SUPERMAN THE MOVIE
Shooting script

Revised by Tom Mankiewicz

Director: Richard Donner

1	FADE IN:

EXT. STREET – METROPOLIS – NIGHT

CLOSE ON a crumpled piece of rubbish lying in the gutter. It is flattened by the wheel of a pushcart. CAMERA PULLS BACK:  we SEE a street in a city neighborhood still fighting its way out of The Depression. KIDS play stickball,  PEOPLE stand about, out-of-work MEN recline on tenement stoops .

Over this SUPERIMPOSE:  METROPOLIS 1938

CAMERA TRACKS UP past a boarded-up store window with a "For Rent" sign on it, PAST trash cans being investigated by foraging dogs, PAST the stoop of  brownstone where some care has been taken to keep things clean, PAST the parlor floor where an undershirted MAN argues with a bathrobed WOMAN, PAST the second Floor windows  where a YOUNG COUPLE bend over a crib, shaking a rattle and cooing at a new-born BABY wrapped in a pink blanket, UP PAST the roof of the brownstone, higher and higher, PAST the distant skyscrapers: the Chrysler Building, the Fuller building, the great- neon globe symbol atop the Daily Planet Building.

2	EXT. SKY - NIGHT - ANGLE on DAILY PLANET

CAMERA LOOKS DOWN on the Daily Planet Globe. The only sound is the wind. CAMERA TILTS toward the star-filled sky and the full moon, then TAKES OFF.

3	EXT. SPACE

CAMERA SPEEDS through the heavens past the moon, through the Universe, traveling on, gathering speed, further and further through the limitless void until it bursts through into another Galaxy.

4	EXT. SPACE NEAR KRYPTON

A miniscule RED DOT appears, growing larger, spreading evenly into a BLAZING SUN, which fills the SCREEN. The fiery' red SUN now grows smaller as we fall through space and see beyond it - the planet Krypton. As CAMERA CONTINUES toward Krypton, we see satellites,  spacecraft, and Krypton’s two distinct hemispheres. CAMERA HOLDS, PEERS DOWN at the city of Kryptonopolis.

5	EXT. KRYPTONOPOLIS – DAY

CAMERA PANS the white, prismatic crystalline mountains near the city. WE SEE a gleaming, quicksilver lake.

6	EXT. CITY OF KRYPTONOPOLIS – DAY

Kryptonopolis is a magical city, constructed of pure white crystalline matter that encloses and protects it from the blazing red sun. CAMERA TRACKS across futuristic glass buildings, glass skyways, tunnels, and enclosed gardens, finally CLOSING IN on a specific domed structure  silhouetted against the sky. A  MAN'S VOICE is heard , gathering in volume and intensity.

JOR-EL'S VOICE {V.O.) 
This is no fantasy. No careless product of 
a wild imagination. We are not dealing here 
with idle supposition ...

CAMERA CLOSES IN on the domed roof of the building, now Dl SSOLVES THROUGH :

7 	INT. TRIAL CHAMBER – DAY

An electric white aura	fills the screen. The dim outline of JOR-EL’S head can be seen almost floating above it, facing away from CAMERA as he continues.
	
JOR-EL
 				... no, gentlemen. The	indictment
				I have brought you this day, the
specific charges listed therein against
these individuals, their acts of
treason and ultimate aim of sedition . . .
        	     (swivels to FACE CAMERA)
These are matters of undeniable fact!

The face of JOR-EL fills the SCREEN as he Points an accusing finger INTO CAMERA.  A handsome, intelligent face with great intensity, bathed in the electric white aura which surrounds him, almost pulsating with energy.

8	WIDE ANGLE  -  TRIAL CHAMBER

JOR-EL stands on the dark edge of a circular white ring of light  thrusting down
from the ceiling of the chamber.

8	CONTINUED

The domed roof rises, cathedral-like above, imprinted with giant projections of the faces of the COUNCIL OF ELDERS (eleven, besides JOR-EL) Who watch the proceedings in judgement, presumably from some other location. Each ELDER is bathed in a specific aura similar to that of JOR-EL. Trapped inside the central dazzling white ring of light are THREE FIGURES.  JOR-EL circles the edge of the ring.

JOR-EL
I ask you now to pronounce
your judgement on those accused...

9	CLOSE ON NON

The monstrous face of NON peers through the light at JOR-EL. A man only to the extent that he is not an animal - a force of frightening destruction whose only sounds are terrifying guttural roars.

JOR-EL'S VOICE
On this mindless aberration whose 
only means of expression are 
wanton violence and destruction....

NON lunges at JOR-EL with a roar, bounces back off the edge of the ring of light, which imprisons him.

CAMERA PANS TO URSA:   A tall woman with a strikingly beautiful and cruel face. Consumed by a total hatred. Consumed by a total hatred of the male sex, she stares back at JOR-EL with patronizing contempt.

JOR-EL'S VOICE
On the woman, URSA, whose perversions 
and unreasoning hatred of men have 
finally threatened even the male 
children on our planet....

CAMERA PANS TO GENERAL ZOD: Glaring defiantly at JOR-El through the dazzling 
light with a staggeringly vicious face. Even trapped in the prison of light he seems to 
generate an evil force of his own.

REVISION 21/3/77

9	CONTINUED

					JOR-EL’S VOICE
And finally on General Zod –
Once trusted by this Council, charged 
with maintaining the defenses of the 
planet Krypton itself - the chief architect 
of this intended revolution, the author of this
insidious plot to establish a new order among 
Us - with himself as absolute ruler.

10	WIDE ANGLE - TRIAL CHAMBER
	
The huge faces of the COUNCIL OF ELDERS peer down from the domed ceiling as JOR-EL finishes.

				JOR-EL
You have listened to the evidence. 
The decision of the Council will 
now be heard.

Silence.    CAMERA PANS UP to the faces.  The FIRST ELDER pauses momentarily.

				FIRST ELDER
			Guilty.

The FIRST ELDER’S face instantly disappears from the domed ceiling.

SECOND ELDER
Guilty.

The SECOND ELDER'S face disappears.    One by one the remaining NINE ELDERS vote "guilty'" in rapid succession until the ceiling has become a black void.

11	CLOSE ON JOR-EL AND VILLANS

JOR-EL faces GENERAL ZOD, his aura glowing as a separate island of light outside the circle.

				JOR-EL
Do you have anything to say before 
the decision of the Council is pronounced?

11	CONTINUED

					ZOD
       	      (cold stare)
The vote must be unanimous, Jor-El. 
It has therefore now become your decision. 
You alone will condemn us if you wish. 
And you alone will be held responsible by me.
	       (JOR-EL stares blankly)
Join us. You have been known to disagree with 
the Council before. Yours could become an 
important voice in the New Order - second only 
to my own. I offer you a chance for greatness, Jor-El.
Take it. Join us.

JOR-EL hesitates briefly, then suddenly disappears - his electric white aura extinguishing itself.  ZOD’s face twists with rage.
 
ZOD
One day you will bow down before 
me, Jor-El

12	EXT. TRIAL CHAMBER IN SPACE – DAY

The domed roof of the building cracks open, starts to swivel back.  In the distance:
a slate-gray atmospheric eminence  (THE PHANTOM ZONE) travels rapidly through 
the sky, approaches the opening.

13	INT. TRIAL CHAMBER

The VILLANS are alone in the trial chamber. ZOD rants:

				ZOD
I swear it! No matter that it 
takes an eternity! You will bow 
down before me…

The gray mass of the Phantom Zone has entered through the open dome, closes down on the VILLANS, erasing the ring of white light as it progresses .

					ZOD
				…Both you, and then one day,
				your heirs!

REVISION  21/3/77

13	CONTINUED

The Phantom Zone envelops the VILLANS, wiping them up in a linear, one-dimensional fashion, then sweeping them out toward space.  ZOD is silenced.

14	EXT. CITY AND .SPACE

The Phantom Zone travels quickly across the city, bearing the imprints of the THREE  VILLANS, floats into space. CAMERA PANS OFF, DOWN at another specific building in the city, PUSHES IN,  DISSOLVES THROUGH:

15	INT. COUNCIL – DAY

A pristinely immaculate chamber that overlooks the city of Kryptonopolis. Austere, dominated by concentric circles around which the TWELVE ELDERS sit or stand. In the center of the inner circle revolved an intelligence source on which various information may be presented.  JOR-EL enters the chamber, appearing almost through motivational volition than through physical propulsion. The ELDERS turn, look at him.  JOR-EL is deeply concerned.

FIRST ELDER
An unpleasant duty has been masterfully 
performed, Jor-El. They have
received the fate they deserved –
isolation in the Phantom Zone - an 
eternal living death.

JOR EL
A... chance for life, nonetheless.
				As opposed to us.

Consternation from the ELDERS. A suddenly angry JOR-EL gestures at the revolving intelligence source in the center - various unfathomable equations appear.

					JOR-EL
				You can't ignore these facts!
				It's suicide!  Worse!  Genocide!

					FIRST ELDER
				Jor-El, be warned. The Council has 
already evaluated this… outlandish 
theory of yours.

15	CONTINUED 

JOR-EL
My friends, you know me' to be 
neither rash nor impulsive.
I am not given to wild, unsupported 
statements. I tell you we must evacuate 
this planet immediately!

FIRST ELDER
You are one of Krypton' s greatest 
scientists, Jor-El ...

SECOND ELDER
But so is Vond-Ah.

VOND- AH	
   (rising)
Thank you ..
   (to JOR-EL)
It isn't that I question your data.
The facts are undeniable.

VOND-AH gestures at the intelligence source. JOR-EL'S equations disappear, are immediately replaced by a new series. VOND-AH smiles thinly.

				VOND-AH
It's your conclusions I find 
unsupportable.

	JOR-EL
This planet will explode within thirty 
days! Sooner perhaps!

	VOND- AH
I tell you Krypton is simply shifting 
its orbit!

	SECOND ELDER
Jor-El, be reasonable...

	JOR-EL
I have never been otherwise. The
madness is yours!

REVISION  21/3/77

15	CONTINUED

FIRST ELDER
          (snaps firmly)
This discussion is terminated!
The decision of the council is 
final.
      (pause - to JOR-EL)
Any attempt by you to create A
Climate of fear and panic among 
the populace must be deemed by
us an act of ... insurrection.

JOR-EL
You would accuse me of insurrection? 
Has it now become a crime to cherish life?

	FIRST ELDER
(with reluctance)
 				You. . . would be banished to endless 
imprisonment in the Phantom Zone - the 
eternal void which you yourself discovered.

Deadly silence.  The FIRST ELDER locks eyes with JOR-EL.

FIRST ELDER 
Will you abide by the Council's 
decision?

JOR-EL
(long pause)
I will remain silent. Neither my wife 
nor I will attempt to leave Krypton.

16	EXT. KRYP'IONOPOLIS CITY OUTSKIRTS - DAY/NIGHT

JOR-EL'S house stands bathed in the strange glow of Kryptonian twilight.

17	INT. JOR-EL'S LABORATORY - NIGHT

Massive brightly glowing energy columns encircle the lab. JOR-EL works in the centre, passes his hands over portions of a gleaming, spiny, silvery object (rocket ship) as he places crystals inside it which respond to him with throbbing lights.

REVISION 21/3/77

18	ANCLE ON LARA

LARA (JOR-EL'S wife) enters lab. Carried in her arms: A BABY, swaddled in three blankets of' red, blue, and yellow. The sad look on LARA’S face deepens as she stops, watches JOR-EL who senses her presence, turns.

LARA
Have you ... .finished?

JOR-EL 
Very nearly.

LARA turns away, shuts her eyes.  JOR-EL crosses to her.

JOR-EL
It's the only answer Lara. If he remains here 
he as will die as surely as. . .
(she looks) 
we will.

LARA
(pleading)
But why earth, Jor-El. They’re primitives. 
Thousands of years behind us.

JOR-EL
He will need that advantage to survive. 
Their atmosphere will sustain him ...

LARA
He win defy their gravity ...

JOR-EL
He will look like one of them.

LARA
But he won't be one of them. 

JOR-EL
His dense molecular structure will make 
him strong ...

 

18	CONTINUED

JOR-EL
Fast. Virtually invulnerable ...

LARA
Isolated. Alone ...

JOR-EL looks at her with compassion, but with the strength to cut her off..

JOR-EL
He will not be alone.  He will never... 
be alone.

19	INT. COUNCIL OF ELDERS - NIGHT

The COUNCIL OF ELDERS, still in session, listen attentively to a MILITARY OFFICER standing before them.
 
MILITARY OFFICER
The energy input to Jor-El's quarters is 
now in excess. Our Data indicates the 
loss is due to a mis-use of energy.

The FIRST ELDER exchanges a worried glance at the SECOND ELDER, then looks back at the OFFICER.

FIRST ELDER 
Investigate.

SECOND ELDER
And if the Data proves correct?

FIRST ELDER
  (pause)
He knew the penalty he faced. Even 
as a  member of this Council. The law 
will be upheld.

20	INT. JOR-EL'S LABORATORY - NIGHT

CAMERA CLOSE ON JOR-EL, LARA, and the BABY, their glowing auras spilling across the SCREEN as the parents stare down at their offspring. A loving, almost beatific family portrait. LARA'S eyes flutter. Tears run down her cheek.

REVISION  22/377

20	CONTINUED

					JOR-EL
				     (sad whisper)
You will travel far, my little Kal-El. 
But I will never leave you. Even in 
the face of my death the richness of my 
life shall be yours. All that I have learned, 
everything I feel, all of this and more I have 
bequeathed to you my son. You shall carry me 
inside you all your days. You will make my 
strength your own, see my life through your eyes, 
as your .life will be seen through mine. The son 
becomes the father the father becomes the son. This
is all that I can send with you , Kal-El. And not 
near so rich a gift as that your mother sends
along.  Her ... love.

21	EXT. CITY - DAY/NIGHT

Three MILITARY MEN descend an enclosed glass walkway to a frantically pulsating aura hovering above the ground. They enter the aura, take off quickly through the streets, past a tall structure. A tremor suddenly shakes the ground - a thin fissure appears on the side of the structure.

22	INT. JOR-EL’ S LABORATORY - NICHT

The massive energy columns throb with white light. The BABY has been fastened in a module, wrapped in his blankets. LARA reluctantly steps back as JOR-EL places the last crystals inside, including a green one, secures and seals all openings. The BABY vanishes from sight. The module automatically slides into a larger spacecraft and is sealed in.

23	EXT. CITY

The military aura speeds along as giant crystal formations suddenly begin to erupt, bend and crack.

24	INT.  JOR-EL’S LABORATORY

A glass wall facing the capsule slides open. The launcher is raised. The ceiling above retracts, exposing the glow of Krypton night.

5/4/77  TM

25	INT.  MILITARY AURA

Seen from within: the aura races through a glass tunnel.

26	INT.  JOR-EL’S LABORATORY

The room shakes in a violent tremor as JOR-EL tries to get the engines fired. The energy columns glare at fever pitch.

26A	EXT. KRYPTON

The proximity of Kryptonian sun has bathed the planet in a reddish glow.  NOTE: All Scenes on Krypton both interior and exterior will from now on reflect this color.

27	EXT. KRYPTON

The military aura nears JOR-EL' S house. Suddenly a huge tremor dislodges a mass of crystal which crashes down, obliterating the aura.

28	INT. JOR-EL'S LABORATORY

The tremor continues in the lab. Tons of crystal crash down  into the room as JOR-EL frantically tries to fire the rocket. With a last desperate effort he lunges forward throws the tumbling debris and hits the control which ignites it. With
a deafening roar, the rocket starts to glide off into the night as the house begins to collapse, the energy columns shattering under the strain.
 
29	EXT. SP ACE - CLOSE ON MODULE

The module races away from the disintegrating planet below toward the Phantom Zone.

30	INT. COUNCIL OF ELDERS
 
The Council room is destroyed co1lapsing on some of the ELDERS.

30A	INT/EXT KRYPTON

	Various scenes of destruction, to include exterior shots and the trial chamber.

30B	INT. JOR-EL’S LABORATORY

JOR-EL and LARA are buried beneath a cascading shower of debris, clinging together desperately in the moment of their death.

30C	EXT. JOR-EL'S HOUSE

The House collapses in ruins.

31	EXT. PHANTOM ZONE

The THREE VILLANS, pressed against the linear Phantom Zone, watch the module hurtle past.

31	CONTINUED

VILLANS 
(muffled echoes) 
Take us with you ...

The capsule heads out into the intergalactic void as the VILLANS turn their attention to the planet Krypton, now in total eruption.

32	ANGLE ON KRYPTON - VILLANS POV

The red sun eats its way into the core or the planet Krypton which suddenly explodes and implodes - leaving a vast black void. 

33	EXT. SPACE - CLOSE ON MODULE

The module speeds through space to the accompaniment of steady electronic pulsings.

34	INT.  MODULE

Lights flash on the complex instrument panel. A computer memory bank repeats   recorded data while machines registers other space functions on graphs. The BABY is completely wired and fitted with instruments and tubes for his survival in space. The computer spews forth information.

COMPUTER
        (JOR-EL'S VOICE)
Early concepts of matter appear
in ancient Creek philosophy. In 
the fifth century Demoocritus 
defined a small unit as an atom, 
then thought to be indivisible...

35	EXT. SPACE – CLOSE ON MODULE
	
The module voyages through space. A giant asteroid lost in the void, soars toward it at tremendous speed. The module and the asteroid nearly collide. The module sways on, away into the void.

36	INT. MODULE

The control panels continue to flash. The BABY has grown.  The survival tubes, instruments and belts have adapted to his increase in size as the years have passed.

				COMPUTER
(JOR-EL'S voice)
Index 19, Sonnet 101: “0 
truant muse, what shall be thy 
amends for thy neglect of truth 
in beauty dy'd? ...

37	 EXT. SPACE - CLOSE ON MODULE

Traveling through space: A tiny yellow dot becomes larger as the module enters our Universe. The yellow dot grows rapidly into a flaming yellow sun.

38	INT.  MODULE

The control panel lights flash rapidly. An electronic bleep quickens its squeal. The BABY has grown older.
	
				COMPUTER
(JOR-EL'S voice)
		...which Einstein called his Theory 
of Relativity, mistakenly held to be 
correct until the year ...

39	EXT.  MODULE - EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE – DAY

The module enters the earth's atmosphere. We SEE the familiar astronaut's POV of the revolving earth, growing larger and larger until we can make out the recognizable shapes of land masses on oceans. As the module gets closer, it seems as if it will surely land in the middle of the Soviet Union. But as the Earth continues to revolve, the rocket heads for the dead centre of the United States.

NOTE:	As the module speeds down through the atmosphere, the resistance gradually transforms its shape into a jewel-like geode form, burnished hot by the pressure.

40	EXT. KANSAS WHEAT FIELD - DAY

Miles and miles of golden wheat wave under a cloudless sky. CAMERA PANS: A dilapidated farm pick-up truck comes chugging down a long flat dirt road.

41	INT. PICK-UP TRUCK - DAY

Two PEOPLE are seated in the truck cab, dressed in their shiny, patched "Sunday best" clothes. The MAN is in his 50”s, the WOMAN in her 40'5. “Private" people who mind their business, Christian folk whose morals are as basic as the soil they till: JONATHAN AND MARTHA KENT. Suddenly an ominous black shadow quickly crosses the road. Simultaneously: a loud whooshing sound (the space module coming to Earth). JONATHAN is startled, darts a momentary look ,in the direction of the noise .

					JONATHAN 
What in the...

42 	EXT. WHEAT FIELD ROAD - DAY

The “bang" of a tire blowout is heard. JONATHAN	slams on the brakes. The truck lurches violently to the right, the front tire having burst. The truck swerves, narrowly missing the embankment, stops. 

43	CLOSE ON TRUCK

JONATHAN steps out of the truck cab, looks sadly at the punctured tire.

JONATHAN
      (muttering)
If a man didn't know better, he'd think 
Detroit made those things to blowout 
on purpose. 

Grumbling, he goes around the rear to unstrap the spare tire and haul out the jack. MARTHA gets out of the cab, stretches her legs, gazes across the wheat fields as JONATHA in B.G. places the jack under the car, then wedges a stone under it to hold  the jack in place. CAMERA SUDDENLY ZOOMS IN ON MARTHA:  Her face is frozen in astonishment at something she's seen in the wheatfield.

MARTHA
Jonathan!

43	CONTINUED 

JONATHAN turns, looks, eyes widening, equally amazed. 

					JONATHAN 
Great God Almighty! What is it?

44	ANGLE ON MODULE - THEIR POV

The space module has landed in the fields. The engines are silenced.

45 	EXT. FIELD – CLOSE ON MODULE

JONATHAN rushes to the strange, eerie metallic geode nesting in the charred wheat, MARTHA close behind him. 

MARTHA
Careful, Jonathan.

Suddenly: a wall of the module Opens. A capsule ejects a little BOY still fastened inside, cushioned by the three blankets.

JONATHAN
What in the Sam Hill

He looks inside the module, leans over, touches the capsule burning his hand.

