Hey! What's the matter with you?
Johnny, you got a call on line two.
You're in early.
I like the beard, but the mustache isn't working for me.
Want me to do it?
- I nailed him cold. - All right.
A stolen-car ring was smashed during...
Come on, you guys. It was nothing, really.
I still can't believe they thought you were a boy.
The mustache helped.
And thanks for teaching me how to boost a car.
To Lois Lane. Still going where no reporter has gone before.
Hey! Turn that thing off.
Jimmy, don't encourage her.
She's got a head as big as the Metrodome as it is.
It's nice to know I'm appreciated around here, Chief.
What do you expect?
- Garlands thrown at your feet? - No. But I would like a raise.
I'd like 145-foot, triple-masted schooner with a teak interior...
but, Lois, times are tough.
What's everybody standing around for? This is a newspaper...
not happy hour at Buckingham Palace.
Chief, I got an angle on the mini-mall murders.
I figure there was blood on the burritos because...
check this out, they were eating, and the perpetrators...
Did you finish those obituary updates?
Jimmy, never underestimate...
the need for a good obituary.
I can think of one right now.
I guess you finally hit the big time.
This time, Lex Luthor's personal assistant returned your call.
Give it up, Lois. Luthor never gives one-on-one interviews.
He's never met Lois Lane before, either.
Watch the doors.
Hey, that's my stop!
He stopped it! He...
Lois Lane?
- It's going to explode! - He's got a bomb.
- No, it's not a bomb. - It's my credentials.
- I'm sorry, sir. He ran right past reception. - You don't understand!
Ms. Lane, the Messenger is going to explode.
Please, Ms. Lane, you must tell my story.
- We've had trouble with him before. - Wait a minute. Don't!
- He's a buck short of a variety pack. - Please, believe me.
The space program is doomed!
Please!
The transport vehicle Messenger, piloted by Cdr. Jack Laderman...
and carrying the final propulsion module for Space Station Prometheus...
is scheduled for lift-off Friday at 9:00 a.m.
Dr. Toni Baines reminds us that timing is crucial.
Unless all the modules are in place within the next few weeks...
Space Station Prometheus will lose its orbit...
and fall back into the Earth's atmosphere.
That kind of an occurrence...
will surely spell the end to any future projects...
and the space program as a whole.
A series of delays and launch failures have already put EPRAD's back to the wall.
Morning, Lois.
On your hands and knees again, I see.
Isn't it a little early for you to be in, Cat?
I thought ladies like you only worked nights.
- Part of my job as society columnist... - Mudslinging rumor-monger.
...is to maintain an active social life.
You remember what that's like.
Or do you?
What do men see in her, anyway?
Don't they know she's just looking for another notch on her garter belt?
Pathetic.
Have you actually...
seen this garter belt?
- So, you are Mister... - Kent. Clark Kent.
Yes, Kent.
Prof. Carlton called me about you.
Boy, I haven't seen him in I don't know... Let's see here.
- Editor, Smallville Press. Where is that? - Kansas.
Just a minute.
Yeah?
Tell him to keep his pants on.
If Carlini's can't deliver on time, just find a place who can.
You believe I had to buy a blood-pressure monitor last week?
Paava leaves.
I beg your pardon?
The Yolngu tribe in New Guinea eat paava leaves to relieve stress.
It puts them in a meditative state. Maybe you should try it.
I see you've done some traveling.
This is my first trip to Metropolis.
- I have some samples of my work. - Good. Let's take a look.
The Borneo Gazette.
"Mating rituals of the knob-tailed gecko."
Kent, I'm sure that these are fascinating stories...
but you see, son, this is The Daily Planet.
We're the greatest newspaper in the whole world.
Now, our people are dedicated servants of the fourth estate...
who routinely handle matters of international significance.
- Chief, I fixed the horn on your golf cart. - Not now, Jimmy.
- The tone's still off... - Jimmy! Not now!
Now, as I was saying, you just can't walk in here with those kind of...
I think there's a story here. We should have this guy checked out.
The crazy one from this morning? He was an engineer at EPRAD...
Lois, can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?
- Lois Lane. Clark Kent. - Nice to meet you.
Anyway, he worked on the Messenger...
Wait a minute.
What happened to that mood piece I gave you...
about the razing of that old theater on 42nd Street?
- I wasn't in the mood. - You weren't in the mood.
You can't come in here and tell me you're not...
I've gotta go. I'll catch you later.
I tell you...
if that woman wasn't the best damn investigative reporter I've ever seen...
Look, Kent, I'm sure that you're an intelligent guy...
but you just can't walk in here with this kind of resume...
and expect to get a job.
Mr. White, I know I lack experience, but I'm a good writer and a hard worker.
I just don't have anything for you, son.
Thank you, sir. I appreciate your taking the time to see me.
Yeah.
Thank you.
- You want me to wire you some cash? - No, I'm fine.
How did the interview go?
Not so good. But something will turn up. I'm sure.
- I think I better wire you some cash. - I'm fine, Dad.
- Still gonna make it home on Friday? - I'd miss your home cooking?
What home cooking? I haven't had a home-cooked meal in...
Clark, you're being careful, aren't you?
Sure. Other than the bus incident this morning, but...
- Bus incident? - Metropolis isn't the outback.
