Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Encyclopedia
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is a 1987 superhero film
directed by Sidney J. Furie
. It is the fourth film in the Superman film series
and the last installment to star Christopher Reeve
as the Man of Steel. It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Alexander
and Ilya Salkind
, but instead by Golan-Globus
's Cannon Films, in association with Warner Bros.
Gene Hackman
returns as Lex Luthor
as he creates an evil solar-powered Superman clone
called Nuclear Man. Superman IV was neither a critical nor a box office success. The series went on hiatus until 2006, when Superman Returns
, the final installment of this series, was released.
visits his hometown of Smallville disguised as Clark Kent
, checking in on the uninhabited farm where he grew up. In an empty barn he uncovers the space-capsule in which he was sent to Earth, and removes a green-glowing, Kryptonian
energy module. A recording left by his birth mother, Lara, states that its power can only be used once.
Unwilling to sell the land to a mall developer, Superman returns to Metropolis
and stops a runaway subway train. Returning to the Daily Planet
as Clark Kent, he learns that the newspaper has been taken over by David Warfield, a tabloid tycoon who fires Perry White
and hires his daughter Lacy (Mariel Hemingway
) as the new editor. Lacy takes a liking to Clark and tries to seduce him. Clark agrees to go on a date with her.
Following the news that the United States
and the Soviet Union
may engage in nuclear war
, Clark is conflicted with regard to how much Superman should intervene. Receiving a letter written by a concerned schoolboy, Superman travels to the Fortress of Solitude
to seek advice from the spirits of his Kryptonian ancestors. They recommend he leave Earth and find a new home.
After asking Lois Lane
's advice, Superman attends a meeting of the United Nations
, announcing to the assembly that he will rid the Earth
of nuclear weapons. Superman collects most of the world's nuclear stockpile in a gigantic net in Earth orbit, then hurls it into the sun
.
Meanwhile, teenager Lenny Luthor breaks his uncle, Lex Luthor
, out of prison. Returning to Metropolis, the pair steal a strand of Superman's hair from a museum, and create a genetic matrix which Lex attaches to an American nuclear missile. After the missile is test launched, Superman intercepts and throws it into the sun. A glowing ball of energy is discharged which develops into a super-human (Mark Pillow). This "Nuclear Man" makes his way back to Earth to find his 'father', Luthor, who establishes that while his creation is powerful, he will deactivate if isolated from light.
A vicious battle ensues between Luthor's creation and Superman. While saving the Statue of Liberty
from falling onto Metropolis, Superman is poisoned by a scratch from Nuclear Man's radioactive fingernails. Nuclear Man kicks his opponent into the distance with such strength that Superman's cape is torn away.
To Lois' disgust, the Daily Planet, reformatted as a tabloid newspaper, publishes the headline, "Is Superman Dead?". Lois indicates a desire to quit, and seizes Superman's recovered cape for herself. Lacy is also upset, and reveals to Lois that she cares for Clark and asks if she knows where he is. Lois ventures to Clark's apartment where she proclaims her love for Superman. Felled by radiation sickness, Clark staggers to his terrace, where he retrieves the Kryptonian energy module and attempts to heal himself.
Having developed a crush on Lacy, Nuclear Man threatens mayhem if they are not introduced. The newly-restored Superman agrees to take him to her to prevent anyone else from being hurt. Superman lures Nuclear Man into an elevator, trapping and then depositing him on the dark side of the Moon
. As the sun rises, Nuclear Man breaks free due to a crack in the elevator doors and Superman is forced once again to defend himself. At the end of the battle, it appears as though Superman has been defeated, and he is driven into the moon's surface by his opponent.
Nuclear Man forces his way into the Daily Planet and abducts Lacy. Superman frees himself from the moon's surface and pushes it out of its orbit, casting Earth into an eclipse which nullifies Nuclear Man's powers. Superman rescues Lacy, then recovers Nuclear Man and deposits him into the core of a nuclear power plant, destroying him. Superman also recovers the fleeing Luthors, returning Lex to prison and placing Lenny in Boys Town
.
Perry White secures a loan with which to buy back the controlling shares of the newspaper, making Warfield a minority shareholder and protecting the paper from any further abuse. In a press conference, Superman declares only partial victory in his campaign, saying, "There will be peace when the people of the world want it so badly that their governments will have no choice but to give it to them."
