▁cow ard . ▁John ▁Glo ver ▁said , ▁" It ' s ▁not ▁that ▁[ L ion el ▁is ] ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁fo e ; ▁it ' s ▁just ▁that ▁the ▁poor ▁boy ' s ▁weak , ▁so ▁[ L ion el ▁must ] ▁m old ▁him . ▁Lion el ▁is ▁contin ually ▁trying ▁to ▁strength en ▁his ▁son , ▁to ▁teach ▁him . ▁[ L ex ▁is ] ▁just ▁a ▁hard ▁student ." ▁ ▁Lion el ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁key ▁relationship ▁with ▁Mar tha ▁Kent , ▁Clark ▁Kent ' s ▁adopt ive ▁mother . ▁This ▁relationship ▁first ▁develop s ▁in ▁season ▁two ▁when ▁Lion el ▁h ires ▁Mar tha ▁to ▁be ▁his ▁assistant ; ▁it ▁is ▁further ▁developed ▁in ▁season ▁five . ▁Glo ver ▁felt ▁Lion el ' s ▁att raction ▁to ▁Mar tha ▁grows ▁in ▁season ▁five ▁when ▁Jonathan ▁Kent ▁dies ▁because ▁he ▁now ▁sees ▁Mar tha ▁as ▁a ▁single ▁woman ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁more ▁att ain able ; ▁Glo ver ▁bel ieves ▁Lion el ▁was ▁seeking ▁to ▁att ain ▁Mar tha ' s ▁" good ness " ▁and ▁the ▁att raction ▁is ▁not ▁based ▁on ▁l ust . ▁When ▁Lion el ▁is ▁in ▁Mar tha ' s ▁company ▁he ▁tries ▁to ▁present ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁man ▁she ▁could ▁be ▁with ; ▁he ▁cons ci ously ▁attempts ▁to ▁change ▁years ▁of ▁self ish ▁behavior . ▁W riter ▁Hol ly ▁Harold ▁said ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁Mar tha ▁par alle ls ▁Lex ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁L ana ; ▁both ▁men