Episode 4 of Season 2
Airdate November 20, 1994
Written by Kathy McCormick
Directed by Philip J. Sgriccia
Entry transcribed by BevK
| WHAT'S IN A NAME? "A bolt from the blue" is an idiom meaning pretty much what it implies, something that is a complete surprise, like a bolt of lightning coming from a clear blue sky. The expression was most famously, or perhaps musically used in the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" from the Disney animated feature Pinocchio: Like a bolt out of the blue/ Fate steps in to see you through LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! (A FOLC guide to Metropolis) 1- Daily Planet …Newsroom 2- Perpetual Pines Cemetery- where Lois and Clark follow a lead 3- Van Dyne Crypt …Underground Bunker- where all action culminates 4 -Metropolis Streets- where there isn’t room enough for two superheroes 5- Metropolis Sky- where there isn’t room enough for two superheroes 6 -Burning Building- where the new superhero’s agenda is revealed 7- Ledge #1- scene of the first chat between the superheroes concerning how it happened 8- Ledge #2- scene of the second chat concerning responsibility and morality 9- Lois' Apartment- where she interviews the new superhero 10- Tattoo Parlor- where Lois learns the new superhero’s real name 11- Happy Hollow Rest Home …Activities Area – where we meet Wandamae Waldecker, a very entertaining Mary Todd Lincoln …Grove of Trees- where superheroes converse with demanding women 12- Kent Farmhouse Porch- where a too brief visit with the elder Kents takes place POWERS USED AS SUPERMAN Flight- above the city and across country to Kansas Hovering- when dealing with Waldecker Strength- withstands violence from people with his powers Invulnerability- withstands a lightning strike Vision- scanning the city looking for Lois POWERS USED AS CLARK Vision- uses heat vision to stop a bad nurse Hearing- in the cemetery is alerted to Waldecker’s anxiety Invulnerability- is harmlessly hit and dragged by an out of control SUV Strength- HINT! HINT! (for the galactically stupid) - Is knocked down and dragged under an SUV but comes out of it with only a damaged suit jacket… - After Lois asks him to get in touch with Superman for her, after mentioning she usually has to fall from a window to get his attention, Clark runs off to check his mail and Superman arrives instantly. “You don’t have to fall out of a window, Lois,” is the first thing he says. After a brief talk, Superman leaves and Clark reappears on the stairs. CLARK’S LAME EXCUSES Clark’s infamous Cheese of the Month Club excuse made its debut in this episode (not to be confused with the Chocolate Cottage Cheese excuse used by Lois once 
) when he needs to become Superman
immediately, if not ten minutes ago. Probably fearing Lois will jump out
a window if he doesn’t. DEVICES -Hand Gun, which soon becomes space debris -A handheld police scanner, which Resplendent Man carried in early scenes -Wall Sconce Hidden Door Release -Sliding Door Panel beneath a coffin leading to an underground laboratory -Bomb, motion sensitive, protected by coded lock -MSM: Mad Scientist Machine- okay, okay- Lightning Simulator that creates lightning and can send it back and forth between two locations through a conductor -Incubator large enough to hold an adult human and monitor life signs HISTORY, HOBBIES, ALL CHARACTERS CLARK KENT/SUPERMAN 1- isn’t interested in what happened to Lex Luthor but accompanies Lois to a cemetery anyway 2- using his vision to look through the darkness, sees a guard walking by not far away 3- hearing something else, leaves her hiding in the bushes and goes to investigate another visitor to the cemetery 4- sees a man with a gun in his hand standing before a large, double headstone 5- races forward as Superman and grabs the man’s hand and at that moment a bolt of lightning strikes both men 6- after being told two primary colors don’t work together, tells the man insult his appearance or talk to him- his choice 7- listening to the man’s story, hears Lois calling Clark and tells the man to go to Met. General’s referral service for counseling and therapy, then flies away 8- next morning is greeted by a coffee vendor and stops to buy a cup as he walks to work with Lois 9- hears a screech of tires and runs to help Lois, who has walked on ahead, reaching her just as she disappears in a blur of blue and orange 10- with the SUV now bearing down on him, has no choice but to fall to the ground and let it roll over him 11- careens out of control, and drags him along underneath as it jumps the curb in front of the Daily Planet and finally stops 12- slowly pulls himself out from under the SUV, and with Jimmy beside him, looks up in the air at a stunning sight- Lois has been saved by someone with super powers 13- ordered by Perry to find out who the new superhero is , excuses himself to go home and change clothes 14- as Superman seeks out the new superhero and asks him for a private conversation and when the man argues about payment for rescues, offers to pay him for a private conversation 15- paces restlessly, finding it difficult to believe the lightning strike transferred his powers 16- brings up right and wrong- Waldecker can’t charge people for saving their lives! 