THE FOUR GREAT VILLAINS: Three of these creatures are men: the fourth is a woman. She is tall and has a magnificent body which is shown to its best advantage in a Krypton outfit that reveals more than it conceals: high boots, a clinging body suit, and all shiny black. Long raven hair frames a strikingly beautiful face; her eyes are almost fiery in their grace. A woman whose beauty makes strong men weak, she is consumed by total hatred of the male sex. This is URSA. One of the men, who struts and swaggers like the leader, is got up in a Kryptonian version of ultra-military attire - Jackboots, high collar, uniform. All this, however, is belied by his pasty-faced, even sickly appearance. A pathological dictator, as super-Fascist whose only quality is utter contempt for everyone but himself, whose only goal is to command a world of inferiors. This is GENERAL ZOD. The second man is a thin, wiry character whose face seems to be permanently contorted into a twisted, mocking grin. There is something seedy and second-rate about his appearance, even as his clothing is flashier, gaudier and, finally, more vulgar than the others. A psychopathic jokester, whose pranks and "practical jokes" are only funny to him when they cause death and suffering to others, this is JAK-EL. The fourth member of the band is only a man to the extent that he is not an animal. A monstrous brute, his ugly face twists with violence. He does not speak but instead utters horrible animal-like growls and howls. Almost pure if, bent only on mindless destruction, he is a force of frightening evil. This is NON. FADE IN 283EXT. SPACE A caped figure flies high over the United States, gaining speed as the atmosphere begins to blur into the dark. mysterious blue of space. This is SUPERAN. CUT TO EXT. SPACE WIDE SHOT - SUPERMAN, flying with the speed of light, zooms through the universe, past the moon, as the Earth grows smaller in the distance. Faster and faster he goes until he bursts through into another galaxy. CLOSER ON SUPERMAN -- As he hurtles the warhead into the void of outer space. CUT TO EXT. SPACE WIDE SHOT - As the warhead, speeding through the galaxy, EXPLODES. The closest star breaks into shooting, fiery fragments. CUT TO EXT. SPACE ON SUPERMAN - As he his sent reeling through the limitless void, falling away, stunned by the explosion. CUT TO EXT. PHANTOM ZONE - SPACE WIDE SHOT -- The shock waves reverberate in the realms of the unknown far out in space until they meet the resistance of a great crystalline cloud - The Phantom Zone. SPECIAL EFFECT: The crystalline cloud walls shatter. CUT TO THE FOUR GREAT VILLAINS as they rush to the opened wall and suck in the air of unexpected freedom. As the crystal cage breaks and they rush forward into space: JAK-EL Free! URSA Free! GENERAL ZOD Free! Non lets out a terrifying howl, like an animal who has burst its bonds. 284The effect must be truly frightening, as if Pandora's box has been opened and all the plagues are unleashed on the world. Their horrifying faces FILL THE SCREEN with howls of glee as they drift off into space. HOLD ON THE IMAGE of the void of black space as. . . CREDITS ROLL. As CREDITS END. . . DISSOLVE TO 285EXT. SKY - DAY On a cloud bank floating peacefully in the blue sky over Earth. Suddenly it is broken with SOUND of RUSHING FLIGHT as SUPERMAN comes diving out of it, headed for the Earth. 286EXT. SKY - DAY DISSOLVE TO: On a cloud bank floating peacefully in the blue sky over earth. Suddenly it is broken with SOUND of RUSHING FLIGHT as Superman comes diving out of it, headed for the earth. PAN DOWN WITH him to: 287EXT. GARBAGE DUMP - OUTSKIRTS OF METROPOLIS - DAY A site that instantly creates the biggest contrast with the mysterious beauty of outer space that we have just seen: a city garbage dump, dotted with reeking mounds of refuse and grey smoking bonfires. For it is here, in a place as close to deserted as can be found near the great city of Metropolis, that Superman can land unobserved. CLOSER ON HIM - FULL LENGTH: He lands, looking just a bit bushed from his recent ordeal. SUPERMAN Whew. . . He brushes himself off and walks OUT OF FRAME, RIGHT. CUT TO 288EXT. SHACK - GARBAGE DUMP - DAY FULL SHOT: ON a beat-up, dilapidated old shack on the edge of the dump. Superman walks behind it from LEFT. For a moment he is blocked from OUR VIEW, as CAMERA HOLD IN PLACE. Then, emerging from RIGHT of shack, transformed into his familiar guise of Clark Kent: suit, tie, glasses, etc. PAN with him as Clark turns onto the dirt road and begins walking jauntily toward Metropolis. In b. g. the skyscrapers and bridges if the city can be SEEN. CUT TO 289INT. CITY ROOM OF "THE DAILY PLANET" - DAY MED. WIDE SHOT of' Lois Lane seated at her desk, her feet up, today's newspaper in her lap, turning the pages and looking quite pleased with herself. DOLLY IN AT ANGLE ENABLING US TO SEE the giant banner headline. LEX LUTHOR"S SCHEME "BOMBS" SUPERMAN SAVES NATION CRIMINAL DRAWS HARSH SENTENCE Photos and Lois' byline accompany the article. As we SEE this, we HEAR O.S. the voice of Jimmy Olsen. JIMMY (O.S.) A great story told, by a great reporter. CONTINUED 289CONTINUED PULL BACK AND WIDEN TO INCLUDE Jimmy as Lois looks up and grins. LOIS My mother thanks you, my father thanks you -- CLARK (O.S.) -- and Superman thanks you. WIDEN MORE TO REVEAL Clark Kent who has Just come over to Join them. CLARK (kidding) How much does he pay you for all the P.R. stuff you write? The mood between them, though light and chipper, is complicated. Lois is more "up" than Clark, who seems to have a barely disguised, case of unrequited love. Odd, but true: the more he does to make her head spin as Superman, the less she appreciates good old Clark Kent. LOIS Ahhh, the boy reporter. Late as usual. CLARK (lightly) stuck in traffic. (gestures toward the headline; a bit less airy) Not everyone can fly, you know. LOIS (not unpleased) Do I detect a note of jealousy? CLARK (a bit miffed) I know I can't compete with some body who can fry an egg by winking at it. FAVORING LOIS -- who smiles fondly at him. Jimmy silently slips away with utmost discretion. CONTINUED 289CONITINED (2) LOIS Clark Kent, you are jealous. And it is very becoming. I'll tell you the truth - if I hadn't had my girlish head turned by Superman, I'd say you were a prize catch. CLARK (very hopeful) Me? LOIS Sure. You've got everything. FAVORING CLARK - who smiles as. But the quickly fades as -- LOIS But nobody knows it. What good is everything if you haven't got it together? (pushing) Do you mind if I give you some constructive criticism? CLARK Yes. LOIS (goes right on) You could be a take-charge guy! All you need is a little drive. Be aggressive. Push! Not just personally. Professionally, too. All those chances to be a top reporter are just waiting to be grabbed! I grab them. CLARK God knows . . . She rises, trying to get to him, shake him up. LOIS You've had those chances, too! But where were you? (ticking off a list with growing impatience) 'Making a phone call.' 'In the washroom.' 'Stuck in traffic.' CONTINUED 289CONTINUED (3) CLARK A charming metaphor for my life. 'Stuck in traffic.' LOIS Well? Weave in and out, Clark! CLARK In and out. LOIS (practically a cheerleader now) Get up and go! ZOOM PAST THEM to the frosted glass door leading to Editor Perry White's office as the door is swung open and an excited Perry comes rushing out toward them. PERRY (Just as Lois finishes last line) You said it! He dashes to them. MOVE IN TO TIGHT THREE SHOT. PERRY Something big is breaking! LOIS A dinosaur egg? PERRY (sarcastic as usual) Excuse me ma'am, I hate to interrupt my star reporters who are so busy sitting on their -- LOIS (quick grin) -- Laurels? CONTINUED 289CONTINUED (4) PERRY Yeah, well, move your laurels down to 73rd and Park. A gang of terrorists just seized some cockamamie U.S. delegation! Instantly Lois grabs her notebook and starts the elevator; Clark Kent is right with her. As the hustle off: PERRY Try and talk to them! Get an interview if you can! ON THE ELEVATORS: One opens and they go in. CUT TO 290INT. ELEVATOR Indicator shows it is going down quickly. LOIS (a bit embarrassed) Well, that sure put an end to my pep talk. (changing the subject) I wonder which delegation -- CLARK (sincerely) Listen, thanks for that advice before. I mean it, Lois. LOIS Oh. Well. (awkward now) I didn't mean to sound like a coach, Clark. But that's what friends are for. CLARK (plaintively) 'Friends. . . ' The elevator stops; door opens. TRACKING OUT with them into -- 291INT. LOBBY - "DAILY PLANET" - DAY -- at a dead run for the exit, in a hurry, all emotion fighting the professional tension. TRACKING FAST. LOIS I don't mean I only think of you as just a friend, Clark. They are out the door. CUT TO 292EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF "DAILY PLANET" BUILDING - DAY ON them as they dash out into the street, wildly hailing a cab in the middle of a real city traffic Jam: bumper-to bumper, HORNS blowing. CLARK (still eagerly pursuing her last remark) You mean . . . ? LOIS I mean . . . in a way . . . Look, this isn't the time or the place to -- Suddenly they turn to each other with a little conspiratorial grin and, speaking almost in unison, hit the same realisation at the same moment: CLARK AND LOIS Stuck in traffic . . . CUT TO 293EXT. DELEGATION SKYSCRAPER - DAY WIDE LONG SHOT: The main entrance of a tall, flat-roofed modern office building is cordoned off and guarded by a great many heavily armed policemen. Police wagons and vans and squad cars are parked all around, as well as mobile TV units. A general buzz of heightened activity: walkie-talkies going, the area swarming with reporters and photographers, the crowds pushed back behind barricades. In b. g. a taxi pulls up; Clark and Lois jump out and run to join the crowd of reporters. CONTINUED 293CONTINUED CLOSER on the reporters who surge forward against the cordon, as a harried, tense POLICE SPOKESMAN emerges from the building. ON SPOKESMAN SPOKESMAN Awright, here's the situation . Three terrorists have occupied the twenty-fifth floor. We don't know who they are -- they claim it's the Freedom Guerilla Army. We're checking that out. They've got hostages -- at least nine -- in an office up there. They say they're going to kill one every hour until their demands are met. A REPORTER What demands ? SPOKESMAN At this point in time, we don't know that information. We established communication but we still don't know what the fu . . . what they want. ON CLARK -- busy taking notes. Only now does he slowly look up as he says to Lois: CLARK Five'll get 'you ten it's -- WIDEN SHOT TO SEE what Clark sees: Lois is gone. CLARK Lois! CUT TO 294INT . DELEGATION SKYSCRAPER LOBBY - DAY WIDE SHOT -- as Lois whizzes in. The cops clustered at the other end don't see her. TRACKING -- She runs to the corridor where the elevators are. Frantically she presses the elevator button. CONTINUED 294CONTINUED NEW ANGLE -- A POLICEMAN turns into the corridor and raises his gun. As he calls out, the elevator door opens. COP Hey, lady! Lois leaps into the elevator. The Cop races the distance towards it. Just as he gets there, the doors shut. The next elevator door then opens (as if they are programmed to work in sequence) and the Policeman gets in. FAST CUT TO 295INT. FRONT DOOR - LOBBY - DELEGATION BUILDING - DAY Clark Kent comes tearing in, runs to the elevators. NEW ANGLE: The Cop, in the elevator which has not yet left the ground floor, can't believe his eyes when he sees yet another civilian running loose. COP (outraged) Hey, what is this, Grand Central Sta -- The elevator door shuts on him. Clark runs past. HOLD on the elevator, A moment later, it re-opens and the furious Cop comes out. CUT TO 296INT. FURTHER DOWN THE CORRIDOR - DAY Clark pulls open a door marked "FIRE STAIRS." In this narrow, dinky space, he puts a foot on the first step, looks up. CLARK'S POV: An endless spiral of stairs going up and up. CUT TO 297INT. CORRIDOR - DAY On the Cop's elevator. He leaps out, runs to the fire stairs, flings open the door. He looks up. POV: VIEW AS BEFORE , but no Clark Kent to be seen . ON the Cop -- who stands there, slowly scratching his head, utterly mystified. CUT TO 298INT. DELEGATION OFFICE CORRIDOR - 25TH FLOOR - DAY We are ON a glass-walled office in which a drama of our time is being played out. Three TERRORISTS hold guns on nine hostages, one of whom is an almost hysterical woman pleading with the Terrorist who guards her. The image, in silence, is really frightening. PULL BACK TO SEE that the corridor leading to the office is lined with police snipers in full regalia -- ammunition belts, battle vests, gas masks, rifles -- crouched in other office doorways. In the delegation office, the Head Terrorist raises his wrist, indicating his watch, then begins waving his gun wildly at the hostages, yelling. As the hysterical woman begins to cry, we HEAR the POLICE COMMANDER O.S. at the very end of the corridor: POLICE COMMANDER (0. S .) And one! The police snipers raise their guns in unison. POLICE COMMANDER (0. S .) And two! The rifles are aimed at the office door. POLICE COMMANDER (O.S.) Fire! The GUNS ARE FIRED in unison, hurtling tear gas canisters towards the office. The GLASS DOORS SHATTER and smoke instantly fills the office and begins to pour down the corridor, as Terrorists and hostages scramble wildly out and down the corridor TOWARD CAMERA. Three Men burst out of the tear-gas cloud first. At this moment the elevator door opens and out steps Lois. The Men are virtually upon her and she seizes the opportunity to ask the nearest one: LOIS (eagerly) Excuse me, what was it like to be at the mercy of ruthless, fanatical -- CONTINUED 298CONTINUED The Man brings a gun up and holds it at her temple, smiling. Lois chose the wrong side to ask. LOIS (weakly) I guess I'll find out. At which point the fire stairs door opposite opens and out steps Clark Kent to be greeted bythis sight and a gun at his head. As the three Terrorists shove Clark and Lois back into the fire stairs. TERRORIST (a small mocking grin ) Oh, yes. We treat all our hostages the same. CUT TO 299EXT. DELEGATION SKYSCRAPER ROOF - DAY AERIAL VIEW: The broad flat roof of the building, a fire station exit door at either end. A police helicopter hovers above as Clark and Lois emerge from one of the doors and are pushed by the Terrorists to the very edge of the roof. As this happens the chopper swings lower and a LOUDSPEAKER VOICE emanates from it: HELICOPTER COP (V .O.) (loudspeaker) Let them go. TERRORIST TWO (shouting to the chopper) In a pig's eye, pig! TERRORIST LEADER (shouting as he presses gun to Lois' head) Come any closer, man, and you can watch these folks die. CLOSER -- A beat of silence in which Lois sways, terrified, on the ledge. Clark, a bit behind, watches her, helpless and worried. Then: HELICOPTER COP (V.O.) We're ready to talk a deal.. CONTINUED 299CONTINUED TERRORIST LEADER Talk! HELICOPTER COP (V.O.) Release your hostages and we will guarantee your safe conduct. We can land the chopper on the roof. We'll take you straight to JFK. We'll have a jet waiting there. TERRORIST THREE (shouting) Yeah, for you to shoot out the tires! We watch television too, man! TERRORIST LEADER Get this! You can keep your jet! We want Superman! CLOSEUP - CLARK KENT -- startled. HELICOPTER COP (V.O.) (stupefied) Superman?!! ON the group on the roof. TERRORIST TWO We want Superman to fly us to Algeria. Nobody shoots out his tires, baby. And we are keeping these hostages! HELICOPTER COP (V.O.) How are we supposed to get Superman? CLOSEUP - TERRORIST LEADER TERRORIST LEADER (a sinister smile at Clark) That's not our problem, Jim. CLOSEUP - CLARK -- little do they know it's his problem. After a moment he speaks quickly CLARK Actually, I can get Superman for you. CONTINUED 299CONTINUED (2) CLOSEUP - LOIS -- astonished. LOIS You. . . ? The look turns to admiring dismay as she "realises" he's stalling. TERRORIST LEADER (scornful) Yeah. He hangs out with you? CLARK Sure. I've got his private number. I swear it. I'll have him here in no time. I Just need to get to a phone. Why would I lie about it? Just let me get to a phone. The Terrorists look at each other, then at their Leader. After a beat: TERRORIST LEADER Okay. Okay. And they -- He gestures to Terrorist Two and Three. TERRORIST LEADER -- will be right behind you. (to his men) Take him down to the top floor. Must be a phone there. NEW ANGLE - The two Terrorists lead Clark to the far fire door (not the one they came up through), Terrorist Two treating them all to a little revolutionary rhetoric as they go: TERRORIST TWO Anyone who has messed with our people, prepare to die! Power to our brothers in struggle! Yeah! And death to the oppressor! Your blood will run in the streets -- And as they exit through the door, WHIP PAN to Lois and the Terrorist Leader. CONTINUED 299CONTINUED (3) TERRORIST LEADER (to her) And if your friend don't do his thing -- (menacingly, brandishing his gun at her) I'm gonna do mine. As Lois registers terror. CUT TO 300INT. CORRIDOR - ONE FLIGHT BELOW - DAY Clark and the Terrorist emerge from the stairs door, again leaving the door open, and into corridor. A number of closed doors open off the corridor. TRACK WITH THEM as they walk down. A Terrorist opens one. It is a broom closet. He opens the next. It's an office. He points into it, indicating a telephone' on a desk. TERRORIST THREE There's your phone, man . CLARK Right. Thanks. Now. . . (stalling, reaching in his jacket pocket) Where's that phone number? TERRORIST TWO (instantly suspicious) Don't go for those pockets, High Pockets. Terrorist Two nods to Terrorist Three, who does a fast patdown frisk of Clark. Clark now has one Terrorist on either side, right up against him. MED. FULL SHOT. TERRORIST THREE He's clean. TERRORIST TWO (indicates Clark can now search his pockets) Better have that number, Jim. Or we got your number. CONTINUED 300CONTINUED As Clark speaks the following in a steady patter like a magician whose hand is going to be quicker than the eye, he has one hand crossing his chest into his breast pocket and the other hand delving in his Jacket pocket: CLARK Should be here somewhere. Should be right here. But you know how it is . . . .sometimes when you change your suit you forget to change -- On the word "change" his elbows come up hard, smashing one Terrorist on each side. smashing them simultaneously right in the chops and sending them flying. In that instant, he leaps into the broom closet, slams the door behind him. The Terrorists are quickly on their feet again, guns drawn. They FIRE through the broom closet door, RIDDLlNG it with BULLETS . CUT TO 301EXT. ROOF - DAY SOUND: the BULLETS FIRING down below. LOIS (a cry of anguish) Clark! TERRORIST LEADER (frowning, shouts down the stairwell) Mustafa! What's happenin' down there? CUT TO 302INT. CORRIDOR - DAY ON the broom closet door. MUSTAFA and his COHORT stand with smocking guns, grinning at each other. They do a quick revolutionary hand-shake and then open the door. There, in the classic pose, FULL SHOT, stands the Man of Steel in full costume . . . Superman ! CONTINUED 302CONTINUED The two Terrorists look at each other in total confusion. Instantly, Superman reaches out with both hands and cracks their two heads together. They hit the floor, unconscious. Superman steps across them and crosses to the fire stairs door. FOLLOW him. He leans against the wall, waiting. TERRORIST LEADER (O. S.) (calling from the roof) Mustafa! Mustafa!? 303EXT. ROOF - DAY ON Lois and the Terrorist Leader, now alone. TERRORIST LEADER (grimly) Say your prayers, woman. Lois, trying to be brave, takes a deep breath and looks down, getting instant vertigo. Quickly, she shuts her eyes, swaying, almost falling. 304ANGLE DOWN -- SHOWING the long drop to the street. Crowd below. 305ON THEM -- As Lois waits for the bullet in CLOSEUP TERRORIST LEADER (O.S.) Superman! Lois' eyes fly Open wide. She is about to turn and look when the gun is pressed tightly to her head again. TERRORIST LEADER (O. S ) (threateningly) Lady, move now and your movin' days are done. Lois stands very still, very discreet, but a tiny smile of hope begins as she hears the familiar voice: SUPERMAN (O. S.) (sternly) You want to talk to me? TERRORIST LEADER (cocky) No man, I want to fly you. CONTINUED 305CONTINUED ANGLE DOWN: THREE SHOT -- Lois is turned away between the Terrorist, who is using her as a shield, and Superman, who stands a few feet away on the ledge. SHOT INCLUDES the vertigo-inducing drop. SUPERMAN (tersely) You're grounded, bubby. He makes a quick move towards the Terrorist. But -- TERRORIST LEADER Uh-uh. She is. And so saying, he hurls Lois off the edge and into space. Lois, briefly glimpsed, screams in shock and horror as she falls. But to the amazement of the Terrorist (and the audience) Superman is not distracted; he keeps right on coming and decks the Terrorist with one terrific punch, knocking him cold on the roof! CUT TO 306EXT. DELEGATION BUILDING -DAY Lois, falling through space, her skirt up, covering her face (and giving us a nice view of very pretty panties and garters and swell legs). But is she about to be a wet spot on the pavement? ON SUPERMAN -- taking a breath, having just dusted off the Terrorist. ON LOIS -- still falling, shrieking now, the ground coming up fast. At the last moment, Superman swoops INTO FRAME, catching her in his arms as her last scream turns into a moan of relief. She buries her face against his chest. He smoothes her skirt down and deposits her gently on the pavement:. Then be takes off immediately. 