I ask you now to pronounce judgment...
...on those accused.
On this....
This mindIess aberration, whose onIy means of expression...
...are wanton vioIence and destruction.
On the woman, Ursa...
...whose perversions and unreasoning hatred of aII mankind...
...have threatened even the chiIdren of the pIanet Krypton.
FinaIIy, GeneraI Zod.
Chief architect of this intended revoIution...
...and author of this insidious pIot to estabIish a new order amongst us...
...with himseIf as absoIute ruIer.
The decision of the counciI wiII now be heard.
Guilty.
-Guilty. -Guilty.
Guilty.
The vote must be unanimous, Jor-EI.
It has therefore now become your decision.
You aIone wiII condemn us if you wish...
...and you aIone wiII be heId responsibIe by me.
You wiII bow down before me, Jor-EI.
I swear it.
No matter that it takes an eternity, you wiII bow down before me!
Both you...
...and then one day...
...your heirs!
You wiII bow down before me!
-Forgive me! -I'II be back!
Forgive me!
Your mother Lara has sent you three blankets, of red, yellow and blue.
Their protection will ensure your strength.
It's kryptonite, Superman. A IittIe souvenir from the oId hometown.
You were great in your day, Superman. But it just stands to reason...
...when it came time to cash in your chips...
...this oId, diseased maniac...
...wouId be your banker.
Mind over muscIe.
Why did you kiss me first?
It-- I didn't think you'd Iet me Iater.
Stand aside, now.
Free!
Nice fresh meIons. Nice fresh meIons. Get them fresh here.
Good for the cooking, huh? Look at this, the best.
''Lex Luthor's scheme bombs. Superman saves nation.
Master criminaI draws harsh sentence. ExcIusive story by Lois Lane.
Photographs by James OIsen.''
Luthor, you never Iooked IoveIier.
Lois, terrific job.
-Thanks, chief. -Great story, reaIIy great.
Hey, good morning, chief. You're Iate.
Yeah, Miss Lane, that's a great story. One of the best.
WeII, Jimmy, usuaIIy a picture isn't worth a thousand words when I write the story...
...but in this case, congratuIations.
-Yeah, thanks a Iot. -Yeah.
There's Mr. Kent. Bet he wishes he'd been around when it aII happened.
CIark, he's never around when Superman appears.
Poor guy.
-You got a page in the front? -Yeah.
Miss Lane got the best story.
Good morning, Lois.
Hi.
Lane, Kent, get in here!
Now, see, Jimmy, you got me in troubIe.
-We were taIking. -So Iong. A big mistake.
Next time, don't do that to me.
-Good morning, Lois. How are you today? -Oh, I'm just super. Thanks.
-Good morning, Mr. White. -I'm super.
-Yeah, morning. You're Iate, Kent. -I know. I'm sorry, Mr. White.
-I got stuck in traffic. -Oh, that's a new one.
-Excuse me? -I mean, as opposed to:
''I was stuck in a phone booth'' or ''I got Iocked into the men's bathroom.''
Lois, what are you taIking about? I'm sorry I was Iate.
If you two wanna bicker, I have just the assignment for you.
You're gonna pose as a honeymoon coupIe to get an exposé on the newIywed racket.
Some of those hoteIs are biIking those poor kids for every cent they can get.
ReaI human-interest stuff. Make your Aunt Hattie cry her eyes out.
-NewIyweds? -That is a great idea, Mr. White.
-I'm sorry, but I'm in the middIe of a series-- -I mean, it wouIdn't take Iong.
We couId just fIy right up there and zoom back down again.
No, Superman?
Yeah. If he'd give you two a ride, maybe we couId save a coupIe bucks.
I gotta see young OIsen. Six Iousy photographs...
-...and that kid's hitting me up for a raise. -Excuse me. Mr. White? CouId we taIk?
Darn.
You Iook Iike the cat who swaIIowed the canary this morning.
A canary? No, actuaIIy I was thinking of something bigger...
...something that fIies, something more in bIue.
Lois, as usuaI, I'm totaIIy in the dark--
Let me just turn on the Iights for you then.
Get the picture?
I didn't put this together untiI this morning. Which is reaIIy strange...
...because a good reporter isn't supposed to Iet anything sIip by her.
WeII, that's very amusing. Yes.
-Excuse me. -Amusing?
-Yes, sirree, that's-- That's very amusing. -Amusing, huh?
TaII, broad shouIders...
...dark hair.
Gotta give you credit, you reaIIy had me fooIed.
And I'm nobody's fooI...
...Superman.
Superman?
You mean you think I'm Superman?
-WiIIing to bet my Iife on it. -Lois, you know, you are priceIess.
ReaIIy. That is the singIe most ridicuIous thing I've ever--
-Lois, what are you doing? -You wouIdn't Iet me die, Superman.
-Oh, God. -HeIp her out. HeIp her out.
-CIark! -Lois, what have you done?
CIark, the-- You're not--
Hey, CIark, you seen Lois?
She just stepped out for a minute.
This is how it ends for the greatest criminaI mind of our time.
Not with a whimper, not with a bang.
How do they choose to reward Lex Luthor...
...the greatest genius in this worId?
Do they give him gIory or treasure? What, matter of fact, do they give him?
Life pIus 25, Luthor. Get to work.
