Superman & Lois Season 1, Episode 4: Haywire

This week on Superman & Lois (Man, I keep trying to call this show Lois & Clark!), we get another surprisingly well-written and enjoyable episode. Keep up the good work, production team!

Haywire's quite a busy episode, as there are at least seven different storylines going on at the same time (!). Holy crap, that's a lot! Somehow the show manages to effortless juggle them all and give them room to breathe. It's an impressive feat, and I honestly have no idea how they did it.

Most of this episode feels like setup for storylines that won't pay off till much later. I'm actually fine with that! I don't mind setup as long as it's entertaining and compelling.

I'm continually amazed at the writing on this show. The characters feel like real people rather than cardboard cutouts. Even better, their dialogue feels genuine and authentic, like things actual people would say. 

I especially enjoy the relationship between Clark and Lois. It feels very... mature, for lack of a better word. The two of them actually listen to one another, as each of them make very compelling points. For a comic book show, it's surprisingly deep and adult.

Compare that to other Arrowverse shows like The Flash, where characters pout and sulk because that's the only way the writers know how to create melodrama.

On the character front, there's no Captain Luthor this week, but we do finally learn not Lex Luthor, er I mean Morgan Edge's plan, and why he's so interested in Smallville's mine. We also get a possible new Big Bad in Thaddeus Killgrave, an obscure character from the comic.

In the teen department, this week Jonathan's friend Tag gets a lot more screentime, which means he's gonna play a bigger role later in the season.

I actually feel bad for poor Jonathan here, as he's definitely had his life turned upside down lately. Not only was he forced to leave the friends and fame he made for himself in the big city, but then he finds out his brother has superpowers and he doesn't. Even worse, his brother's now using those powers to push him out of the spotlight and become the star of the football team. It's only a matter of time before Jonathan's had enough and justifiably erupts. 

And General Lane divulges that the military's secretly terrified of Superman and what he might do if he ever went rogue— which prompts him to reveal he's not the trusted ally we thought he was.

They did this same plot in the execrable Man Of Steel movie, but it's a hundred times more logical and subtle here than in that ham-fisted excuse for a film.

SPOILERS!

The Plot:
Six years ago in Saskatchewan, a convoy of military trucks drives through the night as meteors fly low overhead. Morgan Edge is in the lead truck, and orders the group to stop at the edge of a crater. Everyone gets out and looks down into the massive hole, where they see a glowing red object. Edge says the resurrection can now begin.

In the present, Kyle Cushing & Mayor Dean are showing Edge around at a Smallville High football game. Morgan takes a long, hard look at Lana coaching the cheerleaders, and Kyle mentions she's his wife. Edge immediately says that Kyle & Lana should have dinner with him soon. Kyle, who fanboys Edge, happily agrees.

Lois & her editor Chrissy Beppo sit in the stands, glaring at Edge. Lois doesn't buy his "Man Of The People" schtick, figuring he's drumming up support for his mining project. Lois' father General Lane unexpectedly joins her in the stands.

On the sidelines, Coach Gaines sends Jordan into the game. Jordan's nervous, realizing that actually playing is a lot different than practice. Clark, who's now an assistant coach, tells him he'll do fine. Jordan plows through the line and knocks an opposing player twenty feet, which allows Sean to grab the ball and score the winning touchdown. In the stands, a stunned General Lane looks at Lois and asks if there's anything she'd like to tell him.

Later at the Kent farm, Lane tells Clark & Lois it's obvious that Jordan has superpowers, and letting him play football will only call undue attention to the family. Clark says it's his and Lois' decision, not Lane's.

General Lane says the military is terrified of Superman and what he might do, and that he's the one who keeps them in check. He says now that Clark's moved to Smallville, Superman hasn't been seen over the skies of Metropolis lately. That's causing criminals to become bolder and more active. As a result of this, the government is moving dangerous inmates such as Thaddeus Killgrave to less visible prisons.

Lane begs Superman to spend more time in Metropolis. Clark refuses, saying his family's now his top priority. Lane then says if that's the case, he's spending the weekend with them.

At the diner, the football team congratulates Jordan. Jonathan, Sarah and Tag Harris watch from afar. Tag's envious, as his broken arm (which was injured when Jordan first manifested his powers a few weeks back) keeps him from playing.