307IN B.G. REPORTERS and COPS race towards Lois. At the back or this crowd, pushing his way through, is Clark Kent. As he reaches her with a look of great concern, she smiles at him mischievously. LOIS So, you've got Superman's phone number, hmmm? CONTINUED 307CONTINUED PAN TO TWO POLICEMEN FIRST COP The man is amazing. SECOND COP That's why they call him Super. FIRST COP Three terrorists permanently out of circulation, and last week he sent Lex Luthor up the river. SECOND COP (approving) Without a paddle. CUT TO 308EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY OPEN ON CLOSEUP of a middle-aged BLACK CONVICT as he, in turn, opens his mouth and lets his mouth and lets forth with a rich basso version of the well-known Negro Spiritual "Let My People Go." CAMERA IS ON THE CRANE, WHICH NOW BEGINS TO PULL BACK AND UP, WIDENING AND PANNING OVER the prison yard of a large penitentiary. From the opening Uncle Tom image, this looks like every prison movie ever made: PAN REVEALS the prison-garbed CONS in classic situations -- one group playing ball, another group huddled around a card game, a third group sunning themselves, etc. Various entrances into the prison proper have signs over the doors reading "Print Shop," "Laundry," "Machine Shop," and so on. As the song reaches its corny but stirring chorus, PAN CONTINUES to a dark, shadowed corner of the yard where TWO CONVICTS are deep in conversation, having deliberately isolated themselves from the rest of the prison population. CRANE DESCENDS on these two, and we SEE that they are Lex Luthor and his assistant/architect/toady Albert. As song ends, we are into TIGHT TWO SHOT, FAVORING LUTHOR. CONTINUED 308CONTINUED LUTHOR (gnashing his teeth) If that road company Paul Robeson sings one more song, I'll put ground glass in his breakfast. (to Albert) I mean, I've got enough problems, y'know? Y'know? I don't need a need on top of it, y'know? ALBERT (ever helpful) I know. LUTHOR What could you know? You've got a twenty- year sentence. A sissy sentence, ALBERT But I'll be an old man! LUTHOR You've always been an old man, Albert. A fine architect, but not, not I say -- (God, how this grates him) -- the greatest mind of our time -- of all time! And how does the world choose it's one true genius? Do they give me treasure? ALBERT No. LUTHOR Who asked you? (continuing his tirade) Do they give me glory? What, in fact, do they give me? ALBERT Life plus twenty-five years. (tentatively) Well . . . if your plan to destroy the West Coast had worked, millions of people would have been killed. CONTINUED 308CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR 'Would' have. Would have, Albert. As it turned out, thanks to the caped Concorde, not one drop of blood was shed. This seems to disappoint him a bit. As he turns away, miffed, somebody comes running from the cellblock door towards them. OTIS I just heard on the radio! Superman nabbed a buncha radical freaks on some roof or somethin'! LUTHOR (galled) That crummy flag waver. He'll do anything to get a hand! (intensely) All I want out of life is to get out of here and destroy that miserable, glad-handing showboat. ALBERT But how can you destroy him? You've tried everything. Nothing stops him. LUTHOR (slyly) Every man has a vulnerable point. I just didn't find his in time. ALBERT (excited) And. now you've found it? LUTHOR (nastily) What are you going to say, Albert? 'A little late, isn't it? ' 'Some timing, boss?' (lowers voice) It Just so happens that it takes time, patience and skill -- the Big 3 -- to build my black box. CONTINUED 308CONTINUED (3) OTIS That black box in your cell? LUTHOR (frantically quieting him) Shhhhhhhbh! OTIS (whispering) That black box in your cell? What's it for? Luthor reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ratty, shredded piece of Kleenex -- one that has already seen its share of munching -- and pops his favorite snack into his mouth. LUTHOR (to Otis) Get me a fresh supply of tissue, Otis. I've used up my week's ration. OTIS I gotta have somthin' to trade. LUTHOR Give them Albert's radio. Albert looks very unhappy. LUTHOR (back to business) So. All attempts to track Superman with conventional means have failed including radar, correct? Correct. He files at super-speed. (confidentially) And yet we know that every so often, when he isn't all tied up with -- (he says this like an insult) -- 'doing good' and taking bows and kissing babies -- (angrily) -- and posing for 'Newsweek' covers -- he goes North. North . Where ? We don't know. The tracking device always loses him. (ruminating) Now why would he go North? CONTINUED 308CONTINUED (4) ALBERT To ski? Lex Luthor sighs dramatically and turns his back on them. LUTHOR We've really got to break out of here, y'know. It's beginning to affect everybody's mind. (turns back to them) This device -- my black box -- which I have nearly finished, goes beyond conventional radar. (comes closer, as if to impart a stunning piece or news) It tracks Alpha Waves. OTIS (impressed) Alpha waves! LUTHOR You don't even know what they are, do you? Just trying to act like you're 'with it. ' right? OTIS (weakly) I heard of. . . Alpha. . . watchacallems. . . LUTHOR And you'll hear about them again, Otis. They will lead me to his secret. And when I have that secret. I'll have Superman. REACTIONS: Albert and Otis suitably impressed now. ALBERT (exuberantly) Tomorrow the world! LUTHOR Not tomorrow. Albert's face falls. CONTINUED 308CONTINUED (5) LUTHOR I won't be ready tomorrow. ALBERT But - we could be free. LUTHOR We'll be free when I say we'll be free, What's all this crap about free, anyway? The point is to go when we're ready. ALBERT (weakly) I was ready. . . LUTHOR You are not the governing factor, pussycat. As Albert rolls his eyes heavenwards in despair. CAMERA PANS UPWARD WITH HIS GAZE, OVER THE PRISON WALLS, HIGHER AND HIGHER. CUT TO 309EXT. SPACE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF CAMERA (EFFECTS) CONTINUES as Earth sky becomes space and silence. Earth day becomes cosmic, starry silence. DISSOLVE TO: 310EXT. SURFACE 0F THE MOON (OR MOON-LIKE PLANET) WIDE, LONG SHOT: Astronauts have landed; there is a capsule that looks like the famous LEM, supported on four skinny high spider-like legs. With a glowing metal ladder leading from its portal. In b.g. distance, two golf-cart sort of vehicles are riding off over the pockmarked cratered, surface in search of whatever. CUT TO 311INT. HOUSTON, NASA SPACE CONTROL CENTER - DAY The familiar setting we have seen before: the banks of computers. TECHNICIANS and CONTROLLERS in shirt sleeves monitoring the astronauts. 341EXT. NIAGARA FALLS - DAY OPEN WITH A WHITE, TEXTURED SURFACE FILLING THE SCREEN. At first, it looks like some piece of the frozen ""north" that Luthor has just alluded to. But as we begin to ZOOM BACK SLOWLY, we SEE that it is running water and it is the foaming that looks like ice. AS PULLBACK CONTINUES, it is REVEALED to be the magnificent Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls. At MAXIMUM DISTANCE, PAN AWAY FROM FALLS TO a typical motel of the area. A flashy neon sign, coyly decorated, proclaims Honeymoon Haven. Several cars, shiny and middle-class, are parked outside, more than one decorated with crepe paper ribbons and, tin cans and, "Just Married " signs. CUT TO 342 INT. LOBBY HONEYMOON HAVEN MOTEL - DAY Super-kitsch, i.e. cupids., hearts, simulated wood-paneling, etc. A couple, in their best traveling clothes, stand with their backs to US. He is signing the register. She leans to the unctuous DESK CLERK, who, with a flourish, pins an orchid on her. DESK CLERK (taking back resister, doing his routine) Welcome to the house of happy honeymoons. And congratulations, Mr. . and Mrs. . . . As he speaks, the couple turns, grinning at each other. It is . . . Clark and Lois! DESK CLERK (a note of doubt as he reads the register) . . . Smith? CUT TO 343INT. BRIDAL SUITE - HONEYMOON HAVEN MOTEL - DAY MED. WIDE as Lois and Clark are led in by a BELLBOY. The living room, all gaudy velveteen and Formica, heart-shaped cushions on a Castro-convertible-type sofa, is largish. Now as Clark and Lois look very self-conscious, the BELLBOY opens a door to display the bedroom. BELLBOY And here's the -- CLARK Right. Thank you. CONTINUED 343CONTINUED He hands him a tip. BELLBOY Thank you, sir. And have a happy - (with a dopey wink) whatever. MOVE IN ON him as he closes the door behind him. A moment later, the orchid is suddenly flung against the door. REVERSE - ON CLARK AND LOIS. There is a bit of tension between them in this suddenly forced proximity. In addition, she is feeling feisty about the whole thing. LOIS Of all the dumb assignments Perry White ever thought of, this one takes the cake! CLARK (his little joke) Wedding cake? LOIS Posing as newlyweds to uncover the Honeymoon racket in Niagara Falls! (a moue of disgust) Him and his Sunday magazine exposes. CLARK (serious) But it should be exposed. They take these kids starting out in life and bilk them for every nickel they can get. LOIS (unmoved ) It isn't their money. Somebody's daddy is paying for it anyway, and it's guilt money at that. CLARK Guilt money? LOIS When Papa marries off his little darling, the first thing he thinks is, 'Hurray! One less mouth to feed.' And then he feels guilty for thinking it. CONTINUED 343CONTINUED (2) CLARK I guess your father -- LOIS And he won't either. (suddenly) Unless . . . Lois is struck by a thought, a reverie. CLARK Somehow I hear a cape flapping. LOIS (flustered) That will do, Mr. Kent. (she looks around at the shlocky door) Welcome to Bad Taste Country. FAVORING CLARK -- who, studying the room, makes a discovery: a bucket of champagne on top of the TV with a little card beside it. CLARK (rather impressed) Still, this isn't so bad, is it'? 'Complimentary champagne.' LOIS Oh sure. And the 'complimentary corsage.' Everything's complimentary - until you get the bill. He Picks up the orchid and brings it to her, a bit awkwardly, coming close. MOVE IN TIGHTER. CLARK (trying to Pin it back on) Mrs. Smith, you're as nervous a. . . . a newlywed. LOIS (a nervous smile ) And you've been a little preoccupied yourself. CONTINUED 343 CONTINUED (3) CLARK (hesitant) I was. . . uh. . . just wondering about the. . . the, uh. . . arrangements. (he moves away, quickly; blurting this out) Sleeping arrangements . . . LOIS (with a smile and a flourish toward the sofa) Mr. Smith, the complimentary couch. CUT TO 344EXT. THE FROZEN NORTH - DAY CLOSEUP LEX LUTHOR, the hood of a parka surrounds the bullet head. LUTHOR Mush! PULL BACK TO MED. LONG SHOT REVEALING Luthor in the back seat of a Snowmobile, Eve beside him and Albert in the front. In one hand, Luthor holds a whip, which he cracks to spur the Snowmobile on; and in the other, he carries his little black box, which he studies intently. Everybody is fur clad, mittened. Everywhere is ice and snow; we are near the Fortress of Solitude. Just as the Snowmobile reaches the top of a rise, Luthor eyes on the box, lets out a joyous yelp. LUTHOR Ah! Albert, startled. stops the Snowmobile with a sickening jolt. LUTHOR (very excited) What have we her? 345HIS POV: What looks like just another vast outcropping of ice (but is, in fact, the Fortress). As Eve puts it: EVE (O.S.) (disgusted) Ice, Snow. Your idea of a good time. 346ON THE SNOWMOBILE. Luthor gazes front with wild delight. LUTHOR Fool! It's his home! His home! ALBERT His home... This is the secret, Mr. Luthor? LUTHOR You can learn more about a man from the contents of his garbage can than from all his public announcements. Y'know? (he pulls a Kleenex from his pocket, pops it into his mouth) Yeahhhhh - there's nothing worse than an icy tissue. No, Albert, whatever there is to know about the piebald buzzard, I'll find the answers in here. He cracks the whip and the Snowmobile quickly shoots across the remaining distance to the Fortress. CUT TO 347EXT. FORTRESS 0F SOLITUDE - DAY ON THE THREE as they dismount, Eve and Albert looking very dubious. TRACK WITH them as they begin walking around the seemingly impenetrable icy structure, Luthor leading the way. ALBERT (tentatively) His home, Mr. Luthor? You're sure? EVE (weakly) You must be wrong, Lex . LUTHOR (aghast) Wrong? Lex? (icily) We do not use those words in the same sentence. CONTINUED 347CONTINUED But as hey continue walking, he surreptitiously holds his little black box out to the structure and takes another reading. LUTHOR (belligerently) There's the needle on the target. EVE (flatly: an unassailable argument) Well, there's no number on the door. Not to mention no door -- LUTHOR (striding on, snarling) And no welcome mat in front of it, and no picket fence and no rose bushes and no American flag! (rounding a corner, furiously) And we're not in Kansas, Miss Teschmacher! By now he is OUT OF FRAME LUTHOR (a sudden change to exultant) But we have a door! ON LEX, AT THE DOOR, as the others rush INTO FRAME. With a sweeping gesture, he indicates this smooth panel of opaque glass; no latch, no knob. Albert steps forward and makes a great show of studying it. ALBERT No visible opening device. No doorknob. No hinges. (bends, studies the side) No electric eye. Counter hydraulic perhaps? . . . (straightens up) Fascinating. (his Professional opinion) Impenetrable. LUTHOR (wild with frustration) Impenetrable? Impossible! In a Rurnplestiltskin-like fury, he gives the door a mighty Kick. Instantly it swings open, With a smirk, he enters, followed by Eve and Albert. 347CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR (as he enters) Morons! I'm surrounded by morons! CUT TO 348lNT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY WIDE, LONG, FULL SHOT: The three of them standing just inside, dwarfed by the enormous, cathedral-like magnificence of the place. REVERSE ON THEM. They stand, goggle-eyed, overwhelmed by the sheer size and beauty Of the Fortress. LUTHOR How do you like this? EVE Compared, to living in a sewer? Are you kidding? LUTHOR Yes, it's not bad. (to Albert) From an architectural standpoint, it makes your work look like Leggo Blocks, y'know? DISSOLVE TO 349INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY WIDE SHOT - Another part of the Fortress, central area. Eve and Albert are poking about; she looks a bit tense. ALBERT Really fantastic. The construction goes beyond all known architectural theory. EVE I know. No exposed nail heads. CONTINUED 349CONTINUED ALBERT No nails at all! (marveling) This place is a work of genius. It lacks nothing. EVE Wrong. ALBERT I beg your pardon? EVE I have spent two hours looking for a ladies room and there ain't one. (looks O.S., eyes widening, with hope) Wait a minute, wait a minute, could it be. . . ? HER POV: Across the room is a large self'-contained box-like structure, glass-windowed, octagonal and shining. It just might be some kind of Kryptonian john. NEW ANGLE: She rushes to it, flings open the heavy iron door. CUT TO 350INT. MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING MACHINE 'Tisn't a crappar. It's some kind of machine, with a set of platforms inside it, various crystals arranged in a panel-bank, and Luthor in there looking around. EVE (disappointed) Well, if it is one, these Krypton characters are even more different than I thought. LUTHOR Fascinating. EVE What is it? She walks to the bank of crystals. One of them glows reddish. Beside it, various labeled panels read: "Machine Activated: First Stage," "Full Power," and "Terminated." CONTINUED 350CONTINUED LUTHOR (his back to her, examining some gizmo) Seems to be some sort of molecular restructuring device. EVE (touches the crystals) This one is pretty. She refers to a red one, which she fingers. Accidentally, she knocks it loose and it drops to the floor. ON LUTHOR -- turning to see what happened. LUTHOR Can't we have a little respect for scientific paraphernalia, Miss Butterfingers? (sternly) Put it back where it came from! He turns back to his study of the control panel, muttering: LUTHOR Klutz . . . ON EVE - she starts to put it back, darts a quick look at Lex, sees he isn't looking. Quickly, she drops the crystal down the front of her blouse, into her cleavage. Then, innocently: EVE I just thought it was pretty. LUTHOR (disparagingly) Pretty. No, the question is, how can we have a silicone connector attached to a cadmium bi-valve oscillator, when theoretically that wouldn't work. That is the question. EVE That's your question, Lex. Mine is more basic. Both turn and leave the enclosure. FOLLOW THEM OUT. CUT TO 351INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE As they exit the machine, we SEE in passing that control buttons to activate it are on a panel on the outside of the box. LONG SHOT -- As Luthor walks to the central area where Jor-El materializes on memory crystals. As he walks, he flings up his arms in cranky petulance : LUTHOR It's boring here. Everything white. Why doesn't the man put up a couple of prints? Bullfight posters or something? ON ALBERT, poking around the control console. ALBERT All these buttons . . . He reaches out. LUTHOR (O.S.) Albert, don't touch what doesn't belong to you. Too late: Albert pushes a button. WIDE SHOT, LONG: EFFECTS - An entire translucent wall turns opaque (or transparent) REVEALING the arctic landscape outside. Quite spectacular. ALBERT (impressed.) Himmel ! If I could install this in our underground headquarters, we could see -- EVE -- a pile of dirt. Not to mention -- LUTHOR Turn it off, Albert. It's giving me a headache. As Albert does; CUT IN CLOSER as he reaches the "throne" where Superman sits to activate the memory cells and talk to his father. Luthor sits down, trying the chair for size. He squirms, finding the slab hard and uncomfortable. CONTINUED 351CONTINUED LUTHOR (grouchy) Not even a cushion. No wonder they call him The Man of Steel. HIS POV: The playback apparatus has one of the memory cells sticking out of it. A button beside it, which Luthor presses, causes the crystal to eject. ON LUTHOR -- catching it in mid-air, studying the gizmo. LUTHOR Some kind of Krypton cassette player? He looks left to the area where the shelves of memory cells are displayed. (NOTE: Until now, whenever we have seen Superman take one of the memory cells, he has taken it, in order, from the first shelf.) Luthor gets up and walks to the first shelf and takes a handful of the early crystals, goes back to the playback apparatus, sits and pushes one of the crystals into the Playback slot. EFFECTS: Jor-El materializes quite spectacularly. REACTIONS: Luthor, Eve, and Albert scared shitless. JOR-EL (an oldie but goodie tape) Your education is complete, my son. LUTHOR What the -- ! JOR-EL It is time to return to the world you will live in. Remember that though you are superior to men, do not set yourself above them. Use your great gifts -- LUTHOR (recovering) It's his old man! Are you his old man? EVE Ask him where the bathroom is. CONTINUED 351CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR (snapping at her) Why didn't you go before we left? EVE (Plaintively) Two days ago??? JOR-EL -- for the good of mankind. Never allow -- LUTHOR Are you here? JOR-EL -- yourself to be influenced by political or national concerns. Always strive -- LUTHOR (catching on) He's not here! Ahhh, he speaks from the past. Very cute. Very cute. JOR-EL -- to use your powers for the good of -- LUTHOR (heckling) Your kid looks like you. Poor guy. JOR-EL (droning on) -- the people who recognize a higher moral authorit -- LUTHOR No wonder Superman's such a goody-goody. Listen to this guy. With a disgusted grimace, Luthor yanks the cell out, shoves another one in. CONTINUED 351CONTINUED (3) Again (EFFECTS) Jor-El materializes, in HOLOGRAPH. JOR-EL Education Cell lO8. Earth Culture. This is a typical Ode, much loved by the people you will live among, Kal-El. 'Trees,' by Joyce Kilmer. I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree - A tree whose branches wide and strong -- Luthor, to his credit, yanks out the tape out as quickly as he can. LUTHOR Good God! ALBERT (distraught) Wait, please! I love that poem! Luthor leaps from his seat with brisque, impatient gestures, and strides to the shelves of memory crystals. LUTHOR Quiet! Between your brain and your bladder, a man can't hear himself think in here! He puts the crystals back in their slots, takes another, suddenly turns and looks at the second shelf on the other wall. He goes to it. LUTHOR Maybe these are a little more . . . sophisticated. (he takes the vary last one on the shelf, starts back to "throne.") Hipper. More adult. X-rated . Anything as long as it's not -- He puts in the crystal, activates it. 352SPECIAL EFFECTS: Again Jor-El materializes. LUTHOR Man never changes his suit. CONTINUED 352CONTINUED JOR-EL (grim-visaged) My son, the time has come to tell you of the darkest episode in Krypton's history. I hope this is something you never need. to know. LUTHOR That's okay, pops. Lay it on me. JOR-EL That is a good question. LUTHOR (confused) Huh? What question? I didn't ask -- JOR-EL You already know of Krypton's advanced governmental system that enabled all the peoples of our planet to live peacefully and harmoniously. Luthor makes a rude noise. JOR-EL Unfortunately, even on Krypton there have appeared -- once in a great while -- certain antisocial elements. LUTHOR (putting him on, razzing) How shocking! JOR-EL -- deviants whose upbringing or chemical balance had gone awry. What we called 'malcontents' you on Earth call them 'criminals.' LUTHOR My kind of people. JOR-EL Of course, we are not a primitive planet like Earth, and these unhappy souls were always successfully rehabilitated, transformed into proud, productive citizens. CONTINUED 352CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR (outraged) Brainwashing! Police brutality! REACTIONS: Eve and Albert, interested. JOR-EL (very grim) There were, however, four exceptions. Four, and only four, who proved -- (this disturbs him) -- impossible to rehabilitate. As Luthor cheers: LUTHOR Right on! FADE OUT ON THE IMAGE OF JOR-EL; FADE IN ON -- 353INT. JOR-EL'S HOME, THE NURSERY - DAY ON BABY KAL-EL shaking a strange and beautiful Kryptonian crystal rattle as we HEAR: LARA (O.S.) As you see, Kal-El thanks you for your gift . . . PULL BACK TO SEE that Lara is holding the baby and standing beside Jor-El. She attempts a polite smile for whomever she is addressing but both she and. Jor-El are obviously uncomfortable. LARA . . . but he really needs his sleep now. NEW ANGLE: The room, in which we now DISCOVER Non, Ursa, Jak-El, and Zod who is the commanding presence. They do not take Lara's hint, so she starts out, dropping the rattle back in its gift box on a table and carrying the baby past them. Non and Zod take no notice of him; when he is held out politely to Ursa, she instinctively turns away with a grimace of disgust; Jak-El makes a face he thinks will amuse a baby but just makes him cry. As Lara hurries out, Jor-El turns to Zod barely concealing his disgust. CONTINUED 353CONTINUED JOR-EL (stiffly) I am very touched by your interest in my son -- (he sees through him) -- especially at a time when you have such pressing interests of your own. (a bit sardonically) I'm sure you haven't forgotten that you all come up for trial before the Council of Elders tomorrow? ZOD (even stiffer) Actually, no -- JOR-EL (a glance at the gift-wrapped box on the table) I thought not. ZOD (pointedly) Nor has it escaped our attention that the vote to condemn us must be unanimous. (more persuasively) And that you have sometimes been known to disagree with that -- (sneering) -- - august body. URSA (spitting) Old fools! ZOD (a look to her) Let's put it gracefully -- JOR-EL (bluntly) Let's not. You want my vote. CONITNUED 353CONTINUED (2) ZOD (to the others) You see? I told you he was clever. Far too clever for the Council. Clever enough for the 'New Order' my sister and I will establish on Krypton. But no, Jor-El, we do not want you to vote for us. (selling hard; intensely) We want you to join us. You are not appreciated by the Council, but the people admire you. Together we can sway them. (pontificating) And when we are in power, all Kryptonians will serve the state -- JOR-EL Meaning you. ZOD (a little