All-Star Superman (2011) Movie Script
MAN 1:
Doomed planet.
MAN 2:
Servo cells are out. We're dropping.
MAN 1:
Desperate scientists.
MAN 2: Approaching photosphere.
Increase stabilizers.
MAN 1:
Last hope.
Pressure index, 55 up.
MAN 1:
Kindly couple.
Superman.
MAN 2:
Gravity shields are failing, Dr. Quintum.
We're falling directly into the sun.
When we hit the convection zone, the
temperature will reach 40 million degrees.
QUINTUM:
I'm not ready to die just yet.
Pity.
[SCREAMS]
You killed your brother.
-I did.
-That should be impossible.
I genetically engineered you myself.
Your code has been modified
by a superior intellect.
-Now I'm a biological time bomb.
QUINTUM: But--
I'm death, courtesy of Lex Luthor.
WOMAN:
How big is it?
From where I'm standing,
one can only hope it's proportional.
"Superman saves mission to the sun"?
We don't know that yet, Lois.
I always write Superman stories
before they happen.
If you don't know how big the sun is,
go away.
It's 333,000 times the size of the Earth.
Uh, uhh-- Uh. Wuh.
I looked it up
on my Superman signal watch.
Thanks, Jimmy.
It's like a hundred billion nuclear bombs
exploding every second.
You working undercover on a story?
No, why?
MAN: Lex Luthor told the world
he'd reformed.
And despite our best efforts,
the world believed him.
That's not exactly breaking news, chief.
No, but this is.
Luthor's been investing heavily
in water rights.
Kent's boring story.
The devil's in the details, Lombard.
Luthor planned to cash in
on a global water shortage...
...a shortage he intended to create
by somehow tampering with the sun.
This is tomorrow's front page.
We finally got that son of a bitch.
LUTHOR:
I'm approaching critical mass.
Lex, I just got a call
from Media Relations.
The Daily Planet's asking for a comment.
Fusion will occur in 30 seconds.
Are you talking to yourself again?
I'm remote-controlling a weapon.
The signal takes nine minutes
to reach the sun.
I have to coordinate
my transmissions perfectly.
The sun?
You were released from jail
to work for your country, not on your own--
I know I promised not to waste my intellect
on elaborate super deathtraps.
I know that.
Magnetic seals are decoupling.
The ship's coming apart.
I'm approaching critical mass.
Somebody help us.
But I looked in the mirror one morning
and realized something.
I'm getting older, and he isn't.
Something's gotta be done about that.
Don't you think?
Fusion will occur in 30 seconds.
SUPERMAN:
Not in here, it won't.
Quintum, blow the hatch.
[YELLING]
-Where's that shield coming from?
-It's Superman.
Somehow, he's extending
his own bioelectric field.
SUPERMAN:
It seems impossible.
QUINTUM: But it isn't.
You're lifting 200 quintillion tons.
Even allowing
for the one-sixth normal gravity...
...here on my moon base,
that's three times your record.
I feel like I could do more.
QUINTUM: No doubt, but that's
the heaviest apparatus known to man.
Add to that the new super-power
you exhibited when you saved me...
...and it's obvious
your body is changing radically.
Superman, I'm not sure
how to tell you this.
Tell me straight.
Your trip to the sun
overexposed your cells to solar radiation...
...more than even your body
can metabolize.
I see it,
like tiny fireworks beneath my skin.
Your cells are oversaturated with power.
They're bursting from within.
I'm dying.
I'm sorry, Superman.
If I hadn't tried to steal fire from the sun,
none of this would have happened.
Don't apologize.
-You couldn't have known.
QUINTUM: But he knew.
It was his plan all along.
Luthor used me to kill you.
We engineer new forms of humanity here
for the eventual betterment of mankind.
You're our inspiration, Superman.
And I promise,
we'll find a way to save you.
-I need a favor, Dr. Quintum.
-Anything.
My condition. Don't tell anyone, not yet.
There are some things I have to do first.
PERRY:
Great Caesar's ghost!
"Wait," he says.
"Exclusive interview," he says.
If Clark Kent doesn't show up
in the next five seconds, he's fired.
Five, four, three...
...two, one.
Hold the presses-- Oop!
Where the hell have you been, Kent?
Uh, working on my suntan?
Freeze. Hands above your head.
Lex Luthor, you are under arrest
for attempted murder...
...and crimes against humanity.
By all means, boys, take me away.
He was smiling when they nabbed him.
Said something
about friends in high places.
-That does seem odd.
LOIS: The Court of International Justice...
[CRACKING]
...is talking about
reinstating the electric chair just for him.
Do you ever think about death, Lois?
LOIS:
Don't be morbid, Smallville.
I'm so sorry.
Idiot. Your boyfriend's an idiot.
How dare you? And he's not my idiot.
Why, thanks, Lois.
I don't know where my self-esteem
would be without you.
Alone, in front of the TV.
Come on, Clark.
Thanks for carrying all this stuff.
Lois, there was something
I wanted to tell you.
If it's about the trial coverage,
it can wait till tomorrow. I've gotta fly.
Lois, I have something to tell you.
You're Clark Kent?
SUPERMAN:
I'm Clark Kent.
LOIS: Sorry, Superman, but you've
got to admit, that's very hard to believe.
All the years I spent trying to prove
you were Superman--
SUPERMAN:
You almost had me a couple of times.
--and you turn around and just tell me?
What happened to that big golden key
you used to have?
Didn't think it was secure enough.
ROBOT: Good afternoon, Superman.
May we be of assistance?
Please bring Miss Lane's car inside
and repair any damage from the flight.
That key can't be safe.
Why don't you give it a try?
[LOIS GROANS]
I carved it out of a piece
of dwarf star material.
It weighs half a million tons.
LOIS:
So you're the only one who can lift it.
I work pretty hard, Lois.
It's important to have
someplace private to relax.
How's the water?
LOIS:
Mm. Perfect.
-You're not looking, are you?
-Lois.
Well, to be honest,
if the situation were reversed--
I'd never take advantage, Lois.
So is this a date?
I mean, is all this for my birthday,
or are we about to get serious here?
Superman?
These are for you.
I picked them on Alpha Centauri IV.
[FLOWERS HUMMING]
They sing.
I didn't know you collected modern art.
SUPERMAN:
Actually, I do, but this is the armory.
I've confiscated some incredibly
destructive weapons over the years.
There are things here that can even hurt me,
like this Kryptonite laser or this gravity gun.
I hope none of your enemies
find out about this place.
They'd do anything to kill you.
That's not a problem, Lois.
My fortress
is only for the people closest to me.
Come see my new Time Telescope.
What's it do?
Lets me talk to my descendants
in the far future.
That's Kal Kent,
the Superman of the 84th century.
We fought the mad god Darkseid
in the year 831 5.
I'm still working out the bugs...
...but someday, I'll be able to use it
to stop threats before they happen.
He looks a little like my dad.
KAL:
--a thousand warriors, valiant and true.
SUPERMAN:
And this is a Sun-Eater.
I found it wandering in orbit near Jupiter.
Poor thing would have starved.
-Ech. What do you feed him?
-Suns.
Little ones I make here
on my Cosmic Anvil.
He's just a baby.
Here you go.
What's in here?
What the hell?
-Lois, stay out of there.
-I didn't mean to.
You can go anywhere in the fortress
except for this room.
It's off-limits.
It's not too early for dinner.
Why don't we eat?
What do you think?
I've been restoring it in my spare time.
It's good to have hobbies, I guess.
What are you wearing?
Traditional Kryptonian formalwear.
I made it myself.
Shipbuilding, fashion design.
You're a man of many talents.
I just feel like trying things.
My trip to the sun,
it not only tripled my strength...
...it tripled my curiosity,
my imagination, my creativity.
Did it triple your honesty?
Is that why you're suddenly telling me
the truth about your secret identity?
No, that's not why.
But you are telling the truth.
Yes.
Okay, how do you explain the time
Clark was a witness...
...in the Boss Grimaldi trial
and you were his bodyguard?
Batman was standing in for me.
And when Clark presented you
with the key to the city...
...that was Batman too?
A robot.
Lois, whenever I misled you,
it was for your own protection.
But now I'm telling you the truth.
Clark Kent and Superman
are one and the same.
If you're telling me the truth now...
...doesn't that mean
you've been lying to me for years?
LOIS: For the first time,
I see our whole freakish relationship...
...in stark black and white.
And I have to ask myself,
why would he lie to me?
Thirsty.
All these new powers
and his new super-intellect.
What if he's grown tired
of his little game...
...fooling people who love him
just to feel superior.
What if he's brought me here
for some experiment...
...that he's planning in that secret room?
