‘My Adventures With Superman’ Season 3, Episode 9: Superman Faces His Biggest Battle Yet

“My Adventures with Superman” Season 3 has pushed Clark Kent into a very different kind of fight. Instead of simply asking whether Superman can defeat the next big villain, the series has been asking what remains of Clark when his powers, confidence and sense of safety are taken away. Episode 9, “Vae Victis,” continues that idea by putting Clark through one of his hardest tests yet.

The episode focuses heavily on Clark’s struggle with his Kryptonian past and the question of what true strength really means. The title “Vae Victis” translates from Latin as “Woe to the Vanquished,” which fits the dark mood of the episode.

The story begins at the Fortress of Solitude, where Clark is trying to understand the strange visions that have been telling him to return there. He believes the Fortress may somehow help him recover the powers he lost during his fight with Hank Henshaw, also known as Cyborg Superman. However, things quickly become much worse when Bizarro attacks him.

Clark soon discovers that Bizarro is being controlled by Brainiac. Clark and Kara had believed they had destroyed Brainiac earlier in the season, but his digital presence survived. Brainiac’s virus has also spread through the Kryptonian drones, giving him another way to influence events.

Brainiac then gives Clark a disturbing challenge. If Clark wants his powers back, he has to prove that he is worthy of them. The problem is that Brainiac’s idea of worth has nothing to do with kindness or compassion. He wants Clark to become the kind of conqueror that Krypton once was.

To test him, Brainiac sends Clark into a digital simulation based on the early history of Krypton. Clark is stripped down to a much more primitive version of himself. He has a sword, a shield bearing his House symbol and none of the abilities that normally make him Superman.

Inside the simulation, Clark learns that Krypton’s history is not quite the heroic story he might have expected. The ancient Kryptonians fought the Coluans, killed them and used what they learned from them to become more powerful. Their civilization eventually grew into a major empire.

Brainiac expects Clark to repeat that history. He wants him to kill his enemies and prove that he can dominate those who are weaker than him. Clark refuses.

Instead of treating the Coluan he meets as an enemy, Clark helps him. Even when he has every reason to fight, he chooses not to become violent. He protects the injured alien and eventually learns that the Coluans were not invading monsters. They were refugees looking for a place to survive. That discovery changes the entire test.

Clark realizes that the history he was being asked to honor was built on suffering. The Kryptonian empire became powerful by hurting others, but that power did not save Krypton in the end. Clark understands that becoming a conqueror would mean abandoning the very qualities that make him Superman.

This is also where the episode gives Clark one of his strongest moments. He may currently be without his powers, but he still has his humanity. The lessons he learned from the Kents are more important than anything Brainiac can offer him.

Back in the present, Lois has her own problems. Waller is preparing for the Eradicator’s return and is trying to organize the heroes and military forces for the coming battle. She also has to deal with Jonathan and Lara, the children from the future who have been sent back to help prevent a disastrous timeline.

Jonathan is struggling badly. He feels that everyone depends on Superman and that nobody sees him as someone who could take his uncle’s place. His frustration eventually sends him into space, forcing Kara to go after him.

Kara becomes an important voice for Jonathan. She reminds him that Superman was never perfect. What makes Clark special is that he refuses to give up. Jonathan does not need to become a perfect replacement for Superman. He needs to learn how to keep going even when he is afraid of failing.

The episode eventually brings the heroes together for the expected battle against the Eradicator. Waller, Lex Luthor, Slade Wilson, Kara, Jonathan and the other heroes prepare for an attack at Area Zero. Lex even has to decide whether he is willing to stay and help fix the disaster he helped create.

When the Eradicator finally arrives, however, the situation becomes even more dangerous. Jonathan attacks the villain and appears to defeat him, only for the Eradicator to split into two separate forms. Suddenly, the heroes are facing an even bigger threat.

Meanwhile, Clark’s own battle reaches its breaking point. Brainiac is furious that Clark refuses to accept his philosophy. He sees mercy as weakness and believes domination is the natural order of the universe. Clark sees it differently.

He understands that strength without compassion means nothing. Even after everything Brainiac puts him through, Clark refuses to become the person his enemy wants him to be. The episode ends on a major cliffhanger. Clark is still powerless, while Bizarro appears ready to turn against everyone around him. With the Eradicator threatening the heroes and Brainiac still controlling the situation, the stage is set for a dangerous season finale.

“Vae Victis” may not be perfect, and the source review points out that the episode has a lot of characters and storylines to manage. Still, its central idea works well. Clark’s greatest strength is not his ability to fly or punch through walls. It is his decision to remain kind when the world gives him every reason not to.

That could prove to be the most important lesson Superman carries into the season finale.