Adventures of Superman (1952–1958): Season 2, Episode 6 - The Defeat of Superman - full transcript

Criminal Happy King returns to Metropolis, determined to rid himself of Superman. He has hired a European scientist, who has found a way to manufacture synthetic Kryponite from a fragment of the substance. In their first test, Superman feels a string from a bullet with a small fragment of Kryponite. Now, the scientist has made a bar made of Kryponite and Happy King sets a trap.

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[♪♪♪]

NARRATOR: Faster
than a speeding bullet.

More powerful than a locomotive.

Able to leap tall buildings
at a single bound.

MAN 1: Look! Up in the
sky! MAN 2: It's a bird!

WOMAN: It's a plane!
MAN 3: It's Superman!

NARRATOR: Yes, it's Superman,

strange visitor
from another planet

who came to Earth
with powers and abilities

far beyond those of mortal men.

Superman, who can change
the course of mighty rivers,



bend steel in his bare hands,

and who, disguised
as Clark Kent,

mild-mannered reporter for a
great metropolitan newspaper,

fights a never-ending battle

for truth, justice and
the American way.

[♪♪♪]

Oh, I'm sorry. Clark!

Oh, Lois. Well, see you later.

Oh, no you don't!

You were taking
me to lunch today.

There's plenty of time.

It's only quarter of 12.

I'll see you later. Uh,

Having lunch with you
doesn't really matter, Mr. Kent.



But knowing what
you're up to does.

[SIGHS]

All right.

Remember him?

Happy King? Of course I do.

Wrote as many stories
on him as you did.

That was years ago.

Yeah, stories about
everything but his arrest.

So the police couldn't
get anything on him.

But Superman did.

At least that's why
he left the country.

Mm-hm. If he'd stuck around,
Superman would have gotten him.

Clark, what's this all about?

Crook's still in
Europe, isn't he?

No.

But this is for
S... Yeah, I know.

Mm. It came to me care
of the paper for Superman.

He wants to see him
tomorrow at noon sharp.

"Have a little talk about
settling our difficulties."

Don't tell me he came back to
make friends with Superman?

Clark, I just don't believe it.

It's probably a joke or a fake.

May even be a trap of some kind.

Though I don't know how there
could be a trap for Superman.

That's why I am going to
be there today, at noon sharp.

Why are you going?

Oh. Well, I thought I might
go and look the ground over,

this place he's picked out.

And if it's a hoax, I'll save Superman
from going on a fool's errand.

Uh, not if the noon
part is important.

Why?

It's two minutes of.
You're a little late.

Bye!

[♪♪♪]

One minute of.

So?

So why be nervous?

He's not coming here.

360 Warehouse Street.

I picked a good place all right.

It's deserted.

Wonderful. Wonderful.

But maybe he did not

get your message, Mr. King.

No, he'll get it, all right.

There's a guy on the Daily
Planet who'll give it to him.

A nosy reporter by
the name of Clark Kent.

He's a friend of
Superman's, I think.

I don't know why though.

Heh, heh. You... You Americans.

You never make sense.

You send a message,

you say noon tomorrow,
and yet you expect...

It's like playing a
game of checkers, see?

Checkers? I say tomorrow,

so Superman
figures he'll jump me.

He'll go there and
look around today.

And what do I do?

Today, I am ready
with a double jump.

Today, the trap is set.

Pretty smart, huh?

Mm-hm.

Why, I would rather
play gin rummy.

I didn't bring you all
the way from Europe

to hear you make wisecracks.

All you've got to do is learn
what this guy is made of!

All right. All right, Mr. King!

All right.

But I, uh...

I did make progress, have I not?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Now, if my theory is correct...

If Superman is really
from some other planet,

say, from the now-extinct
planet Krypton, for example,

why, soon we may be able
to destroy him by using...

[HORN SOUNDS]

It's noon.

[♪♪♪]

[TRAIN BELL RINGS]

No, uh... No, I ain't
seen nobody around.

Are you positive?

Of course I am.

Except, uh, well, uh,

I have been asleep,
you understand.

Surely. Never mind.

Oh say, uh... I
heard some shooting

just a couple of seconds ago.

