[wind howling]
[panting]
[boy 1] Go ahead. Run!
But when we catch you,
we're going to break those skinny legs of yours.
[boy 2] And stomp on your ugly face!
Leave him alone!
He didn't do anything to you.
[panting]
[gasps]
[groans]
I said, leave him alone.
Bitch!
[groans]
I'll hit you again, Dimitri Romanovich.
If you weren't a girl...
Come on.
[sighs]
Are they gone?
I can't keep saving you like this, Somishka.
You have to stop running,
and find the courage to face them.
It's... It's not like that, Svetlana.
I didn't run because I was afraid of them.
I ran because I was afraid to hurt them.
Have I ever lied to you, Svetlana?
[metal creaking]
[gasps]
How is this possible?
[thudding]
I don't know.
Something has been happening inside me,
for weeks now.
[gasps]
Something incredible.
[exclaims]
[wind howling]
Such incredible powers, Somishka.
You have to give them to the State.
The people need you.
Extraordinary reports coming out of the Soviet Union.
Tales of a being,
allegedly alien in origin with powers and abilities
far beyond those of mortal men.
[music playing]
This footage released by the Russians appears to show
the Soviet Superman in action.
If true,
this could be the beginning of a new kind of arms race.
This is undoubtedly mere propaganda
tailored to send ripples of fear into the West.
And in these treacherous times,
fear is something we must never surrender to.
[music ends]
This is George Taylor, saying good night,
and may your tomorrows all--
[radio playing indistinctly]
As I said, Mr. President,
I anticipated this.
Of course, I understand your concern,
but I assure you, the Luthor Company has this under control.
We'll find out soon enough if he's real.
All I need is a hundred technicians, $20 million,
and permission to drop a satellite on Metropolis.
[man over phone] Drop a satellite on Metropolis?
Eisenhower.
Are you out of your damn mind?
[continues indistinctly over phone]
I have to go, sir.
Something more urgent just came up.
You can't--
I'd say extremely urgent.
[moans]
[Stalin] We gather here today
to celebrate a glorious achievement.
The largest hydroelectric station in the world.
-Ten thousand of our bravest... -[camera shutters clicking]
...strongest men
worked ceaselessly to construct it.
But even with their sweat and toil,
this dam would never have been completed
in so short a time if not for the efforts
of a truly extraordinary young man...
A young man I have come to look upon
as both a great Soviet hero
and a son.
Comrades,
I give you...
Superman!
[patriotic music playing]
-[people applauding] -[camera shutters clicking]
Can't I just smile and wave?
We all must make sacrifices for the greater good, comrade.
But this display?
You are a symbol for all we aspire to be.
The people need to hear your voice.
Your words are extremely kind, Premier Stalin.
Perhaps too kind.
I am no hero.
I'm merely a servant of the State
who seeks, as you do,
to better the lives of our citizens.
Yes, I work to protect them,
perhaps inspire them in some small way.
But make no mistake,
I didn't build this dam.
The Soviet people did,
and may it stand forever as an example
of what we as a people can achieve here
and across the world,
so long as we remain united
by our ideals.
[people cheering]
[machine powering up]
[people cheering]
[wind blowing]
[officer] Colonel Masoff.
-[console beeping] -What is it?
The Zenit satellite, sir,
it's fallen out of orbit.
What? But that's...
What's the trajectory?
North America, sir.
The eastern seaboard of the United States.
[people clamoring]
[gasps]
-[girl screaming] -Look, up in the sky!
I don't blame those among you that fear me,
for you've been taught to fear all your lives.
And if you learn nothing else today, learn this.
We in the Soviet Union do not oppose
the citizens of the United States.
We only oppose the government
that oppresses you.
Our sole desire is for peace
and equality among all men.
[woman] And what about women?
Lois Lane,
Daily Planet.
Lois Lane Luthor.
I know of you...
and your capitalist husband.
If you're really serious about us wanting to learn about you,
how about an interview?
The press is the enemy of the people.
Why would I let you twist my words
and use them against me?
So, the great Soviet Superman
is afraid of the free expression of ideas.
[people murmuring]
You really shouldn't smoke, Mrs. Luthor.