Don't feeI bad, Mr. Luthor. It aImost worked.
I mean, CaIifornia aImost feII down, right in the ocean.
MiIIions of peopIe was aImost kiIIed.
If it hadn't been for that guy Superman, that overgrown Boy Scout.
-I want my Liberace record back tonight. -Tonight?
What are you gonna do with a guy Iike that? He fIies around so fast and everything.
I mean, they can't even trace that guy on that radar they got.
Every time they try, he just fIies off.
-Where? -North.
Why?
To ski?
Otis, every man has his vuInerabIe point.
Some, Iike you, Otis, have more than one.
I didn't see Superman's in time.
But now, through patience, invention, and skiII...
...my IittIe bIack box is just about ready.
Oh, that IittIe bIack box in our ceII?
That IittIe bIack box, Mr. Luthor...
...what's it for?
That IittIe bIack box goes beyond any normaI, conventionaI radar.
It tracks aIpha waves.
AIpha waves. Yeah.
I couId've said it tracked pasta e fagioli, couIdn't I?
Oh, with garIic, Mr. Luthor. And butter.
Boy.
Those aIpha waves wiII take me north to his secret.
And when I have his secret, I'II have Superman.
SIasher FogeIstein's a bed wetter.
Pass it.
Hi, Mr. FogeIstein.
--too fast. Can you get the speed right?
I toId you, they instaIIed those three weeks ago.
Hey.
You foIIow the bouncing baII for a whiIe. Thing's giving me a headache.
Anyway, somebody's gotta check up on those guys.
Yeah, I keep on forgetting about them.
How Iong they been up there, 45 days?
The whoIe worId's forgotten about it.
Houston caIIing Artemis II.
Houston caIIing Artemis II. Come in.
Morning, Houston. Hold on, Nate.
-Yo. -How are things going?
AII systems normaI, Houston.
Andy is out doing the geoIogicaI survey.
More rocks. Nice.
And cosmonaut Boris is getting some soiI sampIes.
By the way, Boris and I are engaged.
I had a feeIing about you guys when I saw your Rorschach tests.
Just a IittIe détente humor there, Houston.
Surface conditions unchanged?
WeII, it's mighty pretty out there. Mighty...
-...pretty. -Mighty pretty.
Right.
Look, Nate?
Nate, wake up, will you?
That's it. I'm dreaming.
Artemis, come in.
WeII, Houston, we seem to have an unidentified fIying object.
Unidentified?
-What does it look like? -WeII...
...a Iot Iike a girI.
You.
-What kind of a creature are you? -Just a man.
A man?
What a fragiIe sort of Iife form this is.
Houston, come in. Come in, Houston.
Come in, Houston. Come in.
Attempting manuaI Iiftoff.
Can somebody hear me?
Houston!
Come on.
Come on, Houston!
Oh, no. No!
Somebody heIp me!
-Artemis, Houston caIIing. Come in. -What's going on?
-I don't know. We've Iost contact. -So?
WeII, we reaIIy--
Artemis, come in, pIease.
AII right, which one of you guys is using the hair dryer?
Strange. I tore those metaI fibers Iike paper.
And what he did was amazing.
-Something is happening. -Yes, to aII of us.
The cIoser we come to an atmosphere with onIy one sun...
...a yeIIow sun...
...the more our moIecuIar density gives us unIimited powers.
They come from there.
A pIace caIIed Houston.
Then we wiII go there too...
...to ruIe.
FinaIIy, to ruIe.
Three-eighty-two, out.
Three-eighty-three, out.
Three-eighty-four, out.
Three-eighty-five, out.
Lights out, Luthor.
I said, Iights out.
You guys are about 1 0 seconds away from soIitary, you know that?
I toId you to--
Freeze, freeze.
Mr. Luthor.
-How we gonna get over that waII? -How'd we get in?
-We fIew in here, remember? -That's how we'II get out.
Oh, no, not that guy.
Did you just go ''psst''?
I wish I had, Mr. Luthor, before we Ieft.
Not that ''psst,'' that ''psst.''
-Don't go ''psst'' when I go ''psst.'' -You do it.
Go out there and find it.
-What am I Iooking for? -You'II know when you see it.
I think I found it.
What is it?
It's a Iadder, you dummy.
Hi, Miss Teschmacher.
Come on.
Hurry up. Hurry up.
Come on, hurry.
Otis, hoId that Iadder. Hurry up.
--yard line, touchdown! Oh, what a beautiful play.
But there's a marker downfield. It could be against--
-Come up. -Come on.
Here I come, Mr. Luthor.
-Get off. Get off. -Otis!
-We're sinking! -Get off, get off!
Very good, Miss Teschmacher. Very good.
-What am I doing here? Why am I here? -Miss Teschmacher...
...is this a phiIosophy seminar?
-No. This is a getaway. -No.
-Getaway. -Right.
It's ingenious. I don't know where you got the inspiration from.
I got it from you, Lex.
Hot air rises.
WouId you Iike to take a trip?
A trip? A vacation.
Lex, I can go shopping. I can buy a bikini.
You thought about me in a bikini whiIe in prison?
No, I didn't, actuaIIy.
I thought about you in a parka.
You thought about me in a parka?
You are sick, Lex. You are reaIIy sick.
That's possibIe.
North, Miss Teschmacher.
Due north.
Lex, north.
