The Man of Steel

ACT 1 SCENE 1

DEEP SPACE

Pan over stars. Silence.

A space station comes into view.

SPACE STATION INT.

A small dark room. Tinted with red light. In the center is a large sphere, as wide
as the length of a truck. It's smooth and metallic.

A man enters. He is very old. His eyes are colorless. His hair is thin.
He runs his hands across the sphere, admiring it.

Old Man (speaking kryptonian)
My son, death.

A growl from the sphere. The old man looks at the sphere, proud. he smiles
and closes his eyes. He holds up his right hand. He is holding a small device.

It's a cube with many appendages and screens. He fiddles with it with both hands.
It starts to pulsate light. he lets it go but it floats in the air. The cube's
outer shell breaks apart and floats around what it was containing: a small, blue,
sun-like object. The tiny "star" floats in front of him.

Old Man (speaking kryptonian)
Death and destruction, my son.

He takes a long breath and throws his head back.

Old Man (speaking kryptonian)
Death.

The "star" expands an explodes in red fire engulfing the room.

SPACE

The space station explodes.

The sphere shoots through space.

ACT 1 SCENE 2

SPACE ABOVE EARTH

We are far behind superman as he floats above earth. His cape is drifting. His feet
are together and his arms are sprawled out like christ. We can't make out much
detail of him. The scene is peacefull.

Then, he hears a gunshot.

At a lower angle, we watch him cut through the hemisphere like a meteor.

BANK INT. DAYLIGHT

Four men armed with handguns have taken hostages in a bank. They are not collecting
money.They stand apart from eachother. Hostages are lined up with their hands tied
behind their backs against a wall. One armed man is standing in front of them.
Another is holding his gun above his head,pointing to the ceiling. He fires upward,
again. The hostages cry out

Armed man 1
Everyone remain come. You will return home safely tonight. He will be here for you
soon.

Armed man 2
For us all.

Superman flies through the glass doors of the bank in a streak of color. He lands
in the center of the bank, cracking the marble floor. He lands in a crouching
position.

Superman
Gentlemen-

Superman stands up straight. Our first good shot of The Man of Steel.

Superman
I'll be escorting you out, now.

Very suddenly, the armed men put the barrels of their guns pointed into their heads
from under their jaw.

Armed man 3
We offer our lives in your name, Superman.

They pull the triggers. Time slows down around Superman. He pushes each barrel away
from each of the mens' heads. By the time he gets to the fourth one, the bullet
is already pushing against his skin. breaking the skin slightly. Superman pulls the
bullet away and drops it on the floor. The fourth man is only bleed slightly. Time
snaps back to normal.

The three other bullets fly out of their barrels and hit walls and the ceiling. The
men fall down dead, despite Supermans efforts. Superman looks around in shock. He
X-rays the men. Each is missing a front tooth.

Closeup on Supermans face, heavy with the realization, this was a ritual suicide.

ACT 1 SCENE 3

BANK INT. NIGHT

The bank is now a crime scene. A detective is kneeling by one of
the dead bodies.

He's wearing latex gloves. He lifts up the dead mans lip to reveal the
space where his front tooth should have been.

Superman stands behind him with his arms crossed.

SUPERMAN
Cynanide?

COP
Probably. But we'll leave that up to forensics

He stands and takes off the latex gloves. Other police officers are around
the scene doing various tasks.

Superman looks distraught

COP
The way I hear it, they were a part of some "Superman Cult"

Superman winces very slightly. Hardly noticeable.

SUPERMAN(shaking his head)
Four men dead. For me? How could they think this is what I wanted?

COP
Can't say I don't understand it. You're the closet thing to a God
I've ever met.

Superman wrinkles his brow.

He regains his composure

He turns to shake the cops hand

SUPERMAN
Well officer, I appreciate your work. I'll leave you to it.

Superman turns and walks out of the bank.