People in the city are always looking to make a quick buck.
If they find out about you, they'll put you in a laboratory...
"And dissect you like a frog." I know, Dad.
Believe me, I'm trying my best to be like everybody else here.
I'll get that cash out to you tonight.
I'll pay you back. I promise.
- Okay. I'll talk to you guys soon. - Bye, honey.
Lucy?
- Are you home? - Hi, sis.
- I thought you were going out tonight. - I've got to work. I can't.
Don't start.
Did you find an escort to Lex Luthor's White Orchid Ball yet?
- No, I did not. - Lois, it's tomorrow night.
What about Mitchell? I thought you liked him?
Mitchell is a hypochondriac.
They can't all be bad, Lois. They can't all be boring or stupid.
- What're you waiting for? - Fine. I'll ask Mitchell to take me.
I'm not just talking about the ball. You've got to get out more.
Will you stop? Jesus, you sound like Dad.
- I'm only 26. - Twenty-six today, 36 tomorrow.
And I know why that dentist, Alan, never called you back.
Dragging him to that Women in Journalism seminar?
"Weak Men, and the Wise Women who Love Them"?
You've gotta stop scaring them off.
You've gotta stop being so smart all the time, so intense.
Look, I'm just being myself. If they're not man enough to handle it...
then I guess I'll just wait for someone who is.
- I just hate to see you sitting at home. - I get out plenty. I have dates.
You have interviews. It's not the same thing.
I just want you to meet a super guy.
Gwendolyn, have you made your decision?
All right. You win. I'll keep my promise.
Tonight, my body is yours...
but my heart...
my heart beats only for one man.
Keep the theater on the spot. We don't need a parking lot.
What is this?
Bea?
Come on.
"After the dark death of autumn, and the cold barren winter...
"how I wish this rock might be taken from my heart."
Okay, Bill.
Start her up.
...destroying the neighborhood!
"For the days of my childhood...
"back when my soul was pure.
"I slept right here in this nursery...
"looking out at the orchard from this very room.
"And every morning I awoke with such joy in my heart.
"My orchard is just the same as it was then, nothing different.
"All of it, all of it dressed in white.
"My lovely orchard."
- Who's there? - Just a fan.
I'm not leaving. Not until I finish.
All right. Mind if I watch? I always loved this play.
- You know it? - The Cherry Orchard. Anton Chekhov.
- His finest, don't you think? - Definitely.
They don't understand.
Theater is more than bricks and mortar.
It's drama, and passion...
and mystery, and comedy, and life.
Don't make me go. I'm not ready.
We have some time.
You understand.
I just want to say goodbye.
"All of it dressed in white.
"My lovely orchard."
Beatrice was 18 when she made her debut.
Warren G. Harding was President...
the Unknown Soldier was interred at Arlington...
and Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees.
She came to say goodbye, as we all must, to the past...
...and to a life and a place that soon would exist...
- ...only in a bittersweet memory. - Smooth.
Yeah. If you like that sort of thing.
There's only one attribute I value more than experience...
and that's initiative.
Clark Kent, welcome to The Daily Planet.
Oh, no, the space shuttle's on fire!
- It's on the TV now! - Quick, turn it up!
- Let's take a look. - Lois, get over here.
Fast-breaking story. We have a reporter on the scene...
and we're trying to establish contact with a Carmen Alvarado.
Can you hear me?
She's on the launching pad right now. Carmen?
You've just seen what we've seen here.
A terrible tragedy is unfolding.
There seems to be...
I knew there was something to Platt's story.
Lois, just because one madman's prediction came true...
doesn't mean that there's a conspiracy to sabotage the entire space program.
With more than a hundred colonists going up in the next launch...
are you willing to take that chance?
I'll need a task force. I can't cover this story alone.
You can have Jimmy.
- We're talking about the space program. - Okay. Take Kent.
- Kent? - Kent.
- What about Myerson? - He's busy.
- Burns? - Budapest.
Forget Kent.
He's a good man.
Kent is a hack from Smallville. I couldn't make that name up.
Kent or nobody.
Fine.
Don't ever say that I am not a team player.
Let's hit it.
Just get on it, will you?
- Mind if I ask where we're going? - To interview Samuel Platt.
He's convinced the Messenger was sabotaged. I'll brief you.
And get something straight. I didn't work my buns off...
to become an investigative reporter for The Daily Planet...
just to baby-sit some hack from Nowheresville.
And one other thing.
You are not working with me. You're working for me.
I call the shots. I ask the questions.
You are low man. I am top banana. And that's the way I like it.
- Comprende? - You like to be on top. Got it.
Don't push me, Kent. You are way out of your league.
Dr. Platt?
Dr. Platt, it's Lois Lane.
And they said that I was crazy. But wouldn't you be, after the drugs?
You know they drugged me after I submitted my report to Dr. Baines.
Dr. Platt, how could the Messenger have been sabotaged?
In order to bypass security...
Unless the orders came from high up.
Under extreme temperature conditions...
the particle isolators were in danger of shutting down.
So, in order to prevent this, we installed heating devices.
But, when I broke into one of the off-limit labs...
I discovered that the heating devices had been replaced by coolant systems.
