Roger Nixon is a supporting character from the TV series Smallville. He was a reporter for the Metropolis Inquisitor who had been hired by Lex Luthor to investigate Clark Kent. He was portrayed by Tom O'Brien.
History[]
Originally appearing in the Season 1 episode "X-Ray", Nixon first came to Smallville hoping to blackmail Lex Luthor, threatening to publish a story about him that could tarnish his public image unless Lex paid him $100,000 in cash. However, Lex counters Nixon's threat with one of his own, promising to use his father's commercial and media influence to destroy Nixon's livelihood if he published the story. Still seeking answers for his questions regarding the day Clark Kent had saved his life, Lex hires Nixon to investigate the Kent family and dig up any information he can on Clark.
For months, Nixon keeps tabs on Clark and his parents, but for some time fails to drudge up any hard evidence that the Kents are anything but normal. After discretely following Clark for some time and witnessing some of his amazing feats, Nixon blew up Jonathan Kent's truck while Clark was in it, suspecting that Clark would survive. He recorded the incident and would later sneak onto the Kent farm, breaking into the Kents' storm cellar where he found the alien capsule that had brought Clark to Earth.
Later, Nixon stole a small metallic plate from Luthor's desk, suspecting it to be part of the alien capsule. As a tornado was moving through the area, he broke into the Kents' storm cellar again and inserted the plate into an indentation on the capsule, activating it. Jonathan and Martha found Nixon in the storm cellar tampering with the capsule which then took off on its own accord. Having recorded everything with his camcorder, Nixon threatened to reveal Clark's secret to the world and ran off.
Death[]
In the Season 2 premiere "Vortex", Nixon fled from the Kent farm and Jonathan pursued him. As a tornado was raging through Smallville, Jonathan and Nixon struggled in the middle of a field when a motor home that had been picked up by a twister fell upon them. The two survived but found themselves trapped inside an old crypt and were forced to work together to try and get out. In exchange for Jonathan's help, Nixon surrendered his tape of Clark which Jonathan then destroyed.
Both Jonathan and Nixon tried to dig their way out, but a cave-in occurred. Later, Clark would unearth them, but fell ill due to the presence of kryptonite fragments in the cavern. Nixon took a meteor rock and put it in Clark's coat pocket to keep him weak, intending to use him as evidence for his story. Nixon dragged Clark out of the crypt, but Jonathan followed and lunged at him. Nixon beat Jonathan to the ground and was prepared to kill him with an iron bar, but was then suddenly shot in the back by Lex Luthor.