bow) There will be . . . benefits. As rulers, we will live like rulers. (heading off an argument) Yes. yes, I know you are a selfless man. But -- (trump card) But think of your son. Jor-El. He could grow up with . . . pleasures and palaces. Then Jor-El speaks slowly, softly, as if considering -- JOR-EL Yes, General Zod, you have a point there. It's true, I have had. my differences with the Council; they didn't always accept my point of view. As for the way I live -- (a wave around the room) -- I suppose it's simple. It is good enough for me. But you're quite right. What kind of a father would I be if I didn't want my son to have the best? ON THE FOUR: exchanging triumphant looks. It's working! ZOD (quickly) And so he shall. The best of everything -- CONTINUED 353CONTINUED (3) ON JOR-EL JOR-EL (a small smile forming) And the best of company. Who would not want for his child such companions as -- (his anger building as he turns from one to the other, beginning with Jak-El) You who finds it amusing to terrorize children -- (to Ursa) You whose countless men have all suddenly become accident-prone! ( to Non ) You who have beaten and bullied your way through life -- (to Zod, furiously) And you -- a mouth with muscle behind it! The New Order, eh ? Well, you can take your 'New Order' and -- (he picks up the gift box and hurls it at their feet) And take your Trojan horse with you! ON DOORWAY: Lara in the doorway watching, proud but frightened. ON ZOD ZOD (even whiter than usual with anger) Quite a speech. Yours will be the first voice we silence, Jor-El. He makes a summary gesture to the others and suddenly they start out. Zod turns for the last word. ZOD First you. Then your brat! FAVORING JOR-EL: He strides towards Zod, all Kryptonian cool gone, a fist forming. As Zod hastily retreats with his cronies: ZOD It isn't over, Jor-El. (from the safety of the door) Some day you will bow to me. He slams the crystal door. CONTINUED 353CONTINUED (4) ON JOR-EL as Lara runs to his side. As they stand with their arms around each other, looking after the departed villains. FADE OUT FADE IN 354JOR-EL REAPPEARS IN THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE JOR-EL The Council. of course, condemned them to a rehabilitation center. (sorrowfully) But the usual techniques failed. Nothing we could do would change their evil natures. LUTHOR (offended) Lex Luthor! Lex Luthor! What am I ? Chopped liver? JOR-EL (sadly). And so, because of them, I created the Phantom Zone. We had, of course, no death penalty -- LUTHOR First good thing you've said, high-pockets. JOR-EL -- and our one prison could not hold them. The solution, as I studied the problem, was a mathematical equation which I developed and presented to the Council of Elders. The Phantom Zone was constructed in space from this unbreakable, irreversible equation. In it the four were imprisoned. A terrible solution, yes, a cruel solution, but one we were forced to make, Kal-El. There is no mathematical equation that can free them. LUTHOR (pondering) Never? JOR-EL We have, of course, thought long and hard about that question. CONTINUED 354CONTINUED LUTHOR (pleased) Hey! I asked the right question! JOR-EL (a trifle uneasily) No one, not even the scientists or Krypton, can predict all eventualities throughout all eternity. The one danger we have considered is that the Phantom Zone might, just might -- we cannot know -- be cracked by a major nuclear explosion in space. EXTREMELY TIGHT CLOSEUP LEX LUTHOR -- He sits bolt upright, his eyes shining. JOR-EL But our computers show this possibility as .000000002 in one million. Earthlings cannot travel this far in space, nor would they ever have reason to cause such an explosion. So I think we can consider the Phantom Zone secure. LUTHOR (gleeful, singing) 'Gray skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face. . . ' JOR -EL I cannot say I am glad you asked me that. Because we do not know what could be done if they were to escape. (this is painful for him) I do not know. On Krypton, these villains were uncontrollable. On Earth, they would have the same powers as you do. ON LUTHOR: Extreme delight. LUTHOR And he doesn't even know he did it! That's the beauty part! That monogrammed megalomaniac doesn't even know they're on their way here or he'd be looking for them. Only I know! EVE What are we -- deaf, dumb, and blind? CONTINUED 354CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR Dumb, yes. Deaf and blind I can arrange. He rises, in fine fettle. LUTHOR (an imprecation) Fly! Fly like the wind! Fly straight and true to your earthly master! Come to papa, my four friends! ON EVE -- EVE What do we need with friends? We've got you. CUT TO 355EXT. LOOKOUT POINT, NIAGARA FALLS - DAY We are ON a small boy romping rather abandondly near a guardrail of iron bars as we HEAR: MOTHER (O.S.) (impatiently) Freddy! Watch out! As she appears and grabs him none too gently, PULL BACK TO SEE that we are AT the great Horseshoe Falls, in the large area where the public views the falls. The fence of parallel iron bars keeps the people from going over the edge. Every few yards, binocular machines that cost a quarter are set up in concrete bases, pointed at the great cataract. The area is filled with people: families and a lot of newlywed couples holding hands. People are looking, taking photographs with their Instamatics, etc. Not far away is a hot dog stand, doing a brisk business, and beyond that a parking lot filled with cars. CLOSE ON THE FENCE AREA where, amidst the other tourists, Clark and Lois stand, both wearing shiny new wedding rings -- doing their newlywed number. CLARK We should be holding hands. They're all holding hands. POV: Almost every couple around them holds hands as they look at the falls: CONTINUED 355CONTINUED CLOSER ON CLARK AND LOIS LOIS Afraid to let go, probably. When they let go, they head for Reno. CLARK Lois. I get the feeling all this -- being here, newlyweds and all -- is somehow. . . (cautiously venturing this) . . . threatening to you. FAVORING LOIS -- This remark hits her where she lives, but she immediately throws up her usual what-the-hell defense. LOIS (mock Viennese accent) Zank you very much. Herr Doktor Freud. CLARK Okay. Hide from your feelings. MOVE IN TO CLOSEUP CLARK who looks rather wistful. CLARK But I'd rather be like them. He stands looking at the honeymooners, when suddenly little PREDDY runs INTO FRAME, darting between and around Clark and Lois -- one of those kids who just can't keep still. This time it is his FATHER'S turn to retrieve Freddy and pull him back into the family group (some uncles, aunts, grandma and the Mother). The Father wears a gray suit similar to the one Clark wears. As he hauls the kid away: FATHER (annoyed) Freddy, didn't your mother tell you -- LOIS (a bit uptight from the conversation) I'm hungry. CLARK You're an amazing person. CONTINUED 355CONTINUED (2) LOIS Aw, c'mon -- anybody can get hungry. CLARK No, I mean here you stand with one of nature's most awesome spectacles and the whole time you've had your back to it. Aren't you impressed? LOIS Once you've seen Superman in action, Niagara Falls tends to leave you cold. CLARK (scowling) Him again. LOIS Sorry, Clark. I guess I a have a one-track mind. And right now it's saying, 'Feed me.' Clark looks in the direction of the parking lot. CLARK Well, we passed a hot dog place back there. Will that do? LOIS Around here that's a gourmet treat. I don't know how you felt about Cupid's Special Aphrodisiac French Toast Smothered in Venus and Adonis Syrup and St. Valentine's Heart-Melting Oleomargarine, but I passed. CLARK (with a grin) Two hot dogs, comin' up. He turns and goes. ON FREDDY, now swinging very dangerously between 2 parallel iron bars of the guardrail. All this is for someone's benefit as he calls out: PREDDY (big impish grin) Hey, betcha can't do this! CONTINUED 355CONTINUED (3) Suddenly, he loses his footing and almost goes over. His mother screams. But: A gray-sleeved arm shoots INITO FRAME , pulling him to safety. PAN UP the arm. TO REVEAL that it's not papa but Clark. CLARK Hey, Tarzan, this isn't the Jungle. Mother now grabs Freddy away rather as if Clark were about to molest him. TWO SHOT -- MOTHER AND FREDDY MOTHER (a hiss to Freddy) Freddy, didn't I tell you never to talk to strange men? And with that, she deals him a resounding smack. As the kid howls, PAN TO LOIS watching all this about 10 feet away. She shakes her head. LOIS Right, kid. Don't get hurt. Let Mama hurt you. 356EXT. HOT DOG STAND, NIAGARA FALL.S - DAY Clark approaches the stand and, with a little sigh, gets on the end of a very long line. As he waits patiently, bored: CUT TO 357EXT. LOOKOUT POINT, NIAGARA FALLS - DAY TWO SHOT -- Freddy again, dangling through the bars, doing bits for the benefit of Lois who watches him with dismay. She is unwilling to alert Mama, who will only wallop him again, but very nervous about the show she is getting. A high kick or two and a quick smile, and then Freddy's hand slips. As his grin changes to terror and he plummets down the Falls, we HEAR O.S. the Mother's piercing scream, terrified. He tumbles, arms splayed out, clutching at air, and now there are other SCREAMS, pandemonium above, O.S. FOLLOW the fall. 358NEW ANGLE Suddenly a blue streak zooms out of the sky. It's Superman, swooping up the kid just before he hits the rapids. 358ON LOIS: watching, thrilled. LOIS (cheering) Attaboy, Superman! CROSSCUT: Niagara visitors clicking Instamatics and Polaroids, recording the SCENE; customers rushing from the hot dog stand in droves, deserting it to see the action; folks crowding the binocular machines, focusing them to catch. 360SUPERMAN, who is now flying up with the kid. 361Cheers and applause as Freddy is deposited before hysterical mother. TWO SHOT: ON Superman as he delivers the child, safe and sound, to Mother. FREDDY (he loved it) Again! Again! SUPERMAN (with a wink) Sorry, only one ride to a customer. And off he soars to the click of cameras and more cheers. 362And off he flies, up, up, and away to the click of more cameras, more cheering. 363ON LOIS -- waving frantically to attract his attention. LOIS Hey, wait! Superman, it's me. It's Lo-- Too late. He's gone. As Lois stands there dejectedly. MOTHER (O.S.) Now you're gonna get it! SOUND: A loud SMACK. NEXT SOUND: A HOWLING CHILD. Lois pays it little attention. Her mind more and more putting two and two together. CONTINUED 363CONTINUED LOIS (miffed) Well! Hello and goodbye. What's his hurry? I mean, since he happens to be in Niagara Falls -- (that strikes her) Just happens to be here? Isn't that funny, Clark? (suddenly) Clark . . . (considering) And Clark isn't here . . . (the light dawns) . . . as usual. CUT TO 364EXT. BEHIND HOT DOG STAND, NIAGARA FALLS - DAY Now a deserted area, everyone having hurried off to see the action. Superman lands. FOLLOW him as he moves towards the hot dog stand, (EFFECTS) transforming into Clark Kent, complete with gray suit, glasses. He is all alone with a tray of hot dogs, a tray of them, and finally -- with a little shrug -- he picks up two of them and starts back to the viewing area. He gets about four feet away and then the honest afterthought -- he steps back to the counter, fishes in his pocket, and leaves a dollar laying there. CUT TO 365EXT. LOOKOUT POINT, NIAGARA FALLS - DAY ON LOIS, the crowd behind and around her dispersing with some still excited murmuring. But she is intent only on her own conversation. LOIS Where were you? CLARK (passes her a hot dog; then defensively) I was getting hot dogs. What do you mean? CONTINUED 365CONTINUED LOIS (not giving an inch) I mean it strikes me funny that every time Superman comes around, you disappear. CLARK (trying for casual) Superman? Was he here? LOIS And you weren't as usual. What do you say to that? CLARK You've got mustard there, on the corner of your -- Lois wipes it off. She won't be talked out of this now. BEGIN TO TRACK WITH them as they walk away from Lookout Point and along the path that runs alongside the churning, rapid-ridden Niagara River. LOIS I never started to put it together before, Clark. And that's funny because a good reporter isn't supposed to let anything slip by her. But I get it now. I'm beginning to. Clark looking more and more nervous the closer she gets to it. CLARK (trying to fake her out) Lois, I don't have, as usual, the vaguest idea what -- LOIS C'mon, don't fake me out, Clark. (pause) Or whoever you are. CLARK Whoever, I (acting annoyed) Look, why don't you just take a walk and clear your head and I'II meet you back at the motel. In a huff, he turns and starts to walk away. 366NEW ANGLE -- Clark, in f.g., coming TOWARD CAMERA. Lois is behind him. She watches him walk a few steps and then drops the bombshell. LOIS (very quietly) You're Superman, aren't you? We can SEE his reaction, but she can't. Then he turns to her. NEW ANGLE - MED TWO SHOT CLARK (playing "incredulous") I'm . . . what??? LOIS Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair . . . Listen, I've got to give you credit. Your disguise is nearly perfect. I mean, if you fooled me, and I am nobody's fool -- CLARK (tense) I'd better phone Perry. There must be a reporters' home for the mentally ill somewhere. LOIS (she won't be swayed) Go ahead. Cop out. Run away. She turns and walks out onto the little bridge that crosses the churning rapids. Clark follows her looking quite anxious. CUT TO: 367EXT. BRIDGE - DAY CLARK Lois, I'm not running -- LOIS Okay, okay. (adamant; she comes to a halt in the middle of the bridge) I'll tell you what. You say I'm wrong. And I say I'm right. Impasse. So I'll make a little bet on it? CONTINUED 367CONTINUED CLARK How do you expect to win a silly -- TIGHT CLOSEUP LOIS -- She couldn't be more serious. LOIS Because of what I'm betting. (pause) My life. CLARK What? NEW ANGLE, FAVORING LOIS LOIS You heard me. I'm so sure you're Superman, I'm going to stake my life on it. If I'm right, you'll turn into Superman -- you must tell me how you do that someday. is it under your suit --? And if I'm wrong -- (shrugs) -- well, then you'll have one hell of a story. CLARK (laughing it off) You've got some imagination, Lois. For one brief moment there, you practically had me convinced. He starts to walk off the bridge. She doesn't budge. CLARK I say 'practically' though, because no one is gullible enough to -- ON LOIS -- A very strange grin on her determined face. LOIS (almost singing it) Bye- bye, baby. And with that, she calmly climbs over the bridge rail and before the disbelieving eyes of Clark Kent, jumps into the raging Niagara river. 368WIDE SHOT, ANGLE DOWN: Staying afloat in these rapids is much more difficult than Lois imagined. She is struggling. At the opposite side, pushed against the bank, is a large log and tree branch from a fallen tree that has been wedged against the shore. CLOSEUP CLARK CLARK Lois! ON LOIS -- in the water; panicked. LOIS Help! Superman! ON CLARK -- in a quandary. CLARK Now what do I do? He darts his eyes to: POV: The log in the water. 370CLOSEUP CLARK -- He sucks in air in a mighty inhale of super-breath. 371ON THE RIVER: EFFECTS -- The super-breath pulls the log from free from its mooring and takes it right to where Lois struggles. CLARK (O.S.) Lois! Grab hold! Grab the log! Struggling against the strong current, she manages to get hold the branch. 372ON CLARK: Huffs and then puffs a mighty exhale of Super-Breath. 373EFFECTS: ( ON THE RIVER) the gust of air sends the log with Lois holding onto it shooting across the river like a rocket, right up to the bank and dry land. 374NEW ANGLE -- As Clark comes running off the bridge clambers down the side of the bank to help pull her to safety, a wet and bedraggled and frightened and miserable Lois manages to scamper to safety. CLARK (pulling her up) Here, grab hold . . . take it easy, I've got you. CONTINUED 374CONTINUED He pulls her up to dry land, back in the path. Lois looks as described above, all of which, on her makes her look very appealing and sexy. CLARK Are you all tight? LOIS (stunned) He . . . didn't . . . come . . . CLARK I told you it was a stupid thing to -- LOIS (can't get over it) He didn't come. He was here. Just before. he could have saved me. CLARK Are you convinced? LOIS (still lost in thought) What? (realizing) Oh, that you're not Superman! (with a shake of her head) Temporary insanity on my part, Clark. (angry) That self-centered, no good -- CLARK (pacifying her) You took a ridiculous chance. He's probably a long way from here by now. LOIS Good riddance. (suddenly conscious of her appearance) I've got to get out of these wet clothes. Oh, look at my hair! CONTINUED 374CONTINUED (2) CLARK We'd better drive back to the motel. (he puts an arm around her) C'mon, you'll catch your death. Holding her to him, they begin walking toward the lot. TRACK JUST AHEAD OF them, in MEDIUM CLOSEUP TWO SHOT. LOIS You're getting soaked. CLARK That's okay, I don't want you to catch a chill. She looks up at him gratefully. LOIS I'm glad you're not Superman. CLARK (a smile) You are ? LOIS (very little-girlish under his manly shoulder) I'm glad you're Clark Kent. All of a sudden Clark Kent is looking pretty good to me. A he hugs her tighter to him, CAMERA STOPS TRACKING and TURNS 90 DEGREES TO WATCH them walk away, growing smaller the further they get FROM CAMERA. CUT TO 375EXT . FROZEN NORTH , JUST OUTSIDE THE FORTRESS - DAY CLOSEUP LEX LUTHOR LUTHOR (triumphant) Yes! Yes! There it is! Unmistakable! CONTINUED 375CONTINUED PULL BACK TO SEE them on the Snowmobile, as Luthor aims his black box at the sky. LUTHOR (watches the dial) Kryptonian Alpha Waves! Ol' Betsy found me Superman's pad, and Ol' Betsy's going to find me the Freshmen of the Apocalypse! INSERT: THE BLACK BOX TICKING AND BEEPING as he points it skyward. EVE What do you need them for? LUTHOR Dummy! Anything he can do, they can do better! They can give me the world! EVE What do you want with the world? You don't even like the world. LUTHOR The world, Miss Teschmacher, is a lot of real estate. EVE Land, land, always land . . . LUTHOR -- Which they'll develop for me! As soon as they get rid of Superman and we take over, I'll put them to work. (seeing it in his mind's eye; wild with enthusiasm) A super construction crew! No, a destruction crew! Leveling forests! Creating coastlines! They can move mountains! Think of it, Albert! The things you can build! Monuments to me! Hotels! Ski resorts! 'Luthorland!' ALBERT (caught up in the spirit, rhapsodically) A sports-palace . . . CONTINUED 375CONTINUED LUTHOR And who do we have to thank for it? (deliciously) Superman! For setting them free! Doncha love it? (fondly) Ah, Lex Luthor, you're one helluva fella. Even when you lose, you win. CUT TO 376INT. BEDROOM, HONEYMOON SUITE, NIAGARA FALLS MOTEL - DAY The bedroom is just as kitschy and over-decorated as you would expect. Heart-shaped bed, etc. Lois Lane, wearing a bathrobe and with a towel knotted turban-style around her head (having Just washed her hair) is seated at a dressing table, staring morosely at her reflection in the mirror. On the right side of the dressing table rests a curling iron, (plastic handle, metal "blades"), plugged into a wall socket. As SCENE BEGINS, Lois takes the towel off her head and shakes her damp hair. Now she looks like a shaggy dog. She looks in the mirror again. LOIS Ugh. SOUND: A KNOCK at the DOOR that connects the bedroom to the rest of the suite. LOIS Yes? CLARK (O.S.) Can I come in? She starts to grab for the towel to cover her hair again, then figures why bother. LOIS Oh, what the hell -- yes, sure, c'mon in, Clark. CONTINUED 376CONTINUED Clark enters. He's feeling very happy about the turn of events and the romantic encouragement Lois has at last given him. He smiles at her affectionately. LOIS I know. I look like something the cat dragged in. CLARK You look cute. LOIS Well, I am cute, but not like this. (smiles warmly at him) Thanks, anyway. It's nice to know there are still some gentlemen left. ON LOIS -- She takes the curling iron by its handle and flicks a drop of water from a nearby bowl on the end to see if it is hot yet. INSERT: It sizzles, evaporates. ON CLARK -- watching her, enjoying the moment. CLARK I'm starting to really feel like a newlywed. LOIS (little grin) I guess the next thing is I watch you shaving in the morning. CLARK I guess I'd like that. LOIS Oh, come on, I bet there've been plenty or girls who . . . (begins to think about it) . . . well, a few anyway, who . . . As she turns to look at him questioningly with the realisation that he may actually be a virgin, Clark quickly changes the subject. CLARK Anyway, as soon as you're ready, we can look into that Honeymooners Miniature Golf Tournament . CONTINUED 376CONTINUED FAVORING LOIS, MED. SHOT, CLARK IN B.G. She puts the hair curling iron down on the dressing table and crosses to the dresser. LOIS ( scanning the top of the dresser) Bobby pins, bobby pins -- I know they're here somewhere. ON CLARK: He looks at the dresser. 377EFFECTS: X-Ray Vision effect in his eyes. POV: The bobby pins are in the top drawer, under a scarf. 378ON CLARK -- who, of course, says nothing about it. CLARK Maybe you left them in your purse. ON LOIS LOIS At least I had the presence of mind not to jump in with my purse. (still hunting) God, what a maniac I must have looked like to you. I'm really embarrassed about this, Clark. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mention -- NEW ANGLE: Opening the drawer, she finds the bobby pins, puts a few in her hair, then pulls out another section or hair to be curled. CLARK Of course not. LOIS Thinking that you were him, when all the time I didn't take the time to appreciate you for yourself -- (holds a hand out) Hand me that curling iron, would you? ON CLARK -- who has been absorbed in what Lois was saying. He reaches out automatically to the dressing table. 379IN A SERIES OF FAST CUTS : A) INSERT: He grabs it by the wrong end -- the hot, metal tongs. B) LOIS -- as he does so: LOIS Be careful! That's h -- She never even finishes the sentence, as her eyes widen in astonishment. C) CLARK -- Holding it in his hand. It is clear he feels no pain. D) CLOSEUP LOIS -- Her jaw drops as she stares in wonder. E) ON CLARK -- a terrible expression on his face. He realises that he has inadvertently blown his cover after all that trouble he's taken till now. Foolishly he keeps holding the hot curling iron. Then he slowly puts it doom. F) LOIS -- She walks slowly over to him and takes his hand, turns it over, looks into the palm. G) INSERT: His hand. It is completely unmarked by a burn. LOIS (pure wonderment) It's true. It's true. CLARK Lois, I . . . LOIS I was right. You are Superman. CLARK (turning away abruptly) You're just being ridicu -- But he can't finish the sentence, as he turns his back on her in anguish and frustration. Lois, a bit hesitantly, goes over to him, gently touches his back. LOIS I'm . . . sorry? Clark turns back to her, looking very serious, very upset. CONTINUED 379CONTINUED CLARK You don't have anything to be sorry about. (in despair) How could I? LOIS Maybe you wanted to. Subconsciously. CLARK Do you think so? LOIS (gently) If not in the depths or your mind, maybe deep in your heart. 