I'm totally with you. I don't need to see Clark acting all alpha and sticking his chest out in some high school display of machismo. "The greatest samurai lets his sword rust in its sheath" and all that.
I'm pretty sure those STAR scientists were scared out of their minds though. And Clark knew exactly what he was doing. It's intimidation.
And yeah, it's a little Space Jesus-y, but only insofar as it's an authority figure giving you that "I'm mad, but mostly disappointed, and you're very much grounded forever" look. That's kind of a universal language. I got that look as a kid, now as a parent I give that look (K, how's your kid, btw?). It's not Clark being all holier than thou and pandering and preachy like Action 775.
I suppose there's also the "red eyed angry god" intimidation too. When Clark has really just had enough and is ready to seriously hurt someone and you can almost see him holding himself back. And that's scary. Knowing what he's capable of, the glowing eyes, everything around Clark starting to melt from the heat....that's scary. But that's something you almost never really see. What's the thing from Dr. Who...."When a good man goes to war." It's not really "Clark" so much as the situation, yknow? Clark with his arms crossed and that angry, disappointed look on his face is much more his style of intimidation than clenched fists and red eyes and the open threat of violence.