TheLifeOfSuperman
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OVER BLACK
The VOICE OF LESLIE WILLIS fills the air. It's the voice of a
tough-talking smart-ass.
LESLIE (V.O.)
Superman. The name alone is enough
to make my skin crawl. I mean, who
calls themselves "Super-Man"? I
won't even go into the tights and
the cape. That's a whole other
podcast, my friends. Seriously
though, can we say "egomaniac?" The
guy flies around the city, throwing
cars around like they're paper
plates. Causing God knows how much
damage in your average month. He's
a menace. He's the curse of
Metropolis. He's a pimple on the
face of an otherwise kinda decent
city.
(beat)
"Look, up in the sky! Oh my God! Is
that Superman?" No! It's my
insurance rates going up. It's
taxes shooting into the beautiful
smoggy sky like a rocket-ship. Oh,
and that weird feeling under your
feet? Those would be our property
values. Yeah. Thanks a whole lot,
Soopa-freak. Thank you.
(beat)
And you know what the kicker is?
You know the real beauty of this
whole story? The guy is considered
a hero. There are parades honoring
the man who throws cars into
buildings! Next thing you know,
we'll be building statues, and
saluting the new flag of
Metropolis. You know, the one with
the picture of Superman on it.
(beat)
I like his hair though. He's got
great hair. I can just see him
waking up in the morning. Whipping
out the curling iron for that one
little curl in the front. Slicking
on enough grease to lubricate the
better part of Kahndaq for a month
or two.
(beat)
He does have really great hair.
Sometimes, I just wanna scalp him
and wear it like a wig...
MUSIC AND OPENING CREDITS:
FADE IN:
EXT. CENTENNIAL PARK - DAY
A LARGE CROWD is gathered in the park. Balloons and banners
reading "Run For Justice" fill the park as MARATHON RUNNERS
prepare to start their run.
JIMMY OLSEN works his way through the crowd, snapping
pictures of the entire scene. As he walks, he comes across
MAYOR SACKETT, who is talking with a couple of the runners
and shaking their hands. He snaps a picture.
A hand taps Jimmy on the shoulder. He turns and finds CLARK
KENT standing behind him
JIMMY
Hey, Clark.
CLARK
Get any good pictures yet?
JIMMY
Mostly a bunch of guys in running
shorts.
Clark smiles.
JIMMY (CONT'D)
If you're asking if I've seen any
sign of you-know-who... no. But
when he shows up, I'll bet you
anything that he'll stop and let me
take a picture. We're tight,
y'know? You fall out of a high rise
building enough times and you learn
to make friends with the guy who
keeps on catching you.
CLARK
I can see how that might happen.
Just keep an eye out. I'm going to
circle the crowd a few more times.
There has to be something news
worthy around here, right?
JIMMY
Guess so.
Clark walks off, disappearing into the crowd. Jimmy continues
to snap pictures.
Moments pass. Jimmy is starting to get bored with this. He
snaps a picture of a nearby hot dog cart, then pauses to look
at it with his own eyes.
JIMMY (CONT'D)
And that's lunch, everybody. Good
work.
He starts to walk toward the cart, but before he can make it,
a shadow crosses the grass in front of him. Jimmy stops
walking and slowly turns around, looking upward as he turns.
As his eyes focus on the sky, Jimmy smiles.
JIMMY (CONT'D)
Here we go.
Jimmy grabs his camera and begins snapping pictures of the
sky as the crowd begins to cheer and make comments like "It's
him!" and "He's here!"
SUPERMAN flies over the crowd as they cheer him on. He
finally lands not far from Jimmy.
SUPERMAN
Hey, Jimmy.
Jimmy lowers his camera and looks at Superman. He's shocked.
Superman walks past Jimmy, toward the Mayor.
JIMMY
He knows my name.
(beat)
Awesome.
Jimmy then remembers his camera and tries to get a picture of
Superman. All he manages to capture is Superman's back.
Superman and Mayor Sackett make their way to the starting
line, with the finish line right behind them. As they reach
it, Mayor Sackett turns on a microphone and begins to speak.
MAYOR SACKETT
Hello, Metropolis!
The crowd cheers.