The cop follows him outside. Multiple officers are around and
there are several police vehicles and ambulances parked. Paramedics and
cops are talking to hostages.

COP(sarcastically)
More banks to save?

SUPERMAN
No more tonight. It's quiet out their, and I have bigger plans.

He waves and flies away.

the cop pulls out a cigarette and begins to light it

COP(mumbling to himself)
I wouldn't wanna rob no damn bank either, with him flyin' round.

ACT 1 SCENE 4

LOIS LANE'S APARTMENT INT.

Lois Lane walks in. Her arms are full of groceries and she's squeezing the phone
between her shoulder and her ear. She's on the phone with Jimmy Olsen.

LOIS
No! I could hardly make out what I was looking at. Yes, yes they were that
bad.

She walks over to the kitchen.

LOIS
I don't care Jimmy, I need them touched up by lunch tomorrow.

She fumbles a bit and a carton of eggs fall out of the paper grocery bag. We watch
them fall. A blue arm catches them. Superman puts the eggs back in the bag.

SUPERMAN(with a smile)
Ms. Lane, dinner tonight?

Lois stares at him smiling.

JIMMY OLSEN(on the phone)
Lois? Loooooois?

LOIS
I'll call you back.

She drops everything and runs into Supermans arms.

ACT 1 SCENE 5

FOS EXT.

We follow superman as he flies to the fortress. He's bridal carrying Lois. She's
dressed in lairs. She gets a chill and holds herself closer to him.

FOS INT.

They fly in and Superman puts sets her gently on her feat. There's a meal prepared
on a dinning table. She smiles big, takes off her coat and drapes it over one of
the chairs. Superman pulls it out for her. He sits down and they start to eat.

LOIS
Kal, this is amazing. Since when can you cook?

SUPERMAN
My talent doesn't stop at catching crashing planes.

They smile at eachother but his smile quickly fades. She knows what's bothering
him.

LOIS
I heard. About what happened today. You shouldn't blame that on yourself.

SUPERMAN
I'm not really. I just... I know I'm not human. But I was raised here, on Earth, by
humans. I went to school with humans. I'm madly in love with a human. But.... They
see me as an alien, a saviour, a "god" but not a man.

LOIS
They love you. You keep them safe. They're all grateful that you're here.

SUPERMAN
I'm glad to be here. Earth's my home. Sometimes I just wish I was experiencing it
like you are. Like everyone else is.

Lois gets out of her chair and walks over to Superman.

LOIS
But if you were like everyone else-

She falls into his lap and puts her hands on his face

LOIS
Who would be around to catch me?

They kiss

LOIS
You know, you don't realize how lucky you are. I've always wondered what it looks
like up there.

Superman smiles.

SUPERMAN
I have something to show you.

ACT 1 SCENE 6

FOS INT. A BACK ROOM.

a small room. in the center is a round glass coffin-like structure. Lois and
Superman enter. Lois walks up the the glass strucutre and puts her hand on it,
admiring it.

SUPERMAN
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." It's a
little gift from my birth father. I don't know how it works, but I know what it
does, and I know how to use it.

LOIS
This will make me like you?

SUPERMAN
Only for about 12 hours, give or take. So, what do you say?

Lois becomes very excited.

LOIS(with a large smile)
Do it!

Superman puts his hand on the glass, the area around his hand glows. The structure
opens up. Lois lays down on it.

SUPERMAN
You're going to fall asleep, just for a minute or two. It'll be done when you wake
up.

Lois eagerly shakes her head up and down. Superman touches another part of the
glass and it closes again. Lois closes her eyes. Superman touchs the glass in
various spots. The room darkens. Yellow light is emitted from the structure.
Theres a humming noise, and then silence. The light stops. The structure opens
up and Lois steps out, yawns, and stretches, as if she slept for hours.

LOIS
Did it work?