MARTHA
Jonathan!

The little BOY, aged 3, suddenly springs out of the electronically controlled belts, half naked.

MARTHA
            (stunned)
It's a ... baby.

JONATHAN stares, dumbfounded. MARTHA smiles softly at the baby, wraps him in the three blankets, picks him up.

46	CLOSE ON JONATHAN AND MARTHA - TRACKING SHOT

MARTHA carries the BABY back to the truck, looks at him with wonder. JONATHAN walks in front, shakes his head.

46	CONTINUED

JONATHAN
Well - better change that tire
if we're gonna get hone and see 
about contactin' that boy's proper kin.

MARTHA
         (defensively)
He hasn't got any - not for sure. Not 
around here anyways. You saw that 
magic contraption he came in, same as me.

JONATHAN has arrived at the truck, starts jacking up the front end...

JONATH.AN
I did. But I ain't gettin' hauled off 
to no booby hatch by tellin' other
				people I did - and neither is you.

JONATHAN removes the lugs and the punctured tire.

MARTHA
You take things easy now, Jonathan.
You mind what Doc Frye said about 
that heart of' yours...

47	INSERT SHOT  -  JACK

	The jack begins to shimmy. The truck shakes.

48	CLOSE ON JONATHAN

JONATHAN struggles with the spare tire under the truck, wondering why it won’t fit in.

49	INSERT SHOT  -  JACK

	The jack continues to shimmy. Suddenly, the stone beneath it slips away.

50	CLOSE ON MARTHA

	MARTHA screams, horrified.

51	BACK TO JONATHAN

JONATHAN under the truck, shoots a quick look at his wife, then - as her scream  stops in a gasp - he looks behind him	as CAMERA PANS: The' BABY is holding up the truck, two wheels off the ground. JONATHAN and MARTHA are poleaxed with disbelief. 

52	INT. TRUCK CAB – DAY

The BABY sits happily in MARTHA'S lap. The COUPLE look ahead, lost in thought, MARTHA in particular. 

MARTHA
         (carefully)
All these years, happy as we've been, how I 
prayed and prayed the Good Lord would see 
fit to give us a child.

JONATHAN
      (looks - alarmed)
 				Martha, there is something  downright strange 
about that boy. Where he come from, what he 
just did back there. Now surely you don't mean to...

	MARTHA
      (firmly)
No one must ever know.

	JONATHAN
But folks'll ask questions . . .

	MARTHA
 				We'll say he's child to my cousin in North 
Dakota, and just now orphaned.  Jonathan, 
he’s a baby...
      (cuddles baby)
Poor thing.

JONATHAN
 				Well...
        (sigh)
Maybe we could give it a try for the time bein'. 
I'd better hitch the rig and come back to Get 
that ... that thing he was settin' in. What do you 
make of that thing? Martha'? Martha Kent,
you listenin' to me?

52 	CONTINUED

MARTHA
I was thinkin' what to call him.
I was thinkin' I had an uncle who 
was a fine man, you recall him? 
The church sexton?

JONATHAN
Who?- Clark? I never cared two hoots 
for that fella.

53	 EXT. SMALLVILLE HIGH FOOTBALL FIELD – DAY

CAMERA LOOKS DOWN on a typical midwestern small town high school football field in the 1950’s. A coach's whistle signals the end of the team’s practice session. A group or GIRL CHEERLEADERS run through their routines nearby. Several PLAYERS practice "extra points" by kicking the ball through the goalposts from the 2 1/2-yard line, now stop, congregate around the bench with the other PLAYERS as they turn in their equipment, prepare to go home.

54	CLOSE ON BENCH - TRACKING SHOT

CAMERA TRACKS along the bench as the PLAYERS drop their pads, towels. kicking tees, footballs, etc. on the bench. Picking them up, stacking them neatly and methodically is a bookish-looking TEENAGER of 15. With dark, unstylish hair, heavy-rimmed glasses, and an air of social unease, he is the perfect candidate for team manager - the young CLARK KENT.  CLARK nears the end of the bench, looks off at the CHEERLEADERS: five or six wholesomely cute teenagers in their uniforms of sweater, tiny skirt, sneakers, and white socks. They have finished rehearsing their final routine now laugh, applaud themselves, drop their megaphones and run off to join several of the departing PLAYERS. One CHEERLEADER (SUSIE) with an attractive, sensitive face -pauses, sees the megaphones strewn around the ground, begins 'to collect them.

55 	CLOSE ON SUSIE 

SUSIE gathers up the megaphones. CLARK crosses to her.

CLARK
You don't have to bother with those, 
Susie. I’ll take them  in for you with 
the other equipment.

55	CONTINUED

					SUSIE
Why, thank you, Clark.
   				      (rises- smiles)
You know something, Clark?
I think you're just about the nicest 
boy in the whole school.

CLARK blinks shyly, practically blushing.

CLARK
Well ... ah ... ah ... it's sort of my job 
as team manager, anyway, and…

	SUSIE
 				No, I mean it. I really do. Listen. A whole
bunch of us are going over to Mary Ellen' s 
and play some records. Would you like to come?

					CLARK
Well, gee... I'd...why, yes, Susie, I'd like that 
very...

FOOTBALL PLAYER (0.5.) 
Kent won't be able to make it.

A large FOOTBALL PLAYER comes into frame, looks at SUSIE with what passes for "macho" at 15.

FOOTBALL PLAYER
Kent's still got a lot of work to do.

CLARK
 					      (innocent- turning)
What do you mean? I've stacked all the…

CAMERA PANS as CLARK turns: the mass of equipment he had neatly piled on the bench has been tossed all over the field. Water buckets overturned, etc. In B.G. several other PLAYERS and CHEERLEADERS are crammed into an open , convertible car, snigger to themselves, pretend not to look.

56	BACK TO SCENE

CLARK'S face falls. He stares at the Grinning FOOTBALL PLAYER as we see a momentary flash of anger pass through his eyes. Will he...? No. Regaining his former composure, CLARK smiles faintly.

CLARK
I'm ... sorry, Susie. I guess
I'd better clean it up.

The FOOTBALL PLAYER puts a victorious arm around the reluctant SUSIE, prods her off toward the open convertible. They get in. The car roars off. 

57 	CLOSE ON CLARK.

CLARK is left totally alone on the football field, his face downcast with anger and hurt born of humiliation. He approaches a football sitting on the extra-point tee at the 2 1/2 yard line, is about to pick it up, suddenly gives it a frustrated kick. The ball takes off like a tiny rocket. 

58	ANGLE THROUGH OPPOSITE GOALPOSTS

The ball whistles perfectly through the far goalposts. CLARK has kicked it over 100 yards.

59	BACK TO CLARK

CLARK turns, looks at the mess left by the players. He reaches down for the first towel, suddenly grits his teeth, accelerates into SUPER SPEED. His image is only a blur on the screen as towels, pads, buckets, etc. disappear from the field and miraculously reappear on the bench. 

 60	EXT. KANSAS ROAD - DA y

CLARK trudges along a country road, heading for home. In B.G. the Open convertible appears, closing fast. He turns. It slows down, seems to be intending to pick him up. Then, at the last minute, the FOOTBALL PLAYER who is driving honks the horn loudly, roars past him, laughing, leaving CLARK in a swirl or dust.

61	CLOSE ON CLARK .

CLARK stares angrily, his rage growing. He takes off his glasses, puts them in his 
Pocket. Turning, he suddenly takes off, running cross-country. 

62	EXT. KANSAS COUNTRYSJDE  -  DAY

The blur which is the running CLARK zooms through a cornfield, makes a hair-pin turn across a meadow and up over a rise.

63	 EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - DAY – TRAVELLING SHOT

Clark runs parallel to some train tracks on the other side of the rise. A train looms up rapidly behind him, overtakes him by one or two cars. For a moment CLARK is content to keep pace with the train, then looks up at its windows.

64	ANGLE ON  TRAIN WINDOWS  -  CLARK'S POV

A LITTLE GIRL of' six looks out one window, her nose pressed to the glass, her chin dropping in surprise.

65	BACK To CLARK

He notices. Embarrassed, he runs faster, pulling on ahead and passing the train. 

66	INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - -DAY

The GIRL'S PARENTS are the couple we saw in the opening shot of the movie, cooing over their baby. They are six years older now, as is she: LOIS LA.NE

LOIS
       (turns - amazed)
Golly! I saw a boy out there, running fast 
as the train! Faster, even!

					MOTHER
				    (affectionate sigh)
Lois Lane, you do have a writer's gift for 
invention. I'll say that for you.

LOIS
But...

FATHER
Read your book, dear.

67	EXT. KENT FARMHOUSE  –  DAY

A small farm on a dirt road facing a wheatfield. A barn stands at one end of the front yard area. CLARK, running in a blur suddenly appears by the tree growing next to the front gate, stops. CAMERA PANS: coming down the road: the convertible with the FOOTBALL PLAYERS and CHEERLEADERS. CLARK leans nonchalantly against the tree as the car and its amazed occupants roll to a stop, stare with wonder.

SUSIE 
Clark ....?

FOOTBALL PLAYER 
How the hell did you... 

CLARK
 				       (deadpan)
I ran.

FOOTBALL PLAYER
     (pause- to others) 
Told you he was a weirdo. Let’s get out of here...

He guns the car, irritated, roars off. CLARK breaks into  a thin,  self-satisfied smile.

JONATHAN’S VOICE
Been showin' off a bit, have you, son?

68	ANGLE ON JONATHAN 

JONATHAN KENT,  much older now, stands with stooped shoulders, a scythe in one hand. He looks care-worn, but deeply concerned as CLARK joins him in the yard.

CLARK
I don't mean...to show off, Dad. 
It’s just that...

JONATHAN
     (total understanding)
You got all these amazin' things you can do 
and sometimes you think you'll go bust if 
you don't let other people know ..

68 	CONTINUED 

CLARK
                 (misty-eyed frustration)
I could score a touchdown every time I had 
the ball. Every time, Dad. Is it showing off 
for a person to do what he's capable of? Is 
a bird Showing off when it flies?
					(no reply)
				I'm sorry, Dad. I know I made a promise, 
but I just don’t think I can handle it anymore.

CLARK turns away. JONATHAN watches with compassion.

JONATHAN
Look, son. You've been nothin' but a blessing to your mother and me. In the beginning - when you first 
came -we thought they'd take you away from us if 
people found out about. . . the things you could do. 
But a man thinks different as he gets older, 'thinks...
better. Wiser. Starts to see things clear.  And I
know now that as sure as we're gonna see the moon 
tonight there's a reason why you're here. Don't ask me 
what reason, don't ask me whose reason. But whoever, and whatever,  there's one thing I do know...
						(soft smile)
It ain't to score touchdowns.

CLARK turns, nods, understanding. JONATHAN puts his arm around him.

JONATHAN
Now why don't you see if you can finish up your 
chores before I finish up all that apple pie I smell 
comin' from your mother's kitchen window....

CLARK smiles, heads off toward the barn, CAMERA TRACKS with him. Suddenly: a choked scream is heard 0.S.  CAMERA WHIP PANS:  JONATHAN, his hand clutching his heart, staggers on the front step of the farmhouse.

					CLARK  (O.S.)
				Dad! . .

66 	CONTINUED

MARTHA’S VOICE 
       (from inside) 
Jonathan...?

JONATHAN collapses, falling backwards as MARTHA opens the front door.

MARTHA
Jonathan!

69	EXT. KAN5AS CEMETERY -  DAY

CAMERA CLOSE on a tombstone reading:  JONATHAN KENT,  1887-1943 R.I.P.,   PULLS BACK:  CLARK stands by a freshly filled grave, holds the hand of the weeping MARTHA. Both are dressed in mourning.

					CLARK
      (quiet anguish)
All those things I can do, all those powers... 
and I still couldn’t save him.

70 	EXT. KENT FARM - NIGHT'
 
The barn stands silhouetted against the night sky. .SLOWLY TRACKS TOWARD IT,  passes through the door.

71	INT. BARN - NIGHT

Pitch dark inside. A green light emanates somewhere from beneath  a mound of hay the light seems to throb as it glows, as if calling out for something - or someone.

72	INT. CLARK’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

CLARK KENT, now 18 years old, is asleep, suddenly his eyes open. Her sits up, looks around.

73	EXT. FARM – NIGHT

The back door opens. CLARK, fully dressed, emerges from the house, crosses 
to the barn.

74	INT. BARN - NIGHT

CLARK enters, crosses to the mound of hay which throbs with the green light. Digging and pushing the hay aside, he uncovers the geode-like module which brought him to earth. The module glows brightly, lit by something from within. CLARK stares hard at it – his eyes changing in colour and consistency.

75	ANGLE ON GEODE - CLARK'S X-RAY POV

Seen through CLARK'S X-RAY vision which cuts through the solid surface of the module:  a green crystal throbs inside, resting on the red, yellow, and blue blankets.

76	BACK TO SCENE

CLARK kneels, opens the module, picks up the crystal, stares into it deeply, eyes widening in the eerie, pulsating light.

77	INT. KENT KITCHEN

MARTHA stands over the kitchen stove in the early morning, bacon sizzling in the pan , a pot of hot coffee steaming nearby. She turns her head slightly, calls out.

MARTHA
Clark? Are you going to sleep all day? 
I've got....

She stops, has noticed something out the kitchen window. CAMERA PANS, pushes in through window: In the distant wheatfield across the road stands the motionless figure of CLARK.

78	EXT. WHEATFIELD - DAY

CLARK stands quietly, immobile, staring north as the late morning sun hits the side of his face. The look is trance-like as if some force were pulling at him. There is a rustle in the wheat behind him. He does not turn...

CLARK 
I... have to leave.

MARTHA enters frame, stops, looks at him thoughtfully, full of emotion.

78	CONTINUED

					MARTHA
				I... knew this time would come.
I knew it from the day I found you. .

	CLARK turns now, faces her. He speaks flatly, trying to avoid breaking down.

					CLARK
I’ll bring in the crop before I leave.  I... 
talked to Ben Hubbard yesterday. He'll 
be happy to help out from now on.

MARTHA
He's a good man, Ben is.  Your father 
always said so.

	CLARK 
      (emotionally) 
Mother...

MARTHA 
     (helpless smile) 
I know, son. I know....

79	EXT. WHEATFIELD - DAY

The sun starts to set in the distance. CLARK approaches the vast wheatfield, his .father's scythe in his hand. He hesitates a moment, unobtrusively looks around, then bursts toward the wheat at SUPER SPEED, cutting an instant four-foot wide swath across the field.

80	INT. KITCHEN  -   DAY - ANGLE ON WHEATFIELD

CAMERA looks through the kitchen window as the wheatfield practically disintegrates in neat rows before us, then PULLS BACK:  MARTHA watches, her eyes filled with tears.

81	EXT. KENT F ARM – DAY

The wind is blowing. Tall, neat stacks of baled wheat rise up near the barn. CAMAERA PANS:  CLARK stands at the gate to the road in a windbreaker and slacks, has a rucksack at his side. MARTHA holds out a brown paper bag. 

81	CONTINUED

MARTHA
I made you... 
       (fighting back tears) 
...some sandwiches.

CLARK smiles silently, closes his hand around the bag. He turns, opens the rucksack to place the bag inside.

82	INSERT SHOT – RUCKSACK

The rucksack interior glows with a green light, tucked inside the red, yellow, and blue blankets is the same one seen earlier, in thc barn. CLARK closes it.

83	BACK TO SCENE

They face each other for the final time, all emotion, both at a sudden loss for words.

MARTHA
Do you ... know where you're headed?

CLARK
North.

MARTHA'S eyes glaze over. She manages a brave smile.

MARTHA
Remember us. Always remember us.

Unable to restrain themselves any longer, they reach out, collapse into a tight hug.

 84	EXT. ALASKA HIGHWAY - DAY

CLARK, in his light windbreaker, his rucksack on his back, walks by the side of the road. The wind howls, ruffling his hair, but he doesn't seem to mind the cold. CAMERA PANS: from a distance, a truck appears. It pulls up next to him, stops. The DRIVER opens the door.

TRUCK DRIVERS
Get in Kid! Quick, before you 
freeze to death!

84	CONTINUED

CLARK
  				       (nice smile)
I'm okay, thanks. It was nice of you to 
stop, though.

The DRIVER stares, amazed. CLARK really means it.

DRIVER
What the hell. You wanna make a popsicle 
outa yourself, none of my business....

THE DRIVER slams the door. The truck roars off. CLARK watches it leave, then turns, walks off the side of the road cross-country, heading north.

85	EXT. ALASKA - DAY

CAMERA PANS a vast snow-covered plain and an arctic lake with icebergs floating in it in the distance.  A Polar bear trudges through the snow, stops, looks at something which has attracted his attention. CAMERA CONTINUES PAN: the  tiny, dark figure of CLARK contrasts sharply with the dazzling white landscape as he makes his way still north, dressed only in his light windbreaker.
 
86	EXT. NEAR NORTH POLE – DAY

A flat, desolate plain. off to one side is a huge out-cropping of rock jutting out of the barren, snow-covered landscape. A blizzard rages. CAMERA PANS to reveal CLARK, the rucksack on the ground beside him. The wind rips across the plain. CLARK looks around, seems to be in the process of selecting a specific area. He marks its perimeters with heat vision, burning deep lines into the snow and ice. Once the boundaries are drawn, CLARK concentrates on the area within. The entire mass of snow' begins to melt away as huge flames shoot around the gigantic excavation.

DISSOLVE TO:

87	EXT'. SAME AREA – LATER

An enormous crater has been carved out of the rock and ice. CLARK stands in the center, reaches into his rucksack, places the green stone on the ground. Climbing back quickly to the edge, he focuses into the crater.  As his heat vision hits the stone a crystalline foundation begins to solidify and expand. Green radiation glows all around the excavation site – a wall is formed.

87	CONTINUED

Another burst of energy intensifies and constructs a second side joined at a right angle. In the bright cone of green light, multi-colored molecules explode and expand into a third impregnable wall. Through the blaze of sparkling light this wall increases in size, spreads out to cover the fourth remaining side.

88	CLOSE ON CLARK

CLARK steps back to look with awe: The Fortress of Solitude is complete. It rises up in the northern landscape, its materials completely harmonious, the white opaque crystalline blending ingeniously into the surrounding countryside.

89	INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE - DAY

The tiny figure of' CLARK enters the Fortress, looks up at a multi-leveled white fantasy. Stabbing spurs of crystal cut across the levels at a severe angle. The decor is spartan, minimal. The central area with its complicated memory crystal energy banks where SUPERMAN will communicate with his dead father is overlooked by a series of different levels which lead off to hidden corridors, rooms, etc.
The entire dazzling interior is strongly reminiscent of what we have seen earlier on Krypton.

90	CLOSE ON ENERGY BANK SECTION
 
A crystal bench sits next to the energy bank which is lined with rows of smaller glowing crystals. CLARK approaches mesmerized, knowing what he must do but unsure of how and why.  He reaches out for the first crystal, places it inside a mechanism in the energy bank, takes his seat on the bench, waits, suddenly:
 
91	WIDE ANGLE
 
The light in the Fortress changes dramatically. The walls and jagged planes of the structure seem to come alive with energy. The wall directly opposite vibrates with a special intensity:  A giant face appears: It is JOR-EL. His head rises massively up and across the wall, burning with light, looking down, dwarfing the tiny figure of CLARK on the bench. JOR-EL’S eyes flash, focus on him. JOR-EL speaks.

25/3/77

91	CONTINUED

JOR-EL
My son, you do not remember me. I am Jor-El. 
I am ... your father. By now you will have 
reached your eighteenth year of time as it is
measured on earth. By that same reckoning I will 
have been dead for many thousands of your years. 
The knowledge that I have of, matters physical 
and historic I have given to you fully on  your voyage 
to your new home. These are important matters, to 
be, sure, but still matters of mere fact. There are 
questions to be asked and it is time for you to do so. 
Here in this Fortress of Solitude we shall try to find 
the answers together. How does a Good man live? What 
is virtue'? When does a man’s obligation to those 
around him exceed his obligation to himself'? These are 
not simple questions - even on Krypton there is no precise 
science which provides us with the answers. I can only 
tell you what I myself believe. To this end, I have tried 
to anticipate your questions, and in -the order of their 
importance to you. 
		(pause)
Speak.

CLARK 
Who . . . am I?
 
JOR-EL
Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor 
of the planet Krypton. Even though you have 
been raised as a human being, you are not one 
of them. You have great powers, only some of 
which you have, as yet, discovered ...

CAMERA BEGINS A SLOW 360-DEGREE PAN.   The face and features of
JOR-EL will appear and fade away in many dimensions and on virtually every area of the fortress in an intricate and continuous SERIES OF DISSOLVES:

JOR-EL
Your mother, Lara, has sent along three
Blankets of red, yellow, and blue. United in
United in a single garment, their
      	(last sentence missing from script)

91	CONTINUED

At times there will be simultaneous representations JOR-EL:  some merely features of the face in huge magnifications - eyes, mouth, profile, etc. The DISSOLVES will indicate the passage of a long period of time. Never, until the final culmination of the 360 PAN do we see or hear anything but the face and thought of JOR-EL.

