With the launch of Smallville's eighth season, fans will be introduced to some new characters. Two new individuals who will complicate Clark Kent's life are Tess Mercer, played by Cassidy Freeman, and Davis Bloome, played by Sam Witwer. Though these are both brand new characters, they have some roots in the Superman mythology, including the comic books as well as previous movie and TV versions. In this edition, we'll take a look at Tess Mercer, and some of the influences that make up this new femme fatale's background.
The seventh season finale, "Arctic," left the Fortress of Solitude in ruins in the wake of Clark Kent and Lex Luthor's final confrontation. With Lex apparently missing after this event, Tess Mercer will debut in the season premiere to manage LuthorCorp in his stead. This beautiful, smart, no-nonsense businesswoman carries a strong devotion to her missing boss, claiming that Lex once saved her life. Her name, Tess Mercer, suggests two primary influences from previous Superman lore...
In the 1978 "Superman" movie, Lex Luthor's right-hand woman was Eve Teschmacher, played by Valerie Perrine. She assisted him in his various criminal schemes, including stealing some nuclear missiles. She and Lex had a strange relationship that, in fact, bordered on abusive, as Lex occasionally threatened her with physical violence (a scene cut from the theatrical version but restored on the extended DVD involves Luthor about to feed Miss Teschmacher to a pit of hungry animals). Her loyalty to Lex was not unwavering... she ultimately saved Superman from certain death after Lex exposed him to kryptonite and tossed him into a watery grave. Much of Lex and Miss Teschmacher's love-hate relationship was played for comedy, with Gene Hackman's frustrated bellowing "Miss Teschmaacheeer!" being a recurring and memorable element of their scenes together.
Miss Teschmacher returned for the 1980 sequel, "Superman II," when she broke Lex out of prison via hot-air balloon, then accompanied him to the Fortress of Solitude. She was strangely absent from the second half of the film, once Lex fell in league with General Zod and the other Kryptonian villains. More footage of Valerie Perrine as Miss Teschmacher can be seen in the recently released "Superman II: The Donner Cut."
In the 1990s, "Superman: The Animated Series" introduced Mercy Graves, Lex's chauffeur and bodyguard. Mercy was voiced by Lisa Edelstein, who can be seen as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on "House M.D." The episode "Ghost In The Machine" shed some light on their relationship, revealing that Mercy was homeless and living on the streets before Lex took her in and offered her a job.
When the series would later evolve into "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited," Lex was exposed as a criminal and sent to prison. During this time, Mercy was left in control of LexCorp, and in fact managed to bring the company's stock up and run it as a legitimate business. When Lex escaped and sought Mercy's help in regaining his empire and curing his kryptonite cancer, a conflicted Mercy was forced to choose between her new life and helping her former boss.
It was only after her animated introduction that the character of Mercy Graves was adapted to the comics. In 1999, during the "No Man's Land" story-arc in the Batman comics, Lex Luthor arrived in a devastated post-earthquake Gotham City with an intention of rebuilding it. During this time he was aided by two bodyguards, Hope and Mercy. Both possessing superhuman strength, it was suggested that the two may have been Amazonian warriors, much like Wonder Woman. Hope later betrayed Lex, leaving only Mercy in his employ.
The character of Mercy Graves also appeared in the animated direct-to-DVD movie "Superman: Doomsday." She was voiced by Cree Summer. In this film, Lex actually killed Mercy in an attempt to cover up LexCorp's involvement in the project that unearths Doomsday.
There is one other character from the comics who may have been an influence in the development of Tess Mercer. In the year 2000, Lex Luthor was elected President of the United States. When he left Metropolis for the White House, he placed LexCorp in the hands of Talia Head, daughter of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul. Though she ran the company well during her time as LexCorp CEO, her relationship with Lex was a tenuous one. In the end, she helped Batman and Superman bring down President Luthor and sold most of the company's assets to Bruce Wayne. Talia has appeared in animated form on "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Batman Beyond." It is notable that in most of these appearances, she was voiced by Helen Slater, known for her starring role in the "Supergirl" movie and as Lara on "Smallville." The rest of Talia's appearances were voiced by Olivia Hussey, of "Romeo and Juliet" fame.
Lex Luthor has a history of surrounding himself with strong-willed and capable women - even on "Smallville," where he had numerous nameless assistants before a more substantial role was given to Anna Galvin's "Gina" in the episode "Descent." As the eighth season of "Smallville" unfolds, fans will see whether Tess Mercer earns her place among their ranks. Will she remain devoted to her missing boss? How will she react to Clark Kent and his many secrets? What will become of LuthorCorp under her direction? With Michael Rosenbaum sitting out season eight, fans will no doubt be keeping a close eye on this newcomer to see how she fills the shoes of the absent Lex, and how these past characters like Miss Teschmacher and Mercy Graves influence this intriguing new addition to the "Smallville" mythology.
Coming up next: Could the other new face in town, Davis Bloome, spell "doom" for Clark Kent? Here's a hint... he's based on a villain from the comics who did what many others could not: Kill Superman.
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A New Face In Town: Tess Mercer
In the 1978 "Superman" movie, Lex Luthor's right-hand woman was Eve Teschmacher, played by Valerie Perrine. She assisted him in his various criminal schemes, including stealing some nuclear missiles. She and Lex had a strange relationship that, in fact, bordered on abusive, as Lex occasionally threatened her with physical violence (a scene cut from the theatrical version but restored on the extended DVD involves Luthor about to feed Miss Teschmacher to a pit of hungry animals).
Her loyalty to Lex was not unwavering... she ultimately saved Superman from certain death after Lex exposed him to kryptonite and tossed him into a watery grave. Much of Lex and Miss Teschmacher's love-hate relationship was played for comedy, with Gene Hackman's frustrated bellowing "Miss Teschmaacheeer!" being a recurring and memorable element of their scenes together.
In the 1990s, "Superman: The Animated Series" introduced Mercy Graves, Lex's chauffeur and bodyguard. Mercy was voiced by Lisa Edelstein, who can be seen as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on "House M.D." The episode "Ghost In The Machine" shed some light on their relationship, revealing that Mercy was homeless and living on the streets before Lex took her in and offered her a job.
