Original subtitles

NARRATOR: The Adventures of Superman!

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.

[♪♪♪]

I have just come from the presidential palace.

His Excellency is in conference

with the newspaper people from the United States.

Unfortunately, I left my briefcase

in His Excellency's office.

There was nothing of value in it, I trust?

Only a clock, set to go off at 12:00 sharp

and a small quantity of high explosives.

[CLOCK TICKING QUIETLY]

Señor White, you do us honor with your plan to publish

a Latin-American edition of the Daily Planet here.

I can assure you of my complete cooperation.

Well, I'm counting on that, Mr. President.

As I was just saying to Miss Lane and Mr. Kent:

Your government is a model of progress and integrity.

You're kind to say so.

Actually, our prosperity comes from the mines my country owns.

The land is rich in metals.

And you use the money for the good of the people.

Gracias.

Unfortunately there are certain unscrupulous politicians

who would like to put me out of office.

Then they would take over the mines

and steal the profits for themselves.

In a very few moments, Your Excellency.

Yes.

We must leave at once for the presidential palace.

Now, from this district, we get gold.

[CLOCK TICKING]

And, uh, down here, we mine silver,

lead and copper.

You see, we have every type of metal and...

Excuse me, Your Excellency.

Chief, I hate to break in, but we have an appointment

to see the building. The one for the new plant.

We have all day to see that building, Kent.

What's the hurry?

We have to leave at once, sir. I'm sorry.

Would you care to come along, Mr. President?

No, thank you. I must remain and sign a few documents.

Then we'll see you later. Come on, chief, Lois, please.

Clark, of all the outrageous, highhanded...

I demand an explanation of your conduct...

Chief, I'm sorry, but we've got to see that building.

Forgot my hat. You go ahead. I'll join you later.

Brace yourself.

It should blow up in a second now.

[TICKING]

Superman!

Look, President Patillo's office...

He must be dead.

Gracias. Por nada.

Señor Presidente, you're still alive.

Yes, thanks to Superman.

He is more concerned over my welfare

than certain of my own countrymen.

We are thankful that your life has been spared.

But as for Superman... Arrest him.

Arrest Superman? He is the one who saved me.

Perhaps it only looked that way.

Maybe it was he

who brought the bomb into your office.

Well, but that's for the courts to decide.

Arrest him.

Stop this nonsense!

I forbid it!

Permit me to remind you:

when an attempt is made on the life of our president

anyone with him must be arrested on suspicion, it is the law.

And according to our constitution,

if you break the law,

you can be removed from office.

And, just who would take his place?

As vice president I would.

I submit to arrest.

If his enemies try again to assassinate him,

they may succeed. You must break out of here.

No, no, no.

If I did that, he'd be impeached tomorrow.

That'd be a disaster for the entire country.

However, there is one thing you can do for me.

There's an old friend of mine back home,

his name is Professor Lucerne.

He's been of tremendous importance to me

on matters of very grave, grave consequence.

However, I want you to call him, or rather cable him,

and tell him to fly down here at once.

We'll do it right away. Come along, Lois.

Ah, Professor Lucerne, do come in.

Nice that you could come.

It seemed urgent.

Yes, it was. Won't you sit down, please.

As soon as I got Mr. White's cablegram,

I caught the first plane south.

I just arrived.

Imagine, you in prison. [CHUCKLES]

SUPERMAN: Did Mr. White explain the circumstances?

LUCERNE: He and Miss Lane met me at the airport

and told me everything.

I see. Then you know my problem.

As I see it,

you're obligated to stay in prison

to save the president's job.

And yet you must break out to protect his life.

And to catch and punish his enemies.

But how can I be in two places at once?

Unfortunately, I wasn't born twins.

Ah, unfortunately not.

But do you remember a discussion

we once had about molecular density?

Oh, yes. All matter is composed of molecules,

and all molecules are composed of atoms.

Correct. That applies to solids,

liquids, gases, everything.

The atomic and molecular structure of any substance

determines its strength and weight.

Yes. Including your own.

I understand.

You are made up of molecules and atoms.

Everybody is.

Yours happen to have greater density.

They're packed more closely together,

giving you your super-strength

and making it impossible for you to be injured or hurt.

I see.

Now let me understand this.

If I can expand my atomic structure

by driving the molecules farther apart,

then separate them...

There might be two of you instead of one. Ah.

Of course if it is possible, it would require

an extraordinary concentration of willpower.

Naturally.

But with a person of your great ability,

I think it might work.

Theoretically, at least.

Well, thank you. I think you've solved our problem.

At least, I'm going to try it.

I must warn you

the experiment may be dangerous.

If you do separate into two,

then each of you will be only half as strong

and only half as powerful.

You could be wounded by bullets Mm-hm.

And be hurt by your enemies.