Superman picks her up by the waist, and then slowly removes his hands from her.
She's floating. She smiles, grabs Supermans head, and kisses him. She starts to
laugh and flies out of the smaller room, and then around the larger room where
they ate dinner. Superman flies to her and grabs her hand, smiling.

sUPERMAN
Come with me, I want to show you something.

ACT 1 SCENE 7

MOON SURFACE EXT.

The earth is glowing in the background as Superman and Lois land on the moon. She
stares at the earth. A tear of happiness falls.

LOIS
It's so beautiful. Thank you for this.

SUPERMAN
Lois, I-

He wraps his arms around her from behind.

SUPERMAN
You're the only person that makes me feel like I'm
a part of something, bigger. It's a beautiful feeling you give me, and, I don't
want to lose it. Ever.

He gets down on one knee. Lois turns around. He pulls out a ring.

sUPERMAN
Lois, will you-

LOIS
Yes!

He quickly stands up and kisses her. She holds her hands behind Supermans neck and
Superman puts his hand on Lois' neck. The Earth glows majesticly in the background.

Cut to them sitting against a moon rock. Lois falls asleep, and he carrys her from
the moon to her bed in her apartment. He lays her down and kisses her on the cheek.

Then, he hears a certain joining of words that he's been listening for in the past
couple of hours.

MAN(offscreen)
In the name of Superman, we give our-

Supermans face grows stern, and he very suddenly, very quickly, flies out of the
apartment to follow the source of this sentence.

ACT 1 SCENE 8

A MANOR INT.

Fifteen or so people sit around a large, well furnished room. The man talking is
standing in front of them all, he appears to be the leader. They are all holding
a drink.

CULT LEADER
saviour, Superma-

Superman crashes threw the door

SUPERMAN
No!

The cultists are surprised and a lot of them drop they're drinks and jump back.

SUPERMAN
I will not allow any more misguided people throwing their lives away in my name.

CULT LEADER
Throwing our lives away? Misguided? Superman, don't you realize? You need for us to
do this.

Superman recognizes this man as the cult leader, and adresses him specifically.

SUPERMAN
I never asked for this. I don't want your worship. I am a man. I am mortal.

CULT LEADER(with a crazed look)
How humble. Superman, you are far from mortal. Our ceremony yesterday cemented
your immortality.

SUPERMAN
You're wrong. This is wrong. I feel pain, just like you do.

CULT LEADER(with a shit-eating grin)
Now, we both know that's not true.

Superman has run out of things to say. He just stares sternly at the leader,
who now adresses his people.

CULT LEADER
The saviour obviously does not accept our sacrifice today. But don't fret children,
our brothers completed their task at the bank.

Superman ignores them and walks out the manor, with his head down. He's realizes he
hasn't felt pain since he was a teenager, when bullets could bruise him. Now he was
made of steel. And he felt like a machine. So he decides to conduct an experiment.
He flies off back into space.

ACT 1 SCENE 9

THE SUN SURFACE

Superman is at the surface of the sun, naked. Struggling not to get too sucked into
the sun. he holds his hand out to touch the surface. Solar flares are exploding all
him. The sun is roaring with power. Superman looks at his hand. It's undamaged. He
closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and flies straight into the sun.

Inside the sun, Supermans body twists and convulges.He isn't in pain, but he doesn't
know what to do wtih himself. His body is absorbing unreal amounts of energy. Like
an overcharged battery. He yells. Theres a booming noise as he expels himself out of
the sun and hundreds of thousands of miles away.

He yells again and shoots the rest of the energy he absorbed out of his eyes. Like
a focused nuclear blast, it explodes across the stars. Superman breaths heavily.

He thinks about what just happened. He flew into the sun, and survived. Not only
did he survive, but it made him stronger. He can't comprehend it. Was he a God?

ACT 1 SCENE 10.

LOIS LANES BEDROOM.

Lois wakes up to Superman sitting at the edge of the bed. He is still naked and
obviously not well.