- To freeze the ion particles? - Of course. Then it'd fuse...
and the Messenger would blow up. It's all in my report.
- What report? - The report that I gave to Dr. Baines.
Do you have a copy of this report?
What kind of a scientist would I be if I didn't keep reports?
Dr. Platt, perhaps you could gather your report together some other time.
I'll have somebody come by and pick it up.
My wife.
We planned to live together on Prometheus.
- Where's your family now? - Gone.
They left me...
It's all for the best.
Dr. Platt, who would want to sabotage Space Station Prometheus?
I don't know.
See, the microgravity laboratory on the Prometheus...
could be the key for curing hundreds of diseases here on Earth.
In a zero-gravity environment...
we can actually separate the proteins that form viruses.
So many children with crippling diseases...
My daughter.
We could cure them.
I think you and I should pay Dr. Baines a visit.
...to report to room 135.
Naturally, we're all still in a state of shock.
I don't suppose I have to tell you what a catastrophe this explosion was.
Capt. Laderman was one of our best.
His three kids, his wife, Anna...
Dr. Baines, what's being done to investigate the cause of the explosion?
We won't know anything until we've examined the burnt wreckage.
We're in the process of moving it to a hangar for inspection.
Can we take a look at it?
Sorry, no press allowed.
No exceptions?
- I'll see what I can do. - Great.
On the subject of Dr. Samuel Platt...
I have his file right here.
A real waste of talent.
Seems building the space station and his divorce finally got to him.
Started drinking, taking drugs.
He went from bad to worse.
We kept him on as long as we could...
but when he set fire to one of the laboratories...
we had to let him go.
Dr. Platt said he submitted a report to you.
Something about coolant devices installed to...
Coolants?
No, I don't recall any report.
- I could check my records. - Could you...
- ...and give us a call? - Certainly.
Be glad to help.
Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Thank you.
- She seemed cooperative. - I don't trust her.
Very attractive.
- Young for a woman in her position... - Typical.
- What? - That's a typical male response.
Trust me on this, I am not a typical male.
No?
- Just because she's okay-looking... - Very okay-looking.
...you automatically assume she's telling the truth.
And you assume she's not?
Does everyone have an angle?
No honest people left in the whole world?
- That's pretty cynical, Lois. - It's realistic, Clark.
At least, I don't go through life disappointed.
We have different sections, just like the paper does.
Society, Sports, Entertainment. Come here.
Who's the new tight end?
Why don't you throw your usual forward pass and find out?
- Excuse me, I... - Catherine Grant.
Cat's Corner?
Yeah, I've read your column.
Then my reputation precedes me.
Among other things.
I know what it's like to be new in town.
Lonely.
I'd be happy to show you around.
That's very nice of you, Ms. Grant.
Cat.
Maybe when I get settled in.
It's a date.
Cat.
No, Mitchell, I'm not mad.
If you've got the sniffles, then you've got the sniffles.
Yeah, that could lead to complications.
No, don't call me. I'll call you.
I don't suppose that you own a tuxedo?
I could get one.
Why?
The man that I was going to Lex Luthor's ball with has the flu.
Yes?
Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to...
Do you want to take his place or not?
Thanks anyway, Lois. But I thought I'd go to bed early tonight.
Are you crazy? This is the social event of the season.
Everyone who is anyone is gonna be there.
And you want to go to bed early?
- So, is this a date? - Date?
You mean like in Kansas, where you meet my parents...
and then you try to give me a hickey in the vacant lot behind the Dairy Freeze.
No, this is not a date. This is business.
I am going to land the first one-on-one Lex Luthor interview, if it kills me.
Okay.
Good.
I'll see you there.
9:00.
Okay.
Buddy, you got a buck?
You must be some kind of angel, brother.
Some kind of angel.
Dinner was great, Mom. Thanks.
Thanks, honey.
More than I get these days.
You're mother is now an artiste.
I call it Too Much, Too Soon, Tortured Heart, Waning Moon.
What do you think? Too cerebral?
No, it's...
very imaginative.
So, now, tell me more about this woman you're going to Lex Luthor's ball with.
Lois is...
Well, she's complicated.
Domineering, uncompromising, pigheaded...
brilliant.
And we're not really going out. It's business.
- Thanks for sewing my jacket, Mom. - You're welcome, honey.
That electrical storm over Cleveland was brutal.
Maybe you should take another route. See you next week, honey.
I love you. Take care.
I forget how beautiful it is here.
The only stars you see in Metropolis are riding around in limos.
You're the one who wanted the rat race.
I couldn't live there. Not for a minute.
There's something about the city.
The pace. Everyone going somewhere.
Impatient. Like you.
I guess you finally found your niche...
and stopped living out of that old suitcase.
I hope so, Dad.
Being in Metropolis, working at the Planet...
it's a dream come true, but...
But you still feel like you don't fit in.
Because I don't. I don't fit in.
I have to control myself all the time.
Never use my powers.
Because I don't want to jeopardize my chance to lead a normal life.
Whatever that means.
Just being human, like you and Mom.
Living, working, meeting someone.
Having a family.
We don't know if that's possible.
You can't risk anyone finding out about you.
If they knew you came from another planet...
But I can't hide forever, Dad.
There has to be a way that I can be Clark Kent...
and still use what I've been given to do some good.
