Superman II
The Richard Donner version

Scenes 504 - 514, "Final confrontation"

504 INT. FORTRESS - NIGHT The VILLAINS race in, looking wildly for their prey, smelling blood. LUTHOR enters behind them with LOIS. The interior seems to be empty. The molecule chamber stands directly in front of them. ZOD Show yourself, coward! Son of a coward! SUPERMAN'S VOICE I'm here, Zod. The molecule chamber suddenly irises open. SUPERMAN stands inside, arms on hips, looks out evenly at ZOD. SUPERMAN Let Miss Lane go and step inside. We'll talk. LOIS sees what he's about to do, starts forward. LOIS Superman! No!... URSA grabs LOIS by the nape of the neck, jerking her backward. ZOD has caught LOIS' reaction, looks at the chamber suspiciously. ZOD Come out - or the woman dies. SUPERMAN looks at LOIS, her neck about to be snapped by URSA. He hesitates, then slowly steps forward and out of the chamber. ZOD stares at him. ZOD Your powers are identical to mine, but we are three. We could tear you limb from limb. NON growls. LUTHOR'S eyes dance with excitement. LUTHOR Do it, Your Grace! Grab his legs and make a wish... ZOD But you are victim to another fatal weakness. Your... (dirty word) compassion. The death of others means more to you than your own. SUPERMAN (at LUTHOR) With rare exceptions... ZOD Your father once condemned us to eternal living death. Your fate shall be the same. You will live, Kal-El. Forever - as my slave. If not, then others will pay for your stubborn attitude. Innocent people, millions of them if necessary... (at LOIS) Beginning with her. SUPERMAN looks. URSA tightens her grip on LOIS' neck. She winces with pain. LOIS Don't do it, Superman! Don't... Her wind is cut off by URSA. SUPERMAN (to URSA) Stop it! (pause - to ZOD) All right, Zod. You win. It's over. LUTHOR Don't believe him! You don't know him, like I do... ZOD smiles, full of himself, looks around the Fortress at the memory bank, crystal rows, bench, etc. He sniffs the air unpleasantly, turns to NON. ZOD I sense the presence of Jor-El here. Destroy all this... (at LUTHOR) And then kill him. LUTHOR Me? General, it's me, Lex Luthor! Remember? Who got you through the tough times? You filled your inside straight? You came to me with nothing - except the world. I gave you Superman! ZOD turns his back on him, walks away. NON begins to smash the crystal rows with enthusiastic relish. 505 CLOSER ON LUTHOR AND SUPERMAN LUTHOR edges in closer to SUPERMAN, desperate, sweating. LUTHOR You think you know people, right? Promises are made, gifts exchanged... what does it all mean anymore? Not like the old days when it was just you and me. And I've got to hand it to you, Superman. You always told the truth. A fellow knew where he stood with you. You wanted to destroy me, pure and simple - and I respected you for it. NON raises SUPERMAN'S bench high over his head in B.G., smashes it to the floor. ZOD turns, looks at chamber, examining it cautiously from the outside. SUPERMAN looks at LUTHOR carefully. SUPERMAN (low voice) Perhaps there is some good in your after all, Lex Luthor. LUTHOR Me? I'm loaded with good! I mean I've never even used it. SUPERMAN I'll have to take the chance. Try to get them all into that molecule chamber. It takes away their powers, reduces them to human beings. Now if you could... LUTHOR looks over. ZOD is about to enter the chamber. LUTHOR Wait! Don't go in! It's a trap! SUPERMAN Luthor, you poisonous snake... ZOD turns, looks over, concerned. LUTHOR It's a molecule chamber, your Grace! It turns people like you into... (feels funny saying this) people like me. ZOD looks up at the chamber, realizing the mistake he almost made. He turns. ZOD You have done well, Lex Luthor. We will award you this Cuba place. (to URSA and NON) Seize him! URSA and NON spring at SUPERMAN, grab him, one on each leg and arm. SUPERMAN kicks and struggles vainly. SUPERMAN No! Please! Don't!... LOIS rushes to try and help, is caught by a grinning ZOD, unceremoniously flung backward to the floor. SUPERMAN is hurled into the chamber. LUTHOR rushes to the side, presses a control. The door irises shut. SUPERMAN lies on the floor, helpless. ZOD Lex Luthor! Ruler of Australia and the Cuba place! Activate the machine! LUTHOR grins, pushes the starting mechanism. 506 WIDE ANGLE The chamber is activated. The lights in the Fortress begin to change - but this time they happen in the entire interior of the Fortress, and not in the chamber. 507 ANGLE ON SUPERMAN IN CHAMBER SUPERMAN writhes in agony on the chamber floor as the outside lights play on the surface of the chamber. 508 ANGLE ON VILLAINS, LUTHOR AND LOIS The VILLAINS and LUTHOR watch with glee as the lights dance. LOIS hides her face in anguish. 509 BACK TO SUPERMAN The de-molecular process ends. The door to the chamber irises open again. Slowly, painfully, SUPERMAN gets to his feet, his face crestfallen, his shoulders stooped, resigned to his defeat. 510 WIDER ANGLE LOIS looks at him in horror. ZOD smiles cruelly, steps forward, salivating in triumph. ZOD And now - finally - kneel! SUPERMAN steps out of the chamber, shuts his eyes, the final humiliation sinking in. The hushed silence is deafening. He has no choice. He kneels. ZOD extends his hand in contempt. ZOD Take my hand and swear eternal loyalty to Zod. 1 SUPERMAN lifts his hand in disgrace. 511 EXTREME CLOSE ON HANDS 2 SUPERMAN takes ZOD'S hand, then slowly starts to squeeze it. The sound of bones cracking is heard. 512 BACK TO SCENE 3 4 ZOD'S eyes bulge with pain. SUPERMAN suddenly pulls back and jerks ZOD up and over his shoulder. 513 ANGLE ON ZOD ZOD is hurled helplessly through the air the entire length of the Fortress, crashes against the far wall, drops to the floor. 514 BACK TO SCENE LUTHOR horrified, suddenly realizes what's happened. LUTHOR He switched it! He did it to them! The lights were on out here! He was the only one safe in there! NON rushes at SUPERMAN with a roar, is tossed into the wall in a heap like a rag doll. LOIS turns to URSA, the new information sinking in. LOIS You're a real pain in the neck, you know that? LOIS uncorks a tremendous haymaker, knocks URSA out cold on the floor. SUPERMAN advances on LUTHOR. SUPERMAN I knew you'd double-cross me, Luthor. A lying weasel like you couldn't resist the chance... LUTHOR (backing up) Are you kidding? I knew it all the time. Did you see how they fell into our trap? Beautiful... SUPERMAN Too late, Luthor. Too late... LUTHOR Listen. Have I got a proposition for you, Superman. I mean I owe you one, you know? Now don't say yes or no till you hear me out... Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 - Superman 2 DVD, 2001 Warner Home Video; original source of video capture unknown.

