Well, you must be excited.
Oh, I don't know, Clark.
Walking to work with you isn't really the thrill it used to be.
No, no, no. The Kerth Awards.
- They announce the nominees tomorrow. - Oh, is that tomorrow?
Come on, Lois. You get nominated every year.
Not every year.
Just every year since I've been eligible.
I bet you win it for the Bolivian drug cartel series.
Well, the dinner's always fun.
It'll be a nice way to break in that new black dress I got.
Did you get your tux yet?
- The dinner's just for nominees, Lois. - And their dates.
You wanna go?
Really?
- Sure, yeah. - Great.
Why don't you run in and get a tux.
I'm gonna go to the bank. Meet you back here in five.
Okay.
Lois?
Clark.
You okay?
Last thing I remember, I was standing here, and I felt really tired.
Apparently, you weren't the only one. Come on.
What could've knocked us all out so fast?
I don't know, but somebody made a big withdrawal.
Hello, Metropolis. I'm here to teach you a lesson.
Don't get too attached to material things, because you won't have them for long.
But you will catch up on your rest. And you're gonna need it.
I've talked to your sergeant, your detectives and your lieutenant.
Now, captain, how can the police have no leads?
Ms. Lane, that's not true.
Oh, I see. You have leads, you're just not willing to share.
Didn't your mother teach you it's rude not to share?
Hello?
"Didn't your mother teach you it's rude not to share?" Good one.
Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to eavesdrop? What is with this pen?
It's not a pen.
Jimmy, if this is some Zen parable about pens not being pens...
...and desks not being desks, I'm not in the mood.
It's a bug. I stuck it on your desk.
Look, you listen on this. Cool, huh?
I got it at Spies-R-Us.
Super hearing for sale.
Well, it's not "super" super. It's only got a range of about 500 feet.
But here's the coolest thing.
See this switch?
AM/FM radio.
- I got it. - What?
Video from the bank security cameras.
Now maybe we'll find out why the police have such a tight lid on this thing.
It's the sound.
- Sound? - What sound?
The sound on the bank, here. The one that made you guys just...
- Made us all just, like, get drowsy just now. - Look!
- Check it out. - What?
That jacket. I wonder where he got it.
Will you pay attention?
I'm looking for a biker jacket. Thought that had the label.
A biker jacket?
Going for a new look.
First sound that can put a whole room to sleep.
No, I think Yanni did it first.
All right, everybody. Let's gather around and listen up.
Nominations for the Kerth Investigative Journalism prize are in...
...and I'm happy to announce that one of our very own has gotten a nod.
- So let's have a big round of applause... - This is embarrassing. He always does this.
...for Mr. Clark Kent.
Well, come on, Clark. Don't be shy, stand up.
You know, I think you stand a real good chance of winning this.
That retirement-home scandal...
Wait, he got nominated for the retirement-home piece?
He certainly did.
It was first-class journalism.
- Emotional wallop... - Good pictures too.
If I say so myself. They didn't happen to mention...?
Olsen, that was your first photo assignment.
Even Secretariat didn't win the purse the first time out.
Who?
Boy, I'm glad you're not in Sports.
Now, Lois, don't you have anything to say to Clark?
Right.
Clark, I...
I'm very...
Surprised?
Stunned. Shocked. In need of oxygen.
Lois...
...you've been nominated every year. You won three times.
Don't go getting petty.
The Planet is a team.
One person's success is everybody's, you got it?
Gotten.
Good. All right, everybody. Let's get back to work.
- Look, Lois... - Here's what I think.
I think we should do a "who" and a "what."
Who has the capability of making these sounds...
...and what would make them?
Okay, let's get started.
Every object has its own natural frequency.
Now, the theory among physicists is, find the precise frequency...
It's like a code.
- And you can make anybody or anything do whatever you want.
Fall asleep, blow up, disappear. That is the what.
Now, the who...
There are four cutting-edge experts in the field.
One died of a coronary a four weeks ago.
Another has been on a research trip in the Antarctic for the last six months.
And then the third is a rock musician.
- Lenny Stoke. - Sounds familiar.
