Superman: The Man of Steel

Scene 14 - The "All Is Lost" Moment

ACT III

EXT. SMALLVILLE, DUSK.

Note: The following montage has no sound effects or dialogue - all emotion should be conveyed through music.

The scene of soldiers rolling a gurney down a hall transitions to a highway full of cars. The sun is about to set over a giant wheat field near the highway as we see a familiar sight crash into the dirt next to the highway Clark himself, staggering to his feet as the events from earlier that day continue to haunt him. Brushing the dust from his tattered shirt, Clark looks up, a look of pain on his face, and sees something that looks familiar to him.

Cut to an OST shot as Clark looks at a massive billboard with wheat fields and a pleasant-looking town in the background. The sign reads: "WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE! - HOME OF THE FIGHTING CROWS!"

Cut back to Clark, sighing wearily, as he trudges forward on the long journey home.

Fade to a series of hazy shots depicting Clark either walking along the highway, or staring out into the wheatfield as the moon shines over it. At this point, he looks more than upset, more than regretful - he looks outright destroyed, as if the regret over what happened is tearing him up inside.

Fade to Clark walking down a dirt road as a collection of farmhouses pass him by. Finally, he reaches the end of the road as he sees one particular house in the distance - one with a large barn behind it and a large field in front. Slowly walking towards the farmhouse, Clark lightly brushes the tall grass as he walks by, almost trance-like as he makes his way towards the light.

Cut to the inside of the house, where Jonathan and Martha Kent, originally sitting down, perk up.

Cut to the older couple running outside and flinging the door open, as they see Clark walking up the field towards the house. They prepare to greet their son with open arms, only for him to look up - and both the Kents and the audience get a good look at the expression of remorse and guilt on his face. Without a word, Clark walks past them.

Cut to behind the Kent house, as Clark makes his way towards the large barn out back. He opens the door and walks inside.

Cut to inside the barn, as Clark opens another door to the barn cellar. With a flashlight in his hand, he walks down the steps to the cellar - only to come face to face with a large, glistening, silver-and-blue rocket.

Clark stares at the rocket for a few seconds, with special attention being given to his shirt's reflection on the front. Clark, not wanting to be reminded of his "S" anymore, rips off his shirt in a fit of anger, tossing it to the side of the room and burning it with his heat vision. Finally, Clark slumps down in front of the rocket, utterly defeated. He stays that way for a few seconds before, suddenly, the rocketship lights up! Clark gets to his feet, wiping his eyes and staring at the rocket in curiosity.

Without warning, the ship suddenly envelops Clark in a bright light, with Clark passing out in front of the rocket as soon as the light fades.

CUT TO:

INT. MILITARY LABORATORY, EVENING.

Cut to the military laboratory as Lex Luthor, wearing a surgeon's smock and gloves, assembles a bunch of high-tech tools - clearly to operate on John Corben, who's lying on an operating table in front of him.

Suddenly, Lex looks behind him to see General Lane walking up to Corben's body, a worried look on his face.

GENERAL LANE

Are you sure you can save him, Luthor?

Lex smiles, as if amused that the general asked him such an obvious question.

LEX LUTHOR

I can do more than that, General. I can make him stronger, tougher...

(slaps the general on the back)

I can make him the ultimate tool for national security!...and, of course, for handling our alien problem.

General Lane looks uneasy for a moment...then nods.

GENERAL LANE

Just do whatever you have to do.

General Lane walks away, as a smiling Lex picks up a welder. Meanwhile, Mercy stands behind him, pushing a tray full of more high-tech toys.

LEX LUTHOR

Alright, Mercy...let's make it official.

(snaps on some surgical gloves)

Project: Metallo is ago.

Cut to a montage of Lex operating on Corben - nothing too gory, but we can see:

- A shot of Lex injecting a purple chemical into Corben's burned arm - implied to be the same one that created Parasite.

- Multiple shots of Lex welding some sort of metallic plates onto Corben's body...almost like building a suit of armor around his patient.

- A shot of Lex holding a large chunk of kryptonite in his hand, and inserting it into a large hole in the center of Corben's chest. After adjusting some wires and connecting the whole thing together, Corben's body jerks and begins glowing green. The glow illuminates Lex's face as he smiles evilly.

LEX LUTHOR

Not to ruminate on the cliched, my dear, but...it's alive.