A screenplay by Fred Walker

September, 2000

Based on a novel by Roger Stern

"You'll Believe a Man has Died!"

(Author's note: The basic concept here is to do a "Death and Life" storyline within the continuity of the previous Superman movies. The title is a Latin pun. It can be read either as "Superman 5: Doomsday!" or "Superman versus Doomsday.")

Continued from Superman V Doomsday Part 2

INT. MIDVALE MALL -- DAY.

Lois and Jimmy, believing themselves safe, set up their equipment and start taping an interview. Doomsday doesn't even notice them -- he's watching an Amazon named MAJOR BABE layin' the smackdown on a heel named PRIVATE PAARTZ in a mudpit. Lois starts the interview.

LOIS

Do you object to the name "Doomsday" the press has given you?

Doomsday doesn't answer.

LOIS

Where do you come from?

Doomsday doesn't answer.

LOIS

Why were you created?

Doomsday doesn't answer.

LOIS

Who created you?

Doomsday doesn't answer.

LOIS

Why did you come to Midvale?

Doomsday doesn't answer.

LOIS

Are you looking for someone? Who did you think

you would find hanging around the video joint

at the Midvale Mall?

Promo ends. Doomsday turns and faces Lois. He stares at her.

CLOSE-UP as he thinks it over, remembering his mission.

DOOMSDAY

Ka -- ra. Kill! Kill! ... KILL KARA!

He slobbers at the prospect and laughs.

LOIS

Jimmy ... run.

JIMMY

I thought you said we were safe. I thought

you said Luthor had a soft spot for you?

LOIS

I was wrong! Silver Age monster, Jimmy!

Silver Age monster! And his Lex Luthor hated my guts!

They run.

CUT TO:

EXT. MIDVALE MALL -- DAY.

EXIT Lois and Jimmy being chased by Doomsday, who is tackled by Superman out on the street. Superman and Doomsday fight. Doomsday is winning. Superman cries out loudly in Kryptonese.

SUBTITLE: "Kara! Please show yourself! I need you! You can't really be dead! Oh please, Kara ... please!"

The Matrix arrives to help. Having morphed again she now has curly hair and is wearing the Daring New Adventures costume.

MATRIX

Take your hands off my cousin! I am Kara Zor-El

from Argo City, and I don't scare easily!

JIMMY

Could it ... could it really be her?

LOIS

No Jimmy. The Matrix is trying to intimidate

Doomsday by posing as Kara. She doesn't know

that's who he's been programmed to kill!

Doomsday attacks The Matrix and defeats her. He's about to kill her when Superman recovers enough for the save.

SUPERMAN

NO! NOT KARA!

Superman and Doomsday fight it out one last time. Both collapse.

PARAMEDICS and POLICE arrive on the scene, pronounce Doomsday dead. They don't even glance at the invulnerable Superman.

Lois waits. Then she and Jimmy go over.

LOIS

Okay, you big ham, get up. You've had your

moment of sympathy. Nobody's buyin' it.

JIMMY

Uh, Lois, I don't think he's faking.

CLOSE-UP. Superman's eyes open.

SUPERMAN

Look ... up in the sky ... Kara!

Superman POV. They look. But there's nothing there. He smiles beatifically. Then he dies. Lois cradles him in her arms.

Behind them, in SOFT FOCUS, Doomsday is getting up as Lois Lane hugs and kisses her fallen hero. Slowly, he staggers over and reaches for her throat ... and is tackled by MERCY, who beats him with a BILLY CLUB until he's finally dead. She hugs Lois.

MERCY

I came as soon as I could ... No!

That's not true! I changed into uniform.

I took a minute to put on my uniform.

Oh, why did I do that? Why? One minute more

... Lois, Lois, please forgive me!

CUT TO:

MONTAGE of news broadcasts, newspaper headlines and internet pages pronouncing Superman dead. "Like 2 tired heavyweights, etc."

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. EDITOR'S OFFICE, THE DAILY PLANET -- DAY.

PERRY WHITE is interrupted by LANA LANG, his personal secretary. (To find out why Lana is working at the Planet, see Superman III.)

LANA

Olsen wants to see you, Mr White. I'd handle

him myself, but, um, I have to call someone back.