You'll find a way, boy. You'll find a way.
Have you ever met him? Lex Luthor?
No, but I read all five of his unauthorized autobiographies.
Rags to riches. Wrong side of the tracks.
Self-made billionaire.
Owns dozens of companies, employs thousands of people.
Man of the Year, every year. Has his finger in every pie.
But rarely appears in public. He won't give personal interviews.
There he is!
Good evening.
Nice to see you. Hi. Good evening.
- Good evening. - How are you?
You're on my phone list, Margaret.
Harry, congratulations on the bio.
I liked that editorial on the ozone.
Sen. Washington. Hi, how are you? Nice to come.
Gentlemen, Sen. Morales.
Lex Luthor.
Why haven't you returned my calls?
Gentlemen.
Lois Lane, Daily Planet.
I assure you that I'll never make that mistake again.
She's something, isn't she?
Clark?
Yeah.
She is something.
I hope you'll forgive me for being so bold.
But boldness is a trait I find very attractive in a woman, Ms. Lane.
Thank you.
- Anyway, Mr. Luthor, I... - Lex.
I know that you're hesitant to give interviews.
You can understand a man in my position. I wouldn't want to be...
misinterpreted.
And I have had one or two bad experiences with the media.
But not with me.
So, why don't we make it...
tonight?
Yeah, mind if I cut in?
Lex, this is Clark Kent.
Clark works at the Planet.
A pleasure.
Later.
Clark, you idiot! It's taken me a year to get this close.
What, this close?
I would have thought square dancing was more your style.
Actually, I learned from a Nigerian princess...
who studied ballroom dancing in England.
- Really? How fascinating. - Where are you going?
Lois, what are you doing?
Being a reporter. You should try it sometime.
Lois. You can't come in. It's...
Just look around.
Macedonian.
Belonged to Alexander the Great.
A brilliant tactician.
Alexander's strategy was simple.
Always seize the high ground.
It was with this sword that he defeated Darius...
Darius III, and was proclaimed King of Asia.
You surprise me, Mr. Kent.
I'm not often surprised.
I hope you don't mind us looking around.
You have a beautiful home, Lex.
Have you seen the view from here?
The tallest building in Metropolis.
I must confess that I love the fact...
that everyone in the city has to look up in order to see me.
Let's get back to the party.
I think you'll find my announcement will interest you.
After you.
Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests...
my friends.
We've come here tonight for a good cause.
Thanks to your generosity, the Luthor House for Homeless Children...
will soon be a reality.
Thank you.
As you know, I've dedicated myself...
to improving the quality of the lives of the citizens of Metropolis.
Tonight, I'd like to go further.
Now, it is my sad understanding...
that the Congress of Nations intends to cancel the Space Station Prometheus.
Profit aside, the potential benefits...
that a zero-gravity laboratory could bring...
most importantly, pharmaceuticals...
that could end many crippling diseases here on Earth...
must not be lost to the citizens of this planet.
So, therefore, I have decided to commit my total financial support...
toward the building of a privately-owned space laboratory.
I've submitted my proposal to the Congress of Nations...
and I'm awaiting their outcome.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Space Station Luthor.
Now, step right up. Don't be shy.
Feast your eyes on an engineering marvel.
A signpost to a new age of scientific advancement.
A flagship, cruising into the new century.
My gift to the future of mankind...
the children of Earth.
Will that be all for this evening, sir?
Yes, Asabi, thank you. That will be all.
Pleasure, sir.
Good morning, Lois.
Maybe for you. I've been at it for hours.
I went back to EPRAD.
I followed the truck with the wreckage of the Messenger inside.
They brought it into this hangar.
I tried to get in, but your friend Dr. Baines threw me out.
There's a man down there! Call the fire department!
We need help!
Back off, all right?
Call the fire department!
People, get back. There's a man down here.
Ten-five. There's a man down, here.
Back off. Get these people back.
Okay. I got you. You're all right.
You okay?
That man saved me!
He pulled me out.
- He's delirious. - Obviously.
Look at you. You're a mess.
From now on, do what I do. Bring a change of clothes to work.
Hey, CK.
- Hold that elevator. - Where are you off to?
Lois sent me to pick up that report from Platt.
He called this morning, said he hoped we can read it.
She also told me to take a copy over to my friends at STAR Labs to analyze.
- What happened to your suit? - Don't ask.
See you later.
Morning, handsome.
Hi, Cat. If you'll excuse me, I...
No, I don't think I will excuse you.
I've asked you to have dinner with me two times.
That's two times more than I've ever had to ask any man to do...
anything.
I'm sorry, I've been really swamped. Lois and I...
Poor Lois.
All work and no personality.
Well, if I can take a rain check on that dinner...
Sure.
But don't wait too long.
Okay.
I love it when they play hard to get.
Catnapping?
Anything?
I must have called 50 ex-employees...
that worked at EPRAD the same time Platt did.
None of them are talking. I don't know.
Maybe there's nothing to talk about.
So, what do we do now?
First, we piece together Platt's report. If that's possible.
Then we try and figure out a way to prove that Dr. Baines got a copy of it.
If there's any written evidence...
that Platt found coolant devices and Baines ignored it...
I hope you didn't make dinner plans.
I am all yours.
