Professor Fine quotes from Smallville

Brutus and Caesar. Jesus and Judas. They all started out as best friends. What happened? Well, if history teaches us one thing, it's that even the most powerful men can be betrayed by those they trust the most. The reason betrayal is such a predominant theme throughout history is really quite simple. Duplicity is human nature.

Humans. They are so fragile. They'll never survive without their technology, no matter how crude. Take that away and they'll devolve back to the animals they really are.

History is not about facts. It's about the context and who is telling the story. So, what is history? What is her story? What is your story, Mr. Kent? How will you affect the world around you for generations to come?

Clark

I'm not sure you can know that at eighteen.

Tell that to Alexander the Great or, to bring it closer to home, Lex Luthor. Now, he's not much older than you are and yet he's turned his father's agro business into a leading defense contractor. He's gone from feeding people to killing them, and yet his story is that he's a white knight who's just put a small Kansas town on the map. Beware of white knights, people. They don't slay dragons. They train them for their own dark purpose. Think of Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon.

Clark

Lex isn't a saint, but I don't think you can put him in the same league as those guys.

An honest opinion. I like that.

Why else would the son of family farmers be defending such a man?

Clark

It's a long story, but Lex's not the man you make him out to be.

Well, you know, Groucho Marx said there was only one way to find out if a man is honest: ask him. If he says yes, then he must be crooked.

Clark

I would think a college professor would be quoting Karl Marx, not Groucho.

German philosophy is easy. Comedy's hard.

The question is: will you leave your footprints on the history of time or let them be washed away by the tides of more powerful men? Mr. Kent, what about you?

Clark

Me? I, um...

LuthorCorp practically owns your hometown Smallville. What if you found out that Lex Luthor, the emperor of the company, was a dangerous, unstable, megalomaniac, bent on destroying your world. Would you have the courage to try to stop him?

Why would a man of your stature be so concerned with the comings and goings of a freshman farmboy?

Lex

If you know so much about me, Professor, I'm sure you realize I donate a considerable amount of funding to this university that allows me an unusual amount of access to the dean and the academic review board.

Yeah, I know. The buying of influence is part of my second semester.

Lex

If you have a second semester.

Clark

You say "human" like it's a bad thing.

Just going off what I've seen. This race shows promise, but at this point in history, they are still duplicitous by their very nature. Even the ones you think you love can't be trusted.

Clark

You don't know anything about this race. Yeah, they can be petty and dishonest and betray each other over nothing. But they can also be honest and loyal. And they would give up everything to protect someone they love. Even if they were from another planet.

Kal-El...

Clark

My name is Clark. And I'll always believe in my friends and my family.

I sincerely hope your trust hasn't been misplaced.

Clark

He's my father. I have the right to know everything about him.

I agree. When you're ready.

Clark

I'm ready now!

Impatience is such a pathetic human trait. But I suppose it's to be expected from someone raised by such a primitive race.

Clark

I happen to care a great deal about this primitive race... a lot more than I do about Krypton.

The only way to save your mother is to destroy the fortress. Jor-El's will is controlling her virus through the crystals. If you bring down his fortress, you will save your mother from his grip.

Clark

All he's ever done is try to ruin my life.

Sadly, that was his legacy on Krypton, as well.

Clark

I want him gone.

Yeah, so go on, son, and avenge my death.

Lionel

Your father would never make you a murderer, Clark.

Kill him!