Superman (2025)
After a tense standoff between two nations, Superman intervenes to stop the militaristic country of Boravia from launching a full-scale invasion against its neighbor, Jarhanpur. His decisive action prevents bloodshed, but it also places him in direct opposition to Boravia’s hardline president, Vasil Ghurkos. Superman warns the leader in no uncertain terms to leave Jarhanpur in peace. While the world applauds his bravery, whispers begin about whether a single hero should wield the power to dictate international conflicts.
Not long after returning to Metropolis, Superman encounters an unexpected challenge. A powerful metahuman calling himself the “Hammer of Boravia” appears and, to everyone’s shock, defeats the Man of Steel in open combat. For the first time, Superman is forced to retreat, battered and shaken. With the loyal Krypto by his side, he makes his way to the Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica, a sanctuary where he can recover and regroup. But he is not alone for long—Angela Spica, also known as the Engineer, follows his trail. She is an ally of billionaire Lex Luthor, whose interest in Superman has always been rooted in envy and mistrust.
At the Fortress, Superman’s robotic attendants use concentrated solar radiation to heal his injuries. In his weakened state, he is shown a precious message recorded by his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, before sending him away from their doomed world. The message reaffirms his heritage and their hope that Earth would become his salvation. However, the recording is incomplete, damaged during its long journey through space, and plays only the first half.
When Superman recovers enough to return to Metropolis, he faces the Hammer once again. Despite his determination, the Hammer defeats him a second time. The truth soon emerges: the so-called Hammer is no Boravian champion at all, but a carefully engineered creation of Lex Luthor—an altered clone known as Ultraman.
In the aftermath, Superman agrees to sit down for an interview with Lois Lane, his longtime girlfriend and colleague at the Daily Planet. Their discussion quickly turns tense. Lois presses him on the ethical questions raised by his interference in Boravia, challenging whether his unilateral actions undermine national sovereignty. Superman, unused to such direct criticism from someone he trusts, finds himself conflicted.
Meanwhile, Luthor escalates his plans. He unleashes a monstrous kaiju upon Metropolis, drawing Superman away with the distraction while he, Ultraman, and the Engineer infiltrate the Fortress of Solitude. They overpower Superman’s robotic guardians, capture Krypto, and discover the damaged Kryptonian message. With her advanced technology, the Engineer repairs the recording.
While Superman and the Justice Gang—Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl—battle the kaiju in the city, tragedy strikes. Superman had hoped to subdue the creature without killing it, but Mister Terrific destroys it in the name of public safety. Even as the dust settles, Luthor broadcasts the restored Kryptonian message worldwide. To Superman’s horror, the second half contains a shocking revelation: Jor-El and Lara instruct their son not merely to survive but to conquer Earth, to take many wives, and to restore the Kryptonian race by force.
Public trust in Superman collapses overnight. Many now see him not as a savior, but as a potential conqueror. In anger and desperation, he confronts Luthor in search of Krypto, but the encounter only deepens public suspicion. Lois, however, remains steadfast. She tells Clark she knows his heart and believes he is good. Moved, Superman confesses his love for her before surrendering himself to U.S. authorities.
The government, however, turns him over to Luthor, who secretly operates a hidden prison inside a pocket universe. Here, Superman is imprisoned alongside Metamorpho, a metahuman capable of altering his chemical structure. Luthor manipulates Metamorpho by holding his infant son Joey hostage, coercing him into transforming part of his body into Kryptonite. This cruel trick robs Superman of his powers, leaving him vulnerable. During a brutal interrogation, Luthor kills Malik Ali, a supporter of Superman, to prove his dominance. The murder horrifies Metamorpho, who turns against Luthor and helps Superman escape. Together, they rescue Joey and Krypto.
Meanwhile, Lois enlists Mister Terrific’s aid to locate Superman. They break into the pocket universe and extract the captives, bringing Clark back to Smallville to recover under the care of Jonathan and Martha Kent. Jonathan reminds his son that his destiny is not written in the stars or dictated by his birth parents, but shaped by his choices and the values he upholds.
While Superman regains his strength, a surprising betrayal unfolds. Luthor’s partner, Eve Teschmacher, secretly provides Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen with evidence that Luthor has been colluding with Boravia, promising him half of Jarhanpur’s territory. When Luthor discovers her actions, he imprisons her and escalates his schemes. He opens an unstable rift in reality, connecting Metropolis with the pocket universe, splitting the city in half and threatening to consume it entirely.
Superman quickly organizes his allies. He sends Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho to Jarhanpur to prevent Boravia’s renewed attempt at invasion. Their mission succeeds, though it ends violently when Hawkgirl kills President Ghurkos. Recognizing Metamorpho’s courage, Green Lantern invites him to join the Justice Gang.
Back in Metropolis, Superman and Mister Terrific face off against the Engineer and Ultraman. After a fierce battle, Superman subdues the Engineer. He then learns the truth about Ultraman—that he is a clone created from Superman’s own genetic material, crafted by Luthor to discredit him. With Krypto’s loyal assistance, Superman defeats his doppelgänger and hurls him into a black hole that lies beneath the rift.
Meanwhile, Mister Terrific manages to stabilize and close the dimensional rift. Superman confronts Luthor at his headquarters, where the billionaire reveals the twisted heart of his plan. The entire Boravian conflict, the kaiju, and Ultraman were all orchestrated not merely to destabilize the world but to prove that Superman is unworthy of humanity’s trust. Luthor’s motives, however, boil down to envy: he resents Superman for earning admiration that Luthor, as a human genius, believes should be his. Superman counters that true greatness comes not from control but from compassion and sacrifice. Luthor remains defiant until Krypto knocks him down, ending his reign of manipulation.
In the aftermath, Lois and Jimmy expose Luthor’s crimes to the world. Public opinion shifts back in Superman’s favor, and those trapped in the pocket universe—including Eve—are freed. Luthor and his collaborators are arrested. Lois finally confesses that she loves Clark as much as he loves her, cementing their bond.
At the Fortress of Solitude, Superman recovers from his ordeal. His cousin, Kara Zor-El, arrives in an unexpectedly comic moment, slightly drunk, to retrieve Krypto. The Fortress robots soothe Clark by showing him treasured recordings of his childhood in Smallville, reminding him of the values instilled by Jonathan and Martha Kent.
In a mid-credits scene, Superman sits silently on the Moon, holding Krypto and gazing at the Earth below—a quiet moment of reflection on his place in the world.
A post-credits scene offers lighter fare: Superman offhandedly critiques a building repair in Metropolis as “not perfectly done,” unintentionally offending Mister Terrific, who takes pride in precision. It is a humorous reminder that even the Man of Steel can stumble socially, though his heart remains in the right place.
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