Personal stuff. I'm sure you understand.

She seems to be hinting at something. Perry is oblivious.

PERRY

I've warned you about those personal calls

on the Planet's time, young lady. You may be

Smallville's 2nd gift to Metropolis, but ...

Oh, send him in, Miss Lang.

She does so. EXIT LANA, ENTER JIMMY OLSEN, a young cub reporter with a freckled face and an ugly bow tie.

PERRY

Now then Jimmy. What's got Lana so worked up?

JIMMY

Uh, Chief, Lois showed up for work this morning.

PERRY

People deal with tragedies in different ways.

If she wants to lose herself in work,

that's fine by me. And don't call me Chief!

JIMMY

(insistent)

She's wearing a pinstripe pantsuit and a

men's fedora, with a little card in the brim

that says Press. She's sitting at Clark's

desk in hornrimmed glasses, and she wants me

to get his old manual typewriter out of storage.

PERRY

Great Caesar's ghost!

HAND-HELD as they EXIT his office and ENTER the CITY ROOM.

Lois has turned herself into Clark Kent, and is pecking 2-fingered style at a COMPUTER KEYBOARD. OTHER REPORTERS are standing around, staring.

LOIS

Dang this new-fangled technology!

Ma and Pa Kent always said that a typewriter

was good enough for the Smallville General Store,

and it should be good enough for anyone.

Jimmy, got that manual?

PERRY

(to other reporters)

Mind your own business and get back to your own work.

They do so, reluctantly.

JIMMY

Lois, this isn't healthy.

PERRY

Maybe you should take some time off, Lois.

She doesn't seem to hear them.

LOIS

There. Boilerplate, but it'll do! Here's your story,

Mr. White. "Superman Missing, Presumed Dead."

It's a cut-and-paste job of the last six times

he faked his death. I just deleted "kryptonite"

every time it appears and substituted Doomsday.

Also "persons unknown" for "Lex Luthor" or "Brainiac."

PERRY

Lois, we all loved him, and we all miss him,

but you can't take his place.

LOIS

How could I take his place? I don't have super-

powers. Perry, do you feel all right?

Sighs of relief. She seems to be snapping out of it.

LOIS

My follow-up piece will be better, once I know

what he's up to. Oh, and I'd like Clark to work

with me on this. Is he around?

JIMMY

Um, Lois, Clark didn't show up for work this morning ...

LOIS

Aha! So you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Usually, when he dies, Clark Kent carries on

as usual, to sell the idea that they're

different men. But Clark Kent not showing up

for work; now that's really smooth!

Now we all have to act natural. Perry,

that means mourning. In my case it means denial.

I have to refuse to accept his death just like

I would if he was really dead. Hang on.

You stupid marks aren't buying this are you?

PERRY

He's dead, Lois. This time he's really dead.

LOIS

(borderline hysteria)

He's not dead! He's not! It's just ... it's just

one of his clever ruses to fool some villain.

He does this stuff all the time. Superman

is always willing to deceive his closest friends,

as long as it's for a good cause, and he

intends to apologize later. It's his least

attractive quality. Remember when ...

PERRY

He was pronounced dead by the coroner,

Dr. Sanchez. His body was studied at

Metropolis U, alongside Doomsday's body.

They're both dead. No heartbeat, no pulse,

no intake of breath. He hasn't moved in

over a day now. I'm sorry, Lois. Superman

is dead. You need to face it. You need help ...

LOIS

No I don't! Superman is the one who needs help.

We need to back him up on his mission, whatever it may be!

JIMMY

Lois ...

LOIS

(exasperated)

Give me 3 days and an appropriate budget

to prove that Superman is alive. That's all I ask.

3 days! After all the scoops I've brought this rag,

I deserve that much.

PERRY

Will you admit he's gone and seek grief counselling

if he hasn't turned up by that time?

LOIS

I ... I guess I have no choice. All right. I'll

talk to my shrink, Dr. Quinzel. I'll "deal with it"

as the pop-psychologists say. But only if you give me

3 days to prove it isn't true.

PERRY

Do I have your word on that, Lois? We all know

that Lois Lane doesn't break her word.