This is the same brand my doctor smokes.
So, you're not afraid of the American press.
I'm not afraid of anything.
Have you ever considered
that the lack of fear can lead to arrogance?
Recklessness?
Eisenhower's saying your people sabotaged their own satellite...
We did no such thing.
...so that you could come flying in to save the day.
You have to admit,
it is the perfect propaganda opportunity.
Is it propaganda to envision
a world where the poor and afflicted
can be lifted out of misery?
Where the working classes can rise together
and reshape humanity for generations?
You're a super alien.
What could you possibly know about humanity?
Until I was 12 years old, Mrs. Luthor--
"Lane." I'm not an appendage.
Until I was 12 years old, Ms. Lane,
I was as human as you are.
This planet is the only home I've ever known.
And I would sacrifice anything to protect her.
The United States already is
the protector of the free world.
The bulwark of liberty and equality.
Your bulwark was built
on the backs of slaves and immigrants.
And it hasn't changed much, has it?
While you and your privileged kind live in luxury,
all across your country, people are struggling,
suffering,
dying.
I can't deny that there's a gap
between the American dream and the American reality.
But there are some massive gaps in your utopian vision
that need addressing as well.
What is this?
Proof of the repression in the USSR.
The Gulags,
mass executions of people
unfortunate enough to be labelled dissidents
by your beloved Premier Stalin.
Lies.
I would certainly know if such things existed.
Would you?
[lighter opens]
Welcome, Superman.
[stammering] We weren't expecting you.
I'm sure you weren't.
Shielded by lead to prevent me from discovering it.
[metal clanking]
[prisoners coughing]
[boy] You are the Superman.
They say you can hear a leaf fall a thousand miles away.
And you never heard our cries?
[woman] It is you.
At last.
Svetlana?
[Svetlana breathing weakly]
[coughs]
[Svetlana gasps]
[quivering] I... I could have died...
Should have died, long ago.
But I held on for you.
I never stopped believing that you would come one day
to liberate us.
That we'd see each other...
one last time.
But what did you do to deserve such a punishment?
I knew you...
before.
I'm so sorry, Lana.
I didn't know.
Don't blame yourself.
You are...
You have always been...
my hope.
My savior.
But I am no--
This is a world, where the strong rule.
And you are the strongest of all of us.
[coughs]
[sighs]
Remember when we were small, Somishka?
How I used to save you from those bullies?
Now you must save all of us.
Use your power to...
[Superman] Millions of people dead.
Explain that to me, Premier Stalin.
Help me to understand how...
Why you could do this?
[Stalin] I tried to protect you, my son.
To keep you untainted
by the grim realities of governments.
I asked you, why?
Because, as much as it breaks my heart...
it is necessary.
How could such atrocities be necessary?
What you call atrocities...
I call terrible necessities.
For our vision of a better world to succeed,
we must weed out the insurgents.
The weak.
The ones whose minds have been poisoned against the State.
They're human beings.
You're like a blind kitten, comrade.
So good, so pure.
But you just can't see.
You must understand.
You must believe
that everything I've done
has been for the ultimate good of the people
and the welfare of the Soviet State.
The State's welfare...
Or your welfare?
They're one and the same.
We need to close the gap
between our highest communist ideals
and the cruel reality I saw today.
Then I urge you to try.
But you'll quickly find
that the only way to achieve that goal
is to follow my example.
The unpleasant truth, my son,
is that certain people must die
in order for the system to work.
Wise words.
[Stalin screaming]
What now?
Now?
Now I save the world.
[Lois] You might consider cutting down
on those four-course dinners, Lex.
You're getting a little thick around the middle.
Vanity is more your style, my dear.
Unfortunately, darling,
we live in a world where people talk
as much about my looks as my work.
While a man can be fat or skinny,
short or tall,
hairy or bald...
and it doesn't matter one tiny bit.
Did you read Hedda Hopper's column today?
She claims you're pregnant.
[Lois chuckles]
Like I'm ever gonna end up some happy housewife
with a brood of annoying brats.
[phone ringing]
That's mine.
Lois Lane.
