MAN: You're certain the serum will work?
Of course.
In moments, he will be stronger than a hundred men.
Nothing less than an artillery shell
will be able to penetrate his skin.
A word of warning, Herr doctor.
Der Führer expects nothing less.
I assure you,
this man will be the first of a million
superpowered soldiers.
An Aryan army, created in the laboratory,
who will grind our enemies to dust.
I'll thank you to hand that syringe over now, Ratzi.
DOCTOR: Spy Smasher.
Put your hands up.
Now, hand it over, Fritz.
WALLER: You look well, General.
The past few months have been good to you.
Mrs. Waller, due respect,
this reassignment is a joke.
Never thought I'd become a desk drone.
I can't help you there.
Langley all but scrapped Project Cadmus
and insisted on your transfer.
We're lucky we're not all in jail.
Look, the only mistake we made was trusting Luthor.
Wade, you know better than to dwell on the past.
I'm talking about right now.
The Justice League is still
the single greatest threat to global security.
I used to believe that too.
But remember, we used to say the same about the Soviets.
Our enemy is never as evil as we imagine.
And maybe we're never quite as good.
Nuts. Don't tell me the bleeding hearts in Congress got to you.
I'd eat them alive.
You would too.
You've got some onions, Amanda.
Then listen to me.
I'm not the league's greatest fan,
but their intentions are good.
I can work with them.
What if you're wrong, though?
Turns out the metahumans aren't on the side of the angels?
We won't have any way to defend ourselves.
Look what happened last year.
Superman walked into Cadmus
and tossed our best men like a salad.
Oh, for heaven's sake.
What's to stop him from doing it again?
They're all orbiting us with a space weapon,
supposedly decommissioned.
That's a much bigger threat than the Russians ever were.
If we'd rolled over like this with the Soviet Union,
given up our nukes...
We'd all be living under a red flag.
Yes, ma'am. You better believe it.
After all our work, what did Cadmus accomplish?
You get a reprimand and I'm pushing pencils,
and the league gets another base here on earth, that Metro-Tower.
When one side loses ground and the other side gains,
that isn't a truce. It's a surrender.
It's a different world, general.
Learn to live in it.
MR. TERRIFIC: Green Lantern, what's your status?
This sun's going nova any day now.
It's worse than we thought.
We'll have to deploy twice as many fusion dampers.
You're breaking up. Say again?
The main point is, this is gonna take a while.
Understood. We've got it covered on this end.
Check in whenever you can. Watchtower out.
Green Arrow, S.T.R.I.P.E., Stargirl,
Vigilante and Shining Knight, meet me on the bridge.
Ha!
The exact second the movie's over,
we get a mission. Dang if that ain't lucky.
I still say this Clint Eastwood dishonored himself
when he refused to...
What was it, play by the rules?
Partner, your medieval upbringing
has done left you unschooled in the ways of moving picture.
No, his proper duty is to his police captain.
I see why they call him "dirty. " He besmirches his order.
Sir Justin, if you wanna be watching stuff on my big TV
with the 5.1 surround sound,
you had best watch what you say about Mr. Clint Eastwood.
Half of our resources are in deep space.
We're short-handed.
Great. I'll take a real assignment
over Watchtower duty any day.
So who's left up here with you? The Ray?
He's with Vixen, checking out an explosion in the Aleutians.
Flash and Supergirl aren't finished in Madagascar.
You're spreading us a little thin.
We go where we're needed, Green Arrow.
Did you second guess the Martian like this?
Sorry, my bad.
You're the big-picture guy.
I've got it all worked out.
There's just this one mission in Metropolis.
MR. TERRIFIC: I need you people to fill in for Superman.
Cool.
Welcome back to the Daily Planet
and Hubell's Department Stores' 87th Annual
Metro Merchants Parade.
I'm Rick Wilson.
And I'm Kaitlin O'Shaughnessy-Ruiz.
And who's passing the reviewing stand now
but the Veterans Legion honor guard
followed by the Madison High School marching band.
RICK: Yes, and just look who's coming next.
An old, dear friend.
It's a bird. It's a plane.
It's Superman.
KAITLIN: That's right, Rick.