LOIS

You have my word.

They shake on it. She stands, the focus of attention for the whole City Room.

ZOOM IN to a CLOSE-UP, with DRAMATIC MUSIC over.

LOIS

I'm looking forward to this! Do you know

what a little girl told her father the other day?

"Look, Daddy! It's Lois Lane, that woman

who's always getting rescued by Superman!"

I'm sick of it. Does anyone remember that

I used to be the heroine in this town?

Does anyone remember that before Superman

showed up, good citizens in trouble called for

Lois Lane? I remember! I've finally remembered!

Tremble, crimelords of Metropolis!

The World's Best Girl Reporter is back!

PAN city room, as staff applaud and cheer.

JIMMY

(tapping her shoulder)

Uh, Lois? The glasses?

LOIS

(taking them off)

Oh, these are for you. My arms were full,

and I didn't have any place to carry them

except on the end of my nose.

She puts them on him, as he squirms.

LOIS

All my partners wear hornrimmed glasses --

it's a tradition!

They EXIT.

PERRY

Great ... Caesar's ... ghost!

CUT TO:

MONTAGE of Lois and Jimmy investigating Superman's "disappearance." They walk through the Midvale "crime scene", interview witnesses, screen videotape, etc. Everything seems to confirm his death.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CENTENNIAL PARK -- DAY.

Memorial service for Superman in front of an elaborate public tomb with a big statue, "Sponsored by the Wayne Foundation!"

PRESIDENT-ELECT BILL CLINTON pays tribute, in footage taken out of context from the Nixon funeral, similar to his speech in Contact.

THE CRASH TEST DUMMIES perform "Superman's Song." The crowd parts as a mysterious stranger walks up to the dais.

CLOSE-UP: a pair of red boots. Everyone is astonished! Could it be? ...

MEDIUM SHOT reveals him as THE PARASITE.

2 SHOT of INSPECTOR HENDERSON and CPT. MAGGIE SAWYER in the crowd.

MAGGIE

(rising)

Inspector! It's him! It's the Parasite.

He grabs her arm roughly.

HENDERSON

What do you think you're doing, Captain Sawyer?

MAGGIE

I'm going to arrest him. There are a dozen charges

still outstanding.

HENDERSON

You'll arrest him -- someday. But not today,

Maggie -- not today.

MAGGIE

But ...

HENDERSON

Not today.

She sits back down, discontented. Henderson's eyes well up.

PAN TO the dais, as The Parasite opens the CASKET.

CLOSE-UP on Superman's corpse. He looks dead.

The Parasite puts his hands over Superman's heart and gives him back all the power that he has stolen from him over the years. It didn't work. The Parasite closes the casket and turns to the crowd.

PARASITE

I figured it was worth a try.

PULL BACK to reveal that the proceedings are being watched through BINOCULARS held by Lois Lane up on the Daily Planet rooftop across the street.

Sound of footsteps behind. Lois and Jimmy are joined in their vigil by BATMAN. He wears the blue-and-grey costume, not the black one.

LOIS

Hey, Bats.

JIMMY

Wow! The real Batman, here in Metropolis!

BATMAN

With all the crimefighters in the procession,

I felt somebody should actually be fighting crime,

in case some criminal tries to clean out the

Metropolis Treasury. What are you doing here?

LOIS

I can't face a funeral, I don't believe he's dead.

BATMAN

You don't believe he's dead, Jimmy?

JIMMY

Lois doesn't believe it. That's good enough for me.

Lois collapses in tears, comforted by Batman and Jimmy.

SLOWLY PAN DOWN to the PODIUM.

The Matrix, in her Supergirl form, gives the eulogy. She eulogizes Superman in glowing terms, but in terms that imply she really is Supergirl.

MATRIX

My crimefighting partner ... Our days in

the Legion ... He was more than a friend,

he was almost like a cousin to me ...

Chorus of boos and hisses. When she brags about "the time we fought the Anti-Monitor together" GARBAGE is thrown on stage.

SOMEONE

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane

... it's Power Girl!

POWER GIRL lands on stage, KOs the Matrix with one punch, rips the S off her chest and lays it on the casket. She hugs the casket and cries her heart out.