CAMERA BEGINS FIRST SERIES OF DISSOLVES:

JOR-EL
You are superior to others. You can only 
become inferior by setting yourself above 
them. Lead by inspiration. Let your actions 
and ideals become a touchstone against 
which mankind may learn how to serve 
the common good.  While it is forbidden 
for you to interfere with human history 
itself,  your leadership can stir others to 
their own capacity for moral betterment ...

	CAMERA BEGINS SECOND SERIES OF DISSOLVES:

JOR-EL
The virtuous spirit has no need for thanks or 
approval. Only the certain conviction that what 
has been done is right. Develop such conviction 
in yourself, Kal-El. The human heart on your 
planet is still subject to small jealousies, lies, 
and monstrous deceptions. Resist these 
temptations as you inevitably find them - and 
your ethical power will then properly outweigh 
your physical advantage over others...

CAMERA BEGINS THIRD SERIES OF DISSOLVES, has almost completed 
its 360 PAN, now starts to RISE behind a giant representation of JOR-EL'S face. LOOKING DOWN from behind through the eyes we see a tiny blue, red, and yellow figure in the distance.  CAMERA PUSHES IN SLOWLY through the eyes.

91	CONTINUED

					JOR-EL
				Your education nears a kind of completion 
now, Kal-El, although no limit to 
understanding or knowledge has ever 
truly existed. Over the years you have asked
important questions and I think together 
we have almost always found  the answer to them.  
Now it is time for you to return to the world 
which I have chosen for you. When new 
questions arise, come back to me and I will 
try to be of help ...

The FIGURE is discernible now as CAMERA PUSHES IN with increasing speed.    FOR THE FIRST TIME:

SUPERMAN stands in his classic outfit, arms folded, gazing intently back up at the CAMERA which -represents JOR-EL. He is older now. A handsome, strong man, his intelligence, warmth, and compassion shining through his clear eyes as the final words of JOR-EL flow through him.

JOR-EL
Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover 
where your strength and power are 
needed - but always hold in your heart 
the pride of your special heritage. Your 
being is both separate and your own ,	but I
				have caused your earthly presence and must 
share responsibility for your actions. They can 
be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They 
only lack the light to show the way. For this reason 
above all - their capacity for good - I have sent them 
you.  My only son. 

There is a handwritten notation to “cut to scene 96”

92	EXT.	METROPOLIS STREET – DAY  
(There is a handwritten notation “26/6/77 amended to page 56”)

CLARK KENT walks a crowded street in Metropolis, attaché case in hand, conservative suit, heavy-rimmed glasses, etc. A brisk breeze blows.  CLARK reaches the street corner, looks around, admires the skyline, fascinated by the big city. He starts across the street to a building marked DAILY PLANET, oblivious to the red light turning green and the oncoming traffic. A taxi hurtles across the intersection. 

 93	ANOTHER ANGLE

The taxi smashes into CLARK with a sickening crunch. The DRIVER, horrified, jumps out.

					DRIVER
				Oh, my god, I couldn't help...

CLARK, still standing, simply turns, smiles nicely.

CLARK
Sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't 
have crossed against the light.

The DRIVER stops, dumbfounded, stares at the hood of his cab.

94	INSERT SHOT - HOOD OF CAB

The front of the cab has CLARK'S impression cut deeply into the hood, through the engine block to the windshield.

95	BACK TO SCENE

CLARK waves a cheery farewell to the non-plussed DRIVER, mouths another friendly "sorry", crosses the street, walks through the doors of The Daily Planet. CAMERA PANS UP the skyscraper to its tower (not the same building in the OPENING, but new, more modern quarters) where WE SEE the globe and the enormous electric sign: THE DAILY PLANET - Metropolis' Greatest Newspaper.

96	INT. PLANET CITY ROOM – DAY

The city room of a large newspaper. Rows of desks. REPORTERS, EDITORS, COPY BOYS scurry back and forth. CAMERA PUSHES IN on a corner of the City Room where a few star reporter desks look a bit larger and widely spaced than the others. Behind them is a frosted glass door on which is painted: "PERRY WHITE, MANAGING-DIRECTOR".

97	ANGLE ON DESKS

Seated at the typewriter, working with intense concentration punctuated by occasional smiles, is a YOUNG WOMAN. Physically she is a knockout: long brunette hair, smart clothes on a smart figure. Mentally, she's just as good: bright, talented, ambitious. 

97	CONTINUED

A girl with a wry sense of humor, a snappy reporter with an instinct for a big story, the grown-up version of that little girl last seen at the train window as it sped through Smallville:  This is LOIS LANE.

LOIS
      (to anybody)
How do you spell "massacre?"

98	ANGLE ON LOIS THROUGH REFLEX FINDER

LOIS turns, looks into the crosshairs of a reflex camera viewfinder. She is perfectly centered.

JIMMY’S VOICE
			R-E. 

The shutter clicks.

99	BACK TO SCENE

A few feet away, a fresh-faced young CUB REPORTER lowers his press reflex camera. A teen-age eager beaver who idolizes LOIS, this is JIMMY OLSEN. He grins, crosses to LOIS, tries to see what's in her typewriter.

				JIMMY
What're you writing. Lois?

LOIS
      (continues typing)
An Ode to Spring.  One or two "T's" 
in bloodletting?

	JIMMY
Two.

LOIS types the finish, rips the page from her typewriter, reads with gusto.

LOIS
"And the people on the street, the little man who runs 
the corner newsstand, the old lady sunning herself on the stoop, the kids playing stickball in the alley - none of them will ever forget that night of senseless blood-letting which turned a friendly block party into a cruel and unspeakable massacre.” 
(triumphant)

99	CONTINUED

LOIS rises, starts toward Perry White’s office. JIMMY tags along at her heels as CAMERA TRACKS with them.

JIMMY
                (lost in admiration)
Boy! How come you get all the great 
stories, Lois?

LOIS
A good reporter doesn't get the great stories, 
Jimmy. A good reporter makes them great.

	JIMMY
Oh, wow…

LOIS flashes him a knowing grin, knocks on PERRY  WHITE'S door, enters without waiting for a response.

100	INT. PERRY WHITE'S OFFICE – DAY

The office of a working editor. Copy pinned up on bulletin boards, photos piled on the desk, wire service tear sheets, plaques, awards, signed photos on the walls, etc. Behind the desk, rol1ed-up shirt sleeves, tie loosened, is PERRY WHITE, the no-nonsense, hard-working 50'ish editor of the paper. Beneath his gruffness is a nice guy who loves his grandchildren. PERRY struggles vainly with the screw-on top of a pop bottle as LOIS marches in, lays her story on his desk.

LOIS
         (cocky)
Here's the story on that East 19th Street 
murder spree. Page one with a banner headline 
seems about right to me.

PERRY
So why should today be different... 
     (gestures O.S.)
Clark Kent, say hello to Lois Lane.

LOIS turns, not realizing there was someone	else in the room. CAMERA PANS:  
Seated against the wall by the entrance is CLARK KENT.	He rises, polite and friendly, extends his hand.

 

100	CONTINUED

CLARK 
Hello, Lois ...

LOIS
Hi there...

LOIS looks back at PERRY as CLARK slowly lowers his hand. PERRY crosses, still struggling with the bottle top.

LOIS
Believe me, Chief, it's got
everything. Sex., violence, the 
ethnic angle...

PERRY
So does a lady wrestler with a foreign 
accent.
         (turns)
Here, Kent. Open this, will you?

PERRY hands CLARK the pop bottle as LOIS continues. CLARK struggles with it mightily, but to no avail.

LOIS
Chief, this could be the basis for a
whole series of articles - "Making 
sense of senseless killings", you know? 
We get psychiatrists ...

LOIS takes the bottle away from the straining CLARK, raps it sharply twice on the arm of his chair hands it back to him.

LOIS
...sociologists, interviews with the families...

PERRY
Lois, you're pushing a pile of rinky-dink 
tabloid crap. The Daily Planet has a tradition to ...

CLARK tries the bottle cap. It opens, suddenly fizzes out in a squirt from the agitation by LOIS. PERRY and LOIS turn, stare. CLARK winces shyly as the liquid dribbles down his pants leg. LOIS can’t resist a smile, but sympathizes.

100	CONTINUED

LOIS
I'm sorry. I didn’t shake it up on purpose.

CLARK
       (nicely)
Of course you didn’t, Lois. Why would 
anyone want a total stranger look like a fool?

CLARK smiles. LOIS looks back, unsure of how he meant that, as PERRY takes the bottle, from CLARK.

					PERRY
				Lois, take Kent out there and introduce
him around. He's coming to work for the
paper. I'm putting him on the city beat.

LOIS
       (not happy)
My ... beat?

PERRY
The competition'll do wonders for you. Listen. 
Not only does this guy show proper respect 
for his editor-in-chief ...
			                  (baiting her)
				not only does he have a snappy, punchy prose 
style, but I swear to you that after forty years 
in the business he is the fastest typist I have 
ever seen.

LOIS stares warily at CLARK. His sincere expression never changes.

CLARK
I'm sure I can learn a lot from you, Lois ...
					(turns)

Oh, Mister White, could you arrange for half 
my salary to be sent on a weekly basis to this 
address?

CLARK hands PERRY a piece of pa per from his pocket.

100	CONTINUED

LOIS 
Your bookie?

CLARK
My what?

LOIS
      (archly)
Don't tell me. He sends a check every 
week to his dear grey-haired old mother.

CI.ARK
       (total sincerity)
Actually, she's silver-haired.

LOIS stares at him, stunned. He actually does send his mother money. CLARK manages a pleasant smile.

LOIS
Are there any more at home like you7

CLARK
Not really, no. 

101	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET – NIGHT - TRACKING SHOT

(note – scenes 101-129 have had “NIGHT” marked out and “DAY has been handwritten in.)

It is late at night. The street is semi-deserted as CLARK and LOIS walk along on their way back from work.

LOIS
Well, Clark? So how did you enjoy your 
first day on the job?

CLARK
                (checking his watch)
Frankly the hours were somewhat longer than 
I expected, Lois, but then... meeting you and
Jimmy and Mr. White - on the whole I think it's 
swell.

101	CONTINUED

LOIS
				Swell.
        (pause)	
You know, Clark, there are very few 
people left in the world these days who 
sound comfortable saying that word ... "swell".

					CLARK
				Really? It just sort of comes naturally to me.

As they pass an alleyway a VOICE is heard.

VOICE
All right. Freeze. The both of you.

CAMERA STOPS, PANS: a rough-looking MUGGER stands just inside the darkened alleyway, a pistol leveled at them. 

MUGGER 
Get in here.

CLARK and LOIS look around nervously for help. The street is deserted.
	
					CLARK
Better do as he says, Lois.

102	INT. ALLEY  - NIGHT     (change to DAY)

CLARK and LOIS are forced up against the wall. CLARK seems nervous, LOIS grimly determined.

CLARK
Listen, mister. I realize times are tough for 
some these days, but ....
				        (total sincerity)
				This isn't the answer. You can't solve society's 
problems with a gun.

The MUGGER blinks.  LOIS looks at CLARK unbelievingly.

MUGGER
You know something, buddy? You're . right 
I'm turning over a new leaf.

102	CONTINUED

					CLARK
That's the spirit.

MUGGER
Right after I rip off this lady's purse.
         (to LOIS)
Now hand it over.

LOIS stares hard at him. Disgusted, she lets the purse drop. The MUGGER reaches down to pick it up. LOIS suddenly kicks him viciously in the neck, sending him reeling backwards: The MUGGER hits the pavement bringing up his gun with a deadly glare.

CLARK
 				Don’t shoot! Don't shoot!
 
CLARK rushes forward with his arms outstretched pleadingly as the MUGGER fires.

103	INSERT SHOT - CLARK'S HAND

AT SUPER SPEED: The bullet hits CLARK harmlessly in the palm of his hand. He closes his fist around it.

104	BACK TO SCENE

CLARK'S eyes bulge. He drops to the ground with a look of agonized  astonishment as LOIS screams.

LOIS
Clark!

The frightened MUGGER scrambles to his feet, runs off down the alley as LOIS bends over CLARK.

LOIS
 				Clark. . . oh, Clark . . . are you. . .

CLARK'S eyelids flutter, then open. with a sheepish smile. He looks up at LOIS

CLARK
Wow ... I guess I must have fainted or something ...

104	CONTINUED
	
LOIS
                 (rising - disgusted) 
Swell.

	CLARK gets to his feet, dusts himself off.

CLARK
Really, Lois. Supposing that man had shot 
you? Is it worth risking your life over ten dollars, 
two credit cards, a hairbrush, and a lipstick? I mean...

					LOIS 
     (strange expression) 
How did you know that?

CLARK 
 			                 (suddenly nervous) 
Know what?

LOIS
You just described the exact contents of my purse.

CLARK
 				       (pause- smile)
Wild guess.

CLARK turns self-consciously, strides out of the alley as LOIS watches him curiously.

CLARK
Taxi!

105	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET – NIGHT       (DAY)

CLARK and LOIS enter a cab, take off, CAMERA PANS to a newsstand on the corner.

106 	CLOSE ON NEWSSTAND -  DAY   (DAY)
 
A large MAN (OTIS)	in a slightly disheveled one-colour outfit which could pass for a uniform buys a newspaper. He checks the headlines and front page picture before paying, then starts off. CAMERA PANS:  a police car is parked at a nearby corner directly in his path. 

lO7	INT. POLICE CAR – NIGHT    (DAY)

	TWO OFFICERS watch as OTIS approaches, passing under a streetlight. 
Their eyes narrow suspiciously. 

OFFICER #1
That's him, all right. Lex Luthor’s right-hand 
man. Let’s get him.

OFFICER #2
Wait. Maybe he’ll lead us to the man himself.

OFFICER #1
       (too good to be true)
Lex Luthor...

OFFICER #2
You got it, Charlie. We both make Captain by 
midnight.

They look through the windshield. OTIS has spotted their car, now hesitates.

108	EXT. STREET - CLOSE ON OTIS    (DAY)

OTIS suddenly doubles back, rounds a corner.  The police car pulls away from the curb, rolls after him.

109	EXT. STREET NEAR TRAIN STATION – NIGHT      (DAY)

OTIS has broken into a run. Still holding on to his newspaper, he heads for the entrance to a train station farther down the block. CAMERA PANS: the police car has picked up speed, continues to follow.

110	EXT. METROPOLIS STATION (GRAND CENTRAL) – NIGHT   (DAY)
 
OTIS, now at a dead run, threads his way through arriving PASSENGERS and taxis, enters the station. In F.G. the police car pulls up. OFFICER #2 jumps out, turns to OFFICER #1.

OFFICER #2
Call for a back-up. I’m going after him.
                (slaps walkie-talkie on belt)
I'll keep you posted.

111	INT. METROPOLIS STATION (GRAND CENTRAL) – NIGHT   (DAY)
									 
OFFICER#2 arrives at the top of the main staircase leading down into the busy central hall of the station, scans the CROWD.

112	ANGLE ON OTIS - OFFICER #2's POV

OTIS hustles through a group of PASSENGERS, heads down a ramp marked: LOWER LEVEL.

113	BACK TO OFFICER #2

OFFICER #2 has seen, speaks into his walkie-talkie, as he runs down the stairs.

OFFICER #2 
Lower level, Charlie. I’m right on his ass...

114	INT.  STATION LOWER LEVEL

OTIS hurries through the lower level, disappears into an entrance marked: TRACK 22. CAMERA PANS: OFFICER *2 has seen, follows quickly.

OFFICER #2 
       (into walkie-talkie)
Track 22, Charlie...

OFFICER #1's VOICE 
       (through walkie-talkie) 
Back-up's here. We’re right behind you.

115	INT. TRACK 22 – NIGHT   (DAY)

OTIS runs down the platform. On one side is a waiting train, steam belching from	beneath the cars as the final PASSENGERS set on board. OTIS joins them.

116	ANGLE ON OFFICER #2    (DAY)

OFFICER #2 at the top of the platform starts after him, suddenly stops as he sees:

 

117	ANGLE ON OTIS - OFFICER #2's POV

OTIS' emerges through the steam on the other side of the train. He looks down the opposite side of the platform along an empty track. A train approaches in the distance, its lights now visible, the noise of its wheels increasing rapidly in volume. OTIS looks:  against the far tunnel wall are a series of concave man-sized indentations, meant for track workers to step back into in case of an oncoming train. Waiting until the last moment, OTIS suddenly, jumps down onto the track, crosses it, steps back into an .indentation as the train roars past in f.g.

118	CLOSE ON OFFICER #2     (DAY)	

OFFICER #2 watches, mystified. 

119	ANGLAE ON TRAIN    (DAY)
 
The train rattles by quickly, its flashing windows obscuring OTIS from view. As the last car whistles by:  OTIS has disappeared - the indentation is empty.

120	BACK TO OFFICER #2    (DAY)

	OFFICER #2 grins confidently, speaks into his walkie-talkie. 

OFFICER #2
Make it Track 23, Charlie. I see how he does it...

121	INT.  TRACK 23  - NIGHT     (DAY)

OFFICER #2 runs down the platform, stops opposite the indentation OTIS used. He is about to jump onto the track, hesitates as he looks off: Another train is coming down the track, its lights now visible in the distance. OFFICER *2 grits his teeth, jumps off onto the track. 

122	INT. LUTHOR' S LAIR – NIGHT    (DAY)

CAMERA CLOSE on a TV monitor screen. OFFICER #2 is seen on it, crossing the track. A disapproving, clucking sound is heard. A hand comes into frame holding a remote control device. A button on it is pushed. The TV image changes:  We now see OTIS

 

122	CONTINUED

Walking nonchalantly down a narrow underground passageway lined with enormous steam pipes, still holding on to his newspaper.

LUTHOR'S VOICE (O.S.)
It's a miracle that brain can generate enough power 
to keep his legs moving....

The remote control device switches back again: Seen on the monitor: OFFICER #2 has crossed the track, looms large in monitor f.g. as he takes his place inside the indentation.	

123	INT. TRACK 23 - CLOSE ON INDENTATION    (DAY)
 
OFFICER #2 has stepped inside the indentation, now waits. The train roars down the track towards him. Suddenly – the rear wall of the indentation pushes forward, shoving him out in the direction of the track. He fights vainly for a moment, then catapults onto the track with a scream as the train rushes past. 	 

124	ANGLE ON TOP OF TRACK 23 PLATFORM     (DAY)
 
OFFICER #1 has arrived with two other POLICEMEN. They scan the platform area as the train roars by. CAMERA PANS:

125	ANGLE ON TRACK 23 - THEIR POV        (DAY)
 
The train has passed. All that remains on the track is a chewed-up policeman's hat and a dented walkie-talkie which sqawks pure static.
 
126	INT. LUTHOR'S LAIR – NIGHT - CLOSE ON TV MONITOR       (DAY)

Seen on the TV monitor:  the POLICEMEN scratching their heads, puzzled, walking along the empty platform. The hand with the remote control device comes back into frame. A button is pushed. The screen goes dark.

127	INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNEL  -  NIGHT     (DAY)
 
OTIS proceeds down an even narrow tunnel. Water drips from the rock ceiling above. A couple of rats scamper past and through some rusted heating and electrical ducts which line the sides.  CAMERA PANS with OTIS. He heads for a rusty, bolted metal door marked:  DANGER  -  NO ENTRY  - CONDEMED.

     

128	 INT. LUTHOR'S LAIR – NIGHT  -  CLOSE ON MODEL     (DAY)

CAMERA. FOLLOWS another train (this one a model) as it snakes its way around mountains and through deserts in a made-to-scale U.S. western-type landscape. Emerging from a	tunnel	it heads out onto a bridge which is only half-completed, suddenly tumbles	off,
the falling cars demolishing a papier-mâché model of a hospital directly below. A low chuckle is heard O. S. CAMERA PANS UP: A few feet  away, a beautiful YOUNG WOMAN (EVE TESCHMCHER) reclines with her feet up in a deep, luxurious sofa. working on a needlepoint pillow.  A projected blue-sky backdrop shimmers on the wall behind her, looking quite real from this angle and distance. EVE is	open, straightforward if slightly dim, with an unmistakable honest sexiness about her which matches her personality. She looks up INTO CAMERA, wide-eyed, disapproving.

EVE 
That's sick, Lex. Really.
 
129	WIDE ANGLE ON LEX LUTHOR AND LAIR - EVE'S POV   (DAY)
 
LEX LUTHOR sits behind a massive desk in his palatial underground lair, now seen for the first time as CAMERA PANS: At first glance – breathtaking, with its multi-level1ed areas, only some of which are immediately visible. The entire wall behind him which rises to a high ceiling is completely covered with full bookcases bulging with periodicals, papers, etc. Another separate area has a complicated laboratory with viewing theater, banks of electronic gadgets which have been connected to underground electrical lines exposed in portions of the rock-faced walls. In the same manner we will discover exposed heating ducts and water mains. One higher level near the ceiling is completely blocked from view. Off to another  side - a large and colourful aviary,  stocked with live birds of prey: eagles, falcons, hawks, etc. The walls and ceilings, as we will discover, are almost all canvas on which projections can and will be made, different ones servicing different specific parts of the lair. 