380MOVE IN CLOSER to them. CLARK (soberly) We'd better talk. LOIS I'm in love with you. You know that already. How do you feel? CLARK We'd better talk. LOIS I'm listening. CLARK Not here. Perry'll be calling at six to find out what's happening. LOIS (a tender smile) What's happening. That's the understatement of the year. Well . . . where do you want to. . . talk? CLARK Now that you know me, I guess it doesn't matter. You ought to know it all. CONTINUED 380CONTINUED Lois comes very close to him. LOIS I want to. Whatever it is. CLARK I want you to. Funny, I never let myself feel like this before. LOIS Must have been tough. CLARK (emotion starting to rise within him) Yeah. Tough. LOIS Well . . .? CLARK Let's go to my place. LOIS Your place? She looks down at herself in her bathrobe; a small warm smile beginning. LOIS Maybe I should change. (pause) Maybe you should, too. Clark begins to Smile same smile, as they look into each other's eyes, for the first time acknowledging and enjoying their love and conspiracy. MOVE IN VERY TIGHT on them and: CUT TO 381EXT. SKY - DAY LONG SHOT -- Superman flying through blue sky, Lois Lane cradled in his arms. The SHOT has a magical, fairytale quality to it; it is every girl's dream come true. To be swept off your feet by a knight in shining armor is one thing; to be swept off your feet and into the clouds by a knight in a Classic cape is quite another. CONTINUED 381CONTINUED CLOSER ON THEM AS THEY FLY -- She is a bit scared, holding him tight around the neck, but she wouldn't miss a second of it. SUPERMAN (parodying a pilot) If you care to take a look left, you'll notice we are passing over Nome, Alaska. Lois looks down briefly, then looks quickly up at him again, wide-eyed, breathless, speechless, capable only of a small exultant laugh as she tightens her arms around his neck. CUT TO 382EXT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY FULL SHOT: Superman and Lois land at the door of the fortress. He sets her gently down on her feet. CLOSER -- Superman walks to the door and pushes it open. He then touches the "empty doorway" (the invisible force field) with his bare hand. EFFECTS: It glows and then fades just as it did for Luthor's neutralizer. All this happens quickly. Superman steps through it, turns, to see Lois still standing outside, dazzled by everything. SUPERMAN (holds his arms open to her) You must be freezing. LOIS (softly) I must be. But I'm not. (looking around) Your home. This is your home. SUPERMAN Well, a fortress is not a home. (he takes her hand, leads her inside) Not till now. The door closes behind them. CUT TO 383INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY CAMERA BEHIND THEM as they stand gazing at the enormous room. He slips an arm around her shoulder. SUPERMAN No one else has ever been here before. She slips an arm around his waist, grins up at him. LOIS Not even a cleaning woman on Thursdays? NEW ANGLE -- Lois turns, looking away from him for the first time and takes in the various aspects of the incredible room. LOIS What a photo-story this would make for Sunday maga -- Superman pulls her back to him. SUPERMAN (warningly) Lois! She turns into his arms, ending with her face pressed to his chest. MOVE IN TIGHT as he raises her face to him , looks into her eyes. Suddenly, in a rush of emotion, they kiss. It is their first kiss, and it is so good that most of the audience would settle for one like that in their lives. SUPERMAN (softly) Lois . . . With one hand he strokes her hair as if it were the only wonder of the universe he hadn't seen. SUPERMAN (lightly) So you want to see the place? LOIS (picking up the light tone) As another lady once said, whither thou goest . . . CONTINUED 383CONTINUED He moves ahead of her, leading the way, and she tentatively reaches out and lightly caresses his back, putting her hand under the cape. He stops, having felt this for just one beat, and his hand goes back to catch her, tightly and draws her alongside him. They are very much in love. LOIS (looking up at him very earnestly) All my life, all I ever cared about was -- (gestures off) -- out there. And being snappy about it. Well -- (deep breath) -- I'm not very snappy tonight. (she leans her cheek against his arm) And. I don't think there's anything out there. PAN THEM, WIDENING, as they walk to kitchen area in the far recesses of the Fortress. CUT TO 384INT. KITCHEN AREA, FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY SUPERMAN It's not bad, huh? LOIS (looking around this bleak room) Could use a woman's touch. Especially around dinner time. SUPERMAN Dinner. Oh, yes. (a little embarrassed) I don't usually do much about -- He touches his hand to the food storage unit. The door opens, revealing meager contents: eggs, cheese, milk. CONTINUED 384CONTINUED ON LOIS -- studying the food in there. SUPERMAN I mean, there's a few things -- LOIS (brightening) There's a souffl‚, is what there is. SUPERMAN (just delighted) A souffl‚! In my kitchen! He touches her neck as she bends to remove the rood from the storage unit. SUPERMAN She cooks too! Hidden talents. LOIS (a touch daring) And just wait till after dinner. (quickly) Now what do I need? (looks around the room) Flowers! SUPERMAN In the souffl‚? LOIS (laughs) On the table, silly. Maybe I shouldn't call you 'silly.' SUPERMAN (lovingly) You can call me anything. (venturing a joke) As long as you don't call me late for dinner. (pleased with himself) Flowers, hmmm? CONTINUED 384CONTINUED (2) LOIS Well, they brighten a room, make it warm. Cozy. Even a few daisies would do wonders for this place. Superman turns, surveys his fabulous Fortress, finding it for the first time rather. . . uncozy. Suddenly, swiftly, he turns and starts out of the room. SUPERMAN I'll be right back. CUT TO 385EXT. SOUTH AFRICAN JUNGLE - DAY FULL SHOT : A lush, beautiful jungle in South America, filled with incredible wild orchids and other exotic flowers growing in profusion. Superman lands in the midst of this and quickly snatches up an armful or the most beautiful for a bouquet. Having done so, he stops a moment, then suddenly smiles, having thought of another idea. CUT TO 386EXT. SKY ABOVE PARIS (EIFFEL TOWER) - DAY LONG SHOT: Superman, carrying his bouquet, flies past the Eiffel Tower in Paris, now carrying a bottle of champagne as well. CUT TO 387EXT. STREET. PISA - ITALY ON THE CORRUGATED AWNING OF A SOUVENIR STAND as two hands tool it up. As the interior is revealed, we SEE the contents of its shelves: rows and rows of cheap plastic souvenir Leaning Towers of Pisa, all leaning identically; rows and row's of picture postcards with the same view. PULL BACK and WIDEN TO REVEAL the Italian Shopkeeper admiring his stock as he gets ready for the day's tourists. CONTINUE TO WIDEN: Now we SEE in the distant b.g. the real Leaning Tower of Pisa, tilted at the same familiar angle as all these plastic replicas. As the man hums happily, ZOOM PAST him TO an approaching blue dot in the sky. Continue to HEAR the MAN SINGING O Sole Mio. CUT TO 388EXT. SKY ABOVE PISA - DAY Superman is humming O Sole Mio as well -- flying blithely, love-struck through the sky, looking for gifts for Lois. But now he notices something that disturbs him. SUPERMAN What the -- my God! That thing's going to hurt somebody. He abruptly changes course and starts a rapid descent. SUPERMAN Must have been a minor earthquake or something. 389NEW ANGLE, WIDE, FULL SHOT: Approaching the top of the Leaning Tower, Superman cradles his presents in one arm and extending the other fully braces himself in mid-air and starts to push it upright. SUPERMAN Here you go big fella. . . CUT TO 390EXT. SOUVENIR STAND PISA - DAY As in the opening SHOT: The shelves of the stand right, the owner standing there dusting them, the real Leaning Tower in b. g. But now, as he stops his dusting to take an automatic look at the source of his success, a remarkable thing is happening. Slowly, inch by inch, Superman pushes it into an upright position. The Leaning Tower of Pisa isn't leaning anymore; it's just another tower. 391The Italian entrepreneur looks, goes back to his work, then does an incredible double take. SOUVENIR SELLER Mama Mia!!! He clutches his heart melodramatically, looks up. 392POV: Superman flies over and waves down cheerily. SUPERMAN Don't worry! It's fine now! 393ONTHE SOUVENIR SELLER: Hysterical, smashing his wares off the shelf, making vile and obscene gestures at the retreating figure of Superman: SOUVENIR SELLER Super-cretino! Stronzo! CUT TO 394INT. KITCHEN AREA, FORTRESS 0F SOLITUDE - DAY A shy Superman presents his flowers and Champaign to a beaming Lois. LOIS This is so incredible I hesitate to ask a mundane question. But -- where's the stove? SUPERMAN (blankly) Stove? Who needs a stove? LOIS Well I expected a lot of. . . new experiences tonight, but I wasn't ready for -- (gestures to it) -- raw souffl‚. SUPERMAN Oh, that's no problem. The souffl‚ in its dish sits on a table. Superman turns to it. 395EFFECTS: Heat vision radiates from his eyes, beamed at the souffl‚. It rises almost instantly, perfectly. 396ON LOIS -- watching in amazement. 397ON THE SOUFFLE -- It gets higher and higher . 398NEW ANGLE LOIS Stop! (as he does so) Never overcook a souffl‚. You'll learn. CONTINUED 398CONTINUED Grinning at her, Superman takes the champagne bottle and merely touches the cork with one finger. It flies out with a mighty POP, bubbly spilling over in classic style. LOIS (a sigh of happiness) It's so nice to have a man around the Fortress. They walk out of kitchen area to dining area, she bearing the food, he the drink. CUT TO 399EXT. DESOLATE PLAINS OF THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK - DAY (But at this point, we don't know it is Australia. From the bleak, arid, deserted look of it, it might be the surface of another moon-like planet.) WIDE SHOT of this desolate patch of land, which is really just a large rock outcropping scattered with small pebbles. ANGLE DOWN as suddenly, a booted foot comes INTO FRAME, kicking at a pebble. PAN UP: It is Ursa, looking very discontent. URSA Let's get out of here. WIDE SHOT -- The four in this barren region, against an empty sky. Zod sits on a boulder, taking a soldier's rest. Non stands in place, twisting slightly, Psychotically, making small restless noises. Jak-El and Ursa pace aimlessly, kicking rocks. JAK-EL She's right. This planet is not a lot of laughs. URSA No me. Nothing to . . . play with. Non's Neanderthal growling is getting louder and more disquiet. JAK-EL Even he's getting bored. He kicks at something that makes a different Sound than a rock. He bends, picks it up. ON IT: An empty Foster's beer can. But this means nothing to them -- it might be another kind of rock. He tosses it away. JAK-EL Funny kind of rock. CONTINUED 399CONTINUED FOLLOW THE BEER CAN: It rolls to the edge of what we now realize for the first time is a plateau. As it drops off the cliff, WIDEN AND PULL BACK TO REVEAL the setting and an equally uninviting valley below. ON THE FOUR: ZOD Enough! There is nothing here for us. This planet is not capable of supporting life forms. The others rise as well and move in a line to the edge of the rocky plateau, ready to fly off. But as they, so to speak, begin to rev up their motors, a kangaroo comes hopping across their line of vision in f. g., about fifty feet in front of them. With a happy roar, Non bounds toward it and decks it with one blow. As he lets out a triumphant howl: URSA Nice for him. What do I do? ZOD (sharply; suddenly) Quiet! Listen! SOUND: The distant SOUND of a CAR MOTOR and an automobile HORN. As they cock their ears in their discovery of Super-Hearing, BEGIN TO ZOOM PAST them TO mountain in b.g. where we can just MAKE OUT a shimmering automobile shape, moving along steadily. CUT TO 400INT. POLICE CAR - DAY (NOTE: From here on, actors proficient in Australian regional dialect should feel free to alter the dialogue a bit. But not much.) Seated in the front seat of the car are TWO TERRITORIAL POLICE, men in their 30's and in local cop uniform. They are BILLY and BARRY. BILLY (talking on hand mike to radio contact) Did they bring them two Aborigines in yet? CONTINUED 400CONTINUED The RADIO VOICE is that of radio operator MAY. MAY (RADIO VOICE) Drunk as a pair of wall-eyed wallabies. And Joe Harris says says he ain't gonna waste good gasoline towin' in what's left of that pick-up truck of theirs. BILLY Well, it only gets this bad once a year, May. MAY (RADIO VOICE) (griping good naturedly) Whoever said Wamago had to have the territorial sheep-shearing contest every year ought to be shot. BARRY (mischievously) Why, May, wasn't it your grandpa thought that up? MAY (RADIO VOICE) (after a pause) So it was. . . and he was shot, come to think of it. BILLY (chuckling) lO-4. Clicks off, hangs up mike. BARRY Don't see why the Territorial Patrol can't see fit to send us extra help for this thing. How do they expect two lone peace officers to handle that bunch of beer- soaked sheep herders? BILLY Well, if it gets hairy like last year, we'll Just give a holler and they'll send a few troopers in to help. CONTINUED 400CONTINUED BARRY Help drink up the beer, you mean. I swear, Billy, why is it 364 days a year you never see mor'n ten new faces in Wamago and come the Sheep Shearin' Tournament, every weirdo that can chop wool comes out from under a rock or somethin'. MAY (RADIO VOIC~) Billy? Your wife called in. Wants to know should she hold your dinner. BILLY (taking mike up) Tell her that's more'n I been able to do since I married her. The two men laugh. MAY She'll be glad of that. BILLY (clicking off) 10-4 BARRY I mean, it used to be a man knew every face in these parts for -- Suddenly his eyes widen in astonishment at what he sees through windshield. BARRY Holy! 401POV: On the horizon, coming down the road, the Four Villains. They look truly bizarre as always, in their outfits with the additions of astronaut accoutrements, not to mention Ursa's mask and Jak-El's boots, etc. 402ON THE COPS BILLY Some out-of-town entries, looks like. Good Lord, they're wores'n hippies! This is a wool-gatherin' not a costume ball. BARRY They must've run out of gas. BILLY Or whiskey. Whichever went first. CUT TO 403EXT. ROAD - DAY LONG, WIDE: On far left, the Four blocking the road, on far right, the police car coming toward them. The red light goes on; the HORN starts to BLOW impatiently. The Four, ranging across the roadway like the Apaches in a John Ford western, stand put. CUT TO 404INT . POLICE CAR - DAY BARRY Just look at 'em. No respect for law and order. BILLY (philosophically) Well, it was condemned criminals started this country, Barry, so I guess we can't say the neighborhood's deterioraitin'. (leans on his horn) What're they, deaf or somethin'? CUT TO 405EXT. ROAD - DAY ZOD How crude are these vehicles. CONTINUED 405CONTINUED JAK-EL But there's a surprise in the package. Men. URSA Men. . . ZOD I like this globe that flashes red like our Krypton sun. But not this irritating noise. CLOSER IN as the car, moving slowly, approaches, HORN BLARING. ZOD (stridently) Make way! CUT TO 406INT. CAR - DAY BARRY Did you hear what that Joker said? Godamnit -- He brakes the car to a sudden stop. CUT TO 407EXT. ROAD - DAY The Four surround the car, looking at it curiously. The door opens and Barry, angry, gets out. BARRY Now look here, you besotted bunch of -- Non, fascinated by the whirling red dome light, comes closer, to examine it. BARRY Jesus! How long's he been in the Outback? Since the Stone Age? CONTINUED 407CONTINUED Non stares wonderingly, bemused at the light. Suddenly, with an animal-like gesture, he reaches for it and wenches it off the roof. He stares at it, making odd noises, and then, as if it were the natural thing to do, puts it on his head like a crown. Billy gets out of the car, pissed- off. BILLY What the hell do you think you're doin'! You can't -- Non growls ominously at him. Billy shrinks back. BILLY (clearly unsettled) I'm callin' for help, Barry. He starts to get back in the car, but General Zod stops him, grabbing him by his shirt front. ZOD (interested in Billy's badge) What is this symbol? Do you follow another leader? With that, he yanks off the police badge, pins it on himself. BARRY (going for his gun) Okay, buddy, you all Just bought yourselves sixty days in the -- As both cops pull out their guns: ZOD A weapon of some sort? BILLY (brave, but shaking) This gun has your name on it! 408FAVORING JAK-EL: SPECIAL EFFECTS. He turns on his HEAT-VISION. The ray melts the two gun barrels like so much rubber. 409As the cops stare incredulously at the gun in their hands: JAK-EL Slowest shot in the west. ON THE COPS -- Amazed and frightened out of their wits. BARRY God! ZOD (correcting him) Zod. BILLY (anxious to get away) Now look, boys -- and, uh, ma'am. . . we're not lookin' to make trouble. . . I know how it is when you've had a few too many (stares uncomprehendingly) -- how in hell did he do that?? Jak-El, with elaborate charm and niceness, opens the car door. JAK-EL Don't let us detain you, sirs. We just wanted. to make your acquaintance. New in town and all that. You can go now. BARRY But -- BILLY Don't argue. Barry, let's just get outta here. They get in their car. Jak-El, with a bow, shuts the door. As the others stand watching, Billy starts the motor. Jak-El leans in the front window, seeming to be interested. IN CLOSE. JAK-EL Very primitive. How does it work? BILLY . . . Internal combustion. . . sir. JAK-EL (brightening) Ah! Internal combustion! And with that he lifts one side of the car off the ground and heaves it. 410LONG SHOT. The car goes off the cliff on the side of the road, tumbling over and over, smashing against outcrops of rock, finally stopping in a smashed heap at the bottom, upside down. A moment later it EXPLODES in a roar of fire. JAK-EL (O.S.) He must have meant external combustion! 411EXT. MAIN STREET - AUSTRALIAN VILLAGE - DAY On a crudely-lettered, hand-painted sign: "WELCOME TO WAMAGO." PULL BACK TO REVEAL that this is a banner hung over a doorway. AS PULL BACK CONTINUES a man comes racing through the doorway, half-flung, and lands in the dirt road before it. Now a WOMAN strides through the doorway, her large hands on her large hips. WOMAN (shouting) And stay out! But, a good.-natured sort, she shakes her head, laughing as the man runs off. WOMAN Shame on you. Harry Hargitay! CONTINUE SLOW PULL BACK, WIDENING TO REVEAL that she stands in the doorway of Tim's Saloon. Aproned, blowsy, big and blonde, she is the barmaid who takes no nonsense from the local toughs. Her strength and womanliness serve a double purpose: she is the local midwife. This is RITA. CONTINUE PULL BACK until the entire "MAIN STREET" is REVEALED. Tim's Saloon, an old general store, a little garage-machine repair shop and a tiny post office with a tall radio aerial on its roof all front on the dusty square of this remote outpost. Another banner is stretched over the post office: "WAMAGO ANNUAL SHEEP-SHEERING FESTIVAL." A much larger crowd mills around than is usual in this town, i.e. about 50 folks now, by tonight's contest there might be 75. Among them, sheep-shearers, the great sharp shears hanging from their belts, cans of beer in every hand; herders, wives, kids, and one sad-faced. aborigine pushing a large broom to sweep away the accumulating debris, as well as an ice vendor and an elderly couple dressed for a really great event (of about 25 years ago), strolling the square in the shade of her parasol. ON RITA, MOVING with her as she passes the store, waving to a lady examining a bolt of cloth in the sunlight, and crosses to Johnny Greer's Auto And Machine Repairs -- a ramshackle garage with one gas pump in front. Most of 35 year old. JOHNNY GREER is under an old car; his l5 year old son, WILLIE, is passing him a wrench. Rita stops. MOVE IN. CONTINUED 411CONTINUED RITA Is that Johnny Greer on the other end of those legs? He slides out - grease begrimed, smiling up at Rita. JOHNNY Rita, me girl, there is nothin' as excitin' to me as the underside of a low slung chassis. RITA (bawdy flirting) It's the car you're speakin of, I presume? JOHNNY (with a quick look at his son; sotto voce) Not around the boy, wouldya? With a wink, he slides back under. FOLLOWlNG as she moves on across the square with easy familiarity, calling out greetings to all and sundry. But her smile vanishes as she sees something. HER POV: A cluster of 3 or 5 sheep-shearers and herders, rough and mean-looking. The largest and meanest of the lot, a bully named ALFIE, swigs down beer as Rita, O.S., mutters to herself: RITA (O.S.) (worried) Alfie's here. As she speaks, Alfie crushes the beer can in one fist, and drops it in the dirt just to the right of the aborigine who is passing, pushing his broom. RITA (O.S.) . . . startin' earlier than usual. . . The aborigine, doggedly following his regular path, misses the beer can. Alfie shoves him violently, knocking him to the ground. RITA (O.S.) . . . and meaner than usual. CONTINUED 411CONTINUED (2) As the aborigine gets up and scuttles off, Alfie roaring with laughter, there comes an O.S. call: PREGNANT WOMAN (O. S.) Hope I don't need you today, Rita. PAN TO a YOUNG PREGNANT WOMAN waving at Rita. ON RITA -- grinning back. RITA Like I told all my ladies -- today I'm not deliverin', only pourin'. Cheery again, Rita crosses to the clapboard post office. A formidable black Harley-Davison motorcycle is parked in front. She opens a screen door and enters, calling: RITA May! May! CUT TO 412INT. POST OFFICE - WAMAGO - DAY Dusty, cubbyholed, cluttered with stamp rolls , papers, used tea cups. Only one object is immaculate -- a polished ham radio sender-receiver. Seated before it, headphones on her gray head, is MAY -- the sharp-tongued old lady heard earlier who now spins around as Rita's booming Voice penetrates. She removes headphones. MAY Damnit, Rita, you scared me to death! RITA Yeah, well I had me a scare too. Alfie's back in town. You radio Officer Billy and tell him not to take his time gettin' here. MAY (fiddling dials, to mike) Calling car 15. Come in, car 15. CONTINUED 412CONTINUED RITA (pacing) We don't want no trouble today. MAY Come in, car 15! (twists dials, frowns) Nothin'. Not a sound. Damn! I mean, that is most peculiar . CUT TO 413INT. TIM'S SALOON - DAY Dark and crowded and hardly elegant. Even before noon the action is in full swing on the big day. Rita enters in b.g. and takes her place behind the bar to help Tim who is frantically serving. Some sheep-herders are singing, banging mugs. At the bar , one drunk is unaccountably and terrifyingly