Superman: Lost Son By Lee Thomson

DC Comics character: Superman

DC COMICS

EXT. SKY ABOVE METROPOLIS -- DAY 10,000ft above Metropolis from this high the people below look like ants. Small, shimmering items like snow, but with a yellow glow to them start to fall into shot. Soon bigger items fall past the camera it isnt snow, it is DEBRIS, both large and small, many pieces engulfed in flames. One piece is different, not metallic, but still covered in flames - SUPERMAN. Superman falls with the yet to be revealed wreckage. People on the - Steets below begin to panic as they see the burning rain come towards them. CLOSE UP: SUPERMAN FALLING LOIS LANE (V.O.) I once wrote about a man I knew... INT. GRAVEYARD -- DAY, RAINING -- 72 HOURS EARLIER People are gathered around a grave, a coffin rests with an America flag placed on top. LOIS LANE stands alone in front of a crowd with a mixture of DAILY PLANET STAFF and MILITARY PERSONAL reading from an old DAILY PLANET NEWSPAPER. LOIS LANE ...I wrote that the world has a guardian...a protector wholl watch over us. Among the Daily Planet staff attending are: JIMMY OLSEN and PERRY WHITE, but a space appears where CLARK KENT is nowhere to be seen. LOIS LANE (Pausing to absorb the fact Clark isnt there) ...He was someone who I said would always be there when we needed him, would be our shoulder to cry on, the arms to pick us up when we fall, and our strength to help us (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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2.

LOIS LANE (contd) move forward even when the odds were against us... LOIS struggles to fight the tears and gain composure, PERRY WHITE walks and stands by her side. LOIS LANE ...This was my first article about Superman. LOIS looks at PERRY with tears in her eyes, he squeezes her hand reassuringly. LOIS LANE (Turning back towards to crowd) What I failed to realise then, but have discovered in these past few days is I already had a Superman in my life. Someone whod been been doing all these things... CLOSE UP: GENERAL LANES TOMBSTONE IT READS: HUSBAND, FATHER AND A TRUE MAN OF STEEL. LOIS LANE ...My father was my world, my protector, my shoulder and now he is gone, now he must watch over me, and hope his little girl is ready to face the world alone. So I once wrote about a man I knew...my father: General Lane, my Superman. The ceremony is finished as General Lane is laid to rest. Mourners come and pay their respects. As Lois approaches her car she is approached by one mourner he is using a CANE. Has a MILITARY UNIFORM on, name tag reads: JOHN CORBEN. JOHN CORBEN Miss Lane, excuse me Miss Lane. PERRY WHITE steps in front before he reaches her. PERRY WHITE (Quietly to not turn anything into a scene) Son. Now is not the time to be hounding Miss Lane, whatever is so important can wait, today Miss Lane isnt a reporter...

(CONTINUED)

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3.

JOHN CORBEN (Ignoring Perry) Miss Lane, I worked with the General, in fact I owe him my life. John pulls up his trouser legs to reveal two artificial legs. JOHN CORBEN Five minutes, away from all this...please? LOIS LANE (Opens the car door) Get in PERRY WHITE Lois are you sure LOIS LANE My father wouldnt ignore a soldiers plea for help, and I wont tarnish the his name by leaving a desperate man behind. Lois gestures to the man to get in. JOHN CORBEN Thank you, Miss Lane. John climbs into the front seat and the two drive off. We see two men watch from afar as the car leaves the cemetery. MAN 1 (On phone, Russian accent) Negative, looks like he got into a car with the daughter, Lois Lane...what are your orders sir? INT. WAREHOUSE -- DAY, RAINING Another man is a low lit room, we see him applying what looks to be foundation on his face. MAN 2 (Russian accent) Follow, but keep your distance - We need him to discover the location of the exoskeleton first, then we move in...the Generals daughter is expendable if she gets in the way.

(CONTINUED)

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The man hangs up the phone, picks up a chair and walks into a... - LARGE EMPTY STORAGE ROOM ...all the windows along the high ceiling wall have been covered. The room is pitch black, with a single green glow lighting up the center of the room. All you can hear is the noise of the chair being dragged and put into place. Suddenly the lights begin to turn on, starting outwards and walking their way inwards until revealing - The Man, sat down staring at another man across a table with a small green glowing rock on it - Kryptonite. The other man appears unconscious with his head down. MAN 2 Good afternoon, can I interest you in something to eat, perhaps a drink of Russians finest. The weakened man looks up - SUPERMAN - face bloodied and beaten. SUPERMAN Who are you? MAN 2 Superman, always to the point...very well. My name is Rudy Jones, not a name many tend to remember, but in time it will be the only name everybody will be talking about, which is more than I can say for you Superman. Ruby Jones holds Superman hair and pulls his head back RUBY JONES Tell me, Superman...When did the world stop caring...hmm? Ruby clicks his fingers and a man brings in a LAPTOP, TWO GLASSES, and a BOTTLE OF VODKA and places on the desk. RUBY JONES (Gesturing to servant) Release his arms, and take this away... (Refering to the Kryptonite) (MORE) (CONTINUED)