129	CONTINUED

One other aspect of this underground kingdom will soon become apparent: whether through the architecture which strangely resembles that of Metropolis Station, or the row of bookcases which curiously look like old ticket windows, or the odd, faded track marker 
which signals the way off into one or another of the hidden corridors of the lair - it is clear we are in an abandoned railroad station, drastically remodeled, but nonetheless a fact.

CAMERA PUSHES IN ON LEX LUTHOR: His face is a task of elegant demonic Genius, for this is a man with an infinite capacity for sadistic evil. Cutting, given to rapidly changing moods, but always  thinking - the master criminal incarnate. He stares at EVE, the only person he allows to “nag” him, loving her in spite of all. LUTHOR shakes his head sadly
disappointed.

LUTHOR
Sick.
  (pause)
Here we sit, Miss Teschmacher, mere days 
away from executing The Crime of the Century, 
and how do you choose to congratulate the greatest 
criminal mind or our age? Do you call me brilliant?
A bit obvious, that, I grant you. Charismatic, then?
   (hopefully)
Fiendishly gifted?

EVE
Try twisted.

EVE goes back to her needlepoint as LUTHOR glares. There is a metallic “clank.” O.S. OTIS has entered from a lower level, dutifully approaches the desk holding his newspaper, smiles, cheery.

OTIS
I'm back, Mr. Luthor.....

LUTHOR
You were followed again, Otis...

OTIS looks over his shoulder, deeply concerned.

LUTHOR
				Yes. In spite of those cat-like reflexes.

EVE 
    (new thought)
See if you can just explain to

129	CONTINUED

					EVE (CONTINUED)
				me one thing. Why do millions of people have 
to die for this...Crime of  the Century? Tell me 
that, Lex. Why do they all have to die? 

LUTHOR
Why.	
     (rising - philosophical)
			Why does the phone always ring when you’re sitting 
in the tub? Why do restaurants call animal intestines
				sweetbreads? Why would the most brilliantly 
diabolical leader of all time surround himself with 
total incompetents?
 	 	     			(to Otis)
				Why, in fact, does the chicken cross the road?

					OTIS
	  	  		         (proudly)
				To get to the other side.  

	 LUTHOR stares at him, OTIS hangs his head.

					OTIS
				I’m wrong again, aren’t I, Mr.
				Luthor.

					LUTHOR
				No, Otis. As a matter of fact, I stuck that last 
one in especially for you.
(pause)
Is that the newspaper I asked you to get me?

OTIS 
Yes, sir.
	
LUTHOR
Then why am I not reading it?

OTIS
              (knows when he's wrong )
Because I... haven't given it to you, Mr. Luthor.

LUTHOR rips the paper from OTIS'S hands, swats him viciously in the side of the head with it.
OTIS
Thank you, Mr. Luthor.

129	CONTINUED

LUTHOR drops the paper on the desk, sits.

130	INSERT SHOT - FRONT PACE

The paper is The Daily Planet. Clearly visible on the front page: a large photo of two nuclear missiles on their launching pads and the headline: TWIN I.C.B.M TEST CONFIRMED – LIVE WARHEADS TO BE USED.
 
131	BACK TO SCENE   (DAY)

 LUTHOR beams, drops the paper, rises, ecstatic.

LUTHOR
At last it's official! Thanks to the generous 
help of our own government, we are finally 
going to realize the greatest real swindle in history!

EVE
You and your real estate. Why does it mean so much 
to you? All the time, “land, land, land.”

LUTHOR
When I was a mere prodigy, Miss Teschmacher, having 
passed through vandalism with flying  colours at the age 
of six, my father said to me: "Son, stocks will rise and fall. . . .                   
           (gesturing around him) 
Utilities and transportation systems may even collapse, and 
people are no damn good - but they'll always need land, and 
for that they'll pay, through the nose. Remember that," my 
father said. "Land."

LUTHOR presses a button. A brilliant desert vista appears on one wall.

				LUTHOR
"Land!”

Another button.  Another vista.  This one of the snow-capped Rockies.

EVE
     (not looking up)
Then your father must have been sick too.

 

131	CONTINUED  (DAY)
 
 					LUTHOR
             (sad nod)
Arnold "Buster" Luthor. The most inept check 
forger of his day. A pity he didn't see how, from 
such humble beginnings, I created an empire.

EVE
An empire? This?

LUTHOR
Tell me, Miss Teschmacher. How many other girls 
are lucky enough to have a Park Avenue address?

EVE
It isn't a Park Avenue address, really. Two hundred 
feet below.

LUTHOR	
Do you know what they're all paying per square foot up 
there? For a few miserable rooms of a common elevator? 
What more could anyone ask for?

EVE
Sunlight. Something that overlooks a window.

LUTHOR, angry, turns to OTIS who shifts his feet.

LUTHOR
Otis, you want something. What can I throw 
at you?

OTIS
The...ah...paper, if you're through with it, sir...

					LUTHOR 
(incredulous)
A newspaper? Otis? You want to read the newspaper? 
Is there really life after death? Is water finally running 
uphill ?

OTIS
I thought maybe...the funnies. . .

LUTHOR hands him the paper, sighs.

131	CONTINUED

LUTHOR
Here.  Don't forget to flush this time.

EVE continues to needlepoint, but feels his gaze on her.

EVE
You know something, Lex? You're perverted. You're 
the most cruel and vicious human being I know...

LUTHOR approaches her, glaring with genuine malice.

EVE
You'd cut a baby's throat with its own diaper pin. 
Steal the wafer from a nun's handbag....

LUTHOR stands over menacingly, looks down. She glances up, smiles helplessly.

EVE
 				What's wrong with me, anyway? Why do I love 
you so much?

LUTHOR grins, lies down on the sofa next to her, puts his arms around her, looks deeply into her eyes.

LUTHOR
Life is never boring with me. Admit it.

EVE snuggles in, hopelessly cozy.

EVE
Never, Lex. You're the absolute pits.

They kiss passionately. LUTHOR reaches into his pocket, pulls out a remote control device, presses a button.

132	INSERT SHOT - LANDSCAPE MODEL  

CAMERA CLOSE on a high dam set into the landscape of the previously seen model.  It cracks, then collapses: sending a rush of water down onto a schoolyard below, knocking over a toy school bus, sweeping away little figures of children standing in the playground.

 133	INT. PLANET CITY ROOM  -  NIGHT

Frantic activity:  The wall clock indicates 8:00 P.M. CAMERA TRACKS through the chaos as PERRY WHITE exits his office, a sheaf of galleys in his hand.

133	CONTINUED

PERRY
Olsen, take this Loch Ness update down to 
composing - tell them to use it as fill unless 
something comes in on that jewel robbery.

JIMMY
Right, Chief.

PERRY
And don't call me Chief.

JIMMY OLSEN disappears quickly with the galleys. PERRY crosses to a desk, picks up the phone.

PERRY 
Harry? That's it. Put 'er to bed.

PERRY hangs up, crosses to LOIS' desk.

PERRY
Lois, about that sex maniac profile...

LOIS
I know. Nine to five it's a Pulitzer Prize.

PERRY
I was going to say there's only one p in rapist.
       (turns to CLARK)
Nice job on the Teamster scandal, Kent.

CLARK
Thanks , Mr. White .

PERRY leaves. CLARK rises, crosses to LOIS who rereads her article delightedly, puffs on a cigarette. CLARK clears his throat nervously.

LOIS
     (looking up) 
What...? Oh, goodnight, Clark.

CLARK
Actually, Lois, I... ah, well...

LOIS
Yes?

133	CONTINUED

CLARK
Would you, ah...be interested in a little dinner 
tonight?

LOIS
       (nice smile)
				Sorry, Clark. I’m booked.

					CLARK
Oh.

LOIS rises, grabs her notebook, starts off for the elevators. CLARK follows, CAMERA TRACKKING.

LOIS
Air Force One is landing at the airport tonight and 
this kid's going to be there to make sure you-know-who 
answers a few questions he'd rather duck.
								
CLA.RK
        (admiration)
Don't you ever let up?

LOIS	
For what? Oh, I've seen how the other half lives. 
My sister, for instance. . . three kids, two cats, one 
mortgage....I'd go bananas after a week..
      (chain smokes)
I already am bananas, right? That's what you're 
thinking.

CLARK
No. I'm just thinking that you smoke too much, if you 
don't mind my saying so.
(she stares)
Lois, you should see what the inside of your lungs 
look like.

LOIS
I appreciate the advice, okay? I've got a story to do. 

CLARK
Can I take you to the airport?

LOIS 
Not unless you can fly. . .

133	CONTIUNED

	They have reached the elevators.  The door opens. LOIS enters, turns to CLARK, smiles.

LOIS
Good night, Clark.

The elevator doors shut. A moment later another empty elevator stops, opens its doors. CLARK enters.

CLARK
  				Going Down?

134	EXT. ROOF OF DAILY PLANET – NICHT

LOIS emerges through a rooftop exit, looks off past an illuminated helicopter pad with a
small  waiting room building on the far side. A fierce wind in howling. LOIS turns her face as she sees:

135	ANGLE  ON HELICOPTER  –  LOIS’ POV

A helicopter  heads in for the roof, swaying slightly, fighting the tricky winds. It lands 
uncertainly on the edge of the pad. LOIS ducks her head, runs for the open door.

136	INSERT SHOT - FLOODLICHT CABLES

The rubber-encased cables connecting the helicopter pad floodlights dance wildly in the wind like black snakes. The helicopter struts are precariously near to them.- too precariously, as one cable inadvertently hooks itself around a strut.

137	BACK TO SCENE

LOIS has entered the helicopter. The PILOT takes off. The helicopter starts to rise through 
the strong winds, suddenly jerks back as the hooked cable takes hold, yanking out one of the 
floodlights. The helicopter lurches down violently to the PILOT'S ' side, its spinning blades knifing through the waiting room window, spraying showers of glass. The helicopter, still hooked to the edge, one strut hanging over the side. 

138	INSERT SHOT  -  CABLE

The cable holding the helicopter has split, short-circuits, spitting electric sparks.

139	 INT. HELICOPTER

The PILOT, on the roof side,	has been knocked unconscious by the impact of hitting the waiting room. LOIS, on the street side, looks over at him, paralyzed with fear. Held In by her seatbelt, she looks down her side to the street, terrified.

140	ANGLE ON STREET - LOIS' POV

A shear drop to the street.  A small CROWD has already started to form. 

141	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET

The CROWD grows rapidly in size, staring up, pointing excitedly. CLARK arrives on the scene, looks up as well, eyes widening in horror.

142	ANGLE ON LOIS – CLARK’S POV

The helicopter dangles half over the edge of the roof.

143	BACK TO CROWD

Determined, CLARK pushes his way through the crowd, looking for something.

144	ANGLE ON PHONE BOOTH - CLARK'S P.OV

A phone booth stands on the corner - but this is a modern booth -- it covers only the top half of the body.

145	BACK TO CLARK - WIDER ANGLE       (amended from page #33 – 
145A/B/C Sc. 92,93,94,95)

CLARK starts to cross an empty street to an alley, oblivious to the red light turning green and the oncoming traffic. A taxi hurtles across the intersection.

   145A   ANOTHER ANGLE

               The taxi smashes into CLARK with a sickening crunch. The DRIVER,     
               horrified, jumps out.

			DRIVER
		Oh, my god, I couldn’t help...

               CLARK, still standing, simply turns, smiles nicely.

			CLARK
		Sorry, I didn’t notice the light.
   
               The DRIVER stops, dumbfounded, stares at the hood of his cab.

  145B    INSERT SHOT - HOOD OF CAB

              The front of the cab has CLARK’S impression cut deeply into the hood, through
              to the engine block to the windshield.

145C   BACK TO CLARK 

             CLARK crosses to alley. 
	
146	INT. HELICOPTER 

LOIS looks up past the unconscious PILOT to the edge of the roof. She has only one chance. She unbuckles her safety belt, tries to crawl over him. As she moves, the helicopter shifts
position, swings out farther over the roof. 

147	INSERT SHOT - CABLE

	The cable jerks with the weight. Sparks fly. It holds together by a thread. 

148 	BACK TO LOIS

LOIS tumbles back with the movement, falls out the door grabbing her unbuckled seatbelt at the last minute on the way out.

149	EXT. STREET ANGLE ON LOIS - CROWD'S POV

The CROWD scream. LOIS dangles from the roof, holding on to her seatbelt for dear life.

TO PAGE 57

150	EXT. ALLEYWAY

An incredibly garish BLACK PIMP exits an alley doorway, stoned, stops in awe as he, sees: SUPERMAN in full costume heading towards him, determined.

PIMP
Say, Jim! That is a bad outfit...

SUPERMAN
Excuse me...

With a burst or energy SUPERMAN rises from the ground, flies up into the night sky. The PIMP watches in wonder.

PIMP
Wait a minute, Jim! Who's your tailor, baby? 
Who cuts your threads?

151	EXT. STREET - ANGLE ON LOIS - CROWD'S POV

The hushed CROWD watches LOIS hanging from the roof as SUPERMAN appears, flying quickly towards her.

					FIRST VOICE
				Look!

					SECOND VOICE
				It’s a bird!

					THIRD VOICE (woman)
				No, it’s some kind of plane! What the
				hell is it, Harvey?

					FOURTH VOICE
				Goddamned if I know, Margaret.

152	EXT. ROOF - ANGLE ON LOIS

LOIS dangles from the helicopter, eyes closed. her mouth moving in some sort of silent prayer. The helicopter suddenly lurches.

153	INSERT SHOT - CABLE

The cable snaps.

154	BACK to LOIS

The helicopter	falls.  LOIS screams, eyes welded shut. Suddenly SUPERMAN’S mighty arm reaches out, grabs her around the waist. With his other hand, he takes the bottom strut of the helicopter. 
 
SUPERMAN 
Easy now, Miss. I've got you.

LOIS' eyes open tentatively, then flutter unbelievingly.

LOIS
You've got me? Who’s got you?

SUPERMAN smiles warmly as he lifts both LOIS and the helicopter back onto the roof.

 155	EXT. ROOF

SUPERMAN gently deposits the awestruck LOIS on the roof, then lowers the helicopter.

SUPERMAN
(smile - to LOIS)
I hope this little incident doesn't put you off
flying, Miss. Statistically it's still the safest 
way to travel.

LOIS,
I. . .

LOIS opens her mouth to speak, but SUPERMAN takes off again. She stares after him. gaping.
 
156	EXT. SKY - NIGHT

SUPERMAN is in mid-air, exhilarated - literally high. He executes a cocky "loop," feeling a kind of release, a genuine physical joy in flying.

157	EXT. STREET

The CROWD has grow in size. A TV mobile unit has arrived. The PEOPLE "ooh" and "aah" in wonder. A TV CAMERAMAN points , looks over at his CREW.

TV CAMERAMAN 
There he is !

He tilts his camera up. CAMERA PANS with him to the sky.

158	EXT. SKY - NIGHT - CLOSE ON SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN notices the attention, suddenly stops his aerobatics, embarrassedly self-conscious. He looks off:

160	EXT SIDE OF APARTMENT BUILDING  -  NIGHT

A BURGLAR emerges from a high apartment house window, steps out onto a ledge. He drops a fistful of jewels into a bag tied to his waist, then positions suction cups attached to his hands and knees.  Slowly, laboriously he ascends the side of the building.

160	CLOSE ON BURGLAR

Breathing hard, he continues. Looking up, his face suddenly registers shock. 

161	ANGLE ON SUPERMAN – BURGLAR’ S POV

SUPERMAN strolls down the side of the building towards him, defying all laws of gravity. He smiles at the BURGLAR. .

SUPERMAN
Hi there. Something wrong with the elevator?

162	BACK TO BURGLAR
 
The terrified BURGLAR frantically tries to get away, his suction cups coming loose.  He falls - SUPERMAN swoops down, catches him firmly.

163	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET – NIGHT

PATROLMAN MOONEY quietly walks his beat on a deserted city street, looks up as he 
hears a “whoosh!” SUPERMAN lands next to him, deposits the terrified BURGLAR.

SUPERMAN
They say confession is Good for the soul, Officer. 
I'd listen to this man.

The thunderstruck MOONEY gapes as SUPERMAN takes off again. The BURGLAR 
shrubs, extends his wrists to MOONEY for the handcuffs.

BURGLAR
What the hell. It's only a dream, anyway.

 164	EXT. HIGHWAY UNDERPASS NEAR RIVER  - NIGHT

A police car. light flashing, sirens blaring, chases a sleek black Cadillac as they crisscross, 
screeching through the pillars of a river highway underpass. Both cars blaze away at each
other with firearms. The Cadillac squeals into a l80-turn, heads down a short pier to a waiting 
cabin cruiser. The police car tries to imitate the turn, smashes head-on into a stone pillar, one
POLICEM.AN catapulting through the windshield onto the hood. TWO OTHER POLICEMEN pile out, guns drawn, open fire down the pier. 

165	ANGLE ON POLICE FROM PIER

THREE HOODS empty out of the Cadillac near the cabin cruiser, the police bullets 
slamming into their car. They wheel, holding automatic weapons, cut down the TWO
POLICEMEN, jump onto the cruiser, take off.

166	EXT. SKY  - NIGHT - ANGLE ON CABIN CRUISER

The cabin cruiser plows down the river at top speed. CAMERA ZOOM BACK, PANS: 
SUPERMAN watches from mid-air.

167	INT. CABIN CRUIER – NIGHT

	TWO of the HOODS are in the main cabin. ONE drives the boat while the OTHER makes 
three neat piles of money on a table,	pulling	it out of a black satchel. The FIRST HOOD 
grins at his PARTNER , then looks back through the windshield of the cabin, his jaw	suddenly dropping.

				FIRST HOOD
			Holy sh....

168	ANGLE THROUGH WINDSHIELD - HOOD'S POV

SUPERMAN stands on the front deck, arms folded, staring sternly inside at them.

169	EXT. BOAT DECK – NIGHT

The THIRD HOOD sneaks up behind SUPERMAN, a heavy barbed steel boat gaff in his 
hands. As SUPERMAN stares in through the windshield, the HOOD swings it down
 viciously straight into his head. The gaff recoils as if it had hit solid steel – the HOOD stands 
unbelievingly, his entire body shaking in spasms from the impact. 	SUPERMAN turns with	a smile.

				SUPERMAN
			Bad vibrations?

170	INT. POLICE STATION – NIGHT

	A flustered MOONEY stands before his amused DESK SERGEANT .

MOONEY
Sergeant, I swear! Flying! With a big red cape! 
And bright red boots as well! Then, quick as a 
wink - he was gone! Flew up in the air again, he 
did. Like a big blue bird.

SERGEANT
    (smile)
Like a big blue bird....with bright red boots.

The SERGEANT gets down from behind his desk, walks MOONEY to the station door. CAMERA FOLLOWING

SERGEANT
Why don't you take the rest of the night off now, Mooney. 
Go back to Murphy's bar and finish what you plainly started. 
I'll be off myself in a bit and join ya there...

	They have, reached the door, start out, suddenly stop, rooted to the spot.

171	EXT. STREET -  ANGLE ON CRUISER - THEIR POV

The cabin cruiser sits in the street, balanced on its keel. The THREE HOODS are wrapped in
the anchor chain, the satchel of money hanging from one of their necks.

172	BACK TO MOONEY AND SERGEANT

					SERGEANT 
Off we go, then, Mooney. The first bottle's on me....

173	EXT. SKY  - NIGHT - ANGLE ON SUPERMAN

	SUPERMAN continues through the air as a bolt of lightening slashes by next to him. Then a
clap of thunder. It starts to rain. He hears something, cocks his head.

 

174	EXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET – NICHT

	A LITTLE GIRL looks up plaintively through the rain at a tree in her back yard. We hear a 
miserable "meow.”  CAMERA PANS UP: A wet cat sits stranded in the top branches of the
tree.

LITTLE GIRL
 				                (despair)
				Frisky! Oh, Frisky, please come down....

Suddenly -  SUPERMAN soars into frame, scoops FRISKY out of the tree, glides down, gently deposits the cat in the LITTLE GIRL'S arms.

LITTLE GIRL
 				Gee, thanks Mister.
   (to cat)
You naughty thing. . .

SUPERMAN
				Don't be too hard on Frisky. We all get a little 
scared of heights now and then.

SUPERMAN flies off. CAMERA PANS with the LITTLE GIRL as she runs up here house steps and inside. CAMERA HOLDS a moment  Suddenly  -  the sound of a “smack.”

					MOTHER'S VOICE
Haven't I told you to stop telling lies?

Another bolt of lightening slashes through the night sky. The rain becomes noticably heavier.

175	EXT. SKY  - NICHT -  ANGLE ON AIR FORCE ONE

Air Force One fights its way through the pounding storm; heading for Metropolis 	airport. 
Suddenly a bolt of lightening cracks into the wing. Flames shoot up as the outboard engine 
on the PILOT'S side splits in two, drops off the wing. The plane starts into a dive.