cutting another's hair with his shears while two others double up with laughter. At the largest table, in the center, the main activity is arm wrestling. Burly Alfie, his sleeve rolled up to display a massive arm, is taking on all comers. We SEE him easily best a large tablemate, then chug-a-lug another beer down. None of which accounts for the look on the loser's face as we DOLLY IN TO CLOSEUP. His jaw drops as he stares at the door. MAN Gor Blimey! Hey, Alfie! Alfie turns too: WHAT THEY SEE: General Zod, Non, Jak-El, and Ursa have just entered. ON THE TABLE ALFIE (ready for some sport) Well, I didn't know we was to have a freak show this year: just look at them pansies! PAL ONE I got eyes for her, though. Always did like a kinky bit. CONTINUED 413CONTINUED PAL TWO (shouting) Hey, vampire! Show us yer fangs! ON URSA, MED. FULL -- enraged, eyes blazing, she steps forward about to do just that. Zod lays a restraining arm on her. ZOD (quietly) Not yet. ON THE GROUP ALFIE (taking this for cowardice) Bugger off, boy scout! Go play with your badges. She needs a real man. PAL THREE (as Non growls, indicating him) I think that one's the boy friend. NEW ANGLE, WIDE -- a classic Western SHOT. ALFIE (taunting) Nah, that's a gorilla. (gestures to bartender) Hey, Tim, another beer! And a banana for my friend there! As all laugh, Alfie wiggles his fingers provocatively at Non. ALFIE Wanna play, Cheetah? Non charges forward, but suddenly, before he can get there, Ursa is there, sitting across from Alfie, elbow on the table, hand open, ready to arm wrestle. With a snort and a laugh, Alfie takes her hand. The fists clench together. Instantly she flicks his arm down. As she does so, there is a horrible SOUND of SOMETHING SNAPPING. CONTINUED 413CONTIUNED (2) Consternation. Alfie leaps up, his arm dangling, as Ursa smiles. He is screaming: ALFIE My arm! May arm! She broke my arm! (he can't believe it) She broke my arm! He stumbles out into the square, moaning with pain. PAL TWO (leaps up, charging at them) Hey, you bloody bast-- Non seizes him immediately and in one easy move flings him through the glass window. Instant pandemonium in the bar: people screaming, trampling each other to get out. CUT TO 414EXT. SQUARE - MAIN STREET - WAMAGO - DAY MED. WIDE - The people pour out of the bar, stumbling over each another in panic. In f. g. Alfie is on his knees, clutching his arm, leaning over the broken body of his pal. Rita runs over. RITA He's dead! He's dead! QUICK CUTS: Confusion in the crowd on the square. ON THE GENERAL STORE: The OLD PROPRIETOR heading out with a bayonet, probably a WWI souvenir. His WIFE pulls him back. WIFE Josh, you get right back in there! OLD PROPRIETOR (disappointed) Oh, Maude. . . CONTINUED 414CONTINUED ON THE GARAGE -- Johnny Greer emerging hastily from under the car. JOHNNY What's that? What's happenin' over there? WILLIE I don't know. . . it looks bad. I think -- someone got killed! CLOSER: JOHNNY yanks open a cash register drawer, pulls out a revolver, and (FOLLOW, HAND-HELD) heads towards the square. WILLIE (running after him) Dad! Dad, wait up! ON THE POST OFFICE -- as Rita reaches it in a dead run, flinging the door open . CUT TO 415INT . POST OFFICE - DAY May still, placidly trying to make radio contact. RITA May! Get out from under those cans! No! No -- don't! Get Officer Billy, fast! MAY (querulously) Well, I can't, Rita! I've been tryin', Lord knows, I'm not Just twiddlin' my -- RITA (high emotion) Well, call somebody! Call Doc Randall! We got trouble! MAY (switching dials) Alfie! RITA (tersely) Worse. CONTINUED 415CONTINUED MAY 074! 074! Doc? VOICE comes in, STATIC MAY Hallelujah! Doc Randall! Come in! CUT TO 416INT. TWO ENGINE PLANE - DAY CLOSEUP of a surprisingly young and rugged medic, a flying doctor" who services the outlying sheep communities. This is DOC RANDALL. As yet, we do not see that we are in a plane. He clicks on mike. DOC Someone sick, May? Because I'm not due there till Thursday -- (pacifyingly) . . . Okay, okay, May, if you need me now. I'll be there now. CUT TO 417EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - MAIN STREET - WAMAGO - DAY WIDE: Jak-El, standing in front of this post office. The crowd is still there, but standing well back from him. CUT TO 418INT. POST OFFICE - DAY MAY (to radio) God bless you, Doc, we're truly grate -- CUT TO 419EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - DAY WIDE: (EFFECTS) Jak-El turns on his X-Ray Vision. CUT TO 420POV: May on the radio. CUT TO 421EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - DAY FULL SHOT: Jak-El soars up to the roof of the post office. As he does so, an incredible gasp from crowd: a man can fly! CUT TO 422INT. PLANE - DOC RANDALL - DAY DOC (easy, soothing) Hey, keep your bloomers on, May. I'm on my way. But what's the -- (listens, frowns: static) May? May? CUT TO 423EXT. ROOF POST OFFICE - VILLAGE SQUARE - WAMAGO - DAY Jak-El, in mid-air, is shaking the radio aerial, flipping it back and forth like a toy. CUT TO 424INT. PLANE - DAY Frowning, Doc Randall quickly hangs up his mike. PULL BACK TO REVEAL that we are in the plane cockpit. Disturbed, he pushes the stick forward. CUT TO 425EXT. PLANE - SKY - DAY It flies forward, accelerating. CUT TO 426EXT. ROOF - POST OFFICE - VILLAGE SQUARE - WAMAGO - DAY Jak-El, after one last flick of the aerial, suddenly snaps it off. ANGLE DOWN: It crashes into the street. The crowd screaming, backs up further. NEW ANGLE -- the Old Proprietor sneaks out of the General Store with his bayonet and Joins the crowd. ON JAK-EL: on the roof, smirking. JAK-EL We interrupt this program to bring you a special announcement. PAN DOWN with a SWEEP OF HIS HAND as direction to Tim's Saloon as General Zod emerges, followed by Non and Ursa, who stand behind him like storm-troopers. Zod Poses: arms akimbo, fearsome, his voice loud and commanding. ZOD I am General Zod. Your ruler. A murmur breaks out; he raises his voice, stilling it. ZOD Yes, today we begin a new order! Each of you -- every man, woman, and child -- will march proudly in the new order! Your lands, your livestock, your homes, your very lives, will gladly be given in fealty to me! General Zod! NEW ANCLE: A sudden outburst. The Old Proprietor rushes forward, unable to control himself. ON HIM OLD PROPRIETOR What kind or people are you? What kind of monsters -- ! WIDE: Zod and the old man facing each other in the square (crowd at EDGE OF FRAME): Zod is silent for a pause, then continues. ZOD And in return, you will have my generous protection. In other words, you will be allowed to live. If you refuse -- NEW ANGLE: Zod turns slightly, toward the old Proprietor. Then: 427SPECIAL EFFECTS (HEAT-VISION): He emits a HEAT-VISION RAY from his eyes. We FOLLOW the ray to the old man. As the ray strikes him, he bursts into flames and burns like a cinder. The crowd screams. 428ON ZOD -- smiling his cruel smile. ZOD -- you will be making a big mistake, don't you agree? TRACK with Zod as he moves from his place and walks across to where the remains of the the burnt body lay; he bends, picks up the bayonet, and -- still smiling, fastens it to his belt. ZOD (stiffly, to the crowd) Dismissed! CROWD SHOTS: Suddenly out steps Johnny Greer, grimly determined raising his pistol. When he has a clear shot, he takes it -- at Zod. No way he could miss. He FIRES. 429ON ZOD: The SIX BULETS bounce off him. ON JOHNNY: Astonished, lowering his gun. Backs off dumbfounded. JOHNNY GREER You're not. . . You're not. . . a man. FAVORING URSA, MED.: She advances on Johnny Greer, vamping. URSA (mockingly) But you are. . . JOHNNY Beat it, sister. I've seen your kind before. URSA You never will again! She knees him in the groin with the force of a howitzer at close range. Johnny screams and falls to the ground. Willie, his son, instantly runs out, wildly flinging himself at Zod, punching him. Zod doesn't even feel it and Swats the boy to the ground, stunning him. Rita rushes towards Willie, looks imprecatingly at General Zod. CONTINUED 430CONTINUED RITA He's only a boy! ZOD (softly) And he may never be a man. Zod snaps his ringers at Non, who advances menacingly as Rita throws herself over the boy's sprawled body. CUT TO 431INT. FORTRESS - DINING AREA - NIGHT MED. CLOSE SHOT ON THE TABLE -- Dinner is over. Superman and Lois sip their coffee. The lights have been dimmed, The beautifully arranged flowers have been pushed to one side to facilitate their tete-a-tete. We can tell from their manner that they have been talking seriously for some time. MOVE INTO TIGHT TWO SHOT and PAN FROM one to the other, sometimes on dialogue, sometimes HOLDING ON the one who is not speaking to SEE reaction. LOIS It must be terrible having to be Clark Kent. SUPERMAN Oh no (very honestly) I really like it sometimes. (smiles) And if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met you.- LOIS But him is you. (laughing) It's all so confusing. She rises, stands smiling down at hip as he smiles up at her. SUPERMAN It is sometimes. (reaching, taking her hand) But not anymore. CONTINUED 431CONTINUED LOIS No. I guess the only question is -- (it thrills her) What do I put on the mailbox, Mrs. Superman or Mrs. Clark Kent? (moving away) Why don't you think about that while I. . . (not really kidding) . . . slip into something comfortable? And off she goes. As she disappears, HOLD on him a beat, his smile fading, his face suddenly troubled. CUT TO 432INT . BEDROOM - FORTRESS - NIGHT On Lois, happily opening her handbag, beginning to pull out something beautifully filmy, which she had the foresight to bring along. CUT TO 433INT. MEMORY TAPE AREA - NIGHT As a worried-looking SUPERMAN removes the last memory crystal from the first wall and inserts it. Contrary to his usual practice he remains standing -- almost a bit defiantly -- as Jor-El appears. JOR-EL Kal-El...my son... I have tried to anticipate your every question. (disturbed) This is the one I hoped you would not ask. Are you sure? SUPERMAN (with quiet passion) Father, I love her. 434INT. BEDROOM CORRIDOR - FORTRESS - NIGHT Lois emerging from the bedroom, radiant in a beautiful peignoir, definitely a women ready for a night of love. But as she starts down the hall she is startled to hear: CONTINUED 434CONTINUED JOR-EL (O.S.) If you have succumbed to this love of an earthling - SUPERMAN (O.S.) It isn't succumbed, it's -- TRACK with Lois, confused and curious, as she hurries toward the source of the voices, turning to an interior balcony. 435WIDE, LONG SHOT: The interior balcony, at the rear of the vast chamber, overlooks Superman and Jor-El below, some distance away. Here Lois stands, making no attempt to hide, as she observes this, to her amazing confrontation. JOR-EL --Then you are right to see that such a feeling is incompatible with your life. SUPERMAN (desperate) What can I do? May I never have her? 436QUICK CLOSEUP LOIS: The glow gone, as dismayed as SUPERMAN. 437TWO-SHOT: JOR-EL and SUPERMAN 438QUICK CLOSEUP LOIS: in whom this news induces a mixture of amazement, anxiety, and wild hope for happiness -- the last being strongest. QUICK CLOSEUP SUPERMAN: on whose face we SEE the same conflicting emotions. But before he can move or Lois speak -- 439ON JOR-EL: almost faded now, he suddenly clicks again and reappears, his face now distressed, his voice full of uncharacteristic emotion. JOR-EL Kal-El , think. No one can harm you now. But, if you do this, you can be harmed. CONTINUED 439CONTINUED SUPERMAN (startled; then readily, almost lightly) I'll take my chances. JOR-EL And the planet that has nurtured you - its people who have shown you kindness, respect, admiration - will they take their chances? QUICK CLOSEUP SUPERMAN -- confused and guilty in the face of this moral indignation. WIDE SHOT: the whole area including LOIS on balcony as JOR-EL continues. JOR-EL (relentlessly) Is this how you would repay their admiration? Is this the example you would set them - to abandon the weak the defenseless, the needy for the sake of one's own selfish pursuits? SUPERMAN (stung) Selfish! But they get a chance at happiness - JOR-EL (cutting him off implacably) Yours is a higher happiness. The happiness of your mission. (persuasively) the happiness -- pure and quiet -- that you feel inside every time you safe a life, every time you inspire others to seek the best in themselves. (quietly) My son, you cannot deny that feeling. ON SUPERMAN: nodding slowly. Under the burden of this argument he sinks into a sitting position on a nearby platform, looking up now at his father. CONTINUED 439CONTINUED (2) TWO SHOT: Superman looking up at Jor-El. JOR-EL Kal-El, you cannot so quickly have forgotten my teachings - SUPERMAN (looks up, defensively) I've forgotten nothing - JOR-EL Then you recall what was said by one of the greatest writers of your planet; 'And this above all, to think own self be true. And it shall follow as night the day-' As he is saying these last lines, Superman rises abruptly and turns away from his father. He is now facing Lois/balcony but he doesn't look up. Staring straight ahead in despair he finishes the line. SUPERMAN '...thou can't not then be false to any man...' JOR-EL (quietly) I leave you with that thought, my son. A CLICK and he disappears. 440TWO SHOT: A beat of silence as Superman stands still, looking at nothing. Unbeknownst, on the balcony above, Lois is in the same position, staring out unhappily over his head. She begins to speak quietly, almost to herself. LOIS Funny, isn't it? Here I am -- As he turns, looking up and behind him: CONTINUED 440CONTINUED NEW ANGLE, LONG: Reminding us of a very famous balcony scene in the positions. SUPERMAN (looking up, startled) Lois! LOIS Superman. (she leans on the balcony, bitterly ironic) Wherefore art thou, Superman? Deny thy father. . . (a sad smile) No, maybe father knows best. That was your father. . . ? SUPERMAN (awkwardly) Yes, well, he was just -- We talk. I mean, we can communicate through. . . crystals. (he gestures to wall with first shelf of memory crystals ) Everything I know is in there. (gestures at wall with second shelf of unplayed crystals) What I still don't know is there. LOIS You haven't listened to those? SUPERMAN Not yet. I haven't needed to know what they tell. LOIS (bitterly) Maybe they've got some advice for the lovelorn. For instance, Lois Lane, the girl who always got what she goes after. Ever since I was a little girl. You name it: straight A's, editor of the school yearbook, a Job on a newspaper, bylines, top salary. Once I set my sights on something. . . Well, I guess I set my sights too high this time. CONTINUED 440CONTINUED (2) SUPERMAN (deeply moved, he starts up the ramp towards her) No, you didn't! CLOSEUP LOIS LOIS No, I didn't, did I? No man was good enough until somebody just. . . (a sad smile) . . . fell from the blue. Impossible. Sure, for other people, the kid who always gets what she -- Her voice chokes; she turns her head away. REVERSE: He is there, beside her. SUPERMAN (reaching out) Lois -- TWO SHOT: She pulls away, trying to control herself, moving swiftly down the corridor, saying: LOIS I'm okay, I'll be okay. She is stopped at the end of the corridor by large glass doors leading onto the exterior balcony. As he approaches, she turns suddenly to face him. Behind the star-crossed lovers is the starry arctic sky; the icy landscape gleams in moonlight. LOIS (bravely) But I did do it, didn't I? I did get the man I love to love me? SUPERMAN (this is very hard on him) Yes. CONTINUED 440CONTINUED (3) LOIS That's what's funny. I got everything I ever wanted. I even got the one thing nobody else could have. (bitterly) And now I can't have it. Because everybody else needs it. I understand, oh, how I understand. I tried awfully hard not to understand, but I'm not that selfish. They need you (quickly) Not more than I do. Nobody needs you more than I do. (soberly) But I'd be buying my personal little rainbow at the cost of all those people. The ones who say, 'Help. Come. Quick. Now.' While I'd be saying, 'Stay. Be with me. Don't go. Stay home.' And pretty soon, it'd be a toss-up whether you hated me more or I hated -- ON SUPERMAN -- He finds her thoroughly admirable, especially now. CLOSEUP- LOIS LOIS I was going to say, 'Whether you hated me more or I hated me more.' Because that would happen sooner or later. (desperately) I'd hate myself, Superman. (getting hold of herself) No, when you get down to the bottom line, I've got to live with Lois Lane. Alone or not. And I've Got to like her. You don't know how much, right now, I want to say, 'who cares about your great. . .' mission, isn't that what he called it? But I'm not a bitch. Not that much of a -- (it overwhelms her; she begins to weep) I'll be all right. (a fake laugh) Just some schoolgirl tears. (wipes her eyes; gets herself together) Listen, I'm tired, okay? I Just want to go somewhere and -- and lay down. CONTINUED 440CONTINUED (4) Superman is terribly touched and upset by her love for him and her sacrifice. Slowly he moves a few feet down the corridor and opens the bedroom door she emerged from earlier. SUPERMAN (awkward) Here. The. . . bedroom. LOIS (trying a smile) I know. I've been thinking about it all day. (as she approaches) But not like this. (at the door; next to him, a deep breath) Well. . . TIGHT TWO SHOT: Suddenly he moves to take her in his arms. LOIS No. (about to cry; she moves away and pushes the door open) No, let's not. . . start anything we can't -- She breaks off, pushes quickly past him into the bedroom and closes the door behind her. HOLD ON SUPERMAN -- extremely upset, grieved. He turns and walks AWAY FROM CAMERA, shoulders stooped. Then he stops and looks back in the direction of the bedroom. 441EFFECTS: X-RAY VISION 442HIS POV (WITH X-RAY Vision): Lois has thrown herself on the bed and is crying into the pillow, her body wracked with sobs. 443CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN -- he can't take it anymore. SUPERMAN I love her. I don't want to lose her. Suddenly, with the look of a man who has just made up his mind, he turns and rushes down the corridor. SUPERMAN I won't lose her! With a look of determination and purpose, Superman strides to the molecular restructuring chamber and enters it. CUT TO 444CUT TO INT. MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING CHAMBER - NIGHT The heavy door automatically closes. Superman goes to the crystal panel-bank and passes his hand across certain crystals (or pushes a button, or whatever the activating technique is) and then lays himself down on the transparent, forbidding slab. He closes his eyes. EFFECTS: The very specific light changes begin, employing certain key colors, laser effects. Moving spotlights in a recognisable order and pattern -- all of it quite spectacular -- denoting the machine working. As the process continues: DISSOLVE TO 445EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - WAMAGO, AUSTRALIA - DAY WIDE: All hell has broken loose. The General Store has been demolished, felled. A number of bodies are strewn about. The town banner hangs limply torn. Three or four escaped sheep roam through the devastation. A lot has happened since we've been away. One small knot of sheepherders -- diehards, resistance fighters -- is in the surreptitious huddle. Non stands by what is left of the General Store: Jak-El is now in front of Johnny Greer' s garage by the gas pump; Ursa stands with General Zod, who, as we JOIN them, is in the middle of another speech. ZOD (menacingly persuasive) . . . and so you see, we will have your . . . cooperation. . . CONTINUED 445CONTINUED ON THE SHEEP-SHEARER HUDDLE: As they guardedly unchain their shear's from their belts. TRACK QUICKLY with the four as they make a rush at Jak-El, shears raised. They all fall on him, stabbing wildly. INSERT: The shears' blades break and snap off against Jak-E. WIDER: The assassins fall back, astonished, Jak-El grabs the handle of the gas pump, presses the trigger: gas gushes out as he turns toward Zod, with a wide grin. JAK-EL Hey! Did you catch that? They think they're hot stuff! 446And he blows on the gas gushing out of the hose. EFFECTS: HEAT-VISION causes a blowtorch effect, The shooting flames ignite the four sheep-herders; who flame up like tinder. Even as they do, the gushing gas spreads the fire and ignites Greer's Garage. 447ON THE POST OFFICE: May rushes out, dressed in jodphurs, furious, uncowed, brandishing a fist at General Zod. MAY Hooligans! Break my radio, will ya! She leaps on the motorcycle; steps down, gunning it. MAY I'll get someone to fix your wagon! And she zooms off from the standing start, an old lady daredevil taking off for (in b.g.) the rise of the nearest hill. It is a comic image for a moment -- an Evel Knievel parody -- until: ON ZOD -- watching her. ZOD We fix the wagons around here. He nods to Non. 448ON NON: SPECIAL EFFECTS : A COLD RAY FROM HIS EYES. THIS IS ICE- VISION. ANGLE UP to May: Traveling at breakneck speed toward the top of the hill, about to make a turn as the ice vision hits. The handlebars freeze and lock; so do the pedals. A look of panic on May's face; an instant later she is hurled from the bike, spinning through the air, falling over the crest of the hill. 449ON NON AND ZOD -- Zod gives his ward an appreciative nod; Non looks pleased and proud -- an evil child. Suddenly they hear something: SOUND: the noisy, CHUGGING MOTOR of a small, ancient AIRPLANE. 450ANGLE UP: Approaching overhead, Doc Randall's plane, with 'Flying Doctor" painted proudly on its fuselage. 451ANGLE DOWN on THE CROWD: Looking up at the plane with great hope, as if seeing their savior. An audible sigh of relief. 452ON THE PLANE, NEAR CCCKPIT: Doc Randall stares down in disbelief. DOC (on his radio) May I Come in, May I What the bloody hell is going on? May? Where are you, May? 453DOC'S POV - THE FOUR, below, suddenly fly up toward the plane. 454NEW ANGLE: ON THE PLANE -- They arrive, placing themselves along the plane fore to aft. Together they tip the plane with a light toss. It falls, wobbling wildly just outside the square. FOLLOW its descent as it spirals down out of control, the engines now smoking from the interference. GROANS from the crowd. JAK-EL Geronimo! The Plane crashes, smoke spiraling, and EXPLODES. 455ON THE SQUARE - FAVORING ZOD IN FRONT OF TERRIFIED CROWD ZOD (ranting) No Escape! No Escape! There is no escape! Are you sufficiently convinced? MEDIUM FULL -- ON A SECTION OF THE CROWD where we NOTICE a BOY about 9 years old, on the edge of the crowd in front of Tim's Saloon. Pretending to be listening to General Zod, he is in fact squirming backwards through the crush, never looking away from Zod, but slipping towards the rear all the while. ZOD (O.S.) You will remain here! We will remain here! No one leaves Wamago alive! By now, with careful backward strides, the Boy (we FOLLOW) breaks cut of the back of the crowd. He darts around the back of the saloon. 