[man speaking indistinctly over phone]
What?
Slow down, Perry.
[Perry speaking indistinctly over phone]
Right. Got it.
Stalin is dead.
Apparently all hell's breaking loose in Moscow.
As I knew it would when I gave you that file.
I hope this isn't a mistake.
I don't make mistakes.
[elevator engine whirring]
Morning, Mr. Luthor.
Special Agent Olsen.
How is my favorite G-man babysitter today?
Excellent, Mr. L.
And how's my most exhausting assignment?
[Lex] The usual.
[Olsen] Burdened by your own brilliance?
Frustrated by the limitations of everyone around you?
You know me too well, James.
I'll say it again.
This is extraordinary, even for you.
[Lex] True,
technology curves stipulated that none of this equipment
would even be invented for another five decades.
I guess the Man of Steel makes your head work faster, huh?
[Lex] Careful there!
The genetic information the alien left
on that satellite is essential.
Especially if Ike expects me to build him
a Superman of his very own.
[news anchor] We thought that the bloody conflict
was over four years ago,
that a fragile peace had finally come
to the war-torn Korean Peninsula.
We didn't realize just how fragile it was.
It began 24 hours ago,
when the Soviet Premier announced
that he would be liberating the South
from American oppression
and reuniting the Korean people under his rule.
The last war went on for three years.
This one was over in three hours.
We deeply regret the loss of life today.
Even a single death is a tragedy.
But a few thousand
weighed against the nearly three million
who perished in the previous Korean conflict,
we believe that's a small price to pay for peace.
And there will be peace
and prosperity for all Korean citizens.
I promise you that we are not here to dominate you
or trample your rights.
We are here to lift you up and set you free,
to offer you a better life.
And what we offer the people of Korea...
we offer to the entire world.
[Olsen] I hear congratulations are in order.
Thank you, Olsen.
The solar engine I conceived in the shower this morning
will certainly revolutionize the automobile industry.
-But how-- -[Olsen] I wasn't talking about you, sir.
Perry White's retirement?
Your wife becoming editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet?
If we'd seen each other for more than a few hours these past four months,
maybe you wouldn't be so befuddled.
Sorry, my dear, I've been understandably distracted with the project.
Oh, Christ, don't tell me.
Yep, you forgot our anniversary.
Again.
Impeccable taste, as always.
I'll dispatch Ms. Teschmacher to get you... something.
It'll be delivered later today.
You're such a sentimentalist.
You're a woman of great patience, Ms. Lane.
In other words, why do I put up with him?
Three reasons.
One, he supports my career.
Two, the sex is phenomenal.
[clears throat] And three?
That man is gonna change the world.
[Eisenhower] With the emergence of the Soviet Superman,
the Cold War reached a freezing point.
Our nation reacted to this new threat as it had to.
By doing everything in our power to hold back the communist tide
through force of arms and force of will.
But as recent lessons in Korea have taught us,
conventional weapons aren't enough when one man,
one alien,
has the power to bring entire nations to their knees.
And so, we turn to the only person who could shift the balance of power.
[all applauding]
[Lex] Thank you, Mr. President,
for both your service to your great nation and your confidence in me.
A confidence that I believe, has been rewarded today.
Many of our citizens have lived in fear of the Soviet Superman.
But no longer.
As of today,
the United States has its own living weapon.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...
Superior Man.
Faster, stronger and far deadlier than our Russian friend.
And once unleashed...
[all exclaiming]
...my creation will restore American superiority and bring the Red Menace
to its knees.
America first!
[all cheering]
Questions?
[all clamoring]
One at a time, please.
Mr. True.
I'm confused, Mr. Luthor.
A project like this, wouldn't it be better to keep it secret from the Russians?
Why reveal this new weapon to the world in such a public way?
For one very good reason.
I want our friend in Moscow to know what's coming.
I want him to be afraid.
[classical music playing]
To say that I am honored to have you here, Ambassador,
is a massive understatement.
Call me Diana, please.
On Themyscira, we have little patience for formalities.
And what shall I call you?
Superman.
I had a name once, Diana...
before I stopped being a man, and became a symbol.
Then "Superman" it is.