176	INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT - NIGHT

The PILOT and CO-PILOT fight the controls, try to level off. Suddenly: the plane's nose 
comes up. The aircraft seems to right itself to the astonishment of the PILOT who looks out the window, eyes now widening. 

 

177	ANGLE ON WING - PILOT'S POV

	SUPERMAN has grabbed hold or the wing in the cavity created by the fallen engine, now
flies, stretched out in its place. He turns his head, smiles at the PILOT.

178	INT. AIR FORCE ONE COCKPIT – NIGHT

The dumbfounded PILOT looks back as the CO-PILOT strains to look past him out 'the side.

CO-PILOT
What happened? We get our engine back?

PILOT
Fly.. Don’t look. We... got something. . .
      (weak smile) 
Trust me. Just ... fly.

179	EXT. MEROPOLIS AIRPORT -  NIGHT - ANGLE ON LOIS

LOIS waits in the storm with a mob of excited REPORTERS. Emergency 	equipment stands by, lights flashing. Everyone turns, flabbergasted, as they see:

180   	ANGLE ON RUNWAY - THEIR POV

Air Force One glides safely to a landing, taxis up in front of them. SUPERMAN does a backflip, stands on the wing, looks in at the pilot, gives him the ‘high sign’ then looks off at the PRESS.

181   	ANGLE ON PRESS

         	The REPORTERS watch in stunned silence. LOIS elbows her way to the front, 
         	waving.

					LOIS
				Hey! It’s me! Remember? Lois Lane!
				The girl from the roof?

SUPERMAN spots her, grins, waves, then takes off again, disappearing into the night sky. The amazed REPORTERS crowd around LOIS.

					REPORTER
				Hey, Lois. You know that guy?

					LOIS
		       		         (sly puss)
				Oh, nothing ...intimate.

181	CONTINUED

LOIS smiles privately, heads off, the mob of REPORTERS trailing behind her, yelling “who is he?”  “C’mon, Lois, what’s the story?”, etc. CAMERA PANS to the doorway of Air Force One: the PRESIDENT’S ENTOURAGE appears to 	clear the way. No one notices - there is no longer a way to clear.

181A	INT. FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE  -  DAY

The SCREEN is filled by the giant head of JOR-EL. He looks down INTO CAMERA, his expression a blend of slight displeasure and parental understanding. 

					JOR-EL
				You…enjoyed it.

					SUPERMAN
				I don’t know what to say.
	                                         (awkwardly)
				I guess I just got…carried away.

					JOR-EL
				I anticipated this, my son. I…

					SUPERMAN
				You couldn’t have! You couldn’t have
Imagined…

					JOR-EL
				        (gently)					
How good it felt!
				
					SUPERMAN
				How good it felt…

SUPERMAN falls silent again, ashamed. JOR-EL can’t resist a small smile.

					JOR-EL
				You are revealed to the world. Very well. 
So be it. But still you must keep your	
				secret identity. 

SUPERMAN
Why?

181A 	CONTINUED

JOR-EL
The reasons are two:  First, even you cannot
serve humanity twenty-eight hours a day…

					SUPERMAN	
				Twenty-four.	
	
					JOR-EL
				Or twenty-four as it is in Earth time. Your
help would be called for endlessly, even for
those tasks which human beings could solve 
for themselves. It is their habit to abuse their
resources in such a way. 

SUPERMAN
And secondly?

JOR-EL
Second:  Your enemies will discover their only
way to hurt you – by hurting the people you care
for. 	
					
						SUPERMAN
				Thank you, Father…

					JOR-EL
				Lastly- do not punish yourself for your feelings 
of vanity. Simply learn to control them. It is an 
affliction common to all, even here on Krypton...
   (expression changes)
Our destruction could have been avoided but for 
the vanity of some who considered us indestructible.
Were it not for vanity…why…at this very moment... 
I could embrace you in my arms 
            (barely audible)
			…my son...

182	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET- NIGHT - CLOSE ON STORE WINDOW 

The face of a TV NEWSCASTER looks INTO CAMERA through the window of a store 
which sells television sets

NEWSCASTER
Good evening. And what sort of night has it 
been so far? A night that has seen what many 
believe to be the most extraordinary phenomenon 
of our times ...

CAMERA PULLS BACK: the store	window is filled with a myriad of TV	sets, all three
networks simultaneously broadcasting the same story, although only one NEWCASTER'S
voice is audible. A CROWD has formed in front of the Window, hanging on to every word with a bemused expression on his face - CLARK KENT.

NEWSCASTER
Our newsfilm confirm eyewitness’s reports of a
caped figure, resembling a man, who appeared 
flying in the sky over Metropolis. Yes, I said flying . . .

	A CROWD MEMBER turns to CLARK.

CROWD MEMBER
That'll be the day, huh?

CLARK 						
You said it.

	NEWSCATER
White House comments  are guarded at present, 
although the F. B. I . is said to be investigating the
matter. As further accounts pour in, speculation has	
arisen that this whole thing may be some sort of 
fantastic hoax ...

CLARK frowns. He hadn't counted on this reaction.

162	CONTINUED

NEWSCASTER
The Mayor of Chicago commented that it all
 seemed too be a publicity stunt designed to 
draw attention to Metropolis... 

	CLARK turns, walks off CAMERA PANNING with him.

NEWSCASTER
....a city that has been having its share of 
financial problems of late.

183	INT. LUTHOR’S LAIR  -  NIGHT

The highest level of the underground complex is an improvised swimming pool area. The
domed ceiling hangs low over what once was a massive staircase down into the station and 
now serves as the entrance steps to the pool. A projection of an idyllic Caribbean island
setting and seascene shimmers against one wall. LUTHOR sits in the shallow end of the pool 
in a roped-off, bubbling Jacuzzi bath section. EVE, looking fetching in a bikini, lies on a mat
nearby, black goggles over her eyes, absorbing rays from a sunlamp. OTIS sits in an armchair, watches the NEWSCASTER on a television in front of him.

NE\WSCASTER
...His question is everybody's: True or false? Miracle 
or fraud?

184	CLOSE ON LUTHOR

LUTHOR is deeply troubled. He glowers pensively as the NEWSCASTER finishes.

LUTHOR
Turn it off...

					NEWSCASTER 
The answer is up to you. Man or myth?

OTIS switches off the set, turns.

 OTIS
What's a myth?

LUTHOR
     (mind elsewhere)
Something unreal....something.... not quite human. 
Something like you, Otis

184	CONTINUED

OTIS beams, settles back in his chair.

OTIS 
I’m a myth....

LUTHOR frowns, his mind working double-time. EVE stares up at the sunlamp, her eyes still covered by goggles.

EVE
So what's the story, Lex? You think this 
guy's the genuine article?

LUTHOR
If he is - he's from another world...

	EVE
Why?

LUTHOR
Because if any human being could have perpetrated 
such a fantastic hoax, it would have been for me and 
I would have thought of it by now.

EVE
Oh.

LUTHOR snaps his fingers. OTIS rises, crosses to him with an elegant bathrobe.

LUTHOR
    (musing- resigned)
It all fits somehow His coming here to Metropolis – 
and at this particular time. There's a kind of ... cruel 
justice about it. I mean, to commit the Crime of the 
Century, a man would just naturally have to face - the 
Challenge of the Century.

CAMERA PUSHES IN as LUTHOR rises, lost in the philosophical justification of it all.
 OTIS starts to wrap the bathrobe around him.

EVE (O. S.)
Maybe he'll leave you alone, Lex. Maybe he's just 
passing  through.

	LUTHOR
          (bitter smile)

184	CONTINUED

					LUTHOR (CONTD)
Just . . . passing through, Miss Teschmacher? Not on your life…something I would gladly sacrifice by the way – 
for the one chance to destroy everything he represents. 
  (pause - blinks) 
Oh, and Otis...

OTIS
Yes, Mr. Luthor?

LUTHOR
Next time, put the robe on after I get out of the pool.

CAMERA PULLS BACK: the bottom section of LUTHOR’S robe is submerged below the waterline.

OTIS
I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor.

LUTHOR
I know that, Otis.

185	INT. LOIS LANE’S APARTMENT - DAY

	A lovely apartment in a high-rise building with a balcony-terrace off the living room. Books, 
modern art posters, desk with typewriter, etc. CLARK sits at one end of the sofa. LOIS paces 
next to him.

					LOIS
		      		        (outraged)
				It wasn’t a trick!

					CLARK
				Oh sure. A man flies in the sky like a pigeon 
and it wasn’t a trick. It was probably done with 
wires. They must have rigged him up like Peter Pan.

					LOIS
				There weren’t any wires. I looked.

					CLARK
				Mirrors, then.

					LOIS
				He grabbed me! He held me! 	How could that be done with mirrors?

185	CONTINUED

CLARK
				I don’t know, Lois, but I do know a fraud when I 
hear one. This thing goes against all natural laws.

					LOIS
		       			(pause)
				You’re just jealous.

					CLARK
				Jealous! Of what?

					LOIS
				Of this...Superman.

	CLARK frowns as he hears the name for the first time, then stifles a smile.

					CLARK
		      			(musing)
				Super...man. Hmmm...

					LOIS
				I’m going to make some coffee.
				Want some?

					CLARK
				No thanks.

	LOIS crosses to open the kitchen door.

					LOIS
				You know something? I’ve only
				said three words to the man...but
				for the first time in a long time - I
				think I’m kind of...stuck on someone.

	SHE enters the kitchen. The door swings shut behind her. CLARK rises, listens, interested.

185	CONTINUED

					LOIS (O.S.)
				Just...three little words, as
				they say. “Help” and “Thank
				you.” Not exactly the basis for
				a meaningful relationship, is it?
				I mean, for all I know, he’s got
				a wife and kids on some other
				planet. But somehow I just can’t
				stop...fantasizing about him, you know?

	CLARK has heard something. He cocks his head, looks off at the terrace.

					LOIS (CONTD)
				So I called a guy who’s married to
				this girl I went to college with. He’s a
				shrink. I made an appointment and went
				to see him...

186	EXT. TERRACE - DAY

CLARK comes out, listening intently. CAMERA ZOOMS to a rooftop across the 	street covered with TV aerials. CLARK’S super hearing picks up an announcement coming over the air waves.

					ANNOUNCER’S COICE
				...tape recording left at station W.M.E.T.
Police chief James Vitucci listened to it 
				immediately, put the police on emergency 
				alert, and warned citizens to remain in their
				homes in he downtown area. Here is the 
				recording:

187	EXT. METROPOLIS SCHOOL - DAY
	
	Lines of SCHOOL CHILDREN file out the front doors and down the steps of a public 
school. being monitored by TEACHERS and POLICE who load then into 	busses.

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
		    			(over air waves)
				This is the voice of Lex Luthor. I have a challenge for 
this...unidentified flying object. This bogus blue baffoon.
				There is an abandoned warehouse at the corner of Fifth 
and Main...

188	EXT. LOIS” TERRACE - DAY

	CLARK listens, eyes widening.

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
				Somewhere inside that warehouse is a pellet filled with a 
propane lithium compound. At precisely twelve noon it 
will drop into a beaker of acid.

	CLARK checks his watch.

189	INSERT SHOT - CLARK’S WATCH

	The time is 11:50

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
				Within a matter of seconds a poison gas will be released 
that will annihilate everyone within a forty block radius...

190	EXT. METROPOLIS STREET - DAY - ANGLE OF TERRACE

	Looking up from the street: CLARK jumps off Lois’ terrace. CAMERA PUSHES  IN: as he 
falls, a gradual transformation to Superman takes place in blurred. overlapping stages.

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
				I would remind the tin-plated minions
				of law that this warehouse has been fitted
				with anti-personnel devices, which will
				render any police action totally ineffective...

SUPERMAN hits the street, the transformation having completed. He shoots off into the sky.	

191	EXT. METROPOLIS HOSPITAL - DAY
	
Bed-ridden PATIENTS are being wheeled out of the Emergency Exit of a hospital by  NURSES and ATTENDANTS, and loaded into waiting ambulances under POLICE supervision.

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
				Is this cape-flapping freak all that he seems
				or are we merely victims of mass hysteria?
				Thousands of innocent lives hang in the 
				balance. I make this gesture as a public
				service, by the way - and without thanks. Thanks.

192	INT. LOIS’ APARTMENT - DAY

	LOIS can still be heard talking from the kitchen.

					LOIS (O.S.)
				...and then he said, “maybe the guy’s
				a father figure.” So I said, “look. My
				Pop’s a terrific guy, but he doesn’t 
				go flying around town in a red cape...”

	LOIS  enters the living room, looks around.

					LOIS
				Clark...Clark?
		      		         (pause)
				Nuts. Now I’ve gone and hurt his
				feelings.

193	EXT. WAREHOUSE  - DAY - WIDE SHOT

The warehouse is cordoned off. Fire trucks and police cars are drawn up.  BOMB SQUAD 
PERSONNEL stand nearby strapping on their protective gear; now look up as they suddenly hear a "whooshing ” sound O . S .

194	CLOSE ON WAREHOUSE DOOR

SUPERMAN lands directly in front of the warehouse door, waves the POLICE back. He	turns to face the warehouse. The massive metal doors are linked with a giant padlock.

195	INT. LUTHOR'S LAIR VIEWING THEATER - DAY

LUTHOR, EVE and OTIS sit in comfortable seats in an elegant viewing theater somewhere inside the underground complex. A bank of large TV screens faces them. One screen projects
the live image of SUPERMAN.  (NOTE: As the action progresses through the warehouse, 
different screens will be activated presumably from different cameras). LUTHOR sips a tall
drink, smugly adjusts several knobs on a large console next to him. EVE chews gum, stares curiously at SUPERMAN.  OTIS munches a large candy bar, excited. 

LUTHOR	
Look at that overgrown Boy Scout, Miss 
Teschmacher, Tell me what you see.

EVE 
     (chewing) 
Cuteness. Dimples.

LUTHOR'S eyes flash. EVE smiles nervously.

				EVE
Did I miss something, Lex?

	LUTHOR glowers at SUPETRMAN ominously.

LUTHOR
Confidence	

196	EXT.WAREHOUSE – DAY

SUPERMAN jerks the padlock backwards off the doors. They open with a huge explosion – 
the SCREEN is filled with smoke and flame.  As the smoke clears: SUPERMAN stands in 
the doorway, unharmed. He tears apart what’s left of the doors like tinfoil, steps inside. A 
bright row of arrows painted on the warehouse floor points the way for him.  

197	INT. LUTHOR’S VIEWING THEATER – DAY

LUTHOR  scowls, a bit unnerved.

OTIS
This guy handles himself pretty good, 
Mr. Luthor.

	LUTHOR
All right, all right, so he’s tough! We
knew that.
	(TO EVE')
So you like dimples, eh, Miss Teschmacher?
I'll give him dimples………

198	INT. WAREHOUSE ROOM #1  -  DAY

SUPERMAN follows the painted arrows into a bare room. The door suddenly slams shut behind him.   Instantly: wall panels slide open on all sides filled with machine gun barrels.
They all open fire at once in a withering deafening, blinding barrage. SUPERMAN stands erect, arms folded, as thousands of bullets ricochet of him. The barrage finally ends. The
floor of the room is totally covered with spent shells. Brushing them aside with his boot to
find the painted arrows, SUPERMAN calmly proceeds on his way.

199	LUTHOR ' S VIEWING THEATER  -  DAY

LUTHOR looks nervous, flustered even, as he fumbles with the controls on his panels.

				EVE
			Dimples. Would you settle for acne?

				LUTHOR
			Don't worry, don’t worry, we'll find his weakness.....

				OTIS
			Hey.  Maybe he's got a glass jaw. 
      (LUTHOR glares)
Then, on the other hand......

200	INT. WAREHOUSE ROOM #2  -  DAY

SUPERMAN enters the second room, has reached the center when: the walls and ceiling suddenly come alive with flaming gas jets.  The room becomes a blinding inferno. SUPERMAN stands in the center serenely, waits until the holocaust dies down. Then, adjusting his cape, he nonchalantly starts off for the third room.

201	INT. LUTHOR ' S VIEWING THEATER  -	DA Y
	
	LUTHOR holds his head in his hands. EVE and OTIS watch.

	LUTHOR
But how can it be? That creep should have
melted in there!

	EVE
He doesn’t even look soft around the edges, 
Lex. 

 

202	INT. WAREHOUSE ROOM #3 - DAY 

	SUPERMAN enters room, suddenly disappears from view into the middle of an incredibly 
thick blizzard. The blinding snowstorm fills the SCREEN.

203	INT. LUTHOR'S VIEW/ING THEATER  -  DAY

	LUTHOR watches the smog-filled monitor.

LUTHOR
What's the temperature?

EVE
     (checking a gauge)
Fifty below and falling.

LUTHOR
When it gets to a hundred - stabilize it.

204	INT. WAREHOUSE ROOM # 3 - DAY

The blizzard stops. The air slowly clears. In the middle of the room: a large cone of ice-has 
formed. Suddenly, a thin crack appears, running down the center. The crack breaks open. 
SUPERMAN steps out, rubs his hands together briskly, then starts off.

205	INT. LUTHOR'S VIEWING THEATER  -  DAY

LUTHOR watches, his face twisted with rage.

OTIS
The guy probably never owned a sweater in 
his life...

 	LUTHOR swivels, hurls his drink at OTIS, who ducks:  it smashes into the wall behind him.

OTIS
He did?

206	INT. WAREHOUSE CIRCULAR ALCOVE – DAY 

SUPERMAN has exited the third room into a circular alcove with four lead doors leading off from it. Each is sealed by a huge tumbler lock similar to those on bank vaults. The painted
arrows lead off to all four doors. SUPERMAN stops, stares hard at the doors, momentarily mystified.

207	INT. LUTHOR’S VIEWING THEATER  - DAY

	LUTHOR leans in toward the screen, fascinated for once by what he sees.

EVE
					Don’t tell me he's suddenly got a problem....
	
LUTHOR 
(eyes glued) 
Ssshhh.......

208	INT. WAREHOUSE ALCOVE - DAY

If  SUPERMAN did have a problem, he solves it quickly. He rips off all four lend doors in 
super-speed. They crash to the ground, twisted. Finding the doorway he wants, SUPERMAN enters.

209	INT. WAREHOUSE ACID ROOM – DAY

The central area of the room has been blocked off by a ceiling-high thick wire mesh fence. 
Behind	it: the propane lithium pellet hangs suspended by a thin cord over a beaker of acid. SUPERMAN glances O.S.

210	INSERT SHOT - WALL CLOCK

A timer clock on the wall indicates eight seconds left.

211	BACK TO SCENE

SUPERMAN approaches the	fence. It starts	to hum. His hands reach out,	grab hold of the 
wire:  Fierce electric sparks shoot out like lightening bolts, the current passing through him harmlessly. He rips through the fence as:  the pellet suddenly drops.  SUPERMAN dives at it
with super-speed, catches it at the last second. Staring at it curiously he shrugs, pops it in his mouth, swallows it. He looks down at the beaker of acid, lifts it, swallows it. He looks down at the beaker of acid, lifts it, then quaffs it down as a chaser. Tapping his chest lightly with his fist, he lets out a discreet “burp.”

212	INT. PERRY WHITE’S OFFICE  -  DAY

CAMERA CLOSE on PERRY’S desk where lies an edition of The Daily Planet with the screaming headline:  SUPERMAN SAVES THOUSANDS.

 		

213	WIDER ANGLE

A dozen REPORTERS, including LOIS and CLARK,  stand at attention as PERRY paces 
back and forth behind his desk, ranting.

PERRY
				Now look! We' re sitting on top of the story of the century 
here! Our only problem is how to get it - exclusively!
       (waves paper )
I want the name Superman and the Daily Planet 
to go together like bacon and eggs!

CLARK
  (pause)
Well, I shouldn't think he'd lend himself to any 
cheap promotion schemes....

PERRY
Who's talking cheap? I'll make him a goddamn partner
if I have to! I want the inside dope on the real Superman!
Who is he? Where's he from? What's his favorite ball team?
(leans in)
And I'll tell you one thing, boys and girls -whichever one 
of you Gets it out of him will have the single most important
interview since Moses talked to Cod .

214	INT. DAILY PLANET CITY ROOM  - DAY

	The REPORTERS file out. LOIS has a look of grim determination on her face. CLARK
 notices, comes up.

LOIS
    (totally preoccupied)
There must be a way. Maybe if I hung myself, off 
another building. . . . .lay down  on some train 
tracks, .or something....

CLARK
A, Lois....about tonight....

LOIS
       (snaps to)
Mmm?  What about tonight, Clark?

CLARK
Our date.
        (Shy smile) 
Well, our. . . .dinner.. Don't you remember?

214	CONTINUED

					LOIS
				Sorry, Clark...I must have forgot.

					CLARK
				Gee. I planned on it all week...

					LOIS
		        			 (sigh)
				All right, Clark. I’ll go out with you.
				Might as well get it over with.