456EXT. BEHIND THE SALOON - WAMAGO - DAY As Zod rants on O.S., the Boy runs to an old grazing mare tethered behind the saloon. In one jump he is on her back, loosing her rope, clinging to her neck, ready for the wild, bareback ride. BOY (whispering prayerfully) Go! Go, Betsey! Nothing. For one agonised second it seems as if the old horse does not even comprehend the command. BOY (despairing) Oh, Betsey -- PLEASE! Then, with a toss of her head, the mare catches on and, with the Boy clinging for dear life, gallops off toward the horizon and toward help. CUT TO 457INT. MAIN ROOM OF FORTRESS - DAY OPEN ON TIGHT CLOSEUP of a stunned. Lois Lane. LOIS I. . . I don't know what to say. REVERSE -- on CLARK KENT (Now in the glasses, shirtsleeves, tie, etc.) CLARK Say you love me. NEW ANGLE: LOIS You did it for me. You gave it all up for me. . . CLARK (simply) I love you, Lois. Half in tears, she hugs him. CONTINUED 457CONTINUED LOIS Oh, Super-- (correcting herself) I mean -- CLARK Yeah, that'll take a little getting used to. A strained grin. LOIS (pulls back) Regrets? (she turns away) I mean, after all your father said -- CLARK (not looking at her either) Look, the world got along without Superman for a lot of years -- (getting it together; perhaps more cheerful than he fee1s) -- but the Planet can't get along without Clark Kent. LOIS (uncomprehending) The planet...? CLARK The Daily Planet, lady, that's what it says on our paychecks -- (pointedly) -- which I'm now going to need. And we can't exactly get back to collect them by the same mode of transportation that got us here. LOIS (realising it fully now) You're really not Superman anymore. . . CONTINUED 457CONTINUED CLARK (chipper) That's what I keep trying to tell you, ma'am. So let's get a move on. He gives her a quick, husbandly peck on the cheek. CLARK Now, where's my gray suit. . .? 458EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - WAMAGO, AUSTRAILIA - DAY FULL SHOT: Ina filed beyond the square, the remains of two downed, wrecked Army fighter planes. REVERSE ZOOM, coming toward the square, past the bodies of dead soldiers, then past a group of tied-up, penned-in SOLDIERS, finally to one end of the square where four hanged and trussed-up bodies -- four of the toughest ranchers and herders we saw before -- are hung like carcasses. CRANE SHOT BEGINS WITH A VERTICAL PAN DOWN from theses bodies which then PULLS BACK and OPENS VERY WIDE TO SHOW the village square: there is a long line of people -- the conquered, frightened survivors of the holocaust. Totally beaten and in thrall now, they look like people we used to see in those yearly ceremonies of subjects bringing booty to the Aga Khan on his birthday or conquered people laying up their store for a bandit thief. For indeed theses survivors of WAMAGO are lined up with their tithe, not gold and jewels in this case, but whatever meager possessions they could come up with: an old radio, some family heirlooms, watches, a clock, a feather boa, and of course five or six baby lambs cradled in the arms of their owners. PAN DOWN this line, SEEING these details, as well as the frightened, defeated faces. Before we reach the end of the line, however: 459CUT TO THE FAR END OF THE LINE. In the center of the square, a crude, bizarre spectacle: on a makeshift "throne" made from somebody's old, battered armchair, sits General Zod. On a chair beside him, like a queen, is Ursa. Non, ever menacing, stands beside the "throne." and -- sprawled at their feet insolently smirking -- in the classic jester post (legs crossed, head resting on arm) is Jak-El. A large table is set up before them; on it, one at a time, the villagers lay their bounty down. At the head of the line is now an OLD WOMAN -- the elegant one we saw strolling with a parasol earlier -- weeping as she lays down some old rings and a pearl necklace. OLD WOMAN It was me mother's . . . It's all I've got. CONTINUED 459CONTINUED JAK-EL That's all you've got? What a swell life you must have had. (as she stumbles away) Why not kill the old ones anyway? They're depressing. ZOD They have sworn their allegiance to me. JAK-EL So what? What are they going to do if an enemy attacks -- gun them to death? A man at the head of the line lays down a lamb. URSA (a look of distaste) Another one of those disgusting animal things. They're disgusting. ZOD It's the thought that counts, my dear. 46lEXT. AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK - ROAD - WHITE CADILLAC - DAY Luthor and Eve in back. Albert is driving, or rather -- at this moment -- stopping and HONKING his HORN at a koala bear who is lazily crossing the road. As it passes and the car continues forward: CUT TO 462INT. CADILLAC. - DAY Luthor has the black box on his lap; it TICKS AUDIBLY. The car RADIO PLAYS MUSIC. LUTHOR (very "up") I don't know how they won't love this deal, y'know? Y'know? Unlimited freedom to do anything they want -- kill, crush, maim, destroy -- EVE John, Paul, Ringo, George -- CONTINUED 461CONTINUED LUTHOR In return for which they get Lex Luthor's backing! (ego-tripping) Lex Luthor's savvy! Lex Luthor's keen mind guiding their careers in a world they never made! Lex Luthor protecting their interests -- EVE (this drives her crazy) You're practically a saint, Lex. LUTHOR (leans over, kisses her cheek) You're cute. EVE I said 'practically.' LUTHOR What would I be without your witty little jibes to keep me on my toes, Miss Teschmacher? Happy, that's what I'd be. AUSTRALIAN RADIO ANNOUNCER VOICE (urgent, somber) We interrupt this program to bring you a special update on the crisis in Wamago. LUTHOR Aha! RADIO ANNOUNCER VOICE The little village continues to be the site of mounting casualties as the four invaders appear to have defeated two units of the National Guard placed on emergency status. Air Force headquarters in Melbourne reports that -- LUTHOR (rubbing his hands together in glee) Better and better! EVE (to Albert) The last time I saw him this happy was when the Asian flu hit town. 462EXT. VILLAGE SQUARE - WAMAGO, AUSTRALIA - DAY where the four are still receiving tribute, seated on their "thrones." JAK-EL I'm bored. What are we staying here for? URSA (equally disenchanted) Where else is there? JAK-EL (rising, petulantly) There must be someplace else! Even the Phantom Zone was more interesting than this. As he looks at the table of booty, ANGLE DOWN as a farmer's hands place a watch and an old Bible there. The farmer leaves, as the loot continues to pile up. HOLD on it, as: ZOD (O.S.) Leave?! You fool! I am the leader here! JAK-EL Leader of what? This bunch of garbage? If I see one more rusty watch -- Suddenly, on top of the pile, a hand places. . . a contract and a pen. PAN UP TO SEE Lex Luthor. He smiles nervously, rapidly chewing Kleenex. LUTHOR Howdja do, Luthor's the name. No doubt you've heard of me. Lex Luthor, greatest criminal on earth? URSA I told you this was a puny, backward planet. LUTHOR (seizing the opening) You think this is earth? Listen lady. . . (corrects himself quickly) Uh. . . Ms. This is nothing! This is the lounge. With your talent you should be playing the main room. Y'know? y 'know? ZOD We know everything. Including the method of your death. He signals to Non, who starts toward Lex. CONTINUED 462CONTINUED URSA No, let me break his bones. He irritates me. LUTHOR Wait'II you get to know me better. Lookit -- I can take you to the land of your dreams. Buildings that touch the sky -- just waiting to be knocked down! A land of opportunity! There are millions of people to beat up on. JAK-EL (getting interested) Where is this place? LUTHOR I knew you'd love it. A helluva town. The Bronx is up and the -- ZOD Hold! Should we believe this hairless slug? LUTHOR I'll let that pass this time, my general, because you're not exactly Mr. Universe yourself. ZOD (enraged) Mr. Universe! I am King of all the universe. Destroy hi! As they move menacingly toward Lex: LUTHOR Me? I can show you the bright lights! The big time! (playing his trump card ) The son of Jor-El! REACTIONS: The four look stunned at this news. Cannot believe what they hear. Non utters a howl, fist raised. ZOD The son or Jor-El? Jor-El our Jailer? LUTHOR No, Jor-El the baseball player. Of course Jor-El your jailer! CONTINUED 462CONTINUED (2) JAK-EL (almost salivating) His son? His son is on this planet? LUTHOR Daily. ZOD How do you know of this? How do you know about Jor-El? LUTHOR (in command of the situation) With all due respect, your grace, I told you before I'm about the best there is. Non growls loudly. LUTHOR Second best. ZOD (wild with passion) Revenge! We will kill the son of our jailer! LUTHOR Terrific! I hate him, too. Believe me, you've never seen a showoff like him. He flies around -- ZOD (musingly) He flies as well. He has powers as we do. . . LUTHOR Sure. He's a landman, isn't he? But he's only one. You're four. (looking at Non) Or five even, if you count him twice. Y'know? CONTINUED 462CONTINUED (3) ON THE FOUR - seething with anticipation. ZOD We will bring him to his knees! JAK-EL Praying. ZOD Yes! To me! (to Luthor) When can you take us there? LUTHOR What time's the next flight out? CUT TO 463EXT. ROAD - CANADA - DAY A rented car tools down the highway, Clark driving, Lois beside him. CUT TO 464INT. CAR - DAY They look very happy and cozy; she snuggled up beside him CLARK Getting tired? LOIS (content) I wish we could just drive forever. CLARK I'm sorry this car hasn't got a radio. LOIS Who needs a radio? We make beautiful music together. CONTINUED 464CONTINUED He puts an arm around her, hugs her to him. LOIS Tired, no. Hungry, yes. CLARK (quite serious) We'll look for a place where the truck driver's stop. That's always a sign the food is good. 465INT. DINER - DAY MED. WIDE as Clark and Lois enter a diner. In f.g. the counter is mostly full, but two stools next to each other are unoccupied. CLARK I Just want to wash up. Grab those seats there. He goes RIGHT, OUT OF FRAME and Lois occupies one of the counter stools. As she picks up the menu to study it, a big, burly, ornery TRUCKER enters and takes the seat next to her. As Lois starts to protest, Clark COMES INTO FRAME. LOIS I'm sorry, that seat's tak -- TRUCKER (ignoring her; to COUNTER GIRL ) Coffee and doughnut. CLARK Excuse me. That's my seat. TRUCKER Oh, yeah? I don't see your name on it. CLARK I'm sitting with the lady here. TRUCKER I don't see no lady here. Tension is thick immediately. CONTINUED 465CONTINUED CLARK Now look, buddy. You don't have any call to insult -- TRUCKER Who's gonna stop me, four-eyes? CLOSEUP - CLARK, bristling with indignation. CLARK Somebody ought to teach you manners. TRUCKER (rises; he's big) You wanna try? CLARK (grim) Why don't we just step outside? CLOSEUP - LOIS, looking very fearful. CUT TO 466EXT. DINER - DAY l.A SHOT of the Trucker, out cold. on the ground. 2. A SHOT of Clark, standing in front of him. 3.A SHOT of Lois Lane, flushed, standing behind the fallen Trucker, a broken Coke bottle in her hand. CLARK What did you have to do that for? LOIS What was I supposed to do? Stand by and let him kill you? CLARK I could have taken him. CONTINUED 466CONTINUED LOIS You think you're some kind of a Superman? CLARK (defensively) I'm still in pretty good shape, y'know. LOIS It's time you learned the facts of mortal life, darling. Such as the cost of bridge work. CLARK But -- LOIS (gently} I'm not saying you might not have beaten this gorilla, but there would have been broken glasses, broken teeth and broken who-knows-what before you did. Listen -- I Just got a man. I'd like to keep him in one piece. As Clark stands there, frustrated, she comes to him, drops the bottle and hugs him. LOIS It ain't no bed of roses being human, kiddo. She gives him a sweet little kiss on the tip of his nose. CUT TO 467EXT. METROPOLIS - DAY LONG SHOT: On the West Side Highway, loading in to the 96th St. ramp, there is an incredible traffic jam of cars, trucks and station wagons leaving the city. Something very odd about this, which instantly shows us it isn't a normal situation: on the tops of the cars are suitcases, trunks, even items of furniture, bird-cages, etc., tied on. It looks like a modern-day Okie caravan. The cars are packed with families. in addition, we SEE certain yellow school busses, which have been papered with signs on the sides reading "EVACUATION TRANSPORTATION." Everywhere, POLICE in cars and on foot are evident, trying vainly to keep the traffic moving NEW AGNGLE: The one lane of the highway leading in on the city has been blocked off with a police barricade. A cop car is planted there as well, and a POLICEMAN looks in annoyance as one lone car approaches: the rented car with Clark and Lois. He starts waving them back. CUT TO 468INT. CAR - DAY Clark and Lois totally befuddled by what they see around them. LOIS What in the world -- ? CLARK I know a lot of people go to the country for the weekend but this is -- 469EXT. WEST SIDE HIGHWAY - DAY The car advances, coming to a stop and the cop halts them. COP Awright, where d'ya think you're goin', mac? CLARK What is this? What's going on?? COP What's goin' on! Whaddya, blind? LOIS We've been out of town, officer. COP Doncha listen to the radio, for God's sake? The men from Mars have landed. CLARK The what?? COP Don't ask me, buddy. All I know is all hell's broke loose and I got my orders, nobody gets in. So why don't you be a nice fella and -- CONTINUED 469CONTINUED FAVORING LOIS: She reaches quickly in her purse and pulls out her wallet, flipping it open to her Press card. LOIS (holds it up) Press. Let us through. COP Now look, lady -- LOIS It you want to get the Commissioner on the phone to discuss the rights of the press, I'm sure he'd be glad to talk to -- COP (not too thrilled) Oh geez, you're Lois Lane, ain'tcha. I seen you on the TV plenty of times. He starts to move the barricade aside. COP Okay, folks. But you ain't gonna like what you see. 470EXT. VARIOUS METROPOLIS STREETS - DAY A SERIES OF SHOTS of streets, looking like London during the Blitz. Small fires raging. Certain buildings collapsed into rubble. Fire hydrants knocked over, water spouting uselessly. National Guard trucks, packed with soldiers, riding down empty streets. Police Riot Squads guarding broken store windows. The ambulances, SIRENS SCREAMING, speeding down broken streets. CUT TO 471INT. PERRY WHITE'S OFFICE - DAY CLOSEUP - PERRY WHITE, looking very harassed. PHONES RINGING constantly. PERRY Four of 'em. Three ugly guys and a broad that looks like the Queen of the Runway. They can fly, they can do that heat vision fire thing -- everything Superman does, they do. REVERSE: A shocked Clark and Lois talking to him. LOIS But how -- PERRY The theory is when Superman set off that bomb in outer space, he broke them out of some kind of jail they were stuck in. Clark -- a look of ashen horror. The guilt trip descends like a sledgehammer. LOIS What do they want? PERRY Superman. The son of something or other, they call him. They want Superman by midnight or they level the city. They already made a pretty good start. NEW ANGLE:. Door opens and TWO REPORTERS enter looking pretty beat. FIRST REPORTER I got the casualty figures, Chief. I don't know about running the pictures, though. The hospital looks like a battle station. SECOND REPORTER What about the interview with the Mayor? PERRY Send Goldberg. SECOND REPORTER Goldberg's. . . one or the casualty figures, boss. A beat of grim silence. CONTINUED 471CONTINUED PERRY Jesus. . . he gonna be okay? The reporter shrugs. PERRY Well, get somebody. . . anybody. . . In the door comes Jimmy Olsen. JIMMY I' II do it, Mr. White. (as Perry hesitates) Please. I can write it. I've been a copy boy for a long time, Mr. White -- I know what makes a good story. . . ? A pause. Perry looks at him. Then, gruffly: PERRY Awright! But don't expect a byline on your first story, Olsen! As an eager Jimmy rushes out: LOIS What about me? PERRY Get me something on this Superman bomb angle. Background. Hit hard on the cheap irony angle. Kent, get on the Lex Luthor angle. CLARK (what???) Lex Luthor?? ? Isn't he still in priso -- PERRY He's their front man. Came flying into town with the four of 'em, blowing kisses to the crowd. Like a sultan on a flying carpet -- hey, that's not a bad whatchamcallit, simile. He picks up phone. CONTINUED 471CONTINUED (2) PERRY Yeah. Two columns. Box the numbers. A printer races in with a front page dummy: giant headlines METROPOLIS ATTACKED! He waits for Perry to approve it. PERRY (to Clark and Lois ) What d'ya standing there for? Move! FOLLOW Clark and Lois out to: 472INT. CITY ROOM - DAY Where it is bedlam and chaos, as the staff copes with the emergency. LOIS (realizing) You mustn't feel. . . I mean, how could you have known? CLARK (overwhelmed) Yeah. . . how could I. . . LOIS What can you. . . I mean. . . CLOSEUP CLARK: Jaw clenched. Tight-lipped. CLARK Something. I've got to do something. He turns, starts quickly for the elevators. She turns after him, fearful. LOIS But you can get hurt. You'll be -- CLARK Hundreds of innocent people are being killed, Lois. Because of Superman. They want Superman. If they get him, maybe they'll. . . He leaves the sentence unfinished, turns and enters the elevator. The doors close behind him. HOLD ON Lois, frightened. CUT TO 473INT. COSTUME SHOP - DAY TIGHT ON A TV SET: sitting on a shelf next to some dusty old costume hats: sombreros, Roman Legionnaire helmets, etc. On the TV screen is a somber middle-aged man, seated at a desk bearing the Great Seal of Metropolis. This is THE MAYOR and he is in the middle of his talk. MAYOR -- and we continue to wait and hope for some word from Superman before that midnight deadline. Meanwhile, as your Mayor, I can assure you that all that can be done is being done. Civil Defense units are doing a magnificent job in the stricken areas. All leaves have been cancelled in the police and fire departments. The President has declared the city a disaster area and ordered National Guard units to be posted on full alert. School buses and private cars are being used to evacuate children, the aged and the infirm. A list of the evacuation centers will appear in a moment. Meanwhile, I urge all citizens of Metropolis to stay off the streets. . . As this goes on and the CRAWL APPEARS with the addresses of evacuation centers, PULL BACK TO REVEAL a very bizarre IMAGE: an old Jewish man holding a gorilla costume, crosses the little costume shop. Racks of typical outfits hang everywhere. The old man is the PROPRIETOR of the store. PROPRIETOR Look, you got wars -- depressions -- muggings. (shrugs) So now you got mushuganahs flying in the sky. Believe me, it's always something. Hoodlums, gangsters, Muslims -- all I know is Al Felshman is alive and kicking, thank God, and people always need costumes, also thank God. You sure you don't want the gorilla? Very big this year. He crosses to a curtained dressing booth and opens the curtain. In there stands Clark Kent half in an ill-fitting, somewhat baggy and faded Superman costume. As he puts his arm in the top part and zips it up: CLARK (adjusting the Shoulders looking at himself in the mirror) No, thanks. Mr. Felshman. This is fine. CONTINUED 473CONTINUED PROPRIETOR (chacun a son gout) So, I'll put it nice in a box for you -- CLARK Don't bother, I'll wear it. PROPRIETOR (sure this is another meshuganah) Suit yourself. CLARK (by way of explanation as he puts on raincoat and hat) I'm in a hurry. He starts out. The Proprietor walks him to the door. 474EXT. MIDTOWN STREET, METROPOLIS - DUSK WIDE: Evening is coming on; the sun is setting. In f.g. a troop transport truck rolling down 5th Ave., somewhere around The Plaza, filled with National Guard soldiers, bayonets in their hands. PAN WITH it as it turns down across street. In b.g. riot squad Metropolis Police are stationed at the end of the street, tense, edgy. From around the corner of' the street the truck came down, now emerges a curious sight: Clark Kent, "disguised" in raincoat, hat and glasses, but with his red Superman boots sticking out the bottom. Trudging along oblivious to the world around him, he is muttering to himself like your average New York nut case. CLOSER ON HIM: CLARK (practicing a phony tough voice) All right, the jig is up! (in his own voice and rather dismayed) Not, that's not right. . . (tries again; deep voice and an accompanying gesture) Now you've gone too far -- you've made me mad! CONTINUED 474CONTINUED Suddenly, from O.S. a loud VOICE: VOICE Hey! You! Clark whirls, looks in the direction of the call. NEW ANGLE : TEO RIOT SQUAD COPS across the street seeing him. FIRST COP Everybody off the street! That includes you! CLARK Right. Right, I'm about to. Quickly, he walks around the next corner. FOLLOW him. ON THE COPS -- One looks at the other, makes whirling finger gesture to the head, meaning "Another nut." ON CLARK -- TRACK WITH HIM to a Con Edison construction site --- a hole dug in the middle of the street, a wooden barrier in front of it. He ducks under it and quickly descends into the hole. CUT TO 475INT. VON ED. HOLE - DUSK A short iron ladder drops to a ledge down there. As Clark reaches the bottom, PULL BACK to REVEAL: 476INT. SEWER TUNNEL A vast echoing sewer tunnel; we HEAR the RUSH of WATER. He walks a few feet to the left, then suddenly stops. He removes his coat and hat and lays them down, then takes from the raincoat pocket a screwdriver and two firecrackers , He lays the firecrackers carefully on the raincoat (to keep them dry) and kneels. holding the screwdriver. What is he up to? CLOSER ON HIM as he begins, laboriously, to unscrew a breaker panel on the floor of the tunnel. CUT TO 477INT. LUTHOR'S OFFICE - DUSK As we HEAR a BELL (rather like am alarm) RING LONG and LOUD, we are on a BANK OF TV BANKS MONITORS, each of which is labeled -- Park Avenue entrance, Fifth Avenue Entrance, 62nd Street Entrance, 59th Street Entrance. A light on this last set is blinking. WIDEN SHOT to INCLUDE Luthor, Albert, and Eve. LUTHOR Ah, visitors! Now who could be dropping in? As Eve begins hastily smoothing her hair and fixing her lipstick as if for some real social event, Luthor presses a button on the TV monitor. The IMAGE APPEARS. INSERT: CLARK - SUPERMAN laboriously unscrewing the breaker panel to gain entry. 479ON LUTHOR -- for a moment, he is shook up. LUTHOR He's early. What's his rush? ALBERT (scared) We're alone! Those four said Midnight! He'll hurt us! Luthor starts backing towards a tunnel: LUTHOR Think I'll go for a walk. But suddenly, his attention is arrested by what he sees on the TV: 480HIS POV The TV screen on which we SEE Clark-Superman unscrewing the last screw as we HEAR Luthor exclaim: LUTHOR (O.S.) (startled) A screwdriver? All of a sudden he's got respect for property? (as C.S. removes breaker panel) What happened to the old razzle dazzle? (as C.S. picks up firecrackers) What now? ALBERT (O.S.) (helpful) Firecrackers. I believe. LUTHOR (O.S.) I know that, Albert. I just don't know what. . . As Clark-Superman takes out a book of matches, we HEAR a sudden exultant cry from Luthor. 