If only my mother had come.
If she could meet you, see what you've accomplished here.
She's still resistant?
Queen Hippolyta doesn't trust man's world.
But you do.
I believe that the only chance for peace in this world is reaching out,
forging alliances.
Finding common ground.
The Amazons can't keep their heads buried in the sand forever.
So you have hope.
You give me hope, Superman.
Stalin was a brute.
But you, I think, actually embody the ideals you profess.
You're the first person I've met with abilities like mine.
Each of us alone has the power to change the world.
But together...
[gasps] Forgive me, I...
I come from an island of all women.
Work it out for yourself.
Ah...
Right. Of course.
Hmm.
Well, that's a relief.
Is it?
[Superman] I thought sex was what you expected from me.
It's certainly pleasant enough, but ultimately,
it's a diversion from the critical work at hand.
Nothing wrong with a good diversion...
with the right partner.
I don't need or want a mate, Diana, but...
I could certainly use a friend.
I'd be proud to offer my friendship.
And my assistance.
Perhaps together, we can change the world for the better.
And what do you make of this duplicate Superman the Americans have created?
If you're asking me if I'm worried, no.
Our intelligence reports indicate that this so-called Superior Man is flawed.
Incomplete and inoperable.
A propaganda tool, meant to frighten us.
We do not frighten easily.
So much fear, so much mistrust.
On both sides.
Perhaps I could be a bridge between your nations.
I think you overestimate the Americans' desire for peace.
[women screaming]
[Superior Man yells] Superman!
[people screaming]
Come to me now, Russki.
Before I bring this entire city down on your head!
Years ago, when Metropolis was threatened,
I put aside our countries' differences and protected the lives of the innocent.
Yet you dare to come here, as an invader.
Not an invader, a liberator.
I am truth. I am justice.
I am the American way!
This violence is unnecessary.
You're not an enemy, you are a victim of the capitalist machine.
-Surrender now, and I will-- -I am an American,
and I will never surrender to a commie dictator.
Very well.
You had your chance.
[both grunting]
The subcutaneous camera you embedded in him is working fine.
Unfortunately, he's not.
More power.
He's nearing overload now, sir.
Of course he is. Now, give him more juice.
[sighs in exhaustion]
[shouting]
[both grunting]
[growls]
More juice.
Superior Man hates you.
Superior Man kill you!
[roars]
-Lex, for God's sake. -More!
Me am truth. Me am justice.
Me am... Americ...
[stammers] Americ...
Americ...
Americ... Americ...
Americ...
-[Superior Man grunts] -What's happening to you?
Not know...
Me feel... strange.
Me...
[screaming]
Luthor.
Unfortunate, but expected.
There was only a 12% chance Superior Man could have killed Superman
before he disintegrated from the strain to his systems.
-What? -[Lois] You deliberately put that poor creature
into a state of overload,
knowingly sent him to his death. Why?
Not a "him," darling, an "it."
An inhuman construct created from the alien's DNA.
Why?
To test Superman's limits.
Unnerve him, psychologically and emotionally.
For a moment there...
I actually saw fear in his eyes.
And that means--
You created that creature and then very consciously murdered it.
We're at war, Lois.
Your compassion, however admirable, is misplaced.
Don't!
I'm sorry.
This is Jack Ryder reporting from Checkpoint Charlie,
where the final reinforced section of the Berlin Wall is being put in place.
This veritable Iron Curtain,
a massive undertaking of the democratic allies,
assures all freedom-loving people of the West
that they are finally safe from the cancerous spread of communi--
-[thumping] -[groans]
Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen,
but the sound of what can only be described as a sonic boom has shaken the ground here...
Workers of the West,
too long have you been deceived by the lies of America.
This pitiful wall was created to prevent you from knowing the truth...
that you live your lives enslaved to the capitalist elite.
In the name of peace,
in the name of equality for the United States and Western Europe,
I open this gate.
I tear down this wall.
[people clamoring]
Ladies and gentlemen, from what we've just seen here today,
it is only a matter of time, very little time,
until all of Western Europe is absorbed,
is taken by the Soviet Superman.