Put out a couple albums. Great reviews, no sales.
Heavy into sonic R&D. Had some bad luck financially.
Patents stolen, accountants ripping him off.
And then there's Derek Camden.
He cracked up because he tested a new kind of thought-altering sound on himself.
Got shipped off to some state mental ward.
Released six weeks ago. Current whereabouts unknown.
But get this: Stoke and Camden, they worked together once.
Sounds like we're on to two very likely suspects.
So who do we go after first? Camden or Stoke?
- There's something I wanted to ask you first. - Shoot.
Since we already made plans...
...I was wondering if you'd like to go to the Kerth Awards.
You mean as your date?
I was gonna go as yours.
So you want me to hang on your arm and smile...
...and tell people how proud I am of my great big reporter man.
It sounds good to me.
Lois, I'm kidding. You know, we'd have fun.
- And since you already bought that dress... - I didn't buy that dress for the awards.
I bought it around the same time as the awards. It was a coincidence.
And I don't even like it, and I'm returning it.
- You're not upset because I got nominated...? - That's ridiculous.
We both did great stories.
Mine destroyed an international drug network...
...and yours told the really searing truth about old people.
And... And...
I can't believe that! I mean, there's gotta be some mistake.
They lost my story or their brains were taken over by aliens. I mean, because...
Oh, God, look at me. This is really pathetic, isn't it?
I didn't know I could be this small. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
It's okay.
- So do you wanna come with me or not? - Oh, Clark, can we talk about this later?
Okay. So who do we go after first? Stoke or Camden?
- Let's go for Stoke. - Yeah, but Camden, he's...
Look, maybe the smart thing for us to do is to split up.
Split up? What are you...? Oh, I get it.
You've got a lead you wanna take care of on your own.
- Look, no, that's not it. - No, really, Clark, it's fine.
You go after Stoke, I'll find Camden, and we'll meet at the Planet.
Right. And then you'll have your next award all sewn up.
Notice how I'm not getting mad about this?
Do you know why? Because I'm a lot bigger than that.
All right, boys. Let's go liberate some stones.
- Right. - Got it.
- It ends here. - How right you are.
Superman, this sound's for you.
Now, I'm sure you never thought your super hearing would make you super vulnerable.
Underneath that steel skin, you're just a sensitive guy, aren't you?
Your equilibrium's shot.
In a minute, you won't even walk again, let alone fly.
Drop your weapon and put your hands in the air.
Put them up! Get them up!
Freeze.
Bye-bye, Superman. You'll be hearing from me.
Never thought I'd see it, Superman having to run.
Knowing Superman, you won't have to see it again.
- He'll think of something. - Yeah, he sure will.
But until that time, this paper's number one priority...
...is finding out who this lunatic is.
- I'm on it, chief. - Attagirl. Oh, Clark.
Yes, chief.
What'd you find out about that sound man?
- Well... - He's probably got plenty.
He's been out chasing leads.
- Yes. - Without me.
- No. - C.K., are you feeling okay?
I just have a little headache.
It's fine. You decided it's best to work on your own, I've decided you're right.
- No argument. - Just a minute here.
Is there something going on I should know about?
Hello, Metropolis. For those who haven't read the papers...
... I'm the one who brought Superman to his knees.
In celebration of that momentous event...
... I'm creating a new tax.
A sound tax.
The rate: 50 percent of all money in Metropolis banks.
The money will be bagged and waiting outside each branch by 9 a.m. Tomorrow.
Oh, and one final message to Superman:
Try and stop me. Please.
Olsen, where you going?
I'm going to get you some page-one, prizewinning pictures, chief.
That's our man. Lenny Stoke.
Clark, what's your read on this?
Stoke knows a lot about sound, but among experts, he's considered hit-and-miss.
He doesn't have the technical know-how to pull this off.
On the other hand, Derek Camden does.
It's Stoke, chief. I know it.
The theatricality of it all...
...the look-at-me, see-how-great-l-am, it is pure rock 'n' roll.
Well, sounds like to me that you all are headed for a fork in the road.
- He forked first. - All right.
Now, you wanna go your separate ways on this, be my guest.