Even flying through the air

might be difficult or impossible.

Well, it's just a risk I'll have to take, sir.

And there's one other danger.

Sometimes a theory may work one way but not in reverse.

If you do separate into two,

it may be impossible

for you to fuse yourself together again

into one single Superman.

If this happens

both of you might perish.

Well, professor, I'll worry about that when the time comes.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you luck.

Thank you, professor, and bless you.

Guard, guard!

I'm ready to leave now.

[♪♪♪]

[CLATTERING]

[SIGHS]

[♪♪♪]

Don't you have any idea at all who's behind all this?

I have a strong suspicion it is Vice President Obreon

who would like to take over.

He and Felipe Gonzales,

one of my cabinet members, are like that.

And they are both ambitious men.

Ambitious and greedy for money.

But there must be some way to stop them. There is.

In a day or two I shall dissolve my government

and ask for a new election.

That will put Señor Obreon out of office.

But it will put you out too.

Yes.

But it will also let me campaign for the truth.

The voters can decide

whether to re-elect me for honest government

or replace me with a scoundrel like Obreon.

I am sure he will be defeated.

And I'm sure you're right.

And you can count on the Daily Planet

for support up to the hilt.

Gracias, Señor White.

Lois, we'd better be getting back to the hotel.

And you're going to take us on a tour of the mines tomorrow.

It will be a pleasure.

Thank you and good night.

Buenas noches. Hasta mañana entonces.

Good night. Good night.

I've been thinking, chief. Hasn't it struck you as odd

that we haven't seen hide nor hair of Clark

since Superman was put in jail?

What are you getting at?

Well, I was just wondering,

wouldn't it be funny if Clark turned out to be Superman?

[DOORBELL BUZZING]

Come in.

Oh, hello, Lois. Hi, chief.

Hello.

I suppose you've been wandering the streets all day,

dazed by the bomb.

Well, I was a little close to it when it exploded.

Well, you better take it easy for a day or two, Kent.

Oh, by all means,

rest your little, shattered nerves.

Meanwhile, I have newspaper work to do.

Uh, just what sort of newspaper work do you mean?

I have an interview tomorrow morning

with Vice President Obreon.

I would like to maybe trap him into admitting something

that might incriminate him. Hm. I see.

Well, thank you for the interview, Señor Obreon.

You're welcome.

Oh, just one more question.

Of course.

If President Patillo dissolves his government

and calls for a new election,

would you run against him?

My dear young woman,

I would not dream of opposing our beloved president.

What in the world gave you that idea?

Well, I was just wondering. Thank you again.

Hasta la vista.

FELIPE: Adios, Miss Lane.

Felipe, this young girl knows more than she's telling.

President Patillo must have hinted to her

that he plans to hold a general election,

as a vote of confidence.

If there is a new election,

he will win by a landslide.

You will be voted out of office,

and we will never get our hands on the mine.

Yes, we must act quickly

before he has time to call for this election.

We must remove him permanently.

But how?

How?

I happen to know that he is planning

to take Mr. White and Miss Lane on an inspection tour

of the abandoned mines at San Gabriel.

As you know, those mines go almost a mile deep.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

LOIS: Are you sure it's safe?

PATILLO: Oh, quite safe,

unless the mountain fall down on us.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

Shall we go in?

Are you sure the dynamite is properly planted

and that there is a sufficient quantity?

More than enough, Excellency,

to seal off that tunnel for 100 years.

Then nothing can save them, nothing but Superman.

Make your call.

X-2-0 calling X-2-1.

FELIPE [OVER RADIO]: Come in, X-2-1.

Come in, X-2-1.

GUARD: This is X-2-1.

The prisoner is still here, your Excellency.

Bueno.

Un momento.

We will give them a few minutes

to reach the bottom of the shaft.

Then...

Adios, el Presidente Patillo.

Well, here we are.

Just think, we're a mile under the surface of the earth.

I'd hate to be trapped down here by a cave-in.

There is no chance of that happening, Señorita Lane.

I hope not. We'd be in a bad way if our air supply were cut off.

Oh, come, this is what I wanted to show you.

All right, my friend, now.

I think, Señor Vice President, that perhaps

you should have the honor of electing yourself

to the presidency.

Thank you, Felipe.

Your sentiment does you credit.

What was that?

Sounded like dynamite.

Oh, no!

The elevator shaft is solidly blocked.

You mean, we can't get back to the top?

No, and fresh air cannot come down to us.

Isn't there any other way to get out of here?

There is no other way.

Señor, I fear that we are doomed.

President Patillo and his friends are finished.

What a pity.

A terrible disaster.

For everybody but us.

It might still be disastrous for us

if by any chance we were to be connected with this.

Don't worry, my friend.

I have already had rumors spread

that Superman escaped his prison cell

to perpetrate this outrage.