It's done.
The Messenger is at the hangar.
I knew that I could leave everything in your capable hands.
What's he doing here?
I have an errand for him to run.
Platt has to be silenced...
and those reporters, Clark Kent and Lois Lane...
are also becoming a problem.
Lois Lane was there this morning. Followed the truck to the hangar.
All right, do what you want with Platt. You leave the reporters to me.
Tell me, Lex, do you have some special interest in those reporters?
- Clark Kent, for example? - Kent's nothing. He's a giblet.
And Lois Lane?
She's a very talented young woman. I may have use for her.
Unfortunately, she may not be so easily seduced.
As me?
Have I seduced you? I thought it was you who seduced me.
I'm warning you.
Stay away from her.
Antoinette, you know me. Perhaps a little too well.
You know I don't like threats.
I don't care.
Everything we've worked for, we are so close...
and I will not let her interfere.
You do know what I'm capable of.
Yes, I do.
And that is part of the appeal.
This is impossible. Nothing matches. No dates.
We're never going to get through this.
I'm starving!
I wish I knew some good Chinese takeout.
I know a place. I'll be right back.
- Don't you want to know what I want? - I'll bring an assortment.
That was quick.
I took a shortcut.
It's still hot.
This is out of this world.
It's in Chinese.
Don't tell me that you read...
"A good horse is like a member of the family."
I hate that. That is not a fortune.
You are a strange one, Clark Kent.
- Am I? - Yeah.
But I think I got you figured out.
Really?
It didn't take you very long.
It's my business, looking beyond the external.
Don't fall for me, farm boy.
I don't have time for it.
Come on, let's go find Platt. Maybe he can help us decipher this.
Lois, let me look first.
Don't be silly. I've seen it all. War, crime, famine.
Dr. Platt?
Wait. The water.
- Suicide? That's ridiculous. - He's tried it before.
No sign of forced entry. No sign of struggle.
Nobody saw anybody come in or out.
But we were on the verge of proving his theory...
That something he was working on was right. There's no way...
If the man's gonna barbecue himself, he ought to use sauce.
The man's name was Samuel Platt. He was brilliant.
A scientist, and someone who cared about others.
Under the circumstances, I don't believe that kind of humor is appropriate.
Sorry, buddy. Really, I'm sorry.
- Are you okay? - We should have known.
- We should have protected him. - How?
I don't know, but we should've done something.
Look, Clark, all we can do now is try and prove him right.
We have a lot of work to do.
It's only 5:30.
Why don't we try and get a few hours sleep...
and I'll come by for you about 9:00, okay?
I can't help it, Mom, I feel responsible.
If you could have helped him, you would have.
Clark, what's this about a worker caught in an explosion down a manhole?
Your mother told me he recognized you.
Dad, the workman was really out of it.
I mean, nobody believed him when he pointed to me.
One of these days, you'll pull one of your stunts...
- and a nut with a video camera... - What did you want him to do?
Did you just want him to let the man die?
- How are your clothes holding out? - Don't change the damn subject.
I have been thinking about this.
Maybe it's a crazy idea, but, Mom, how's your sewing machine?
- Is it still working? - I think so.
I have a favor to ask.
I think I need some kind of outfit.
Outfit?
Like a disguise I could wear, when things like that explosion happen.
I could...
Mom, I gotta go. Lois is here.
Lois again?
Bye.
I said 9:00. I thought you'd be naked.
Ready.
I was on the phone. I'll be out in a jiff.
We'd better be going.
Explain something to me.
You eat like an eight-year-old, and you look like Mr. Hardbody.
What's your secret? And can I have it?
But, Henderson, if there were contusions on Dr. Platt's head...
- then he could've... - Inconclusive.
He could have gotten them last week.
I'm sorry, but the autopsy result is gonna read: "suicide."
This isn't over. I'll call you back.
Who's that?
That's Mrs. Platt, and her daughter, Amy.
Mom, I was supposed to be at Susan's by now.
Okay, honey.
Take my coat, and just wait over there by the elevator for me, okay?
- Bye. - Excuse me.
I haven't told her yet.
You see, everything we worked for was for Amy.
The space lab Prometheus was the only hope, and now...
Mrs. Platt, when you and Amy left your husband...
No, we never left him.
He made us leave.
He was sure that they were going to come after him.
He was afraid that Amy and I would get hurt...
so he sent us away.
Do you have any idea who might have...
All I know is...
Samuel knew that Prometheus was being sabotaged...
and that knowledge got him killed.
Please, help me.
Don't let his daughter grow up believing her father committed suicide.
We'll try. We promise.
Thank you.
We interrupt our regularly scheduled program...
to bring you this special report from the Congress of Nations.
I am pleased to announce that we have unanimously decided...
that the Space Station Prometheus will proceed.
What about Lex Luthor's proposal?
This body would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Mr. Lex Luthor...
for his generous offer...
but it is our firm belief...
that the space station should go forward as originally planned.
A project dedicated to global cooperation...
for the advancement of the sciences.
The colonist launch, scheduled for next week...
will proceed as planned.
The rocket will also carry an auxiliary propulsion module.
Should any serious problems arise...
we shall be forced to cancel the mission.
We don't anticipate that happening, we anticipate success.