Just bag me a headline.
Lois, this is stupid.
I'm sorry I ran off. It was a personal thing.
Now, come on. Let's work together.
No way.
Son, I've seen her like this before.
The doors are locked, the alarm's on, and you ain't getting in.
Well, I guess a little time apart isn't such a bad idea.
The jacket from the bank.
Here's the award for outstanding photography.
Database password accepted.
Subject: Lenny Stoke. October, 1984.
June, 1985. December, 1986.
Correlating data.
Likes trashy brunettes.
Our hospital files are normally confidential, Mr. Kent.
But under the circumstances...
Camden was released into the care of a friend.
Let me guess. Lenny Stoke.
I spoke to Derek not long after his release.
He said he and Stoke had a new business venture in the works.
And the last address I have for him was Stoke Club.
Yeah, Camden was living in the back room over there.
Weird little guy.
Kind of jumpy.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
Hey, what are you doing here?
I'm looking for a bathroom.
I don't...
Okay.
The bathroom's that way.
Thanks.
I'm sorry. Sorry, l...
Lois?
What...?
Why are you dressed like this?
You're too much competition for me, so I'm chucking my career and becoming a groupie.
- I've got a lead on Camden. - In his first appearance in years...
- He was staying here, in the club. ...the one, the only Lenny Stoke!
That's great, Clark. I'm happy for you.
But you know what? I have my own leads.
So, what else is there to say but see you at the finish line.
Hi.
You know, I was just wondering where you got your jacket.
You see, I think it gets to a point in a relationship...
You know, one that's got this kind of immediate connection.
But it's not about me, Lenny, and you...?
- What was your name again, darling? - Linda.
Right, Linda. Yes, of course.
But my point is, Linda...
...that it's not our names, identities...
...the five or 10 minutes we've known each other, my darling. Time is irrelevant.
Something else is taking over.
What?
This.
- Oh, I'm so sorry. - Not to worry, darling.
That's okay.
What's this?
You've gotten some on the old vest here, my darling.
Don't worry about it.
Now, where were we?
- Hey, Lenny. - Yes?
- There's a message for you. - Right, thank you.
- Linda. - Linda.
I won't be a moment.
- Lenny? - Yeah?
How kind of you, my darling. Thank you.
Don't forget me.
Not to worry.
The mayor is holding a televised news conference.
I think you'll wanna hear this.
Neither this city nor its financial institutions...
... will cooperate with such outrageous blackmail.
The Metropolis police, in conjunction with...
I think it's time to get back to business. Clear out the party.
- Right. - Oh, and darling?
Tea.
Talk to me.
Everything's set. We caught a kid following us and taking pictures.
Come on, you guys. Everybody out. Let's go. Party's over.
Out, out. Come on, out. You guys, out.
Hey, you too, honey. Come on, let's go.
Lenny asked me to wait.
Right, and I'm sure he meant it at the time. Come on.
- Let's go. Let's go, sweet face. Come on. - Wait.
Guys, get out. Out!
Listen up, Metropolis.
Thank you, darling.
Hello, is the mayor around?
Oh, dear. Well, I suggest you get her to the corner of Ninth and Grandview...
...because I intend to topple all of the buildings on the block, one by one.
Help! Help!
Think of them as pins, and this as a sort of a sonic bowling for dollars.
Tell the mayor I'll call her right back.
Run, Jimmy.
Well, well. Look who's back for more. This is super.
Like my new sound?
This doesn't just attack the ear drum, Superman.
This is an ultra high frequency of 500 million megahertz tearing through you...
...melting that metallically dense nervous system of yours.
To put it more simply, this is your brain, and this is your brain on sound.
Any questions?
Well, well, well.
You must be quite a pool player.
I believe that makes it your shot.
You can't hide forever.
Believe me, I don't intend to.
Hey, Lois.
I was just borrowing your computer. I hope you don't mind.
See, Superman saved me from this building the sound guy blew up...
...and even though I'm not a reporter...
...I thought I'd write down a few paragraphs, show the chief...
...but I can finish it someplace else.
Yeah. Let me get out of your way. Okay? Yeah.