17- flies home to the farm to see his parents after the talk 18- tells them the other man doesn’t understand the responsibility of having powers, and doesn’t think he’ll learn 19- tells his parents that everyone at the Planet wants the guy’s story- who he is, where’s he from, where did he get the powers- “I’m a reporter and I know the answers!” 20- frustrated that he can’t tell anyone because every time Superman touches down he’d be mobbed by people wanting his powers, too 21- admits he doesn’t know what to do 22- as Superman, goes to Lois’s apartment and hovers outside her window and listens to her interviewing Waldecker, but goes to her door as Clark 23- pretends to notice Waldecker for the first time and apologizes for dropping by without calling, but Lois grabs him with both hands and pulls him into the room and introduces him as a friend, a very good friend 24- shaking Waldecker’s hand, pretends to wince as the superhero squeezes hard, and immediately amends, “But nothing romantic or anything like that!” 25- winces again when Waldecker claps him on the arm and gives him some advice on how to attract a woman, just before jumping out the window 26- tells Lois he’s sure she and the superhero will be very happy together, then ducks when she swings her bouquet of flowers at him (“Bite your tongue!”) 27- goes to a tattoo parlor with Lois the next morning and though he tries to prevent her finding out the name of the new superhero, the artist, Allegra Venom, remembers his unusual name 28- at the Planet, he sees the TV commercial touting the services of Resplendent Man and quickly sneaks out of the room 29- finds Waldecker having a snack while using his Xray vision to watch the activities in a women’s locker room across the street ( he knows because he looked, too) 30- says he tried to be patient, tried to be understanding- but Waldecker interrupts: “Get a grip! I don’t tell you what to do! I’d appreciate the same courtesy from you.” 31- relates his code, but the other man laughs and flies away, leaving him to roll his eyes skyward in annoyance 32- goes home to find Lois sitting outside his apartment door and when she says they need to talk to Superman, runs back downstairs to check his mail but returns instantly as Superman 33- on a visit to Wandamae Waldecker, does nothing to help Lois’s questioning of her, but stops a nurse from fighting with Lois, and though Wandamae watches him he’s relieved she doesn’t know he is Superman 34- feeling bad about not being able to tell Lois everything, he makes an excuse to leave and returns as Superman 35- tries again to talk sense into Resplendent Man about his disregard of the responsibilities that go along with super powers, but RM won’t listen, and he follows him to a pretzel vendor near the Daily Planet and tells him he will listen until it sinks in: his behavior is unacceptable 36- refuses to fight with Waldecker when challenged, has no choice when he is attacked with a vengeance but he still tries to avoid fighting 37- returns to the newsroom and writes a stellar account of the fight and later, learning Lois is out of touch, offers to go look for her, flying over the city scanning everywhere 38- finds the underground lab and drops down through the ceiling only to discover another transfer of powers has taken place 39- confronted by Gretchen, he again refuses to fight and endures some of the funniest goading ever spoken by anyone trying to get a battle going 40- of course, Resplendent Man has no qualms about fighting with a woman and sweeps in to send her flying across the room and Superman grabs the opportunity to reverse all transfers while she is distracted by Luthor’s body in peril 41- with Waldecker holding Gretchen securely on the MSM, reverses polarity and regains his abilities 42- after the women are freed from the cage quietly asks Lois if she understands now why he didn’t want anyone to know 43- later, reminds Waldecker he learned who he was deep down- he did the right thing when it counted, even if it meant making a big sacrifice 44- sympathizes with Lois’s struggle to deal with learning Lex had been alive in the incubator/glass coffin and tries to lighten her mood with a joke LOIS LANE 1- in a graveyard during a thunderstorm, tells Clark that Mrs. Cox, Lex Luthor’s personal assistant, called her from prison and told her if she wanted to know what happened to Lex Luthor, try a night visit to Perpetual Pines Cemetery 2- pauses, asks “Don’t you care what happened to Lex?” but shushes him before he can answer (he doesn’t) 3- doesn’t believe he saw a guard because she has better eyesight and she doesn’t see anything 4- thinking Clark is with her, creeps closer to the sound she heard and after seeing the guard, realizes Clark is gone, calls his name quietly but somewhat annoyed 5- blames Clark for getting them kicked out of the cemetery as they walk to work the next morning 6- needles him about stepping on the only dry twig in the cemetery as the guard was going by, and he teases back that she was the one who believed Luthor was alive and well somewhere in the cemetery 7- again doesn’t notice that Clark is no longer with her but keeps walking, saying she neither believed nor disbelieved Mrs. Cox- she’s a reporter, she was following a lead 8- walks into the street without paying attention to where she was going and a taxi screeches to a stop to avoid hitting her, but a faster driven truck is barreling toward her too 9- aware, suddenly, she is in the middle of the street, freezes and can only watch as the oncoming vehicle gets closer 10- a second or two later she is floating slowly back to Earth in the arms of a masked stranger 11- asks who he is but he flies away without telling her and she watches in wonder as he leaves 12- is surprised to see a picture of Clark under the SUV and is speechless and when he leaves to go home and change, watches him walk away, his suit shredded on the back, and still says nothing 13- tells Clark they should start investigating with the costume- “He didn’t buy it off the rack!”- he has a tattoo, and they should talk to Superman 14- calls the story, big, HUGE, nothing can be more important than the story of the century- except Clark changing his suit 15- is at home that evening, sorting through tax receipts and papers she has collected in a box when a gust of wind comes through her open window and looks up happily at the sound of boots touching down 16- her face falls at the sight of the new superhero bearing flowers and candy and standing on the window sill 17- allows him to come in, invites him to sit down and asks if she can ask him a few questions 18- begins an interview which goes nowhere except to a half serious proposition that sends her running for the door when someone knocks 19- relieved to see it is Clark, “My colleague and friend,” pulls him inside to meet “the man with superpowers but no name!” 20- looks on with concern as the two men shake hands and sees Clark is being hurt 21- later, assures Clark she was just trying to get an interview 22- tells Clark she went to 16 tattoo parlors, or dermal emporiums- before finding someone who recognized the new superheros tattoo as being done by Allegra Venom, a dermal artiste 23- picks at the chocolates Waldecker brought to see what is inside, before offering one to a reluctant Clark 24- visits Ms. Venom and is irritated by her interest in Clark, but uses it to get the name of the man who got the tattoo by promising to talk Clark into letting Venom tattoo him 25- meeting with Perry, tells him William Wallace Webster Waldecker is not married, both parents are dead and his sister is in an institution for “the reality challenged” 26- watches a few seconds of the “Resplendent Man” commercial on TV and gets up to call the number given: 1-900-01RESQU 27- “He even charges for the call! How greedy can you get?!” 28- looks for Clark to tell him Perry was right- they need to talk to Superman, and the only way she can get his attention is to fall out of a window (which she’d rather not do) or tell Clark- “So here I am.” 29- is astounded he would think getting his mail is more important than working on their story, and calls for him when Superman arrives seconds later but gets no answer 30- tells Superman she and Clark think he might be able to help them find out how this thing happened, and he says he was as surprised as anyone else there was another person like him in Metropolis 31- asks if he talked to the other man, but he evades answering by saying he wishes he could help, but he can’t and leaves after she tells him neither of them are answering her questions 32- paying a visit to Wandamae Waldecker at the Happy Hollow Rest Home, questions her about her brother but finds it difficult to steer the subject away from her life as Mary Todd Lincoln 33- confronts a bad nurse and gets her away from Wandamae and finally manages to get Wandamae to tell her that “Tad” got his powers from Superman 34- walks away slowly with Clark and comments that Superman lied to her, something she never thought he would do, but what a story this is! 35- is disappointed Superman led her to believe something that was untrue, and says she kept kryptonite a secret because it was life threatening, but this is news 36- tells him it’s a reporters job to disseminate the news, not to ponder the consequences, she is a reporter not a philosopher 37- waits in her car for Clark but sees the bad nurse hustling Wandamae into a car against her will, follows them, leaving Clark behind 38- in the cemetery, watches as the blond nurse takes Wandamae into a crypt 39- hanging up on Perry who wants her downtown immediately, follows the two women into the crypt 40- finding it empty, begins to search the room and accidentally trips the mechanism that opens the hidden door in the floor- after a moment’s hesitation, she descends the stairway 41- locked in a barred cell with Wandamae, is unable to get her to focus on the present 42- grabs the cell bars and an alarm blares so she lets go- tells Resplendent Man the woman wants the super powers for herself, but she isn’t the kind of person who should have them, let alone be allowed outside by herself 43- watches each transfer attempt and warns Waldecker each one gets closer to success and begins to try to break the number code on the explosives 44- is stunned when angry Gretchen reveals what the large incubator is and who it contains- “You married him and you destroyed him all on the same day!”