Act 1
The Proposal
Superman: The Wedding Album
October 1996
Written by Dan Jurgans, Roger Stern, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, and Louise Simonson
Drawn by Dan Jurgans, Jerry Ordway, Ron Frenz, John Byrne, Curt Swan, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Tom Grummett, Jon Bogdanove, Barry Kitson, Paul Ryan, and a host of others.
'Superman' created by Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster
Cut to Lois, dressed in a beautiful, old-fashioned wedding gown, and carrying a bouquet of roses.
VOICE: (off-screen)You look absolutely stunning, my dear Lois…I can barely believe I am getting married…yet again!
We see that she is onboard an airplane. The voice belongs to a middle-aged man, with a mustache and smoking a cigar. He is dressed in a tux that his assistant is straightening for him.
ASSISTANT: Bit of a s’prize, innit, Mr. Naga?
NAGA: Indeed, Cutter…especially when my bride-to-be is a reporter who not twenty-four hours ago, was causing my drug-smuggling operations endless trouble! I suppose I should have killed her once I captured her back in Bhutran, but she captured my heart first!
We see that the plane they’re aboard is heading towards Metropolis.
NAGA: So instead of a lead bullet sending her to her maker, I give her a gold ring and take her to Metropolis!
Lois smiles at him seductively, while Cutter goes into the front of the plane.
LOIS: You’re too good to me, darling! And I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused your business, but I was only working until I could find a man as rich and handsome and charming as you to marry!
NAGA: So I have been told…many times! You should be honored your suggestion of marriage appealed to me! Not only will you be a beautiful prize, but a wife cannot testify against her husband in American courts! Of course, you will soon have other matters to occupy your time, since I plan to have many sons!
LOIS: (seductively)I can hardly wait, dearest, but I’m afraid it must wait until after we fix things up with your business associates.
Lois slowly walks over to a nearby table, and picks up a bottle of champagne.
NAGA: Your idea to invite my Metropolis connections on a wedding flight was almost as shrewd as a man’s thinking! They will see for themselves that you will be no trouble in the future, and each will leave with a slice of our special wedding cake.
Naga points towards a large cake in the middle of the cabin, that was half as tall as him.
Just then, Cutter arrives back in the cabin.
CUTTER: We got the nod-through from customs, Mr. Naga, same bloody price as always!
Naga straightens his tie.
NAGA: I will not let such affairs spoil my wedding day, Cutter! Summon the captain to perform the ceremony while we are still over international waters.
Lois begins to shake the bottle in her hands.
LOIS: (seductively)One minute, my sweet. What this moment really needs is some champagne!
Naga turns towards her.
NAGA: Of course. But those bottles can be quite tricky to open. Allow me to…
Lois’ eyes narrow.
LOIS: Don’t bother…I can handle this myself!
With one swift motion, she pops the cork. Causing it to fly across the room and beam Naga in the head.
NAGA: AAAAA!
CUTTER: COR!
Lois turns to face Cutter, and sprays the champagne right in his eyes. Then she notices another one of Naga’s thugs sneaking up behind her. She hits him in the stomach with the now-empty bottle, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.
Cutter rubs the champagne out of his eyes, and draws a knife.
CUTTER: Think yer one smart Shiela, don’t ya? Well, that ain’t no attack! This…this is an attack!
Cutter lunges at Lois with the knife, tearing the bottom-half of her dress.
LOIS: I assume you were aiming for my legs? For future reference, I’ll show you where they are!
She kicks him, causing him to crash into the table where she found the champagne.
Then, Lois turns to see Naga, picking himself up from the ground, and aiming a gun at her.
NAGA: Treacherous woman! You thought you had what it takes to defeat Naga?
LOIS: Not just thought…I DO!
Before he can fire, Lois hits him with the empty bottle. Naga drops the gun, and falls backwards into the wedding cake. A couple dozen brown bundles that were hidden inside the cake tumble out.
LOIS: In fact, it was cake. In this case, one that was filled with a couple hundred pounds of heroin! And the only tiers dropped were the ones I knocked over with my magnum! Let’s see ‘Dirty Harry’ do that, in a wedding dress! By the way, thanks for the ride home, jerk! Now to tie up a few loose ends, then call the captain back.
*****
Cut to a moment later. The captain checks his watch and walks into the cabin.
CAPTAIN: I was wondering when you’d be ready to begin, Mr. Naga. We’re so close to landing, I thought you’d…changed your mind?
The captain’s jaw started to drop, and he saw Naga, Cutter, and their thug tied together on the ground. Lois had Cutter’s knife tied to her waist, was holding the bottle, and aiming Naga’s gun straight at him.
LOIS: Oh, I think you could say there’ve been a few changes! Now, I certainly hope you and I don’t have irreconcilable differences, captain, because I have a gun, a knife, and champagne, and I know how to use all three! But look on the bright side, you just made the headlines!
*****
Cut to Metropolis, at the Daily Planet building.
Clark Kent, his hair tied back in a ponytail, is wading through a crowd of fellow Planet workers. The continue asking him questions, preventing him from reaching Perry White’s office.
WALT: …moment of your time…
INTERN: …need your signature…
REPORTER: …department meeting in ten…
ALLIE: …can’t bump logging to page six…
WOMAN: …budget memo from Mr. Stern…
Clark, a look of frustration on his face, finally turns towards them.
CLARK: Take a number, everyone!
He finally reaches the office, and turns towards Allie.
CLARK: Allie, any luck locating Lois?
ALLIE: Sorry, Mr. Kent. Miss Lane hasn’t filed a story in weeks!
Clark begins to get angry.
CLARK: (angry)Well, why don’t you find out if she’s used the company credit card lately? She’s still on the Planet’s staff, so I want to know where she is! If she isn’t filing, I want to know why! AND I WANT TO KNOW NOW!!!!
He enters the office and slams the door behind him. The workers all stare at the door with surprised looks.
REPORTER: …become a real hardcase…
WALT: …won’t cut Lois any slack…
WOMAN: …at each other’s throats…
REPORTER # 2: …can’t work together…
INTERN: …ever since they broke off their engagement…
*****
Cut to inside Perry’s office. Clark is pacing back and forth, sighing to himself.
CLARK: (thinking)There goes my image as a ‘mild-mannered’ reporter. Can’t help it.
Clark notices a framed newspaper on the wall. It’s of him, as Superman, and Lois from the first time he appeared in costume. The headline ‘Super Rescue’ is featured prominently.
CLARK: (thinking)All I want is to find Lois, but if even the Planet can’t find her… And I was hoping the power of the press was the one power I could count on!
Clark focuses on the paper, and on Lois’ face. His face immediately softens, as he looks at her face with a pained expression.
CLARK: (thinking)I know I said I’d leave you alone, Lois, but these last few days…! You mean so much to me, and I’d do anything…give up anything…just to stand next to you again…and see that look in your eyes one more time.
Clark pulls a crumpled handkerchief out of his pocket.
CLARK: (thinking)I don’t know what to do. If I reach out for you, I’ll push you away. But if I don’t…will I ever get you back?
He unwraps the handkerchief, which conceals an engagement right…the same one Lois gave back to him.
CLARK: (thinking)It’s a vicious circle. If only I could replace it with a golden one. But it’s…
Suddenly, Clark’s ears focus. He notices that he cannot hear a sound from the other side of the door.
CLARK: (thinking)It’s too quiet in the newsroom! After years of working in that controlled chaos, nothing breaks my concentration like unexpected silence! What happened? Did a super-villain take the place hostage or…
*****
Clark opens the door to the office, and looks into the newsroom.
There, he sees Lois walking towards him, still wearing the torn wedding dress. Every single person in the newsroom is staring at her with their mouths open.
CLARK: Lois? What…what are you doing here?
LOIS: Oh…so you’re not happy to see me?
At that moment, the entire crowd behind them scatters to every available elevator and stairwell in view.
REPORTER # 1: Look at the time!
ALLIE: Better check that source myself…
REPORTER # 2: …gotta get this to advertising…
REPORTER # 3: …grab an early lunch…
INTERN: …join you…
REPORTER # 4: …Stern wanted to see these
INTERN # 2: …deliver it in person…
REPORTER # 5: …I’ll go…
INTERN # 3: …said I’d get this memo to him…
Clark shook his head, while Lois smirked at her scattering co-workers.
CLARK: No, Lois, that’s not… It’s good to see you, Lois…really. You look…good.
LOIS: Oh, puh-leeese! Maybe this was a bad idea…maybe I better just file my story. Did I mention I broke up an international drug ring on my way back to Metropolis?
She looked around the newsroom. There wasn’t a single person left besides her and Clark.