481ON LUTHOR very excited. LUTHOR (Eureka!) Ah, but I do know! I do know! (excitedly) It's the machine! THREE SHOT - A tiny, but significant pause while Lex waits for their appreciation and they regard him blankly. LUTHOR (impatiently) That machine at his place.. Y'know? Y'know? (to Eve) You thought it was the ladies' room, and I told you it was a molecular restructuring thing? Well, the flying fool must have put himself through it. (it's delicious, triumphantly) And he's not flying anymore! He's lost his powers! He went and restructured his molecules! CONTINUED 481CONTINUED EVE But why would he. . . LUTHOR (snappish) How do I know, Miss Teschmacher? I'm not his shrink. Thank God. (happy again) Ours is not to reason why, ours just to enjoy, enjoy. ON LUTHOR. Gleefully, practically rubbing his hands together, he sinks into a great regal armchair to enjoy, enjoy what is to come. LUTHOR Boys and girls, get ready for the greatest show on earth! CUT TO 482INT. TUNNEL SHAFT Clark-Superman removes the breaker panel and then, just before he jumps to the room below, lights and drops the firecrackers. CUT TO 483INT. LEX LUTHOR'S HALL A pitiful son et lumiere show. The firecrackers BANG and in the little puff of smoke, Clark-Superman lands in a fierce pose like an ordinary guy trying to act like Superman (viz. George Reeves). Striking an heroic pose. CLARK-SUPERM.AN (the deep phony voice again) All right, Luthor. what are you trying to pull? WIDE SHOT as Clark-Superman strides towards Luthor. LUTHOR (enjoying) And what are you trying to pull -- my leg? CONTINUED 483CONTINUED Clark-Superman stops in his tracks, confused One last try: CLARK-SUPERMAN (the deep voice; warningly) The jig is up, Luthor! LUTHOR (to Eve and Albert) Cheap shtick ! Do you believe it? The fella does impressions. (to Clark-Superman) Can you do Cagney? That's my favorite. (doing it himself) 'You dirty rats. . . ' (himself again and sneering) Your act needs work, kid. And you could start by taking the price tag off your tochis. ON SUPERMAN: A confused and embarrassed Superman, feeling around and indeed finding the price tag still dangling. Humiliated, he pulls it off, tosses it angrily on the floor. ON LUTHOR : rising from his chair now. LUTHOR (contemptuously) You're Superman, huh? Okay, try this. Feed the pets. He gestures towards the alligator tank. ON SUPERMAN: confused, looking at the tank. ON LUTHOR: an evil grin. LUTHOR Feed 'em your foot. (scornfully) You're not Superman anymore than I am. Probably less. An inspiration. TRACK WITH him as he crosses quickly to a wall where hangs a pair of heraldic crossed swords, part of the rococo decor of the lair. He seizes one and whirls around to confront Clark-Superman. CONTINUED 483CONTINUED LUTHOR I think I'll cut you down to size. He begins backing him into the hall, toward the alligator tank. WIDE SHOT: Albert and Eve flattened fearfully against a far wall as, in f. g. Luthor and Clark-Superman square off and circle each other warily. LUTHOR (brandishing the sword) Have at you! 484 INT. LUTHOR'S HALL Waving the sword "wildly, but with some menace, he is backing Clark-Superman towards the alligator tank. Feinting, ducking, Superman climbs the ladder. Luthor in pursuit. LUTHOR (doing all the moves) Thrust! Parry! bullseye! And he hurls the sword right at Clark-Superman. It WHISTLES through the air. ON CLARK-SUPERMAN, feinting at the last moment. The sword misses him by an inch and sticks, quiveringly, in the wall behind him. They move onto the ledge, above the tank. WIDE SHOT: And now the advantage is with Clark, who advances on Luthor ready to try throwing a merely mortal punch. But Luthor immediately begins shadow-boxing, darting quick blows at Clark-Superman. Surprised, Clark-Superman can only keep ducking and feinting. Luthor stops abruptly; they are at a standoff. LUTHOR (to Albert) Well. Albert, it looks like we won't. . . (a wildly significant look) Play ball. Y'know? (as Albert looks blank) Y'know?? The light dawns in Albert's face and he nods quickly. CONTINUED 484CONTINUED TIGHT TWO SHOT: Luthor and Clark-Superman facing each other. Clark-Superman looking frustrated and humiliated , Luthor smiling mockingly at him. LUTHOR Big mistake, pal. Because it's the bottom of the ninth for you. WIDE SHOT: And Albert is now creeping up the ledge behind Clark-Superman, wielding a baseball bat. LUTHOR (still smiling) And Lex Luthor has last licks! And on that last word we are ON Superman, FULL SHOT as the baseball bat comes crashing down on his head with incredible violence. We HEAR the mighty CRACK and expect to see his head split, but it is the bat that splits. Inexplicably, not a hair is out of place. A SERIES of QUICK CLOSEUPS -- REACTION SHOTS: Albert staring at the jagged butt end of the bat in his hand; a wide-eyed Eve, a shocked Luthor, literally back-tracking and last and most stunned, Clark-Superman, touching his head in gingerly disbelief. WIDE SHOT: Everybody in shock, Luthor recovering fastest. He gestures towards the broken bat. LUTHOR (explaining) They don't make those things the way they used to. (quickly) The brick Albert, the brick! (as Albert scurries for it, to Clark-Superman, almost reassuringly) This should do it. Albert runs at Superman, obviously about to brain him with a flip of his brick. ON SUPERMAN: Venturing something. Concentrating, he aims his Heat-Vision. (EFFECTS) We HEAR a cry of pain from Albert. ON ALBERT: shaking his smarting hand, staring at the melted brick he's dropped. CONTINUED 484CONTINUED (2) ON EVE: she looks very nervous, a fluttery smile flitting on her race. She begins chewing on the chain she wears around her neck -- whatever is its pendant is under her sweater or blouse. EVE (quietly, timorously; to herself) Oh, boy, am I gonna get yelled at. . . ON LUTHOR, who hasn't even looked her way, still staring at Superman in disbelief. LUTHOR Impossible! ON CLARK-SUPERMAN: just as bewildered. SUPERMA.N Beats me. . . ON EVE: cast o'er with a sickly pale. EVE (to herself') 'Clumsy, butterfingered idiot,' he's going to say. 'How could you. . . ' She fingers the necklace. ON LUTHOR: frustrated, suddenly a wild hope. He runs to his office; Superman follows, as do the others. LUTHOR Wait! Don't move! I've got it here somewhere. . . 485INT. LUTHOR' S HALL - NIGHT TWO SHOT: Searching frantically, Luthor starts pulling out desk drawers. Superman takes a large bronze candlestick off the desk. Is he going to brain Luthor? No, he's testing his powers, bending it easily in half. ON EVE: watching this with sick dismay. EVE (tiny voice) In ten seconds, that's when he'll start yelling. Ten seconds I give it. Ten. . . nine. . . CONTINUED 485CONTINUED WIDE SHOT: As Superman carefully replaces the ruined candlestick, Luthor straightens up. LUTHOR Voila! He has found what he was looking for: a Thompson sub-machine gun. LUTHOR (confident again) Okay! (to Superman, as if he were about to take his picture) Could you just face me a little more? And Clark-Superman, in an increasingly happy daze, complies ON EVE: EVE Seven. . . six. . . 486ON LUTHOR: HE squeezes the trigger and FIRES off a ROUND. 487ON SUPERMAN: The bullets bounce off. LUTHOR (hysterical) But it's impossible! You did go through that machine, didn't you? SUPERMAN (furious) Machine? How did you know about that machine, Luthor? LUTHOR I. . .uh. . .was in your neighborhood and. . . SUPERMAN Breaking and entering, that's a felony with a fifteen year jail term. I'll just add that on to your. . . ON EVE: By now she is looking white with anxiety. CONTINUED 487CONTINUED LUTHOR But it was perfect! It restructures molecules! It had to work! A masterpiece of engineering! All right, at first I didn't understand about the cadmium oscillator, but when I examined the power source. . . (babbling on wildly) . . .I mean, I saw it! when this clumsy butterfingered idiot here knocked over one of the. . . Suddenly he comes to a dead stop, Fire in his eyes. ON EVE: EVE Two. . .one. . .zero ON LUTHOR: Turning to Eve, in a screaming rage! LUTHOR You...you... you clumsy butterfingered idiot! ON EVE: EVE (quietly) Blast off. NEW ANGLE: LUTHOR (weakly) That-that-that crystal, that red thing you dropped, didn't you. . .didn't you. . . With a gulp, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, she pulls the necklace pendant from her bosom. It is the glowing red crystal from the machine. EVE (a teeny weenie voice) You...mean this? (weakly) I thought it was pretty. CONTINUED 487CONTINUED (2) LUTHOR Pretty?! It's beautiful compared to what your going to look like!! He charges at her, but is stopped midway by the grasping hand of SUPERMAN, which lifts him a foot off the ground. SUPERMAN Hold it! 488NEW ANGLE As Superman grabs he enemy, we NOTE that he seems suddenly to expand in power and musculature. As if by magic, his costume is no longer baggy or ill-fitted or faded. His very being seems to have the old aura back again. Superman! SUPERMAN (hard as nails) Now, you pitiful little crackpot, you're going to start telling me what I want to know or your foot is going to feed the alli. . . Suddenly, as LUTHOR trembles in abject cowardice, the VOICE of GENERAL ZOD booms out in the vast lair. ZOD (O.S.) Luthor, you insignificant insect! You promised us the son of Jor-El! Where is he Luthor? Fulfill your promise or prepare to die on the... Immense relief floods over LUTHOR'S face at the SOUND of the VOICE, as the startled SUPERMAN lets him go and looks up. 489ANGLE UP: Standing, feet planted apart, arms akimbo, on one of the steel cross-beams is General Zod. Scattered on other ledges high up are Ursa, Non, and Jak-El. LUTHOR Ah, General! I thought you'd never get here. I don't suppose you've met, have you. Superman, these are some folks from your old home town come to say hi. Well, I'll just let you all have a nice little chat now I'm sure you've got all kinds of things to talk over -- old friends, old memories, singing the old school songs. . . CONTINUED 489CONTINUED ZOD (stentorian tones) Son of Jor-El! At the sound of the hated name, Non roars. SUPERMAN What do you want of me? ZOD I am General Zod! SUPERMAN Big deal. ZOD (stridently) You will bow to the four of us! especially me! WIDE, LONG: The four above, Zod pointing down to Superman imperiously. SUPERMAN I think you need to be taken down a peg. 490And with that: EFFECT: A beam of heat vision Shoots from our hero's eyes and strikes the steel beam Zod stands upon. It glows and melts beneath his feet, sending Zod crashing down to the floor. 491Instantly: JAK-EL (deprecatingly) Oh that. Who can't do that? 492From their three perches, the three beam heat vision (EFFECTS) on the floor Superman stands on, cutting a section around him as neatly as a laser beam. 493NEW ANGLE as the chunk of floor gives way and sends Superman crashing down to the basement level. Debris and dust fly. 494ON LUTHOR, EVE AND ALBERT: watching wide-eyed, scared. LUTHOR My carpets! Be careful of my carpets! ON SUPERMAN: a bit stunned as he lifts himself out of the debris. SUPERMAN (wonderingly) This is going to be harder than I thought. ZOD (above) Now, son of Jor-El! Kneel and beg my forgiveness! (holds out his hand) You will kiss my ring! SUPERMAN (pointing to his monogrammed chest) You can kiss my 'S.' 495He hurls a chunk of broken metal at the leaping Jak-El. FOLLOW IT: As Jak-El ducks, the metal SMASHES against a wall, not merely cracking it, but bringing the entire wall down along with its paintings, scabbards, books, etc. 496ON LUTHOR AND EVE: He is apoplectic. LUTHOR (sputtering) Stop it! Stop it! This is my home! You are destroying a man's home! EVE (tentatively) Try to think of it as interior decorating, Lex. LUTHOR (homicidal) I'll decorate your interior, you stupid, screwed up, smart mouthed. . . EVE (running from him) Does this mean we're not engaged anymore? CONTINUED 496CONTINUED NEW ANGLE : ZOD Yield! Son of Jor-El, I command you to 'yield! SUPERMAN That'll be the day. URSA (contemptuously) He is even more pathetic than his father. Miserable weakling! And with that she lifts a heavy marble-topped table in the air, over her head. LUTHOR Not that! It's Chippen. . . And she flings it full force at Superman, FOLLOW IT: He darts away, as, to our amazement, the table goes not five or ten feet, but whizzes across the full length of the room, smashing the opposite wall. It crashes the wall down, cracking an iron water main pipe concealed in the wall. CLOSER: A the pipe cracks, gallons of water begins gushing into the lair with the force of geyser. 498REACTIONS: LUTHOR, EVE, ALBERT . . .in a panic. LUTHOR A bucket! Albert, get a bucket! ZOD Humble yourself, son of Jor-El! Bow to your leader! ON SUPERMAN: as ha takes off, flying up toward Zod. SUPERMAN You sure like to hear yourself talk, huh? Well I'm just going to have to close that mouth for you. 500NEW ANGLE: As Superman comes, Zod gives the signal to Non. With a cry, the beast springs from his perch and charges full-force at Superman, butting him with his head squarely in the chest. The terrible blow has a remarkable effect on Superman. For the first time he is hurt. Reeling, he lets out a cry of pain, which is truly frightening to us who never heard that before from him, and falls to the ground.; A beat of terrible silence. SUPERMAN (amazed, rubbing his chest) Pain. . . This must be pain. . . ON EVE: a look of pity. EVE Awww. He was always a real gentleman to me. WIDE ZOD Admit defeat, obstinate fool! Bow and proclaim Zod your master! SUPERMAN (rising) You, a master? You're nothing but a slave to your own sick mind. ON ZOD: seething with rage. ZOD So, this is the answer, is it? ON LUTHOR: as he sees it's going to start again. LUTHOR (pitifully, almost in tears) Aw, c'mon, people, can't you go and play somewhere else? ZOD Still you resist! Then others will pay for your stubborn attitude! Innocent people. (as if it were an insult, spitting it out) Humanity! 501And with that, he leaps from his place and flies straight up through the hole in the ceiling. LUTHOR I thought they'd never leave. (suddenly in command again) Albert, get a broom. Miss Teschmacher, the mop is in the utility room, what are you waiting for, a printed invitation? (as they scurry off; to Superman) Would you mind moving out of the way? I've got a little spring cleaning to do here and you're in my. . . Suddenly, O.S., coming from above on street level: a horrible SCREAMING of people in pain. 503MED. CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN: His reaction is instantaneous. He flies straight out and up. CUT TO 504 EXT. CITY STREET, METROPOLIS NIGHT As Superman emerges, a terrible sight awaits him. We ARE IN THE INTERSECTION of a busy midtown Metropolis section. On one corner, a tall, modern glass-fronted skyscraper. On another a big department store. A hospital building down the street. The area is well lit, not only by street lights, but by big electric signs advertising various products or naming various companies, which sit on the roofs and ledges of the surrounding buildings, The Daily Planet building among them. One of these gigantic signs has been toppled, crushing about twenty people in the middle of the intersection. Many are dead. Some crawl away, hurt. Other people, a large crowd, are running in panic from the apocalypse, taking shelter in the lobby of the department store, crushing into the available space, to avoid the devastation taking place. (NOTE: The following scene, although detailed carefully here, moves at rapid pace, one event following another in FAST CUTS so that there is no time for reflection on the part of the audience, nor) for that matter, on the part of Superman.) In QUICK CUTS, then: 5051.The WIDE SHOT and VARIOUS ANGLES, SHOWING what has just happened. 5062.Survivors of this first disaster, yelling, run to the safety of the department store entrance. 5073.Superman seeing all this, looking up to where the sign fell from. 5084.PAN UP: Jak-El, giggling has pushed the sign. As he leaps from the now-empty rooftop, over the skeletonic sign foundation, PAN TO General Zod, on another height. ZOD Son of Jor-El! Bow! Bow and acknowledge the superior power of General Zod! 5095.INTERCUT CROWD seeing Superman . Superman rushes to the fallen victims, when: 5106.JAK-EL, on another ledge, pushes over another sign. It falls with a crash, injuring the slower of the fleeing people. ZOD Kneel! Swear loyalty to Zod! Stopped in his tracks, Superman -- for whom everything is happening too fast, faster than he can stop it -- races to the second sign, when: O.S. : SCREAMING of young children. 511ON SUPERMAN: who spins around to see why. 512HIS POV: NON, across the street, hold over his head a mini school bus, which has been converted into an evacuation vehicle, as evidenced by the sign posted on its side, the suitcases on its luggage rack. Inside the bus, about 15 children, a few nuns, a driver, scream in terror as Non rocks the bus from side to side as he holds it aloft, sending the passengers tumbling over each other. 513ON SUPERMAN: SUPERMAN No! 514NEW ANGLE: Before he can, NON hurls the school bus at the side of a concrete building. It crashes and EXPLODES. SUPERMAN Don't! Don't do this! Why are you doing this? JAK-EL Cause you're so cute when you're mad. CONTINUED 514CONTINUED ZOD On your knees, son of Jor-El! O.S. the biggest SCREAMING yet. Many people in a panic. 515ON THE DEPARTMENT STORE: The mob that took refuge in there now comes charging out, in panic and hysteria, screaming. 516CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN: He doesn't know why. CUT TO 517INT. DEPARTMENT STORE LOBBY - NIGHT WIDE SHOT: behind the fleeing crowd, is a wall of flame. Behind the wall of flame is Ursa, heat-vision emanating from her eyes, as she forces them into the open. CUT TO 518EXT. DEPARTMENT STORE - NIGHT As the crowd rushes out into the street. CUT TO 519EXT. ROOF - DEPARTMENT STORE - NIGHT ANGLED DOWN, WIDE, OVER THE BACK OF JAK-EL, his hands poised on the enormous electric sign of the Department store. Just as the crowd below turns out into the target area, he tips the sign over, screeching with glee: JAK-EL Bombs awayyyyyy! 520The sign crashes down on the crowd. Enormous destruction. ZOD Bow down! Bow down and submit, you son of Jor-El! As if he were saying "sonofbitch." 521ON ZOD: Drawing himself up to full strength on his lofty height, he aims his ferocious eyes at what is across the street. 522WIDE: (EFFECTS) The beam from his eyes hits the vast glass front of the skyscraper. ON THE GLASS FRONTED SKYSCRAPER: A crack appears, with a mighty SOUND, like the crack in an egg - jagged from top to bottom. An instant later, the windows start to pop and fly, some bursting out into the street, some going inwards. INTERCUT: 5231.SHOTS of OFFICE WORKERS hit by the flying glass inside, screaming, falling. CLOSEUPS of faces cut, eyes bleeding, heads covered with broken shards of glass. Panic. Hysteria. 5242.SHOTS OF SUPERMAN: unable to prevent it. Horrified. 5253.SHOTS OF ZOD: shouting his importunities. The others, wild. 5264.THE CROWD ON THE STREET, those who have survived, massed together, are amazed at Superman's inaction. Cat calls and expressions of disappointment. Some yelling, "Get 'em! Get 'em!" 537ON SUPERMAN: He stands there, impotent, not knowing where to turn. Then: VOICE OF URSA Superman! Over here! 528PAN UP, WIDE: JAK-EL is now on top of the Daily Planet building, sitting astride the great electric globe that festoons the roof of the newspaper offices. Non is now on the ledge of another building across the street. Zod is on his perch, right angles to Non. Completing the square is Ursa who sits on the awning of a building whose fa‡ade reads METROPOLIS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. JAK-EL Come on, local boy, Make good. URSA (taunting) Is de widdle man tired? ZOD We noticed a pavilion in the children's hospital dedicated to you. Why don't you check yourself in with the rest of the sick and weak! 529ON SUPERMAN: Looking every which way, a terrible inner struggle going on inside him. Jaw clenched, fists tight, he stands immobile. 530ON THE CROWD: Waiting, watching. 531ON SUPERMAN: He flies up, as if to confront the villains, but then, halfway there, he suddenly whips into a turn and zooms away, darting off through the buildings into the night. he is gone. 532ON THE CROWD: Some cannot believe it. Expressions of dismay. TWO BLACK KIDS, 8 and 10, with "street smarts " beyond their years, look at the sky, their cynicism confirmed. FIRST BLACK KID (scornfully) Huh. Superman Didn't even do nothin'. SECOND BLACK KID (calling up to the sky, the ultimate put-down) Jive turkey! The SOUNDS of the awful LAUGHTER of the four can be HEARD:. 533ON THE ROOFTOPS: The four are rocking with laughter. JAK-EL Never even threw a punch! URSA A coward like his rather. Like all men. As Non growls horrendously. ZOD (delighted) And did you see his face when I asked him to bow and he. . . (the laugh stops suddenly) . . . he did not bow. (looking wildly around) Where has he gone? Where is he? CUT TO 534INT. LEX LUTHOR' S HALL - NIGHT A very delicate operation is in process. Albert stands none too steadily at the top or a rickety ladder hammering a metal patch on the broken water pipe, while Eve, half way up the ladder, passes him nails, and Luthor, at the foot of the ladder, steadies it. Signs of hasty repair are everywhere: buckets, towels, pans, etc. pressed into service. LUTHOR If I never see any of them again, it's too soon for . . . 535Suddenly, with a mighty whoosh, the four villains descend from the hole in the ceiling, knocking down the ladder as they do, causing Albert to fall, the patch to come loose, the water to start gushing again. LUTHOR (beside himself) Why me? Why me? Isn't there any other louse in this city who deserves grief and heartbreak? Does it always have to be. . . Non grabs him by the neck, and growls, teeth showing. LUTHOR (trying to smile) Hi, there. ZOD (angry) Where is he? Where is the son of Jor-El? LUTHOR Can't you people ever hold onto your property? Again with where is. . . (suddenly brightens) Ohhh, lost him, have you? Non releases him. Luthor brushes himself off. ZOD Where has he gone? FAVORING LUTHOR: as he gets the old confidence back. With a strut and a stagger and a wink to Eve and Albert; LUTHOR It so happens I'm the only one in the world who has the answer to that question. URSA Where?! LUTHOR Not so fast. This time we make a deal. CONTINUED 535CONTINUED ZOD Deal? General Zod make a deal?? LUTHOR (blithely) Suit yourself. Kill me if you want to. (as Non approaches) What will it get you, aside from a national day of' mourning? Deal me in and you get your pigeon. ZOD Where does he go? LUTHOR The address? What for? More of' that 'Bow, yield, kneel' routine? I saw it. It was a flop. A floperoo. ZOD (pure hatred) No more or that. This time we will kill him! Non howls. ZOD Kill him! LUTHOR N.G. He's as strong as any one of you. ZOD But not as strong as the four of us! One by one, we fail. But together. . . together we will tear him limb from limb. ON EVE: trembling, she backs away. LUTHOR (exultant) Now you're talking, y'know? Y'know? (grabs a Kleenex pops it in his mouth) Any of you folks care for a. . . well, anyway . Do we have a deal? CONTINUED 535CONTINUED (2) JAK-EL What is it you want, earthling? LUTHOR I figure you'll take over the world in about a week, right? Right. Well, it's a big place, the world. And my needs are small. As it turns out, y'know, I have a certain weakness for beachfront property and. . . ZOD (enough already) What do you want ? CLOSEUP - LUTHER : a big smile. LUTHOR Cuba. CUT TO 536INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - NIGHT A brooding, disturbed Superman, his face a portrait of tortured emotion, sits at his master console, looking at a TV screen. As he brushes back a lock of hair, wincing from a bruise, which we see for the first time, MOVE INTO TV screen until it FILLS OUR FRAME. 