Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000): Season 3, Episode 6 - Absolute Power - full transcript

Superman comes to a planet under the control of the Phantom Zone prisoners Jax-Ur and Mala, but feels he cannot interfere.

[♪♪♪]

[SEAGULLS CAWING]

[CROWD CHATTERING]

MAN: My name's on the list.
MAN 2: Let us in.

MAN 3: I'll pay you double.
WOMAN: Triple!

Behind the ropes, people.

We have special tickets.

Hey! But I just gave you $100.

Thank you.
Now get behind the rope.

MAN 4:
Serves him right.

WOMAN:
Some people think



they can buy anyone.

What do you think?

Uh, well, I, uh--
Oh, my.

I don't have a ticket.

Always room for one more.

Thanks, skipper.

Mwah.

Hey, what's she got
that I haven't got?

Everything.

[PIANO PLAYING PLEASANT MUSIC]

So, what do you think
this stuff's worth, Clark?

To the right collector?
Millions.

And my mom made me
throw out all my models.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]



Now, there's
a camera-friendly face.

Not exactly
newsworthy, Jim.

This is for
my private collection.

I hope you
got my good side.

Uh...

[CHUCKLES]

Ladies and gentlemen,
the regatta is about to begin.

[SQUEALS]

Out already?

Jeez.

[♪♪♪]

Fire!
Hey!

Somebody get some help!

[CROWD SCREAMING]

Come on, Jimmy.
Time to go.

[COUGHING]

Clark! Clark!

Where are you?

[♪♪♪]

[GASPING]

Let's go.

Don't move. I'll get you.

[CINDERS CRACKLING]

Gone.

Like a puff of smoke.

MAN:
Move away
from the building, sir.

I'm a reporter.
I was just--

Sorry. My crew's cleaning
hazardous chemicals

from the interior.

You'll have to move back.

Hazardous chemicals?

At a yacht club?

Fuel storage.
Petroleum, you know.

The Metropolis Yacht Club
is sail-power only.

There's no fuel
being stored there.

I wanna see
what's going on.

For your own safety...

I suggest you back off.

[♪♪♪]

Keisha, get me Kurt.

My tax dollars at work.

You're going to love
the merchandise, Donny.

And I'm offering it
to you first

'cause you're
my absolute favorite fence.

DONNY:
Newspaper said a bunch
of boat stuff was missing.

Please. Nautical memorabilia.

Whatever it is,
I'm gonna have to pass.

Really?

[BLOWS WHISTLE]

The whistle was touched
by the president's lips.

What wasn't?

Uh-- Donny, I can give you
a really good price.

I have to get out of town.

Look, Volcana, honey,
I'd love to help you,

but I can't move
that kind of stuff.

Don't you have anything else?

I might.

Yeah? When?

Tuesday.
Meet me at the usual place.

You won't be sorry.

[GASPS]

[♪♪♪]

Where exactly
is "the usual place"?

[♪♪♪]

[WOMAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER P.A.]

We opened the institute
about 20 years ago.

It was the first school
to offer paranormal children

a place where they could fit in.

And you also help them
develop their abilities?

Let me show you.

Like most things,

telekinesis takes practice.

This little girl had
a 40-percent accuracy rating

when she got here.

Now it's up to 92.

Impressive.

But tell me something.

Who pays for all this?

I-- I thought
you were doing a story

about paranormals.

Just trying
to be thorough.

Where does
your funding come from?

Why, we have donors and...

The government?

[SIGHS]

Mr. Kent, we do
some very worthwhile work here,

and the government gives us
considerable...encouragement.

But if the public at large knew

that this was how some of
their taxes were being spent--

They wouldn't understand.

Exactly.

Keep working, Billy.
It'll come.

Ever have anyone who exhibited
pyrokinetic abilities?

Py-- Pyrokinesis?

You know, the ability
to start and control fires.

Oh, dear.
Look at the time.

You haven't answered
my question.

I have another appointment.
Billy will show you out.

I knew he was gonna do that.

MAN:
Now, that went well.

I'm doing the best I can.

That's what we're afraid of.

Wh--? Where are you taking me?

A safe house.
For your own protection.

Protection?
Protection from whom?

Just get in the car.

[♪♪♪]

[GUNSHOT]

Hey!

[GUNSHOT]

Get down!

You see anyone?

[GRUNTS]

Please, don't turn me in.

You gonna tell me
what's going on?

You take me someplace safe,
and I'll tell you everything.

Deal.

By the way, that was
a nice diversion tactic.

How'd you do it?

Uh, the tires?

A form of kinetic manipulation.

As they say,
"I'm also a client."