- select scene group - 1 - Donner's Superman II - main page 2 - "Reprise" from Superman the Movie 3 - "The fox hunt" 4 - "The Daily Planet", pt. 1 5 - "The Daily Planet", pt. 2 6 - "The Daily Planet", pt. 3 7 - "Luthor does laundry" 8 - "Unidentified flying villains", pt. 1 9 - "Unidentified flying villains", pt. 2 10 - "Balloon bustout", pt. 1 11 - "Balloon bustout", pt. 2 12 - "Honeymooners" 13 - "Intruders at the Fortress of Solitude", pt. 1 14 - "Intruders at the Fortress of Solitude", pt. 2 15 - "Lois puts it all together" 16 - "Lex Luthor's new scheme" 17 - "You ARE Superman" 18 - "Blooming romance" 19 - "Terror in Texas" 20 - "Lois and Kal-El" 21 - "Kryptonian conquest" 22 - "Made mortal for love" 23 - "White House visitors" 24 - "Diner humiliation" 25 - "Luthor pays a call" 26 - "Kryptonian prophecy fulifilled" 27 - "Daily Planet visitors" 28 - "Battle of Titans", pt. 1 29 - "Battle of Titans", pt. 2 30 - "Approaching the fortress" 31 - "Final confrontation" 32 - "Time for goodbyes" 33 - "Worldwide déjà vu" 34 - "Loose-ends"

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