Superman Page #21

CAMERA PUSHES IN on the map, then DISSOLVES THROUGH to the actual piece of land.

236EXT. DESERT NAD ROAD - DAY

A car speeds quickly down the dusty desert road.

236AINT. 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

236CONTIUNED

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.

237AEXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN - DAY - CLOSE ON ROCKET #2

ROCKET #2 speeds quickly across the painted desert of Arizona, heading for the Grand Canyon.

237BEXT. 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

238CONTINUED

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.

238CONTINUED

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.

238AINSERT SHOT - KRYPTONITE

The green Kryptonite rock glows inside the box. It is linked on both sides by a chain.

238BBACK 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

238BCONTINUED

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

238CANGLE FROM POOL

SUPERMAN'S lifeless body splashes helplessly down into the pool below.

238DBACK 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.

238EEXT. SKY LOOKING DOWN - DAY CLOSE ON ROCKET

ROCKET #1 whizzes eastward. Larger, more populous communities loom up ahead.

238FINDIAN COMMUNITY - DAY

LOIS has dropped off the CHIEF' by a cluster of' makeshift houses where other lNDIANScan be seen loading their belongings onto pickup trucks, etc. LOIS waves goodbye, drives

off.

5/5/77 TM

238GEXT. 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.

238IINT. 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.

239INT. 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.

239BWIDER 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

238BCONTINUED

Rate this script:3.6 / 18 votes