					CLARK
				You’re wonderful, Lois. Where would
				you like to go?

					LOIS
				Oh, I don’t know...
		        			(in jest)
				How about the Gold Room at the Park Towers?

					CLARK
				The Gold Room? But that’s the most
				expensive place in town.

	JIMMY walks by, has heard, interrupts, full of admiration for CLARK.

					JIMMY
				The Gold Room? Golly Mr. Kent, are you
				really going to take Miss Lane to the Gold
				Room.

CLARK is trapped. He shrugs, decides to play along with the image, gets very “Mr. Terrific.”

					CLARK
				Oh. I don’t know, Jimmy. Maybe... if 
				she’s a ...
		        			(cocky wink)
				good girl, that is...

					LOIS
				And if I’m not a good girl...
		       			(cocky wink)
				Let’s let Jimmy take the pictures: okay?

214	CONTIUNUED

	CLARK blushes. LOIS leaves with a smirk.

					JIMMY
				Boy. What do you suppose she meant
				by that, Mr. Kent?

215	INT. LOIS' APARTMENT - NIGHT 

 LOIS, looking absolutely gorgeous in her best evening gown, puts the finishing touches to 
her hair in front of a mirror near the open door to her terrace. She stares at herself critically 
for a moment, then smiles, nods.

LOIS
Not too bad, kid. As a matter of fact –
just this side of sensational.
     (checks her watch)
Hmm. Clark is late....

She smiles, crosses to a small bar, pour.' a glass of wine.

LOIS
Probably out in the hall getting up enough nerve 
to knock.

LOIS takes her glass, wanders out onto the terrace.

216	EXT. LOIS' TERRACE - NICHT

A beautiful night. The lights of the city are visible in the distance. LOIS sips her wine, stares wistfully up into the sky.

LOIS
       (to herself)
You know something, Lois? You're too hard on 
Clark sometimes. He’s a decent kind of guy and he
has got this terrific crush on you.... I mean it's not 
his fault he'll never be a ...... 

There is a loud "whoosh.” SUOERMAN lands on the top comer of her terrace ledge, looks 
down at the stunned LOIS. 

LOIS 
....Superman.

216	CONTINUED

	SUPERMAN
Good evening. Miss Lane. . . .
      (Notices her gown)
I'm sorry. Were you just about to go out?

LOIS
Ah. . . . .no. . . .no! Whyever would you. . . 
    (looks at gown)
Oh.  This old thing....

SUPERMAN
				It’s no trouble for me to come back later. I mean I 
don’t have to park or anything.

	LOIS
You just stay right where you are! Please! Don't move! 
Or move, if you want, but don't fly away.

	LOIS rushes inside. SUPERMAN smiles to himself, hops down onto the terrace, speaks in 
the direction of the open doorway.

				SUPERMAN
			Sorry to just...drop in on you like this, Miss Lane, hut I 
realize there must be many questions about me the 
world would like the answers to. . . .

	LOIS emerges with reporter's pad and pencil, takes a seat at the terrace table.

SUPERMAN
So it's become important for me to have very 
close relations with the press.

LOIS smiles, hiding her nervousness, lights a cigarette from a box on the table.

SUPERMAN
You really shouldn't smoke, you know.

LOIS 
Don't tell me. Lung cancer, right?

217	INSERT SHOT - LOIS' LUNGS

Seen through SUPERMAN’S  X-RAY vision:  A flashing medical X-Ray type shot of LOIS’ lungs.

218	BACK TO SCENE

SUPERMAN
Not yet, thank goodness.

LOIS blinks, puts out her cigarette, picks up her pad.

LOIS
Let's...ah...start with your vital statistics, 
okay? Age?

SUPERMAN.
Thirty. 

LOIS
Height?

SUPERMAN
 				Six-four

LOIS
Weight?

SUPERMAN 
One ninety-five.

LOIS
And I take it the rest or your bodily functions 
are what we'd consider...normal?

SUPERMAN
I beg your pardon?

LOIS
Well - putting it delicately – do you eat?

SUPERMAN
When I'm hungry.

LOIS
Would you like a cookie?

SUPERMAN
What kind?

LOIS 	
Macaroons.

218	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN
Thanks anyway.

LOIS
A glass of wine?

SUPERMAN
I never drink when I fly.

LOIS blinks, realizes he's serious, returns to her pad.

LOIS
Is it true you can see through anything?

SUPERMAN
Pretty much.

LOIS
And you're totally impervious to pain?

SUPERMAN
				So far.

LOIS
     (not looking up)
What Color underwear am I wearing?

219	ANGLE ON LOIS - SUPERMAN ' S POV

A quick flash of LOIS sitting in the chair, dressed only in her bra and panties.

220	BACK TO SCENE

SUPERMAN
Pink.

LOIS writes it down, all business in spite of her blush.

LOIS
Ah....do you have a first name?

SUPERMAN
You mean like Ralph, or something?

LOIS
I mean what's your background?
Where do you hail from?
220	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN
I was born on a planet in the Xeno Galaxy.
A place called Krypton. 

LOIS
        (writing )
Uh-huh. And do you....
        (looks up)
Like pink?

SUPERMAN
          (nice smile)
I like pink very much, Lois.

LOIS puts down her pad, flustered in spite of herself.

LOIS
Look. Just why are you in the in first place? I mean , 
why are you here? There must be a reason.
SUPERMAN
I'm here to fight for truth justice, and the 
American way.

LOIS
You’ll wind up fighting almost every elected 
official in this country.

SUPERMAN
I'm sure you don't really mean that, Lois.

LOIS
Listen. With all these strange powers
of yours...

SUPERMAN
          (slightly hurt)
You find them ......strange?

LOIS
Let's just say your average Joe can't deliver an airmail letter without putting a stamp on it.

220	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN
I wouldn’t do that. It’s against the law.

LOIS
        (to herself)
I don't believe this…

SUPERMAN 
I never lie.

LOIS
  				        (blinks)
Ah....just how fast do you fly, by the way?

SUPERMAN 
I don't know really. I've never actually timed myself. 
Let's find together, okay?

LOIS
And just how would you  propose we do that?

SUPERMAN
Take a ride with me. Now
  (hopefully)
Would you like to?

LOIS
       (unbelieving):
A ride? You mean would I like to fly?

SUPERMAN
           (modestly)
Well. I'll be handling the flying of course.

LOIS
This is utterly fantastic! If only Clark
could see me now....	

					SUPERMAN
Clark? Is he your....boyfriend?

LOIS
Clark? Oh, he's sort of....nothing at all, really. 
Dull, mild-mannered, you know the type.

220	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN 
                  (a bit offended)
I'm sure he's actually very nice.

LOIS heads quickly back inside.

SUPERMAN 
Where are you going?

LOIS
To get a coat. Isn't it kind of cold up there?

SUPERMAN
You'll be warm enough.  I’ll wrap you in my cape.

SUPERMAN crosses, smiles, covers her with his cape, his arm encircling her. He looks deeply into her eyes. LOIS looks back, trembling slightly, her hand inadvertently grazing his bicep.

SUPERMAN
Ready?

LOIS
Clark said you were only rigged with wires.
Like Peter Pan.

SUPERMAN
Peter Pan flew with children, Lois.
In a fairy tale.

He tightens his grip, sweeps her off her feet. They shoot up into the night sky.

221	EXT. SKY  -  NICHT

SUPERMAN flies through the night sky holding LOIS, his swirling cape covering them. They look off as CAMERA PANS DOWN: the gleaming lights of Metropolis grow smaller in the distance.

222	FLYING MONTAGE

A series of. aerial POVS INTERCUT with flying reaction shots of SUPERMAN and LOIS as the circle the world, passing through different time zones.

A.	EXT. PARIS – NIGHT

The illuminated Place D'Etoile at night.

B.	EXT'. VATICAN – NIGHT

The illuminated St. Peter's Square and Cathedral.

C.	EXT. GIZA - EGYPT -  DAY

The sun rises behind the Great pyramids

 	D.	EXT. AGRA - INDIA – DAY

A day view of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

E.	EXT. CHINA - DUSK

 		The sun sets behind the Great Wall of China.
 
F.	EXT. METROPOLIS (NEW YORK) – NIGHT

The glittering lights of Metropolis loom up again.

G.	EXT. SKY - ANGLE DOWN ON LOIS' TERRACE – NIGHT

 CAMERA ZOOMS DOWN on LOIS' terrace from the sky.

223	EXT. LOIS’ TERRACE - NIGHT

SUPERMAN deposits LOIS Gently on the terrace once again. She is absolutely struck dumb with wonder, stares at him.

SUPERMAN
I figure it took about ninety seconds.
How about you?

LOIS
				Mmm?

SUPERMAN
Are you feeling all right?

223	CONTINUED

LOIS	
Mmm?  Mmm.

SUPERMAN
Well, So long, then....

SUPERMAN hops on the terrace ledge, shoots off into the night sky. CAMERA PUSHES IN on LOIS' face, almost drugged with contentment.

LOIS
I....wonderful.....you....

Suddenly – the doorbell rings from inside. Then, loud knocks on the apartment door. CLARK enters B. G., crosses quickly out onto the terrace, fussily angry.

CLARK
Lois, for goodness sake. Didn’t you hear me knock?

LOIS turns, smiles vapidly.

LOIS
Hi.....

CLARK looks at LOIS curiously, then spots the wine glass on the table, lifts it suspiciously.

					CLARK
				Lois, you’re not…

LOIS smiles, shakes her head.

CLARK
Well I should hope not. Let’s push off then, okay?

LOIS
       				        (secret smile)
Okay.....

CLARK
You know something, Lois? I’ll admit I was nervous at 
first, about but then, well,  darn it – I decided I was going 
to show you the time of your life.

					LOIS 
(pause) 
That’s Clark, nice…

6/4/77   TM

224	INT.  LUJTHOR'S LAIR – DAY

CAMERA CLOSE on the front of a newspaper held by EVE who reads it intently, OTIS peering over her shoulder. The banner headline is clearly visible: I SPENT THE NIGHT WITH SUPERMAN - an exclusive interview by Lois Lane. CAMERA PANS to the desk.
LUTHOR sits behind a massive pile of books, notations, calculators, etc. He works feverishly with a slide rule, his face aglow with demonic inspiration. 

LUTHOR
				Now then ... given the location of the galaxy he 
mentions . . .
(more slide rule)
				And its proximity to our own solar system ..amazing…
(eyes lighting up)
Too good to be true! ...

	EVE
        (reading)
You said it ... six-four, blue eyes, doesn't drink, tells 
the truth ...

LUTHOR suddenly slams the slide rule down on the desk in a rage. It breaks in two, part of 
it whizzing across the room. EVE looks up, terrified. LUTHOR manages a patient smile, rises.

					LUTHOR
				Some people can read War and Peace and come away 
thinking it was a simple adventure story. Others can
read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and 
unlock the secret of the universe.
	
	EVE
(insulted)
				I read the article, Lex.

					LUTHOR
				Exactly, Miss Teschmacher.

LUTHOR crosses to the massive wall of books behind him, climbs a large rolling wooden 
ladder attached to the shelves. He turns to OTIS .

6/4/77   TM

224	CONTINUED

					LUTHOR 
				Onward to the letter N. Otis. Let’s roll!

OTIS crosses to the ladder.

				OTIS
			Was that "M," Mr. . Luthor?

				LUTHOR
			As in "moron"? No, Otis, N, as in nitwit, nincompoop, 
Neanderthal...

OTIS begins to push the rolling ladder along the wall.

LUTHOR
 (rolling)
				Now then. According to that interview the planet 
Krypton blew up on May 23, 1948. " The rocket 
carrying the revolting little freak took three years to
reach Earth. Ergo?

	OTIS

He is thirty years old?

The staircase stops.  LUTHOR looks down.

LUTHOR
				Do you know why the number 200 is so vitally descriptive 
of both of' us, Otis?  It represents your weight - and my I.Q.
(turns)
Think, people, think! Deductive reasoning, that's the name 
of the game!

LUTHOR turns dramatically, pulls out a specific periodical, starts to leaf through it.

6/4/77   TM

224	CONTINUED

LUTHOR
Since .fragments of Krypton must have been shot 
out into space by the explosion, it's reasonable to 
assume some of the debris would have landed here 
on Earth.

	EVE
You mean meteorites?

	LUTHOR
Jawohl.
	
He finds the page he was looking for, his face lighting up.  EVE and OTIS pick it up eagerly, look.

LUTHOR 
Et ... voila!

LUTHOR lets the periodical sail down to the floor. EVE and OTIS pick it-up eagerly, looks. 

225	INSERT SHOT - PERIODICAL PHOTO

The photo shows an ETHOPIAN FARMER holding a wedge-shaped green rock about a foot long and five inches high. The FARMER grins at the camera. The caption beneath reads: Meteorite Lands near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June, 1951.

226	BACK TO SCENE

	EVE and OTIS stare at the picture, mystified.

					EVE
				I know I'm going to get rapped in the mouth for saying 
this, but - so what?

	LUTHOR
So -what? You mean to us it's just a meteorite? Fair 
enough. . .

6/4/77

226	CONTINUED

LUTHOR
But because of its high level of specific 
radioactivity - to someone from the planet 
Krypton - this substance would be lethal!

OTIS
You mean bullets and .fire can't hurt him, but 
this kind of rock

LUTHOR
Will kill him!

LUTHOR steps off the ladder, beams proudly at EVE.

LUTHOR
At times like these you must experience a certain 
shudder of ecstasy just being in the same room 
with me.

EVE
Not like the kind of shudder you're going to feel 
when you try and lay that rock on him. He can spot 
you coming miles away with those super-peepers 
of his.

LUTHOR stares up at the ceiling dramatically.

LUTHOR
Lord, you gave them eyes, but
they see not!
        (QUICKLY)
And neither can Superman – through lead. Four doors, 
Miss Teschmacher, lead doors, and he had to rip them 
all down to find that poisoned pellet. This bilious bluebird 
has two Achilles’ heels!

EVE
            (dawning on her) 
You mean lead can hide things from him...

6/4177 TM

226	CONTINUED 

LUTHOR
And the Kryptonite - will destroy him!
         (quick smile)
Any more Questions?

EVE
              (thoughtful pause)
I wonder what they're wearing in Addis 
Ababa.

227	EXT. SKY - DAY

	SUPERMAN flies easily over the ocean, scans the horizon for trouble. He looks 	down.

227A	ANGLE ON CONCORDE - SUPERMAN’S POV

	The super-sonic Concorde airliner streaks through the sky below and just ahead of 	him.

227B	CLOSER ON CONCORDE
	
	The PILOT is visible in the cockpit. He glances out the side, momentarily blinks in disbelief 
as SUPERMAN pulls up parallel to him. Suddenly realizing who it is, the PILOT grins, gives 
SUPERMAN a friendly salute which the Man of Steel returns. Then, accelerating, SUPERMAN passes the plane.

228	EXT. SKY NEAR U.S. COASTLINE - DAY

	SUPERMAN nears the eastern coast of America, looks down, suddenly concerned.

228A	ANGLE ON OIL RIG - SUPERMAN’S POV

	An offshore oil rig, seen from the air. WORKERS scramble about quickly in all directions as 
a black oil spill begins to appear around the rig, spreading rapidly.

228B	EXT. OIL RIG - DAY

The WORKERS run back and forth across the deck of the rig, looking over the side desperately. A loud alarm blares ominously. One WORKER yells up at another in the cab of the drilling rig.

					WORKER #1
				Shut it down! Shut it down!

					WORKER #2
				Too late! Pipe’s jumped the bit!
				Can’t control it...!

					WORKER #3
		        		       (pointing off)
				Hey, look!

228C	ANGLE ON SUPERMAN - THEIR POV

	A blue streak knifes into the water next to them.

228D	UNDERWATER SHOT - CLOSE ON SUPERMAN AND DRILLING PIPE

	SUPERMAN shoots through the water with the same ease as he does though the air. He 
reaches the disconnected drilling pipe, which dances wildly around the open bit to the 
drilling hole from which oil now spews forth. Grabbing the pipe, he straightens it, then forces it back into the bit hole, securing it. SUPERMAN checks his work, heads up quickly for the surface.

228E	EXT.  SKY NEAR RIG - LOOKING DOWN	

	SUPERMAN breaks the waterline, wheels in mid-air, blows hard across the surface with his 
super-breath. He forces the mass of heavy oil across the water and away from the rig, circling 
it as he goes, compressing it. Rising higher into the air, he trains his x-ray vision on the 
gooey oil clot. It turns white-hot, explodes, then completely disappears. A cheer is heard O.S. 
from the WORKERS on the rig.

229	CLOSE ON SUPERMAN

	He is about to start off again, then notices something wrong near the base of the rig.

229A	EXT. BASE OF OIL RIG - DAY

A sea eagle is perched forlornly on one of the lower cross-struts of the rig. Its feathers are heavily matted with oil. Its body trembles, unable to fly.  SUPERMAN lands next to it, slowly reaches out, meticulously starts to clean the 	feathers by blowing warmth into his hands and melting the coated-on oil with them. The process completed, SUPERMAN takes the bird in his hands, tosses it gently 	upwards. The sea eagle takes off, heading higher into the sky.

229B	EXT. SKY - TOP OF CLOUD BANK - DAY

The eagle bursts through a white cloud bank up once more into the clean blue air. 	After a short moment SUPERMAN does likewise, trailing the bird. For a few moments we are privileged to witness this real beauty and poetry of flying as the eagle and SUPERMAN chase each other through the air doing banks, loops, and dives, swooping closely together like two beautiful fighter planes in tight formation. The unspoken ceremony over, they silently acknowledge each other, then head off in different directions.

14/4/77

230	EXT. COUNTRY ROAD  -  DAY

A country landscape with a winding, undulating road. CAMERA PANS OFF a sign marked:  DANFORTH MISSILE PROVING GROUNDS  -  12 MILES to a rise in the road. Heading for it is a military convoy. Two jeeps of MP’s are in front and one is behind – a huge bulldozer towing a flatbed truck bearing the enormous XK101 rocket.  The large missile is covered by a thick, tied-down tarpaulin. The convoy rolls on, crossing the SCREEN from right to left.

230A	EXT. OTHER PART OF ROAD  -  DAY

A sleek car speeds quickly down another part of the road, heading across the SCREEN from left to right.

230B	INT. SPEEDING CAR  -  DAY

	CAMERA LOOKS OUT the windshield of the speeding car from the rear. To our 
amazement there is no DRIVER in the vehicle – no one at all, in fact. The riderless
car continues to roar down the road.

230C	EXT. BOTTOM RISE IN ROAD  -  DAY

	CAMERA CLOSE on an electronic guidance box being held by OTIS who tries to 
manipulate the speeding car, which is presently out of sight. A complicated tool belt is 
strapped around his waist. LUTHOR stands next to him, curiously dressed in an all-white outfit, looks at the box, alarmed at the signals it is giving off.

				LUTHOR
			Do you 1ive.1n England, Otis?

OTIS
				I don’ t think so, Mr. Luthor . . .

					LUTHOR
				Then  why are you driving on the left!

	LUTHOR snatches the box away angrily, adjusts it.

14/4/77   TM

230D	ANGLE ON SPEEDING CAR

	The drone car shifts over to the right of the road.

230E	BACK TO LUTHOR – ANOTHER ANGLE 

LUTHOR waits expectantly. From this ANGLE we can see EVE in the trees behind him. She is dressed in a hopelessly slinky and revealing outfit, adjust her makeup in a had mirror. LUTHOR turns to OTIS.

LUTHOR 
Now, Otis!  Go!

	OTIS runs off through the brush and trees to the right. LUTHOR checks the box, looks over
his shoulder at EVE.

				LUTHOR
			Ten second, Miss Teschmacher . . .

				EVE 
   (from trees) 
Did you ever try to run in high
heels?
(no reply)
				You probably did.

LUTHOR looks up as the drone car speeds at him around a corner. He presses a button on the box.

230F	CLOSE ON DRONE CAR
	
	The drone car suddenly flips all by itself, rolls over and over, bursting into flames.

230G	EXT. OTHER SIDE OF RISE – DAY

The first jeep in the military convoy stops as the sound of the explosion echoes over  the top of the rise. The alarmed OFFICER inside gestures the vehicle forward again. It reaches the top.  The MP’s look down.

230H – 230L missing from script

230M	INSERT SHOT  -  COMPASS DIAL

	OTIS puts back his screwdriver, takes out a small wrench, 
starts to adjust various needles from one set position to 
another training a flashlight on his arm from time to time 
where a set of numbers is printed.

230N	EXT. BOTTOM OF RISE 

The MP's now surround the fallen EVE who is completely obscured from view. Only her legs stick out, twitching as a result of the over-attention being paid her.

 					EVE’SVOICE
				Thanks a lot…fine now…Hey! What did
You have for lunch, Ace!

Suddenly - a siren is heard. An ambulance roars around the corner, screeches to a stop. 
LUTHOR jumps out, crosses, begins peeling the MP' s off EVE.

				MAJOR 
That was fast. Damnit. . . 