I mean, if that's any help.

No.

Someone tried a very
stupid trick, and it didn't work.

[CAR HORN HONKS]

[SIGHS]

But Clark, how do you know
this happened to Superman?

Oh, Superman told me, Lois.

Did you get there
right afterwards?

Well, I was there, Jimmy.

We've all known what kind
of a man this Happy King is

and how much he hated Superman.

Yes, but he and Superman
have tangled before, Lois.

He knows that
bullets can't hurt him.

I don't know what he's up to.

Well, what did Superman think?

Why did he think Happy
King would set a booby trap

that wouldn't work? [SIGHS]

Well, Superman didn't tell me.

Oh, Clark.

There you are at the
scene of a terrific story,

and what do you do about it?

Is something the matter
with your shoulder, Mr. Kent?

Hmm?

Oh. Um, just a bee
sting I think, Jimmy.

[SIGHS]

I wonder what he is up to.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

He ripped the Tommy gun, but
he never thought of the camera.

Ah! Now, this is the one.

Meldini, you've done it!

How about me, Mr. King?

Pretty good picture, ain't it?

Number 14.

Bullet number
14. Is that the one?

See how the camera synchronized
with the gun? We were just...

I said, is that the one
that caused the reaction?

Aah! Who is scientist
here? You or...?

All right, all right.

Take a look for yourself.

Thank you, Mr. King.

But I already knew it anyway.

I could tell from the slug.

See? See the difference?

Yes.

Here it is.

I noticed something
funny when I picked it up.

Wasn't smashed like the others.

More like it bounced off him.

[LAUGHS] Yes.

A thing has to give a
little, to, like you say,

to bounce, eh?

Oh, yeah.

It shows. It shows here.

Kryptonite.

From the planet Krypton,
where Superman was born.

The only bullet he could feel

contained elements
of Kryptonite.

[LAUGHS]

Amazing, isn't it.

The Delphinian theory.

It proves the Delphinian
theory of reverse effects.

Materials which would
be harmless to him

in their own environment,

when they are
transposed to our Earth,

they... They have the reverse.

The dangerous effect on him.

Yeah, that's
great. That's great.

What do we do next?

But... But the theory.
That proves the theory.

And that's the important thing.

Superman is
vulnerable to Kryptonite.

So... if we had enough
pure Kryptonite...

Only we don't.

You made that bullet out
of the stuff from the meteor,

and that's all there is of it.

Ah, correction please.

That is all the pure
Kryptonite we have.

But suppose I were to...

To...

Ha!

[LAUGHS]

[♪♪♪]

[CLOCK ALARM RINGS]

Gentlemen... I've done it.

No other scientist in the world

could have created that.

The only substance that
can destroy Superman.

Synthetic Kryptonite.

[LAUGHS]

Here, let me show you.

Now.

So...

Ah...

Here it is.

Well, let's put it
into the lead box.

[LAUGHS]

Oh, it will not bite you.

Gentlemen, I've
assured you that to us,

people of the Earth,

the radiation of
Kryptonite is harmless.

But it ain't shaped
like a bullet.

Ah...

Who needs bullets?

Mr. King, I assure you,

if any man from Krypton
were to come as close to this,

[STAMMERS]

Well... Go on, go on, go on!

What if Superman
should... Should touch it?

Oh. Before he could
even come that close,

he would go...

Pfft.

[LAUGHS]

Ah, but... But we must keep
this at even temperature,

until just before
Superman arrives.

So...

Hey, what's the rush?

I got a note from Mr. Kent.

Hey! Give me that!

Clark's on a story.

It's from Happy King.

A guy just left it
at the switchboard.

Well, don't get excited.
Clark will be right back.

I don't think you
ought to read that.

It's addressed to Superman,
in care of Mr. Kent.

I'll put it on his desk.

Well, what did you get
so steamed up about?

I told you I'd
leave it for Clark.

Well, I guess it'll be okay.

Anyway, there's plenty of time.

Uh-oh.

So you read it too.

Well, you don't
blame me, do you?

Here's this King guy trying
to set up another meeting

with Superman... and you
remember what happened the last time.