Superman is held by officers
from the police department's 19th precinct.
And next up, more heroes.
Some of the brave policemen,
firefighters and emergency workers
who serve Metropolis every day.
And riding with them,
well, the actual Superman can't be here today
but he sent along some of his Justice League cohorts.
I'd slay the Ogre Blunderbore all over again
rather than put myself on display in this manner.
Even though that ogre turned out to be...
ALL: Morgaine le Fey.
We've all heard it.
'Tis a good story.
So, what?
Since we don't have superpowers,
it takes five of us to replace one Superman?
Excuse me, I just want to thank you Justice League guys
for turning out in force.
It means a lot to us.
Hey, we can't thank you enough.
You're the real heroes.
It's you the people come to honor.
Great. Now I'm petty.
See where it says, "Heroes one and all?"
That's what it's all about.
The crowd doesn't care who can bench press a mountain
or shoot lasers out of their ears.
WOMAN: Where's Superman?
MAN: How come none of the good ones are here?
I didn't come here to see some stupid cowboy.
I don't think vigilantes are good role models.
Especially ones with guns.
WOMAN: I came to see Superman.
[CAR APPROACHING]
General Eiling, sir. What brings you back to Cadmus?
Just came to collect something I left behind.
I want you men posted at the entrance to this wing.
Nobody in or out.
BOTH: Yes, sir.
[BUZZES]
General, what are you doing?
Hello, Dr. Anderson.
I left my reading glasses in the bio vault
and can't seem to get back in.
That code was changed six months ago.
You're not authorized.
The new code. Now.
[GRUNTS]
Ugh!
General, no. That serum's unstable.
I read the report.
So you know about the horrible disfigurations.
The test animals...
[ALARM BLARING]
Too late now.
[EILING GRUNTING]
Shoot to kill. Now. While you still can.
Don't kill me.
I wouldn't kill you, soldier.
You're just doing your job.
[SIRENS BLARING]
And now I'm going to do mine.
[MARCHING MUSIC PLAYING]
[CROWD GASPING, LAUGHING]
[APPLAUSE]
[CHEERING]
[FIREWORKS EXPLODING]
Stargirl, ladies and gentlemen.
The all-American sweetheart.
Wow, you really know how to work a crowd.
Shoot, if I'd brung my guitar,
I'd have them eating out of my hand.
And what do you got to say to the Shining Knight?
Sir Justin's a real, live knight
from back in the olden times of King Arthur and them.
Wow! Oh! Ooh!
Whoa! [MURMURING]
Friend, I am no mare at auction.
Hyah! [WHINNIES]
[CROWD MURMURING, LAUGHING]
How about Sir Justin's horse, Winged Victory?
And his magical sword,
a gift from Merlin the magician hisself.
[SIGHS]
[CROWD GASPS]
[WIND GUSTING]
[CROWD GASPING]
COP: Freeze.
I'd listen to the man.
Where's Superman?
Busy. Can I help you?
Yeah. Hold this for me.
Ugh!
Open fire.
Go ahead, boys, pour it on.
I can take it.
[HORSE WHINNIES]
KID: Get out of here.
Yeah. Take off, you big wuss.
Where's your parents?
I don't know. Run off, I guess.
Listen, I need you fellas to do a very important job,
so you're all my deputies.
Now, go ride herd on that crowd and get 'em somewhere safe.
We're on it. Come on, let's do it.
Come on, everybody. We gotta get out of here.
There was a blue car in front of me.
Go. I shall find it.
I mean it.
Get Superman and tell him General Wade Eiling
wants a word with him.
Eiling? From Cadmus?
What happened? That beatdown he handed you last year
leave you with Superman issues?
He's your poster boy.
I'm gonna show the Justice League
that you're not the only superpower on the block.
That there's someone who can stop you.
I'm here to protect them from you.
[GRUNTS]
Mr. Terrific, we need backup.
Everybody's in play somewhere else. Everybody.
I'll see if I can scrounge a few reserve leaguers.
[SIGHS]
[CROWD GASPING]
Come on, folks. Stay together.
That's right, no stragglers.
[GRUNTS]
Aagh!