, Reeve and the producers, Alexander Salkind
and his son Ilya
, assumed that the Superman films had run their course. Reeve was slated to make a cameo in 1984
's Supergirl
but was unavailable; the film was a box office failure in the U.S. Four years later, Ilya Salkind sold the Superman franchise to Golan
& Globus
of Cannon Films.
According to Reeve, Golan & Globus did not have a script in mind when they first approached him about doing the fourth installment; they simply wanted him to reprise his role. Reeve himself admitted in his autobiography Still Me
that he really wasn't sure that he wanted to do another Superman film, especially if it was going to be treated as a farce, which had been the case with the third film, an approach that Reeve felt was disrespectful to fans and the source material. The new filmmakers then offered Reeve a deal he couldn't refuse – in exchange for starring in the fourth Superman film, they would produce any project of his choosing, and also promised him story input (there was also talk of having Reeve direct a fifth Superman film in case the fourth one proved successful). Reeve accepted, and in exchange, Golan & Globus produced the crime drama Street Smart. Unfortunately, Golan & Globus had so many other films in the pipeline at the time that their money was spread too thinly to properly accommodate what became Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, released in 1987
, forcing the film's veteran director Sidney J. Furie
to cut corners everywhere. The film was panned by critics and fans alike.
In Reeve's autobiography Still Me
, he described filming Superman IV:
Mark Rosenthal's DVD commentary pointed to this scene as an example of Cannon's budget slashing. According to Rosenthal, Reeve and director Furie begged to be able to film that sequence in New York
in front of the real United Nations because everyone knew what New York and the United Nations was supposed to look like and that the Milton Keynes
setting looked nothing like it. However Cannon refused. According to Rosenthal, they were "pinching pennies at every step" and that it was impossible to look at the location and think of it as the United Nations, but more rather a municipal auditorium, which is, according to Rosenthal, exactly what it was.
Rosenthal has also described the final film as Cannon stabbing Christopher Reeve in the back. He also revealed on the Deluxe Edition DVD that he and writer Lawrence Konner
wanted Reeve to play Nuclear Man as well as his dual roles of Superman
and Clark Kent
in the film. They imagined the villain being a darker version of the hero in the cloning process. This would be financially expensive and was already explored in minor detail in Superman III
. So Cannon decided to hire Mark Pillow instead for the part of Nuclear Man in the final film.
According to Jon Cryer
, who played Lex Luthor's nephew Lenny, Reeve had taken him aside just before the release and told him it was going to be "terrible". Although Cryer enjoyed working with Reeve and his on-screen uncle, Gene Hackman
, Cryer claimed that Cannon ran out of money five months ahead of time and ultimately released an unfinished movie.
" credit, but the composer's commitment to the Boston Pops Orchestra
precluded him from accepting the project. Williams selected his longtime friend and collaborator Alexander Courage
to score the film and agreed to compose new thematic material as needed. Recording of the score with the Symphony-Orchestra Graunke began in Munich, Germany on May 11, 1987. As the sessions progressed it became apparent that the players were not up to the challenge of some of the complex action cues. After the completion of recording on May 18, the sessions in Germany were canceled and the rest of the score was recorded with the National Philharmonic Orchestra
at CTS Studios in England from May 23-June 2. Courage scored 100 minutes of music for the film and also recorded album versions of three new John Williams
themes. A soundtrack album was prepared in 1987 by Cannon's musical advisor Jack Fishman, but it was aborted when most of the music selected for it (including three songs by his son Paul Fishman) ended up getting cut from the film. No music from Superman IV was released for over twenty years until the Film Score Monthly
soundtrack label presented the complete score as part of their 8-CD anthology Superman: The Music (1978–1988) in 2008.
Of the four Superman films starring Reeve, this one fared the worst at the box office, and the series, as it turned out, went dormant for 19 years. Plans were made to do Superman V, but it never came to fruition. Reeve's 1995 paralysis made the development of any further sequels involving him in the starring role impossible. Time Warner
let the Superman feature film franchise go undeveloped until the late-1990s when a variety of proposals were considered, including several that would reboot the franchise with different versions of the characters and setting, rather than attempt to follow up on this film.