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RUBY JONES (contd) ...so the man can have a drink. SUPERMAN That wouldnt be a good idea. RUBY JONES (Pouring two glasses of vodka) Why? You are no threat to me, we both know you wont kill any of my employees despite what they have done to you these past few days, and... (Moving one glass to Supermans side of the table) ...you certainly wont leave because you will want to know who I am and why I have brought you here. The servant leaves the room, with the Kryptonite. SUPERMAN Ruby Jones...Doesnt sound very Russian. RUBY JONES Awww, very good I see your hearing has picked up on my accent, not that I have ever been very good at hiding it that well, Ruby Jones was merely a name that would allow me to enter this country without raising suspision, but in Russia most people have started calling me by my nickname, but enough about me lets talk you, and why I have arranged our little meeting today. Ruby pours himself another drink RUBY JONES You really should try this it is quite good. Superman blasts his glass with his heat vision. SUPERMAN No, thank you. RUBY JONES Suit yourself, it is you who is missing out.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: SUPERMAN What do you want? RUBY JONES Yes, sorry I do dygress. I asked you a few moments ago: When did the world stop caring? When perhaps I should have been more accurate with my question, and asked: When did the world stop caring about you, Superman?

6.

Ruby Jones turns on the laptop, he flicks between various major news websites. RUBY JONES I have held you here for just over a week, Superman, but I do not see your name, there is a Batman a few times, a Lantern here and there, and even an Aquaman, but where, where is Superman? Ruby flicks through more websites until he reaches the Daily Planet, in the bottom cornor of the homepage reads: Superman missing, story on page 8. RUBY JONES Not even Lois Lane can get a Superman story on be the main focus of the Daily Planets news these days, when did the mighty Superman fall so low in socities eyes, that even when you are gone, the world barley notices. Ruby turns off the laptop RUBY JONES But, those in power we never stopped caring, oh no, we always were thinking of you Superman, not just us in Russian, but even your atopted home country. You see you marked the beginning of a new weapons race, that is something that will never be forgotten, youve inspired us, you gave us the greatest challenge mankind has ever faced: How does a man kill a god? Superman throws the table to one side and lifts Ruby with some force up against the wall.

(CONTINUED)

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SUPERMAN People like you are fuelled by your one desire to control, driven purley by fear. You trick those who are weak minded to believe in your ideals so you can convince yourself you have true power, I dont need x-ray vision to see through people like you whose threats and shadowery surroundings are there to hide the fact you are nothing, but a small man lost in a struggle to be constantly be something he is not...special. Ruby takes Supermans hands and begins to pull them off himself. The more Ruby makes an effort it appears Superman is getting weaker. Rubys face begins to melt revealing a PURPLE FACE with only intendations where the facial features should be. RUBY JONES Oh, but I am special Superman, I am Russias answer to the great challenge. But, you claim I trick people, well, Superman, you tricked them into believing they were safe, they were protected. However, we dont live in the 90s anymore. People see the world for what it is, and see that the world you have feed them as nothing more than an illusion, that is why no one remembers you Superman, because despite all your great powers, the bright suit, you are still just a man who failed to live up to expectations. Rubys face and clothes are completely gone. He grips Supermans so tightly Superman buckles to his knees. RUBY JONES So, back in Russia we answered the great question: How does a man kill a God? First you bring him down to our level, then you show him, what he doesnt want to see: A world that doesnt believe in him anymore. Superman looks disturbed by the way Ruby Jones now looks.

(CONTINUED)

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RUBY JONES Like many others, you may forget the name Ruby Jones, so you are welcome to call me the same thing the Russians did: Parasite With a tremendous amount of force Parasite kicks Superman who flies through the wall of the warehouse landing... EXT. INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, JUST OUTSIDE METROPOLIS -- DAY ...into a large amount of machinery, which falls on top of him. INT. LARGE WAREHOUSE -- DAY Parasite looks at the hole left by Superman, like the release of adrenaline he begins to calm down. PARASITE Get me Corbens location, wheels up in 5minutes.