Elsewhere, Kyle & Lana have dinner with Edge. While Kyle chats with the Mayor, Edge brazenly flirts with Lana. He says he's aware of her excellent college records, and says she could be so much more if she left Smallville. He offers to help her "reach her potential," which makes her visibly uncomfortable. She politely declines his offer.

At the Smallville Gazette, Chrissy gushes over the article that Lois wrote about Edge. Just then, Edge's personal assistant Leslie Larr barges in. She says even though Lois quit the Daily Planet, her contract with them prohibits her from working for a rival paper for a given period. Chrissy reluctantly cancels Lois' story, saying she can't risk a lengthy and expensive lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Tag comes home and goes up to his room, where he stares longingly at a past trophy he won. Suddenly his broken arm begins vibrating alarmingly.

The next day Clark's running plays with the boys. Lois asks him to go to the Town Hall meeting that night to speak out against Edge. She figures hearing the truth from Smallville's favorite son would carry more weight than if she said it. He agrees, and Lois says she's going out to the old Shuster Mine to confront Edge.

At the Town Hall, Kyle & Lana set up chairs for the big meeting. Lana's pissed with Kyle because he didn't say anything when Edge was hitting on her. Kyle says Edge didn't do anything wrong, which makes Lana even madder. She says she was clearly skeeved out by Edge's advances, and Kyle didn't even notice.

Lois arrives at the mine and confronts Edge & Leslie. She tells Edge if he sues her, she'll counter-sue and then his records will be revealed in court— something she figures he'd like to avoid. Edge figures there must be something important to her in Smallville, and vows to find out what it is.

At the high school, Coach Gaines lectures the team. Tag leaves and hurries to the restroom, where his arm begins vibrating again. Jonathan follows to see if he's OK. Suddenly the cast on Tag's arm shatters. Clark hears it and investigates.

In Metropolis, a prison convoy carrying known terrorist Thaddeus Killgrave rumbles through town, as it transfers him to another facility. The creepy Killgrave tries to chat with his guards while chewing what appears to be gum. He spits it on the wall of the truck, causing it to explode (!). In the confusion, Killgrave's men attack the convoy and free their leader.

Back in the restroom, Jonathan tells Clark that something's wrong with Tag. Just then Tag emerges from the stall and says he cut off his cast and is fine. Suddenly Clark gets a distress call from General Lane, tells Jonathan he has to go and flies off.

Superman arrives at the aftermath of the explosion, but discovers Killgrave's long gone. He finds a small drone, which plays a recording of Killgrave saying he'll see him soon.

Back in Smallville, the Town Hall meeting begins. Kyle says Morgan Edge has kept all his promises and they should vote to allow him to revitalize the Shuster Mine. Lois waits anxiously for Clark to arrive, but he's a no-show. The people overwhelmingly vote in favor of Edge's proposal, with Chrissy being the only dissenter.

Back at the farm, General Lane packs up to return to the Department Of Defense. He tells the boys that Superman is the most important force for good on the planet, and warns them not to waste his time on teen drama.

Clark arrives and apologizes to Lois for missing the meeting. She says the vote was important to her, but she understands he has obligations and feels bad for being angry. She says that between the boys and the world, she's starting to feel a little neglected. She then tells him she's going out with Lana to have a drink.

Jonathan, Jordan & Sarah go to a party at a friend's cabin. Tag's there, and everyone's amazed that his arm is OK. He begins drinking heavily. Sarah tells Jordan she feels bad for Jonathan, since he's no longer the popular kid. Jordan says he'll survive.

Tag's hand begins vibrating, and he ends up breaking a table. This starts a fight, which Jonathan & Jordan try to break up. Tag runs off into the woods.

Superman goes to the DOD, where General Lane says it's nice of him to show up. They detect Killgrave at Glenmorgan Square in Metropolis. Superman rushes to the scene, where he confronts Killgrave. The terrorist fires a sonic blaster, which instantly incapacitates Superman. Each time he tries to get up, Killgrave blasts him again, rendering him helpless.

The boys follow Tag into the woods, where they see him vibrating unnervingly. Jordan somehow makes the incredibly intuitive leap that he did this to Tag when he used his heat vision several weeks ago. Jordan tries to calm Tag, and holds his arm still. It works at first, but then Tag starts vibrating even more violently. Jordan's thrown backwards, and Jonathan uses the ELT to signal their father.