LOIS
Kal! What happened?

Superman doesnt look at her.

SUPERMAN
I flew. Into the sun.

LOIS
Why would you do something like that?

SUPERMAN
I flew into the sun, and I survived.

a few moments of silence.

SUPERMAN
Lois, what am I?

Lois crawls across the bed and holds him in her arms. Cradling him. He's the one
that needs saving right now.

LOIS
You're my hero Superman.

ACT 1 SCENE 11

The metal orb from the first scene enters the atmosphere.

METROPOLIS EXT. NIGHT

There's electricity in the air. The orb is having a terrible effect on Earth. Steet
lightbulbs burst. All the cars stop working. People are in the streets yelling
confused and threatened. People can now see the orb in the sky. Pandemonium.

LOIS LANES BEDROOM

Superman stands up and walks out the window. In a blur, he puts his costume back on

LOIS
Whats happening?

SUPERMAN
I have to go now.

LOIS
Well is there a story? Maybe I should come.

SUPERMAN
Lois. NOt this time. Please.

He flies out the window.

THE CULT MANOR

Some cult members sit around the leader.

CULT LEADER
Brothers. We were just in time. Doomsday has arrived.

METROPOLIS EXT. NIGHT

People are running through the streets, screaming. They think the worlds about to
end. They're rioting. The orb gets closer and closer to the city. It flies straight
through a skyscraper. The building starts to collapse. Debris falls. The orb is
getting close to the ground. Headed straight for a thick grouping of people. Just
in the nick of time, Superman flies at hyper speed into the way of the orb and
catches it. It pushes him back and he struggles to slow it down. As soon as
Superman holds it to a halt, He throws it with almighty strength out of the city,
Into the nearby thick forests.

Then superman flies to catch the falling debris and set it down. Where he sets it
down their are multiple injured people on the ground. He quickly carries them
individually to a hospital.

HOSPITAL

He carries one more person to the hospital. He sets her down on a gurney. She is
crying frantically. Superman looks at her and becomes sad and stern. He rushes out
of the hospital to save more lives.

LOIS LANES APT.

Lois is putting on her coat and is rushing out the door.

LOIS
He can't really think I'm sitting this one out.

ACT 1 SCENE 12

THE FORREST

The orb sits in a crater. The trees around it are on fire. A loud growl is heard.
The metallic surface of the orb begins to liquify. It starts out in ripples like a
pond that just got a stone thrown into it. Then, it's slowly pulled down by gravity
around an awkward shape. It slides and drips off it's cargo. It has characteristics
of mercury. After it has completely dispensed, it's cargo is revealed.

It's a giant green figure. In the fetal position on it's feet. It realizes it is
conscious, and stands up. It is 8 feet tall. It's "skin" is a dark, scaly green.
It has no eyes, or any other facial feature. Just a face shape. Like it is wearing
a mask.

The creature holds out it's hand, palm up. You can feel the power it has in its
body. It remains still until a small bird flies into it's palm. Suddenly, it crushes
the bird like a potato chip. It puts it's arm down at its side and drops the remains.

Doomsday is here.

He sees Metropolis in the distance and walks towards it.

Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are in a helicopter flying towards the crater. They
haven't arrived yet. Jimmy is testing the camera equipment.

JIMMY
So what is it you think we'll see?

LOIS
A crater. What else would we see?

JIMMY
You know, Superman is an alien.

LOIS
Yes Jimmy I know. I wwas the one that wrote the damn story.

JIMMY
Yeah well, he's an alien, so maybe we'll find aliens.

LOIS
Maybe. Maybe we'll find a big rock.

The sun is rising in the background as the helicopter flies over the trees.
We look from above and behind the helicopter as it discovers the crater. Lois
adresses the pilot.

LOIS
There it is! Take us down low.

They get ready to do the newscast. Jimmy starts to film the crater and Lois begins
to give the story.