- “Lex?” she guesses in disbelief just before Superman arrives 45- tells Superman he has to get Gretchen onto the metal plate to reverse the transfer and during the one sided fight that ensues, tries hurriedly to enter numbers into the keypad and stop the bomb 46- is inspired by Gretchen’s fixation with Lex to try the date of her wedding as the code- and it works 47- feels guilty about not telling Perry the whole story, but Superman was right 48- wonders if “that woman” had Lex’s body all along, and at least she knows he really is dead because she saw all the monitors flatline after the incubator/coffin was damaged PERRY WHITE 1- is elated with the story of the new superhero in Metropolis and he and Lois look through Jimmy’s photos eagerly 2- after seeing one picture in particular, tells Clark he was a very lucky man- a few inches either way and he would have been under the wheels and it’s a shame about Clark’s suit, too- there’s no way for it to be fixed 3- orders L&C to track down the superhero and find out who he is- “I want an exclusive!” 4- wonders how a guy from Tennessee got super powers – did they ask him? (“He wouldn’t tell me.”) Did either Lois or Clark ask Superman?! (“No…no…”) 5- calls Lois’s cell phone and tells her to get downtown immediately 6- when she tells him she’s in the middle of something, orders her to 2nd and Main immediately, and can’t believe it when she answers she’s onto something big and hangs up 7- admiring the Daily Planet’s front page, tells Clark his story on the superhero fight may win him another Kerth award 8- tells Clark he doesn’t know where Lois is and he is worried because she has a nose for trouble and she was working on something big 9- delighted with the final story, wonders how on earth Lois guessed the combination to stop the bomb and is impressed how she guessed it was her wedding date 10- though he is complimentary, it’s clear he doesn’t believe he has heard the whole story and gives L&C an opening to come clean 11- not liking their silence, goes to Jimmy’s desk and takes the National Whisper from his hands, telling him he doesn’t want him reading this trash in the Daily Planet building- letting his ace reporters know what he thinks of their holding back JIMMY OLSEN 1- is taking pictures and sees the out of control SUV speeding toward first Lois, then Clark 2- runs to help Clark get out from under the vehicle and both look up in surprise at the hovering figure who saved Lois 3- later interrupts L&Cs meeting with Perry to have them watch the television ad made by “Resplendent Man” 4- is on the scene to take pictures of the Superman/Resplendent Man street fight 5- asks the tired superheroes if they are done fighting- he has a deadline to meet 6- enjoys reading the National Whisper MARTHA KENT 1- tells Clark he did the right thing saving the man’s life, reminding him the other man is new at it, maybe he’ll learn 2- tells Jonathan it isn’t about figuring out how it happened 3- is sewing on a quilt as they talk JONATHAN KENT 1- pours Clark a cup of coffee and asks how he think it happened 2- considers Clark’s powers: has them because of yellow sunlight, sun’s heat and energy produce clouds, lightning occurs only in clouds- cumulonimbus to be exact… WILLIAM W.W. WALDECKER/RESPLENDENT MAN 1- originally from Little Big Holler, Tennessee, came to Metropolis 25 years ago, and having recently lost his fortune, visits his parents’ grave at night with the intention of taking his own life 2- in despair because he can no longer care for his sister, pours his heart out to the headstone 3- raises the gun to his head and begins to weep but suddenly someone grabs his wrist and something like an electric shock goes through him, turning the little bouquet of flowers in his other hand to charcoal- it was Superman and they have both been struck by lightning 4- after talking to Superman, tells his parents he won’t be joining them after all and drops his gun to the ground 5- giving the gun a kick, is astonished to see it ricochet off the corner of a headstone and straight into space 6- the next morning, dressed in a blue cape, an orange body suit with lightning bolts on the sleeves, and black rubber boots and an eye mask, saves Lois Lane from being hit by an out of control automobile 7- tells her she’s the prettiest thing he saved so far 8- when she asks who he is, replies, “That’s for me to know and you to find out, little missy,” and flies away after kissing her hand 9- reveals he has a distinctive tattoo on his hand 10- gets angry with Superman, Mr. Boy Scout, at his next rescue, for horning in on his actions 11- tells Superman he would like to do his rescues for free but he has bills to pay, though he’s willing to do a little pro bono now and then 12- tries to distract him by asking where Superman carries things like money in his suit, going on about zippers and his fear that Velcro will pucker the fabric 13- tells Superman he’s rude after threatening to follow him everywhere and save everyone for free, but follows him to talk on a building ledge high above the street 14- likes being super powered but hasn’t thought of a name yet, suggests “Bravery Man” and mulls it over 15- tells Superman if a person’s life isn’t worth something (money) he doesn’t know what is and insists he’s plying a legitimate trade to an increasingly service oriented society 16- tells him he should be happy for the help since he can’t do everything himself, and flies away, yelling, “Geronimo!” 17- drops in on Lois, bringing her flowers and candy, claiming he flew all the way to South America to get them 18- after she questions the rain forest origin of daisies, carnations, and baby’s breath, explains they are Brazilian grown species 19- ignores her suggestion of an interview and tells her it is a bad idea to keep old tax records without shredding them- and proceeds to destroy her papers before she can stop him and tell him they were records for 1994 20- is contrite and wants to know what she wanted to ask him, but won’t tell who he is, keeping some information close to the vest 21- reacts with jealousy when Clark comes to the door, but relaxes a bit when told their friendship is not romantic 22- leaves through the window shortly after reminding Lois not to forget about his price list 23- goes to visit his sister Wandamae- Wandamae Wingfield Waldecker at a psychiatric hospital 24- he tells her he now has Superman’s powers and describes his orange and blue costume to her- she is sure it looks resplendent (thus his name is born) 25- after leaving he is stopped by an attractive blond woman who knows who he is and how he got his powers- and he guesses she wants them too 26- is still suspicious even though she assures him she comes with the deal- and gives him a sudden kiss to prove it 27- smiles and admits that’s a mighty attractive inducement, but he doesn’t think she is an honest person and starts pulling off his clothes 28- tells her she has no leverage but she sure is cute when she’s mad- and he flies away 29- laughs at Superman’s lecture on morals and his admonition to not misuse his Xray vision to watch women in a locker room: “What planet are you from? Try to grasp this, it’s not a hard concept. You may not like what I do, but there’s not a thing you can do about it!” Flies away. 30- later, is again interrupted by Superman who tells him he has gone too far- he almost let people die while negotiating with a victim 31- defends himself by noting the victim cared more for his classic Mustang than he did for his own life, and there was plenty of time anyway because the train was still far away- he had the situation under control, quit carping and complaining 32- tells Superman Metropolis isn’t big enough for both of them and launches into a one on one fight 33- equally matched, both end up tired and have had enough, and Waldecker goes to a nearby bakery for a bite to eat 34- coming out, is met by the blond woman from the rest home who now has leverage- she has Wandamae 35- threatens to break her in half, but the woman laughs- if he does his sister will die 36- in the underground laboratory, is strapped to the lightning simulator and between attempts to have his powers transferred to a rat, talks to his sister apologizing for the situation they are in 37- tells her he can’t get her out of the cage because the awful woman put something on the cage to make it explode 38- laments that Miss Lane and Superman were right all along- “I’ve been greedy, I’ve been selfish,” he tells Gretchen. “You and I are not superhero material!” 39- hates dilemmas- tells Lois he understands he shouldn’t let Gretchen continue but she’ll kill Wandamae if he doesn’t go along 40- when Superman arrives, tells him Gretchen made him do it by threatening to kill Wandamae 41- redeems himself by doing what Superman refuses to do- hits Gretchen as hard as he can and sends her crashing into the MSM holding the body of Lex Luthor, and causing it to stop working 42- in the newsroom later, relates that his sister is doing as well as can be, and admits having the superpowers was quite a burden though it taught him that life was worth living for as long as you get GRETCHEN KELLY 1- dressed in a black, hooded cloak, stands close to the doorway into a crypt, sees a bolt of lightning strike two figures and watches further after seeing one is Superman 2- is watching when Superman leaves and a few seconds later the remaining man kicks a small object and it flies upward into the sky 3- quickly realizes what it means and turns to enter the crypt, smiling as she does 4- as Superman and the new superhero talk on the ledge, she is among the crowd below, watching as the rookie flies away 5- returning to the cemetery crypt, uses a special light fixture to open a door in the floor with a stairway leading down to a hidden room housing an fully equipped laboratory 6- approaches a large sealed incubator type of thing and speaks to a human body encased within, calling it “Lex” and telling it Superman’s powers can be transferred by electricity and a conductor. 