In Metropolis, Killgrave still has Superman on the ropes. Suddenly Supes hears the ELT and springs into action. He lets loose with a mighty clap, created a massive shock wave that knocks Killgrave & his men on their collective asses. He melts the blaster with his heat vision, radios Lane & tells him to pick up Killgrave & his thugs and zooms back to Smallville.

Superman sees Tag in distress, so he grabs the kid and flies him high into the air, where the thin atmosphere knocks him out.

The next morning, Lane returns to the Kent farm. He says they found traces of a yellow phosphorous in Tag's body, which caused his vibrational episodes. Lane says Tag must have inhaled the substance after it was atomized by Jordan's heat vision (meaning it really was his fault after all!). The boys ask what's going to happen to Tag, and Lane says he's being sent to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, er, I mean a "special school" where he'll learn to control his abilities.

Clark wonders why the boys didn't signal him sooner. When they indicate their Grandpa told 'em not to, Clark & Lois become furious. Once again Lane says Superman owes a debt to the world, and his family comes second. Lois tells him if he keeps ragging them on the subject he's no longer welcome in their home. Lane leaves in a huff.

That night Clark calls Lois to the barn, where he's set up a special romantic dinner. He says her "neglected" comment got to him, and he wants to make it up to her. Of course just as they sit down to eat, they're interrupted by a call from Lane. He tells Clark there's a situation brewing in Malawi, which will become a priority in an hour or two.

Lois smiles and tells Clark to go. He zooms away as she blows him a kiss.

At the DOD, General Lane looks at the dog tag that Captain Luthor gave him a couple weeks ago. He makes a secure call to a subordinate, and tells him to start a new top secret protocol labeled "Project 7734"— the same number as on the dog tag.

Elsewhere, Edge uses a high tech device to scan the Shuster Mine. It beeps, and he nods to Leslie. She uses her superstrength to punch a hole in the rock, revealing a small chamber filled with multicolored crystals. Edge says there's enough X-Kryptonite inside to create an army.

Thoughts:

• In virtually every location shot in this episode, it's steadily raining as everyone's walking around under umbrellas.

And on the rare occasions when it ain't raining, we can see the ground's a soupy, muddy mess.

Now that I think of it the same thing happens in every Arrowverse show. Hey, that's what you get when you film your shows in the fourth rainiest city in all of Canada. Vancouver gets an average of 168 rainy days a year, for an annual total of 57"!

• General Lane stops by the football game, ostensibly to see his grandson Jonathan play. He's shocked when he sees that Jordan's not only playing instead, but effortless mowing down players twice his size.

I love Lane's side-eyed look at Lois, as he asks her, "Something you wanna tell me?"

• After the game, the perpetually sweaty Coach Gaines congratulates Jordan for singlehandedly winning the game (even though Sean actually scored the winning touchdown).

Is... is that really supposed to be a shirtless high school student there in the foreground? I guess it's not totally outside the realm of possibility, but... I definitely didn't look anything like that back when I was sixteen. You couldn't have hit me with a handful of corn!

• Morgan Edge, who's taken an undue interest in Lana, invites her and Sean to dinner. There he unconfortably corners Lana, revealing he's cyber-stalked her as he hints he can help her career— for a price of course.

Edge: "I glanced at your file. Graduated magna cum laude from Stanhope College. Wide variety of clubs, extracurriculars, travel plans. You could’ve done anything you wanted, and yet, you chose to come back here where your options were… somewhat limited."

Lana: "Smallville’s home. I like it here."

Edge: "Certainly. Perhaps you can find something more worthy of your unique gifts. If you want to make a real impact, I can be a resource."

I may be really reaching here, but this scene reminded me somewhat of 1987's Metropolis 900 Miles, a backup tale written and drawn by John Byrne in Superman Vol. 2, #9.

In that story, Lex Luthor stops by a roadside diner and takes an unhealthy interest in a waitress named Jenny— despite knowing she's married. He offers her one million dollars if she'll go to Metropolis with him and be his consort for one month. 

She's appalled of course, and flat out refuses. Luthor then tells her that everyone has a price, and points out the limited options offered by her current situation. This causes Jenny to reevaluate her life, and she realizes Luthor's right.

In the end it's revealed he had no intention of going through with the deal, and was simply playing a sadistic, psychological game with Jenny for his own twisted amusement.