I need a weapon.
It all makes sense now.
He's brought me here to be
the mother of a race of super-children.
Can't let that happen.
They'll grow up and lie to everybody.
May I be of service, Miss La--?
[LOIS SCREAMS]
He knows I'm here.
Gotta stop him.
God forgive me, I've gotta stop him.
[SUPERMAN GRUNTS]
[SIZZLING]
Huh. Tickles.
What have I done?
For one thing, you've confirmed
my suspicion that I'm immune to Kryptonite.
-I'll take that, if you don't mind.
-I don't understand what's happening.
Robot 7 seems to have malfunctioned.
I'll check him out later.
In the meantime, he left the door open
while I was synthesizing some chemicals.
They can cause visual distortion
and paranoia.
I saw a dissection machine.
A sewing machine,
for weaving indestructible thread.
The paranoia should pass momentarily.
I am feeling better.
I'm sorry I kept leaving you alone,
but I was making your birthday present.
And it took me longer than I thought
to read and memorize...
...the 6 billion characters
in your genetic code.
-What are you talking about?
-I guess the surprise is already spoiled.
This serum is keyed
to your genetic code.
It will give you powers just like mine
for 24 hours...
...without my vulnerability to Kryptonite
or red sunlight.
Happy birthday, Lois.
Well?
I feel different. Better.
Is it working?
MAN: Lex Luthor, your insane schemes
have endangered the lives...
...of every man, woman and child
on this planet.
Before I deliver the verdict of this court...
...do you have anything to say
in your defense?
Superman made me do it.
He's the one that should be on trial.
-What?
-Superman on trial?
Order.
Get this farce over with,
you pompous, senile toad.
You're an amoral sociopathic predator...
...driven by jealousy,
greed and delusions of grandeur.
Alexander Joseph Luthor...
...this court finds you guilty on all counts
of crimes against humanity.
-Yes! Justice is served.
-It's about time.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Does the costume I made for you fit?
Only a little better than my own skin.
Funny, I never noticed you
taking my measuremen--
[BEEPING]
Ah! What's that noise?
It's Jimmy's signal watch.
And I can already see
why he's calling for help.
Sorry, Lois.
The last thing I wanted on your special day
was a reptile invasion from the Earth's core.
I'd have felt cheated
if there weren't monsters.
Come on, let's save Metropolis.
I think we're a little late.
[PEOPLE GASPING AND SCREAMING]
Metropolis, Krull will eat your children.
How about you eat this?
LOIS:
Ha! Look who it is.
Samson.
Superman. Yo-ho.
[KRULL YELLING]
He won't be bothering Metropolis again
for a while.
His lungs just burst. Excuse me.
Always a joy to see you again.
Why are you here, Samson?
I thought you and your no-necked partner
were busy time-traveling.
[CRASHING AND GRUNTING]
That we were, fair Lois.
Only your loveliness could tempt me back
to this backward century.
SUPERMAN:
Atlas too.
-Why are you here?
-They think this is a singles bar.
Sorry, gentlemen, the lady's with me.
That's the lady's decision, is it not?
That's it.
I propose a challenge of the ages.
We'll each perform a super-feat
in the lady's honor.
Yes, and the most incredible feat
wins her.
Wins me?
Single girls with brains,
beauty and super-powers...
...are rare in any century, Lois.
SAMSON:
My super-feat is obvious.
I defeated Krull in single combat,
foiling his war on Metropolis.
And I subdued his entire army.
There doesn't seem to be much left
for you to do, Superman.
How about we get
these would-be conquerors...
...back to the center of the Earth
where they belong?
The subterranosaur people
have ever feared...
...and respected you, Superman.
My son will punished be for his crimes.
But Krull speaks of him goaded be
into his attack...
...by man Samson.
I suspected as much, Your Highness.
Please allow me to deal with it.
Can you imagine?
A race of dinosaur men
who escaped extinction...
...by moving to the center of the Earth.
Come with me, and I'll show you wonders
far beyond what you've seen.
A small token of my affection.
The radioactive crown jewels
of the Ultrasphinx.
SUPERMAN:
Careful, Lois.
Plutonium-240 is lethal.
Not for the next 24 hours it isn't.
Look, guys, I'm flattered.
But you'd have to go a long way
to outdo Superman.
You would spurn my affections
for a dalliance with this--?
Careful.
If I win your heart...
...I'll make the Titans kneel before you
and give testimony to your loveliness.
I'll crush diamonds in my mighty fist
and make them into sparkling wine.
Wow.
That's day one.
Lois, a moment, please?
Why are you flirting with them?
Maybe I'm teaching you a lesson
for impersonating Clark Kent.
I'm not impersonating Clark Kent,
I am Clark Kent.
Anyway, you can win any contest
those losers can dream up.
Why don't you humor me?
It's my birthday.
I don't like you much, Samson.
Trouble always seems to follow you.
What do I have to do to make you
keep your hands off of my girl?
I'm a time traveler, and I happen to know
she won't be your girl for much longer.
All's fair in love and war.
Anyway, pretty soon,
you'll be too busy with your challenge...
...to even think about dating.
Forget it, Samson.
Lois and I are going to a party in Atlantis
in less than an hour.
I sincerely doubt it.
What's this, Atlas,
part of my birthday surprise?
Since we, uh, borrowed that necklace
from the Ultrasphinx...
...he's been hounding us
like one of the Furies.
Chasing us throughout time and space.
Legend has it
that just before your death...
...you performed the most amazing feats
of your career.
Some scholars say that among them,
you answered the unanswerable question.
What are you talking about?
The Ultrasphinx is here.
Return what was stolen.
Lois.
ULTRASPHINX:
Halt.
She exists now
in a condition of quantum uncertainty.
Both alive and dead.
The universe asks you
an unanswerable question.
To answer correctly is life.
Failure to answer correctly is death.
This is my judgment.
You stole that necklace.
Don't you see?
We couldn't fight the Ultrasphinx
without help, so we let it chase us here.
But we meant no harm to Lois,
I swear to living Zeus.
And I swear too.
If she dies,
you're both going to the Phantom Zone.
Ultrasphinx, let's hear it.
Question:
What happens when the irresistible force
meets the immovable object?
They surrender.
Response acceptable.
Superman.
I was alive and dead at the same time.
My God.
It's okay, I've got you.
Come on, we're going dancing.
Wait a minute, what about our contest?
Answering a riddle
is hardly what I'd call a feat of strength.
I agree. How about I wrestle you for her?
Or is the mighty Man of Steel a coward?
Even the shield on his chest is yellow.
Okay, that's enough, both of you.
Then we have a deal?
If I win, you both leave
the 21st century right now.
I'll be leaving, all right,
with the beauteous Lois Lane on my arm.
Not if I beat him first.
I'm sorry, have you two already started?
Today was perfect.
We did everything I ever wanted to do.
You know
what I've always wanted to do?
I mean, from the first day we met.
What?
LOIS:
My birthday gift's wearing off.
I can't see radio waves anymore.
I can't hear the stars singing.
I'm tired and sore all over,
like I've been dancing all night.
Thanks for letting me
spend a day in your world.
You know, I do other things.
I mean, besides being Superman.
You do a great Clark Kent imitation.
You almost had me fooled.
Wait till I tell him about all this.
Lois?
[CLEARS THROAT]
I was aware
of your lumbering presence, Kent.
Just finishing work on my Bibliobot,
a roving library.
Read A Tale of Two Cities.
BlBLIOBOT:
It was the best of times, it was the--
Call it off.
-It was the age of wisdom--
-Watch your step, you clumsy ox.
You write like a poet,
but you move like a landslide.
I'm sure I had my dignity
when I came in here.
Your clumsiness appears
to have saved me from electrocution.
Albeit temporarily.
Probably my rubber-soled shoes.
I saw that "Da Vinci of Crime" headline.
It seems like a compliment,
but there's a sneer behind it.
Reporters don't write the headlines
to their stories, Lex.
Hmm.
You coming, Kent?
He sickens me.
That insipid boyish grin,
the smug self-regard.
Tell the truth.
Doesn't his very existence diminish you?
Diminish us all?
Our jobs don't really overlap.
What are you writing about me?
Give me that.
Code? I'll decipher it
in less than a minute.
-I--
-It's shorthand, Lex.
What kind of ridiculous affectation
is that for a man?
Can you imagine a better world, Kent?
That's all I've ever asked.
In a world without Superman,
the unattainable Lois Lane...
...might have noticed good old Clark,
pining away in the corner.
You keep talking about me,
but I'm here to interview you.
I'm just saying.
A strapping farm boy with brains, integrity,
no discernible style of his own?
You're a prize catch
for a cynical city girl.
