Originally aired November 26, 2002
Teleplay by Brian Peterson & Kelly Souders
Story by Mark Warshaw
Directed by Marita Grabiak
While motorbiking with Pete, Clark ends up falling into an underground cave containing strange paintings and symbols, and meets a beautiful girl named Kyla. When Kyla tells Clark that the paintings tell of a legendary being who came from the stars, he believes that the cave paintings may hold clues to his origins.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Antagonist Title: Kyla is the titular skinwalker of the episode.
- Anti-Villain: Kyla is a Type III. She kills a LuthorCorp foreman in an attempt to try and protect her people's land, and later tells Clark that she only wanted to scare Martha away from the construction site while in wolf form.
- Dating Catwoman: A romantic attraction forms between Clark and Kyla, the latter of whom turns out to be the titular skinwalker responsible for the death of the LuthorCorp construction foreman.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: In the final act, Kyla dies in Clark's arms after being fatally injured jumping out the window of the Luthor Mansion.
- Girl of the Week: Kyla to Clark in this episode. It ends tragically.
- Interspecies Romance:
- While relating the story of Naman to the Kents, Joseph mentions that the visitor from the stars fell in love with a Kawatche woman, and the Kawatche tribe was born from their forbidden union.
- Clark (a Kryptonian) and Kyla (a human with shapeshifting powers) count as an example.
- Light Is Not Good: Or, if you will, Light Is An Anti-Villain. Kyla can turn into a white wolf, and she was only trying to protect her people's land from LuthorCorp.
- Red Herring: For a time, it looks like Joseph is the culprit. It turns out that Kyla is the one responsible for the attack on the foreman and scaring Martha.
- Soft Glass: Subverted. Tragically.
- Super Window Jump: Wolf!Kyla executes this in the final act after being talked down by Clark from attacking Lionel. Sadly, she ends up being mortally wounded and dies moments later.
- Temporary Love Interest: Kyla serves as Clark's Love Interest in this episode, only to die by the end.
- Tragic Keepsake: After Kyla dies, Joseph gives Clark Kyla's bracelet for him to give to his true love. It doesn't appear again.
- Villain of the Week: Kyla Willowbrook, a Kawatche who can turn into a wolf.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The titular skinwalkers of the Kawatche tribe have the ability to transform into wolves.