-[machine whirring] -[people screaming]
[grunts]
[people screaming]
[grunting]
The attack on Stalingrad by the alien artificial intelligence called Brainiac
has haunted the Soviet people for years.
The entire city remains miniaturized,
secreted away in the Kremlin
where our Premier works tirelessly to restore Stalingrad's population.
Over time, Superman was able to reprogram Brainiac,
and the living computer now serves the State.
Poverty, disease, and ignorance have been virtually eliminated in the Warsaw Pact states.
And disobedience to the party is now a thing of the past.
The glorious future envisioned by Karl Marx is here.
[Batman over PA] Really? When we're all his pets.
Animals in a carefully constructed cage.
He may feed and shelter everyone,
but the only freedom we have is to be exactly what he wants us to be.
To do exactly as he wants us to do.
The only answer to this world of perfect order is chaos.
We have to blow the entire system apart.
Which is why this museum is going to explode
in ten minutes.
-[people clamoring] -Everyone, please proceed to the exits
in an orderly fashion.
There's more than enough time for--
Did I say ten minutes? I meant ten seconds.
-Where did he go? -[man over radio] He's on you, Petrovitch.
[Petrovitch screams]
[people clamoring]
-There! -Open fire!
[all grunt]
You serve that terrorist bastard,
plant his bombs...
take lives in the Batman's name?
You don't deserve to live.
But it's not your fault, is it?
He's fed you lies. Brainwashed you.
You're broken.
I can fix you.
[child crying]
[woman gasps]
[Wonder Woman] What kind of human being would do this?
A soulless lunatic with no respect for human life.
Men.
Not all men.
No powers to speak of, yet this Batman eludes the police,
the military.
-You. -I swear to you, Diana,
his day will come.
[Kennedy] The Army retrieved it six weeks ago.
As soon as I was informed,
I brought Mr. Luthor in to consult on the project.
Of course, to Lex, "consult" means "take over."
I do my best to serve my country, Mr. President.
You know that.
You serve the pursuit of knowledge
above all else, Lex, but I respect that.
[Hal] If I may ask, sir,
what is it exactly that they retrieved?
See for yourself.
Christ on a cracker.
Apologies, sir.
That's all right, Captain.
I just about shit a brick myself, first time I saw it.
The ship is made of a fascinating alloy.
We haven't been able to identify it yet.
Although we have been able to determine the age
and probable use of the vehicle.
But this,
however spectacular, pales beside what was found
within the craft.
[Kennedy] At first, we thought it was a simple ornament.
But now...
We're beginning to suspect
that it's the doorway to a power source
as old as the universe itself.
Why haven't you removed the ring?
We've requested permission, Mr. Luthor.
But the brass is concerned that it might be some kind of...
Problem solved.
Understand, it could take decades
to retro-engineer this weapon.
Why are you telling me this, sir?
Why did you bring me here?
[Kennedy] Because, Captain Jordan,
we're setting up an entirely new branch of the military.
And I want you to lead it.
[Superman] It's finally completed, Diana.
And I wanted you to be the first to see it.
From here,
I can be certain that the USSR
ticks with the precision of a Swiss watch.
Brainiac.
Summarize today's statistics, please.
Production is up 8%,
life expectancy has increased to 97 Earth years,
with greater increases predicted over the next decade.
Suicides are down since I added fluoxetine hydrochloride
to the water supply.
Birth rates are on the rise, and--
Thank you, Brainiac.
What is it?
My mother.
She wants to shut down the Themysciran embassy.
What? After all I've achieved?
But how have you achieved it?
Better than the Gulags, isn't it?
Better than extermination.
A day will come when it won't be necessary Diana, but till then...
And what if that day doesn't come?
Is even one soul suffering like this
worth the price of your perfect world?
-On Paradise Island-- -Paradise Island is unique.
Human nature is dark, brutal.
It requires different methods.
Human nature,
or man's nature?
Would you prefer we were like America?
Brainiac.
[Brainiac] A nation in decline, Princess.
Economic depression. Social unrest bordering on civil war.
Millions on the brink of starvation.
I had high hopes for Kennedy when he was first elected.