The film was universally panned by critics (the special effects were especially singled out). The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 10% of 30 critics gave the film positive reviews. The movie received a poor review by The New York Times
. It fared no better with Variety
. The Washington Post
described it as "More sluggish than a funeral barge, cheaper than a sale at K mart, it's a nerd, it's a shame, it's 'Superman IV.'" In some cities, the film wasn't even screened for critics, especially for Siskel
and Ebert
, who were based in Chicago. The film was voted in at number 40 on a list of The 50 Worst Movies Ever by readers of Empire
magazine.
's commentary on the 2006 Deluxe Edition DVD, the gallery of deleted scenes included on the disc, there are approximately 45 minutes of the film that have not been seen by the public after they were deleted following a failed Southern California
test screening. In fact, the Nuclear Man that appears in the film is actually the second Nuclear Man Luthor created. Cut scenes featured the original Nuclear Man (portrayed by Clive Mantle
) engaging Superman in battle outside the Metro Club and being destroyed by the Man of Steel. The first Nuclear Man was somewhat more inhuman-looking than his successor, and resembled vaguely in looks, and significantly in personality, the comic book character Bizarro
. Luthor postulates that this Nuclear Man was not strong enough, and hatches the plan to create the second Nuclear Man inside the sun as a result.
The comic book adaptation of the film, as well as the novelization, depicts these scenes and several photos of Superman's battle with the first Nuclear Man can be seen online. Three of the "lost" minutes, consisting of two scenes (the "tornado scene", in which Christopher Reeve's daughter Alexandra plays the girl swept away by the tornado; and the "Moscow
" sequence, in which Superman stops a nuclear missile from being launched) were used in the international release by Cannon Films, and in the U.S. syndicated television
version prepared by Viacom
. At one point the producers of this film considered using all the deleted footage (and presumably shooting new footage) in a fifth film (see Superman Lives), but the poor box office performance of this film led to that idea being scrapped. Rosenthal commented on the DVD commentary that this showed just how out of touch Cannon was with reality.
Approximately thirty minutes of deleted footage were included in a 'deleted scenes' section of the 2006 DVD box set, Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition, as well as on the Deluxe Edition DVD release of the film. All of these scenes were taken from a workprint version of the film with temporary music and unfinished visual effects in many places.
CBS Television Distribution
(owners of the television rights to Cannon's library, and successor company to Viacom Enterprises
) formerly held television rights to the film—coincidentally, CBS Television Studios had also been the successor to the TV division
of Paramount Pictures
, the studio that released the 1940s Superman cartoons
made by Fleischer Studios
and Famous Studios
. Then, in 2006, television syndication was assumed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
--since it and ION Media Networks
announced a deal that provided the rights to broadcast movies and classic TV shows from the Warner Bros. library on the ION Television network. The ION deal included TV rights for Superman IV and its predecessor Superman III. Finally, in 2009, Paramount re-assumed its partial rights to IV due to its part-ownership of the Cannon library for certain media in the US only, and as of the present time television syndication is handled on Paramount's behalf by Trifecta Entertainment & Media
.
Meanwhile, all other theatrical and television rights in certain territories, including partial copyright, are owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
as successor-in-interest to Cannon Films.
using energy beams from his eyes, apparently some kind of telekinesis
. This power was never ascribed to Superman in the comics
, although General Zod possesses it (via finger beam) in Superman II. The issue was avoided altogether in the comic adaptation, where Superman repairs the Great Wall manually. He uses the same ability (minus the beam effect) during the street battle with Nuclear Man, when he lowers several suspended policemen to the ground just by looking at them.
prepared a comic book adaptation of Superman IV, scripted by Bob Rozakis
and pencilled by Curt Swan
and Don Heck
. This edition includes different dialogue from the movie and incidents among the deleted scenes of the movie. Instead of a voiceover from Lara in the early scene involving Superman finding the mysterious crystal, there is a projection of Jor-El himself, much like the first film. The comic book features a battle with the failed prototype of Nuclear Man resembling Bizarro
and an around the world fight with the second Nuclear Man. The adaptation even has an alternate ending with Superman and Jeremy flying above Earth, observing the planet being just one world. In the adaptation, Jeremy is seen in space with a spacesuit but in the deleted footage he is not wearing any protection of any kind, like Lacy Warfield when she was rescued by Superman from the second Nuclear Man. The alternate ending appears in the Special Edition DVD, but it was incorporated in the lost footage section.
