From that day to this, the tiny boy who toddled out of that field has developed increasingly powerful powers. And strange things happening is now the norm in the neighboring village of Smallville, known these days as the creamed-corn capital of the world.

Smallville, premiering tonight on the WB, is coming-of-age time for Clark Kent, the sweet, sometimes nerdy, high schooler who's growing up to be Superman. He's off to a good, albeit nonflying, start.

The day this alien child arrives from Krypton, the meteors that cause his spaceship to crash also make a terrible mess of Smallville and wreck the car of Jonathan (John Schneider) and Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole), a nice, childless couple.

One glimpse of this helpless, solitary tot -- still wearing his birthday suit -- moves their kind hearts to take him home and make a regular boy out of him.

As we zap to Smallville today, the Kents know full well they have a Superkid on their hands, but Clark doesn't. Nobody else does, except, possibly, young Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). He hasn't had a hair on his head since he was a boy, when he wandered into a cornfield to answer a cry for help and almost got crushed for the effort.

He saw tiny Clark in there then, and Lex, ever since, has suspected that Clark is no ordinary small-town drop-in. Tonight, when Clark saves him from a near-fatal accident, the canny Lex sees with his own eyes that his rescuer is something out of this world. He's still not sure what, though.

Kermit the Frog thought being green was tough. But being an alien teen-ager is probably tougher.

Poor Clark. He's a puppy-love klutz around Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk), the homecoming queen and girl of his dreams. She's enamored of the football hero, and Clark's father forbids him to go out for football. Even after Clark promises to run "at half speed."

"It's time for the truth," says Dad to his stunned son.

"You're telling me I'm from another planet?" Clark exclaims. "Where's the spaceship?"

As a matter of fact, Clark, it's in the cellar.

Now, at least he knows where he came from, but he still doesn't know why he came or what he'll do here. And every time he studies the "Wall of Weird's" news reports of bizarre things that have happened in Smallville since he arrived, Clark has another guilt trip. He thinks they're all his fault, and he could be right.

This sly Smallville rises from the prequel cornfields to show surprising promise for that teen audience the WB loves so well. Some grown-up Superman fans should like it, too.

And Smallville's charismatic star, Tom Welling, has the right stuff to be an overnight teen idol, even without flying around in a Superman suit.

Smallville, 8 tonight on WB/Channel 39. Grade: B.