But he's turned out to be just like the rest of them.
Ranting about the Red Menace,
refusing all offers of aid.
[Brainiac] Perhaps it would be more efficient, sir,
to invade their shores
and compel them to align with the rest of the world.
Out of the question.
This global revolution has been,
with rare exceptions, bloodless.
America will eventually fall,
and we'll be there to pick up the pieces.
Can't your mother see
that we're building a better world?
Queen Hippolyta believes
that freedom must spring from within.
That it can't be imposed from without,
no matter how high-minded the motives.
But...
I've told her to wait, to give you more time.
I haven't given up on you yet.
[classical music playing]
The dinner was wonderful, Premier.
What? Yes, I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mr. Ambassador.
It's been too long since we spent an evening together.
We have missed your extraordinary hospitality
and your warm friendship.
As the representative of the People's Republic,
-I have nothing but the greatest-- -We've known each other
for some years, Ambassador Lee, have we not?
We have.
Then why are you still so cautious,
so tense around me?
"Tense"? [laughs]
You are our savior.
The man who is bringing peace and prosperity to a troubled world.
-Whose flag flies over my-- -The truth, Ambassador.
You terrify me.
[bomb exploding]
-[Wonder Woman] Superman! -Diana.
[Wonder Woman] Ten seconds.
Batman said you only have ten seconds to find me
before--
Eight seconds to track her voice here.
[scoffs] Expected you in six.
What have you done?
My Lasso of Truth, its energy is part of me,
of my very soul.
Batman used it to bind me psychically and physically.
-And not even you have the power to-- -Shut up.
You see, now she is as obedient to me
as those poor mind-jacked dissidents are to you.
And she's under orders to kill herself
if you harm me in any way.
What do you want?
What I've wanted since I was a child.
To destroy you.
To break and utterly humiliate the great Superman.
For all your powers, you've always underestimated the greatest weapon of all...
the human mind.
I can see your brain from here, Batman,
and it's nothing to boast about.
And can you see...
-You think you're going to stop me with that? -No.
With this.
Sun lamps, wonderful.
Let them burn for a few thousand years, and I might get--
Impossible.
These lamps were provided by a mutual friend of ours from America
who specializes in the impossible.
[both grunting]
They simulate the conditions of a red sun.
The conditions of your home world.
[Superman groaning]
[both grunting]
[groaning]
[Batman] Pain is a new sensation, yes?
Get used to it.
[Superman grunting]
[weakly] I saved you all.
Destroyed the Gulags.
Gave you paradise.
[Batman] Did you?
[groaning]
You and Comrade Stalin, may have different methods,
but you're variations on the same tiresome theme.
Narcissistic, power-hungry egomaniacs
bent on reshaping the world in their own grotesque image.
[groans]
But in the end, all men like you inevitably fall.
And there you will stay for the remainder of your wretched life...
while my followers rise up
and finally take our country back.
[groans]
You may speak freely.
You're a monster.
And he's not?
Men.
All of you alike in the end.
My mother...
was right!
[groans]
[groaning]
[straining]
[grunts]
[explosions in distance]
Game's over, Batman.
You don't understand at all, do you?
It may be a game to you, but not to me.
Never to me.
Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.
I'm going to help you.
Just a few hours of brain surgery,
and then, a nice job in a Moscow laundry for you.
[screams]
Diane, let me help you.
Like you were going to help Batman?
What? No, of course not.
-I was just-- -I couldn't let you die, Superman.
But I can no longer call myself... your friend.
This is what all men bring upon themselves
in the end.
And this is what happens to women...
foolish enough to trust them.
As it was with the Lasso of Truth,
it is now with us.
The bond has been broken.
[man on TV] After years of unrest,
insurrection, and political assassinations,
the end of the American epic seemed assured.
But the election of Alexander J. Luthor
proved to be a miraculous turning point for the United States.
President Luthor, ably assisted by Vice President Olsen
and press secretary Lois Lane Luthor,
slowly brought the country back from decades of chaos.
Under his leadership, a thriving democracy has been restored,
and America is on the rebound.
