'Fire' is the first symbol. In the episode 'Crusade,' Lex luthor unearthed an ancient Egyptian artifact. He smashed the figure to reveal the stone contained within it. Etched into the stone was the Kryptonian symbol for fire. Before he could return home, Kal-El stormed the jet in midfight and took the stone back to the inner chamber of the cave.

The Stone with the symbol for 'Fire'ne

The Stone of fire was found by an expedition in Egypt, indicating that it had been there for thousands of years. We are lead to conclude that visitors from Krypton had been to earth long ago.

'Water' was the next symbol to be revealed. Lana Lang awoke in her Paris appartment to find that she had been branded somehow with the marking on her lower back. She was overtaken while doing a grave stone rubbing of the tomb of Countess Isobel Theroux. The Countess was burned at the stake in 1604, along with her two apprentices, for practicing witchcraft. Her last words were that she would rise again to take revenge on the ancestors of those who condemned her. Before she died, Isobel was asked to reveal the locations of the elements (stones). We are lead to believe that she had knowledge of the ancient legend and was on a quest to obtain them for her own purposes hundreds of years ago.

Lana's Tattoo

Lana recalled having seen the symbol in the Kawatche cave while looking at an old photograph. She returned to Smallville in search of answers. The actual stone containing the symbol was in the posession of Bridgette Crosby. Dr. Swann instructed her to give the stone to Clark, but she never did.

This stone seems to have the ability to transfer spirts from one body to another. It was this stone that Lionel used to exchange bodies with Clark in the episode 'Transference.' Isobel used the symbol often and included it in her book of spells. Somehow, she was able to transfer her spirit into her decendant, Lana Lang. It is not known whether Isobel once had posession of this stone, but she seemed to have extensive knowledge of this particular one. It also appears that this stone had been known of for some time. Eventually, Jason Teague murdered Crosby and took the stone before she could give it to Lex Luthor. Lionel Luthor obtained the stone once again after he poisoned Genevieve Teague.

The Stone with the symbol for 'Water'n

'Air' is the thrid and last stone. This stone was recovered from an ancient temple in China. The last to be discovered, Isobel retrieved it, but lost it in a battle with Clark. In the confusion of the moment, Jason took it. He mailed it back to the United States to himself. Later, gave it to Lana for safe keeping. Lana, possessed once again by Isobel, murdered Genevieve when she tried to take it. Fulfilling Isobel's prophecey that one day her decendant would destroy those who judged her, Lana was released by Isobel and here mark for the symbol 'Water' disappeared from her lower back. Fearing that Lex would take the stone, Lana gave it to Clark.

itThe Stone with the symbol for 'Air'

Note the symbol of the octagonal disk that was seen in the wall of the cave in seasons two and three. Dr. Walden placed the disk in the slot and his mind was fried by an overload of kryptonian knowledge. He eventually paid with his life. Lionel Luthor attempted to do the same, but with a replica of the disk made from kryptonite. It was his attempt at a cure for his liver terminal condition. Pete stole the disk from him before he could use it. Of course, Lionel reveived his healing when he traded bodies with Clark. Unfortunately, however, his quest for the stones have now left him in the same condition as Dr. Walden.

The following picture of the symbol on the cave wall was released to the press by Luthor Corp. shortly after the cave was discovered. In his article entitled, "Drawing Lines Between Frederick Walden and Ezra Small," Christopher James Beppo noted that the symbol was interesting, but that he had not had a chance to see it in person.

One day, while I was looking at some old Ledger stories written by Beppo, I came across this article and the picture that accompanied it. It was then that I realized the markings in the picture form a similar pattern to those on table top within the hidden chamber of the cave. It's as if the same layout was used; perhaps they both are control panels? Notice the octagonal shape at the center with a recessed area. Symbols radiate outward but enclosed in circles. Clark's spaceship produced a similar patern of circular symbols when he placed the key pad into the slot in the center of the ship.

Finally, I will again make mention of the fact that I do not understand all of the symbols. Some are simple to translate in that they can be mapped to letters in the English alphabet. Others, like the special ones discussed here, represent specific concepts such as Fire, Air, Water, Crusade, I'm a Friend (Seen above on this page as sent to Clark by Dr. Swann), or Hope. There are many web sites devoted to the

January 1, 1978
DR. VIRGIL SWANN -- DELIVERING THE MESSAGE

"Only through communication will people live in peace." -- Dr. Virgil Swann

Gazing out his office window high atop the Manhattan skyline, Dr. Virgil Swann speculates on the future of global communications. Coming from the man who practically coined the term, his musings conjure a feeling of wonder more often found in science fiction. But Dr. Swann is wildly serious. This is a man focused on propelling the human race into an era of communication unmatched in history. Not since the invention of Guttenberg's printing press has such a revolution been so poised to impact our world. A modern Renaissance could be upon us -- and there will be one man to thank when it arrives.

Undoubtedly, this year has seen its share of notable events. In the Middle East, Anwar Sadat made the first steps toward a miracle: a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th President of the United States of America. NASA's Space Shuttle Enterprise took its maiden flight from the top of a 747. And the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, passed away.

While all of these events had a dramatic effect on our world this year, Dr. Virgil Swann's advancements in satellite technology promise to resonate for generations to come. Scientific American proclaimed him "The Man of Tomorrow," and TIME magazine now names him 1977's Man of the Year.
At the early age of 19, wunderkind Virgil Swann graduated summa cum laude from MIT with doctorates in mathematics and applied physics. Shortly thereafter, he founded Swann Communications in dedication to his life's pursuit: advancing technology focused on global communication.
In early 1976, Swann Communications launched the first of its SWANNSTAR series of satellites, which dramatically reduced the cost of delivering data to millions of people the world over.

This year, Swann Communications became the largest producer of satellites after sending its 36th SWANNSTAR unit into orbit. Through Swann's innovations, today's science fiction can become tomorrow's reality.

"The paradigm of only three network television stations will soon be a thing of the past," comments a station owner from Atlanta. "Virgil has laid the foundations for what we might call a global village. It's not inconceivable that we may someday have networks devoted solely to sports or news or finance--networks that could have a global reach 24 hours a day. No longer will anyone on the planet be unaware of the latest events as they happen."

Clearly, it will take years to comprehend the sociological impact of Swann's work. But it has taken very little time to see the financial effects on Swann Communications. With contracts in hand from over 90 percent of the world's television networks, Swann's privately held company is valued in the tens of billions of dollars.

However, Swann is that rare businessman who would continue his work even if there were no financial gain involved. "I do this because I believe that only through communication will people live in peace."
Swann downplays his role in the predicted revolution. "Communication is simply the transmission and reception of a message. What I do is no different from what a postal worker does. I deliver the message. It's what the recipient does with that message that is really important."

Reprinted Without Permission from Time Magazine, January 1978

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