His guard will swear that he escaped.

And since Superman was present at the earlier attempt

on the president's life,

the people will be all the more likely to believe it.

Right, now we must go to the prison

to make sure he stays there.

If he were actually to escape,

he might yet rescue the president.

I shudder to think what might happen to us,

if such a thing came to pass.

But of course, such a thing is impossible.

Of course.

Vamanos.

If they could only dig down here with some excavating machinery.

It would take days, maybe weeks.

By then it would be too late.

There is nothing powerful on Earth to get us out in time.

Nothing.

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO]

MAN [OVER RADIO]: Ladies and gentlemen,

we interrupt this music program

to bring you an important news report.

There has been an explosion at the San Gabriel mine.

President Patillo is trapped at the bottom of a shaft,

one mile deep.

With him are two newspaper people from the United States:

Señor Perry White and Señorita Lois Lane,

as well as two bodyguards.

It is estimated their air supply

will not last very much longer,

and I am sorry to...

[♪♪♪]

[COUGHING]

GUARD: Your Excellency.

OBREON: The prisoner is still here?

GUARD: Yes, señor.

And I have a strange feeling about this Superman.

What do you mean?

He does not act as a powerful man.

The mob outside worries him.

An angry mob would worry most men.

But Superman, a real Superman?

And when I pointed my rifle at him, half in jest,

he was frightened.

Frightened, as any other man who could die.

Is it possible Superman is only an empty legend?

If it is true, he would make a convenient scapegoat for us.

Come.

What would you say if I were to tell you

that I am considering ordering your release?

I would say that you have no authority to do so.

But I do have the authority,

as president of the republic.

As president?

Yes, yes, my friend. President.

Unfortunately, President Patillo

and his North American newspaper friends

perished at a cave-in at the San Gabriel mine.

No.

So as I was saying,

I may consider ordering your release.

My decision will depend upon whether or not

you are able to break through these steel bars.

Thank you for the demonstration, my friend.

You have my permission to leave whenever you wish.

Open the door.

You see? You can walk out the front door a free man.

Yes, I can walk out the front door

a free man, as you said,

right into the arms of your mob.

Or I can leave by that window.

I'm afraid you can't.

The bars on the window are at least as strong as these.

Ah, but I had some help with those.

Stop him!

[GUNFIRE]

[WIND WHOOSHING]

[GUNSHOTS]

[♪♪♪]

Well, as Lois Lane would say:

"Boy, am I glad to see you!"

It has been a little rugged, hasn't it?

Professor Lucerne was right all the way.

How did you get out?

The vice president

gave his official "okay" for my release.

Or if what he said was true, he may now be president.

It may very well be true unless we do something about it.

That means we have to become one person again... if we can.

It's a cinch, we're no good the way we are.

We must try.

[SIGHS]

That we must.

[♪♪♪]

[SIGHS]

I'm afraid he can't last much longer.

I don't think any of us will.

I feel so weak.

Come, come, now, we mustn't give up.

Help may come even yet.

No, señor, I fear it can never come in time.

It sounds like machinery digging.

It's Superman!

Just take it easy, folks.

I've just dug a new tunnel.

The fresh air will revive you in no time.

Then we'll all go out.

There, this document places the mines

under our personal control.

From now on, the money will go into our pockets

instead of the national treasury.

That's where you are wrong, señores.

President Patillo.

And Superman.

Yes, Superman.

Not only did he rescue us,

but you may be interested to know

that in digging a new tunnel to reach us,

he uncovered a new vein of ore worth millions of dollars,

which my government will use for the benefit of the people.

And now, you are both under arrest

for trying to destroy me.

You cannot prove we had anything to do with this.

We have all the proof we need right here.

Both your fingerprints are on this detonator box.

Arrest these criminals!

[BUZZES]

[BUZZES]

[DOORBELL BUZZING]

Must be asleep.

Kent! Where in the blazes are you?

Well, come in, chief. Come in.

Don't have to kick the door down, chief.

I don't suppose you'd be interested in hearing about

what's been happening to us.

Oh, has something happened, sir?

Oh, not much, really.

We've just been in a cave-in,

there's been an attempt on the president's life,

Superman rescued us,

and we've cabled the story of the year

to the Daily Planet.

While you have been resting your shattered nerves.

You wanna hear something funny?

Yes, sir. At one time,

Miss Lane had the ridiculous idea

that you were Superman.

Who? Me? [CHUCKLING]

Well, I realize it's pretty silly.

You've been sitting here

while Superman was in that awful jail.

I... I do see what you mean, though.

It's difficult, even for Superman,

to be in two places at once, isn't it?

[♪♪♪]

NARRATOR: Don't miss the next thrill-packed episode

in the amazing Adventures of Superman.

Superman is based on the original character

appearing in Superman magazine.