So, I gave STAR Labs Dr. Platt's report.
They recreated the launch in a hologram. It was really smooth.
Anyway, they concluded that Platt's theory was right on.
There was deliberate sabotage...
and the transport explosion was no accident.
Congrats.
He was right. Platt was right.
- Now we can write the story. - I can write it.
- With my help. - With your help.
And if we can convince people there was sabotage...
- and who was behind it... - We can stop him.
Why don't we have dinner?
- I don't know. - We should celebrate.
Okay. Dinner.
Great.
Wait a second, what am I talking about? I can't. I have plans tonight.
Luthor?
Yeah.
Tell me something.
How far are you willing to go to get this interview?
Not that it's any of you concern, but as I told you before, this is business.
What is your problem, anyway?
You've had a chip on your shoulder since the day I met you.
- You resented the fact... - Perry foisted an inexperienced...
- Snob. - What?
You are a snob, Lois.
Coming from Mr. Green Jeans, that's really...
I live by three rules.
I never get involved with my stories, I never let anyone else get there first...
and I never sleep with anyone I work with. This is business.
Your mother and father both died when you were 14, correct?
Why don't I just have my office send you a biography?
Because I don't want the standard line. I wanna know the real Lex Luthor.
What makes you tick, what you strive for...
what you want.
Pleasure. The pursuit of pleasure.
- Does that surprise you? - I would have guessed you'd say power.
Power is a means, not an end.
You took over your first big company when you were 21.
There were rumors that that buyout was coerced.
Is it true that the board of directors were...
- Now, was the food not to your liking? - It was delicious.
- It's just that when I work, I... - All work and no play.
Is that your credo, Lois Lane?
I think that we should...
Why don't we just enjoy the evening...
enjoy each other...
let down your hair, loosen the tie.
I'm not wearing a tie.
But you're so tense.
Why don't you just let your defenses down?
I think you've gotten the wrong idea about this dinner, Lex.
I hope you don't think that we're here...
merely because you're a beautiful young woman.
That wouldn't speak very well, for either of us.
Look, you want an interview, right?
A scoop. I understand that.
Quid quo pro. Let me tell you what I want.
My talent in life is not making money. It's not juggling companies.
It's character assessment.
And I sense things about you. Possibilities, potentials.
You have the intelligence, the spirit, and the vision...
to transcend the mundane.
And, just so there are no misunderstandings...
you are beautiful.
Lex, I have a story to write tonight.
I should get going.
No dessert?
No. I never have dessert.
Really? You don't know what you're missing.
Good night.
Well?
I blew it. I didn't get the interview.
No, did he ask you out again?
I don't know. I guess so.
You guess so? I hope you said yes.
Lex Luthor is the world's most eligible bachelor.
Mr. Right could be right out there.
Come back to Earth, Lucy.
This is reality we're talking about.
All right, let me see if I've got this straight.
You want me to publish a story...
that says that the Prometheus project is being sabotaged...
that the space transport Messenger exploded...
and that the transport carrying the habitation module...
to Space Station Prometheus...
scheduled to be launched in less than three days...
is probably also going to blow up.
And all of this information...
you got from interviewing Samuel Platt...
a man who was banned from the scientific community...
underwent psychiatric treatment, and committed suicide...
although he was "probably" murdered.
Now, does that about sum it up?
- Chief... - Hard facts.
That's the name of this game. Now go out there and get me some.
- What we need is physical evidence. - I'll call Dr. Baines...
and try to get permission to set up an independent examination.
Baines will not let you do that. She could be involved.
Besides, we don't have time to play by the rules.
The colonist transport goes up in two days.
I'm calling. Maybe someone else at EPRAD will authorize it.
You do that.
Where are you going?
- Nowhere. - I'm coming, too.
I guess I don't need to point this out to you, Lois...
but this is dangerous.
Fine, you go back to writing obituaries...
I'll grab the scoop of the century all by myself.
How do we get inside?
- We don't have to. - What?
I watched them load the Messenger wreckage onto the truck.
The whole left side of the shuttle was bashed in.
That one isn't.
They're working on a phony shell.
Dr. Langley, contact the main gate.
Dr. Langley, main gate, please.
You're amazing. Where'd you learn to do that?
Reform school. It was a bum rap.
Your friend Lois Lane is here.
- Lois, this is so cool. - I think it's time we eliminated her.
Kill off The Daily Planet's star reporter?
I'm surprised at the suggestion, Antoinette.
She suspects me, Lex.
You said I would never be implicated.
She lacks evidence.
Evidence is sometimes all that separates the criminal...
from the successful businessman.
Or woman.
I told you I'd take care of her.
I did this for you, Lex.
And you've been paid very well.
In fact, your final installment is waiting in the helicopter.
Proceed as planned. I promise, there will be no loose ends.
Lois, what do you expect to find here?
Do you know what particle isolators even look like?
Wow, smooth.
Take pictures of every inch of this wreck. We'll have them analyzed later.
Then we'll have to break into Dr. Baines' office.
I am positive she's lying about that report.
I never trusted that woman, not from the very first time I met her.
The way she looked at Clark, very unprofessional.
Jimmy?
Jimmy, get up.
Very impressive, Lois.
These days, a woman has to know self defense.