But the US recovery, has sent ripples of unrest through the Soviet Empire,
as people across the globe begin to realize
that you don't have to give one man all the power
in order for the world to be a better place.
[Superman] Turn it off.
I'll give Luther one thing, he's a master of propaganda.
A handful of unruly demonstrations, and they call it an "uprising."
The American resurgence is having an impact, sir,
and not an advantageous one.
I estimate that within three years,
discontent in the Warsaw Pact nations will reach critical--
I don't care about your estimations.
Sorry, Brainiac.
I am, as I often remind you, an artificial lifeform
void of emotion.
There is never a need to apologize.
May I speak freely, sir?
[Superman] Of course.
[Brainiac] Luthor has always been a danger.
Yet, for years, you resisted direct action,
remaining firm in the belief that America will consume itself,
be the engine of its own destruction.
[Superman] And it almost was. It will be.
It is my assessment that an invasion of the United States
is our only recourse.
Conquer the Americans, capture Luthor.
Re-condition him.
No.
If I'd wanted to, I could've attacked
and brought America to its knees years ago.
But I want to achieve my goals by winning the argument,
not beating my opponents into submission.
[Brainiac] At the moment, sir, President Luthor is the one who is winning.
America is like a cancer cell,
and it must be removed.
If we attack now, I estimate a total of only 6.5 million dead.
No!
That's a choice I will never make.
[Brainiac] The choice may have just been made for you, sir.
[radar beeping]
[Superman] Missiles?
Those are not missiles.
Home base, this is Colonel Jordan.
ETA red bunker, 20 minutes.
[man on radio] Copy, Jordan. We're only gonna get one shot at this,
so knock it out of the park.
Roger, home base.
Unidentified flying object approaching, Colonel Jordan.
Approximate speed is... really freakin' fast.
-Nervous, Captain? -No, sir.
Given the stakes, fear is a luxury we can't afford.
Damn right.
Look alive, Lanterns. We've got incoming.
[groaning]
[Superman groans]
[grunts]
Focus, Lanterns.
Think green thoughts!
Is that the best you've got?
Oh, God, that freak is unstoppable.
Keep it together, Gardner.
Focus your will.
[Guy screams]
[grunts]
-We got it, Colonel. -Sure as hell--
-[clangs] -[Green Lanterns groaning]
[high-pitched ringing]
[Superman] Diana.
I should've known you'd come to back me up.
Back you up?
In the name of the friendship we once shared,
in the name of this planet we both love,
I have come to beg you...
all of you, to stop this, now.
Before the entire Earth
is consumed in your insane war.
-Stop? But Luthor-- -Peace is the way, Superman.
Let me intercede, Let me speak to President Luthor and--
That monster could manipulate you,
convince you to turn against me in a matter of minutes.
Do you really think so little of me?
That's not what I meant, Diana,
but I can't stop now. Don't you see?
He's given me no choice.
What I see is that the man I once admired
is long gone...
if he was ever there.
Then I am truly sorry.
You're just another pathetic man, aren't you?
[grunts]
-Diana-- -As of this moment,
the Amazon nation washes its hands of you.
Themyscira will remain hidden to men's eyes
for all eternity.
Farewell, Superman.
We will never see each other again.
Women, right?
Light him up!
[Green Lanterns grunt]
You were right, Brainiac.
It's time to take this straight to Luthor.
[buzzing]
[Brainiac] Unexpected, sir.
No soldiers.
No Secret Service.
No defense at all.
He's up to something.
Whatever the game is, Luthor,
whatever ultimate weapon you're planning to unleash...
it's too late.
It's never too late.
How did you get that?
My husband's always ten steps ahead of you.
Look at them.
Like specimens in a laboratory.
Like flies in amber.
Just the way you wanted it.
What are you saying?
I've spent decades trying to restore them.
You're telling me that Brainiac couldn't have done it at any time?
No.
Brainiac was damaged when I found him.
-We tried and tried to undo this-- -[Brainiac] Actually, sir,
the restoration technology was always available.
But you did not want me to utilize it.
I never said that.
[Brainiac] Words were not necessary.
Stalingrad is a representation of all you have worked for.
All you desire.
