History Awesome / Smallville

** Faced with a SadisticChoice by Checkmate, who want to force him to give them the names and locations of every member of the Justice League by taking Chloe hostage and threatening to kill her, Clark rescues her by using his super hearing to pinpoint where they have Chloe and then taking every one of the agents down in BulletTime before stopping the bullet meant for her. [[Film/TheMatrix Neo]], eat your heart out.

** Clark's long-awaited reunion with Lex, who confirms their destinies as [[ArchEnemy Arch Enemies]] in a conversation with almost as much FoeYay subtext as a conversation between [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] [[{{FoeYay/DoctorWho}} and the Master]]:

* Lex finally freeing the show from [[TheScrappy Lana]] with his brilliant kryptonite bomb trap. See, in the last episode Lana stole the Prometheus Project's Super Suit right out from under Lex, despite it never showing exactly how she found out about it, thus granting her [[GodModeSue God Mode]] powers. However, it turns out that the suit was designed to absorb Kryptonite. Cue a sadistic choice on top of the Daily Planet Building: Either Lana absorbs all of the Kryptonite to stop the bomb, thus ensuring that she'll be so irradiated by the Kryptonite that she can never get close to Clark again without killing him, or they do nothing and watch the city burn in the explosion. Lana sacrifices herself and leaves. The best part? Lex was on life support and confined to a van when he came up with this plan. MagnificentBastard indeed.
** That one is obviously only "awesome" if you actually hate Lana ...

** Savnig Ryan in "Stray." Both from the trash compactor and from the step family

** Restoring John Jones' abilities.

** And, of course, John's BadassBoast when he uses Them on Icicle:

-->''"You and I, we will both be great men. Because of each other. We have a destiny Clark, on opposite sides."''

** Clark's long-awaited reunion with Lex, who confirms their destinies as [[ArchEnemy Arch Enemies]] in a conversation with almost as much FoeYay subtext as a conversation between [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor]] [[{{FoeYay/DoctorWho}} and the Master]].

** Tossing a lead-based paint can, while using his [[EyeBeams heat vision]] to disable [[VillainTeleportation Alicia]] [[{{Yandere}} Baker]] (who was weak against lead) from [[spoiler:killing Lana]], in the episode "Obsessed".

* Jonathan beats the hell out of Lionel for telling him [[spoiler:he knows about Clark's powers]] and gives him a little TheReasonYouSuckSpeech.

** [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the stress of it all gave him a heart attack and he dies. Also, [[EvilCannotComprehendGood while Lionel could care less of Jonathan's little speech]], he wasn't trying to blackmail him, but to help the Kents.]]

** ''Conspiracy'', when he [[spoiler:flies for the first time.]]
** And also in ''Upgrade'' when he [[spoiler:blew up a truckload of kryptonite and swooped down from the skies and landed in front of Clark.]] Let's just forget he is the villain for the moment and admit that it is plain awesome.
** In ''Sacrifice'' when he [[spoiler:[[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork burns down the entire Checkmate castle]]]]. After all the plotting, all the shady dealings, all the spying and kidnapping, Zod reminds everyone that nothing they possess is a match for world-shattering raw power.
** Tess gets another one in "Salvation", the Season 9 finale, when she goes and stands up to a fully-powered General Zod in the Fortress itself, armed with brass knuckles made of Green K. Sure, she gets [[spoiler:[[RedemptionEqualsDeath roasted by Zod's heat vision]] and seemingly dies]] for her trouble, but damn if it wasn't awesome.

** Clark FINALLY taking flight in "Collateral", holding Lois in a true {{Superman}} moment [[spoiler:... shame it was AllJustADream caused by the Vigilante Registration Act's computer systems. But to do it, he had to overcome the same mental hangup that's keeping him from flying in real life]].

