Originally aired October 23, 2001
Written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Directed by Philip Sgriccia & Michael W Watkins
Greg Arkin, a childhood friend of Clark's, is bitten by Kryptonite-irradiated insects and gains insect-like abilities. The once harmless geek and shut-in gains confidence and independence- even if he has to kill for satisfaction. When Greg kidnaps Lana so he can mate with her, Clark races to stop him.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Animal Motifs: Greg uses a bug metaphor to Whitney when talking about Lana.Greg: You afraid of a little competition, Whitney?Whitney: We're not in competition, Greg, but if I find out you've been leaving butterflies in my girlfriend's bedroom, you'll know about it. [walks off]Greg: Yeah, well, just remember—sometimes you're the windshield... and sometimes you're the bug.
- Antagonistic Offspring: After gaining his powers, Greg kills his mother.
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Jonathan is slow to believe Greg has insect powers, leading to this reply from Martha:
- Alas, Poor Villain: Greg's mother may have been harsh on him but even she didn't deserve to go out the way she did.
- Body Horror: Greg peeling off his skin in the shower during his molting phase.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: "Bug bites boy, and you get bug boy."
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Greg's mother being killed by her son via spiderwebs from his mouth and left rotting inside a web cocoon.
- Double Meaning: When Lana asks Clark where he was the previous night, he responds "I was a little tied up," naturally referring to his being tied up in Riley Field by Whitney and his friends.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Technically, Clark's dream of flying, as Superman has this ability.
- Event Title: The title refers to Greg's transformation into a bug-boy.
- Evil Former Friend: Greg is a childhood friend of Clark's.
- Friend to Bugs: Greg collects bugs and keeps them in his room, much to his mother's disgust. When Mrs. Arkin threatens to ship him off to a military school, Greg takes his bugs to safety, only to end up getting bit by his bugs.
- Hidden Depths: Lana puts her homecoming crown inside a drawer, filled with other crowns she's won.
- Irony: While helping Clark win Lana over, Lex gives him Lana's Kryptonite necklace (Kryptonite obviously being a material that seriously weakens Clark) and states: "That necklace gives you the power, Clark."
- Jumpscare: Clark, Chloe and Pete are shaken when they open up a spiderweb cocoon inside Greg's room and his mother's decaying corpse falls out.
- My Beloved Smother: Greg's mother. Martha remarks that she kept Greg on a tight leash.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Whitney, realizes that making Clark the Scarecrow over jealousy in the previous episode was wrong and sincerely tries to apologize to him before going to save Lana.
- Mythology Gag:
- Clark says that his father refers to the loft where he spends a lot of his time as his "Fortress of Solitude".
- Greg plans to make Lana his queen. In the Silver Age comics, Lana often becomes Insect Queen.
- Naked First Impression: Lana reminding Lex of the first time she met him—accidentally walking in on him and a girl skinny-dipping.
- Neat Freak: Greg's mother is stated to be one. Clark remembers one time during childhood that he forgot to take off his shoes and Mrs. Arkin yelled at him.
- Oh, Crap!: Clark, Chloe and Pete's reactions when they find Greg's videotapes of Lana and his mother's dead body and realize Lana is his next victim.Clark: Lana! (takes off running)
- Radiation-Induced Superpowers: Greg is bitten by bugs that were exposed to Kryptonite radiation.
- The Social Darwinist: Arkin seems to be a believer in this as the 3rd acts sort of shows.
- Stalker with a Crush: Greg stalks Lana and videotapes her. Later, he kidnaps her so he can mate with her.
- Stealth Pun: What band is playing during the scene where Greg gains his insect powers? Papa Roach.
- Also, "Arkin" sounds remarkably close to "Orkin," a notable extermination company.
- Villain of the Week: Greg Arkin, bug boy.
- Visual Pun: Greg drives a Volkswagen Bug.