	LUTHOR
					(outraged)
				Fast? When a woman's life is at stake?

					EVE'S VOICE
			                     (mumbling - surly)
				And that's about all I got left to lose, believe me.

230P	EXT. LOWER ROAD

	The ambulance with LUTHOR and EVE screams around a corner, turns off its siren, stops 
near the side of a hill. OTIS scrambles down through the brush, jumps into the back.

230Q	INT. AMBULANCE  -  DAY
	
LUTHOR drives, EVE next to him.  OTIS leans in from the rear section, excited.

					OTIS 
I did it, Mr. Luthor! Just like you told 
me to!

5/5/77   TM

230Q	CONTINUED

					LUTHOR
				It’s not that I don't trust  you, Otis . . .
				      (thinks about it)
				Yes, it is. Tell me what you did.

	OTIS roll up his sleeve, reads the numbers off  his arm.

					OTIS
				I reset the first vector heading to 38, the second 
one to 67, and the third one to 117 .

					LUTHOR 
    (sm1ling -  nods) 
And the fourth one ?

	OTIS
What fourth one?

	LUTHOR 
      (overlapping) 
The third to 117?

					OTIS
				     (holds out arm)
See? I wrote it down ...

LUTHOR stares at the arm, in total disbelief.

LUTHOR
				The third one goes to 11, Otis. And the fourth 
one to 7.

	OTIS
           (sadly)
Gee. 1 guess my arm wasn't long enough to make 
a big space.

	LUTHOR
	(rage mounting)
Would you like to see an arm long enough to make a 
big space, Otis?
	(screams)
Do you want to see an arm long enough to 
Make a big space?
5/5/77   TM

230R	EXT. ROAD  -  HIGH SPOT 

LUTHOR'S legs stick out of the inner rear section of the ambulance where hi is pummeling OTIS as the ambulance careers back and forth wildly across the road.  EVE  frantically tries 
to control the vehicle from the passenger seat as it disappears around the bend.

231	EXT. ANOTHER COUNTRY ROAD  -  DAY

Another missile convoy identical to the first one heads down another country road. The same arrangement: two jeeps of MP’s in front of the rocket, one in back.

231A	INT. TRUCK CAB  -  DAY

CAMERA LOOKS THROUGH the front side window as LUTHOR and OTIS ride together in what seems to be the cab of a small truck. OTIS looks over apologetically at LUTHOR who drives, eyes forward. CAMERA PULLS BACK, PANS:  the small cab vehicle is towing an entire house on a double-width flatbed truck. The huge structure takes up the full breadth of the narrow road.

232B	EXT. BRIDGE CORNER – DAY

	The missile convoy rounds the corner of a small hill, starts to proceed onto a two-lane 
bridge, suddenly stops, the rocket itself only halfway on. 

232C	ANGLE ON HOUSE TRAILER  -  CONVOY’S POV

	LUTHOR drives the house trailer across the other side of the bridge, rolls to a stop, blocking 
the passageway completely.

232D	WIDE ANGLE – BRIDGE

	The house trailer faces the convoy. The two lead jeeps full  of angry MP's drive forward.

232E	INT. TRUCK CAB – DAY

	The MP’s pile out of  their jeeps, approach the trailer cab, yelling. LUTHOR smiles thinly, 
Reaches down, Presses in the cigarette lighter on the dashboard.

232F	INSERT SHOT -REAR TRAILER TIRES

	Two of the rear tires on the trailer suddenly puncture.

232G	WIDE ANGLE

	The rear end of the house sags helplessly on the bridge. 

16/4/77   TM

231H	EXT. CORNER OF HILL BEFORE BR1DGE

	The one remaining jeep behind the missile has been screened by the corner of the hill. The 
Frustrated MP OFFICER waves the DRIVER forward to see what's happened. CAMERA  PANS to hillside: EVE scrambles down wearing  the same tool belt OTIS had on earlier, 
Heads for the tarpaulin-covered rocket.

232	INT.  PLANET CITY ROOM 

Several REPORTERS cluster around a portable TV on a desk in the corner. An ANNOUNCER'S VOICE can be heard.

				ANNOUNCER'S VOICE
			... here at Danforth Proving Grounds for the launching 
of two XK1O1 rockets, the very latest weapon in our 
arsenal of defense ...

	CMAERA PANS: CLARK enters, looks around, notices that LOIS'  desk is empty, heads 
for the REPORTERS.

					ANNOUNCER'S VOICE.
				It is claimed that the XK101 can hit any target 
Completely undetected since it flies well below 
all radar systems yet designed ...

	ONE REPORTER turns to CLARK.

					REPORTER
				Hey, Clark. Chief wants to see you ...

					CLARK 
Thanks, Eddie

	CLARK crosses back to PERRY’S office.

					ANNOUNCER’S VOICE
				The ultra-modern, built-in sensory devices can detect
any object in its path and automatic1y avoid it, either 
going over, under, or around…

5/5/77   TM

232A	INT. PERRY’S OFFICE – DUSK

	CLARK knocks. PERRY looks up from behind a stack of news dispatches.

PERRY
Come in, Kent.

	CLARK
Hi, Mr. White . . . 
(gestures)
				Is Lois is around today?

					PERRY
				She's out west looking into a land fraud deal. I sent young 
Olsen with her on his first photo assignment. Some 
unidentified joker's been buying up thousands of acres
of worthless desert at incredible prices.

	CLARK
Hmm. Doesn't seem to make sense . . .

	PERRY
The world doesn't make sense, Kent. You should know 
that by now.
	(tosses dispatch)
Look at this dispatch from Addis Ababa. People break 
into a museum in the dead of night - kill two guards - and 
what do they take? Some worthless hunk of meteorite .
How do you figure it.

		CLARK
I've never been able to understand violence in any form,
Mr. White.

		PERRY
		(sadly)
I know that, Kent. That's part of  the reason I wanted 
to see you.

	PERRY rises ponderously, hands in pockets, strolls pensively toward his half-opened
window, looks out.

16/4/77   TM

232A	CONTINUED

						PERRY
					I've been in the news business man and boy for 
forty years. I got where I am with guts, compassion, 
and elbow grease - but most of all with one thing you
sadly lack, my boy - aggression. Take charge, Kent: 
Confidence, that's the ticket! Why, when was . . 

As CLARK listens, PERRY’S VOICE seems to fade away, is replaced by a high-pitched whine like that given off by a high frequency transmitter. CLARK winces, hearing it, his hand rising involuntarily to his ear. PERRY drones on at the window, apparently oblivious to it.

232B	EXT. METROPOLIS ALLEY – DAY

	Several stray dogs rummage through turned-over garbage cans, suddenly stop as they hear 
The whine, begin to howl and bay excitedly.

232C	BACK TO PERRY'S OFFICE

	CLARK tries to focus his super-hearing on the sound as it weakens momentarily and 
PERRY'5 VOICE .fades back in again at the window.

				PERRY
			... get Lois to introduce you to Superman. 
Start to hang out with the guy. Give me the 
man-to-man angle . . .

	More dog howling is heard from the streets through the partially opened window.

232D	CLOSE ON CLARK’ S EAR

	PERRY' 5 VOICE and the dog howls fade away as CLARK'S super-hearing picks up the 
high-frequency message.

				LUTHOR'5 VOICE
This is Lex Luthor. Only one thing alive with less 
than four legs can hear this frequency, Superman,
and that’s you.

16/4/77   TM 

232E	ANGLE ON CLARK

	CLARK listens, eyes widening as PERRY drones on silently out the window.

LUTHOR'S VOICE
				In approximately five minutes a poisoned gas pellet 
containing a propane lithium compound will be released
through thousands of air ducts in this city . . .

232F	INT. CITY ROOM

	CLARK slips out of PERRY'S office, quickly crosses the city room 'where the REPORTERS 
cluster around the TV.

LUTHOR’S VOICE 
   (happy chuckle) 
Effectively annihilating half the population of 
Metropolis.

232G	EXT. SIDE OF DAILY PLANET – DAY

Looking up from the street: CLARK jumps out a window high up on the Daily Planet
building. As he falls, a gradual transformation to SUPERMAN takes place	 in blurred, overlapping stages.

LUTHOR’S VOICE
				I know it all seems a bit much, but how else was I 
going to get to meet you, Superman? I knew you'd 
never accept an invitation to tea.

SUPERMAN hits the street, the transformation having taken place. He stares up into the sky.

232H	ANGLE ON METRPOLIS SKYLINE  - SUPERMAN' S POV

Seen by SUPERMAN’S X-Ray vision: The pulsating, high frequency sound waves  originating from somewhere behind the skyline.

				LUTHOR' S VOICE
			But a disaster – with people in danger – people
who need help . . .

232I	BACK TO SUPERMAN

	SUPERMAN takes off in the direction of the sound waves, following them.

					LUTHOR’S VOICE
				I just knew you couldn't resist the chance of sort of ...
				pitch in. Know what I mean?

232J	EXT. OVER METROPOLIS - LOOKING DOWN  - DAY

	SUPERMAN looks down at a crowded city street from mid-air. The sound waves seams to 
Emanate through a particular section of the sidewalk.

LUTHOR'S VOICE					
There's a strong streak of good in you, Superman.
But then, nobody's perfect. Almost nobody.

232K	EXT. METROPOLIS SIDEWALK  - DAY

	SUPERMAN lands on the sidewalk. Happy PEDESTRIANS start forward with "Hey, it's 
Superman," etc. He waves them away.

				SUPERMAN
Everybody back, please! Thank you . ..
	
Arms folded, SUPERMAN suddenly begins to spin in place like a figure skater, around and around at a dizzying speed, boring a circular hole in the pavement as the startled PEDESTRIANS hold on to their hats.	

232L	EXT. BELOW METROPOLIS STREET. – DAY

	A CUTAWAY SHOT showing SUPERMAN boring through the ground with his spinning 
motion, heading down through layers of rock, underground city cables etc.

				LUTHOR'S VOICE 
Unfortunately I'm not in the book, but a bright boy 
like you should be ab1e to find the address ...

16/4/77   TM

232M	INT. TUNNEL  -  DAY

	The same tunnel we saw OTIS walk down in an earlier sequence. SUPERMAN bores
through the ceiling, hits the floor directly opposite a high-powered radio transmitter. He 
looks down the length of the tunnel at the heavy metal door marked: DANGER – NO ENTY CONDEMEND.

					LUTHOR'S VOICE
					    (now in tunnel)
				See what I mean? And not a moment too 
soon.

232N	INT. LUTHOR' S VIEWING THEATER – DAY

LUTHOR, EVE and OTIS sit in comfortable seats in an elegant viewing theater inside the underground complex.  A bank of large TV screens	faces them.  TWO of the screens show
the two Danforth missile silos. A third has the image of SUPERMAN staring directly INTO CAMERA from the tunnel.  LUTHOR sips a tall drink, smugly adjusts several knobs on a large console next to him. EVE chews gum, stares curiously at SUPERMAN. OTIS munches
on a large candy bar, excited.

				LUTHOR 
			Look at that overgrown Boy Scout, Miss Teschmacher. 
Tell me what you see.

	EVE 
        (chewing)
Cuteness.  Dimples.

	LUTHOR'S eyes flash. EVE smiles nervously.

6/4/77     TM

232O	CONTINUED

LUTHOR 
You like dimples? I’ll give him 
dimples

LUTHOR reaches for a button on the console.

232P	INT. TUNNEL – DAY

SUPERMAN starts down the tunnel for the door. Suddenly panels open on both sides filled with machine gun barrels. They open fire simultaneously in a withering, deafening barrage. SUPERMAN walks forward calmly as thousands of bullets ricochet off' him.

232Q 	EXT. DANFORTH MISSILLE BASE - DAY 

	The great steel lids of' the two missile silos slowly begin to open.

232R	INT. TUNNEL – DAY

SUPERMAN continues. The walls and ceiling of the tunnel suddenly come alive with flaming gas jets. The tunnel becomes a blinding inferno, as SUPERMAN proceeds serenely through the holocaust.

232S	EXT. DANFORTH MISSILE SILOS - DAY

The launching rockets start to activate. Fire and exhaust surround the bottom of the missile.

232T	INT. TUNNEL - DAY

SUPERMAN continues, then disappears from view into the middle of an incredibly thick blizzard. A large cone of ice is instantly formed. The blizzard stops. Suddenly a thin crack appears, running down the center. SUPERMAN steps out, rubs his hands together briskly, approaches the door.

18/4/77    TM

233	INT. LUTHOR'S LAIR - DAY

LUTHOR sits behind his desk, a model of smug composure, calmly reading the newspaper with the headlines and picture announcing the dual missile test. A large, blank screen  has been lowered on one wall next to him. In front of the screen, a black lead trunk forms the base or something which has been converted into a bench, covered with cushions. Some distance away, OTIS finishes setting up a slide projector. EVE watches nervously from the open entrance to the viewing theater. The heavy metal main door to the complex suddenly starts to tremble under SUPERMAN 'S strength. LUTHOR looks up from his paper, calls out.

	LUTHOR 
It's open...

SUPERMAN bashes the thick metal door to the ground like a stick of  balsa wood, enters. LUTHOR winces, then rises pleasantly.

					LUTHOR
Come in, Superman. My attorney will be 
in touch about the door. Otis, don't just 
stand there, take the man's cape....

OTIS starts forward with a tentative half-smile, is suddenly rooted to the spot by SUPERMAN'S stare.

OTIS
 				I... don't think he wants me to, Mr. Luthor.

SUPERMAN 
All right, Luthor, where’s the gas pellet?

					LUTHOR 
(smiles) 
Somewhere ... in the back of my mind, actually. 
It’s just a fun little project I've been toying with.

SUPERMAN
Is that how a warped brain like yours gets its 
kicks? By planning the death of innocent people?

18/4/77   TM

233	CONTINUED

LUTHOR
(quick smile)
No. By causing the death of innocent people.

234	EXT. DANFORTH MISSILE BASE – DAY

The two XK101 rockets are launched simultaneously with a rush of flames and a mighty roar.

234A	EXT. SKY - DAY -  CLOSE ON MISSILE

The two missiles quickly rise to less than a hundred feet, then suddenly stop, split, head off in different , skimming rapidly over the ground.

234B	EXT.  MISSILE CONTROL CENTER - DAY

TWO MISSILE CONTROLERS sit in front of the complex bank of TV screens, computers, and control panels.  Red lights  flash everywhere. Alarms ring out.
 
MIS5ILE CONTROLLER #1
Jesus Christ, they've gone berserk!

CONTROLER  #2
       (madly flipping switches)
I can't control them!  Red Alert!  Red Alert! 
Get the Pentagon!

234C	INT. PENTAGON OFFICE – DAY

The CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF sits behind his desk on the phone, red-faced, astonished, wild.

					CJCS
That's impossible!  It can't happen, damnit!... 
It...

He grabs his red phone, picks it up.

					CJCS
				Get me the President!
234D	EXT. COLF COURSE – DAY

A group or suit-clad SECRET SERVICE AGENTS stand around a golf'-cart near a bunker trap. A red phone inside the cart rings wildly. An AGENT picks it up, listens, thunderstruck, turns.
  
Mr. President!  Mr. President!

A chunk of turf goes flying up over the top of the bunker from B.G.

PRESIDENT'S VOICE 
Goddamnit!  What now!

234E	EXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN - DAY - CLOSE ON ROCKET #1

The first stage of a lightning fast trip across American from the POV of the rockets at an altitude of less than twenty feet. The images whiz by like magic.  ROCKET #1 heads eastward, passing over the yellow wheat fields of Kansas.

234F	EXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN - DAY - CLOSE ON ROCKET #2

Employing the same photographic process, ROCKET #2 heads westward, passing barns and cattle ranches.

235	INT.  LUTHOR' S LAIR – DAY

SUPEPMAN has tolerantly taken a seat on the cushioned bench of lead.  LUTHOR holds a professor's pointer in his hands, approaches the rolled-down blank screen. OTIS mans the slide projector.  LUTHOR stops, turns dramatically to SUPERMAN.

LUTHOR
					You see, Superman... 
     (passionately)
I had a dream! ...

SUPERMAN
In  your case it must have been a nightmare,
Luthor. Get on with it!

18/4/77   TM

235	CONTINUED

					LUTHOR
Right. Well ... as you mayor may not know, 
Superman, I am, as they say, very heavy into 
real estate.  In order to make money in that 
game you have to buy in for a little and sell for
a lot. Right? Right. So.  Problem:  how to make 
that property valuable between the time you buy 
and the time you sell. Now then...

LUTHOR snaps his fingers. OTIS flips on the slide projector. A brightly illuminated map hits the rolled-down screen. LUTHOR starts to speak, then looks at it curiously.

LUTHOR
Otis. This is France.

OTIS
Sorry, Mr. Luthor.

OTIS flips up another slide. This time it is recognizable as the western half of America. LUTHOR points.

LUTHOR
And this - is California. The richest, most populace 
state in America.

SUPERMAN
I don’t need a geography lesson from you, Luthor.

LUTHOR
Sorry. You do get around, don't you.
(turns back)
Now then. Where was I? Ah, yes...

235A	CLOSER ON MAP

CAMERA CLOSES on map. LUTHOR begins tracking the San Andreas Fault with the pointer.

8/4/77   TM

235A	CONTINUED

					LUTHOR
At the San Andreas Fault. Maybe you've 
heard of 1t.

SUPERMAN
Sure. It’s the joining together of two land masses. 
The .fault line is unstable and shifting which is 
why you get earthquakes in California from time 
to time.

	LUTHOR
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
(back to map)
Now all this...
(indicates)
				...west of' the Fault is the most expensive real 
estate in the world. Los Angeles. San Diego.  
San Francisco. And on the other side...
(indicates)
is just hundreds of miles of cheap desert land. 
Land that happens to be owned by Lex Luthor  
Enterprises. Well...
(wistful smile)
call me a fool, but it did occur to me that if a
500 megaton bomb were to explode at exactly
the proper stress point....

SUPERMAN
   (horrified)
Most of California would be destroyed! Millions 
of people would be killed! The West Coast as we 
know it would...

LUTHOR
...drop into the Sea! Bye-bye California! Hello new 
West Coast!  My... West Coast.

					SUPERMAN
You are a dreamer, Luthor. A sick-Twisted dreamer. 
It couldn’t possibly work.

18/4/77   TM

235A	CONTINUED 

					LUTHOR
Oh, I’ll admit there were problems. Adjusting 
the missile trajectory, finding the precise
point of optimum stress on the Fault...

LUTHOR smiles broadly, snaps his finger.

235B	CLOSE ON SCREEN

A new, close section of the map is suddenly magnified  hundreds of times. It is recognizable as desert land. Literally dozens or superimposed grid lines converge on a single point in the middle of the desolate wasteland. LUTHOR'S pointer rises to it.

					LUTHOR'S VOICE
    (tone chancing)
Which is... right here, by the way… 
     (touches it).
Target Zero.

CAMERA PUSHES IN on the map, then DISSOLVES THROUGH to the actual piece of  land.

236	EXT. DESERT NAD ROAD  -  DAY 

	A car speeds quickly down the dusty desert road.

236A	INT. LOIS' CAR  -  DAY 

LOIS drives the car, looks out across the bleak landscape. Sitting in the passengers seat: AN ELDERLY AMERICAN INDIAN CHIEF with classic features, nicely dressed. A tape recorder lies between them as LOIS is doing an interview.

CHIEF
...no oil, no uranium, no coal, no precious minerals... 
hell, no water anymore...
(gestures)
Not since the government dammed it all up..

18/4/77    TM

236	CONTIUNED
					
LOIS
My associate, Mr. Olsen, is taking pictures 
of that Dam right now, Chief.
(pause)
But why sell out to some faceless person
you've never met? You don" even know his
name.

	CHIEF
At the stupid high price he offered for this worthless 
piece of desert…
(smile)
I only hope it's Custer.

237	EXT.  SKY LOOKING DOWN  -  DAY  -  CLOSE ON ROCKET #

ROCKET #1 now whizzes by over the green fields of Ohio and Indiana, heading east.

237A	EXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN - DAY - CLOSE ON ROCKET #2

ROCKET #2 speeds quickly across the painted desert of Arizona, heading for the Grand Canyon.

237B	EXT. DESERT - DAY – AERIAL VIEW

The car with LOIS and the Chief disappears across the arid land as CAMERA HOLDS, DISSOLVES BACK THROUGH to the map on the screen in LUTHOR’S lair.

238	INT. LUTHOR’S LAIR – DAY

The screen becomes blank again. LUTHOR turns.

				LUTHOR
Check the viewing room, Otis... 
(turns back)
Well, Superman? What do you think? 
Interesting?

18/4/77   TM

238	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN
				Your theory's quite impressive, Luthor. 
But as for the rest -  it's nothing but a sick 
fantasy.

LUTHOR 
(thin smile) 
Fantasy?...
(exploding) 
History!! It's happened, Superman!

SUPERMAN rises quickly, eyes widening, as LUTHOR wheels maniacally to EVE standing in the doorway to the viewing room.

LUTHOR
Where's that rocket now?

