1 9 6 1 ) ▁and ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁Jerry ▁Sie gel ▁and ▁Kurt ▁Sch affen berger . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Small ville , ▁Lion el ▁evol ves ▁from ▁being ▁a ▁nem esis ▁of ▁Clark ▁Kent ▁( Tom ▁Well ing ) ▁who ▁develop s ▁multiple ▁schemes ▁to ▁un cover ▁Clark ' s ▁secre ts , ▁to ▁becoming ▁an ▁al ly ▁who ▁eventually ▁dies ▁to ▁protect ▁Clark ' s ▁secret ▁from ▁his ▁own ▁son . ▁Lion el ▁has ▁a ▁stra ined ▁relationship ▁with ▁Lex ▁and ▁regularly ▁tries ▁to ▁test ▁him . ▁He ▁attempts ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁rom antic ▁relationship ▁with ▁Mar tha ▁Kent ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Jonathan ▁Kent , ▁helping ▁her ▁advance ▁toward ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate . ▁A ▁parallel ▁universe ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁character ▁is ▁later ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁show ' s ▁final ▁season , ▁who ▁serves ▁as ▁Clark ▁and ▁his ▁al lies ' ▁advers ary ▁and ▁plays ▁a ▁p iv otal ▁role ▁in ▁bringing ▁Lex ▁back ▁from ▁his ▁pres umed ▁death . ▁ ▁Lion el ' s ▁development ▁from ▁a ▁main ▁ant agon ist ▁to ▁an ▁al ly ▁was ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁writers , ▁who ▁felt ▁the ▁character ' s ▁arc ▁failed ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁status ▁they ▁wanted . ▁Although ▁they ▁continued ▁with ▁the ▁story ▁arc , ▁Lion el ▁returned ▁to ▁using ▁de ception ▁to ▁protect ▁Clark ▁rather ▁than ▁explo it ▁him . ▁He ▁is ▁character ized ▁as ▁a ▁sin ister ▁character ▁who ▁tried ▁hard ▁to ▁further ▁his ▁own ▁amb itions . ▁Lion el ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁his