Okay, so reading over my last entry, it had some logic gaps, misspellings, lack of clarity, etc - keep in mind that it wasn't written under ideal circumstances, and likely, this post won't be either. Also, remember that these are just very broad strokes here - I'm not going into much detail except where it really counts, and of course some of the ideas are fluid and not 100 % hammered out. But anyways, time to continue with how I would do the Superman sequels - and create a two-part Superman epic that would be worthy of the comic, the character, and the legacy of Superman.
Where we left off:
In Superman 2:
The citizens of earth believe Superman is dead. In his greatest battle to date, Superman fought the mysterious monster known as Doomsday in a battle that spanned from Smallville to Metropolis. Making his last stand in Metropolis, with Lois, Jimmy, and the world looking on, Superman used the last of his strength to defeat Doomsday, saving his adopted home. The sacrifice was made all the more tragic because just before his last stand, Superman revealed his true identity to Lois Lane, proposing to her knowing that he may never again have a chance to tell her how he feels. Lois had been growing closer to Clark Kent since the unresolved murder of her fiance Richard White, and accepted the proposal, finally putting the pieces together.
What had happened to Richard? At a press event held by the enigmatic Lex Luthor II, Richard stumbled upon a mysterious lab at Lexcorp HQ. Subdued by Lexcorp security, Richard is murdered point blank by the previously benevelont-seeming Luthor the 2nd, who had emerged following the disappearance of Lex Luthor, claiming to be the long lost son of the notorious criminal who sought atonement for his father's sins.
What Superman later discovered was that Lex Luthor had made a deal with the devil - Darkseid! Marooned on an island and near death following the events of Superman Returns, Luthor made a pact with the alien ruler of the planet Apokolips - Darkseid brought Luthor to his hellish planet and cloned him a new body and gave him access to alien tech, in exchange for Luthor's knowledge of Superman's son. Darkseid had conquered many worlds, but he long sought something more - the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid believed that long ago, the Kryptonians had discovered this secret, and its arcane code was hidden, embedded in the very DNA of the Kryptonians. Aeons ago, the Kryptonians had experimented with Anti-Life to create monster Doomsday, who nearly destroys the planet. Darkseid alone imprisoned Doomsday deep within the earth - where one day he would unleash him and conquer the planet. But now his plan had changed. Darkseid saw Superman, the last Kryptonian, as his one obstacle in conquering Earth. But Doomsday was the perfect weapon - programmed to destroy any and all Kryptonian life. Darkseid views Lex as his pawn, but Lex clearly hasn't told the dark god eveything he knows.
In the course of Superman's epic battle with Doomsday, Lex Luthor II reveals to the world a plan to stop the monster - a weapon made of synthesized kryptonite. Lex uses the weapon, which weakens Doomsday, but also Superman! Superman confronts Lex 2, realizing that he is in fact the original Lex Luthor. Superman disposes of Lex, and the battle continues.
Meanwhile, Darkseid's minions have found Superman's son and abducted him - bringing him to the infamous child prisons of Armagetto, on the dreaded planet Apokolips.
As the world mourns Superman following his battle with Doomsday, the body of Superman disappears. Not fully dead, Superman has been transported to the planet New Genesis, the Eden-like neighbor of Apokolips inhabited by a race of super-beings - a once idyllic world that has been all but destroyed by Darkseid's armies. Superman is revived and healed by the strange tech of New Genesis, and told of Darkseid and his plans to invade earth, as well as the fate of his son. Superman gathers his strength and travels to Apokolips, equipped with a Motherbox device that conceals his appearance.
On earth, the world is driven to despair by their hero's apparent death. Lex Luthor II sees his plans come to fruition - he uses the resources of Lexcorp to repair and protect Metropolis in the wake of Doomsday, and begs the people to look to humanity for anwers, not an alien savior. He warns that Doomsday could only be the first of many more extraterrestrial threats to come.
In the ghettos of Apokolips, the lowlies toil hopelessly under the iron rule of Darkseid. But unbeknownst to them, a symbol of strength and hope is in their midst -- Superman!
Whoo!
Which brings us to ...
SUPERMAN 3:
- On Apokolips, Superman poses as a lowly. He is whipped and beaten by his taskmasters as he toils in the Fire Pits, but bides his time before revealing himself, listening for any word about his son's location.
- In Smallville, Lois Lane meets Ma Kent - the two share memories of Clark and mourn the man sho they still believe to have died at the hands of Doomsday, as well as Lois' son, who has now been missing for a month. But their grief is interrupted by a strange visit - a party of emmissaries arrive from New Genesis - informing Lois that Kal-El still lives. They tell her of her son's capture and imprisonment in Apokolips. They say things are grim, but that hope remains.
- On Apokolips, Superman sees prisoners abused by the Task Masters, and can stomach their oppression no longer. He incites a riot, revealing himself as Superman, and sparking a gleam of hope for the first time in centuries in the lowlies of Aopklips. But Superman is eventually overwhelmed and captured by Darkseid's forces, and brought to the palace of Darkseid himself.
- On earth, the New Genesis emmisaries, led by Highfather, approach Washington DC and try to warn the President of the impending Apokoliptian invasion. The people are terrified, wishing that Superman was still around to protect them. Highfather tries to explain that Superman yet lives, but Lex Luthor II is skeptical. He says the humanity must decide it's own fate, and offers his services to aid the military in its operations.
- In a grand gesture, Lex Luthor II unveils his master stroke -- an army of cloned Superman, each completely and utterly dedicated to their cause - to serve and protect the interests of America. These LexCorp-created super-soldiers will be the key to earth's chances against an invading force.
- Brought before Darkseid, Superman is made to kneel before the dark god of Apokolips. Superman tries to fight back, but stripped of his motherbox and faced with Darkseid's near-omnipotent Omega Effect, Clark is beaten. Darkseid admires Superman's valor, and tells him of a part of Kryptonian history that he didn't know - of the Kryptonians' discovery of Anti-Life and their creation of Doomsday. We see Doomsday wreaking havoc across Krypton and other planets - each sending their champion to defeat the reature but failing. Only two men have ever defeated the creature -- Superman, and Darkseid. We see Darkseid condront the monster on Apokolips in flashback. Broken and near death, Darkseid uses his Omega Effect to imprison Doomsday. Darkseid explains how the secrets of Anti-Life are embedded in Kryptonian DNA hidden for centuries. He believes that conversely, the secret of Positive Life are inherent in human beings. Thus a half-human, half Kryptonian could become a being of unmeasurable power - that is why he has kidnapped Superman's son - he will be the catalyst for Darkseid to achieve complete and utter omnipotence!
- Superman vows to rescue his son and stop Darkseid - but Darkseid reveals that the invasion of earth has already begun. Using his Boom Tube technology, his forces can instantly travel the galaxies and attack Earth wheresoever he chooses.
- On earth, the first wave of attacks begin. The militaries of the world go into combat against the Parademons of Apokolips. Lex II unleashes his army of Supermen - they handily defeat the Parademons bt something odd begins to happen - an inevitable effect of attempting to maniupulate Kryptonian DNA ... the clones begin to rapidly decompose on a cellular level - their skins whiten, their complexions change, their features become grotesque -- they are Bizarros! The army of Bizarros now perceive everything backwards - they believe their mission is to destroy rather than to protect.
- On earth, The New Genesians sense the danger that Superman is in - realizing that freeing his son is the key to saving Earth, they decide to infiltrate Apokolips and rescue the boy. Meanwhile, cub reporter Jimmy Olsen has been following this strange beings, and stows away in their boom-tube trip to Apokolips!
