at all, but Lex refuses to believe it and believes instead that his father is lying about Lana.

Martha Kent is leaving Smallville, and before she leaves she talks to Clark about the farm. She tells him that he does not have to stay, but he can leave.

Lois Lane, who is still distressed about Wes Keenan's death, searches for the meaning of the numbers that he kept repeating before he died. Chloe finds out about her search and tells her to get off the trail. Lois tells Chloe that she will, but after Chloe leaves, Lois figures out the meaning of the numbers. They are latitude and longitude directions.

Back at his lab, Lex is shown another man that was ripped apart by the Phantom. He explains to his cronies and his lab cohorts that he needs that entity because it will never die like Titan did. If he can only get the Phantom's blood and flesh then his arm can be built.

Back at the Kent Farm, Clark finds Lana Luthor in the barn. Lana tells Clark that she is leaving Lex, and Clark is happy for her and says that they can now be together. Lana says no and starts to leave. Clark superspeeds down the stairs to stand in front of her, and he then explains about his powers and where he came from. Lana tells him that she already knew about his powers, but Clark tells her the entire truth about his life. Lana then kisses him and says that he is still the same Clark Kent. Clark is so happy, believing that now they can be together. But Lana tells him that they can't because he is in danger. Clark finally learns the truth about Lana's marriage when she tells him about Lionel's threat to kill Clark if she didn't marry Lex.

In his raging anger, Clark goes to Lionel's office and attacks him. Lionel tries to talk him down by saying that he was protecting him and telling him that he is not a murderer, but Clark is set in his ways. When all seems lost, the Martian John enters and stops Clark, telling him that Lionel is on their side and is an emissary of Jor-El.

At the Luthor Mansion, Lana finally confronts Lex about their marriage. She tells him that she is leaving and explains to him that their marriage has been built on nothing but lies. She tells him about the faked pregnancy, but he denies that he had anything to do with it. Lex tries to tell her that he loves her, but she says that he isn't capable of love, never was, and never will be. Lex then blames it all on Clark, and Lana says that Clark means more to her than he ever will. Lex slaps her, and she says that that will be the last time he touches her, and she walks out.

Back at Lionel's office, the Martian and Lionel talk to Clark about the Phantom. Lionel apologizes for using such harsh means of protecting him, but he tells Clark that it had to be done. The Martian tells Clark that he was sent by Jor-El to protect Clark. He says that he has been watching him for a long time, but he chose now to interfere because of the dangers Clark faces. The Martian explains to Clark that the Phantom is a product of the Kryptonian labs and will only survive if he has a Kryptonian host. That is why he only lasts 24 hours in a human.

At the Daily Planet, Clark and Chloe search online for any signs of the Phantom. They come across a police report about a boy that had the symptoms, but he was picked up by a helicopter and taken away. Clark concludes that it was Lex Luthor's doing, and he starts to take off. Before he does, though, he tells Chloe about Lana's decision to leave Lex. Chloe is happy for Clark, but then her expression changes when Clark tells her that he told Lana the whole truth about his secret. Chloe tries to look happy for him, but it is clear in her eyes and through her mannerisms that she is jealous, that she is sad to no longer be the only one who knows, that she is sad that it is no longer the dynamic duo - Clark and Chloe.

Following her lead, Lois goes to the dam where Lex is housing his army. She starts to dig around underground, but she is caught by a guard. Lois disarms him, but they get in a fight, and Lois is stabbed in the side with the man's dagger. After knocking the guard unconscious, Lois takes out the dagger and calls Chloe. She only gets her cousin's name out before she falls to the floor, a pool of blood forming around her.

Lana, who is frantic to get out of town, calls Lionel and tells him that she is leaving and that she trusts no one anymore. Lionel arrives at the place where she is at, and he watches as she gets into her car. When she turns it on, however, the vehicle explodes in a blast of raging flames.

Clark Kent goes in search of Lionel Luthor and goes to the Mansion. When he sees Lionel, he tells him about Lex and the boy that was taken. Seeing Lionel's state, Clark asks him what is wrong. Lionel then tells Clark that Lana is gone, she is dead. Clark doesn't believe him, but then he starts to grieve over her death. His tears turn to anger and rage when he realizes that Lex didn't want to let her go. He demands that Lionel tell him the location of his son, but Lionel tells Clark not to pursue Lex because he might do something he will regret. Clark speeds away in a fit of anger and hate.

Chloe shows up at the dam where Lois had been, and she searches around underground. She finds a guard unconscious, a dagger, Lois's cell phone, and then Lois. Chloe takes Lois in her arms and tries to shake her awake. Lois is dead. Chloe weeps for her cousin and friend, crying out loud that she can't go on without her. A tear falls from Chloe's eye and lands atop Lois's forehead. Light surround the two of them, and life enters into Lois. Lois pulls back her shirt and feels for the wound but it is gone. She gets up and sees Chloe sitting against the wall, unmoving, still, without life. (Her power was one of healing and life-giving, one that could only be used once - Chloe gave her life away for a friend.)

Further underground, Lex Luthor is talking with his lab workers. They extract blood from the boy with the Phantom in him, and they discover that the blood will work to build up Lex's army. But before the rejoicing can start, the Phantom boy escapes and kills the two lab workers. Lex runs and gets away, but Clark catches up with him. Clark slams him against the wall, demanding to know why he killed Lana. Lex looks at Clark in confusion and says that he had nothing to do with her death. The Phantom then enters, and Lex makes his escape. Outside of the building, Lex is caught by the police and arrested for Lana Luthor's murder.

The Phantom is glad to finally see a Kryptonian, and he escapes from the boy and lunges at Clark, throwing him through a wall. When Clark Kent rises to his feet, he is surprised to be standing in front of a duplicate of himself. The Phantom explains to him that he stole some of his DNA and is now able to live and be powerful. Clark fights the Phantom, trying to knock him down. He throws the Phantom through a wall, and Lionel shows up with a meteor rock. He came to try to stop Clark, but Lionel comes face-to-face with the Phantom. Lionel thrusts the meteor rock onto the Phantom's chest, but the Phantom sucks in the power from the rock, and he knocks Lionel down. Lionel lays trapped beneath the rubble while the dam begins to break and the underground tunnels begin to fill with water. Also trapped in the tunnels are Lois and Chloe.

The Phantom stands to confront Clark again, and they run towards each other. Clark is hit hard and is thrown out of the building, through the wall of the dam, and out into the river. The Phantom breaks through the dam, and flies off. On his face is an evil smile, and then his face turns to metal just before the credits. (To Be Continued...)

Bummer! That was the end of Season 6! And a great end it was! Can't wait till September! It is sure to be a great Seventh Season. Hopefully in the next season, with Chloe and Lana both dead and Martha Kent no longer at the farm, Clark will go to the Fortress of Solitude, learn all he needs to learn, and return as the clumsy reporter and the Man of Steel known as Superman!!!

(What if Lana isn't dead? Maybe she rigged the whole thing as a trick, a way to get out from under Lionel and Lex and to protect Clark at the same time? She told Clark she was leaving for good and never coming back. What if it was all an act? an illusion? a plot? Is she really dead?)