MAYOR SACKETT (CONT'D)
Hello, America!
(beat)
Today, we come together, not as a
city, but as a people. We come
together to celebrate the brave men
and women of law enforcement, and
the sacrifices made so that the
people of this great country can
sleep at night. We are joined by
such police officers, firefighters,
emergency medical technicians, and
military officers from all over
this great nation. From here in
Metropolis, to Central City. From
Gotham to Gateway and a dozen
others, we're here today not just
to celebrate those men and women,
but to remember those fallen in the
line of duty. To help their
families overcome the monetary
burdens that come from the loss of
a parent and the emotional trauma
associated with the loss of a
mother, a father, husband or wife,
son or daughter... We're here to
give back to those who put their
lives on the line for all of us.
(beat)
Joining me today is an icon of
heroism. Battling the most terrible
evils of this world and showing us
all that humanity is something born
from within. Ladies and gentlemen,
Superman!
The crowd once again roars as the Mayor hands Superman the
microphone.
SUPERMAN
Thank you for your cheers, but
that's not why I'm here. I'm not
the hero that we're celebrating.
We're here to celebrate those
heroes without special powers.
Without heat vision, or super
strength. Those who can be shot at
and killed with a single bullet and
yet choose to put their lives on
the line in spite of that fact. Not
because they have been given an
edge in the battle, but because
they believe in doing what is
right. These are the truest of
heroes. The people that we should
all aspire to be.
Please don't cheer for me when
they're standing here today. I
don't deserve it nearly as much as
they do.
The crowd cheers as Superman hands the microphone back to the
Mayor.
MAYOR SACKETT
And in that spirit, we want to kick
off this run. It's not a race. It's
not about who finishes first. This
run is about crossing another
finish line. The line that brings
funds to those in need, and support
to those who deserve. That is the
point that we have asked Superman
to illustrate for us today. To show
that this isn't a competition, I
have asked Superman to cross the
finish line first. So that all who
follow do so in the spirit of the
event.
(turns to Superman)
Ready to kick this off?
SUPERMAN
Whenever you are.
The Mayor turns to the crowd, raising an air horn. He smiles
to the crowd.
MAYOR SACKETT
On your mark. Get set. Go!
As Mayor Sackett sounds the horn, Superman superspeeds past
the starting line and down the street.
The crowd roars wildly.
Before Mayor Sackett can even lower the horn, Superman
crosses the finish line and resumes his place next to the
Mayor.
Mayor Sackett looks at Superman in awe.
MAYOR SACKETT (CONT'D)
Wow.
Superman takes the microphone and turns toward the runners.
SUPERMAN
Good luck.
The runners begin their journey.
ANGLE ON: JIMMY
As the runners begin running, he snaps pictures. He turns to
take a picture of Superman with the Mayor, but Superman has
already left. He shrugs and takes a shot of the Mayor.
From the crowd behind Jimmy, Clark emerges. He straightens
his tie and taps Jimmy on the shoulder. Jimmy jumps ever so
slightly, but relaxes once he sees Clark.
CLARK
You okay, Jimmy?
JIMMY
Yeah. You just caught be off guard.
(beat)
So, did you see him? Did you see
Superman?
CLARK
Hard to miss him.
JIMMY
How awesome was it for him to show
up?
CLARK
It's okay, I guess. The whole
"crossing the finish line first"
thing was a little silly.
JIMMY
But really cool.
CLARK
Mostly just silly. Why not whip out
a magician's hat and pull a bunny
out of it?
JIMMY
Huh?
CLARK
It was a cheap trick.
JIMMY
Oh.
(beat)
Lois would have liked it. I think
she gets Superman more than you do.
CLARK
Maybe, but Lois is too busy being a
big TV star.
JIMMY
Jealous?
CLARK
Believe me when I say that the last
thing I want is to be on an
internationally broadcast cable
news show.
JIMMY
You sound jealous.
CLARK
I'm not jealous.
JIMMY
Don't worry. It's just a one time
thing. You're a good reporter too.
Jimmy puts a hand on Clark's shoulder to comfort him. Clark
starts to walk away.
CLARK
Thanks, Jimmy.
