Lex Luthor:
Boy, do we have problems up here!
[sets timer and stands up]
Lex Luthor:
The problem of evil in the world. The problem of absolute virtue.
Superman:
I'll take you in without breaking you, which is more than you deserve.
Lex Luthor:
The problem of you on top of everything else. You above all. Ah. 'Cause that's what God is. Horus. Apollo. Jehovah. Kal-El. Clark Joseph Kent. See, what we call God depends upon our tribe, Clark Jo, because God is tribal. God take sides. No man in the sky intervened when I was a boy to deliver me from Daddy's fist and abominations. Mm-mm. I've figured it out way back, if God is all powerful, He cannot be all good. And if He's all good then He cannot be all powerful. And neither can you be. They need to see the fraud you are. With their eyes. The blood on your hands.
Superman:
What have you done?
Lex Luthor:
And tonight they will. Yes. Because you, my friend, have a date! Across the bay. Ripe fruit, his hate. Two years growing. But it did not take much to push him over actually. Little red notes, big bang, you let your family die! And now, you will fly to him, and you will battle him, to the death. Black and blue. Fight night! The greatest gladiator match in the history of the the world: God versus man...
[thunders in the background]
Lex Luthor:
Day versus night. Son of Krypton versus Bat of Gotham!
Superman:
You think I'll fight him for you?
Lex Luthor:
Mm, yes, I do. I think you'll fight, fight, fight for that special lady in your life.
Superman:
She's safe on the ground. How about you?
Lex Luthor:
Close, but I'm not talking about Lois. No. Every boy's special lady is his mother.
[walks around Superman and shows him photos of Martha being muzzled]
Lex Luthor:
Huh! Martha, Martha, Martha. The mother of a flying demon must be a witch. The punishment for witches, what is that? That's right. Death by fire.
[throws the photos one by one at Superman]
Superman:
[angrily readies heat vision]
Where is she?
Lex Luthor:
I don't know! I wouldn't let them tell me! If you kill me, Martha dies. And if you fly away, Martha also dies. But if you kill the Bat, Martha lives.
[Superman calms down and Lex approaches his hand]
Lex Luthor:
There we go. There we go. And now God bends to my will. Now, the cameras are waiting at your ship for the world to see the holes in the holy. Yes, the all mighty comes clean about how dirty he is when it counts. To save Martha, bring me the head of the Bat.
[helicopter arrives; Lex looks at his timer]
Lex Luthor:
Mother of God, would you look at the time. When you came here, you had an hour. Now it's less.
