Originally aired November 16, 2006
Written by James Morris & Shintaro Shimosawa
Directed by James L Conway
A metahuman imprisons Lex in another frequency where he can see and hear everyone, but he himself can't seen or heard by others. Clark heads to Seattle to confront another Phantom Zone escapee, a powerful humanoid alien that feasts on the bones of his victims.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Badass in Distress: Aldar overpowers Clark and prepares to kill him, necessitating a Big Damn Heroes moment from Martian Manhunter.
- Bavarian Fire Drill: Clark walks into the medical tent at the Seattle port, and the doctor mistakes him for a medical student; since he wants information, he just lets her think that. He then swipes her ID and bluffs his way to the crime scene.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Aldar is about to kill Clark, he gets killed by a mysterious figure.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Lex asking Lana to marry him.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Though he's not really seen, Martian Manhunter makes his first appearance in this episode.
- Gory Discretion Shot
- Horror Hunger: Aldar rips his victims open, tears out their bones, and sucks out the marrow.
- Mythology Gag: After Aldar is killed and he sees his mysterious rescuer, Clark then steps on an Oreo. Later, in the loft, he finds another Oreo. These instances reference Martian Manhunter's liking for Oreo cookies in the comics.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: The mysterious rescuer shows these.
- Villain of the Week: A twofer in this case—Bronson and Aldar.
- Visible Invisibility: Thanks to Bronson, Lex is trapped in another frequency where he can see and hear everyone, but everyone else can't see or hear him. He appears to the audience without any problem, though.