** First off, the [[spoiler:image of Apokolips approaching Earth]] is [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome pure win]].
** Near the end of Part 1, Clark manages to appeal to the good still in [[spoiler:Oliver]], who manages to [[spoiler:[[HeroicWillpower overcome]] Darkseid's [[TheCorruption corruption]].]]
** Tess is captured by Lionel and StrappedToAnOperatingTable (literally), about to [[spoiler:have her heart removed to complete Lex's perfect clone]]. She then proceeds to knock over a {{Mook}}, grab a scalpel from his surgery tray, use it to break free, and then mow down the rest of the Mooks. And then she [[spoiler:shoots Lionel and walks away, leaving him for dead]].

** Clark is confronted by Darkseid [[spoiler:in Lionel's body]] and is thrown across the room. As he's flying, Jor-El grants him a vision of all the trials he's faced -- essentially a two-minute montage of his greatest moments from the past ten years, accompanied by a [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic remix of the classic Christopher Reeve theme song]]. As the vision ends, Clark stops himself in midair, and proceeds to fly ''through'' Darkseid, [[spoiler:ripping him out of Lionel's body and]] dispersing his essence.
** Tess goes to [=LuthorCorp=] and confronts Lex [[spoiler:who [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice fatally stabs her]]]]. However, before [[spoiler:she dies]], she exposes Lex to a toxin that [[spoiler:completely wipes his memory of -- at the very least -- everything that's happened since he came to Smallville]].
*** This is followed Lex walking to the office window, and we get an exterior view of the [=LuthorCorp=] building, just as a shockwave from [[spoiler:the approaching Apokolips]] hits it, making all the letters between the "L" and the "C" shatter and fall off, the damage to the building making it look like there's an "E" and "X" in their place; effectively changing the name of the company from [=LuthorCorp=] to [[MythologyGag [=LexCorp=]]].
** Clark flies for the first time of his own free will, switching into THE costume mid-flight. He then proceeds to catch a falling Air Force One and correct its flight, and then he ''[[spoiler:pushes Apokolips out of Earth's orbit]]'', which inspires enough hope to remove Darkseid's taint from all of humanity.

* Oliver gets one by shooting a Kryptonite dart into Zod '''whilst the latter is super-speeding'''. Although Zod wasn't dodging it - he seems to not realise that it is tipped with kryptonite. And [[spoiler:Oliver gets branded with heat vision for his trouble.]]

* [[spoiler:Martha telling Tess off that [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech she only cared about herself]]. This led Tess to her HeelFaceTurn.]]
-->"You say you're saving the planet, but you really only care about yourself. You figured out Maxwell's charade because you know in your heart that [[spoiler:Oliver's declaration of love]] was a lie. You [[EvilCannotComprehendGood can't comprehend what it means to truly protect someone you love]]. And stay away from Clark Kent. If you're not careful, you'll end up on the wrong side of the coming apocalypse."
** Interestingly, [[spoiler:though this inspires Tess to go through with her HeelFaceTurn, she doesn't stay away from Clark, but in mid-Season Ten ("Beacon") when Martha returned, she doesn't seem to mind that Tess is one of the good guys now. This implies either she changed her mind about Tess or [[ReversePsychology she told Tess to stay away from Clark even knowing that she wouldn't]], because Martha thought that if anyone could help Tess redeem herself, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome it was Clark]].]]

** [[spoiler:Unfortunately, the stress of it all gave him a heart attack and he dies. Also, while Lionel could care less of Jonathan's little speech, he wasn't trying to blackmail him, but to help the Kents.]]

''Series/{{Smallville}}'', being a show about Clark Kent in the years before he became {{Superman}}, is an easy place to find a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Feel free to hum [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFo5BijsHs the old John Williams theme]] during any of these. [[DrinkingGame It's healthier than drinking.]]

** While the Justice League and Justice Society were at each other's throats over how to handle to Kryptonian crisis when Zod finally decides to move, Clark, with a single speech, unites them, and it just so happens to be the speech where he's announcing that he'll lead the Kryptonians to a new world through the Book Of Rao, and that they'll have to protect the earth in his stead. Goes into CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming when they all announce that they'll be there to support him if he needs it.