DISSOLVE TO:

MONTAGE of tributes pouring in from all over the world. Examples:

1) The Pope at St.Peter's declaring ex cathedra that Superman, though an alien, had a soul -- and praying for it.

2) The French President recalling how Superman saved the Eiffel Tower from nuclear terrorists -- and thanking him posthumously.

3) Oxford Union debating the resolution "Superman Lives!" -- interpreting it to mean that the spirit of Superman goes on.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DAILY PLANET ALLEY -- DAY.

Lois, Jimmy and Batman EXIT a side door to avoid notice, and are met with Mercy Graves, brandishing her billy club. This woman is Lex Luthor's sidekick, and wears a guard's uniform.

MERCY

Lex wants to talk to you.

HAND-HELD. She leads them through backalleys to a black LEXUS, license LL666, parked in an empty lot. She raps on the glass with her club and Luthor rolls down the window. He is wearing a wig. They talk in hushed tones, as the others fade into the background.

LUTHOR

Hello Lois. You're beautiful, as always.

LOIS

Lex, my favourite old enemy. You're looking

well yourself, I'm sorry to say.

LUTHOR

There is no higher accolade than to be

Lois Lane's favourite enemy. Just watch

that part about "old."

LOIS

Forgive the reporter in me, but I heard

The Matrix is on your payroll.

LUTHOR

Well, somebody has to keep her in groceries.

She won't accept payment for her good deeds.

LOIS

Since when are you in the superheroine business?

LUTHOR

I figure she helps to put me over as a face.

LOIS

She's not very good, you know. She got her butt

kicked by General Zod. She got her butt kicked by

The Parasite, she got her butt kicked by Doomsday ...

LUTHOR

I know, I know. But she has really cool powers,

she's pretty, and her heart is in the right place.

Mercy keeps an eye on her for me. If there's

any serious rough stuff, she handles it.

Despite herself, Lois begins to snicker.

LUTHOR

What did I say?

LOIS

Nothing. It's just ... a superheroine who

needs a bodyguard. It gets to me, that's all.

Gods of Krypton, Lex -- why do you let her

call herself Supergirl?

LUTHOR

The world needs one. And she's all we've got.

(beat)

I'd say I know what you're going through,

but it would be a lie. I can't even imagine

what you're going through.

She sobs uncontrollably. Batman holds her.

LUTHOR

I want to assure you, Lois, that I had

nothing to do with the Death of Superman.

LOIS

(recovering, somewhat)

I believe you.

LUTHOR

I will place the resources of my

criminal organization at your disposal.

Jimmy hands her a KLEENEX. She blows her nose.

LOIS

I don't want your "resources" Lex. I want

your brilliant mind, and your political stroke.

LUTHOR

To do what, exactly?

LOIS

To form Team Superman, dedicated to proving

that Superman is alive ...

LUTHOR

Lois ...

LOIS

... or bringing his killer to justice.

Moment of silence. All realize she's just made a major concession. Predictably, Jimmy breaks the mood.

JIMMY

Cool!

BATMAN

I'm in.

LUTHOR

I'll do it on one condition. You, Lois,

are lead investigator. I don't trust the bat.

BATMAN

The feeling is mutual.

LOIS

Now boys, play nice.

360 PAN as they all nod agreement. Lois is named lead investigator.

LOIS

I want to see Doomsday's body.

LUTHOR

It can be arranged.

CUT TO:

INT. AN OPERATING THEATRE AT METROPOLIS U. MEDICAL SCHOOL.

Half the public officials in Metropolis are on the payroll of the Luthor Gang and this "private showing" wasn't hard to set up.

DR. SANCHEZ, the coroner, is displaying the CORPSE of Doomsday to Team Superman. He is elderly and hispanic, and wears a lab coat.

CLOSE-UP PAN of the monster's body, as Dr. Sanchez' monologue describes his various features.

DR. SANCHEZ

To begin with, yes, we're sure he's really dead.

Assuming that Doomsday is even a "he."

This creature has no sexual organs of any kind.

He was clearly a "one-off," designed never to

breed more of his kind. Doomsday was invulnerable.

Therefore, he has no injuries. None.