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
directed by Sidney J. Furie
Sidney J. Furie
Sidney J. Furie is a Canadian film director. Furie is perhaps best known for directing American Soldiers, The IPCRESS File, The Entity, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Lady Sings the Blues, The Boys, Gable and Lombard, Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York and the Iron Eagle films.Also...
. It is the fourth film in the Superman film series
Superman (film series)
The fictional character Superman, a comic book superhero featured in DC Comics publications, has appeared in various films since his inception. Ilya and Alexander Salkind and Pierre Spengler purchased the Superman film rights in 1974. After numerous scripts, Richard Donner was hired to direct the...
and the last installment to star Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
as the Man of Steel. It is the first film in the series not to be produced by Alexander
Alexander Salkind
Alexander Salkind was the second of three generations of successful international film producers.-Life and career:...
and Ilya Salkind
Ilya Salkind
Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez , usually known as Ilya Salkind, is a film and television producer, well known for his contributions to the live-action Superman films of the 1970s and '80s alongside his father, Alexander Salkind....
, but instead by Golan-Globus
Golan-Globus
The Cannon Group Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced a distinctive line of low-to-medium budget films from 1967 to 1993...
's Cannon Films, in association with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
returns as Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
as he creates an evil solar-powered Superman clone
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
called Nuclear Man. Superman IV was neither a critical nor a box office success. The series went on hiatus until 2006, when Superman Returns
Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer. It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II by ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace .The film stars...
, the final installment of this series, was released.
Plot
After saving a group of cosmonauts whose ship is jeopardized by a rogue satellite, SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
visits his hometown of Smallville disguised as Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
, checking in on the uninhabited farm where he grew up. In an empty barn he uncovers the space-capsule in which he was sent to Earth, and removes a green-glowing, Kryptonian
Krypton (comics)
Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
energy module. A recording left by his birth mother, Lara, states that its power can only be used once.
Unwilling to sell the land to a mall developer, Superman returns to Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
and stops a runaway subway train. Returning to the Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...
as Clark Kent, he learns that the newspaper has been taken over by David Warfield, a tabloid tycoon who fires Perry White
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. White is the Editor-in-Chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet.White maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards...
and hires his daughter Lacy (Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway
- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
) as the new editor. Lacy takes a liking to Clark and tries to seduce him. Clark agrees to go on a date with her.
Following the news that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
may engage in nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, Clark is conflicted with regard to how much Superman should intervene. Receiving a letter written by a concerned schoolboy, Superman travels to the Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
to seek advice from the spirits of his Kryptonian ancestors. They recommend he leave Earth and find a new home.
After asking Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
's advice, Superman attends a meeting of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, announcing to the assembly that he will rid the Earth
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
of nuclear weapons. Superman collects most of the world's nuclear stockpile in a gigantic net in Earth orbit, then hurls it into the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
.
Meanwhile, teenager Lenny Luthor breaks his uncle, Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, out of prison. Returning to Metropolis, the pair steal a strand of Superman's hair from a museum, and create a genetic matrix which Lex attaches to an American nuclear missile. After the missile is test launched, Superman intercepts and throws it into the sun. A glowing ball of energy is discharged which develops into a super-human (Mark Pillow). This "Nuclear Man" makes his way back to Earth to find his 'father', Luthor, who establishes that while his creation is powerful, he will deactivate if isolated from light.
A vicious battle ensues between Luthor's creation and Superman. While saving the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
from falling onto Metropolis, Superman is poisoned by a scratch from Nuclear Man's radioactive fingernails. Nuclear Man kicks his opponent into the distance with such strength that Superman's cape is torn away.
To Lois' disgust, the Daily Planet, reformatted as a tabloid newspaper, publishes the headline, "Is Superman Dead?". Lois indicates a desire to quit, and seizes Superman's recovered cape for herself. Lacy is also upset, and reveals to Lois that she cares for Clark and asks if she knows where he is. Lois ventures to Clark's apartment where she proclaims her love for Superman. Felled by radiation sickness, Clark staggers to his terrace, where he retrieves the Kryptonian energy module and attempts to heal himself.
