An interesting fan theory believes that Lana Lang may have had a secret kryptonite power in Smallville, backed up by a surprising amount of evidence.
A Smallville fan theory posits that Lana Lang might just be a "meteor freak", and it's surprisingly convincing. Smallville's in-depth exploration of Clark Kent's teenage years and gradual transformation into the Man of Tomorrow holds a special place in the hearts of many Superman fans. One of the many ways it influenced Superman's canon was its exploration of the many different types of kryptonite and the effects they can have on unsuspecting humans and Kryptonians.
As well as introducing new colors of kryptonite, Smallville also saw a great number of the titular town's residents becoming influenced by the radioactive fragments of Krypton, usually gaining strange and dangerous powers as a result. These unfortunate characters are labeled "meteor freaks", with the alien material often bringing out dark and problematic aspects of their respective personalities. Over Smallville's ten-season run, these meteor freaks were often a major plot element, and regularly influenced Clark's journey to becoming the hero he was born to be.
However, one fan theory, posted to Reddit, speculates that Lana Lang is actually a meteor freak and that prolonged exposure to kryptonite gave her the ability to make others infatuated with her. While Lana is seen to possess various powers at various times during Smallville's run, the one outlined in the theory isn't among them. Despite fans of Smallville hating Lana Lang, the show's characters loved her - sometimes a little too much.
Lana Lang's Kryptonite Power Explained
Lana was given a necklace featuring a kryptonite gemstone as a young girl, following the deaths of her biological parents in the Smallville meteor shower. Lana wore the necklace almost daily until the end of her Freshman year in high school—specifically, the Smallville season 1 finale—when she gifted it to Whitney, her boyfriend at the time who had enlisted in the military. In fact, there also seems to be a direct correlation between how much Lana wears the necklace and how often and intense other characters act towards her. As it's shown that as little as a few hours of exposure to kryptonite can give someone powers, Lana's years of proximity to the necklace would almost certainly have had an effect.
The theory posits that Lana only uses these powers subconsciously, which seems plausible as it so often results in mortal danger for her. It even goes on to elaborate that Lana's obsession with secrets in Smallville (both keeping and uncovering them) could also be a side effect, particularly as almost all "meteor freaks" are seen to fall victim to their own powers in some way. It may never have been confirmed in the show, but throughout Lana's time in Smallville, she's shown to be the object of countless characters' obsession or infatuation. Whether or not Lana actually has the power to make others obsessed with her is open to interpretation, but this Smallville fan theory is certainly backed up by plenty of evidence.
Clark Kent's Lana Infatuation
It's established in Smallville's very first episode that Clark loves Lana, but his behavior towards her is often uncharacteristic. Clark is repeatedly shown to be one of Smallville's most honest and morally sound characters, but where Lana is involved, Clark is more willing to resort to lies and deceit to get his way. While sometimes this is played off as a byproduct of his naive nature, it could just as easily be the subtle influence of her kryptonite-fuelled powers.
For evidence as to how Clark behaves differently towards Lana, look no further than his relationship with Lois. While Clark meets Lois earlier than expected in Smallville, the pair grow up to share one of the show's most wholesome and entertaining dynamics. However, Clark's behavior towards Lois is far less obsessive than the way he is with Lana before her. This could be evidence of Clark's growth throughout the show, but it could equally prove that Lana had a more powerful sway over Clark than it may initially have seemed.
Lex Luthor's Lana Infatuation
Smallville's Lex Luthor is an interesting take on Superman's archnemesis. By exploring his backstory in a surprisingly sympathetic way, Smallville makes Lex a far deeper character than many would have expected, and early on, he's actually a good friend of Clark's. One of the major causes of Lex and Clark first beginning to drift apart is their mutual love of Lana Lang - something which sees Smallville's version of Lex Luthor turn against his superhero friend.
Lex's obsession with Lana is actually a key part of Smallville's story and serves as a major trigger for the character to embrace his darker nature. Early on, he befriends Lana, helping her open the Talon and effectively becomes her boss. He then slowly and obsessively works on making Lana fall in love with him over the course of multiple seasons, eventually manipulating her into marrying him. His obsession with Lana seemed to be the deciding factor in Lex becoming a villain, and it's one of the first times he actively acts as an antagonist towards Clark.
Whitney Fordman & Jason Teague's Lana Infatuation
One of Smallville's original characters, Whitney Fordman, seems to be another victim of Lana's kryptonite powers. Introduced in Smallville season 1 as Lana's boyfriend, Whitney often acts possessively towards Lana and is particularly wary of her friendship with Clark. However, Whitney's generally shown to be a decent and friendly guy, and even gets on with Clark whenever Lana isn't involved, hinting that maybe there was more at play in his relationship with her.
Another of Lana's ex-boyfriends, Jason Teague, also seems to be a potential victim. Appearing in season 4, Jason is revealed to have been secretly attempting to extract information from Lana. Despite being willing to kill anyone who stands in the way of him getting the Stones of Power, Jason falls for Lana, risking his life and his mission by protecting her.
Minor Characters Who Could Have Been Affected
Over its ten seasons, Smallville used a number of Superman villains, but its early seasons most often used original "meteor freak" characters as antagonists. An alarming number of these had a bizarre obsession with Lana Lang. While this was most likely used as an effective means of giving Clark more personal stakes in the early days of his heroism, it also provides additional evidence for the theory of Lana's powers. There's the shapeshifting Tina Greer who wants to steal Lana's life and insect-obsessed Greg Arkin (who stalks and kidnaps her), as well as Byron Moore, Seth Nelson, Jake Pollan, and more. There's also a brief storyline in which Zod announces that he will let Lana live against his better judgment so that she can "repopulate the world with Kryptonian heirs".
Next: Smallville: Clark's Crisis Ending Wouldn't Have Worked With Lana