The most likely cause of death is exhaustion --

he had a finite amount of energy,

and Superman simply ... wore him out.

JIMMY

Like John Wayne riding that horse into the ground

in True Grit!

DR. SANCHEZ

Exactly.

LOIS

What about Superman?

DR. SANCHEZ

The same. Invulnerable, therefore no

physical injuries. It seems incredible that

they're both dead. Equipment inside the vault

in which he'd been kept, still being studied,

indicates that Doomsday was kept in

suspended animation, possibly for years.

LOIS

(mutters)

Pre-Crisis.

Sanchez looks at her funny.

DR. SANCHEZ

Miss Lane, I'd like your opinion as a

crime reporter. You're used to deducing

the identity of a criminal from the type

of crime he commits. Creating Doomsday

was a crime against humanity. Why don't you

play profiler for us? Treat his body as

a crime scene, and speculate as to what

kind of person you think would have done this.

LOIS

Lois Lane doesn't speculate.

(to Luthor)

Lex, If you were to design a monster to kill Superman,

what would it look like?

LUTHOR

I have created monsters to kill Supe.

And they didn't look like this. Superman

fights all out against monsters.

What you want is something that looks human,

so he'll pull his punches. Bizarro and Nuclear Man

were supposed to look like Superman himself,

on the logic that any man is reluctant to kill

his own lookalike. If I had to do it all over,

I'd make a monster, Lois, that looks like you.

LOIS

But this looks like a monster. Why?

It doesn't need to. It has super-strength

and invulnerability as super-powers --

size is redundant. This thing wasn't made

to kill Superman. It was made to look like

it could kill Superman.

JIMMY

(sighs)

It's a nightmare!

LOIS

Exactly. But whose nightmare? Dr. Sanchez,

would you mind leaving the room?

Dr. Sanchez EXITS.

In hushed tones, Lois reveals Doomsday's last words.

LOIS

Before he died, he said 2 words: Kill Kara!

Jimmy knows this, but the others noticeably react.

LOIS

This is a creature from a teenage girl's

nightmare ... the kind of thing she would

remember from a dozen cheap horror movies.

Doomsday was perfectly designed to frighten

Kara Zor-El out of her wits.

BATMAN

I still think his creator is here in this room!

He and Luthor come to blows.

LUTHOR

Doomsday doesn't match my m.o., you stupid rodent!

BATMAN

You're smart enough to change your m.o.,

for the purpose of using that argument.

LUTHOR

Give me some credit! I would never make a monster

that I myself couldn't control.

LOIS

But Doomsday could be controlled.

PAN their startled faces.

Then BACK TO Lois.

LOIS

He was addicted to violence, but not necessarily

his own. He was docile as a lamb watching images

of violence on a TV screen. In another 5 minutes,

if Superman hadn't shown up and started punching him,

I'd have figured it out and ended things peacefully.

All I had to do was keep snapping tapes into the vcr

-- he'd have watched them all day while a prison

was built around him. This poor bastard

didn't ask to be a monster. Somebody made him that way.

For what he did to Doomsday that SOB deserves life.

They ponder her wisdom, and her incredible willingness to forgive.

LUTHOR

And what you deserve, Lois, is some relaxation.

LOIS

Lex ...

LUTHOR

I insist. Back me up, people. We'll take the Lexmobile.

Mercy will drive us to any restaurant you like.

Dinner is on me, and perhaps a bottle of wine.

LOIS

I don't know.

LUTHOR

(insisting)

I'm not taking no for an answer.

You need to think about something else for a while.

This mystery will still be here in 2 hours.

PAN reactions. All nod and encourage her.

LOIS

All right. I guess ... I guess I do need

to eat something. We can all meet back at

my penthouse at 9:00. Not one minute later!

They all pat her on the shoulder, lovingly.

LUTHOR

Technically, I'm still a wanted man. Mercy.

The valise. I feel like being a blond tonight.

She opens a VALISE and hands him a fresh WIG. He changes.

Lois takes down her hair and borrows the GLASSES from Jimmy.

LOIS

I don't want to be recognized tonight either. Let's go.

LUTHOR

To the Lexmobile.

They EXIT.

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