Donner's Superman 2

Superman II
The Richard Donner version

Scenes 485 - 497, "Battle of Titans", pt. 2

485 EXT. NEW YORK - NIGHT - HIGH ANGLE

Manhattan is a scene of incredible destruction. Numerous fires have broken out. The lights of emergency vehicles race through the streets as CAMERA PUSHES IN on TIMES SQUARE.

486 EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NIGHT

Havoc in the streets below. POLICE and FIREMEN work frantically. PEOPLE run looking up, terrified. CAMERA PANS to ZOD in the sky above, yelling defiantly.

ZOD
Admit defeat, you obstinate fool! Bow and proclaim Zod your master!

Suddenly: SUPERMAN appears next to him.

SUPERMAN
Come on, General. Isn't it time you joined your troops?

With a mighty whack, SUPERMAN sends ZOD flying back.

487 ANGLE ON WINSTON SIGN

ZOD whistles through the air, smashes into a huge Winston Cigarette sign, demolishes it, large chunks falling down amid the screaming POPULACE in the streets.

488 ANGLE ON SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN winces, watching the destruction. He is suddenly poleaxed by NON'S fist, shoots out of frame.

489 ANGLE ON COCA COLA SIGN

SUPERMAN is driven back into the enormous illuminated Coca Cola sign. Hundreds of neon lights pop like soap bubbles - rainbows of electrical sparks fall into the streets below: SUPERMAN bounces off the sign, dazed, falls down to the pavement.

490 EXT. TIMES SQUARE STREET - NIGHT

SUPERMAN hits the sidewalk, stunned. He looks at the destruction around him, agonized, stops short as he sees:

491 ANGLE on URSA - SUPERMAN'S POV

PASSENGERS scramble away as URSA lifts a city bus. The DRIVER tumbles out the door as she sets herself to throw it at SUPERMAN.

492 BACK TO SUPERMAN

SUPERMAN tries to rise, calls out to URSA desperately.

SUPERMAN
Don't! The people!...

URSA lets fly with the bus - it smashes into SUPERMAN, driving him back into a building wall, obliterating him from view.

493 EXT. SKY - ANGLE ON ZOD

NON has joined ZOD. They look down. The bus remains imbedded in the building. URSA shrugs from below, ZOD gestures NON to investigate.

494 EXT. STREET - ANGLE ON BUS

NON and URSA begin to remove the implanted bus as the PEOPLE watch in terror. They pull it away from the building - look: SUPERMAN has disappeared - a narrow hole leads off backward through the structure.

495 EXT. ANOTHER STREET CORNER - NIGHT

The PEOPLE are hushed, wait, unbelieving. NON and URSA scan the area with their X-Ray vision, find nothing. CAMERA ZOOMS IN on TWO TEENAGERS standing on the sidewalk, their eyes glassing over.

TEENAGER #1
(can't believe it)
They... beat him... they beat Superman...

TEENAGER #2
They didn't beat him... he just... quit. He ran away.

496 ANGLE ON ZOD

URSA and NON fly up to join ZOD, who roars victoriously down at the PEOPLE below.

ZOD
So this is your Superman! A coward - like his father! Go back to your homes, you meaningless insects! Go home and pray - to Zod!

The VILLAINS fly off, their gales of cruel laughter echoing through the city.

497 INT. PERRY WHITE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

PERRY, LOIS, and JIMMY step back quickly as the VILLAINS land in the office. LUTHOR, still propped up against the wall, looks over expectantly.

ZOD
Our victory is complete! The son of Jor-El has fled.

JIMMY
(stunned)
Fled?...

PERRY
I don't believe it.

LUTHOR
(disappointed)
You said it. Three-to-one should get you both ears and the tail.

ZOD
(angry)
He ran in fear from us...

LOIS
(defiant)
He'll be back. As long as he's alive he'll try again.

ZOD
The next time - we will kill him!

NON roars. LUTHOR rises, dusts himself off, turns to ZOD.

LUTHOR
Next time, next time...
(shakes his head)
What am I going to do with you people? I hold up my end. I deliver the Blue Boy - and what do I hear from my triple threat? "Bow, yield, kneel" - that kind of stuff closes out of town.

ZOD stares hard at LUTHOR, icy, but curious.

LUTHOR
(chuckle)
Kill me? Lex Luthor? Extinguish the greatest criminal flame of our age? Eradicate the only man on earth...

URSA
Kill him!

LUTHOR
(quickly)
... with Superman's address?

LUTHOR grins, in control now. ZOD examines him carefully.

ZOD
There is something more you want. The greed is written on your face.

LUTHOR
(pause)
Perhaps a small... incentive, your Ultimate. A tiny bauble to help me jog my memory...

ZOD
What more?

LUTHOR
(quick smile)
Cuba.

Sources:
1 -

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