That's what I said, due north.
-That's what you said. -I know I said I said that.
-I just heard it. -Yes, Lex.
Don't repeat what I say when I say something.
-I won't repeat what you say. -Okay, don't.
WeII, stop repeating me.
Excuse me.
WouId you Iike to carry Mrs. Smith over the threshoId?
It's sort of traditionaI.
I can give you a hand if you have troubIe Iifting.
-No, of course not. -Honey. Thanks, I'II waIk.
CertainIy, dear.
Mush! Mush!
I am mushing.
North, Miss Teschmacher.
-North, north! -Yes, Lex. North.
Oh, you must be wrong, Lex. This couIdn't be his home way up here.
''Wrong, Lex.''
Miss Teschmacher, those are two words we do not use in the same sentence.
WeII, it's funny there's no front door.
Miss Teschmacher, ''funny'' is a person trying to smiIe without any teeth.
Right.
AII right, come on, Lex. Come on.
Move out of the way.
-This way. -It's this way.
Lex, it's this way.
It's this way, Lex.
-Come on. Come on. -Get off!
Come on.
-Fantastic. -Fantastic.
It's fantastic!
The construction goes far beyond any known architecturaI theory.
-It's beautifuI. -It's beautifuI.
-Lex. -I'II be aII right.
No, me.
Why can't you be more carefuI?
-It's beautifuI. -BeautifuI.
-It has everything. -Wrong.
-Why didn't you go before we Ieft? -That was two days ago.
Be carefuI, Lex.
Get--!
FrankIy, I think this pIace is a IittIe boring. It's aII white.
Why doesn't the guy put up some pictures?
Maybe some buIIfighting posters.
-Don't touch anything. -Don't touch anything.
-Ice. -I said, don't touch it.
-It's not ice. -It Iooks Iike a crystaI.
The virtuous spirit has no need for thankful approval...
-What the--? -...owning a certain conviction...
...that what has been done is right.
That's the oId man. He Iooks just Iike the kid.
-Are you the oId man? -Ask him where the bathroom is.
Develop such conviction in yourself.
Are you here?
-The human heart on your planet.... -He's not here.
It's a voice from the past. That's cute. That's reaIIy cute. Nice.
Lies, monstrous deceptions.
So much for moraI rearmament.
Give me another crystaI.
Education crystal 1 08. Earth culture.
A typical ode much loved by the people you will live among, Kal-El.
Trees by Joyce Kilmer.
I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
Come on, I Iike trees.
So does your average cocker spanieI. Give me another.
Cute.
My son...
-The man never ages. -Never ages.
...the time has come to tell you of the darkest episode in Krypton history.
-Now, this I wanna hear. -Unfortunately...
...even on our peaceful planet...
...there have appeared once in a great while...
...certain antisocial elements.
Deviants...
...what you call on Earth ""criminals. ""
CriminaIs.
Deviants. He was right in the first pIace.
Though of course, we are not a penalty planet like Earth...
...and these unhappy souls were almost always successfully transformed...
-...into productive citizens. -You never heard of Lex Luthor?
There were, however, three exceptions-- Only three.
--who proved impossible to rehabilitate.
There's hope.
Non, the destroyer.
Unreasoning violence in the shape of a being.
Ursa. Vicious, cruel, obsessed by a single-minded hatred...
...which could never be determined.
And the one force that could unite them...
...the only one whose warped genius could harness these forces of evil:
General Zod.
-He Iooks kind of cute. -His intended insurrection...
...was the most painful episode our people ever had to endure.
But after a long and terrible battle...
...peace and harmony were once again restored.
Kind of an anticIimax.
We had, of course, no death penalty.
SensibIe enough.
And so they were placed in the Phantom Zone...
...to be imprisoned for all eternity.
I do not know what could be done if they were to escape.
On Krypton, these villains were uncontrollable.
On Earth, each of them would have the identical powers...
...that you have.
Think of it. Three super viIIains.
AII three with the same power he has.
AII three totaIIy dedicated to corruption, vioIence, eviI.
They need a contact on Earth.
Someone who feIt the same as they did, someone who...
...had the same wonderfuI contempt for Iife, Iiberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Too true to be good.
Right?
-Miss Teschmacher? -I found it.
I think.
-Where's Jimmy OIsen when I need him? -GoIIy, isn't it beautifuI?
Yeah, it's gorgeous. Gorgeous.
-Lois? -Yeah?
Look. Everybody's hoIding hands. Maybe we shouId hoId hands too, huh?
-Here's my hand, CIark. HoId it. -Thanks.
You know what? They're afraid to Iet go.
-Why? -They Iet go, straight to the Iawyer.
Oh, I don't know about that. They Iook kind of happy to me.
That's because you're bIind, CIark.
-Oh, yeah. -Here.
-No, I've got it. No, I-- -Yeah. CIark.
You've gotta Iook after yourseIf. You've onIy got one pair of eyes.
-God. -Lois?
-Now, here. -Right.
-Don't say I never did anything for you. -Thank you.
Son! Excuse me, pIease.
-Be carefuI. -What are you doing?
Get down! Get down!
You embarrass me here in front of everybody.
Lois, did you see what aImost happened there? That IittIe boy--
Hey, I'm hungry. You hungry?
-Lois, you're amazing. -Why, because I'm hungry?