[CROWD SCREAMING]
[GRUNTING]
Aaagh!
I'll give you issues.
Yeah! You go!
Take him down! That'll do it!
[GRUNTS]
Eiling,
don't do it.
[GRUNTING]
Aaagh!
Hang on, little fella!
[GRUNTING]
Did you see that? Oh, yeah.
How'd he do that? Yeah.
Pretty fancy riding there, cowboy.
What you got for an encore?
Never you mind. Get this dang area clear of civilians.
Scoot.
Hey, you. Buzz off.
[REVS ENGINE]
[GRUNTING]
Stand back, darling. [TIRES SCREECHING]
Yee-hoo!
[GRUNTS]
You lousy bush-leaguers.
I'm running out of patience.
STARGIRL: You too?
We're taking this someplace else.
Haven't you ever heard of innocent bystanders?
Ever hear of acceptable losses?
You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
This country's halfway down the toilet
because of you superpowered types.
For the record, I don't have powers, potty mouth.
It's the staff.
[GRUNTS]
Ugh!
[MOANING]
In that case, miss, you're just another egg.
Base villain.
Have you no shame?
Aagh!
You hit him high, I'll hit him low.
Whatever.
Vige.
MR. TERRIFIC [ON RADIO]: Found your reinforcements, GA.
I'm teleporting them in now. Got that. Thanks, T.
Well, you wanted Superman,
now you got...
the Crimson Avenger and my ex-sidekick.
Ex-partner.
Speedy, we gotta do this now?
[SARCASTICALLY] Ooh. Now I'm scared.
[COUGHING, GRUNTING]
Aagh!
Ollie, how many guys has this doofus taken out?
That would be all of them.
You spoiled, rich little twerp.
I think he means me.
Oh. For a second, I was all mad.
[GRUNTS]
Still got your quantum arrow?
Yeah, but you said...
This is an emergency.
[BOTH GRUNTING]
[PANTING]
We are so dead.
Could be.
[BOTH YELL]
Superman, you coward.
All your men are down
and you won't even show your face.
SHINING KNIGHT: He cannot hear even your bellowing, monster.
As we speak, Superman rescues an entire star system
a universe away.
Do your worst. I'll not let you harm another.
I do what I do in service to my country.
Once, at the word of my lord, King Arthur,
I was ordered to lay waste to an entire village.
I knew my king's heart could not be so unjust,
so I spared them all.
Then you're a lousy soldier.
[GRUNTS] There it is,
the creeping moral decay of the past thousand years.
Arthur thanked me, oaf.
Had I been wrong, I would have handed over my sword
and left the court in shame.
[GRUNTS]
Save yourself a hospital stay and stand down.
That magic armor won't help you.
Have at thee.
You're a relic.
In this world, power is the only thing that matters.
You and those other no-name heroes,
you're just people.
In the great scheme of things,
nothing you do has the least bit of significance.
I'll waste you and a billion like you
before I let any power rival America's.
It's my duty.
You don't know what the word means.
You can't win.
I'll die as befits a knight,
defending the weak.
[GRUNTS]
Why don't you give up?
Why don't you?
[GROWLS]
[GRUNTING]
Superman and your Justice League are a threat
to a safe and stable world.
Drop the act.
You think killing Superman
would make the world safe?
Or killing this boy?
Or us?
Tell me,
how many of us do you have to kill to keep us safe?
They're the ones I'm after, not you.
I'm not the menace. Metahumans are.
Superpowered beings.
You're the only one around here with superpowers.
All right. I've become what I hate,
I'll give you that.
But in the long run, you'll see I was right.
You'll see you need the likes of me
to protect you from them.
[SIRENS BLARING]
[CHATTER OVER POLICE RADIO]
VIGILANTE: Don't you worry, Sir Justin.
Them 21st-century docs
are gonna have you back on your feet by movie night.
Hold.
I have yet to thank you.
No need to thank me, son.
You just get better.
World still needs protecting, you know.
Come on, let's play Justice League.
I'm Shining Knight.
No, I am.
You're the stupid monster. Heh!
Have at thee.
Fine. I don't care, I'm Vigilante.
He's way cooler.
[IMITATES GUNSHOTS]