Chapter 399: Earthshaking

Superman was born a superhero, no doubt about it, but just as human growth requires a process, Clark Kent's transformation into the all-powerful Superman also required time and trials.

Clark Kent and his adoptive parents were not the only ones aware of the existence of superpowered beings on Earth. The location of the Kryptonian spaceship had turned into a research center for Lex Luthor's corporation. After over two decades of research, Lex had deciphered much of the knowledge contained within the spaceship and had entered into a cooperation agreement with Fiona, who had awakened from stasis.

Fiona's willingness to cooperate with humans, whom she viewed as mere ants, came after she received a message from the cosmos that Krypton was destroyed. Her superior, General Zod, had been exiled for rebellion. Before his exile, Zod had ordered his subordinates, dispatched long ago, to seek out the Life Genesis Chambers sent to various planets thousands of years ago by the Kryptonians, to quickly cultivate new Kryptonian warriors to establish a new Krypton once he escaped his confinement.

Lex Luthor's cooperation with Fiona was also motivated by his own agenda; he needed the Life Genesis Chamber to accomplish a revolutionary evolution for humanity.

He employed a large mercenary group to gather the necessary information.

Meanwhile, two women were also keeping an eye on these developments.

Diana Prince, a warrior goddess from Olympus who had long protected the world under various guises, had slain countless monsters from other worlds. After discovering traces of the meteor that had fallen over twenty years ago, she too headed north.

Lois Lane, a reporter for the Daily Planet, unaware of the bigger picture, had received a tip about a dangerous mercenary group operating covertly within the Arctic Circle near Las Vegas and followed the lead.

Twenty minutes into the film, without any comic relief or humor, the dark tones and themes highlighting Superman's plight made the film feel quite heavy, unlike the light-hearted superhero movies.

In fact, 'Man of Steel' did not resemble a typical summer blockbuster at all, with its profoundly serious themes.

But these themes were simple enough that even teenagers could understand them. Anyone who had gone to school knew that being different often led to exclusion and isolation.

"Using a superhero movie to reflect real social issues?" Richard Roeper stroked his chin, pondering, "Superman's childhood and adolescence are worth reflecting on."

Roger Ebert nodded slightly, "So far, Murphy Stanton's pacing, narration, visuals, and handling of themes are all very precise and impressive."

Clearly, Murphy Stanton had imbued 'Man of Steel' with a depth previously unseen in superhero movies.

A summer blockbuster with a production cost of $200 million needed more than just depth—it needed scenes that could stir the audience's emotions.

Thus, when Clark Kent used his family's key to find the spaceship with the Life Genesis Chamber and saw his father's apparition, clarifying his origins and Kryptonian lineage, he donned his family's suit and attempted to fly.

But Superman's first leap ended in failure!

He soared from behind a small snow-capped mountain, not into the vast sky but into a bronze circular shield. The shield rebounded on impact, and Superman crashed down onto the mountaintop like a downed plane.

"Oh.My.God!"

The same exclamation echoed through numerous theaters across North America as Superman's fall was dramatically impactful!

Superman crashed into the mountain, creating an explosion akin to a comet striking Earth. Snow splattered everywhere, filling every inch of the panoramic shot, literally chopping the small mountain in half.

"This TM isn't even human!"

A boy exclaimed in surprise, to which Doug disdainfully replied, "Who told you Superman was a normal person?"

In the New York State Theater, the audience in the back rows slowly realized the extent of this version of Superman's powers...

As many thought this, a figure in a dark cloak suddenly jumped up from the ground, her left arm carrying the shield that had just hit Superman.

"Wonder Woman!" Daisy almost shouted out in excitement, "It's Wonder Woman!"

"Wow..." someone in the theater already yelled excitedly, "Wonder Woman vs. Superman!"

Indeed, Wonder Woman leapt towards Superman. Facing this alien visitor, the goddess of war showed no mercy. The inexperienced Superman was initially overwhelmed by Wonder Woman, but their fight was full of power and speed, despite not being earth-shattering.