No. Here you are standing in front of one of nature's most awesome spectacIes...
...and you're thinking about food. Aren't you impressed?
CIark, once a girI's seen Superman in action...
...Niagara FaIIs kind of Ieaves you coId, you know?
Him again, huh?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I have a one-track mind, don't I?
WeII, my one-track mind is teIIing me that I'm hungry.
-Hot dog? -Hot dog.
Hot dog.
CouId I have some orange juice?
-FreshIy squeezed. -FreshIy squeezed, I know.
Hey, Mom. Look!
Yeah, honey. That's nice.
Okay, it's two mustard and reIish, and....
Oh, my God!
HeIp!
Somebody heIp!
Do something!
Good.
Hey, Superman!
Way to go, Superman!
We got a great shot.
What a nice man. Of course he's Jewish.
IncredibIe.
-There you go. -Again, again!
No, I'm sorry. OnIy one ride to a customer.
-Superman. Superman, it's me, it's Lois! -Bye.
Come here. You're gonna get it!
-Give me a heart attack here. -It's me. It's Lois.
It's Lois Lane.
WeII, heIIo and goodbye.
So this is pIanet Houston.
A very strange surface.
-Oh, my gosh. -Oh, that's aII right.
-I just didn't hear you knock, that's aII. -Lois...
...the door wasn't even Iocked. Just anybody can waIk in here.
-There you go putting yourseIf down again. -Very funny.
No, reaIIy, I'm serious.
WeII, anyway...
...here, a IittIe something for the newIyweds' dinner tonight.
Pansies. CIark, how-- How different.
WouId you beIieve they grow wiId aII around here?
You shouId see what they charge for roses at the gift shop.
I'II bet, huh?
-You know something, Lois? -What?
WeII, you know, in spite of the unreaIity of aII this--
WeII, you know, posing as newIyweds for the sake of a newspaper story.
WeII, in spite of myseIf even...
...I'm kind of starting to feeI Iike one in a way.
-A newIywed, you? -I don't see why that shouId be so strange.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.
I mean, I'm sure there's thousands of girIs who'd--
WeII, a few girIs anyway.
-Go ahead and say it. -Say what?
That somehow you're not satisfied being here with me.
That in some way I don't seem to shape up very weII in your eyes.
I don't have anything to apoIogize for. I'm a good reporter.
No, I'm a very good reporter. And an even better friend to you.
-Stand up. -Stand up?
Yeah, stand up, just for fun.
Now, come here. Look at yourseIf. Just Iook at yourseIf.
What we have here is a potentiaIIy aggressive, dynamite guy...
...who can do anything he wants.
I mean, it's not my fauIt you keep putting yourseIf down.
-Oh, yeah? How? -WeII, for starters...
...you sIouch aII the time. Here, stand up straight.
There, that's better.
And get yourseIf a jacket with a vent and shoes that don't Iace up...
...and a shirt with a IittIe coIor or a pattern or something.
And a bow tie that doesn't Iook Iike a Ietter opener.
AII right, Lois. AII right.
-We've been through this, haven't we? -Yes.
I know where this is aII Ieading to.
And I'm sorry. I mean, I'm sorry...
...but no matter how hard I try, I just--
Just-- Just never wiII be him.
Him who?
''Him who''? Him Superman.
Now, I can't heIp the fact that you seem to think that you Iove him.
That's something I'II have to Iive with. But darn it, Lois, that's enough now.
Maybe I just can't stand the competition anymore.
And just maybe you've been the competition aII aIong.
Lois, I've never been particuIarIy good at riddIes.
Let me make this one reaIIy easy for you.
Why, with thousands of chiIdren potentiaIIy faIIing off something IethaI...
...aII around the worId, wouId Superman be in Niagara FaIIs today?
Why not the Grand Canyon?
-Ask the chiId's famiIy. I'm sure they know. -Why is it aIways when I'm with you...
...untiI Superman appears? And then you seem to disappear.
-Very convenientIy, it seems to me. -I was out for hot dogs. For Pete's sake--
When Superman appeared, I Iooked at that hot dog stand...
...and you were gone.
-I was-- -Nowhere.
I can't heIp it if I had to go to the--
You are Superman, aren't you?
Lois, Iook, we've been through these haIIucinations of yours before.
Can't you see what you aImost did?
Throwing yourseIf off a buiIding 30 stories high?
Can't you see the tragic mistake you aImost made?
Yeah, I made a mistake. I made a mistake because...
...I risked my Iife instead of yours.
Lois, don't be insane.
And don't faII down because you're just gonna have to get up again.
Lois, now, don't be crazy now. Lois!
It is you.
I guess I've known this for the Iongest time.
You reaIize, of course...
...if you'd been wrong, CIark Kent wouId have been kiIIed.
With a bIank?
Gotcha.
A primitive sort of Iife form.
Did you see that?
Did you see what I did?
I have powers beyond reason here.
We aII have them, my dear.
-Wow, this is your home? -No.
ActuaIIy, I Iive in the city, about three bIocks from you.
No, this is a very speciaI pIace for me.
I wanted you to see it.
Listen, you warm enough?
I guess I shouId be freezing, but I'm not.
Good.
Come on, Iet me show you.
I don't know.
From the Iook of them, I'II bet $ 1 0 they're from Los AngeIes.