I know.

A certain reporter got a story
they wouldn't even believe.

But Mr. Kent said
Superman gave him that story.

I know, Jimmy.

I just mean I'd like
to get the real story.

Golly, this King's
a brazen character.

Well, that's what I thinking.

Inviting Superman to
his house on the coast.

He must be trying to
set up a trap for him.

Oh, now Jimmy, don't
you start getting ridiculous.

There just isn't any kind of a
trap that can hurt Superman.

Then why would a guy
like King keep trying?

I don't know.

I think I'll get a sandwich.

Uh, just don't mention
to Mr. Kent that I left,

will you?

No, of course not.

Oh, no, you don't!

Jimmy!

Well. I mean, uh...

the only way I couldn't
mention it to him

was if I went with you.

Okay. Come on along.

[♪♪♪]

He's got that message by now.

I know he has!

To meet him downtown tomorrow.

Uh. Everybody
here is crazy but me.

It's a game of checkers, see.

I moved first, then he moved.

Only this time he's
gonna move faster,

because I let him
know where we are.

I let everybody know.

Heh-heh. But you see,

I never play checkers.

Oh, shut up!

Hurry up with
that stuff, will you?

It's almost time.

Okay, Mr. King.

Look out, now. That's hot.

Well... what do I
do with the stuff?

Do I hold it in front
of me or what?

I've already told you.

He couldn't get within
yards of that Kryptonite.

You better show
more respect then.

Because when that rock of
yours gets rid of Superman,

you'll be looking at
the big boy in this town.

I tell you, there isn't a racket

that I won't be able to control.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Must be him.

Laugh at checkers, will you?

Right on schedule.

I'd better hold
this close to me.

Just so he won't try anything.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

All right, Superman. Come in.

Uh, Mr. King, I'm Lois
Lane from the Daily Planet.

Everyone knows you're here,

but nobody's tried to get
a plain, straight interview.

Now, is there any
reason why you'd object

to being interviewed?

Of course not. It's a pleasure.

I have nothing to hide.

You know, people always
think I'm up to something.

But really I'm only
here on a friendly visit.

However, if you
don't mind leaving,

I'll see you in town later.

Well, I'd like to get
your story now, Mr. King.

Uh, maybe later would
be better, Miss Lane.

Well, of course,
if, uh, you're busy...

Uh, just a second!

Boss, this dame is practically
Superman's girlfriend.

I am not.

When I get through
with Superman,

he'll be nobody's boyfriend!

Well...

Jump and double jump, eh?

Ha!

You play a strange

game of checkers, Mr. King.

[♪♪♪]

Hello? Kent speaking.

Didn't you tell me that there
was a note here for me?

I see. Thank you.

[THUMPING ON DOOR]

Well, do you think
they can do it?

Do you suppose
that little hunk of metal

could really kill
Superman, like they said?

Of course not.

Nothing can destroy Superman.

But, suppose it could kill him.

Then Mr. Kent finds that note,
gets in touch with Superman...

Jim, I've got news for
you. And when Superman

comes here, if
it could kill him...

Jim! Superman won't be here.

Huh?

You'll hate me for
this. I tore up that note.

Hate you?

I think it's wonderful.

Now, even if it is a trap,

Superman won't fall into it.

Golly.

It doesn't look so
good for us, does it?

Hm.

"Dear Mr. Kent,

"If you can contact
Superman, please ask him

to come to my home at
3420 Ocean Drive at once."

"Signed, Happy J. King."

Not a chance,
Jim. It's solid steel.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

[SIGHS]

Well... anyway, Superman's safe.

And that's the important thing.

Well, isn't it?

Yes. Oh.

Of course it is.

[♪♪♪]

Get the Kryptonite
out of the oven.

Right, Mr. King.

Superman ought to be here in...

I got your message, King, and...

Oh, so that's it.

No, Superman, stop! Wait! Wait!

They're... They're
both okay. Honest.

They'd better be. As soon
as I'm sure they're safe,

I'm coming back here and
have a little talk with you two!

Yes, Of course we will, but...

you've made a terrible mistake!