Why haven't you filed an appeal?
But with him around,
you're a parody of a man.
A dullard, a cripple.
Next to Superman, even Lex Luthor's
greatness is overshadowed.
Are you trying to intimidate me?
I'm trying to educate you.
We all fall short
of his sickening inhuman perfection.
Feel that, Kent.
Real muscle.
Not the gift of alien biochemistry.
The product of hard work.
You don't really act like a man
facing the end of his life.
No, I don't.
So how's Superman these days?
Pale? Tired?
-Weak?
-He seems fine.
Ah. But he's not.
[BUZZES]
What would you do
if you had his powers?
-Help people.
-You probably would.
You lack the imagination
to see the alternatives.
Alternatives?
To truth, justice and all the other things
you can't weigh or measure.
To every abstract notion he personifies.
PARASITE:
I'll kill you, Luthor.
Suck you dry.
Kill you.
You don't scare me, Parasite.
Brain beats brawn every time.
That glass isn't leaded.
Power.
More power than I ever had.
Look out.
[THUDDING]
MAN 1:
What the--?
Find the power.
[BEEPING]
MAN 2:
Fire.
Get them.
Gotta get away from him.
What's the matter, Kent?
Afraid he'll absorb your cowardice?
-Come on!
-Get them!
Let's go!
MAN 3:
Incoming!
PARASITE:
Find the power.
That's tear gas, you idiot.
There you are.
If you wanna survive this, stay with me.
MAN 4: Get them.
-Run.
MAN 5: Yeah, let's go.
MAN 4: Come on.
I should have left you to those animals,
Kent, but I need you alive.
I need you to tell my story.
The story of a man who refused
to bend his knee to the alien invader.
Look out, he's coming right at us.
Power, like the sun.
That won't stop him, he's absorbing
the kinetic energy of the bullets.
Pray to Einstein for a miracle, Kent.
Earthquake.
Attack me?
You know what happens
when you take on Lex Luthor?
[GUN CLICKS]
The same thing that's gonna happen
to Superman.
I've always liked you, Kent.
You're humble, modest,
comically uncoordinated.
Human.
In short, you're everything he's not.
I'm going to give you a present.
Did you know that Moby-Dick
can be recited at a frequency so high...
...that it becomes a sonic drill
capable of carving through solid rock?
BIBLIOBOT:
Call me Ishmael.
[SPEAKING MORE QUICKLY] Some years
ago, never mind how long precisely....
[BIBLIOBOT WHIRRING]
Stop.
[WHIRRING STOPS]
You can escape any time you want.
I don't want.
I'm going to the chair fulfilled,
knowing that I killed Superman.
Poisoned him with an overdose...
...of the same solar rays
that give him his powers.
You can't prove any of this.
It's the truth, Kent.
My gift to you.
He doesn't want the world
to know he's dying, of course.
So break the news gently.
A tasteful 140-point headline
should suffice.
This is as far as I go.
My lovely niece, Nasthalthia,
will take you the rest of the way.
Mr. Kent.
She's 16, speaks 30 languages
and aspires to someday rule the world.
I may let her, after I'm done with it.
It's such a waste. You and Superman
could have been friends...
...and instead you're going to die.
Ah, but he'll die first.
NASTHALTHIA:
Where to now, Mr. Kent?
CLARK:
Deep space.
Why?
Do you know what this is?
It's the bottle city of Kandor.
One of your enemies stole it
from Krypton, before it exploded.
Brainiac. He used his technology
to miniaturize the greatest city...
...of my home world.
I've been trying to restore
the thousands of people who live there...
...to regular size.
You've found a way.
No.
But I have found a suitable planet
for them to colonize.
And I'm taking them there.
The thing is, it's very far away.
Even under normal circumstances...
...it would take me three weeks
to fly there and back.
In my current condition,
it'll take longer than that.
Maybe longer than I have.
I don't understand.
It's what I've been keeping from you.
I'm dying, Lois.
You won't die.
You'll find a way out of this.
We'll be together. Our children
will go flying in Metropolis Park.
Promise me.
We can't have children.
Our biology is too different.
Whatever happens,
we'll never have more than this.
What do you always say?
"There's always a way."
I'm sorry, Lois.
The work doesn't stop
just because I'm dying.
Take your people to their new home.
When you get back,
I'll be right here waiting.
Look, up in the sky.
Sorry if I startled you.
It's been a long trip
and I'm feeling a bit under the weather.
What happened to Metropolis?
PERRY:
Great Caesar's ghost.
Kent, where have you been
for the last two months?
I went to your funeral.
I was accidentally buried underneath
Stryker's Island during the prison riot.
Lucky for me, there was
a fully stocked bomb shelter down there.
To make a long story short,
Superman heard me calling for help--
Superman's alive? I knew it.
Has he seen this?
Refreshing.
LILO:
And beautiful.
BAR-EL: A fitting spot for the capital
of new Krypton.
I think we could just as easily
clear the apes out of Metropolis...
...and build there.
If you prefer, my love.
SUPERMAN:
Hello there.
-Did you hear something?
-The wind?
Bar-El and Lilo. I just read all about you.
Astronauts from Krypton
who were lost in space for decades.
It's an honor to meet you,
I'm from Krypton too.
We know who you are, Superman.
We found Earth
by tracking the warp signature...
...of the vessel that brought you here.
I don't know why you bothered to return.
This planet's my home, I was raised here.
But my Kryptonian name is Kal-El.
I'm the son of Jor-El.
We're probably related.
I remember Jor-El. A weak man.
An ineffectual dreamer.
The son follows the father.
You could have built a new Krypton
in this squalor.
I don't have any right
to impose my will over--
You just moved into my fortress?
LILO:
Shouldn't have left the key lying around.
BAR-EL:
We had every right.
The powers that we gain
from this world's yellow sun.
The superiority
of our Kryptonian culture.
LILO: You were remiss not taking
similar liberties with the rest of the planet.
You tore down the statue of my parents.
We celebrate the life of Krypton,
not her death.
This whole place reeks of morbidity.
Even Krypton's criminally insane,
forever trapped in the Phantom Zone...
...evidence more nobility
than the best of the human apes.
You should be ashamed.
I was thinking maybe
you could replace me after I'm gone...
...but you don't have the best interests
of this planet's people at heart.
And this is you
puffing up your chest at me, is it?
You've gone native.
It's disgusting.
[SUPERMAN GRUNTING]
[GROANING]
You've broken the moon.
I think you looked better in the dress.
I didn't realize Kryptonian fashion
was so popular.
Kryptonian everything.
It's a new world, Mr. Kent.
I know you're behind me, Steve.
So whatever you're doing, just sto-- Ah!
[LAUGHING]
I missed you, Kent. You're comedy gold.
Your hairpiece is on fire.
I don't wear a-- Ah!
That's gotta be a little embarrassing.
So this is where Superman hides.
It's worse than I'd thought.
You choose to disguise your greatness...
...and cavort with the apes
as one of their own.
Have you no dignity?
I'm loaded with dignity.
I can see how you'd make the mistake...
...but, despite this great bod,
I'm not Superman.
Call Superman with your signal watch.
-Where are you going?
-Nosebleed.
Enough.
This degrading impersonation will cease.
-Reveal your Kryptonian colors or--
LILO: Bar-El.
I feel so-- Uh.
No.
I've got her.
BAR-EL:
Take your naked hands away from her.
I can't fly.
I'm so weak. Why do I feel so weak?
You said you retraced the path
my ship took to get to Earth.
That means you passed through
Krypton's debris field.
The minerals in your bodies
have been slowly turning to Kryptonite.
I don't need help. Not from you.
LILO:
Bar-El.
I can't see.
SUPERMAN: I've done what I can
to make her comfortable.
But I can't neutralize
the Kryptonite in your bodies.
Not in time.
After everything we've done,
you still show us kindness.
My Earth parents taught me forgiveness.
Humanity has a lot to teach us.
Perhaps.
Kal-El, son of Krypton,
I'm proud to call you my kin.
Our greatness lives on in you.
SUPERMAN:
We don't have much time.
There's a way to save us both.
Surely you've thought of it.
Yes.
But it has to be your choice.
I'll try to find a way to cure you.
But your own time is short.
Do what you must.
Send us to the Phantom Zone.
Forgiveness.
You win, Luthor.
I'm dying.
The world is yours...
...at least for the three weeks
you have left before they execute you.
So here's a challenge.
All the things you said you would have
done to benefit humanity...
...if I hadn't been in your way?
Now's the time to prove it.
Lex, I know there's good in you.
You showed me everything
I needed to know...
...so I could go on without you.
I just hope I've shown them the same.
MARTHA:
Clark?