Hey, you're wearing the receiver for my spy pen. How did it work?
I can see you're not really into the talking thing right now...
...so I'm just gonna cut you a wide berth.
Like a couple blocks.
Nice tattoo, Lois.
- Hi. - Hi.
How's the Stoke lead going?
I was so close, and then I rammed myself into a dead end.
- Clark, have I lost something? - Your fashion sense.
My edge. When did it happen? Is it gone forever?
Like socks that go into the dryer but they never come out?
- Lois, you're kind of babbling. - I know!
See, I never babble.
- Are you kidding? You're a brook. - A what? I'm a what?
Lois, the point is that you are the same reporter that you have always been.
Hard-working, dedicated.
You get a little over-the-top sometimes.
You could use a few more vacations. Maybe some semblance of a life.
Is this leading anywhere?
Lois, you are the best reporter in the city.
You always have been, and you always will be.
Oh, Clark. Thank you.
You're such a good friend.
I'm really sorry that I got all wound up about that stupid award.
Not even the award. Just the nomination.
Exactly. How ridiculous.
So how's the Camden search going?
- Well, I think I know where he is. - We do?
We?
Echo Canyon. Interesting.
- Wait, what is all this "we" stuff? - Well, you said I was the best.
- Yeah... - Who do you want for a partner, the worst?
No, but...
Are we gonna quibble about this, or are we gonna go after our story?
Here. It'll pick up the bug now.
- What was wrong with it? - Nothing. You just had it set to AM radio.
It's a small button.
Camden had a friend from the hospital.
Noemi Veldez.
She didn't speak English too well, but she talked about a place he liked.
Canyon del Sonido.
- Echo Canyon. - You know it?
It's famous for the way sound can bounce and carry for miles.
State park. No houses. No camping.
But there is an old ranger station.
What do you do, stay up nights memorizing maps?
So?
Sorry if my ankle shattering annoys you.
No, it's not me, it's him.
- Who? - The guy with the gun.
Are you my appointment in Samarra?
What?
Are you death come to visit me?
No, we're reporters.
And you're Dr. Camden, right?
You work for him. You're his assassins.
For God's sake, if we were his assassins, do you think we would've been this clumsy?
She has a point.
So those sounds that put people to sleep, blow things up...?
Here.
- All from my heart, my soul. - Doctor, be careful.
- Don't touch me! - Don't worry.
Calm down. We're your friends.
Stoke lied to you.
He said he was your friend to get you out of the hospital.
- Then he stole your inventions, right? - No, no.
He stole my dreams.
He wants to keep my dreams. He wants...
He wants to end my body and keep my dreams.
But Lenny Stoke is the sound man?
Thief. Killer. Destroyer.
I'll take that as a yes.
- I knew it. I was right. - We were both right.
Dr. Camden, what about that frequency that hurts Superman?
What makes it so powerful?
Power. Lenny... Lenny has the power.
What power?
It's a power. It's a power.
It's all about power. It doesn't work without power.
Where is he getting the power? I never could find the power.
But Lenny found the power. He stole the power.
Now he is the power.
And now he's coming. He's coming for me.
He's coming for you. He's coming for everybody.
And nothing can stop him.
Mayor, I hope you're not trying to trace this call.
Because I routed it through three islands, four oceans and five continents.
You'll be drawing Social Security before you ID me. Now, listen to me.
I also hope you don't think that this is a negotiation.
This is not a negotiation. This is a demand.
So, what's it to be, Mayor Sharpe? Yes or no?
I see.
Well, then I suppose it's time for a little more show and a little less tell.
All right, boys, into the cellar. We need some more power. Let's go.
I agree that a tactical police team could infiltrate Stoke's club and pull his plug.
But do we really have enough evidence to go to them?
- Camden said that... - The Nutty Professor? Come on.
Okay, Lois, what do you have in mind?
Something dangerous? Something reckless?
The fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants plan guaranteed to get you killed?
You could not be more wrong.
We're not even gonna leave the car.
Now, just give me a chance to get firsthand confirmation that Stoke's our man...
...and a few juicy quotes for page one.
