Tom Welling's Older Superman Gets A Plaid Cape In New Art

Summary Fan art imagines Tom Welling's Superman in a plaid cape paying tribute to Smallville's Kent Farm roots.

While stylish, a plaid cape may not be practical for Superman, potentially compromising his secret identity.

Smallville's depiction of Superman remains celebrated, with Tom Welling's portrayal being highly praised.

A piece of Smallville fan art has imagined the perfect costume for Tom Welling's older Superman that pays tribute to his Kent Farm roots in the DC show. As the longest-running sci-fi series in North American history, Smallville dove deep into Superman's story, depicting Clark Kent's genesis as Superman across 217 episodes. For Superman fans, it remains one of the definitive depictions of Superman lore, with Tom Welling's rendition being among the most celebrated depictions of Superman in live-action. Much of this story had Kent Farm, where Clark Kent was raised before later taking ownership of it, at its heart.

A piece of art shared by prolific fan art account @buffy2ville via Instagram tributes this central aspect of Clark Kent's life perfectly, by depicting Welling's Superman in an unusual outfit with a plaid cape. While Superman's costume is perhaps his most instantly recognizable and famous feature, this reimagining puts an interesting spin on the concept by having Kent sport a practical pair of jeans with a cape that seems directly inspired by one of his preferred plaid shirts. It is certainly an interesting variation on a tried-and-true concept, but doesn't look out of place on an older version of Superman.

Related Smallville: Every Single Season, Ranked Smallville paved the way for the comic book shows that exist today and the time has come to rank every single season.

Why A Plaid Cape Wouldn't Work For Tom Welling's Older Superman

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While it certainly wins style points, the practicality of Superman flying around in this particular getup goes beyond how flexible he could be in a pair of jeans while fighting villains and rescuing citizens.

Ultimately, however, a plaid cape would be an ill-advised fashion choice for Superman. While it certainly wins style points, the practicality of Superman flying around in this particular getup goes beyond how flexible he could be in a pair of jeans while fighting villains and rescuing citizens. Changing Clark Kent's cape from solid red to plaid may be original, but it could also sell him out in the long run, as he is so often seen sporting flannel throughout the show.

This is obviously to convey the "farm boy" aesthetic that has been a motif throughout most of Clark Kent's live-action appearances. Yet in his attempts to keep his identity as Clark a secret, flying around in his Superman costume after leaning into the dual identity with a plaid shirt might raise some suspicion as to why Superman would choose that particular design. The fact that several Smallville characters, in particular, have commented on Clark's preference for plaid (such as when he swapped bodies with Lionel Luthor) would increase the likelihood of being rumbled by his nearest and dearest.

Superman's secret identity is another of his most iconic features. Even still, the plausibility of pulling the wool over so many people's eyes with the help of a simple pair of glasses has often been a bone of contention, and one that has been retroactively addressed by comic books to varying degrees of success. Either way, a distinctly farmer-themed outfit would only reduce that plausibility, particularly for Tom Welling's take on the hero during his time on Smallville.

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buy Not available Not available Not available Smallville is a Superhero television series based on the Superman Comic Book series created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. This television release was developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The premise revolves around a young Clark Kent as he arrives on Earth and attempts to live his life while simultaneously keeping his friends, family, and those around him safe thanks to his superpowers. Cast Sam Jones III , Annette O'Toole , Jensen Ackles , Eric Johnson , Erica Durance , Cassidy Freeman , Michael Rosenbaum , Laura Vandervoort , John Schneider , Kristin Kreuk , Sam Witwer , Aaron Ashmore , Allison Mack , John Glover , Justin Hartley , Tom Welling , Callum Blue Release Date October 16, 2001 Seasons 10 Expand

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