You weren't going to sneak in and out
without visiting your mother?
Of course not.
I just wanted to leave a flower.
It's Kryptonian, it'll never wither.
You look thin. Are you sick?
Ma, I'm Superman.
And I'm your mother.
You take better care of yourself.
Yes, ma'am.
-Do you miss him?
-Every day.
But his spirit is always with us.
So you have time to eat,
or do you have to go save the world?
I love you, Ma.
I love you too, son.
Ah.
Through this holy anointing...
...may the Lord,
in his love and mercy, help you--
Get away from me, Padre.
You stink of the irrational.
Typical.
Superman doesn't even bother to show.
I'd planned for him to be here
to see this.
I'm sure he'll hear all about it.
[LAUGHING]
LUTHOR: You knuckle-dragging morons.
It was almost too easy.
My last request?
That cocktail was
a 24-hour super-power serum.
[OFFICER YELLING]
[GUN CLICKS EMPTY]
My turn.
ROBOT: I'd be pleased to clean
the Sun-Eater's pen for you, Superman.
Just my way of saying goodbye
to the little fella.
He might be one of the most
dangerous creatures in the universe...
...but I'm still going to, mm...
-...miss him.
-Are you all right?
SUPERMAN:
Superman's journal, final entry.
My cells are breaking down
at an alarming rate.
I'm running out of time.
I have few regrets.
My life has been a wonder.
I've traveled across space and time,
seen and done things beyond imagination.
I had parents who loved me,
good friends like Pete, Lana and Jimmy.
I got to help people,
while living an incredible adventure.
I loved a good woman.
And she loved me back.
I'm tired.
But I still have one more job to do.
[GUNFIRE ON TV]
[THUDDING]
That was uncalled-for.
Couldn't resist.
I've got his super-powers for 24 hours,
courtesy of a serum he created.
-How?
-His fortress is less than entirely secure.
NASTHALTHIA:
Cool. When do I get my super-powers?
LUTHOR: The same day that I can trust you
with the car keys.
On your feet.
I've set the scum on Stryker's free.
They'll keep the police busy
with their rioting.
And so will you.
Remote control for my terror weapons.
Have fun.
If you have all his powers,
why bother with all this?
You wouldn't ask
if you'd ever seen him in a fight.
And I have fought him plenty.
That's why I've made arrangements
for a little extra insurance.
Unlike me, Superman loses his powers
under red sunlight, right?
Friends in high places.
SOLARIS:
Where is Superman?
Do you fear the tyrant sun?
Face the scourge of worlds.
SUPERMAN: Luthor's secret ally
has finally revealed himself.
My last adventure is about to begin.
This is Superman, signing out.
ROBOT:
You will not stand alone.
One of us will remain behind,
to maintain your fortress for posterity.
The rest of us will fight by your side.
I couldn't ask for greater loyalty.
Solaris is a living solar computer.
He poisons healthy stars, making them emit
blue light that he can metabolize.
Set your receivers to 430 terahertz,
and you'll be able to hear him.
SOLARIS:
Impossible, I made your sun red.
You should have no powers.
I see now.
Your covering protects you
from red sunlight.
But it cannot long survive this heat.
It should work long enough
for me to take care of you.
SOLARIS:
No, your sun is dying...
...but I kill you first.
Stop this.
Whatever Luthor offered you,
he'll betray you.
SOLARIS:
I betray Luthor first.
I will eat your sun,
and replace it in the sky.
Your people will pray to me,
or die in the cold dark.
-Save yourselves.
ROBOT: No.
Solaris overrode Robot 7's program.
Robot 7 stole super-serum for Luthor.
Robot 7 must atone.
Forgive me.
SOLARIS:
What is this?!
The natural enemy of a rogue sun.
Meet my pet Sun-Eater.
SOLARIS:
Abomination! Ohhh!
Give up, Solaris.
You can't beat him, there's no need--
You killed him.
[SOLARIS YELLING]
LOIS:
The sky's normal again.
Superman must have--
Get out of the car, Miss Lane.
Everybody, now.
NASTHALTHIA:
Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, right?
You two are so postmortem.
SOLARIS:
Mercy.
I don't think I have any left.
Give me one good reason
I shouldn't vaporize you.
The front-page story we're gonna write
about you for tomorrow's Daily Planet?
Hmm.
Kent, what's the matter with you?
You look like hell.
CLARK:
I saw the whole thing, Perry.
I've got tomorrow's big story.
Just finished it.
Clark.
-He's not breathing.
-No.
STEVE:
He doesn't have a heartbeat, Lois.
MAN:
Look at that.
He's the least of your worries.
PERRY:
You get the hell out of here, Luthor!
That's no way to talk
to the future savior of the Earth.
Who, by the way,
you sent to the electric chair.
The truth sent you to the chair.
I don't believe in truth.
You can't measure it
or hold it in your hands.
I mean, what is truth?
Lex, stop it.
I know what the power's like.
It's intoxicating, but there's more to it.
Use those super-senses.
Just think for a minute.
You can stop trying to stall me.
Ah!
And you won't be needing
that infuriating signal watch any longer.
Superman won't be coming
to the rescue.
Too bad, because without him,
we're screwed.
Look at these pictures from our
Singapore desk, the sun is turning blue.
Don't you get it? Solaris double-crossed you
and poisoned the sun.
You vain, stupid little man.
Stupid?
[YELLING]
Lois.
Anyone else feel like acting out
against the most powerful man on Earth?
CLARK:
I do.
What are you trying to hide from me?
Gravity gun.
Clark?
I told you, Lois.
Superman.
Did you ever think
that it would end like this?
Me looking down on you?
SUPERMAN: Actually, I had the whole thing
figured to end pretty much exactly like this.
I've been on to you
since Robot 7 first malfunctioned.
Hard to stay in the air?
I just increased
your personal gravity 500 times.
That's not why I used the gravity gun, I--
No.
If I die, you die first.
[SUPERMAN YELLING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING]
[SIREN WAILING]
Look.
Welcome to the new world.
Lay down your weapons
and you won't be hurt.
I'll be moving into the White House
later today.
I'll make my formal declaration then.
NASTHALTHIA:
Ooh.
Can we have a show trial
before we put these traitors to death?
-Are you okay?
-Better than okay.
I can see
the entire electromagnetic spectrum...
...and those must be atoms,
little clouds of possibility.
Einstein couldn't connect
the gravitational force to the other three...
...but if he could have seen this....
It's so obvious.
Uncle Lex?
The fundamental forces
are yoked by consciousness.
Everything's connected.
Everyone.
And this is how he sees things
all the time.
Every day.
I don't know
if I should be worried or mortified.
It's a cruel joke.
The mechanistic clockwork of reality...
...hinging on a precious
impossible defiance of entropy, on life.
And the clockwork doesn't care.
It's like-- Like it's all just us,
in here together.
We're all we've got.
You are embarrassing me
beyond therapy.
SUPERMAN:
You'll have to forgive him, Nasthalthia.
He just figured out
how everything works.
Gravity warps time.
Superman trapped me
in a relativistic conundrum.
He's trying to say his 24 hours
of super-powers just ran out.
But it's only been a couple of hours.
Relative to us.
The gravity gun sped up his clock a little.
You think I didn't make more of the--?
Looking for this?
Give it back. I saw everything.
I saw how to save the world.
I could have made everyone see.
If it wasn't for you,
I could have saved the world.
If it had mattered to you, Luthor...
...you could have saved the world
years ago.
You're right.
Oh, your poor face.
No one can repair the sun but me, Lois.
I'm turning into pure energy...
...and I only have one chance
to save the world.
That's all you've ever needed.
I love you, Lois Lane...
...until the end of time.
Are you sure you don't wanna speak
at the memorial service?
Thousands of people are there
paying their respects.
He's not dead.
He's up there fixing the sun.
And when he's done, he'll be back.
And I'll be here waiting for him.
Doomed planet.
Desperate scientists.
Last hope.
Kindly couple.
Superman.
QUINTUM:
We all know the story, Luthor.
Why did you ask to see me?
If this is an escape attempt--
I'd already be free.
No, I've already accepted
my imminent execution.
This is a confession.
Forgive me, doctor, for I have sinned.
A lot.
You killed him.
And my deathbed claims that I've seen
the error of my ways can't change that.
But there is one thing that I can do
to honor his memory.
QUINTUM:
"A-A-C-C-A-T-T-A"....
-Is that--?
-A map of Superman's genetic code.
I reverse-engineered it
from his 24-hour super-serum.
I also finally figured out
how to replicate it.
No.
Of course, it will require an ovum
from a healthy human woman.
They always said they wanted children.
LOIS:
He's not dead.
He's up there fixing the sun.