Miss Lane, Jim, come on!

No! Get out of here!

Stay out of this house... What?

What's that for?
King must be crazy.

He knows I can
tear this house apart.

Superman, listen to me.

That other man up
there is a scientist,

and he's developed
some sort of metal that...

That what?

Superman fell into the trap.

Now, it's my turn to jump.

Drop the Kryptonite
down the chute.

Don't worry, Miss Lane.

There's no metal
that can harm me.

[OBJECT STRIKES FLOOR]

JIMMY: That must be the
metal they were talking about.

They call it Kryptonite.

Well, I don't care
what they call it.

Did you say Kryptonite?!

Yeah.

Well, it couldn't hurt
you just to touch it.

Oh, it's heavy.

No, Jimmy! See?

Jimmy, get it out of here!

Yeah. Yeah. Superman!

I'll get rid of it.
He'll be all right.

Oh. Oh, Jimmy get
that thing out of here!

I'll get rid of it.

It'll be a lead-pipe cinch.

[CLANK]

[CLANK]

Hurry!

He can hardly breathe!

LOIS: Oh, Jimmy, do
something! Get rid of it!

[CLAPS]

[LAUGHS]

The window.

[BANGING]

Oh. There's wire in the glass.

It's stuck up on the ledge!

JIMMY: Come over here. Help me.

Superman!

Gentlemen, it's time
we thought of alibis.

Shall we drive back to town?

My town?

[LAUGHS]

[LAUGHS MANIACALLY]

Jimmy, his heart.

He can hardly
breathe. Do something.

What am I gonna do?

How am I gonna get rid of it?

The sink! Take it over there!

Down the drain, Jimmy.

Oh.

Here.

Jimmy, it's too big.
It won't go down.

I tell you that nobody will
believe that we killed Superman.

So we don't tell them.

I know, checkers.

Just like checkers.

Why don't you shut up?

That way I'll have Metropolis
in my hand within a week.

The other boys will be
scared. But not me, see?

Sure.

Only what about
the kid and that girl?

Ah, they'll starve to death
before they get out of that place.

Incidentally, we'll throw
their car down there...

with them in it.

After all, it's a rough road,

and accidents will happen.

You see?

Everything is perfect,
and checkers win out.

[LAUGHS]

Don't move. Don't try to move.

Oh, Jimmy.

[SOBS]

Pipe... lead.

Don't say it, Superman.

I thought I could
get rid of that metal.

I did everything
I could. I'm sorry.

Sink... lead pipe.

That's it, Miss Lane. Lead!

What is it, Jimmy?

Lead. They kept
it in a lead box.

Like this pipe. It's lead.

Give me the metal.

Here.

Jimmy, I can't do it.

You're better.

You're gonna be
all right, Superman.

Sure I am, Jimmy.

Thanks, both of you.

Don't worry, Miss Lane.

The lead protects
me from its radiations.

I'm all right now, see?

Oh, boy. Now, get up there
and take care of those guys.

No Jimmy, I'm gonna
let the police do that.

I have something far
more important to do.

Kryptonite is the only thing
in the world that can hurt me.

Therefore, this sample is
going to disappear forever.

What are you gonna do now?

I'll show you, Jimmy.

Stand back, both of you, please.

[PIPE WHISTLING]

What is it?

Don't know.

Clear out over the ocean.

Keep your eye on the road!

But, look, it's
clear out of sight!

What was it?

[TIRES SCREECH]

Look out!

[SIGH]

Well, Clark,

I told you if I got half lead

I'd get the real story.

Lois, I'm glad
you got the story.

And I'm glad you
didn't write anything in it

about the effect of
Kryptonite on Superman.

That's one thing I'm
never gonna tell anybody.

That's too dangerous a
thing for anyone else to know.

Even if there isn't any
more Kryptonite in the world.

Isn't it funny...?

To think Superman
actually has a weakness.

It makes him seem almost human.

For once, we had to save him.

Yes. We're all
pretty lucky, I guess.

We?

Now, don't tell me you're
going to take credit for it.

Oh, I'm not Lois.
I'm definitely not.

In fact, I'm not even human.

[♪♪♪]