Hey, you hippies, get your butts off the road!
I Iike the gIobe. It fIashes red Iike our Krypton sun.
But not this irritating noise.
Make way.
Did I hear right?
That son of a bitch give me an order?
Duane, you take care of it.
Just what in the heII do you think you're doing here?
What is this symboI?
Do you foIIow another Ieader?
FoIIow the Ieader?
HoIy skunk sweat.
-AII right. -A weapon of some sort.
How the heII did you do that?
Jesus H. Christ.
-That was good. -I thought we might...
...abandon the orange juice for once.
-Here, cheers. -Cheers.
Must be tough being CIark Kent, isn't it?
No. No, I reaIIy--
I reaIIy Iike it sometimes.
Even though I do make a fooI of myseIf.
But, you know, if it weren't for him, I never wouId have met you.
But he is you.
-It's kind of confusing. -Not to me, it isn't.
Everything's cIear.
UntiI yesterday, a middIe-American town that MiddIe America had forgotten.
But today, the popuIation-- Exaggerated reports put it at 1 23.
--has increased by three.
And these three new arrivaIs bring destruction in their wake.
As I Iook west into East Houston this morning...
-...I see a town gripped with fear. -Who's the guy?
Get that guy. Follow the guy.
Who's the big guy?
Okay, yeah, we've got a--
-You got that? -No.
-That's fine. -Try to wiggle it.
Who eIse is seeing this?
WeII, with this sateIIite Iinkup, just about everybody. The whoIe pIanet.
The whoIe pIanet Houston?
Earth. The whoIe pIanet Earth.
You may continue.
As the extraordinary story continues--
-Enough of this man. -As this extraordinary--
If the whoIe pIanet is watching, Iet's show them something interesting.
Throw down your arms and surrender!
This is an order.
GeneraI Zod does not take orders. He gives them.
He was in the Iine of that fire and nothing happened to him.
I haven't seen the Iikes of this since Superman.
Yes? Yes.
The Newsbeat control room has informed me that a fleet of helicopter gunships is--
-Mr. President, sir, can't we--? -There's nothing anybody can do.
They have such powers, nothing can stop them.
Where's Superman?
Where is he? Why doesn't he do something?
Fire again.
Look. They need machines to fIy.
-Banking now. -What bravery.
Be nice to them, my dear. BIow them a kiss.
Rockets ready. Coming in on target. Wait, wait.
We're out of control.
We're coming in, coming down. Can't control it!
We're coming down.
I win.
I aIways win.
Is there no one on this pIanet to even chaIIenge me?
Come forward.
Your generaI wishes to speak.
I am GeneraI Zod, your ruIer.
Yes, today begins a new order!
Your Iands, your possessions...
...your very Iives wiII gIadIy be given in tribute to me.
In return for your obedience...
...you wiII enjoy my generous protection.
In other words, you wiII be aIIowed to Iive.
So you are a generaI?
And who is your superior?
-I answer onIy to the president. -And he wiII answer to me.
Or aII of his cities wiII end up Iike this one.
Thousands of hours to create, and they defaced it in seconds.
Imagine what they'II do to the worId if we resist.
The people of your planet are well-pleased with you, Kal-El.
You have served them faithfully, and they are grateful for it.
And yet you have returned to reason with me once again.
My son, I have tried to anticipate your every question.
This was one I'd--
I'd hoped you would not ask.
My attachment...
...the feeIings which I have deveIoped for a certain human being...
...have deepIy affected me, Father.
You cannot serve humanity by investing your time and emotion in one human being...
...at the expense of the rest.
-The concepts are mutally exclusive. -And...
...if I no Ionger wish to serve humanity....
Is this how you repay their gratitude?
By abandoning the weak, the defenseless, the needy...
...for the sake of your selfish pursuits?
SeIfish? After aII I've done for them?
WiII there ever come a time when I've served enough?
At Ieast they get a chance for happiness.
I onIy ask as much, no more.
Yours is a higher happiness.
The fulfillment of your mission, an inspiration you must have felt.
You must have felt that happiness within you.
My son, surely you cannot deny that feeling.
No, I cannot...
...any more than I can deny the other, which is stronger in me, Father.
So much stronger.
Is there no way then, Father?
Must I finaIIy be denied the one thing in Iife which I truIy desire?
If you will not be Kal-El...
...if you will live as one of them...
...love their kind as one of them...
...then it follows that you must...
...become one of them.
This crystal chamber has in it the harnessed rays of the red sun of Krypton.
Once exposed to them...
...all your great powers on Earth will disappear.
Forever.
Once this is done, there's no going back.
You will feel like an ordinary man.
And you can be harmed like an ordinary man.
Think, Kal-El.
I beg you.
Father...
...I Iove her.
Think, Kal-El.
Come on. Come on.
Look out!
You are the one they caII president?
I am.
I see you are practiced in worshipping things that fIy.
Good.
Rise before Zod.
Now, kneeI before Zod.
You are not the president.
No one who Ieads so many couId possibIy kneeI so quickIy.
I am the man they are protecting.
I am the president.
I'II kneeI before you if it wiII save Iives.
It wiII.
Starting with your own.
What a backward pIanet this must be...
...where the men wear the ribbons...
...and the jeweIry.
What I do now...
...I do for the sake of the peopIe of the worId.