LOIS
We are at the location of the meteorite, surrounded by a-

JIMMY
theres no meteor.

LOIS
What?

JIMMY
Theres no meteor it's just a-

The helicopter is hit by something large. We stay inside the helicopter as it
starts to fly out of control and almost crashes, then suddenly stops, and is
put gently onto the ground. Lois falls out of the helicopter and is caught by
Superman.

SUPERMAN
I told you to stay home.

LOIS
Yeah well, I wouldn't be very good at my job if I did that now would I.

Superman puts her down.

SUPERMAN
The military is on it's way here. They'll take you all someplace safe. I have to go
get whatever just threw a tree at your helicopter. (speaking directly to Lois) Stay.
out. of. the. city.

And he's off.

Doomsday is running threw the forrest. He jumps for miles at a time. And eventually
lands on a bridge to metropolis. Superman flies in front of him. Doomsday and Superman
lock into eachothers sights. They stand about 20 feet apart. There is silence as they
watch eachother.

People are running out of their cars in the opposite direction of Doomsday. The bridge
is empty in seconds. Superman finally talks.

SUPERMAN
Who are you?!

no response.

SUPERMAN
Where did you come from? What is it that you want?

Doomsday lifts it's head for a moment, as if it was thinking. Then, he silently
shows Superman the blood on his hand from the bird.

SUPERMAN
If that's what you came here for, then I don't care where you came from, I'm
sending you back.

ACT 1 SCENE 13

The fight between Superman and Doomsday. They charge at eachother. Building
momentum with each step they take. Storing power in their arms. When they get to
eachother, they both throw a haymaker at eachother. Their fists collide. This
creates a shockwave. It firstly, tears off the Doomsdays sleeve, revealing his grey
skin underneath his green suit. Bones protrude out of his skin at his knuckles,
shoulder, and elbow. Secondly, the shockwave ripples through the giant bride.
Causing it to break apart and fall into the water. The destruction is monumentous.

Doomsday falls into the water with the bridge but Superman flies above it, shooting
heat vision Doomsday's general direction. There's a split second of calm before
Doomsday leaps out of the water, grabs Superman on his way up, and holds onto him as
they fall into the fall together.

At the lake bottom, Doomsday is holding Superman against the floor by his neck.
Superman is trying to pull Doomsdays hand off with both his own hands. He blows
freezing breath at Doomsday. Doomsday slowly gets frozen in a block of ice. Superman
sqeeuzes his way out of Doomsdays grasp.

Thinking the battle is already won, Superman flies out of the water and lands on the
road where the bridge would have started if it hadn't collasped. Doomsday jumps
out of the water again, lands, and gut punches Superman. Then, Doomsday starts to
throw cars at people and buildings. Superman recovers from the blow and catches
a car. He throws the car back at Doomsday and it explodes.

The upper half of Doomsdays suit is completely gone now. Revealing his hideous,
bone riddled, body. His eyes are black and evil. He roars and punches Superman
in the face. Drawing blood.

Superman throws punches at Doomsday, backing him off for a moment. He touches his
fingers to the blood on his face and looks at it. He's never bleed before.

While Superman is distracted, Doomsday grabs his cape, Twirls him around, and throws
him across the city. Superman goes straight through a building and lands in a street.
Doomsday jumps after him.

Right as Doomsday is about to land Superman punches him in the jaw. Doomsday lands
on his back. Superman shoots him in the head with heat vision. It does nothing.
Doomsday quickly gets up and kicks Superman back a few feet. They exchange blows.

In the forest, a military unit has set up a perimeter around the crater. They've
given Lois and Jimmy coffee and blankets. Lois over hears something on one of their
radios.

RADIO
Destruciton.... unbelievable....It's as strong as Superman.. They're calling it...
Doomsday....