There are numerous differences here, as the scene's between Morgan Edge and Lana, not Lex Luthor and a random waitress. I still feel there's a similar underlying tone between the two scenes, as an amoral, filthy rich industrialist offers his attentions to someone less fortunate.

• This week's Big Bad is Thaddeus Killgrave, who's described as "a psycho genius who became radicalized from hating Superman."

Killgrave's a fairly obscure character from the comics, where of course he looked completely different. He was created by writer/artist John Byrne, and first appeared in 1988's Superman Vol. 2 #19.

I'm wondering if Byrne used Killgrave to mock former Marvel Editor In Chief Jim Shooter? Byrne had a long-standing beef with Shooter back in the day, and in later years often created villains who resembled his former employer. 

Shooter stood 6' 7" and had an unruly mop of hair in his younger days, so the diminutive, bowl cut-sporting Killgrave might have been a not-so-subtle ironic jab at him.

• Funniest Scene In The Episode: Clark tells Jordan to go long, and lobs him an easy pass. He awkwardly fumbles the ball around for a few seconds before ultimately dropping it, prompting Clark to quip, "Eh, that's why he plays defense." HAW!

I have a feeling Tyler Hoechlin must have improvised that line. You can even see Jordan Elsass, who plays Jonathan, trying to stifle a laugh as well, and he actually glances offscreen for a second, presumably looking at the director to see if he's gonna yell for another take.

I just realized this show features an actor named Jordan who plays the brother of a character named Jordan. I'm sure that never gets confusing at all!

• I LOVED Lois' conversation with Edge when she confronts him at the mine— especially her exasperated "Who cares?" line.

Edge: "Ms. Lane. Have you come to take a tour of our facilities?"
Lois: "Yeah, after what happened in New Carthage, I would rather not follow you into a dark tunnel."
Edge: "Whatever could you be insinuating?"
Lois: "Look, I’m kind of bored with the whole 'faux-British accent, billionaire at a football game trying to fit in' con job."
Edge: "I can assure you, my accent is genuine. I was raised in…"
Lois: "Oh, my God who cares?"

• During practice, Coach Gaines lectures the team and criticizes Tag for getting injured. Tag gets upset and storms out, followed by Jonathan, who goes to see if he's OK. Clark then follows the boys to check on them.

Seriously? What are the odds that a hothead like Gaines would passively watch three people— including his Assistant Coach!— get up and leave during his rant and not say a word about it?

• There's an unintentionally hilarious moment in the episode involving Jonathan and his pal Tag. Coach Gaines upsets Tag, causing him to run to the restroom and lock himself inside a stall. Jonathan follows to see if he's OK. Inside the stall, Tag's powers begin manifesting, causing his arm to vibrate uncontrollably.

Yeah, maybe don't film a scene involving a teen boy and rhythmic, vibrating noises coming from a restroom stall!

• General Lane sends a signal to Clark, alerting him that Killgrave's escaped. Based on Lane's signal, Superman's military codename is apparently "Bishop 6." I have no idea of the significance of that moniker, or what it might mean.

• Superhero Landing!

Actually we get two this episode. And yes, I'm gonna do this every time they happen!

• Lois attends the all-important meeting at the Smallville Town Hall. Notice anything familiar about the building?

Yep, the sign on the front is identical to the logo from the long-running Smallville series! Cool! 

Just looking at that title screen I can hear the theme song in my head! "Somebody saaaa-yaaaaave meeeeeee!"

• Clark promises Lois he'll come to the Town Hall meeting, but misses it due to his Superman duties.

Lois: "I’m not mad."
Clark: "Well, you should be. I said I was gonna be there, and I wasn’t."
Lois: "Clark, can we not do this right now? I’m not in the mood."
Clark: "I just want to apologize. And I want you to know that I…"
Lois: "Babe, I don’t need an excuse. I know you have an excuse. You’re Superman."
Clark: "Lois..."
Lois: "Okay, fine. I’m mad! And I know it’s irrational because I understand that there were lives at stake, but this was so important to me. And we lost the vote, by the way, and now I’m feeling guilty for wanting you to do something you said you would do. When we started dating, I knew what I was getting into. And I don’t get mad about you missing date nights or anniversaries or family dinners because of some idiot with a nuke, but lately, with everything that’s going on with the boys and my dad constantly in your ear, it feels like I’m really far down on your list of priorities."
Clark: "Is that honestly how you feel?"
Lois: "Right now, in this moment that I might regret tomorrow, yeah, I do."