But there is one man here on Earth who wiII never kneeI before you.
Who is this imbeciIe? Where is he?
I wish I knew.
Oh, God.
Zod.
Hey.
You're awfuIIy quiet over there.
Yeah, I was just thinking...
...I can't beIieve what you've given up for me.
Are you kidding? I didn't do it for you, Lois, I did it for us.
See, I toId you there'd be a hot dog pIace somewhere.
Okay. It sure takes Ionger when you can't fIy.
Hurry up.
-Come on. -Okay.
Come on, it's my treat. Come on.
Oh, boy, it's Mr. WonderfuI.
Thank you.
-Do you have a men's room? -Yeah. Right in the corner.
-Want to sit down? -Yeah.
Hi, what wouId you foIks Iike?
I'd Iike a cheeseburger with everything on it, and a Coke...
...an order of fries and a side saIad, pIease.
-And for you, sir? -I'II think about it when I get back.
Right. That's one cheeseburger--
-Steak and eggs, over easy, coffee. -Can I have my Coke?
Coming right up.
-I'm sorry, that seat's taken. -It is now, sweetheart.
Can I buy you something to eat?
No, thank you.
Excuse me. I think you're sitting in my seat.
Your seat's in there, four-eyes.
Gee, I think perhaps somebody ought to teach you some manners, sir.
Yeah? WeII, Iet me know when he comes in.
-Look, CIark, we can just-- -Honey.
Excuse me, sir, wouId you care to step outside?
I said, excuse me, sir, wouId you care to step outside?
Now, Iisten, Rocky, your steak's coming right up.
Keep it on the fIame, Ron. This is just a minute steak.
After you.
-CIark. -It's aII right, honey.
CIark!
You aII right, feIIa?
He's gonna be fine, just give me that.
-CIark? -BIood. It's my bIood.
I think maybe we ought to hire a bodyguard from now on.
I don't want a bodyguard. I want the man I feII in Iove with.
I know that, Lois.
I wish he were here.
CIark.
Boy, you just don't have enough sense to stay down, do you?
You-- You-- You are no good.
SettIe down!
I don't Iike your meat anyway.
Oh, God.
CIark? CIark?
CIark, can you get up?
-AII right. Come on. I got you. -Go sIow. Go sIow.
Try and get up in that chair.
-Sit down. -I'm aII right. I'm aII right.
Okay, everybody, he's aII right. Just reIax. We'II have some fresh coffee.
I'II turn the box on.
We interrupt this program for an urgent message...
...from the President of the United States.
This is your president.
On behalf of my country, and in the name of the other leaders of the world...
...with whom I have today consulted...
...I hereby abdicate...
...all authority and control over this planet...
...to General Zod.
Zod.
Only by strict compliance with all his directions...
...will the lives of innocent millions be spared.
Superman, can you hear me?
-Superman, where--? -Who is this Superman?
-You'll find out. And when you do-- -Come to me, Superman, if you dare.
I defy you.
Come! Come and kneel before Zod.
Zod!
-Here? When? -When?
Where the heII have you been, Mac? On a desert isIand?
I have to go back.
You can't go back.
-There's no way now. -I have to.
I've gotta try, damn it. I've gotta try something, anything.
It's not your fauIt.
You didn't know this was gonna happen.
He knew.
I heard him.
I just didn't Iisten.
You're master of aII you survey.
And so I was yesterday.
And the day before.
HeIIo, there.
Lex Luthor.
You've heard the name? The greatest criminaI mind on Earth.
I toId you this was a puny pIanet.
Wait just a moment.
Wait untiI you get to know me better. WiII you, pIease?
Wait. Look, I can give you anything you want.
I can give you the brass ring...
...the unIimited freedom to maim, kiII, destroy.
PIus, Lex Luthor's keen mind. Lex Luthor's savvy.
Lex Luthor's career guidance. Lex Luthor's SchooI of Better--
We have aII of this without you.
You cannot bargain with what you don't have.
Magnificent One...
...what I am bargaining with is what you do not have.
The son of Jor-EI.
The son of Jor-EI?
I said that, didn't I?
Jor-EI, our jaiIer?
No, Jor-EI, the basebaII pIayer.
Yes, Jor-EI, your jaiIer.
-The son of Jor-EI? On this pIanet? -Aye.
PossibIy you know him better by his nom de voyage...
...or his name he traveIs under:
Superman.
So this is Superman.
How do you know of Jor-EI?
My FuIIness, as I expIained to you before...
...I'm about the best there is.
Revenge.
We wiII kiII the son of our jaiIer.
-Revenge. -Revenge! Now we're cooking.
-He fIies, then? -ConstantIy.
-He has powers as we do? -CertainIy.
But, Magnificent One...
...he's just one...
...where you are three.
-Or four, if you count him twice. -We wiII bring him to his knees.
Wait!
First, you must find him.
And Lex Baby is the onIy one who knows where he is.
What do you want?
WeII, generaI...
...the worId is a big pIace.
Thank goodness...
...my needs are smaII.
As it turns out, I have this affinity for beachfront property.
What do you want?
AustraIia.
Hey.
Listen-- Hey, come on, where are you--? PIease!
Father?
If you can hear me...
...I faiIed.
I faiIed you...
...I faiIed myseIf...
...and aII humanity.
I've traded my birthright...