Having developed a crush on Lacy, Nuclear Man threatens mayhem if they are not introduced. The newly-restored Superman agrees to take him to her to prevent anyone else from being hurt. Superman lures Nuclear Man into an elevator, trapping and then depositing him on the dark side of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. As the sun rises, Nuclear Man breaks free due to a crack in the elevator doors and Superman is forced once again to defend himself. At the end of the battle, it appears as though Superman has been defeated, and he is driven into the moon's surface by his opponent.
Nuclear Man forces his way into the Daily Planet and abducts Lacy. Superman frees himself from the moon's surface and pushes it out of its orbit, casting Earth into an eclipse which nullifies Nuclear Man's powers. Superman rescues Lacy, then recovers Nuclear Man and deposits him into the core of a nuclear power plant, destroying him. Superman also recovers the fleeing Luthors, returning Lex to prison and placing Lenny in Boys Town
Girls and Boys Town
Boys Town, formerly Girls and Boys Town and Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a non-profit organization dedicated to caring for its children and families, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska...
.
Perry White secures a loan with which to buy back the controlling shares of the newspaper, making Warfield a minority shareholder and protecting the paper from any further abuse. In a press conference, Superman declares only partial victory in his campaign, saying, "There will be peace when the people of the world want it so badly that their governments will have no choice but to give it to them."
Cast
- Christopher ReeveChristopher ReeveChristopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
as Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
/ SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective... - Gene HackmanGene HackmanEugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
as Lex LuthorLex LuthorLex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
/ Voice of Nuclear Man - Jackie CooperJackie CooperJackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
as Perry WhitePerry WhitePerry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. White is the Editor-in-Chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet.White maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards... - Marc McClureMarc McClureMarc A. McClure is an American actor. McClure was born in San Mateo, California. He is not, despite a popular misconception, related to the late Doug McClure.-Superman film series:...
as Jimmy OlsenJimmy OlsenJimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White... - Jon CryerJon CryerJonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink...
as Lenny Luthor - Sam WanamakerSam WanamakerSamuel Wanamaker was an American film director and actor and is credited as the person most responsible for the modern recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London...
as David WarfieldMorgan EdgeMorgan Edge is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain, leader of the mob known as Intergang and one of Superman's enemies. He was created by Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 .-Pre-Crisis:... - Mark Pillow as Nuclear Man
- Mariel HemingwayMariel Hemingway- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
as Lacy Warfield - Margot KidderMargot KidderMargaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
as Lois LaneLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 .... - Damian McLawhorn as Jeremy
- William HootkinsWilliam HootkinsWilliam Michael Hootkins was an American character actor, most famous for supporting roles in Hollywood blockbusters such as Star Wars, Batman and Raiders of the Lost Ark.-Early life:...
as Harry Howler - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as Jean Pierre Dubois - Stanley LeborStanley LeborStanley Harvey Lebor is an English actor, best known for his role as Howard in the 1980s BBC TV series, Ever Decreasing Circles and the Mongon Doctor in Flash Gordon...
as General Romoff - Don FellowsDon FellowsDon Fellows was an American actor, born in Salt Lake City, Utah, who spent the bulk of his career acting in England, mostly in television....
as Levon Hornsby - Robert BeattyRobert BeattyRobert Beatty was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK.-Career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Beatty began his acting career in Britain in 1939....
as U.S. President - Susannah YorkSusannah YorkSusannah York was a British film, stage and television actress. She was awarded a BAFTA as Best Supporting Actress for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for the same film. She won best actress for Images at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival...
as Voice of Lara
Production
In 1983, following the mixed-to-negative reaction to Superman IIISuperman III
Superman III is a 1983 superhero film and the third film in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Comics superhero. Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Margot Kidder are joined by new cast members Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn and...
, Reeve and the producers, Alexander Salkind
Alexander Salkind
Alexander Salkind was the second of three generations of successful international film producers.-Life and career:...
and his son Ilya
Ilya Salkind
Ilya Juan Salkind Dominguez , usually known as Ilya Salkind, is a film and television producer, well known for his contributions to the live-action Superman films of the 1970s and '80s alongside his father, Alexander Salkind....