I loved this scene between the two of them— especially the part where she's mad at him for missing the vote, then made at herself for getting mad when she knows he had a good excuse. And then when she said she felt like she was at the bottom of his list of priorities— ouch!

It was a well written, and very adult conversation, and much deeper than I've come to expect from Arrowverse shows— and superhero projects in general. That's why I like this series so much— the characters speak and react like real, actual people. 

Compare that to recent episodes of The Flash, in which every episode features Barry running off to sulk by himself whenever things don't go his way. It's like night & day.

• Lois does the responsible thing and takes a Lyft to her gal's night out with Lana, so she won't drink & drive.

Apparently Smallville's big enough to have Lyfts!

• Lois meets Lana at a bar for drinks, where they drown their collective sorrows. Now there's a dangerous combination for Clark— his wife and his ex together!

It's a fun character-development scene, but it definitely didn't pass the Bechdel Test, as the two of them do nothing but talk about their respective husbands the whole time. 

• Subtlety, thy name is Superman & Lois! 

When Superman chats with General Lane at the DOD, there's a large, very obvious American flag in the background between the two men.

I'm assuming this was placed there as a not-so-subtle commentary on how both men see their jobs. Superman is under no obligation to save the world, but does so because it's the right thing to do. 

Lane's motivation is somewhat similar, except he's far more extreme. Due to his military background, he sees his service as a sacred honor and duty.

• The DOD gets a hit on Killgrave at Glenmorgan Square. Superman rushes to the scene, where he finds a long armed thug waiting for him

Oddly enough, in the long shot we can clearly see eight or ten regular, everyday citizens hanging out in this square after dark— while an armed psychopath nervously paces back & forth. So no one noticed him standing twenty feet away?

Then once Killgrave arrives, he starts blasting away at Supes with a high-tech sonic weapon. For no good reason, these people all nonchalantly stand and watch the spectacle unfold. Did it never occur to any of them to maybe run away from the supervillain who's powerful enough to fell Superman?

• Killgrave's sonic weapon is so powerful it causes Superman's ears and surrounding flesh to begin glowing red hot. Not sure how that would happen, but whatever. Admittedly it looked cool (as well as painful!).

Hopefully this weapon is somehow exclusively keyed to Superman's ears or sonic frequency or something. Because if it's not and ANYONE can hear it, then all those people standing around watching him get attacked are gonna have a really bad day!

• Tag's clearly suffering from "Jittery Modern Horror Movie Spasm Syndrome," a condition that first popped up in 1990's Jacob's Ladder. It's characterized by rapid fire head movements and vibrating body parts.

• So Tag knows the Kent family's secret now, right? 

Once he starts "glitching," he runs from the party into a nearby woods. Jonathan & Jordan follow, and when they see the state their friend's in, they very loudly say:

Jordan: "I think I did this to him."
Jonathan: "What? What are you talking about?"
Jordan: "The bonfire, the party. I think my heat vision caused an explosion and it affected him somehow."

Jonathan: "Okay, well, look, you can run that theory past Bill Nye later, all right? Right now, we need Dad, Jordan."

Jordan: "Remember what Grandpa said? Dad’s too busy saving the world."

Additionally, right after Tag knocks out Jordan, Jonathan yells "Dad" into the ELT several times before Superman swoops in to save the day.

Note that Tag's standing less than twenty feet away during all these outbursts. There's no way he didn't hear them, and it's inevitable that he's gonna figure out that Jordan has superpowers and Clark's really Superman.

On the other hand, Tag was a little busy spasming out during his attack, so maybe he wasn't paying attention to anything that was being said. Stay tuned to future episodes to find out if he realizes the truth.

• Once Jordan's knocked out, Jonathan realizes he's in over his head and signals his Dad with the ELT.

I'm still trying to figure out just what ELT stands for. I even went to the trusty Arrowverse Wiki site, but wasn't any help. I assume the E probably stands for "emergency," but that's as far as I can get. Emergency Lois Transmitter, maybe?

• After hearing Jonathan's ELT signal, Superman zooms to the scene. He grabs the glitching Tag and flies him into the upper atmosphere, where he passes out in the rarified air. He then pauses for a moment to strike a dramatic pose before rushing Tag to a hospital.

Maybe I'm reaching again, but that shot reminded me a LOT of the cover of 1986's Crisis On Infinite Earths #7— in which we see Superman holding the lifeless body of Supergirl. Coincidence, or deliberate homage?