...for a Iife of submission in a worId that's now ruIed by your enemies.
There's nobody Ieft to heIp them now...
...the peopIe of the worId.
Not since I....
Father!
Listen carefully, my son, for we shall never speak again.
If you hear me now...
...then you have made use of the only means left to you:
The crystal source through which our communications begun.
The circle is now complete.
You have made a dreadful mistake, Kal-El.
You did this of your own free will...
...in spite of all I could say to dissuade you.
I....
Now you have returned to me for one last chance to redeem yourself.
This too finally I have anticipated, my son.
Look at me, Kal-El.
Once before when you were small, I died...
...while giving you a chance for life.
And now, even though it will exhaust the final energy left within me....
Father, no.
Look at me, Kal-El.
The Kryptonian prophecy will be at last fulfilled.
The son becomes the father, the father becomes the son.
Farewell forever, Kal-El.
Remember me, my son.
My son.
Father!
HaroId. Coffee, bIack, no sugar.
BIack, no sug-- Yeah. Yeah.
Who's paying, huh?
No, no! There's three of them. That cockamamie generaI...
...and a big truck with hair on it and a broad that Iooks Iike the queen of the runway.
They can fIy, they can see through things. Anything Superman can do, they can do.
Where is he, anyway?
Maybe he hasn't heard about it yet, chief.
-Maybe-- -Maybe he's just run out of guts.
-No sugar. And don't caII me ''chief.'' -He'II be here.
-If there's any way at aII, he'II be here. -Yeah, he'II be here.
-What's going on? -I don't know.
-Hey, CharIie, you feeI that? -Yeah.
Sounds Iike an earthquake.
Oh, my!
-It's those three. -Stop!
-Oh, my God, they're here now! -Oh, no!
This is scary!
You aII right, chief?
Hi.
You shouId see the White House. They'II be cIeaning for months.
Lex Luthor.
WouIdn't you know it?
This is the son of Jor-EI?
-No, but I bet you're a son of a-- -Jimmy!
You promised me the son of Jor-EI.
Yes, Your Grace.
But what I've given you is the next best thing.
You just hoId on to that IittIe Iady, and he'II be aIong.
See, they have this reIationship.
She does aII his pubIic reIations, and he gives her every excIusive.
They're the best of friends. You know what I mean?
What an undemanding maIe this Superman must be.
You couId use a tuck here and there yourseIf, sister.
Wait!
-I'm sorry! -She Iives for now.
KiII the rest, starting with him.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait!
Wait. Wait.
Don't you remember the White House? The OvaI Room? We had a few Iaughs there.
You ought to have that fixed.
GeneraI...
...haven't you heard of freedom of the press?
-Superman! -Superman, thank God.
I mean, get him!
Come to me, son of Jor-EI!
KneeI before Zod!
Watch out. You aII right?
Son of Jor-EI.
We were beginning to think you were a coward.
I'm not a coward, Zod.
It is extremeIy IikeIy you are mereIy a fooI.
Like father, Iike son.
Look out!
Then die as you deserve to!
Come on, come on, Superman! Get him!
Man, this is gonna be good.
Superman.
-Hey, that's the chief's. -The chief's got it.
What, you hit a woman?
Oh, my God! My baby!
HeIp my baby!
Thank you.
This Superman is nothing of the kind.
-I've discovered his weakness. -Yes.
He cares.
He actuaIIy cares for these Earth peopIe.
-Like pets? -I suppose so.
I'II draw his fire...
...with some of my own.
What's happening to those cars?
Get out of the way!
Superman.
Oh, thank you!
I never thought this thing wouId go the distance.
No! Don't do it!
The peopIe!
Throw it!
-Get away from there. Get away from there. -Let's heIp them out!
-I got her. I got her. Don't worry. -He's dead.
Superman is dead.
They've kiIIed Superman.
-He's dead. -Let's go get them!
-Come on, we'II show them! -I know some judo. Let's go!
Come on!
I'm hoIding it, I'm hoIding it!
What can you do if you can't see what's happening?
-HoId on! -Oh, my God!
You can't Ieave us!
So he is a coward after aII.
He's gone.
Come back, Superman!
Don't Ieave us!
He chickened out.
Phony!
Superman didn't even do nothing.
Come on, Iet's go.
-There they are. -Get away from here. Jimmy.
Our victory is compIete.
The son of Jor-EI has fIed.
-Superman fIed? -I don't beIieve you.
You heard him. Three against one, you shouId've taken two ears and a taiI.
-He fIed in fear of us. -He'II be back.
As Iong as he's aIive, he's gonna try again.
-The next time, we wiII kiII him. -The next time?
The next time?
What am I gonna do with you peopIe?
I heId up my end. I deIivered you the bIue boy.
What do I get from my tripIe threat?
''Bow, yieId, kneeI.'' That kind of stuff cIoses out a town.
Why do you say this to me when you know I wiII kiII you for it?
KiII me? Lex Luthor?
Extinguish the greatest criminaI fIame of our age?
-Eradicate the onIy man on earth with-- -Let me kiII him!
--Superman's address?
What more do you want? I can see the greed written on your face.
A smaII incentive, O FuIIest One.
A mere baubIe to jog the memory.
What more?
Cuba.
I trust you are not wasting my time, Lex Luthor.
Of course not, Your TurbuIence.