- Jimmy Olsen and the New Genesians stage a rescue operation on Apoklips - they break into Armagetto and grab the boy, and then are met by Superman, who is overjoyed to be freed and see his son. Highfather warns him of the invasion of Earth - and Superman knows he must return and help his adopted planet - but he vows to one day return to Apokolips and help its oppressed people. But as he leaves, he sees that all around him the tides are changing, and for the first time, inspired by this strange alien known as Superman, the lowlies of Apokolips have been given hope.
- On earth, Lois writes a story on the Bizarro phenomena, and talks with top scientists who propose that their rampage could be stopped through a chemical weapon that would affect only clones. The weapon is developed and unleashed, and the Bizarros are vanquished. All but one that is - Bizarro #1, who somehow escapes the weapon's effects and dons the mantle of the still-presumed-dead Superman, believing that in his absence, the earth needs a hero.
- As Lois worries about Clark and her son, the two return from New Genesis. Superman announces his return to the world, and warns of a second wave of Apokoliptian forces. Superman volunteers to lead the world's armies in the assault. Most cheer his return, but some, led by Luthor, warn that superman, an alien, may just be a herald of the invading forces.
- Even so, Luthor's credibility is harmed as he begins to become sickly - affected by the same anti-clone weapon used to defeat the Bizarros. Lois investigates and uncovers a trail of lies and deceit - Lex Luthor II is simply a clone of the original! Threatening to publish the story - Lois is confronted by Lex. He tells her not to publish the story, because if she does, something will happen to her son. What? Lex reveals that he's been working with Kryptonian DNA for many years, seeking to doscover its secrets. He made a pact with Darkseid to help create the ultimate super-being. Lois' son is not the product of her and Superman's - it is a clone, artificially created with Superman's DNA and Lex's! He has built in failsafes in the genetic programming - when he wants to be, he is in full control of the boy!
- Despite Lex's voice of opposition, Superman leads the earth's armies as the second wave of attacks begin. Superman must battle the highest ranking lieutenants of Darkseid, and rallies the armies and the people of earth with his leadership and bravery in battle.
- Of course, this is all a prelude to the main event - Darkseid himself arrives on Earth and vows to destroy Superman once and for all. Darkseid destroys the armies, Bizarro, and leads the elite forced of Apokolips on a path of destruction. When things look bleakest though, Superman is joined by the remaining forces of New Genesis - they defeat the Apokoliptians and it's down to Superman vs. Darkseid. With all the world watching the two duke it out. But Lex sees this as his opportuniy to stkie. He activates the contol mechanism in Lois's son's DNA - and triggers the anti-life / life equation. Transformed, this new Superboy jumps into the fray with Darkseid, and uses his newfound power to imprison Darkseid in the great Source Wall - the ancient barrier that houses the Old Gods doomed to eternally inhabit its rocky heights.
- Superman is victorious, but in his final ploy, Lex compels this new Superboy to turn against Superman. As Lois looks on, Superman refuses to fight back, even if it kills him. Lex watches in joy as his enemy is crushed. But the boy's conciousness fights back - he realizes that he has become something more than human, and, accompanied by the New Genesians, bids Superman farewell as he flies off into space on a quest of discovery and knowledge.
- With no more leverage against Superman or Lois, Lex is exposed as the fraud that he is. He had tasted credibility, legitimacy, but now he was once again a prisoner. Lex makes one last bid to attack Superman with another synth kryptonite weapon, but after all he has endured, Superman will have none of it. "Not this time, Lex. This time I fight back. I'll always fight back."
- With Lex defeated, Clark and Lois ponder the fate of their not-quite-son, but realize that he had become something more - they were never meant to raise him. But at least the two are now together, finally. In Smallville, the two are married, and nearly everyone thinks that it is merely the wedding of two colleagues who fell in love. Little do they realize that they are witness the consummation of one of the great epic romances, between Superman and Lois Lane. But finally, after death and torture, heartbreak and loss - with little fanfare and a small crowd (even if the likes of Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince are in attendance ...), Superman gets his happy ending.
So - there it is, the broadstrokes at least. What do you think? Get James Cameron or Sam Raimi to direct and we're in business.
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