As Clark Kent grows ever closer to becoming Superman, he will encounter more and more familiar visitors from the pages of DC Comics. Joining Smallville Season 9 villain Major Zod and his Kryptonian cronies Faora and Basqat, as well as Toyman, Metallo and Roulette, will be the Wonder Twins, the Justice Society of America and Green Arrow’s sidekick, Speedy! “It’s the newest version of Speedy,” says exec producer Brian Peterson. “Her name is Mia Dearden.” In the comics, Mia ran away from her abusive father and became a child prostitute who contracted HIV (fun stuff, eh?). The TV character will likewise be HIV-positive. “She has a sordid past and crosses paths with Oliver [Green Arrow] in some shady places,” says exec producer Kelly Souders. “But he gives her hope.” Mia, who will debut her red-and-yellow comic colors in Episode 6, has “amazing martial-arts skills” yet to be honed, Peterson says. Ollie will step in to train her.

Wonder Twins Zan and Jayna—from the Super Friends Saturday-morning cartoon series that ran in the ’70s and ’80s—pop up in Episode 8. Though they won’t have pointy ears, they’ll be wearing purple and will “activate” into an ice sheet and a cougar. There will even be a glimpse of their blue monkey, Gleek.

This winter, the Justice Society of America, whose members include Hawkman, Spectre, Doctor Fate and the Atom, come out of retirement to give “the screwed-up guys of the next generation a needed smack down,” says comic book author Geoff Johns, who wrote last season’s Legion of Superheroes episode and is also penning a big-screen Flash feature film for Warner Bros. “They’re the Mystery heroes who started it all–like the Watchmen.”

According to DC Comics lore, the JSA is a World War II-era team of aging superheroes who exist in an alternate reality universe known as ‘Earth Two.’ Popular members include Hawkman, Spectre, Hourman, Doctor Fate and the Atom, along with alternate grey-haired versions of Superman and Batman. Johns won’t say which members he’s writing in to the mid-season episode (it’ll be based on legal clearances), except to say they’ll be in their 40’s and mainstays Jay Garrick (the original Flash) and Alan Scott (the original Green Lantern) will not be included. “It’s going to be about them coming out of retirement to give these screwed up guys of the next generation a needed smack-down.”

And remember old Perry White, last seen as an alcoholic tabloid reporter in season three (played by Michael McKean)? Peterson says ‘The Chief’ may finally be “working his way to the Daily Planet.”