The commotion drew the attention of Lois Lane and Lex Luthor's mercenaries, leading to a collision. Lois was almost killed, but Superman, just as he had saved others in his childhood, ignored Wonder Woman's attacks and shielded Lois from bullets.

Diana Prince paused her attack, mature and wise enough to sense that this alien might be different from those she had encountered before.

The mercenaries, equipped with cameras, transmitted the scene live back to Lex Luthor's research center...

They attacked Superman collectively, but his retaliation was restrained, only knocking them unconscious, unlike Wonder

 Woman who, experienced in many wars and a believer in peace achieved through strength, showed no mercy to these blood-stained, indiscriminate killers.

However, her lethal blows were blocked by Superman.

After the mercenaries were downed, Wonder Woman ceased her attack on Superman and after a brief exchange, left the scene.

She had concluded that Superman was not the malevolent villain she had anticipated.

Watching Wonder Woman walk away cloaked, many comic fans were slightly disappointed by the obscured view despite the spectacularly choreographed action scenes.

Then came the classic scenes of Superman learning to fly and looking down at Earth from the sky, captivating the audience.

The film's pace was tight, with a narrative that flowed smoothly. After being saved, Lois Lane returned to the metropolis, determined to uncover Superman's real identity, speaking to many he had helped in his childhood who, instead of gratitude, felt fear.

Meanwhile, Lex Luthor had located the Life Genesis Chamber hidden deep within a glacier. He needed the Kryptonian genes within to make a critical breakthrough in human evolution, but Fiona, now out of his control, sought the chamber to quickly cultivate powerful Kryptonian warriors. However, she discovered that after Superman's last activation, the chamber required Superman's family key to start the breeding program.

Thus, a grand battle inevitably erupted.

Fiona, using information from Lex Luthor, found Superman's adoptive parents first and killed Jonathan Kent. As she was about to kill Martha, Superman arrived just in time to save his adoptive mother.

A fierce battle ensued in a nearby town. An enraged Superman sought revenge for his adoptive father, while Fiona needed to kill Superman to obtain the key...

Then, the American military also dramatically entered the fray, designating both Superman and Fiona as targets.

But neither machine guns nor missiles had any effect on the formidable Kryptonians.

At this moment, almost every theater in North America showing 'Man of Steel' was hushed, everyone holding their breath, eyes wide open, watching the earth-shaking action unfold on screen.

Superman and Fiona plowed through a cornfield, creating a trench as if gouged by a massive plow, then crashed through a supermarket, entering on one side and exiting the other, the building collapsing like it was made of paper, civilians fleeing in all directions.

Murphy used simple shots to tell everyone that such fights inevitably lead to collateral damage.

The town was thrown into panic, fearing not just Fiona but also Superman, even as he, amidst the fight, risklessly saved many.

The battle between Superman and Fiona was like that of strategic missiles; each strike caused buildings to collapse and the ground to shatter.

Their moves lacked any flourish, relying solely on speed and power. Murphy eschewed slow-motion for frequent use of high-speed shots to convey the sensation of speed.

Like his earlier battle with Wonder Woman, Superman, still a novice, initially struggled but gradually turned the tide and, despite the military's efforts, ultimately killed Fiona.

Superman emerged from the ruins not to gratitude or admiration but to hostile and angry stares and a military encirclement of tanks and planes.

Clark Kent was not an Earthling, yet raised by Earthlings and imbued with human emotions, he looked back at the devastated town and the innocents buried beneath, feeling profound guilt.

Yet humanity now stood opposed to him.

Superman did not surrender; he learned from Fiona that another human, intent on exploiting the Life Genesis Chamber, lurked in Metropolis.

He flew away, leaving behind chaos and countless resentful gazes.

Such earth-shaking battles could not be hidden by the government; the media quickly exposed them, and Superman was soon painted as a villain, with the military issuing a warrant for his arrest.

Especially after a video of Superman's fight with Fiona spread online, panic swept through countless viewers...

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