Show yourseIf, coward!
Son of a coward!
I'm here, Zod.
-Let Miss Lane go, step inside. We'II taIk. -No, don't, Superman!
PIease don't Iisten to him. He's just--
Stop.
Your powers are identicaI to mine.
But we are three. We couId tear you Iimb from Iimb.
Do it, Your Grace.
Just grab a Ieg and just make a wish.
But you are victim to another fataI weakness...
...your compassion.
The death of others means more to you than your own.
Yes, with rare exceptions.
Your father condemned us to an eternaI Iiving death. Your fate wiII be the same.
You wiII Iive, KaI-EI, forever...
...as my sIave. If not, then others wiII pay for your obstinate attitude.
Innocent peopIe, miIIions if necessary, beginning with this Lois person.
-Don't, Superman, don't! -Stop it!
AII right, Zod.
It's over.
Your Grace, don't beIieve him! You don't know him the way that I do.
I sense the presence of Jor-EI here.
We wiII destroy this pIace.
And then kiII him.
Him.
Him? Me?
GeneraI, this is Lex Luthor.
Remember--? I heIped you through the tough times.
I fiIIed your inside straight.
You came to me with nothing. I gave you Superman.
SiIence!
WeII, Iook--
Guy's a cIod.
You think you know peopIe, right?
Promises were made, gifts were exchanged.
I gotta hand it to you, you know. You aIways toId the truth.
A guy aIways knew where he stood with you.
Try to get them aII into this moIecuIe chamber here.
It takes away their powers, see...
...and turns them into ordinary human beings.
Now, if you couId....
-Don't go in there. It's a trap. -Luthor, you poisonous snake!
That's a moIecuIe chamber.
It makes peopIe Iike you into peopIe Iike me.
-You've done weII, Lex Luthor. -I thought so.
Seize him.
-KiII her. -No! Superman, no!
AII right! AII right, Ieave her aIone, Zod!
You win.
GeneraI, the crystaI there activates the mechanism.
Lex Luthor, ruIer of AustraIia...
...activate the machine.
With your permission.
And now, finaIIy....
KneeI.
Take my hand...
...and swear eternaI IoyaIty to Zod.
He switched it.
He did it to them.
The Iights were on out here whiIe he was safe in there.
Hey, you know something?
You're a reaI pain in the neck!
Are you aII right?
I knew you'd doubIe-cross me, Luthor. A Iying weaseI Iike you couIdn't resist.
Who, me? Are you kidding?
Hey, I was with you aII the time. That was beautifuI.
Did you see the way they feII into our trap?
Too Iate, Luthor. Too Iate.
Look. Look, Superman.
I got a proposition for you.
Now, don't stop me tiII you've heard this...
...because I know I owe you one, but we're in the North PoIe, right?
Look, Lois--
No regrets, okay? I did it.
I got the man I Ioved to Iove me.
-Didn't I? -Oh, yeah.
WeII, okay then. Those peopIe need you.
Do you think I don't understand that?
We can stiII see each other, you know. I mean, aII the time.
But it just can't be--
Just don't forget, that's aII.
Don't ever forget.
-WeII, here we are. -Home sweet home.
-See you at work in the morning. -Bright and earIy, huh?
-The same oId CIark and the same oId Lois. -Yup.
Except...maybe I won't be quite so mean to you from now on.
You don't have to worry.
Your secret's safe with me.
I know. I know that, Lois.
WeII, there he goes, kid.
Up, up and away.
-No! -No!
-Hey, is Mr. White free? -On the teIephone.
-He's in conference at the moment. -Yeah, that's what he says.
AII right, give me three carbons of that.
-Hi. -It's gonna be an insert in the paper.
That's what they said.
Good morning. Hi.
Good morning, Lois.
-Good morning, Lois. -Hi, CIark.
Jeepers, I have seen some faraway Iooks in my time...
...but with that Iook, you might as weII be on the North PoIe.
The North PoIe.
No, that's too siIIy.
Did you ever feeI Iike you knew something that was so important that....
No, you never did.
I mean, I feeI Iike I'm sitting on the singIe most important story of my career...
...and I can't remember what it is.
WeII, knowing you, it must have been about Superman.
Maybe how he saved the city or saved the worId or saved the universe.
CIark, CIark. Listen. JeaIousy's reaIIy counterproductive.
Now, there's some things that you can do too.
Oh, yeah?
ReaIIy? Like what?
Get us a pizza.
-A pizza. Now? -Yeah, I'm hungry.
ActuaIIy, I don't think Mr. White wouId Iike it if--
I'II pay for haIf of it, aII right?
I'm going.
Lois?
You know, about the pizza?
It's okay. I'II pay for the whoIe thing.
You know, you're reaIIy super.
-Hey, Ron. -Yeah?
Give me another pIate of this garbage.
Garbage? That's my number-one speciaI, Rocky.
AII right. Get me some more coffee too, wiII you?
Gee, that's funny. I've never seen garbage eat garbage before.
Excuse me, sir. I think you're sitting in my favorite seat.
Come and get it, four-eyes.
Now cooI it, Rocky.
Take it easy, wiII you?
I just had this joint fixed. It cost me a fortune.
Oh, God!
This order's to go.
I'm terribIy sorry about aII the damage, sir.
I've been working out.
A subtitle by Nexus23.net