And when he's done, he'll be back.
Doomed planet.
MAN 2:
Servo cells are out. We're dropping.
MAN 1:
Desperate scientists.
MAN 2: Approaching photosphere.
Increase stabilizers.
MAN 1:
Last hope.
Pressure index, 55 up.
MAN 1:
Kindly couple.
Superman.
MAN 2:
Gravity shields are failing, Dr. Quintum.
We're falling directly into the sun.
When we hit the convection zone, the
temperature will reach 40 million degrees.
QUINTUM:
I'm not ready to die just yet.
Pity.
[SCREAMS]
You killed your brother.
-I did.
-That should be impossible.
I genetically engineered you myself.
Your code has been modified
by a superior intellect.
-Now I'm a biological time bomb.
QUINTUM: But--
I'm death, courtesy of Lex Luthor.
WOMAN:
How big is it?
From where I'm standing,
one can only hope it's proportional.
"Superman saves mission to the sun"?
We don't know that yet, Lois.
I always write Superman stories
before they happen.
If you don't know how big the sun is,
go away.
It's 333,000 times the size of the Earth.
Uh, uhh-- Uh. Wuh.
I looked it up
on my Superman signal watch.
Thanks, Jimmy.
It's like a hundred billion nuclear bombs
exploding every second.
You working undercover on a story?
No, why?
MAN: Lex Luthor told the world
he'd reformed.
And despite our best efforts,
the world believed him.
That's not exactly breaking news, chief.
No, but this is.
Luthor's been investing heavily
in water rights.
Kent's boring story.
The devil's in the details, Lombard.
Luthor planned to cash in
on a global water shortage...
...a shortage he intended to create
by somehow tampering with the sun.
This is tomorrow's front page.
We finally got that son of a bitch.
LUTHOR:
I'm approaching critical mass.
Lex, I just got a call
from Media Relations.
The Daily Planet's asking for a comment.
Fusion will occur in 30 seconds.
Are you talking to yourself again?
I'm remote-controlling a weapon.
The signal takes nine minutes
to reach the sun.
I have to coordinate
my transmissions perfectly.
The sun?
You were released from jail
to work for your country, not on your own--
I know I promised not to waste my intellect
on elaborate super deathtraps.
I know that.
Magnetic seals are decoupling.
The ship's coming apart.
I'm approaching critical mass.
Somebody help us.
But I looked in the mirror one morning
and realized something.
I'm getting older, and he isn't.
Something's gotta be done about that.
Don't you think?
Fusion will occur in 30 seconds.
SUPERMAN:
Not in here, it won't.
Quintum, blow the hatch.
[YELLING]
-Where's that shield coming from?
-It's Superman.
Somehow, he's extending
his own bioelectric field.
SUPERMAN:
It seems impossible.
QUINTUM: But it isn't.
You're lifting 200 quintillion tons.
Even allowing
for the one-sixth normal gravity...
...here on my moon base,
that's three times your record.
I feel like I could do more.
QUINTUM: No doubt, but that's
the heaviest apparatus known to man.
Add to that the new super-power
you exhibited when you saved me...
...and it's obvious
your body is changing radically.
Superman, I'm not sure
how to tell you this.
Tell me straight.
Your trip to the sun
overexposed your cells to solar radiation...
...more than even your body
can metabolize.
I see it,
like tiny fireworks beneath my skin.
Your cells are oversaturated with power.
They're bursting from within.
I'm dying.
I'm sorry, Superman.
If I hadn't tried to steal fire from the sun,
none of this would have happened.
Don't apologize.
-You couldn't have known.
QUINTUM: But he knew.
It was his plan all along.
Luthor used me to kill you.
We engineer new forms of humanity here
for the eventual betterment of mankind.
You're our inspiration, Superman.
And I promise,
we'll find a way to save you.
-I need a favor, Dr. Quintum.
-Anything.
My condition. Don't tell anyone, not yet.
There are some things I have to do first.
PERRY:
Great Caesar's ghost!
"Wait," he says.
"Exclusive interview," he says.
If Clark Kent doesn't show up
in the next five seconds, he's fired.
Five, four, three...
...two, one.
Hold the presses-- Oop!
Where the hell have you been, Kent?
Uh, working on my suntan?
Freeze. Hands above your head.
Lex Luthor, you are under arrest
for attempted murder...
...and crimes against humanity.
By all means, boys, take me away.
He was smiling when they nabbed him.
Said something
about friends in high places.
-That does seem odd.
LOIS: The Court of International Justice...
[CRACKING]
...is talking about
reinstating the electric chair just for him.
Do you ever think about death, Lois?
LOIS:
Don't be morbid, Smallville.
I'm so sorry.
Idiot. Your boyfriend's an idiot.
How dare you? And he's not my idiot.
Why, thanks, Lois.
I don't know where my self-esteem
would be without you.
Alone, in front of the TV.
Come on, Clark.
Thanks for carrying all this stuff.
Lois, there was something
I wanted to tell you.
If it's about the trial coverage,
it can wait till tomorrow. I've gotta fly.
Lois, I have something to tell you.
You're Clark Kent?
SUPERMAN:
I'm Clark Kent.
LOIS: Sorry, Superman, but you've
got to admit, that's very hard to believe.
All the years I spent trying to prove
you were Superman--
SUPERMAN:
You almost had me a couple of times.
--and you turn around and just tell me?
What happened to that big golden key
you used to have?
Didn't think it was secure enough.
ROBOT: Good afternoon, Superman.
May we be of assistance?
Please bring Miss Lane's car inside
and repair any damage from the flight.
That key can't be safe.
Why don't you give it a try?
[LOIS GROANS]
I carved it out of a piece
of dwarf star material.
It weighs half a million tons.
LOIS:
So you're the only one who can lift it.
I work pretty hard, Lois.
It's important to have
someplace private to relax.
How's the water?
LOIS:
Mm. Perfect.
-You're not looking, are you?
-Lois.
Well, to be honest,
if the situation were reversed--
I'd never take advantage, Lois.
So is this a date?
I mean, is all this for my birthday,
or are we about to get serious here?
Superman?
These are for you.
I picked them on Alpha Centauri IV.
[FLOWERS HUMMING]
They sing.
I didn't know you collected modern art.
SUPERMAN:
Actually, I do, but this is the armory.
I've confiscated some incredibly
destructive weapons over the years.
There are things here that can even hurt me,
like this Kryptonite laser or this gravity gun.
I hope none of your enemies
find out about this place.
They'd do anything to kill you.
That's not a problem, Lois.
My fortress
is only for the people closest to me.
Come see my new Time Telescope.
What's it do?
Lets me talk to my descendants
in the far future.
That's Kal Kent,
the Superman of the 84th century.
We fought the mad god Darkseid
in the year 831 5.
I'm still working out the bugs...
...but someday, I'll be able to use it
to stop threats before they happen.
He looks a little like my dad.
KAL:
--a thousand warriors, valiant and true.
SUPERMAN:
And this is a Sun-Eater.
I found it wandering in orbit near Jupiter.
Poor thing would have starved.
-Ech. What do you feed him?
-Suns.
Little ones I make here
on my Cosmic Anvil.
He's just a baby.
Here you go.
What's in here?
What the hell?
-Lois, stay out of there.
-I didn't mean to.
You can go anywhere in the fortress
except for this room.
It's off-limits.
It's not too early for dinner.
Why don't we eat?
What do you think?
I've been restoring it in my spare time.
It's good to have hobbies, I guess.
What are you wearing?
Traditional Kryptonian formalwear.
I made it myself.
Shipbuilding, fashion design.
You're a man of many talents.
I just feel like trying things.
My trip to the sun,
it not only tripled my strength...
...it tripled my curiosity,
my imagination, my creativity.
Did it triple your honesty?
Is that why you're suddenly telling me
the truth about your secret identity?
No, that's not why.
But you are telling the truth.
Yes.
Okay, how do you explain the time
Clark was a witness...
...in the Boss Grimaldi trial
and you were his bodyguard?
Batman was standing in for me.
And when Clark presented you
with the key to the city...
...that was Batman too?
A robot.
Lois, whenever I misled you,
it was for your own protection.
But now I'm telling you the truth.
Clark Kent and Superman
are one and the same.
If you're telling me the truth now...
...doesn't that mean
you've been lying to me for years?
LOIS: For the first time,
I see our whole freakish relationship...
...in stark black and white.
And I have to ask myself,
why would he lie to me?
Thirsty.
All these new powers
and his new super-intellect.
What if he's grown tired
of his little game...
...fooling people who love him
just to feel superior.
What if he's brought me here
for some experiment...
...that he's planning in that secret room?
I need a weapon.
It all makes sense now.