LOIS: (sarcastically)Gee…think I can find a terminal?
CLARK: Well, everyone should be back fairly soon. Why don’t you use the computer in my office?
They walk into the office and shut the door.
LOIS: Perry’s office, you mean. Reality check, Clark. You’re Superman, not the editor of the Daily Planet.
Clark took a deep breath.
CLARK: You’re right, Lois. I’m only managing editor, while Perry recovers from his chemotherapy.
Lois’ eyes go wide in shock. She looses her balance, and had to grab the desk to keep from falling over.
LOIS: Chemo… Perry has cancer? My god, Clark, I would’ve come back sooner if I’d known! Why didn’t you tell me?
Lois’ mood changes from shock to anger. She rips the veil off her head and throws it on the ground.
LOIS: (mad)In fact, why didn’t you tell me? Did you think I couldn’t handle it? Were you trying to ‘protect’ me again? Well, Mr. ‘defender of the innocent’, let me tell you something…
Clark cuts her off.
CLARK: Listen, Lois, you wanted to get out of town to sort through your feelings. Perry insisted I not tell you so you could. I wasn’t trying to protect you. In fact, there’s a good chance I’ll never…
Clark stops mid-sentence, and reaches for a jug of water on the desk.
CLARK: Never mind. Let’s…let’s just try to cool down. Would you like a glass of wat…
He accidentally looses his grip on the jug, which crashes into the two glasses it was beside, shattering them. Clark kneels down to clean up the mess, and Lois kneels beside him to help.
LOIS: Same old Clark. Maybe most people think you’re a klutz, but I know it’s just you don’t know your own super…strength?
Lois sees Clark picking up the broken glass. To her surprise, Clark’s fingers start to…bleed.
LOIS: (shocked)You’re…you’re bleeding? Clark, that’s not possi…
He smiles at her.
CLARK: Remember when the sun went out a while ago, Lois? I lost my powers then. They haven’t come back since. I don’t know why. I don’t know if they’ll ever come back.
Lois starts to giggle slightly.
LOIS: I can’t believe it! I leave town, everything falls apart! You’re doing what you can to get your powers back, right?
Clark’s mood becomes serious again.
CLARK: Of course. Every day I see countless stories cross my desk. Things Superman could prevent, or relieve, or…
Clark notices Lois smile at him.
LOIS: You’ve still got the power of the press, Clark. It’s also more powerful than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, and able to change the course of mighty rivers. If it wasn’t…if it couldn’t help people…I wouldn’t be here. And neither would you.
They both stand up.
CLARK: You’re right, Lois. Thanks. You know, every time one of us got lost reaching for the stars, the other helped keep their feet on the ground. I think that’s why we were so good together.
LOIS: (muttering sadly)Past tense…
She smiles again.
LOIS: Well, uh…we better take care of that cut…
She reaches in Clark’s coat pocket and pulls out the handkerchief.
LOIS: You still keep your handkerchief in here?
CLARK: Huh? Oh! Lois, you really…shouldn’t.
Lois unwraps the handkerchief and sees the ring inside. Her eyes go wide, and she looks at Clark. After a moment of shocked silence, she finally speaks up.
LOIS: Why…why do you still have this?
CLARK: Maybe…the same reason you came back to Metropolis? I love you, Lois. I always will. Is there any chance you could still love me?
Lois turns the other way and crosses her arms…thinking for a moment. Finally, she turns to face him again.
LOIS: I do love you, Clark. More than I ever thought was humanly possible. But it’s not as simple as that. I’m sorry…
She hands him back the ring, a single tear sliding down her cheek.
Then she smiles at him warmly.
LOIS: You don’t get off that easy, Mr. Kent! You have to do it right!
Clark smiles back at her, and slides the ring back on her finger.
CLARK: You’re an opinionated, stubborn woman, Lois Lane. Will you marry me?
*****
Cut to back in the newsroom. Everyone is back now, crowded around the door to the office.
Slowly, Allie peers into the office.
INTERN: It’s awfully quiet in there…
REPORTER: You hear that glass break? Five bucks says Lane reached the end of her…
ALLIE: Shhh!
WALT: Whattaya see, Allie?
Allie’s eyes go wide, and she opens the door wider so everyone else can see into the office.
ALLIE: Last thing I ever expected…
Inside the office, Clark and Lois are caught in a long, passionate kiss.