- "Hey, ass-wipe. What do you think? Did you see the game?"
- ―Pete Ross picking on Clark Kent[src]
Peter "Pete" Ross is a resident of Smallville who knew of Clark Kent's superhuman abilities since they were children.
Biography[]
Witnessing Clark's Powers[]
Born in the rural town of Smallville, Pete Ross grew up there and was in the same class as Clark Kent, Lana Lang and Whitney Fordham throughout their education. Initially, he acted as a bully, known for being the friend and accomplice of his classmate Whitney, also known for his bullying behavior until extraordinary circumstances changed his attitude towards life.
While on a school bus, Pete was making fun of Clark. However, an accident on a bridge caused the school bus to diverge off into the river. Clark used his abilities to push the bus out of the river, saving most of the kids. However, Pete was still in the river and began to drown. Clark dove back in and saved Pete, pulling him ashore.
After the incident on the bus, Pete's mother, Helen Ross, visited Clark's home and brought Pete with her, talking with Jonathan and Martha Kent about Clark's alleged miraculous rescue effort as Pete stared silently on. This resulted in Clark further questioning his special powers, leading to Jonathan revealing his extraterrestrial origin.
As a result of that incident, Pete became less cocky and more inclined to leave Clark to his own devices. Later on, older kids were picking on Clark, while Jonathan warded them off and Pete came over and helped Clark up before leaving, still showing his gratitude.
Showdown in Smallville[]
Ross grew up and stayed in Smallville through to his adulthood working at the local IHOP restaurant as a manager. Lois Lane, a Metropolitan reporter from the Daily Planet newspaper, contacted Ross while she was hunting for information on Clark Kent. Pete recalled the fateful events of the bus incident all those years ago and the boy who saved the day, giving Lois the crucial piece of info she had been looking for. Later on, he was privy to the Kryptonian dropships arriving in Smallville, when he dashed out into the restaurant parking lot to see them descending into the town. The sight of the dropships gave Pete a sense of fear that he had not felt since the bus accident, especially given the idea that there was no one to rescue him now. When General Zod's Kryptonian forces attacked Smallville, Superman was battling Faora Hu-Ul and the two landed in Pete's restaurant. Clark recognized Pete, before being tackled away by Faora-Ul.
Funeral of Superman[]
Two years later, after his apparent death at the hands of Doomsday, Clark was buried at Smallville's cemetery. Pete arrived at the wake at Clark's house and later attended the funeral afterwards. After Daniel Leone completed the funeral by delivering a eulogy, Pete let Martha Kent know that her son's funeral was payed for by an anonymous donor (Bruce Wayne).
Relationships[]
Family[]
- Helen Ross - mother
Allies[]
- Clark Kent/Superman - bullying victim turned friend and savior
- Lana Lang
- Martha Kent
- Lois Lane
Enemies[]
Behind the scenes[]
- In DC Comics, Pete Ross is the childhood best friend of Clark Kent.
References[]
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