He's brought me here to be
the mother of a race of super-children.
Can't let that happen.
They'll grow up and lie to everybody.
May I be of service, Miss La--?
[LOIS SCREAMS]
He knows I'm here.
Gotta stop him.
God forgive me, I've gotta stop him.
[SUPERMAN GRUNTS]
[SIZZLING]
Huh. Tickles.
What have I done?
For one thing, you've confirmed
my suspicion that I'm immune to Kryptonite.
-I'll take that, if you don't mind.
-I don't understand what's happening.
Robot 7 seems to have malfunctioned.
I'll check him out later.
In the meantime, he left the door open
while I was synthesizing some chemicals.
They can cause visual distortion
and paranoia.
I saw a dissection machine.
A sewing machine,
for weaving indestructible thread.
The paranoia should pass momentarily.
I am feeling better.
I'm sorry I kept leaving you alone,
but I was making your birthday present.
And it took me longer than I thought
to read and memorize...
...the 6 billion characters
in your genetic code.
-What are you talking about?
-I guess the surprise is already spoiled.
This serum is keyed
to your genetic code.
It will give you powers just like mine
for 24 hours...
...without my vulnerability to Kryptonite
or red sunlight.
Happy birthday, Lois.
Well?
I feel different. Better.
Is it working?
MAN: Lex Luthor, your insane schemes
have endangered the lives...
...of every man, woman and child
on this planet.
Before I deliver the verdict of this court...
...do you have anything to say
in your defense?
Superman made me do it.
He's the one that should be on trial.
-What?
-Superman on trial?
Order.
Get this farce over with,
you pompous, senile toad.
You're an amoral sociopathic predator...
...driven by jealousy,
greed and delusions of grandeur.
Alexander Joseph Luthor...
...this court finds you guilty on all counts
of crimes against humanity.
-Yes! Justice is served.
-It's about time.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Does the costume I made for you fit?
Only a little better than my own skin.
Funny, I never noticed you
taking my measuremen--
[BEEPING]
Ah! What's that noise?
It's Jimmy's signal watch.
And I can already see
why he's calling for help.
Sorry, Lois.
The last thing I wanted on your special day
was a reptile invasion from the Earth's core.
I'd have felt cheated
if there weren't monsters.
Come on, let's save Metropolis.
I think we're a little late.
[PEOPLE GASPING AND SCREAMING]
Metropolis, Krull will eat your children.
How about you eat this?
LOIS:
Ha! Look who it is.
Samson.
Superman. Yo-ho.
[KRULL YELLING]
He won't be bothering Metropolis again
for a while.
His lungs just burst. Excuse me.
Always a joy to see you again.
Why are you here, Samson?
I thought you and your no-necked partner
were busy time-traveling.
[CRASHING AND GRUNTING]
That we were, fair Lois.
Only your loveliness could tempt me back
to this backward century.
SUPERMAN:
Atlas too.
-Why are you here?
-They think this is a singles bar.
Sorry, gentlemen, the lady's with me.
That's the lady's decision, is it not?
That's it.
I propose a challenge of the ages.
We'll each perform a super-feat
in the lady's honor.
Yes, and the most incredible feat
wins her.
Wins me?
Single girls with brains,
beauty and super-powers...
...are rare in any century, Lois.
SAMSON:
My super-feat is obvious.
I defeated Krull in single combat,
foiling his war on Metropolis.
And I subdued his entire army.
There doesn't seem to be much left
for you to do, Superman.
How about we get
these would-be conquerors...
...back to the center of the Earth
where they belong?
The subterranosaur people
have ever feared...
...and respected you, Superman.
My son will punished be for his crimes.
But Krull speaks of him goaded be
into his attack...
...by man Samson.
I suspected as much, Your Highness.
Please allow me to deal with it.
Can you imagine?
A race of dinosaur men
who escaped extinction...
...by moving to the center of the Earth.
Come with me, and I'll show you wonders
far beyond what you've seen.
A small token of my affection.
The radioactive crown jewels
of the Ultrasphinx.
SUPERMAN:
Careful, Lois.
Plutonium-240 is lethal.
Not for the next 24 hours it isn't.
Look, guys, I'm flattered.
But you'd have to go a long way
to outdo Superman.
You would spurn my affections
for a dalliance with this--?
Careful.
If I win your heart...
...I'll make the Titans kneel before you
and give testimony to your loveliness.
I'll crush diamonds in my mighty fist
and make them into sparkling wine.
Wow.
That's day one.
Lois, a moment, please?
Why are you flirting with them?
Maybe I'm teaching you a lesson
for impersonating Clark Kent.
I'm not impersonating Clark Kent,
I am Clark Kent.
Anyway, you can win any contest
those losers can dream up.
Why don't you humor me?
It's my birthday.
I don't like you much, Samson.
Trouble always seems to follow you.
What do I have to do to make you
keep your hands off of my girl?
I'm a time traveler, and I happen to know
she won't be your girl for much longer.
All's fair in love and war.
Anyway, pretty soon,
you'll be too busy with your challenge...
...to even think about dating.
Forget it, Samson.
Lois and I are going to a party in Atlantis
in less than an hour.
I sincerely doubt it.
What's this, Atlas,
part of my birthday surprise?
Since we, uh, borrowed that necklace
from the Ultrasphinx...
...he's been hounding us
like one of the Furies.
Chasing us throughout time and space.
Legend has it
that just before your death...
...you performed the most amazing feats
of your career.
Some scholars say that among them,
you answered the unanswerable question.
What are you talking about?
The Ultrasphinx is here.
Return what was stolen.
Lois.
ULTRASPHINX:
Halt.
She exists now
in a condition of quantum uncertainty.
Both alive and dead.
The universe asks you
an unanswerable question.
To answer correctly is life.
Failure to answer correctly is death.
This is my judgment.
You stole that necklace.
Don't you see?
We couldn't fight the Ultrasphinx
without help, so we let it chase us here.
But we meant no harm to Lois,
I swear to living Zeus.
And I swear too.
If she dies,
you're both going to the Phantom Zone.
Ultrasphinx, let's hear it.
Question:
What happens when the irresistible force
meets the immovable object?
They surrender.
Response acceptable.
Superman.
I was alive and dead at the same time.
My God.
It's okay, I've got you.
Come on, we're going dancing.
Wait a minute, what about our contest?
Answering a riddle
is hardly what I'd call a feat of strength.
I agree. How about I wrestle you for her?
Or is the mighty Man of Steel a coward?
Even the shield on his chest is yellow.
Okay, that's enough, both of you.
Then we have a deal?
If I win, you both leave
the 21st century right now.
I'll be leaving, all right,
with the beauteous Lois Lane on my arm.
Not if I beat him first.
I'm sorry, have you two already started?
Today was perfect.
We did everything I ever wanted to do.
You know
what I've always wanted to do?
I mean, from the first day we met.
What?
LOIS:
My birthday gift's wearing off.
I can't see radio waves anymore.
I can't hear the stars singing.
I'm tired and sore all over,
like I've been dancing all night.
Thanks for letting me
spend a day in your world.
You know, I do other things.
I mean, besides being Superman.
You do a great Clark Kent imitation.
You almost had me fooled.
Wait till I tell him about all this.
Lois?
[CLEARS THROAT]
I was aware
of your lumbering presence, Kent.
Just finishing work on my Bibliobot,
a roving library.
Read A Tale of Two Cities.
BlBLIOBOT:
It was the best of times, it was the--
Call it off.
-It was the age of wisdom--
-Watch your step, you clumsy ox.
You write like a poet,
but you move like a landslide.
I'm sure I had my dignity
when I came in here.
Your clumsiness appears
to have saved me from electrocution.
Albeit temporarily.
Probably my rubber-soled shoes.
I saw that "Da Vinci of Crime" headline.
It seems like a compliment,
but there's a sneer behind it.
Reporters don't write the headlines
to their stories, Lex.
Hmm.
You coming, Kent?
He sickens me.
That insipid boyish grin,
the smug self-regard.
Tell the truth.
Doesn't his very existence diminish you?
Diminish us all?
Our jobs don't really overlap.
What are you writing about me?
Give me that.
Code? I'll decipher it
in less than a minute.
-I--
-It's shorthand, Lex.
What kind of ridiculous affectation
is that for a man?
Can you imagine a better world, Kent?
That's all I've ever asked.
In a world without Superman,
the unattainable Lois Lane...
...might have noticed good old Clark,
pining away in the corner.
You keep talking about me,
but I'm here to interview you.
I'm just saying.
A strapping farm boy with brains, integrity,
no discernible style of his own?
You're a prize catch
for a cynical city girl.
Why haven't you filed an appeal?