INT. GBS BUILDING - ON THE CLOCK SET - DAY
LOIS LANE is sitting at one end of a news desk. In the center
of the desk is BRIAN LARSON, the host of "On The Clock".
Finally, at the other end of the table is LEX LUTHOR.
BRIAN
(into the camera)
Hero, or threat to humanity? It's a
debate that's been raging on since
Superman appeared in Metropolis
nearly two years ago. Today, I'm
joined by outspoken Superman
opponent, Lex Luthor and Daily
Planet columnist Lois Lane who has
conducted several interviews with
the Man Of Steel. I welcome both of
you to the show.
LOIS
Thank you, Brian.
LEX
Thank you.
BRIAN
Now, let's dig right into the heart
of this matter, shall we? Mr.
Luthor, you've stated several times
that you're no fan of Superman.
Could you explain why?
LEX
Sure, Brian. First, I'd like to
comment on what you said in your
introduction of me. You said that I
am an opponent of Superman. I
wouldn't really state it in those
terms.
BRIAN
Didn't you once state...
(looking at a sheet of
paper on the desk)
"Superman poses the greatest threat
that humanity has ever faced..."
LEX
I did say that. However, what I
meant by those words was simply
that Superman is not of this world.
In fact, he has been unwilling to
specify exactly where he comes from
or why he has come to Earth.
LOIS
That's because he doesn't know
where he comes from. He's made it
pretty clear that he has no memory
of his homeworld.
LEX
That may very well be true, Ms.
Lane, but isn't it also possible
that he is simply avoiding the
question?
LOIS
No.
LEX
Why do you say that?
LOIS
(looking Luthor in the
eyes)
Because I am a very good judge of
character.
BRIAN
We'll get back to that in just a
moment, Ms. Lane. First, I'd like
to hear what Mr. Luthor has to say.
LEX
Sure. What I mean to say is that
Superman possesses great powers and
abilities that make him
invulnerable to nearly every manner
of defense available to us. I don't
think that it is unfair to question
the motivations of such a creature.
Lois holds back responding to that "creature" remark.
BRIAN
From what we've seen so far,
Superman has done nothing but good.
LEX
Perhaps. However, he has also
endangered the lives of countless
civilians during his reckless
street fights.
BRIAN
(to Lois)
Would you care to respond to these
comments?
LOIS
Damn right, I would. For starters,
why don't we talk about these
"street fights", as Lex calls them.
The first that comes to mind being
the fight between Superman and
Metallo.
BRIAN
Also known as John Corben.
LOIS
A criminal who died shortly before
being turned into Metallo. He was
also an incredibly strong
"creature", as some like to
classify them. It was Metallo who
instigated these fights, and he
only did so because some "unnamed
company" decided to play God and
put a criminal's mind into an
artificial body. How can you
possibly blame Superman for this?
LEX
Who am I supposed to blame when
cars are thrown around like
childrens' toys?
LOIS
How about the criminals, and the
"creatures" that they create in
their laboratories?
LEX
Creatures that somehow didn't exist
until nearly the exact same time
that Superman first appeared.
LOIS
And thank God he did. Otherwise
we'd all be bowing down before some
shiny-headed dictator right now.
LEX
The fact of the matter is that this
city has endured a great deal of
destruction in the wake of
Superman's arrival. This
destruction has been incidental.
Merely the result of his battles
with his foes. If Superman were to
someday decide that he wanted to
cause real destruction, what would
stop him? If he chose to take
control of this city, how would we
fight back?
LOIS
Superman has proven himself to us
time and time again. If anything,
he doesn't take the credit that he
should for the job he does here. He
is a hero to humanity. For you to
belittle that or attempt to make
him out to be the next Hitler is
just a sign of how small you really
are.
LEX
I see no need for personal attacks.
LOIS
That's what this whole discussion
is about. Unless you are suggesting
that Superman's not a person.
BRIAN
But isn't it fair to question that
much power being held by one
person? In a society based on the
will of the people rather than any
one person, isn't it fair to assess
the risks of someone holding such
power?
LOIS
Superman didn't choose to be who he
is.
LEX
He did choose to use his abilities,
however. He chose to impose his
will--
LOIS
The law. Not his will. There is a
difference.