A perfect symbol for a dictator
who spent his entire life trying to put the whole world in a bottle.
You have to believe me.
All I wanted was,,.
to put an end to human suffering.
Shut down your weapon systems, Brainiac.
We're going home.
[Brainiac] Not recommended, sir.
Retreat now will give the Americans the advantage,
-throw the USSR into chaos. -I don't care.
Stalin once called me a blind kid.
So pure in my beliefs, so walled in by my ideals
that I was unavailable to see reality.
Maybe he was right.
But I finally do see that this is humanity's world,
and they have to be free to make their own mistakes,
chart their own course.
[Brainiac] And your perfect world,
your utopia, sir?
It's in their heads.
[Brainiac] That is an unacceptable response.
I urge you to reconsider.
Lois, get inside!
You were never reprogrammed, were you?
You wanted me to bring you to Moscow.
[Brainiac] A superb strategy, was it not?
Expanding and consuming, nation by nation.
Why settle for a city in a bottle
when you can possess an entire world?
[Superman screams]
[Lois screams]
Lex?
What is this thing?
You know I'm always prepared, dear.
Now get down to the bunker and let me handle this.
But you could die out here.
Really, Lois, all these years together and you have so little faith in me.
I've never lost faith.
We've got to get through his force field.
[Brainiac] My force fields have been immeasurably improved since Stalingrad.
You barely pierced them then...
and only because I allowed it.
[both grunt]
[console beeping]
You used me!
Manipulated me as if I was some brainless puppet.
[grunts]
[Brainiac] My methods were not unlike yours,
only more efficient.
Until now.
[Brainiac] This is illogical.
You are merely a thing of flesh, while I am--
A useless machine.
Well done, Superman.
Now, having realized what a sociological disaster you were causing,
will you have the decency to leave Earth?
My only plan right now is to bury this ship in the Sea of Tranquility.
Then I'll decide whether or not I can safely stay on Earth.
[machine whirs and beeps]
[Lex] What the hell?
[alarm beeping]
He must have had a self-destruct mechanism encoded into the hard drive
in case he was defeated.
The six mini black holes that were powering his engines have been primed to go off,
and I can't stop it.
Then it's on me.
When it explodes, it's gonna wipe out everything in a 15-million-mile radius.
Even you aren't fast enough to get it clear.
Don't count on it.
Get out of here, Lex.
-But-- -Go.
Now!
What's he doing?
Saving the world.
[Svetlana] Remember when we were small, Somishka?
How I used to save you from those bullies?
Now you must save all of us.
Use your power to...
[Lex] Superman, gone.
Brainiac, gone.
One could be forgiven for thinking this had all been worked out
to the tenth decimal point 25 years ago.
Checkmate, Superman.
It is with no small amount of sorrow, and a vast amount of pride
that I stand before you today to say farewell
to this sacred office and its scared trust.
With the death of Superman, the collapse of the Soviet Empire is inevitable.
We see it happening even now.
But it's not the American way to leave an enemy gasping in the dust.
We will reach out.
We will give aid and comfort to the Russian people.
And with the determination and compassion so unique to the spirit of this nation,
we will reinvigorate the Soviet economy.
A people that have lived too long in the shadow of oppression
will awaken to the true power, the shining glory of democracy.
Be assured that, in time, all the Soviet nations will gladly and willingly join us
in the formation of a truly global United States.
The world we'll build together won't be perfect...
but it will be one we can all be proud of,
because it will be a reflection of the very best of humanity.
[people cheering]
My resignation has shocked many of you.
But a man has to know when it's time to leave the stage.
I leave it in the capable hands of a truly great man
who has worked beside me for more years than I dare to count.
President James B. Olsen.
[people cheering]
I entrust that vision not just to President Olsen,
but to all of you.
And with that, I bid you all a truly heartfelt farewell.
[people applauding and cheering]
Time to leave the stage, huh?
Well, time to leave that stage.
What are you gonna do now?
Oh, I don't know.
Write the great American novel, maybe.
Find a cure for the common cold.
Or maybe I'll just retire to a desert island
with the smartest, strongest, most challenging, most beautiful woman
I've ever known.
I kind of like that last option.