Lex is committed to the Belle Reve Sanitarium for the criminally insane by Lionel who forces the shrink, Dr. Claire Foster, to submit Lex to an experimental electroshock therapy technique to erase his memory and forget his past events. Clark visits Lex and after finding out, decides to try to save his friend, despite protests from Jonathan and Martha that Clark's secret is known by Lex. But three of Clark's adversaries reside in Belle Reve. They are the arrogant, power-stealing Eric Summers (from episode "Leech"), the angry, meteor-rock mutant racist Van McNulty (from episode "Extinction") and the double-clone Ian Randall (from episode "Dichotic") who join forces to attack him so Eric can steal Clark's powers again and and escape from the asylum. Meanwhile, Lana begins to distance herself from Clark while she's attending physical therapy to recover from her broken leg with the support of a charming patient named Adam Knight (Ian Somerhalder).

Clark decides that he is ready to start his training at the Fortress of Solitude to become 'Superman'. However, the spirit of Jor-El insists that he return to Metropolis to cut his ties with the people he knows before he begins. Lois reappears in the city with no recollection of vanishing to the future. Her investigation into a monorail crash brings her into contact with a new reporter named John Corben. John is opposed to the "Red and Blue Blur", and has a secret power and identity himself. Meanwhile, Chloe's friendship with Clark deteriorates when he refuses to use the Legion ring to go back in time to save Jimmy. Elsewhere, Oliver turns down a dark path in his quest to rid the world of evil. General Zod makes his entrance at the Luthor mansion before Tess.