Okay, sorry about the late hour, folks.
Just doesn't seem to be enough time in a day.
Where are Lois and Jimmy? Clark?
I assumed they'd be here.
All right, we're going to just start without them.
Okay, now...
the piece on the recent sex-change operation in the royal family.
I kind of have mixed feelings about this. I...
Kent, the meeting's not over.
It's not like Lois or Jimmy to miss a staff meeting, sir.
I thought I'd go call around, if that's okay.
Hell of a way to run a railroad.
All right, let's see, where was I? Yeah, okay.
Kent?
- Kent, there you are. - Yes, sir.
They told me you were in here.
Yes, sir.
Did you make your call?
I was just about to, sir.
Are you looking for something?
No, sir. Not really.
I guess I'd better be getting back.
Yes, sir.
When are you coming?
Out of the closet...
Soon, sir. Very soon.
You'll never get away with this.
Everyone at the Planet knows where I am.
Let her go.
Put down those guns or I'll...
Or you'll what?
Nothing.
I told Perry I needed a task force. A task force!
What do I get? Amateurs.
I still can't believe you came barreling in here like some 500-pound gorilla.
If you thought we were in trouble, why didn't you bring the police?
- Look... - Don't tell me, I already know.
Because you're like every other man in Metropolis.
You've got this testosterone surplus that says, "I can do it myself."
Baines has got to kill us now.
I don't know why she hasn't done it already.
- Lois, I've somehow managed to... - Mess everything up? No kidding!
Now hold on a second. I'm not the one who snuck in here...
What are you saying? Are you saying that this is my fault?
At least I have the guts to come in here and...
What am I saying? This probably is my fault.
Oh, God.
I sometimes do things.
You know, like jump into the pool without checking the water level first.
But, Clark, it's the only way I know how to do it.
How to get the job done, to get the respect that I want...
that I deserve.
Do you remember when I told you about my three rules?
I've broken every one of them.
I somehow manage to always get involved with my stories.
You slept with someone at work?
Yeah.
It wasn't Jimmy, was it?
Don't be ridiculous.
It was a long time ago, when I first started at The Daily Planet.
Claude. He was French.
I must have been in love with him, or thought I was, anyway.
One night I told him about my story...
and the next morning when I woke up, he was gone.
So was my story. He won an award for that.
Didn't even thank me for my input.
I guess when you're in love with somebody...
it doesn't matter how smart you are or how many rules you set for yourself...
you're still vulnerable.
We're only human.
And what difference does it make now, anyway?
We're just gonna die.
You know what you said about respect?
I just want you to know that everybody on the Planet...
everyone, thinks you're just about the best reporter they've every met.
Perry told me that the day I interviewed.
- He did? - Yeah.
And not that it really means anything coming from a hack from Nowheresville...
but I think you're pretty terrific, too.
I'm sorry...
about everything.
I know it's too late for apologies, but I never meant...
I hope you'll forgive the accommodations.
But then again, I never was much of a hostess.
Answer one question.
- Why? - It's simple, Lois.
Profit.
Outer space is no different than any other new frontier.
It'll belong to those who get there first and seize the high ground.
Sorry you won't be around to enjoy the rest of the evening...
but accidents do happen.
- Accidents? - Yes.
You see, while dismantling the orbital maneuvering system...
the monomethylhydrazine leaked...
and mixed with the nitrogen hydroxide.
Unfortunately, the blast killed three nosey reporters...
who didn't bother to read the sign.
- Clark, how did you... - A missing link. Come on.
What happened?
I don't know.
I guess the force from the explosion must have carried us here.
Look.
Good night, Antoinette.
Sweet dreams.
- Were you scared, Jimmy? - Scared? No!
No, ladies, not at all.
I was more concerned with the larger issue...
unless we got out of there alive, the colonist launch could blow up as well.
I just spoke to ground control over at EPRAD.
They went back over the colonist launch vehicle...
with a fine-tooth comb.
Found the same coolant problem in the protective bands, and fixed it.
Launch is all set for tomorrow morning.
It's a no-go for you, Lois. No reporters allowed.
Imagine The Daily Planet getting an exclusive personal account...
of being on the colonist transport.
No can do, Lois.
All right. Another time, maybe.
Clark, you're gonna be pleased to know...
that Platt's widow and his daughter are back on board.
Thank you very much, sir. I appreciate that.
Clark, I just...
I wanted to thank you for all your help getting us out of there.
I'm glad it all worked out.
And one other thing.
If you ever breathe a word of anything I told you in there...
- I will deny it and I will... - You can trust me, Lois.
Right. Heard that one before.
Hey, Lois, good luck!
Mobile logical monitoring devices should be self-activated.
I'm still showing a red light in Sector 7.
We will advise.
Attention, all ground personnel. All service vehicles depart the gantry area.
I don't know about this costume thing, Clark.
It'll work. It has to.
If I have an effective disguise...
I won't have to worry about people finding out about me.
Come on, let's get started.
- What about that one? - I don't know.
What do you think?
One thing's for sure, nobody's gonna be looking at your face.
Mom!
They don't call them tights for nothing.
I don't know. There's something missing.
Something...
What's that?
The baby blanket we found you in, so long ago.
And this.
Your folks would be proud of you.
We sure are.
