Greetings Ken!
This was an excellent part, for the scientific and the romantic.
Superman’s plan was to use a principle that Lois had taught him about karate. When you strike, the force of the strike is transmitted to the surface that you strike and unlike a boxer you do not follow-through. You instantly recoil once the force of the blow has been transmitted. That was what he did. The instant after he struck he reversed course. There was one slight flaw in the plan however. The release of fifty megatons of energy resulted in no small portion of that force being converted to heat and light. That heat burned away Superman’s cape, which wasn’t so bad, but it also burned away his communications gear, the mask and the tubing from the oxygen tanks. The tanks themselves ruptured and the oxygen released added to the conflagration. Realizing that he now had to make it all the way back with no oxygen he ‘poured on the coal’ gathering as much speed as he could in the direction of the Earth.
I don't remember anyone who described the destruction of Nightfall and what happened to Superman's equipment quite this well.
Ralph, Eduardo, man-on-the-street interviews.
Eduardo yes, Ralph getting opinions of the man on the street is a little scary.
How about Diane or Pete? Surely there writing would be better in this situation than that hack.
Suddenly, like a switch being thrown, Luthor’s mood changed and he slammed his palm down on his desk and began to rant, “I have been deprived of my greatest victory over Superman and you think I should be pleased?” He turned his back on Asabi and said, “Leave me.”
????
....Like a drowning man his body was crying for air, but unlike a drowning man if he opened his mouth to take a breath he wouldn’t even have water to fill his lungs. All that there was, was … nothingness. The utter vacuum of space. His last conscious thought was <Lois, I’m sorry.>
Hands down, best paragraph you have ever written. I could feel his despair and fear. Poor thing, alone in a cold empty universe.
In an undertone, she kept muttering to herself, “He’s okay. He has to be okay. He’ll come back, back to me. He has to be okay. He has to come back.”
Lois must have been alone in Perry's office. No way could he not know that Clark and Superman are one and the same. Also, how is Lois going to explain Clark's absence in the newsroom? Is she pregnant?
Perry muttered to himself, “Where could he be?” He looked at his office and realized that Lois was in no condition for him to ask where her husband was. “I guess he’ll show up, sooner or later with a big story.” Shaking his head he turned toward his office. <I wonder if she would be this upset if it was Clark that was missing. That’s probably unfair. Clark’s her husband and she would naturally be upset if her were missing. I just wonder who she would miss more.>
Come on Perry! Put those reporter instincts into play! What would Cleat Johnson say if you weren't able to put the dots together? Think man! Why would Lois who is so obliviously crazy about her husband be so upset about Superman? Who is a relative stranger?
“Well, Darlin’, when they lost contact with Superman we lost contact with you too. You kinda’ checked out on us. You okay now?”
Best line of the story so far! Lane Smith's voice is crystal clear.
ois was frantic. When she had gotten home there was absolutely no word from Clark. She wandered around the apartment listlessly. Suddenly it occurred to her that if she was worried, Clark’s parents must be also. She ran to the phone and dialed.
When it was answered, Lois recognized Martha’s voice and the tone of her voice told just how worried she was, “Clark?!?!?!?”
“No, Martha, it’s me, Lois.”
“Oh, Lois, Honey. I thought it would be Clark. Is he there?”
Lois started to break down in tears, “No, Martha, he’s not. I haven’t heard from him. Martha, I’m so worried. Where could he be? He can’t be dead. I’d know it if he was dead, I just know I would.”
This is the piece to the show we never saw, how Jonathan and Martha realized their son was in danger.
Fabulous!