7- will duplicate the circumstances and transfer the powers to herself and Lex- and Superman won’t be able to stop them! 8- follows Waldecker and listens covertly at the hospital as he visits his sister 9- when he leaves, she follows and confronts him on the front sidewalk as he is about to become the hero and tells him she knows who he is 10- pulls his shirt open for him to reveal the suit and says she can make him rich beyond his wildest dreams much faster than he can himself 11- says she is a scientist who can duplicate the conditions for transfer and offers herself as part of the deal 12- is flabbergasted when he turns her down and flies away 13- disguised as a nurse, tries to get Waldecker’s sister away from Lane and Kent before she can tell them how Resplendent Man got his powers 14- is stopped by Lois who demands to know how she got the job with such a lack of people skills 15- threatens to rearrange her teeth (You can try, Brunhilde!”) but feels a sensation of intense heat on her foot and hurries away in confusion, returns later to kidnap Wandamae from the facility and takes her to the hidden laboratory in the cemetery 16- when Lois reaches the bottom of the steps in the crypt, she appears and closes and locks the doorway at the top, telling her there is no way out 17- leaves to seek out Waldecker, taking Wandamae’s bonnet to show she has his sister- “How’s this for leverage, you little tick?” 18- tells him he can find her but if he tries to save her…BOOM! 19- takes him back to the crypt lab and attaches him to the lightning simulator and goads him to try to save his sister, see what happens, while she begins trying to transfer his powers to a rat in a cage 20- grows more frustrated and angry with every failure to make the transfer work, taunts Lois as she tries to decode the bomb- telling her there are over a million possible combinations, Miss Girl Reporter, and she’ll never find the right one in her lifetime 21- is elated when the experiment finally works and the rat careens around the room and flies upward through the ceiling and into the sky 22- goes to the body in the incubator which is behind the lightning simulator and speaks to it: “Nothing can stop us now, my darling.” 23- scoffs at Lois when she asks what the incubator is, calling her a wretched little nobody who didn’t deserve him! “You did this to him! You and that overgrown baby, Superman!” 24- refers to Lex as the last real man in Metropolis before returning to the other machine and preparing to use it on herself 25- successfully makes the transfer mere seconds before Superman arrives 26- tells him he’s too late- he couldn’t kill Lex Luthor and now he can’t kill her! 27- goes on to send him hurtling across the room with a super punch, then tries to goad him into fighting back taunting him that he won’t hit a woman 28- hits him again and he almost hits the cage and the explosives and she continues to try to make him fight back 29- does not take into account Resplendent Man’s observation that he and she are not superhero material, so she is taken completely by surprise when he hits her and sends her smashing into the incubator containing Luthor’s body- the life-monitoring instruments attached to it go flat and she cries out in alarm 30- furious that Superman reverses the transfer of powers, grabs a remote control and starts the countdown on the bomb to kill Lois and Wandamae- “Say good-bye to the would-be Mrs. Luthor!” 31- as all attention turns to saving the women in the cage, she makes her escape from the lab 32- returns later disguised as a driver for the coroner’s office and steals the damaged incubator OTHER CHARACTERS Wandamae Waldecker 1- Waldecker’s sister, AKA Mrs. Lincoln, First Lady of the United States 2- relates tales of Lincoln era life in the White House, and is surprised when her brother tells her he now has Superman’s powers- “We could have used him at Fort Sumter!” 3- refers to him as Tad, which is what she and the president call him, and tells him he’s a good boy 4- sits beside a portrait of Abraham Lincoln when Lois and Clark pay her a visit and talks about her marriage to Abe and her father’s advice against marrying a skinny politician 5- resists attempts to steer the subject away from the president by admitting her brother’s name is a mouthful and then goes on to explain it, goes on about an alligator, and gets thoughtful trying to remember when she’s seen him last 6- responds enthusiastically when asked if Tad said anything about being able to fly, thinks it’s wonderful, little Tad as free as a bird, but he always was a flighty one… 7- when asked if Tad told her how he was able to fly, says simply, yes, he did 8- interrupted by a nurse saying it’s time to see the doctor, she responds fearfully and fights to make her go away, “I don’t want those theater tickets! I don’t care if they’re free!” 9- interrupted by Lois, she