• In the wrap up, General Lane gives the boys an update on Tag's condition.

Jordan: "Did they say I did this to him?"

Lane: "I had a team analyze that cell phone footage. Your heat vision caused a blast, but there was another material present… a yellow phosphorescence. We think that may have triggered the boy’s meta-human development."

Phew! I was afraid they'd come up with a stupid explanation for Tag's powers!

The adults try to convince Jordan he didn't give Tag his destructive powers, as he got them from an unknown chemical substance. But that doesn't change the fact that Jordan's heat vision atomized the chemical. Meaning that he DID cause Tag's powers to develop after all!

Ah, but there's more to Tag's situation:

Lois: "What your grandpa’s trying to say is that he’s gonna go to a special school for kids with these sorts of abilities."
Jonathan: "Wait, there’s a special school for kids with powers? That’s pretty cool."
Jordan: "No, it’s not. How many of these kids are there?"
Lane: "That’s classified."

OK, I know this is the Arrowverse, but when I heard this line I couldn't help but think of the X-Men, and Professor Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters from the Marvel Comics and movies!

Actually it's not an MCU shoutout at all, as I think it's a reference to Black Lightning. Over on that series, the ASA (American Security Agency) conducted experiments to create metahuman children, for the purpose of weaponizing them. Long story short, Black Lightning exposed the ASA, causing a Congressional committee to shut them down. The metahuman kids were then placed in a special school which would cater to their needs and teach them to use their special abilities.

If the school Lois is talking about is the one from Black Lightning, then it's one of the few (maybe the first) mentions of any of the other Arrowverse shows on this series, and proof that Superman & Lois isn't taking place on its own special Earth.

• Stung by Lois' comment that she feels neglected, Clark sets up a lavish date night for the two of them in the barn. Of course seconds later they're interrupted by a Superman call. Lois tells him it's OK, and he zooms off. As he does so, his backdraft extinguishes several candles.

I'm probably reading wayyyyyyyy too much into this, but... was this scene a metaphor for Clark & Lois' relationship? Do the candles Clark inadvertently blew out represent one more broken promise to Lois, as her love for him fades a bit? Is this scene a subtle hint of an upcoming "Marriage On The Rocks" storyline?

Or is a cigar sometimes just a cigar, and the candles went out because Superman moves fast?

• Back in Heritage, Luthor handed General Lane a dog tag that read either "HELL" or "7734," depending on which way it was held.

I noted that the 7734 thing is actually a comic book reference. In the Superman comics, General Lane founded Project 7734— a team of operatives devoted to protecting Earth from rogue Kryptonians who threatened the planet. The team consisted of Doomsday, Metallo and Reactron. I wondered if we'd eventually see something similar here on the show?

Welp, turns out the answer is yes! At the end of the episode, General Lane's upset that Superman wants to live a normal life instead of devoting every waking second to saving the world. Feeling that Superman might actually turn on him, Lane initiates Project 7734— just like he did in the comics!

It's doubtful the Project will be just like the comic version, as so far there's no Doomsday, Metallo or Reactron on this show. But I assume it's still meant to combat and protect against a rogue Superman.

• In the tag scene we finally find out why Edge has such a keen interest in Smallville's old Shuster Mine— the thing's lousy with deposits of X-Kryptonite. When Edge finds it, he chortles, "We now own the rights to this land, which holds enough X-Kryptonite to resurrect an army!"

So what's X-Kryptonite, you ask? It first appeared way back in 1960's Action Comics #261, in which Supergirl accidentally created the substance. It had the ability to temporarily give Superman-like powers to non-Kryptonians. I assume the live action version seen here does the same.

So how does Edge know about X-Kryptonite and what it can do? That's a good question. One I hope will be answered in a future episode.

• So Edge finds a cache of X-Kryptonite, which he plans on using to create his own superpowered army. When Leslie points out he'll have to find enough willing candidates, Edge says, "Oh, I'm not concerned. As you know, I have an eye for talent." Note that edge does everything but turn to the camera and wink as he says his line. 

So earlier in the episode, Edge aggressively hit on Lana, implying that he recognizes raw talent when he sees it. Was that just a coincidence, or are these two scenes connected? He... he's not planning on giving Lana superpowers, is he? I certainly hope not, as that would be the stupidest plot development possible!