, assumed that the Superman films had run their course. Reeve was slated to make a cameo in 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
's Supergirl
Supergirl (film)
Supergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture role in the title role of the DC Comics superheroine Supergirl. Faye Dunaway played the primary villain, Selena. The film was a spin-off from the Salkinds' Superman film series which...
but was unavailable; the film was a box office failure in the U.S. Four years later, Ilya Salkind sold the Superman franchise to Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
& Globus
Yoram Globus
Yoram Globus Yoram Globus Yoram Globus (born 21 October 1941 in Tiberias, Israel, is an Israeli director and producer who is most famous for his association with Cannon Films Inc., a company he ran with his cousin Menahem Golan....
of Cannon Films.
According to Reeve, Golan & Globus did not have a script in mind when they first approached him about doing the fourth installment; they simply wanted him to reprise his role. Reeve himself admitted in his autobiography Still Me
Still Me
Still Me is a book written by Christopher Reeve in which he writes about his experiences as an actor and about his horseback riding accident which resulted in his quadriplegia and its effects on his life....
that he really wasn't sure that he wanted to do another Superman film, especially if it was going to be treated as a farce, which had been the case with the third film, an approach that Reeve felt was disrespectful to fans and the source material. The new filmmakers then offered Reeve a deal he couldn't refuse – in exchange for starring in the fourth Superman film, they would produce any project of his choosing, and also promised him story input (there was also talk of having Reeve direct a fifth Superman film in case the fourth one proved successful). Reeve accepted, and in exchange, Golan & Globus produced the crime drama Street Smart. Unfortunately, Golan & Globus had so many other films in the pipeline at the time that their money was spread too thinly to properly accommodate what became Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, released in 1987
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
, forcing the film's veteran director Sidney J. Furie
Sidney J. Furie
Sidney J. Furie is a Canadian film director. Furie is perhaps best known for directing American Soldiers, The IPCRESS File, The Entity, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Lady Sings the Blues, The Boys, Gable and Lombard, Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York and the Iron Eagle films.Also...
to cut corners everywhere. The film was panned by critics and fans alike.
In Reeve's autobiography Still Me
Still Me
Still Me is a book written by Christopher Reeve in which he writes about his experiences as an actor and about his horseback riding accident which resulted in his quadriplegia and its effects on his life....
, he described filming Superman IV:
Mark Rosenthal's DVD commentary pointed to this scene as an example of Cannon's budget slashing. According to Rosenthal, Reeve and director Furie begged to be able to film that sequence in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in front of the real United Nations because everyone knew what New York and the United Nations was supposed to look like and that the Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
setting looked nothing like it. However Cannon refused. According to Rosenthal, they were "pinching pennies at every step" and that it was impossible to look at the location and think of it as the United Nations, but more rather a municipal auditorium, which is, according to Rosenthal, exactly what it was.
Rosenthal has also described the final film as Cannon stabbing Christopher Reeve in the back. He also revealed on the Deluxe Edition DVD that he and writer Lawrence Konner
Lawrence Konner
Lawrence Konner has had a long and distinguished career as an American screenwriter and television writer. In addition, he has produced a number of award winning documentaries.-Career:...
wanted Reeve to play Nuclear Man as well as his dual roles of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
in the film. They imagined the villain being a darker version of the hero in the cloning process. This would be financially expensive and was already explored in minor detail in Superman III
Superman III
Superman III is a 1983 superhero film and the third film in the Superman film series based upon the long-running DC Comics superhero. Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Margot Kidder are joined by new cast members Annette O'Toole, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Robert Vaughn and...
. So Cannon decided to hire Mark Pillow instead for the part of Nuclear Man in the final film.
According to Jon Cryer
Jon Cryer
Jonathan Niven "Jon" Cryer is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer. He is the son of actress–singer Gretchen Cryer. He made his motion picture debut in the 1984 romantic comedy No Small Affair, but gained greater fame as "Duckie" in the 1986 John Hughes-scripted film Pretty in Pink...
, who played Lex Luthor's nephew Lenny, Reeve had taken him aside just before the release and told him it was going to be "terrible". Although Cryer enjoyed working with Reeve and his on-screen uncle, Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
, Cryer claimed that Cannon ran out of money five months ahead of time and ultimately released an unfinished movie.