** Clark is confronted by Darkseid [[spoiler:in Lionel's body]] and is thrown across the room. As he's flying, Jor-El grants him a vision of all the trials he's faced -- essentially a two-minute montage of his greatest moments from the past ten years, accompanied by a [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome remix of the classic Christopher Reeve theme song]]. As the vision ends, Clark stops himself in midair, and proceeds to fly ''through'' Darkseid, [[spoiler:ripping him out of Lionel's body and]] dispersing his essence.

** And, finally, there's the DistantFinale. Not only does it show a ''very'' well-developed Smallville version of the set-up in the comics (specifically, things at the ''Daily Planet''), but it, along with the series, ends the only way it could: Clark running out onto the ''Daily Planet'''s roof, ripping open his shirt to reveal the S-shield beneath as he prepares to take flight, the camera focusing on that iconic symbol as the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome classic theme song]] plays magnificently in the background.

** First off, the [[spoiler:image of Apokolips approaching Earth]] is [[VisualEffectsOfAwesome pure win]].

** Faced with a SadisticChoice by Checkmate, who want to force him to give the names and locations of every member of the Justice League by taking Chloe hostage and threatening to kill her, Clark rescues her by using his super hearing to pinpoint where they have Chloe and then taking every one of the agents down in BulletTime to save her. Neo, eat your heart out.

** His KnifeFight with Major Zod in the Season 9 finale, "Salvation", likely counts as one for both combatants, the coreographers, and the show as a whole. That was a truly epic finale.

** To this troper, is when Clark did an ArrangedPublicConfession to Zod, leading to the HeelFaceTurn of all his followers.

* Hawkman's last-second aerial rescue of Lois, while ''[[DyingMomentOfAwesome dying]]'' and ''on fire''. {{Badass}}.

** Beating up the three super-powered gang members, who were all stronger than him, in the episode "Witness".

** In ''Sacrifice'' when he [[spoiler:[[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork burns down the entire Checkmate castle]]]]. After all the plotting, all the shady dealings, all the spying and kidnapping, Zod reminds everyone even that is no match for world-shattering raw power.

* Chloe surrenders herself to the Suicide Squad in order to secure Oliver's release, and apparently kills herself while in their custody. But after the League is captured during Carter's funeral, the Squad comes to their rescue - with Chloe! Chloe Sullivan managed made the freaking ''Suicide Squad'' her ''bitch!''

** To this troper, is when Clark did an ArrangedPublicConfession to Zod, leading to the HeelFaceTurn of all his follwers.

** And, of course, John's badass boast when he uses Them on Icicle:

** Pretty much the entirety of "Justice".

''{{Smallville}}'', being a show about Clark Kent in the years before he became {{Superman}}, is an easy place to find a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Feel free to hum [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFo5BijsHs the old John Williams theme]] during any of these. [[DrinkingGame It's healthier than drinking.]]

** The [[CoDragons Dark Prophets]] are gloating about their arriving victory... when in walks Oliver, in full GreenArrow regalia. The Prophets gloat about how he has no chance of defeating them -- and before they have a chance to do anything more than pose threateningly, he fires three arrows at once, hitting all of them simultaneously, banishing them.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78CX5QBCFXA This]] fight in "Siren" serves as one for in order, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Lex, and Clark. Canary gets hers for refusing to turn Green Arrow over to Lex, despite being threatened. Green Arrow gets one for interrupting to save Canary from Lex. Lex gets one for going toe-to-toe with Green Arrow in a GunKata battle and coming out looking pretty good. And Clark, of course, gets his for saving all their lives from the four-way MutualKill that was about to ensue.

** The [[CoDragons Dark Prophets]] are gloating about their arriving victory... when in walks Oliver, in full GreenArrow regalia. The Prophets gloat about how he has no chance of defeating them -- and before they have a chance to do anything more pose threateningly, he fires three arrows at once, hitting all of them simultaneously, banishing them.

''{{Smallville}}'', being a show about Clark Kent in the years before he became {{Superman}}, is an easy place to find a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.