LEX
Is Superman a police officer? A
homeland security agent? Does he
have any real right to act as he
has been?
LOIS
Not only the right, but the
responsibility. A person has a
responsibility to act when he sees
someone in danger, or a crime being
committed. We live in a society
where a woman can be attacked and
brutally beaten as a crowd of
people stand by and watch. People
ignore the screams of those in need
and our entire society suffers
because of it. I think it's
disgusting that you would criticize
someone for doing the things that
Superman has done for all of us. If
it weren't for him, literally
hundreds or thousands of people
would be dead today. Myself
included.
LEX
I am not questioning the fact that
Superman has done some good for
this world, Ms. Lane.
I'm just trying to make sure that
we don't get too comfortable,
relying on Superman to take care of
us. Power corrupts and absolute
power corrupts absolutely.
LOIS
Some people, maybe. Until Superman
does grow a Hitler-stache though,
I'm okay with the idea of him
saving us from killer robot men and
crazy guys who want to destroy the
planet with a giant death ray.
BRIAN
Both interesting arguments. Why
don't we take a look at the damage
done to the city since the arrival
of Superman. The cost of
reconstruction after the recent
Rudy Jones "Parasite" incident was
through the roof and a large part
of those repairs will come out of
the pockets of our tax payers.
LEX
My point exactly. Superman is
simply not trained in the proper
method of handling these criminals.
He lacks the restraint of a true
law enforcement officer.
LOIS
So, you're telling me that if
Superman went to the police
academy, they'd teach him how to
deal with someone like Rudy Jones?
Without Superman, it would take an
army to take down someone like him,
and the damage would be a lot worse
than it is now. You can't blame
Superman for the crimes of those he
fights.
BRIAN
News footage clearly shows Superman
throwing cars, hot dog carts,
benches, and at one point even a
statue of Lex Luthor. These objects
hit buildings, vehicles, streets,
sidewalks... The list goes on.
LOIS
Can you tell me how you'd have
handled the situation?
BRIAN
I'm not claiming to be--
LOIS
You're suggesting that Superman was
responsible for extreme damage to
the city. You're implying that he's
a menace rather than a hero.
BRIAN
That wasn't my intention.
LEX
I think Ms. Lane is avoiding the
subject at hand. The fact is that
Superman shows little regard for
the city which he claims to
protect.
LOIS
I'm not avoiding anything. I'm
asking you to tell me how you'd
handle these situations. We're not
talking about petty thugs and bail
jumpers here. We're talking about
extreme cases where violence
resulted from people with strength
and abilities beyond those of
normal man. So, if you were to take
Superman out of the picture, how
would you suggest we deal with
these situations?
LEX
It is our responsibility to figure
out an answer to that question. One
which doesn't rely on any one
person, much less a being from
another world whose motivations
could be as alien to us as his
genetic makeup.
LOIS
He was raised on Earth.
LEX
So he says.
LOIS
He hasn't done anything to make us
doubt him.
BRIAN
Intriguing arguments, both. As we
end this discussion, do either of
you care to voice any final
thoughts?
LOIS
Superman has done nothing but good
for this world, alien or not. Leave
it to humanity to persecute a man
for being genuinely good.
BRIAN
Lex?
LEX
I agree that Superman deserves many
thanks for the work that he has
done, but we must be careful in
this situation. We mustn't allow
this man to become the voice of
justice for our entire society. We
must be careful not to allow our
city to be overrun by the brutal
vigilantism that has come to plague
some of our country's other cities,
such as Gotham and Star City.
BRIAN
Those comments should keep us
thinking until the next time we
have the opportunity to talk.
(turns to the camera)
I'd like to thank both of our
guests. Lex Luthor, founder and CEO
of LexCorp. Author of the book "The
Road To A Better Tomorrow". Thank
you very much for being here.
LEX
Thank you for having me.
BRIAN
And the ever lovely Ms. Lois Lane,
reporter for the Daily Planet.
LOIS
Thank you.
BRIAN
Coming up after the break: Are our
children growing up to fast? From
sex on the playground to school
shootings, we'll discuss the
changing face of childhood in
today's culture. Stay tuned. We're
"On The Clock."
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