But with him around,
you're a parody of a man.
A dullard, a cripple.
Next to Superman, even Lex Luthor's
greatness is overshadowed.
Are you trying to intimidate me?
I'm trying to educate you.
We all fall short
of his sickening inhuman perfection.
Feel that, Kent.
Real muscle.
Not the gift of alien biochemistry.
The product of hard work.
You don't really act like a man
facing the end of his life.
No, I don't.
So how's Superman these days?
Pale? Tired?
-Weak?
-He seems fine.
Ah. But he's not.
[BUZZES]
What would you do
if you had his powers?
-Help people.
-You probably would.
You lack the imagination
to see the alternatives.
Alternatives?
To truth, justice and all the other things
you can't weigh or measure.
To every abstract notion he personifies.
PARASITE:
I'll kill you, Luthor.
Suck you dry.
Kill you.
You don't scare me, Parasite.
Brain beats brawn every time.
That glass isn't leaded.
Power.
More power than I ever had.
Look out.
[THUDDING]
MAN 1:
What the--?
Find the power.
[BEEPING]
MAN 2:
Fire.
Get them.
Gotta get away from him.
What's the matter, Kent?
Afraid he'll absorb your cowardice?
-Come on!
-Get them!
Let's go!
MAN 3:
Incoming!
PARASITE:
Find the power.
That's tear gas, you idiot.
There you are.
If you wanna survive this, stay with me.
MAN 4: Get them.
-Run.
MAN 5: Yeah, let's go.
MAN 4: Come on.
I should have left you to those animals,
Kent, but I need you alive.
I need you to tell my story.
The story of a man who refused
to bend his knee to the alien invader.
Look out, he's coming right at us.
Power, like the sun.
That won't stop him, he's absorbing
the kinetic energy of the bullets.
Pray to Einstein for a miracle, Kent.
Earthquake.
Attack me?
You know what happens
when you take on Lex Luthor?
[GUN CLICKS]
The same thing that's gonna happen
to Superman.
I've always liked you, Kent.
You're humble, modest,
comically uncoordinated.
Human.
In short, you're everything he's not.
I'm going to give you a present.
Did you know that Moby-Dick
can be recited at a frequency so high...
...that it becomes a sonic drill
capable of carving through solid rock?
BIBLIOBOT:
Call me Ishmael.
[SPEAKING MORE QUICKLY] Some years
ago, never mind how long precisely....
[BIBLIOBOT WHIRRING]
Stop.
[WHIRRING STOPS]
You can escape any time you want.
I don't want.
I'm going to the chair fulfilled,
knowing that I killed Superman.
Poisoned him with an overdose...
...of the same solar rays
that give him his powers.
You can't prove any of this.
It's the truth, Kent.
My gift to you.
He doesn't want the world
to know he's dying, of course.
So break the news gently.
A tasteful 140-point headline
should suffice.
This is as far as I go.
My lovely niece, Nasthalthia,
will take you the rest of the way.
Mr. Kent.
She's 16, speaks 30 languages
and aspires to someday rule the world.
I may let her, after I'm done with it.
It's such a waste. You and Superman
could have been friends...
...and instead you're going to die.
Ah, but he'll die first.
NASTHALTHIA:
Where to now, Mr. Kent?
CLARK:
Deep space.
Why?
Do you know what this is?
It's the bottle city of Kandor.
One of your enemies stole it
from Krypton, before it exploded.
Brainiac. He used his technology
to miniaturize the greatest city...
...of my home world.
I've been trying to restore
the thousands of people who live there...
...to regular size.
You've found a way.
No.
But I have found a suitable planet
for them to colonize.
And I'm taking them there.
The thing is, it's very far away.
Even under normal circumstances...
...it would take me three weeks
to fly there and back.
In my current condition,
it'll take longer than that.
Maybe longer than I have.
I don't understand.
It's what I've been keeping from you.
I'm dying, Lois.
You won't die.
You'll find a way out of this.
We'll be together. Our children
will go flying in Metropolis Park.
Promise me.
We can't have children.
Our biology is too different.
Whatever happens,
we'll never have more than this.
What do you always say?
"There's always a way."
I'm sorry, Lois.
The work doesn't stop
just because I'm dying.
Take your people to their new home.
When you get back,
I'll be right here waiting.
Look, up in the sky.
Sorry if I startled you.
It's been a long trip
and I'm feeling a bit under the weather.
What happened to Metropolis?
PERRY:
Great Caesar's ghost.
Kent, where have you been
for the last two months?
I went to your funeral.
I was accidentally buried underneath
Stryker's Island during the prison riot.
Lucky for me, there was
a fully stocked bomb shelter down there.
To make a long story short,
Superman heard me calling for help--
Superman's alive? I knew it.
Has he seen this?
Refreshing.
LILO:
And beautiful.
BAR-EL: A fitting spot for the capital
of new Krypton.
I think we could just as easily
clear the apes out of Metropolis...
...and build there.
If you prefer, my love.
SUPERMAN:
Hello there.
-Did you hear something?
-The wind?
Bar-El and Lilo. I just read all about you.
Astronauts from Krypton
who were lost in space for decades.
It's an honor to meet you,
I'm from Krypton too.
We know who you are, Superman.
We found Earth
by tracking the warp signature...
...of the vessel that brought you here.
I don't know why you bothered to return.
This planet's my home, I was raised here.
But my Kryptonian name is Kal-El.
I'm the son of Jor-El.
We're probably related.
I remember Jor-El. A weak man.
An ineffectual dreamer.
The son follows the father.
You could have built a new Krypton
in this squalor.
I don't have any right
to impose my will over--
You just moved into my fortress?
LILO:
Shouldn't have left the key lying around.
BAR-EL:
We had every right.
The powers that we gain
from this world's yellow sun.
The superiority
of our Kryptonian culture.
LILO: You were remiss not taking
similar liberties with the rest of the planet.
You tore down the statue of my parents.
We celebrate the life of Krypton,
not her death.
This whole place reeks of morbidity.
Even Krypton's criminally insane,
forever trapped in the Phantom Zone...
...evidence more nobility
than the best of the human apes.
You should be ashamed.
I was thinking maybe
you could replace me after I'm gone...
...but you don't have the best interests
of this planet's people at heart.
And this is you
puffing up your chest at me, is it?
You've gone native.
It's disgusting.
[SUPERMAN GRUNTING]
[GROANING]
You've broken the moon.
I think you looked better in the dress.
I didn't realize Kryptonian fashion
was so popular.
Kryptonian everything.
It's a new world, Mr. Kent.
I know you're behind me, Steve.
So whatever you're doing, just sto-- Ah!
[LAUGHING]
I missed you, Kent. You're comedy gold.
Your hairpiece is on fire.
I don't wear a-- Ah!
That's gotta be a little embarrassing.
So this is where Superman hides.
It's worse than I'd thought.
You choose to disguise your greatness...
...and cavort with the apes
as one of their own.
Have you no dignity?
I'm loaded with dignity.
I can see how you'd make the mistake...
...but, despite this great bod,
I'm not Superman.
Call Superman with your signal watch.
-Where are you going?
-Nosebleed.
Enough.
This degrading impersonation will cease.
-Reveal your Kryptonian colors or--
LILO: Bar-El.
I feel so-- Uh.
No.
I've got her.
BAR-EL:
Take your naked hands away from her.
I can't fly.
I'm so weak. Why do I feel so weak?
You said you retraced the path
my ship took to get to Earth.
That means you passed through
Krypton's debris field.
The minerals in your bodies
have been slowly turning to Kryptonite.
I don't need help. Not from you.
LILO:
Bar-El.
I can't see.
SUPERMAN: I've done what I can
to make her comfortable.
But I can't neutralize
the Kryptonite in your bodies.
Not in time.
After everything we've done,
you still show us kindness.
My Earth parents taught me forgiveness.
Humanity has a lot to teach us.
Perhaps.
Kal-El, son of Krypton,
I'm proud to call you my kin.
Our greatness lives on in you.
SUPERMAN:
We don't have much time.
There's a way to save us both.
Surely you've thought of it.
Yes.
But it has to be your choice.
I'll try to find a way to cure you.
But your own time is short.
Do what you must.
Send us to the Phantom Zone.
Forgiveness.
You win, Luthor.
I'm dying.
The world is yours...
...at least for the three weeks
you have left before they execute you.
So here's a challenge.
All the things you said you would have
done to benefit humanity...
...if I hadn't been in your way?
Now's the time to prove it.
Lex, I know there's good in you.
You showed me everything
I needed to know...
...so I could go on without you.
I just hope I've shown them the same.
MARTHA:
Clark?
You weren't going to sneak in and out
without visiting your mother?