Hang on. I'm getting something.
- We're in position. - The speakers set?
Two more minutes and City Hall will be ready to fall.
Set the focus of the speakers for the triangulation coordinates I gave you.
The angles will be positioned for maximum sympathetic vibration.
Clark, he's gonna destroy City Hall.
What do we do?
You know what?
I bet he's getting his power from the city lines underground, siphoning it off.
- Lf we can get underneath the cellar... - That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard.
I need as much power as you can pull. Make sure the city can't trace it.
- You're right. How did you know...? - Lucky guess.
Look, we have to get inside the club.
Hi. I just wanted to give you girls a tip.
See, Lenny told me that he really likes his women...
Well, how should I say this?
- Smaller than the average milk cow.
So if I were you, I would either lose some poundage or...
...start grazing someplace else.
Should I be using smaller words?
Look, girls, I don't wanna hurt you.
Hey.
She went that way. Come on.
By the way, your roots, they're a little dark.
Farewell, City Hall.
Superman!
Surprise! Darling, please.
As you can see, this glove isn't just an affectation.
This is a little something that I dreamt up called the Wall of Sound.
A sonic barrier so dense that nothing can get through it.
Not even you.
No plug to pull.
Independent power supply.
Well, that's wonderful.
That lantern-jawed look of concern for human life. How Superman of you.
Am I missing something?
Is there something going on that I'm not aware of?
She's your girl, isn't she?
That's very romantic.
It is unfortunate, however, because she only has five seconds to live.
Four. Three.
Two.
No! No!
I know, darling, but you'll see I'm so much more fun.
No!
Get back downstairs and hook us up to the city main.
- Give me the jumpers. - I got them.
Okay.
Look, Lenny...
You're not gonna say something like "you can't get away with this," are you?
Well...
Just keep your happy, little greeting-card thoughts to yourself, all right?
- What was that? - Sound.
It's a mechanical disturbance with limited speed.
When an object reaches 740 miles per hour...
...it catches up with its own noise.
Then the piled up energy takes the form of a violent shock wave...
...called a sonic boom.
They should've never fired you from NASA.
Tell me about it.
Like I was trying to tell you...
...this was a bad idea because you don't wanna make him mad.
- How'd you do that? - Simple. Broke the sound barrier.
Now, let's go for a little ride, Lenny.
No, see, you don't understand. I have this problem, a Rain Man thing.
I hate flying.
You'd hate it more if I dropped you, so you'd better hold still.
Oh, boy, what an evening.
I tell you, now I know exactly how the colonel felt...
...when Elvis brought home that first gold record.
Clark, I'm so proud of you, I can't see straight.
Not as proud as I am. That was a great speech.
Well, now, that's quite a little attitude change. What brought that about?
I'm just glad to have such a good partner.
Oh, I'm coming, honey.
Every time Alice sees me in one of these monkey suits...
...she can't wait to get me home and tear it off.
I'll see you two later.
See you, chief.
- So how did I rate as a date? - A-plus.
- I hung on your arm decoratively. - You did.
- Fawned appropriately. - Absolutely.
And just faded into the background during your big moment.
You were beautiful yet invisible.
Make me go through another night like that and I'll rip out your spleen.
Okay, fair enough.
It's smaller than I thought.
Not quite as shiny close up.
Win a few of these, you find out they don't mean much.
A quick rush, a few pats on the back...
...then you're back on the beat, only as good as your next story.
Where do you think I should keep it?
I'm the wrong person to ask. I keep mine in the bottom of a closet.
I saw your light. Is this a bad time?
Of course not. I was just doing a little dusting.
I wanted to thank you for the other day.
I couldn't have stopped Stoke without you.
You were very brave.
Well...
Me and Clark.
Yeah. I'll be sure to thank him too.
What are those?
Oh, nothing. Just...
Journalism awards?
- You sure do keep them up. - No.
No, I hardly know that they're there.
I like the lighting.
It makes them look...
...bigger.
Well, I better be going.
Wait.
What's this?
It's a rose.
What's this for?
Do I have to have a reason?
I guess not.
Good night, Lois.
Good night.