Thanks, Mom.
I'm not so sure about the cape, though.
Really? I love it. It'll be great when you're flying.
Hey, you two, come on in here. Launch vehicle's about ready to go up.
...preparation for the upcoming launch.
All have undergone a series of examinations...
The colonists are just about all on board.
...to function in an off-Earth environment.
This will be the first time that a group this large...
drawn from the general population, will...
Historic occasion.
Remember when you were a kid, Clark, and we watched the first moon landing?
On a more personal note, head columnist...
What do you think?
That's my boy.
That's right. What if somebody recognizes you?
I don't think they will, Mom, because it won't be me.
Yeah.
Attention, all personnel, we have reached and cleared...
Booster, set on my mark.
Prepare to synchronize all information processing...
and data retrieval systems at this time.
Main computer panel control transfer to redundant computer sequence.
T minus three minutes.
All technical personnel should deplane at this time.
Mission Control advises ground crew that the system check is on.
Panel is now green in all sectors.
All bio-monitoring systems are go.
The umbilical cord attached to the liquid-fuel booster...
has been disengaged.
One minute and counting.
Almost ready to go.
Section 8, please double-check your indicators.
- Roger. - Confirmed, no problems.
Forty-five seconds and counting.
Go back to BOCS again.
Pick up 255.66...
Cabin temperature is 60 degrees, cabin heat exchange is 48 degrees.
Oh, my God, it's a bomb.
Baines. It's a bomb!
Someone, help! There's a bomb!
Help!
Perfect ignition.
There she blows.
Thirty seconds and counting.
Circuit failure in the main panel.
Due to a mechanical failure...
we are suspending the countdown at 29 seconds.
We will advise.
I don't believe it.
Something's gone wrong.
- ...there has been a launch termination. - Clark.
Seemingly, the computers have sensed some sort of a problem...
What the hell is that?
- Is that a bird? - Is it a plane?
Nope. Just a guy in a pair of tights and a cape.
Are we scrubbing the mission?
Get away from that! What kind of a lunatic are you?
That's a bomb, and you're...
Excuse me.
What the hell are you?
Yes, sir, due to equipment problems and an unexplained occurrence...
There was a bomb.
He...
ate it.
- Hi. - Hi, I like your costume.
Thank you. My mother made it for me.
- What's your name? - Amy. Amy Platt.
- Who are you? - I'm a friend.
- Can you teach me how to fly? - Not fly.
But once this lab is operational, walk.
That's very possible.
Attention, colonists.
The mission has been scrubbed. Prepare to disembark.
That's it, then. It's all over.
Why?
Once the thrusters have been fired, they have to be replaced.
- We lose our launch window. - Yes.
We just have to forget about Space Station Prometheus.
No, you don't.
There's nothing wrong with this transport vehicle, or the station.
You only need to get there.
How are they supposed to do that?
Easy.
I'll give them a boost.
I want security tech teams over every inch of that transport.
- Lift-off. - What?
That's impossible!
Lift-off.
All Prometheus personnel, prepare for docking.
- I still don't believe it. A man who flies. - It's all over the TV.
Jimmy, don't believe everything you see on TV.
I'll tell you one thing, though.
Whoever pulled off a hoax like this is...
Great shades of Elvis!
I see it, but I don't believe it.
What, a man who flies?
No, Lois Lane finally, literally, swept off her feet.
Too bad he's an alien.
I think, considering the fact that I saw you first...
you owe me an exclusive.
Is that the rule?
Well, no, but I'd appreciate it very much.
Wait a minute!
- How do I find you? - I'll be around.
Real smooth.
Did you find out what the "S" stands for?
Super...
Superman.
Let's get back to work. We've got a newspaper to run.
An astonishing debut, Superman.
Haven't you heard?
That's what they're calling you. It's international news.
So, to what do I owe this honor?
I came to tell you that I know who you are.
Who you really are.
I suppose, on its face, it was a good plan.
Destroy Prometheus, so that you could put your own space station in its place.
Then, not only would you make billions...
from the patents of the vaccines developed...
but you would also be the supposed savior of the space program.
Well, it's an interesting theory, Superman, but I'm afraid that's all it is.
You were also responsible for the deaths of at least three people.
Cdr. Laderman, Samuel Platt, Dr. Baines.
Those probably aren't the only skeletons in your closet.
So you've become both my judge and executioner?
Like any other citizen of the planet, I must obey the law.
I am not above it. You, it seems, believe you are.
- I hold a certain position in this city. - Yes.
And there is nothing that would please me more than to see you dethroned...
and behind bars like any common criminal.
- That day will come. - Well, I trust not.
But, as they say, let the games begin.
One more thing.
If you ever need to find me...
all you have to do is look up.
Morning, Lois.
- Clark, where have you been? - Around.
Not that it's anywhere near as exciting...
as the stories you covered on The Smallville Press...
but Superman was in the newsroom, and I just about nailed down the exclusive.
Well, congratulations.
Clark, you should have seen him.
Up close, he is the most magnificent figure of a man that I have ever...
Sounds like he made quite an impression on you.
He did.
Why, are you jealous?
- Of Superman? Should I be? - Please.
- Where are we going? - Terrorist shootout on Sixth.
And, Kent, I'll ask the questions.