Walt Arnold (portrayed by Dan Lauria) is a minor character from the TV series Smallville, serving as the "freak of the week" for the Season One episode "Hothead". After using kryptonite meteor fragments in his private sauna, the vapours granted Arnold with the metahuman ability to conjure and control fire.
History[]
Walt Arnold was the football coach at Smallville High School and had coached students for over 25 years. With his 200th winning game approaching, he ensured that the current Smallville Crows would be eligible to play by providing the team members answers to their midterm tests. However, one of the team members talked and Principal Kwan threatened to fire Arnold. Using his pyrokinetic powers, Arnold almost killed Kwan after setting the principal's car aflame while he was inside, but Kwan was saved by Clark Kent. He later learned that Chloe Sullivan, editor for the school newspaper, had photographed a pyrotechnic display that the coach was using to threaten his players into staying quiet. Arnold then attempted to burn the Smallville Torch editing room after trapping Chloe inside, but once again his homicidal efforts were thwarted by Clark.
Death[]
On the day of his 200th game, Coach Walt was confronted in his private sauna by Clark. The vapours given off by the meteor rocks weakened Clark and the coach locked him inside while he went to oversee the game. Though weakened, Clark was not entirely helpless as he threw a rock at the sauna window and smashed it, alerting his father who let him out.
Walt had followed Jonathan into the school and found him helping Clark. The coach attacked Clark again, but Clark was a safe distance away from the kryptonite fragments and easily overpowered the maniacal coach, throwing him across the hall and into the shower room. Walt became enraged and caused the water from the shower nozzles to ignite. Ironically, however, he was not immune to the flames he created and the fire-spewing showers burned him to death.