Score
Golan-Globus wanted Superman IV to carry a "music by John WilliamsJohn Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
" credit, but the composer's commitment to the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
precluded him from accepting the project. Williams selected his longtime friend and collaborator Alexander Courage
Alexander Courage
Alexander "Sandy" Mair Courage Jr. was an American orchestrator, arranger, and composer of music, primarily for television and film.-Biography:...
to score the film and agreed to compose new thematic material as needed. Recording of the score with the Symphony-Orchestra Graunke began in Munich, Germany on May 11, 1987. As the sessions progressed it became apparent that the players were not up to the challenge of some of the complex action cues. After the completion of recording on May 18, the sessions in Germany were canceled and the rest of the score was recorded with the National Philharmonic Orchestra
National Philharmonic Orchestra
The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest-History:...
at CTS Studios in England from May 23-June 2. Courage scored 100 minutes of music for the film and also recorded album versions of three new John Williams
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
themes. A soundtrack album was prepared in 1987 by Cannon's musical advisor Jack Fishman, but it was aborted when most of the music selected for it (including three songs by his son Paul Fishman) ended up getting cut from the film. No music from Superman IV was released for over twenty years until the Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly
Film Score Monthly is an online magazine founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as The Soundtrack Correspondence List...
soundtrack label presented the complete score as part of their 8-CD anthology Superman: The Music (1978–1988) in 2008.
Reception
The film was released July 24, 1987, in the United States and Canada and grossed $5.6 million in 1,511 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #4 at the box office. It grossed a total of $15.6 million in the United States and Canada.Of the four Superman films starring Reeve, this one fared the worst at the box office, and the series, as it turned out, went dormant for 19 years. Plans were made to do Superman V, but it never came to fruition. Reeve's 1995 paralysis made the development of any further sequels involving him in the starring role impossible. Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
let the Superman feature film franchise go undeveloped until the late-1990s when a variety of proposals were considered, including several that would reboot the franchise with different versions of the characters and setting, rather than attempt to follow up on this film.
The film was universally panned by critics (the special effects were especially singled out). The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 10% of 30 critics gave the film positive reviews. The movie received a poor review by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. It fared no better with Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
. The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described it as "More sluggish than a funeral barge, cheaper than a sale at K mart, it's a nerd, it's a shame, it's 'Superman IV.'" In some cities, the film wasn't even screened for critics, especially for Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
and Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who were based in Chicago. The film was voted in at number 40 on a list of The 50 Worst Movies Ever by readers of Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazine.
Deleted footage
According to writer Mark RosenthalMark Rosenthal
Mark David Rosenthal is an American screenwriter and film director and long-time writing partner of Lawrence Konner.-Education:Mark David Rosenthal was born in Philadelphia...
's commentary on the 2006 Deluxe Edition DVD, the gallery of deleted scenes included on the disc, there are approximately 45 minutes of the film that have not been seen by the public after they were deleted following a failed Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
test screening. In fact, the Nuclear Man that appears in the film is actually the second Nuclear Man Luthor created. Cut scenes featured the original Nuclear Man (portrayed by Clive Mantle
Clive Mantle
-Early life and education:Mantle was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He was a pupil at Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire and a chorister in St John's College Choir for four years...
) engaging Superman in battle outside the Metro Club and being destroyed by the Man of Steel. The first Nuclear Man was somewhat more inhuman-looking than his successor, and resembled vaguely in looks, and significantly in personality, the comic book character Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
. Luthor postulates that this Nuclear Man was not strong enough, and hatches the plan to create the second Nuclear Man inside the sun as a result.
The comic book adaptation of the film, as well as the novelization, depicts these scenes and several photos of Superman's battle with the first Nuclear Man can be seen online. Three of the "lost" minutes, consisting of two scenes (the "tornado scene", in which Christopher Reeve's daughter Alexandra plays the girl swept away by the tornado; and the "Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
" sequence, in which Superman stops a nuclear missile from being launched) were used in the international release by Cannon Films, and in the U.S. syndicated television
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
version prepared by Viacom
Viacom (1971–2005)
Viacom , stylized as VIACOM in its current logo, was an American media conglomerate. It was the owner of CBS, Nickelodeon & MTV, among others. Effective December 31, 2005, this corporate entity changed its name to CBS Corporation...
. At one point the producers of this film considered using all the deleted footage (and presumably shooting new footage) in a fifth film (see Superman Lives), but the poor box office performance of this film led to that idea being scrapped. Rosenthal commented on the DVD commentary that this showed just how out of touch Cannon was with reality.