EVE
       (glances back)
Passing the Grand Canyon, Lex. Going like a bat. 
So’s the other one.

	SUPERMAN
         (in disbelief)
The other one! There's two of them?

LUTHOR
That's right, Superman. Double jeopardy! And even 
you can’t fly fast enough to stop both of them! 
(sly grin)
While I, on the other hand would merely have to 
press my detonating device and ...

SUPEMAN leaps at LUTHOR, grabs him by the neck.

SUPERMAN
Where is it,  Luthor! Where’s that detonator?

SUPERMAN scans the room with his X-Ray vision,  suddenly stops as he sees the lead 
Trunk he’s been sitting on.

238	CONTINUED

					SUPERMAN
You diseased maniac! Did you really think you 
could hide it from me by encasing it in lead?

SUPERMAN drops LUTHOR in a pile on the floor. He crosses quickly to the trunk, tosses the cushions aside.

SUPERMAN
        (ripping it open)
I'll mold this box into your prison bars, you...

SUPERMAN stops suddenly, recoils, stunned, a dim green light ref1ecting of his face.

238A	INSERT SHOT – KRYPTONITE

	The green Kryptonite rock glows inside the box. It is linked on both sides by a chain.
 	
238B	BACK TO SCENE

	SUPERMAN is instantly immobilized, his strength waning, his knees getting wobbly.

					SUPERMAN
That rock... I can-t... my strength..

LUTHOR advances, bursting with glee.

LUTHOR
It's Kryptonite  Superman! A  little souvenir from 
your home town! You see I've spared no expense 
in making you feel right at home here!

LUTHOR pulls the rock out of the box by the chain, dangles it in front of him.  SUPERMAN 
desperately tries to raise his arm to shield himself from the rays.

				SUPERMAN
Away... please... take it…

18/4/77   TM

238B	CONTINUED

LUTHOR loops the chain around SUPERMAN’S neck, pulls the staggering, helpless Man of Steel after him like a dog on a leash.

LUTHOR
You were great in your day, Superman. But 
When the time came to cash in your chips, Lex 
Luthor was just naturally your banker!  Mind…

LUTHOR stops, puts his two 1itte fingers on each of SUPERMAN'S shoulders, pushes him down to his knees.

LUTHOR
...over muscle ...

LUTHOR checks his watch, looks down at the pitiful hulk below him, the life ebbing from 
SUPERMAN.

				LUTHOR
I'm afraid I have to leave you now. Nothing 
personal, you understand. We all have our 
faults. It's just that mine is in Ca1ifornia.

LUTHOR turns toward the viewing theater. SUPERMAN looks up at him, gasping for breath.

SUPERMAN
You don’t . . . even care. . . where the other 
missile . . . is headed, do you ..

LUTHOR
 				On the contrary. I figured it out instantly. 
Hackensack, New Jersey.

LUTHOR kicks out contemptuously with his foot, pushes SUPERMAN  over the crumbled railing bordering the office portion of his complex.

18/4/77   TM

238C	ANGLE FROM POOL

	SUPERMAN'S lifeless body splashes helplessly down into the pool below.

238D	BACK T0 SCENE

LUTHOR crosses to the viewing theater where EVE stands at the entrance, stunned.

LUTHOR 
(entering)
Hurry, Miss Teschmacher . . .

EVE 
                 (stopping him) 
But Lex....

	LUTHOR
          (impatient)
What?

EVE
My... mother lives in Hackensack.

LUTHOR
          (pause)
Your mother used to live in Hackensack.

LUTHOR enters the viewing theater. EVE stands at the doorway, glances at the pool, unsure. 
LUTHOR’S hand suddenly appears, yanks her back inside.

238E	EXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN  -  DAY  CLOSE ON ROCKET

	ROCKET #1 whizzes eastward. Larger, more populous communities loom up ahead.

238F	INDIAN COMMUNITY  -  DAY

	LOIS has dropped off the CHIEF' by a cluster of' makeshift houses where other lNDIANS	can be seen loading their belongings onto pickup trucks, etc. LOIS waves goodbye, drives
off.

 

5/5/77   TM

238G	EXT. SKY LOOKIN DOWN - DUSK - CLOSE ON ROCKET #2

	ROCKET #2 speeds across desert land matching the kind where we just saw LOIS.

238H 	EXT. TOP OF DAM  - DUSK

JIMMY OLSEN walks along the top of the giant dam, taking pictures of the surrounding 	towns and areas in the distance as well as the dam itself.

238I	INT. LUTHOR 'S VIEWING THEATER  -  DUSK - CLOSE ON EVE

CAMERA CLOSE on two TV screens monitoring the progress of both rockets NOW 	
PULLS BACK: OTIS mans the console as LUTHOR'S face twitches nervously in the 
exc1ted anticipation, glued 'to the screen. Curiously enough, EVE is missing.

239	INT. LUTHOR'S COMPLEX ABOVE POOL – DUSK

EVE walks quiet1y to the top of the crumbled railing, looks down, deeply troubled.

239A 	ANGLE ON SUPERMAN IN POOL – EVE’S POV

SUPERMAN is dying, barely able to keep afloat. He makes one final, feeble gesture at trying 
to unhook the chain from his neck, then looks up, spots EVE.

239B	WIDER ANGLE - BOTH OF THEM

SUPERMAN
   (gasping)
Miss . . . Teschmacher . . . please. . you 
can’t . . . stand by. . . and let millions 
of people . . . innocent people. . . die . . .

		EVE
    (hating herself)
Maybe . . .
        (pause)
If it wasn’t for ... my mother. . .

SUPERMAN 
   (desperate)
 				Please. . . help me to save them . . .
Please . . .

5/5/77   TM

238B	CONTINUED

						EVE 
          (wary)
If I help you . . . Will you save
my mother first?

SUPERMAN 
But Lois . . . and Jimmy . . . are . . .

	EVE
  					My mother comes first, promise
me. I know you wouldn’t break a 
promise.

SUPERMAN
       (he has no choice) 
Pro. . . promise . . .

EVE looks around, quickly makes up her mind, dives off the crumbling railing into the pool.

239C	ANGLE ON POOL

EVE swims over to SUPERMAN who is just about to go under. She reaches out 
to unhook he chain from his neck, grabs hold of it, suddenly stops, looks deeply into 
SUPERMAN’S eyes.

SUPERMAN
What ...

EVE suddenly kisses him hard, breaks, then unhooks the chain. The Kryptonite sinks to the bottom of the pool.  SUPERMAN actually seems to enlarge in the water, all his super-strength returning in a rush. He looks at EVE curiously, his power recharging itself. 

239C	CONTINUED

					SUPERMAN
Why did you kiss me first?

EVE
Cause you wouldn't have let me later.

	SUPERMAN
				      (now at full strength)
				Thank you, Miss Teschmacher…

					EVE
				You too.
(almost misty eyed)
 				I... just can't get it on for the good guys, 
				you know?

SUPERMAN roars up out of 'the pool, heading for the roof of, the complex like a supersonic 
blue dart.

240	METROPLIS STREET - DAY

SUPERMAN bursts through the pavement on a busy midtown street, streaks up into the sky at top speed.

240A	SKY - DAY

SUPERMAN flies for speed, straining himself to reach the maximum. He looks off and
down.

240B	ANGLE ON MISSILE – SUPERMAN’S POV

Far below - the missile. In the distance looms the city of Hackensack.

240C	BACK TO SUPERMAN

	He dives for the missile.

240D	EXT. SKY - ANOTHER ANGLE

SUPERMAN plants himself firmly in mid-air directly in the path of the oncoming	missile,	braces himself to grab it. As the missile flies straight at him, it suddenly changes course.

18/4/77   TM

240D	CONTINUED
 
SUPERMAN lunges for it but it veers off out of reach, then whizzes away into the distance. 
SUPERMAN flies off after the rocket, a look of grim determination on his face.

240F	EXT . HACKENSACK - DAY - AERIAL VIEW

	The missile zooms on toward Hackensack.

240G	EXT. SKY - ANOTHER ANGLE

SUPERMAN catches up, now comes at the missile from the side. But the sensory device 	picks him up again - the missile dodges out of range, leaving him behind.

240H	CLOSE ON MISSILE

	 The missile speeds on. SUPERMAN comes back into frame, catching up. He grabs it from 
Behind, gripping it tightly. With a mighty effort, he wrenches the rocket off its course. Steering it from behind he accelerates quickly, flying straight up into sky.

241	EXT. STRATOSPHERE

SUPERMAN climbs higher and higher over the United States, gaining speed,  suddenly flings the missile up into space like a javelin. It whistles off into the blackness as SUPERMAN wheels in mid-air, looks back down at the United States, freezes in horror.
 
241A	ANGLE ON WESTERN U.S.A. - SUPERMAN'S POV

ROCKET #2 hits the San Andreas Fault and explodes! A white-hot mushroom cloud starts to form. 

241B	BACK TO SUPERMAN

	SUPERMAN streaks back down to Earth.

18/4/77    TM

 241B	EXT. SKY  -  MUSHROOM CLOUD

	SUPERMAN circles the mushroom cloud at top speed, going faster and faster, not only
stopping its expansion but actually compressing it. He then 	dives straight into the center of 
the holocaust.

241C	INT/EXT.  MUSHROOM CLOUD

	SUPERMAN swoops to the base of the cloud, blows up with his super-breath.

241D	ANGLE ON MUSHROOM CLOUD

	The entire cloud with its fallout and pollution is blown high up into the stratosphere, away 
from Earth.

242	CLOSE ON SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN stops in mid-air, looks, listens. A loud rumble begins, gathering in intensity. The earthquake has arrived.

242A	EXT. CALIFORNIA COAST – DAY

	The land shakes on the Pacific Coast. Huge chunks of cliff begin to fall into the sea.

242B	ANGLE ON LANDSCAPE  -  SUPERMAN’S POV

	Great yawning cracks rip open across the land in all directions.

242C	ANGLE ON SUPERMAN

	SUPERMAN quickly dives down; disappears into a crack in the earth.

243	ANGLE  -  UNDERGROUND EARTH

SUPERMAN bores through the underground, desperately trying to repair the crack. He pushes plates of land back together, dams up a flow of onrushing lava, redirecting it, suddenly looks off and up through the earth with his X-Ray vision.

18/4/77  TM

244	EXT. TRAIN TRACKS AND TRAIN – DAY

	A long, sleek passenger train hurtles down the tracks, shuddering under the impact of the 
earthquake.

244A	INSERT SHOT - TRAIN TRACKS

	A crack in the earth shoots across the tracks ahead, splitting the rail ties.

244B	BACK TO TRAIN

	The train rushes on, unable too stop

244C	BACK TO CRACK

SUPERMAN suddenly appears in the crack, coming up from underneath, now physically spans it with his body.

244D	WIDER ANGLE

	The long train rolls over SUPERMAN, continues on safely down the tracks.

245	EXT. HIGHWAY AND POWER CABLES  -  DAY

	A complex of enormous electric power cables stretches across a highway jammed with 
shaking automobiles and panicked MOTORISTS. Suddenly – one cable snaps: showers of  sparks fly high into the air as the live cables drop down toward the metal cars below.

245A	CLOSER ANGLE
	
	SUPERMAN swoops down, grabs a cable end in either hand. For a moment he almost
resembles a bright blue light bulb as the powerful current runs through him. Pressing the cables together with his super-strength he literally solders them, then once more safely strings them tight across the highway.

18/4/77   TM

246	EXT. HOLLYWOOD – DAY

	The famous Hollywood Sign perched on the hill in Los Angeles trembles, then cracks apart
 in the center. It starts to fall.

246A	ANGLE ON GIRL SCOUT TROOP

	SUPERMAN lands in the middle of the broken sign, pulls on the two halves with either 
hand, pushing it back together to spell HOLLYWOOD again, solid once more.

247	EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE – DAY

	The famous Golden Gate Bridge sways precariously, then sags, starts to break in the center.

247A	CLOSE ON BRIDGE

	Several cars and a school bus begin to topple off, their OCCUPANTS frozen, screaming in
terror.

247B	WIDER ANGLE ON BRIDGE

	SUPERMAN flies under the bridge, pushes up, saving the vehicles and straightening the 
bridge.

247C	CLOSE ON SUPERMAN AND BRI DGE

	SUPERMAN holds the bridge up, quickly welds the cracks shut again using his X-Ray 
vision.

248	EXT. DESERT  -  DAY -  CLOSE ON LOIS\

	LOIS speeds across the desert in her car which shakes from the impact of the quake.

248A	EXT.  SKY CLOSE ON SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN, flying at top speed, looks down, spots LOIS.  A crack in the earth 	erupts behind the car, almost seems to chase it, overtaking the car from behind.  

248B	CLOSER ANGLE

LOIS’ car topples into the crack in the earth, falling down some fifteen feet.

248C	CLOSE ON LOIS
	
LOIS is pinned inside her car by the double walls of earth.  The crack now starts to close 
again, squashing the vehicle as the metal groans and LOIS  screams.

248D	ANGLE FROM BELOW

	SUPERMAN shoots up from the earth below, pushes the car up and out, lifts it into the air. 
He looks down.

248E	ANGLE ON CRACK  -  SUPERMAN' S POV

	The crack slams shut with a sickening sound.

248F	EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP

	SUPERMAN deposits the squashed car with LOIS inside on a mountain top, rips the door 
off, helps her out.

SUPERMAN
				Sorry about the car ...

					LOIS
				Forget it, it's a Hertz.

249	EXT. DAM  -  DAY

	JIMMY holds on to the top railing of the huge dam which shakes and strains under the force 
of the quake. He bravely tries to take pictures with his camera  which dangles from his neck, 
suddenly hears something, looks down in horror.

249A	ANGLE ON DAM – JIMMY’S POV

	The dam begins to crack  -  little cracks at first, then growing larger and more numerous.

250	WIDER ANGLE

SUPERMAN suddenly appears  -  a tiny blue dot as compared to the size of the mighty dam. He pushes back against it.

251	CLOSE ON SUPERMAN

The cracks start to run in all directions, now grow wider. It’s hopeless.  SUPERMAN looks up in desperation as JIMMY yells down at him.

					JIMMY
				Superman! I'm up here, Superman! I'm ...

252	CLOSE ON JlMMY

	Before Jimmy can finish his sentence he is scooped up into air by SUPERMAN.

253	ANGLE IN MID-AIR

SUPERMAN wheels in mid-air holding JIMMY, looks down at the dam, then back at JIMMY again.

				SUPERMAN
			Want a picture on page one of every newspaper in 
the world?

	JIMMY
(grinning) 
You know it.

	SUPERMAN
Ready...?
	(looking down)
Now! 

253A	ANGLE DOWN ON DAM  -  THEIR POV

The enormous  dam suddenly bursts.  Huge jets of water spit through the crumbling structure on all sides. 

254	EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP 

FLASH CUT:	 LOIS stands by her squashed car on the mountain top. A blur seems to 	cross the SCREEN, then instantaneously leave. JIMMY is standing next to her.

18/4/77   TM

255	EXT. DAM

The structure collapses.  A gigantic wall of water cascades down toward the valley town below.

256	EXT. VALLEY TOWN STREET -  DAY

	Screaming, panicked citizens react in terror as the raging torrent heads down directly at them.

257	ANGLE  LOOKING DOWN FROM SKY

SUPERMAN dives to earth, carves a wide new river bed like a human bulldozer, channeling 
the water so it bypasses the town. The current rushes off down its new course into the desert 
lands beyond.

258	EXT. INDIAN VILLAGE  -  DAY 

	The assembled INDIANS watch, thunderstruck, as the new river bed is carved through their 
land, irrigating it.  They cheer wildly. SUPERMAN waves happily back at them, then flies 
off.

259	EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP  -  DAY

	SUPERMAN lands on the mountain top, joining LOIS and JIMMY. The rumbling has		stopped.  JIMMY notices.

					JIMMY
				It's over! You did it, Superman!

	SUPERMAN smiles modestly, turns to LOIS.

					SUPERMAN
				Sorry I left you waiting all the way up here, 
Lois, but I was kind of busy down there for a
while.

18/4/77   TM

259	CONTINUED 

					LOIS
			                  (totally in love) 
Oh, I understand ... 
         (beaming)
Your work comes first.

	SUPERMAN
           (nodding grimly)
And there's one last piece of unfinished 
business left…
    (to JIMMY)
				Take care of her, Jimmy. I'll be back in 
a minute.

	SUPERMAN zooms off into the air. LOIS watches him go, a hopefully wistful smile on her 
face.

				JIMMY
Boy. Superman sure seems to care about
you, Miss Lane.

	LOIS
Superman cares about everyone,
Jimmy. .... 
     (a new thought – eyes
       narrowing)
But who knows? . . . Maybe one day . . . 
(cocky smile)
				If he's lucky . . .

260	EXT.PRISON YARD – DAY

The recreation	yard of a large prison. CONVICTS mill about under the supervision 
of watch towers.  Off to one side of the yard the WARDEN confers with two of his GUARDS.

261	CLOSE ON WARDEN AND GUARDS

	The WARDEN looks up in astonishment as SUPERMAN whizzes down through the air
holding LUTHOR and OTIS with either arm, lands directly in front of them.

26/6/77

261	CONTINUED

SUPERMAN
				Hello, Warden. I think these men 
should be safe here with you until 
they can get a fair trial.

					WARDEN
				Thanks, Superman.
				   (sternly - to GUARDS) 
Take ‘em away, boys . . 

LUTHOR and OTIS are led away.  The WARDEN turns admiringly to SUPERMAN.

WARDEN
				This country is safe again, Superman – 
thanks to you.

					SUPERMAN
					(and he means it)
				And you, Warden.  And the fireman, the 
doctor,	the teacher, the clergyman – the
cop on the beat . . .
	(nice smile)
				We’re all on the same team.

SUPERMAN flies higher into the NIGHT sky.

261A	EXT. SKY – NIGHT to DAY

As SUPERMAN flies higher into the atmosphere we SEE the other side of the EARTH as he FLIES into DAYLIGHT. 

262	EXT. SKY – DAY

SUPERMAN flies majestically through the sky, gaining altitude. He’s done his job well.  OR HAS HE?  CAMERA PANS OFF HIM, ZOOMS UP INTO SPACE.

263	EXT. SPACE

ROCKET #1 which SUPERMAN hurled upward from earth continues traveling through space, unchecked by gravitational pull.  It speeds through other solar systems, gradually approaching something which  -  to our horror  -  we recognize from earlier:  The Phantom Zone containing the THREE GREAT VILLAINS:  ZOD, URSA,  and NON

18/4/77   TM

264	CLOSE 0N ROCKET

The ROCKET nears the Phantom Zone, then suddenly explodes. The massive shock waves ripple furiously through space. 

265	CLOSE ON PHANTOM ZONE 

	The intense waves caused by the nuclear explosion collide with the Phantom Zone. It cracks
releasing the VILLAINS.  They rush to the opened section and their unexpected freedom. NON lets out the horrible roar or an animal suddenly uncaged.

				ZOD
			Free!

				URSA
			Free!

Their grotesque faces fill the SCREEN with howls of glee as they drift off into space.

IMMEDIATE CUT TO:

SELECTED SCENES FROM SUPERMAN II

Selected film clips from SUPERMAN II with the exact content to be determined, but certainly establishing:

A.	LOIS and SUPERMAN making love .
B.	JOR-EL physically appearing before SUPERMAN to give him new life.
C.	CLARK KENT being beaten up and bloodied.
D.	ZOD, URSA and, NON destroying and conquering the world.

INSERT SHOT - COMIC BOOK

The tiny CHILD’S hand seen in the opening shot of the film comes back into frame, quietly turns over the final page of the SUPERMAN comic book. On the back cover is the enticing message

DON’T MISS THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN!
COMING SOON!

FADE OUT:

THE END OF
PART I

26/6/77

SCRIPT NOTES

&

AMENDMENTS

SUPERMAN I

1.	See Page 33 Scenes 92/93/94/95 are transposed to page 56 to follow Scene	145 becoming	Scs. 145A/B/C with some minor alterations and are	played	at NIGHT

	P. 33. SC. 91 cuts directly to Sc. 96 INT. DAILY PLANET – DAY

2.	Scenes 100B. 101.102.103.104.105 – 131 inclusive - PLEASE READ DAY and amend script accordingly.

3.	Pages 1O1 - 128 inclusive - Scs. 232- 259 inclusive should read DUSK.

3A.	Page 128 - Sc.260 READ 'NIGHT’ and  see new pages for amendment 

SUPERMAN II
  
4.	Page 239A Sc.267  PLEASE NOTE THAT CLARK KENT DOES NOT change to SUPERMAN - the 'blue blur' will be a grey blur or whatever the colour of suit he is 
wearing for previous scene.

5.	Pages 241- Scs. 302. 303. 304. 305. 3O6 - sequence following LOIS’ falling into the fruitcart - OMITTED
From Sc.3O1 CUT DIRECT TO 3O7 INT. PERRY WHITE'S OFFICE.

6.	Pages 283. 283A. 284 - Escape from prison in balloon.