Superman and Batman: The World's Finest/Transcript

(The film starts with logos before the scene fades to black as text fades up: "This picture is dedicated in loving memory to Christopher Reeve" and "Without whom we would never have believed a man could fly". The text fades as the scene fades to the planet Krypton as the camera pans back to Krypton behind the sun.)

Jor-El: (voiceover) You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... even in the face of our deaths. You will make my strength your own. You will see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father... the son.

(The red supergiant Rao implodes and becomes supernova, destroying Krypton to asteroids. The opening credits start as the Superman and Batman emblem appears in a manner reminiscent of the Superman opening credits sequence while the "Superman Theme" plays in the background and the title comes up: "Superman and Batman: The World's Finest" as the camera pans forward from space to Earth. After the opening credits, the scene fades up to Superman who flies in his Spaceshipper as he searches for remains in Krypton while he wears his silver suit, but realizes there are no survivors as he returns to Earth. The scene goes to black.)

Gertrude Vanderworth: (voiceover) In spite of your past...

(The scene cuts to Vanderworth's house as thunder crashes then the scene cuts to Vanderworth's bedroom.)

Gertrude Vanderworth: I know you're a good man. And all good men deserve a second chance. (coughs weakly) From the moment I received your first letter, I knew you were not like the rest. You came from nothing and you worked so hard to get where you are. You might have made a few mistakes.

(The door bangs.)

Man #1: Gertrude, for God's sake!

Man #2: Damn it, Gertrude, let us in now!

Gertrude Vanderworth: You said that if I helped you get out of prison, you'd take care of me.

Lex Luthor: Mm-hmm.

Gertrude Vanderworth: And you have. You've shown me pleasures that I've never known. That's why you deserve everything.

(Lex Luthor places a pen and a clipboard to Gertrude's hand as she writes her name on the signature.)

Gertrude Vanderworth: I love you... Lex Luthor.

(Gertrude Vanderworth moans and dies. Lex Luthor removes the pen as he takes the ring off his finger and drops it into a cup then he goes to the door as two dogs follow him after one dog licks Gertrude's hand.)

Man #1: Gertrude, let us in. He's a crook!

Man #2: He doesn't love you, Gertrude!

Woman: He's a monster! Gertrude!

(The scene goes to an upstairs room as Lex Luthor opens the door and the clock chimes.)

Lex Luthor: (looks at a little girl, takes the wig off and gives it to her) You can keep that.

Woman: Oh, God.

Lex Luthor: The rest is mine.

(Lex Luthor walks off as a girl shrieks in terror and a woman picks it while the group leaves. The scene goes to the main hall as Lex Luthor goes downstairs.)

Lex Luthor: We're done.

(Kitty Kowalski, dressed as a maid, follows Lex Luthor to the car and takes the top off her head and drops the duster as the yacht model stands in the middle of the hall then Lex Luthor closes the front door. The scene cuts to the farm right next to the Kent house at night as the truck engine starts and Martha's friend waves goodbye to Martha Kent as he drives off.)

Martha's Friend: Bye, Martha.

(The scene cuts to the kitchen as Martha scrubs grime off the plate while she listens to country music on the radio. She dries the plate with towel and places it in the dish rack and then she picks up a cup of joe as she pours it into the sink. She cleans a cup as she scrubs it, rinses it and places it in the dish rack. Suddenly, the static crackles on the radio as Martha hears something and places the cup upside down. The house shakes along with a plate of angel food cake, a radio, a spoon, a teapot and Scrabble. Martha holds on and sees Superman's Spaceshipper where it burns up and crash lands into the field. The country music resumes as the scene goes to Martha who drives to the Spaceshipper in the field as she opens the truck door and closes it. She walks over to it and sees it.)

Martha Kent: Oh, my God.

(Superman reaches and touches Martha's back. Martha turns around as she gasps and holds onto Superman who falls unconscious.)

Martha Kent: Oh, Clark. Oh, my boy. (cries)

(The camera pans up to the Spaceshipper and the scene cuts to the Atlantic Ocean as thunder rumbles and rain patters. Lex's yacht, The Gertrude, sails to the North Pole in Arctic. The scene goes to the control room as Stanford steers the wheel and Riley goes to Lex's room as Brutus films Riley.)

Riley: (shoves Brutus) Get that camera out of my face.

Brutus: Sorry.

(The scene goes to Lex's room as opera music plays on speakers and Lex Luthor looks at the pages with pictures of crystals.)

Kitty Kowalski: Lex, your friends give me the creeps.

Lex Luthor: Prison is a creepy place, Kitty. One needs to make creepy friends in order to survive. Even a man with my vast talents is worth less inside than a carton of cigarettes and a sharp piece of metal in your pocket. (closes the book, stands up and exhales) I'll tell you why Superman had disappeared. Superman has been missing for the past five years, looking for survivors on the doomed planet Krypton. Unfortunately, there are no survivors.

Kitty Kowalski: So he decided to return to his home world?

Lex Luthor: Actually, he did. You see, whoever controls technology controls the world. The Roman Empire ruled the world because they built roads. The British Empire ruled the world because they built ships. (puts his glasses on and picks another book) America, the atom bomb, and so on and so forth. I just wonder why he came back.

Kitty Kowalski: Sounds great, Lex, but you'd see a hero.

Lex Luthor: (closes another book and takes his glasses off) Heroes are capable of saving every city and protecting all of humanity.

Riley: Hey, boss. We found someone who wants to meet you at the Arctic.

(Lex Luthor runs upstairs)

Lex Luthor: No, I don't wanna be a god like Prometheus. I just wanna bring fire to the people. And I want my cut.

(Kitty Kowalski looks at Prometheus who holds the sun as the scene fades up to the Arctic. A helicopter sits as Lex Luthor, Kitty Kowalski, Stanford, Riley, Brutus and Grant meet Captain Cold.)

Lex Luthor: Can I help you?

Captain Cold: Yes, I was wondering if I could help you reshape America.

Lex Luthor: Who are you?

Captain Cold: Leonard Strat. You can call me Captain Cold. I'll take you to Superman's Fortress of Solitude.