sits down as Lois and the nurse argue, and sees Clark drop a pencil on the floor deliberately and looks under the table when he does 10- answers Lois’s question that it was Superman- Tad got his powers from Superman 11- following Lois’s shock and Clark’s guilty silence, addresses Clark as General Grant and smiles radiantly after announcing he will someday command the army of the Potomac 12- spends her time in the cage with Lois still in her own little world, which her brother later admits might not be so bad 13- a teller of great tall tales and questionable family history Allegra Venom, Venomous Dermal Designs 1- says the tattoo in question is her most successful design, thinks it would look fabulous on Clark’s “nice body so smooth and hard, like polished steel” 2- after Clark says he’ll think about it, admits she remembers a little guy with a Southern accent but not his name 3- looks through her records at Lois’s insistence, but unknown to both of them, Clark uses his heat vision to destroy the records 4- tries harder to remember the name after Lois says she will talk Clark into letting her tattoo the battle of Midway on his chest 5- smiles delightedly- Winchecker? Woolpepper? Waldecker! William Wallace Webster… Distraught Woman 1- cannot believe the new superhero will not get her little dog out of a burning building until after they agree on a price for the rescue 2- is relieved and happy to be reunited with her pet when Superman brings him to her safe and sound Muffin 1- a little dog trapped in a burning building because Resplendent Man is negotiating with the elderly woman owner over the price of rescuing the dog 2- growls threateningly at Waldecker after being rescued by Superman and reunited with his owner NAME THAT TUNE Clark whistles a few notes of the series theme while in the tattoo parlor. SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION -After telling Lois if the power transfer becomes public knowledge everyone would want super powers, too, asks that she talk it over with Clark because he had good instincts and a good heart – they both do. They will do the right thing. -Tells Lois Superman is always right, adding it’s one of his most irritating qualities. LIFE GOES ON (other headlines) Daily Planet, on mock-up: BATTLE OF THE …. “Superheroes Fight…” Truck Firms Back Ban on Expressway Tropical Hurricane Takes A Toll Licensing Procedure Changes Examined By City Hall The National Whisper: Elvis Rolls Over As Daughter Weds! Doctors Discover Centuries Old Serum to Cure Baldness Mysterious Flying Rat Terrorizes Sewer Workers MISCELLANEOUS 1- Leon F. Pulnar, October 1, 1907-August 23, 1977 – engraved on a headstone at Perpetual Pines Cemetery 2- Walter W. W. and Mae August Waldecker were William and Wandamae’s parents; Mae born in 1932, died in 1991, Walter born in 1933, DOD unknown 3- “As useless as a one-legged bird dog” a phrase used by William Wallace Webster Waldecker while speaking at his parents’ grave 4- Mr. “Nothing-Can-Hurt-Me-I-Don’t-Need-Money-To-Live” – a rather apt name Waldecker calls Superman 5- biodegradable golf clubs- the wave of the future: an investment scam Waldecker fell for and lost all of his money 6- TRI 294, plate number on the vehicle that struck and dragged Clark 7- “A small price to pay for being plucked alive from the snapping jaws of certain death” The motto on the invoices Resplendent Man sends to the people he saves. 8- Muffin, played by a little dog actor with a speaking part: growls at Waldecker for not saving him from the fire  9- $3.98 for the first 15 seconds- charge for calling the Resplendent Man hotline 10- TV Ad: “In trouble? Need help no mere mortal can provide? Call Resplendent Man! When disaster rages, when destruction surges, when annihilation crashes, when certain doom approaches- call Resplendent Man! Decent service. Reasonable rates. He’s Resplendent Man, strange visitor from the heart of Dixie…” 11- Hotline spiel: “You have reached the voice of Resplendent Man. If your situation is a bona fide emergency, press one. If you can wait a little while, press two. If you’d like to join the Resplendent Man fan club, for a really tiny fee, press three…” Lois hangs up and we hear nothing further. 12- Superman’s code: “The strong do not exploit the weak. The powerful do not attack the defenseless.” Tells Resplendent Man to take it to heart, memorize it and live it. 13- funny how Allegra Venom can look at Clark and see characteristics to him that go completely over Lois’s head. 14- An online script spells the tattoo artist’s name as “Allegra Vennum” but closed captioning spells it Venom. 15- 2nd and Main, the street corner where Superman and Resplendent Man have a fist fight is in front of the Daily Planet building. The fight starts across the street at one of the many vending carts that can be found all over the city. 16- several vehicles, including a bus, are overturned and damaged during the super fight in downtown Metropolis, and though a large crowd watches no one is hurt or killed 17- It’s interesting to note that Lois doesn’t know who Gretchen Kelly is nor does she know her name, referring to her as ‘that woman.’ In fact, Kelly never tells anyone her name at any time in the episode. 18-Lois’s and Lex’s wedding date was 5-23-94; the numbers of the code Lois uses to stop the explosives, on the door of the cell in which she was imprisoned, from exploding; May 23, 1994 was a Monday 19- the streets of Metropolis are full of small vendors selling everything from coffee to fresh fruit- the latter from those rooftop gardens, perhaps?- suggesting the citizens take advantage of warm weather in their part of the country 20- there is at least one set of twin police officers in the MPD 21- we discover how much Perry values Lois's talent as a writer- he wanted his best covering the story happening right outside his window. We see how fair he is, too, giving Clark the praise he deserved for writing the story and making it as Kerth worthy as Lois would have. Lois’s Interview with Waldecker (before he was resplendent) -- Lois: Who are you? Waldecker: Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh! (shaking his head) Lois: Are you from Krypton, too? Waldecker: No, ma’am. I’m from Tennessee. Lois: Really?! Have you always had powers? Waldecker: No, this is a recent development. Lois: How did you get them? Waldecker: That’s quite a story, but I’m negotiating to sell the rights so I can’t give it up for free. I’m sure you understand. I was thinking you could publish my price list. Lois (outraged): Have you no shame?! Mr.- what do I call you?! Waldecker: Maybe you can help me with that, too. I can’t decide. Magnificent Man? How about Splendid? Majestic? How about Glorious? Lois (mutters): Vainglorious. Waldecker: What? Lois: The main story is who you are and how you got the powers. You don’t want to answer those questions. Waldecker: I might if you gave me a bunch of money. Or…you could be my girlfriend. Speechless, Lois jumps up and rushes to answer a knock at the door ending the interview. Waldecker’s Romantic Advice to Clark “You keep on looking. You’ll find somebody. You’re a handsome boy- though I would suggest getting rid of the glasses. Get you some contacts.” OBSERVATIONS IN REAL LIFE 1- Cindy Williams gives one of the funniest performances on the entire series as wide-eyed Wandamae/Mrs. Lincoln, IMO. I also like Teri Hatcher’s responses to Mrs. Lincoln’s statements. Her expressions are just as funny as Williams’s delivery of her lines. And Dean Cain’s look of relief when Clark realizes Mrs. Lincoln doesn’t know he is Superman after all is funny. Part relief, part amusement after she addresses him as General Grant and tells him he will one day lead the army of the Potomac. LOL! Hatcher and Williams have great comedic timing and Cain was able to play off that with his reactions. Watching the episodes much more closely than I ever did before, I’m just now noticing there were so many moments of underrated acting throughout the series by everyone. Sometimes Cain can appear to try a little too hard, but he stands with the pros. 2- Within the context of the series, I wonder what the series theme is in the L&C universe? Clark/Superman whistles it on occasion in various episodes so it must be a familiar piece of music to the inhabitants of their universe. The popular, recognizable Hawaii 5-0-like/TV show theme of their timeline? A Star Wars-like movie theme? 3- Sometimes you just have to shake your head at what a charmed life Lois Lane leads. If Clark hadn’t stopped for coffee he would have been beside her and prevented her from walking into traffic as she prattled on- and she walked right into the street fully expecting him to stop her if it was dangerous. 4- Superman can move so fast he can be seen to fly away and still appear in the next split second on the stairs a few feet away from where he had been standing. In some episodes he can change between Superman and Clark in the blink of an eye. It’s difficult to believe there could ever be a situation in which he doesn’t have time to change into the suit. He doesn’t need to spin. In the time it takes to open and close a door he can change. No spinning. It would have to be a great Freudian slip of the visual kind to claim he didn’t have time to change for any reason. 5- So why spin at all? Within the context of the series, Clark’s sense of humor does come out in Superman no matter how hard he tries to keep the identities separate. He does like to play to the crowd even if it is just Mom, Dad and Lois. (But we all know it’s just a cool effect for our entertainment.) Second Season Trivia
"What's Opera, Doc?"
Déjà vu
|
Lincoln, dropping little breadcrumbs pointing to the
"Honest Abe" Whitehouse. For example, she referred
to her brother William as "Tad," which was the
nickname of Mary's youngest son Thomas. His father
gave him the nickname shortly after Thomas was born
because, as Lincoln observed, he was "as wiggly as a
tadpole." 
Kelly of being... either Broom Hilda (closed caption
name) or Brunhilde (name as spelled in the
script), or even Bwunhilda, as pronounced
by Elmer Fudd when referring to Bugs Bunny's
version. What's the difference? Quite a lot,
actually. 