Approximately thirty minutes of deleted footage were included in a 'deleted scenes' section of the 2006 DVD box set, Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition, as well as on the Deluxe Edition DVD release of the film. All of these scenes were taken from a workprint version of the film with temporary music and unfinished visual effects in many places.
Ownership and rights
As a result of prior contracts, different entities own different components of Superman IV. Warner Bros. co-produced the film and handled North American theatrical distribution, while Cannon Films handled distribution outside North America. Due to legal snags, the film was not issued on DVD for many years until WB bought back key rights to the film, thus allowing it to be released on DVD in the U.S. in 2001 and Japan in 2008. The international DVD rights were not settled until 2005 and WB has since released IV outside the U.S. on home video. WB also handled worldwide distribution of IV when it was reissued in late 2006 as part of the 14-disc Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition box set.CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
(owners of the television rights to Cannon's library, and successor company to Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises
Viacom Enterprises was a television distribution company formed in 1971 as the successor to CBS Enterprises, and spun off in 1973 due to now-repealed FCC bylaws prohibiting networks from syndicating their own shows....
) formerly held television rights to the film—coincidentally, CBS Television Studios had also been the successor to the TV division
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
of Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, the studio that released the 1940s Superman cartoons
Superman (1940s cartoons)
The Fleischer & Famous Superman cartoons are a series of seventeen animated Technicolor short films released by Paramount Pictures and based upon the comic book character Superman....
made by Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
and Famous Studios
Famous Studios
Famous Studios was the animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was founded as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount acquired the aforementioned studio and ousted its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1941...
. Then, in 2006, television syndication was assumed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed circa 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros...
--since it and ION Media Networks
ION Media Networks
ION Media Networks is an American television broadcasting company that owns and operates over 60 television stations in most major American markets. It is now a privately owned company.-History:...
announced a deal that provided the rights to broadcast movies and classic TV shows from the Warner Bros. library on the ION Television network. The ION deal included TV rights for Superman IV and its predecessor Superman III. Finally, in 2009, Paramount re-assumed its partial rights to IV due to its part-ownership of the Cannon library for certain media in the US only, and as of the present time television syndication is handled on Paramount's behalf by Trifecta Entertainment & Media
Trifecta Entertainment & Media
Trifecta Entertainment & Media is an American entertainment company founded in 2006. The company's founders previously held jobs as executives at MGM Television. Trifecta is primarily a distribution company and also handles advertising sales in exchange for syndication deals with local television...
.
Meanwhile, all other theatrical and television rights in certain territories, including partial copyright, are owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
as successor-in-interest to Cannon Films.
Special powers
This film shows the Man of Steel using several powers which had never been seen before in the films. Superman restores part of the damaged Great Wall of ChinaGreat Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
using energy beams from his eyes, apparently some kind of telekinesis
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
. This power was never ascribed to Superman in the comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, although General Zod possesses it (via finger beam) in Superman II. The issue was avoided altogether in the comic adaptation, where Superman repairs the Great Wall manually. He uses the same ability (minus the beam effect) during the street battle with Nuclear Man, when he lowers several suspended policemen to the ground just by looking at them.
Comic book adaptation
In late 1987, DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
prepared a comic book adaptation of Superman IV, scripted by Bob Rozakis
Bob Rozakis
Robert "Bob" Rozakis is a comic book writer and editor known mainly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s at DC Comics, as the writer of Mazing Man and in his capacity as DC's "Answer Man".-Biography:...
and pencilled by Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
and Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
. This edition includes different dialogue from the movie and incidents among the deleted scenes of the movie. Instead of a voiceover from Lara in the early scene involving Superman finding the mysterious crystal, there is a projection of Jor-El himself, much like the first film. The comic book features a battle with the failed prototype of Nuclear Man resembling Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
and an around the world fight with the second Nuclear Man. The adaptation even has an alternate ending with Superman and Jeremy flying above Earth, observing the planet being just one world. In the adaptation, Jeremy is seen in space with a spacesuit but in the deleted footage he is not wearing any protection of any kind, like Lacy Warfield when she was rescued by Superman from the second Nuclear Man. The alternate ending appears in the Special Edition DVD, but it was incorporated in the lost footage section.