Of course not.
I just wanted to leave a flower.
It's Kryptonian, it'll never wither.
You look thin. Are you sick?
Ma, I'm Superman.
And I'm your mother.
You take better care of yourself.
Yes, ma'am.
-Do you miss him?
-Every day.
But his spirit is always with us.
So you have time to eat,
or do you have to go save the world?
I love you, Ma.
I love you too, son.
Ah.
Through this holy anointing...
...may the Lord,
in his love and mercy, help you--
Get away from me, Padre.
You stink of the irrational.
Typical.
Superman doesn't even bother to show.
I'd planned for him to be here
to see this.
I'm sure he'll hear all about it.
[LAUGHING]
LUTHOR: You knuckle-dragging morons.
It was almost too easy.
My last request?
That cocktail was
a 24-hour super-power serum.
[OFFICER YELLING]
[GUN CLICKS EMPTY]
My turn.
ROBOT: I'd be pleased to clean
the Sun-Eater's pen for you, Superman.
Just my way of saying goodbye
to the little fella.
He might be one of the most
dangerous creatures in the universe...
...but I'm still going to, mm...
-...miss him.
-Are you all right?
SUPERMAN:
Superman's journal, final entry.
My cells are breaking down
at an alarming rate.
I'm running out of time.
I have few regrets.
My life has been a wonder.
I've traveled across space and time,
seen and done things beyond imagination.
I had parents who loved me,
good friends like Pete, Lana and Jimmy.
I got to help people,
while living an incredible adventure.
I loved a good woman.
And she loved me back.
I'm tired.
But I still have one more job to do.
[GUNFIRE ON TV]
[THUDDING]
That was uncalled-for.
Couldn't resist.
I've got his super-powers for 24 hours,
courtesy of a serum he created.
-How?
-His fortress is less than entirely secure.
NASTHALTHIA:
Cool. When do I get my super-powers?
LUTHOR: The same day that I can trust you
with the car keys.
On your feet.
I've set the scum on Stryker's free.
They'll keep the police busy
with their rioting.
And so will you.
Remote control for my terror weapons.
Have fun.
If you have all his powers,
why bother with all this?
You wouldn't ask
if you'd ever seen him in a fight.
And I have fought him plenty.
That's why I've made arrangements
for a little extra insurance.
Unlike me, Superman loses his powers
under red sunlight, right?
Friends in high places.
SOLARIS:
Where is Superman?
Do you fear the tyrant sun?
Face the scourge of worlds.
SUPERMAN: Luthor's secret ally
has finally revealed himself.
My last adventure is about to begin.
This is Superman, signing out.
ROBOT:
You will not stand alone.
One of us will remain behind,
to maintain your fortress for posterity.
The rest of us will fight by your side.
I couldn't ask for greater loyalty.
Solaris is a living solar computer.
He poisons healthy stars, making them emit
blue light that he can metabolize.
Set your receivers to 430 terahertz,
and you'll be able to hear him.
SOLARIS:
Impossible, I made your sun red.
You should have no powers.
I see now.
Your covering protects you
from red sunlight.
But it cannot long survive this heat.
It should work long enough
for me to take care of you.
SOLARIS:
No, your sun is dying...
...but I kill you first.
Stop this.
Whatever Luthor offered you,
he'll betray you.
SOLARIS:
I betray Luthor first.
I will eat your sun,
and replace it in the sky.
Your people will pray to me,
or die in the cold dark.
-Save yourselves.
ROBOT: No.
Solaris overrode Robot 7's program.
Robot 7 stole super-serum for Luthor.
Robot 7 must atone.
Forgive me.
SOLARIS:
What is this?!
The natural enemy of a rogue sun.
Meet my pet Sun-Eater.
SOLARIS:
Abomination! Ohhh!
Give up, Solaris.
You can't beat him, there's no need--
You killed him.
[SOLARIS YELLING]
LOIS:
The sky's normal again.
Superman must have--
Get out of the car, Miss Lane.
Everybody, now.
NASTHALTHIA:
Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, right?
You two are so postmortem.
SOLARIS:
Mercy.
I don't think I have any left.
Give me one good reason
I shouldn't vaporize you.
The front-page story we're gonna write
about you for tomorrow's Daily Planet?
Hmm.
Kent, what's the matter with you?
You look like hell.
CLARK:
I saw the whole thing, Perry.
I've got tomorrow's big story.
Just finished it.
Clark.
-He's not breathing.
-No.
STEVE:
He doesn't have a heartbeat, Lois.
MAN:
Look at that.
He's the least of your worries.
PERRY:
You get the hell out of here, Luthor!
That's no way to talk
to the future savior of the Earth.
Who, by the way,
you sent to the electric chair.
The truth sent you to the chair.
I don't believe in truth.
You can't measure it
or hold it in your hands.
I mean, what is truth?
Lex, stop it.
I know what the power's like.
It's intoxicating, but there's more to it.
Use those super-senses.
Just think for a minute.
You can stop trying to stall me.
Ah!
And you won't be needing
that infuriating signal watch any longer.
Superman won't be coming
to the rescue.
Too bad, because without him,
we're screwed.
Look at these pictures from our
Singapore desk, the sun is turning blue.
Don't you get it? Solaris double-crossed you
and poisoned the sun.
You vain, stupid little man.
Stupid?
[YELLING]
Lois.
Anyone else feel like acting out
against the most powerful man on Earth?
CLARK:
I do.
What are you trying to hide from me?
Gravity gun.
Clark?
I told you, Lois.
Superman.
Did you ever think
that it would end like this?
Me looking down on you?
SUPERMAN: Actually, I had the whole thing
figured to end pretty much exactly like this.
I've been on to you
since Robot 7 first malfunctioned.
Hard to stay in the air?
I just increased
your personal gravity 500 times.
That's not why I used the gravity gun, I--
No.
If I die, you die first.
[SUPERMAN YELLING]
[TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING]
[SIREN WAILING]
Look.
Welcome to the new world.
Lay down your weapons
and you won't be hurt.
I'll be moving into the White House
later today.
I'll make my formal declaration then.
NASTHALTHIA:
Ooh.
Can we have a show trial
before we put these traitors to death?
-Are you okay?
-Better than okay.
I can see
the entire electromagnetic spectrum...
...and those must be atoms,
little clouds of possibility.
Einstein couldn't connect
the gravitational force to the other three...
...but if he could have seen this....
It's so obvious.
Uncle Lex?
The fundamental forces
are yoked by consciousness.
Everything's connected.
Everyone.
And this is how he sees things
all the time.
Every day.
I don't know
if I should be worried or mortified.
It's a cruel joke.
The mechanistic clockwork of reality...
...hinging on a precious
impossible defiance of entropy, on life.
And the clockwork doesn't care.
It's like-- Like it's all just us,
in here together.
We're all we've got.
You are embarrassing me
beyond therapy.
SUPERMAN:
You'll have to forgive him, Nasthalthia.
He just figured out
how everything works.
Gravity warps time.
Superman trapped me
in a relativistic conundrum.
He's trying to say his 24 hours
of super-powers just ran out.
But it's only been a couple of hours.
Relative to us.
The gravity gun sped up his clock a little.
You think I didn't make more of the--?
Looking for this?
Give it back. I saw everything.
I saw how to save the world.
I could have made everyone see.
If it wasn't for you,
I could have saved the world.
If it had mattered to you, Luthor...
...you could have saved the world
years ago.
You're right.
Oh, your poor face.
No one can repair the sun but me, Lois.
I'm turning into pure energy...
...and I only have one chance
to save the world.
That's all you've ever needed.
I love you, Lois Lane...
...until the end of time.
Are you sure you don't wanna speak
at the memorial service?
Thousands of people are there
paying their respects.
He's not dead.
He's up there fixing the sun.
And when he's done, he'll be back.
And I'll be here waiting for him.
Doomed planet.
Desperate scientists.
Last hope.
Kindly couple.
Superman.
QUINTUM:
We all know the story, Luthor.
Why did you ask to see me?
If this is an escape attempt--
I'd already be free.
No, I've already accepted
my imminent execution.
This is a confession.
Forgive me, doctor, for I have sinned.
A lot.
You killed him.
And my deathbed claims that I've seen
the error of my ways can't change that.
But there is one thing that I can do
to honor his memory.
QUINTUM:
"A-A-C-C-A-T-T-A"....
-Is that--?
-A map of Superman's genetic code.
I reverse-engineered it
from his 24-hour super-serum.
I also finally figured out
how to replicate it.
No.
Of course, it will require an ovum
from a healthy human woman.
They always said they wanted children.
LOIS:
He's not dead.
He's up there fixing the sun.
And when he's done, he'll be back.