537INSERT: On the TV screen is SEEN the back porch of the White House in Washington, D.C. where the PRESS SECRETARY is holding a news conference, surrounded by gentlemen ofthe press. PRESS SECRETARY (very serious) The President has asked me to read the following statement. (reading) 'These are grave and terrible events, which threaten the very existence of our planet. I have, therefore, as your Commander in Chief, placed all armed forces on emergency status. All leaves and furloughs are cancelled until further notice. There is little we can do against interplanetary forces bent on wanton destruction, however. We must look to a higher power and pray that the five creatures abandon their willful activities and allow us to live in peace.' CONTINUED 537CONTINUED REPORTER Excuse me, did you say 'Five'? I don't understand. PRESS SECRETARY Yes, five. The President! considers Superman equally responsible -- perhaps 'irresponsible' is a better word. . . for this terrible destruction. 538REVESE FROM TV SCREEN TO SUPERMAN WATCHING: Stung to the quick, he gets up, switches it off, walks toward the area where, he communicates with his father, almost literally stooped with the weight of the world on his shoulders. PAN HIM OVER TO the shelves where the memory crystals are kept. He takes one of the last crystals on the second wall - the wall where Luthor got his information -- and walks toward the activating device. CUT TO 539EXT. SKY - NEAR NORTH POLE - NIGHT The four villains are flying. Luthor rides on Non's back . LUTHOR (to Ursa, flying alongside) My ears are popping, y'know. She turns away in disgust. LUTHOR No drinks. No movie. This is the last time I take a charter flight. CUT TO 540INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - NIGHT Jor-El has materialized and is listening to Superman's grim tale. SUPERMAN . . . but I couldn't save the world. My being there just made things worse. JOR-EL So you came here. CONTIUNED 540CONTINUED SUPERMAN (nodding) And here I sit. . . (bitterly) In my own little Phantom Zone. Staying out of trouble. (shakes his head) But I'm kidding myself, aren't I? I've Just defaulted. . . left the world to them. JOR-EL (nodding quietly) And sooner or later they will find you anyway. SUPERMAN (despairingly) Isn't there anything I can do? Amazingly, the image of Jor-El begins to fade away as if he has clicked himself off. CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN: Terrible anxiety. Then, suddenly, the image of Jor-El grows to full strength again. A forthright expression in his eyes. JOR-EL There is one solution. And only one. CUT TO 541EXT. SKY NEAR THE FORTRESS - NIGHT LUTHOR There! Down there! ZOD I see only ice. LUTHOR Trust me. Did I ever let you down? The word down becomes a gibbering cry, as they suddenly zoom downwards, Lex hanging on for dear life. His race looks like it's being pressured by 800 g's. LUTHOR If you people could Just do something about this turbulence problem, we could put TWA out of business. 542INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - NIGHT ON SUPERMAN: as he stands by the control panel of his console, pushing various buttons, activating various crystals. We don't know exactly what he is doing, but it sure looks important. VOICE OF LUTHOR Yoo hoo! Anybody home! Hey, Stupid man! You've got company! 543 SUPERMAN activates the mechanism (same one Albert fooled with earlier) that causes one wall of the Fortress (EFFECTS) to become opaque/transparent so that he can now see what is out there. 544WHAT HE SEES: The four and Luthor, ranged across his "front yard." LUTHOR Don't blame me, dummy! You're the one who blew it! All you had to do was compromise a little - I mean, so you kneel once, what's the big deal, a little dust on your knee? But no, you had to be macho man. They would've made you a deal, y'know. You could have been king of the United States maybe! At least Governor of North Dakota! But no, you had to go and make them mad. Hey listen, Superman, can you hear me? When these guys get mad it males me look like Winnie the Pooh. Now they want to kill you! What can I say? I'm going to miss our little chats, y'know. Y'know? Hey, in there. . . send up a flare, or something. Let us hear from ya! During this, CUT FROM Superman's INSIDE POV TO: 545EXT . FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - NIGHT ZOD Enough of this! Son of Jor-El, prepare to die! (to Non) Smash the door! Non rears back and hurls himself at the door. The second he hits it (EFFECTS): An enormous ZAP! of Kryptonian electricity sends him reeling him back, stunned. He lies in the snow, doesn't know what hit him. JAK-EL Let's take it from the top. Jak-El, leaps to the roof of the Fortress. 546ON THE ROOF: As the wiry imp crawls between icicle points, looking for a means of entry, a second set of icicle-like points suddenly rises from the roof, intersecting with the first group. As these touch Jak-El (EFFECTS): Another ZAP! of electricity gooses him up and off. He falls to the ground. 547ON THE GROUND LEVEL: They all cluster around Zod, feeling a bit foolish. LUTHOR I don't know. . . for me the door was always open. ZOD We have forgotten our plan. Four. We are four. It is the strength of four that will defeat our enemy. He gestures to them, manipulating them into a flying wedge, pointed at the doorway. ZOD Together! Now! In a fearsome display of raw power, the four leap, fly like bullets, and hit the door simultaneously. Again there is a tremendous ZAP! of electricity, but it isn't strong enough to withstand their combined super-power. The door crashes and splits and they are inside. CUT TO 548INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE. - NIGHT As they race in, each looking around wildly for their prey, smelling blood. Behind them, Luthor trots in. WIDE: But. . . the enormous interior seems to be empty. No sign of Superman. ZOD Show yourself, coward! Son of a coward! CUT TO 549INT. MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING CHAMBER There is Superman inside. He can see them through the glass window. Quickly he puts a red crystal -- a duplicate of the one we saw on Eve's necklace in its proper place in the crystal panel bank. Then, he flings open the door and stands in the doorway of the chamber. SUPERMAN Anytime! Come and get it! CUT TO 550INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - NIGHT The four see him now, and, with cries of fury, begin to race toward the chamber. Superman takes a few steps inside. But, when they are almost there: LUTHOR (yelling frantically) No! Don't go in there! It's a trap! It's a trap! NEW ANGLE: The four stop in their tracks. QUICK CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN: looks upset. LUTHOR Don't set foot one in that thing! I know what it is! It's a molecular restructuring thing! ZOD (snarling) A what? LUTHOR It makes you into an earthling! It turns people like you in to. . . (feels funny saying this) . . . people like me. ON THE FOUR: They shrink back in horror, then turn appreciative eyes on Luthor. ZOD We could have been. . .! (to Luthor) You have done well, Lex Luthor. We will award you this Cuba place. ON SUPERMAN: He glares daggers at Lex Luthor. He looks as furious as we have ever seen him be. SUPERMAN Luthor, you poisonous little snake. . . CONTINUED 550CONTINUED ON THE FOUR: A gleam of pleasure appears in Zod's eyes. ZOD An earthling? (savoring it) It turns a Kryptonian into an earthling? LUTHOR (smiling) Like a man into a mouse. URSA (almost salivating) Then a 'Super' man. . . JAK-EL . . . becomes a Super Mouse! ZOD (a sadistic smile; his first smile of the movie) My friends. . . this amuses your General. (suddenly; frighteningly fierce) Seize him! They spring at Superman and grab him -- literally limb by limb, one on each leg and arm. It is an awful spectacle, as Superman vainly kicks and struggles, his eyes contorting with fear. SUPERMAN No! No! Please Don't! His pleas are in vain. . . they hurl him into the chamber. Zod slams the door shut and seals it. ZOD Lex Luthor! Ruler of the Cuba place! Activate this machine! Make the child of our jailer into a crawling slave so that we may destroy him as easily as. . . ON LUTHOR: as he runs toward the chamber. LUTHOR Say no more, General. It's my pleasure. And he pushes the starting mechanism. Immediately: 551WIDE: Something odd (to us, not to them) happens. The sudden spectacular changes of lights, colours, spotlights and so on that we saw earlier when Superman entered the chamber begin to happen again. . . but this time they happen in the entire interior of the Fortress, and not in the Molecular Restructuring Machine. SHOTS: 1. WIDE as the lights change. 2. INSIDE THE MACHINE, Superman sits bathed in ordinary room light. 3. The colors and lights pass across the faces of the villains - red, green, blue. But this time a new color, or set of light changes, occurs -- something we did not see the first time when the machine was lacking one important crystal. At last the process ends. The lights in the Fortress return to "normal." The four, as well as Luthor, observed all the phenomenon with curiosity, but now that it seems to have ended they are grinning with anticipation, each wanting to be the one who gets the first shot. JAK-EL Let me . . . URSA No, I want to . . . Non emits, a mighty howl. ZOD (evil benevolence) Non. . . my faithful Non. . . you may do the honors. FAVORING NON: Practically drooling with anticipation walks to the chamber and opens the lock. MOVE IN: SEE Superman in there. Hesitantly, he walks out the door, standing in front of Non. With an idiot grin and a lunatic grunt of amusement, Non points to his chin, which he proffers, as it to say, "Go ahead, hit me." Superman stands there a moment. (Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?). Now he clenches his fist. Now he raises his arm. Now Non grunts mockingly. Superman hauls back and socks. 553WHAMM! The punch sends Non flying across the entire length of the entire room, crashing into the far wall, out cold. 554QUICK REACTION SHOTS: URSA, JAK-EL, ZOD, LUTH0R. . . how could this be??? ON LUTHOR: A gibbering idiot, trying to figure it out, terrified. LUTHOR He. . . he switched it! The old switcheroo! He was on the inside looking out, we were on the outside looking. . (blathering) The wrong place at the wrong time! It isn't fair! He turned it around! Put it in reverse! How could he do it? MED, CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN: with a beaming smile, he looks skywards and makes a jaunty little salute. SUPERMAN Thanks, Dad. NEW ANGLE: URSA, spitting with rage, charges at him. URSA I'll kill you! I'll destroy you! As she springs at him, fingernails out, he grabs her, yanks her over and turns her over his knee. SUPERMAN This is how we treat naughty girls on earth, Ursa. He spanks her butt soundly. She howls. ON ZOD: Cowering in a corner of the room; Jak-El behind him. NEW ANGLE: Superman dumps Ursa on the floor, stalks towards the General. He grabs him by the lapels with one hand. ZOD No! SUPERMAN General Zod, consider yourself dishonorably discharged. 555With his free hand, he strips the epaulets from General Zod's shoulders. Then, grabbing him with both hands, he raises him and hurls him across the room. Zod crashes into Jak-El and both wind up in a heap. 556ON LUTHOR: on his knees. LUTHOR (trembling) Listen, Superman, don't do anything rash. Don't be hasty. I'll be nice. I'll be your best friend. I'll change my ways. POV: LUTHOR: ANGLE UP, Superman, advancing on him. SUPERMAN Now then, Luthor, as for you. . . LUTHOR (O.S.) Please! I'll turn over a new leaf. A hundred leaves! Trees! Forests! SUPERMAN (coming closer) Too late, Luthor. CUT TO 557INT. MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING CHAMBER - SPACE CLOSEUP LUTHOR: (The CUT to the CLOSEUP makes it seem as if we are still in the Fortress. Lighting on Luthor's face is the same, so we believe the following line is coming immediately after Superman's last speech). LUTHOR (wildly hysterical) No! No, don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! CAMERA PULLS BACK: suddenly we SEE that we are now inside the Molecular Restructuring Chamber, but still TIGHT ON Luthor, so that it seems we are still in the Fortress. LUTHOR You, can't kill me! I'm a genius! I'm Lex Luthor! I'm the only one who can get us out of here! CONTINUED 557CONTINUED PULL BACK CONTINUES AND WIDENS: Now we SEE that locked inside with him areGeneral Zod, Ursa, Non, and Jak-El, and outside the window is nothing but the black void of outer space. ZOD Every bone in your body, Luthor. URSA Limb from limb. Limb from limb. JAK-EL You got us into this! URSA Limb from limb. LUTHOR (wheedling, conniving, figuring, hustling Lex Luthor to the last) Gimme a break, I'm the only one who can get us out of here! (waves his slide rule) Give me time! I'll figure out a plan! They advance on him, cornering him in the glass cage. LUTHOR Y'know? 'Y'know? Y'know? Y'know? 558PULL BACK THROUGH SPACE. The chamber gets further and further away until it is merely a dot, lost among the stars. Then: A circular frame appears around this view of the starry sky. CUT TO 559EXT. ROOF OF SKYSCRAPER - OSSERVATION TOWER (EMPIRE STATE . BUILDING) To REVEAL the source of the circular VIEW. A telescope on an observation platform. Eve Teschmacher is looking through it. She waves sadly into space. CUT TO 560INT. DAILY PLANET - CITY ROOM - DAY TWO SHOT: by the elevators, where Clark Kent, having just come in, is standing still -- literally hat in hand -- for a dressing down by Perry White. All the while, Clark stares over Perry's shoulder with a look of puzzlement. PERRY C'mon, Kent, you're the tenth guy to do that number about the subway not running. When I started out. . . back before the wheel was invented. . . reporters knew how to walk to work. (turning to go, a word of advice) A little exercise wouldn't kill you. REVERSE as they turn, and we now SEE what has been bothering Clark - beneath a great jagged hole in the ceiling stands the huge electric globe which was on the roof until Jak-El started cavorting on it. Obviously, as a final gesture, he sent it crashing down into the middle of the room. Plaster and dust are all around it and workmen with ropes and tackles are struggling to budge it. PERRY (shouting to them) The world is too much with me! Will you get that thing out of here? (to Clark) A parting present from the flying freak show. (to the panting, puffing workmen) Where am I supposed to put my movie critic?! (to Clark) He said it was the best thing he's seen in years. But he thought he'd work at home. . . (raising his voice to the workmen) . . .while they take their sweet time ! And off he stalks. HOLD ON Clark, who barely has time for a shake of the head and a tiny private smile before Jimmy Olsen dashes up to him carrying the latest edition. JIMMY Clark, wait'll you see. . . my first story! CLARK Hey, congratulations! CONTINUED 560CONTINUED Jimmy holds out the paper. CLARK Front page? JIMMY Well, not exactly. (he opens out the paper to about page 30, points to the bottom undaunted) But he did give me a byline. CLARK (reading it) James Arthur Olsen. . . JIMMY (seeing it on a Pulitzer) Yeah. . . CLARK (a grin, a slap on his back) Way to go, James! TRACK WITH him as he goes to his desk. halfway there, he is stopped by a conspirational call. LOIS (O.S.) Clark! Clark! He turns, crosses quickly to her. TWO SHOT: he stands beside the desk. She sits at her typewriter, a typewritten page in thedesk and another in the typewriter. She is very "up," very excited. LOIS Tired, darling? She takes his hand. He smiles down at her too, but he seems hesitant. As if sensing this, she goes right on talking very quickly, very brightly. CONTINUED 560CONTINUED (2) LOIS Well, you're not the only one who's been busy. Wait until you - I mean, I haven't told anyone yet -- well, I haven't even had time to tell anyone - that I have written the story of' -- well, the story. This is 'stop the presses!' time. (a little laugh, but she is not getting much encouragement from Clark; she hurries on) Anyway, I thought you should be the first to -- She pulls the page out of the typewriter and hands it to him with the other page. He sits down on the edge of' her desk. INSERT: The top page whose headline reads: SUPERMAN'S IDENTITY REVEALED." Almost instantly, it is turned and a second page is SEEN for a second. ON CLARK: rather ashen-faced, a strained smile as he hands it back to Lois. LOIS (quickly, lightly) Super-speed-reading -- the best or all powers! (anxiously) So -- what do you think'? CLARK Well, it's quite scoop. . . LOIS (happily) It is, isn't it? Of course, the only thing is. . . (lowering her voice, conspiratorially) . . .how did you do it? How did you get back to being. . . well, super? That's the only part I haven't got. Did you go back to that machine? Or did your father have some other -- CLARK Lois -- CONTINUED 560CONTIUED (3) LOIS (a laugh) Okay, okay, later for the investigative reporting. (more seriously) Well, I mean later f me. You know there's really no reason for you to be a reporter at, all. You don't need that cover anymore. Why should you trudge around, unappreciated, just old Clark Kent when -- CLARK (quietly) But I liked it. LOIS (quickly, taking his hand) Oh, sweetheart, so did I. (a mischievous grin) But isn't it true Superman has more fun ? (as he looks faintly troubled) And so will I. It's true, I promise you. Oh, I know, I was upset by what your father said -- about you being. . . special. But I've been thinking -- (a little toss of the head) -- well, he never knew me. I'm -- no false modesty, right? -- well, I'm special too. I'd never stop you from what you have to do -- I'd be pretty dumb if I couldn't see how the world - (a gesture to the great globe near them) -- needs you. (she lets go of his hand) How can I -- look, my friend Barbara, she's married to a doctor and he's worse than you. CLARK Huh? LOIS Well, hospital night duty, teaching, clinics, emergency calls -- he's never home. And she's survived. So okay, Superman -- (a quick look around; her voice ever lower) -- you've got your. . . career. Well, I've got mine too. But weekends -- (MORE) CONTINUED 560CONTINUED (4) LOIS (happily) -- we can fly anywhere -- Rome! Paris! Casablanca! By the time we've named it, we'll be there! (he seems about to cut in) Or -- yes, we might just want to relax. I know a little place up north -- (she smiles up at him) -- where we could be. . . snowed in. I always wanted to learn to ski. As he smiles at her - loving her however uneasily at this moment -- she rolls the second page quickly into the typewriter again. LOIS So, tell me how you got those super-powers back again. because I also always did want to win the Pulitzer prize. CLARK (rising; quietly) I'll drink to that. TRACK WITH him as he steps quickly to the water cooler, fills two transparent plastic cups with water; He stands a second, looking down at one of them. 561EFPECTS: His eyes widen (SPECIAL EFFECTS) and the water glows, changes color, and then goes back to normal. 562It is the cup that he hands to Lois. TIGHT TWO SHOT - as she raises her cup and he slowly raises his. They both smile. But her eyes are happy and his are full of pain. LOIS Here's looking at you, kid. CLARK Yeah. . . As she drinks, slightly turned away, he looks at the page in the typewriter and on her desk. INSERT: The pages have gone blank. ON LOIS -- blinking, shaking her head, rather as if coming out of a reverie. Frowning, she regards the blank paper in her typewriter. CONTINUED 562CONTINUED LOIS Now what was I about to -- ? (looking up) Clark? What did I say I wanted to work on? (apologetically) I always get groggy when I skip lunch. CLARK (thinking) Let's see, it was -- it was about Superman. How he saved the city -- or the world -- or the universe -- LOIS (mock-scolding) Clark Kent, jealousy is a counter-productive attitude. CLARK (wryly) I'll try to remember that. LOIS After all, there are things you can do. CLARK Yes? LOIS Yes. Like getting us a pizza. Clark leaps to his feet. CLARK Pizza! And he dashes out. HOLD ON Lois -- watching him go, a little startled and very pleased. LOIS Now that's what I call service! CUT TO 563EXT. PISA, ITALY - DAY REPEAT OF SAME SHOT AS EARLIER -- Early morning, and the hands of' the SOUVENIR SELLER rolls up the awning on his stand. We now SEE that the shelves have been filled with spanking new plastic Towers of' Pisa and postcards to match the new version: all the towers stand upright. PULL BACK, REVEALING the now once-again smiling, happy, contented Souvenir Seller and, in the b.g., the upright Tower. ZOOM PAST IT to a blue dot in the sky. CUT TO 564EXT. SKY ABOVE PISA - DAY ON Superman as he flies. SUPERMAN (shamefaced grin, to himself) So it's supposed to lean. I'm a kid from Krypton -- how was I to know. . . ? Grinning he starts to descend. 565WIDE SHOT: He arrives at the top of the Tower, starts to push it back down again so that it will lean once more. CUT TO 566EXT. SOUVENIR STAND - PISA - DAY Where our ,an once again admires his stock, looks to the real thing, looks back and then does a double-take worthy of Edgar Kennedy in his prime: for the Tower is now the LEANlNG TOWER again and all his wares are useless. Hysterical, he smashes shelves to the ground, makes violent obscene gestures at the caped hero above, and, weeping and screaming: SOUVENIR SELLER Cretino! Stronzo! . . .and other expletives deleted. CUT TO 567EXT. SKY - DAY All problems attended to, he flies majestically home, soaring toward the blue horizon, magnificent in his power, at ease in a world that welcomed him to its atmosphere. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look -- up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's SUPERMAN THE END