[SLURPING]

It was about 10 years ago.

A teenaged girl named
Claire Selton came to us

with enormous
pyrokinetic potential.

But I never got to
see her fulfill it.

Why not?

The government men.
They took her.

Took her?

As in, kidnapped?

Mm-hm.
Can I have another?

What did they do with her?

Stripped away her past,
code-named her "Volcana,"

and tried their hardest

to turn her
into a living weapon.

Poor kid.

Ah, don't feel
too sorry for her.

If this is the same person
we're talking about,

she could give
as good as she got.

[SLURPING]

Ahhh.

This is almost
paranormally good.

[LAUGHS]

I-- Paranormal.
That's-- That's really good.

[♪♪♪]

Uh, I have an errand
I need to run.

Oh, don't worry about me.

[SLURPING]

I'll be fine.

[BURPS]

Life, liberty
and the pursuit of my happiness.

You're gonna make me earn this,
aren't you?

Don't do it, Volcana.

I can help you.

No, thanks.

These days,
I help myself.

Listen, nobody will blame you
for what you've done.

But the stealing
has to stop. Now.

Stop?
I'm just getting warmed up.

Aah!

[♪♪♪]

[GASPS]

You have to trust me,
Volcana.

Do you know how many times
I've heard that?

From my parents

before they shuffled me off
to the institute?

From the institute just before
they turned me over to the feds.

And from the government

just before
they took away my life!

And that was with my left hand.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[♪♪♪]

Look. Amazing.

WOMAN:
What was that?

Donny,
I've got something for you.

It wasn't what I originally
hoped for but--

I guess I always knew
you'd catch up to me, Kurt.

Now leave, before I make it
even hotter for you.

You've been bad, Volcana.

You've been worse.

And now that we've recapped
the past two years--

You shouldn't have left us.

I don't like being used.

All for a good cause.

I'll be the judge
of that.

And if you're thinking you can
make me go back, forget it.

Now, that's where you're wrong.

[♪♪♪]

Aah!

You see, we've had two years
to think about...how to do it.

[♪♪♪]

[HORNS HONKING IN DISTANCE]

So I see cop cars
outside this hotel.

Desk clerk tells me she heard
some kind of struggle

in a room she rented
to a redhead.

You call that a story?

Here's the weird part:

The room was covered in foam.

The police say it's
a powerful fire retardant,

but get this:
There was no fire.

Oh, now, that's a headline.

LOIS:
"No Fire in Hotel Room."

[♪♪♪]

Shred 'em.
And then we're outta here.

Hey!
Hey!

Where did they take her?

[ENERGY SURGING]

It's a G-40 blue laser, alien.

One shot can penetrate

five feet of tempered steel
in 0.3 seconds.

I don't think even--

Argh!

I repeat:

Where did they take her?

[WHIMPERING]

[♪♪♪]

KURT:
No escape, Volcana.

The tank is filled
with an inert gas.

The breathing mask
is your only source of oxygen.

Not enough
for you to start a fire.

And should you try...

[COUGHING]

I wouldn't give us any trouble.
Understood?

[PANTING OVER SPEAKER]

Okay, you win.

Who do you want me to kill?

My dear, you can't believe

we'd trust you
with another assignment.

However, it did cost us
a lot of money

to develop your talents,

and we'd like
to get some of it back.

How?

A foreign government

doing metagenetic experiments
wants to study you.

You mean dissect me.

Probably.
When they're done playing.

[WHIRRING]

Superman.

Just in time.

[GUNS COCKING]

Really?

You can see
we've shut down Volcana.

As you know,
she's a real loose cannon.

You're the loose cannon.

You and your entire operation.

Your friends told me
Project Firestorm's funding

was cut off years ago.

This isn't the government.
It's just you.

[♪♪♪]

Yes.

MAN:
Move it! Move it!

[ALL YELLING]

Thanks.

Don't get sentimental.
It's a one-time thing.

[♪♪♪]

[GASPS]

Shoe's on the other foot,
eh, lover?

Volcana, please.

SUPERMAN:
Volcana, no.

Let the courts deal with him.

You'll understand
if I'm a little skeptical

about the justice system.

[GASPS]

I prefer my own justice.

And if you're not part
of my solution...

...you're part of my problem.

No!

Hey, I told you last time.
I like chunky.

Adapt.

Food, shelter, sunshine...

Could be worse.

Could be Metropolis
Women's Prison

if you weren't so volatile.

Polite to the end.
Your mother raised you well.

I was lucky.

Yes, you were.

I hope you'll think of me.

Especially on
those cold Metropolis nights.

Don't you ever cool down?

No.

[♪♪♪]