Back in the city, Doomsday and Superman exchange more blows. Doomsday backs
Superman into a building. In the building, Superman grabs Doomsday by the neck and
kicks him upwards with amazing strength, through every floor of the building and out
the roof. Then he flies above Doomsday, and punches him downwards into the collapsing
building. The strength of this punch send a shockwave that shatters all the windows
within a mile. Doomsday lay motionless under the pile of rubble.

Superman lands on the ground by a car and leans against it. His costume is ripped
in many places and his body is riddled with cutes and bruises. Especially on his face.
He's close to death.

The screen flashes every couples of seconds from superman struggling to stand to
an image of a black desert with a white sky. The sihoulette of a person. Etc.

At the military camp, military men have gotten the orders to assist in rescue
efforts. Lois is begging to get on a helicopter headed for the city.

LOIS
You have to let me go with you! Please, I need to see him. (a man is holding her
back, she starts balling her eyes out) You see this? (She shows him her ring)
We were going to get married! I need to see him. (She can hardly breath she's
so upset) Please!

They let her on the helicopter and it flies to the city. We follow it from behind.
As it gets closer, more and more destruction can be seen from the city. Part of the
city looks like a wasteland. Lois spots Superman.

LOIS
There he is!

As they start to head in Supermans direction. Doomsday lets out a roar that could be
heard from space. He jumps out of the debris and punches the helicopter. It spirals
downwards. Superman flies up, punches Doomsday into a building, and catches the
helicopter. He sets it gently down, but many of the men are already dead. He helps
Lois out of the helicopter.

SUPERMAN
How many times...am I going to have to...catch your helicopter today?

He's smiling through pain. Then he sees the dead military men and his face grows
stern Lois, seeing her new fiances face battered, bleeding,
and bruised, starts to cry again.

LOIS
Please don't do this. Take me away from here... Someone else can save everyone..
We can leave here forever. Please, please.

SUPERMAN
Lois..

LOIS
I need you.

SUPERMAN
Please understand. This thing is a monster. Too many lives are out in jeopardy
by it's very presence here. No one and nothing else can do this. It's up to me.
It's why I'm here.

LOIS
Kal... I...

Superman hold her in his arms firmly.

SUPERMAN
Just remember... No matter what happens... I'll always love you. Always.

He gives her a long, passionate kiss. We see it from the waist up. This shot is
a very pivotal moment because this is where we feel their love, and their heartbreak
, because they both know whats about to happen.

Superman looks at all the destruction. He's angry.

SUPERMAN
But now, Doomsday gets his!

He flies off, into the last encounter. He flies into doomsday and pushes him through
several buildings and dozens of walls and cars. Doomsday grabs his feet and flips
his head into the ground. Supermans cape rips off. Superman flies behind Doomsday and
punches him in the spine. Then he heats him with a heat blast so strong his sends
him flying into a fall. Doomsday knees Superman in the chin. A bone protrusion from
his knee draws blood. They exchange blows. They lock hands and push against eachother
with all of their might. They let go and punch eachother in the chin, shattering more
windows.

They're both extremely close to death. They stagger around. On shots of Superman,
we see flashes of an unknown place, like before. Superman talks to Doomsday.

SUPERMAN
You know..... I have to thank you...... I was afraid I was immortal.

Doomsday roars and Superman yells a battle cry, they both release every ounce of
energy they have left. Every bit of strength their muscles can hold, every facet
of their godhood, into one last blow. They send their fists flying into eachothers
heads.

They both, fall down. More flashes of the mystery place while on Superman.

Lois runs over to Superman. She cradles her dying husband.

SUPERMANS DYING WORDS
Did I... Did I stop him?

Lois is in tears

LOIS
You stopped him. You saved us all. Now just relax until-

Supermans body goes limp, he is dead.

Any bystanders watch the scene, all sadened at his death.
Their hero has fallen. But he vanquished the threat. Lois Lane cries,
holding his body. Behind her, Supermans cape, caught on some debris, flies
like a flag.