Fullmetal Scientist is the third episode in Season 2 of My Adventures with Superman, and the thirteenth episode overall. It released on June 2, 2024.
Synopsis[]
Clark's life falls apart as The General goes into hiding…in Clark's apartment! Meanwhile, Jimmy struggles with being a leader, and Lois goes toe-to-toe with Vicki Vale as they track down missing scientists!
Plot[]
An explosion breaks out at an apartment building and Superman arrives to save a man, Silas Stone, from the fire and take him into the streets below. As Superman goes on to save hostages, a woman hiding in the shadows approaches Silas. It's Livewire and she started the fire in an attempt to keep Silas from exposing her employer. She threatens the life of Silas' son unless he deletes an incriminating video and keeps his mouth shut.
Clark and Jimmy are going through difficult times. Clark needs to keep his superhero activities hidden from Sam, while Jimmy is having trouble leading the Flamebird team. As Clark returns to the apartment, Sam notes he was gone when he woke up. He doesn't see why Lois is so attractive to him and Clark attempts to speak up until he realizes he is late to meet up with Lois for coffee. As soon as he changes clothes, Clark calls Lois, who tells him about the press conference for AmerTek, the tech company that set up a new manufacturing plant at Metropolis. Clark still wants to talk to Lois about his cousin, but Lois is too busy for that.
As AmerTek begins its press conference, the CEO, Thomas Weston, presents the Metallo, a weaponized robot that can be used for law enforcement and military purposes. The Metallo is powered "Amerfusion", an unstable form of energy. Lois is prepared to ask Weston some questions and so is Vicki Vale. When they both ask for Dr. John Henry Irons, the lead engineer, but Weston says that Irons is busy and ends the conference. Vicki is surprised to see that Lois is chasing the AmerTek story and admits that she has been following her career, especially after she wrote a rebuttal about Vicki's own story about Superman. Both are interested in getting information from Irons, but only Vicki manages to enter the AmerTrek building by presenting her card. Still, Lois refuses to give up.
Meanwhile, Clark has gone to the Daily Planet to write a new story, until Jimmy tells him that Flip has gone missing, just as he received an encrypted message from someone warning about killer robots in Metropolis. Jimmy then gets a message from Flip, who has decided to track the sender and chase the story.
Lois has stolen a keycard from a security guard and snuck into the AmerTek building. She enters Irons' lab, only to find it devastated and the only thing left unscathed is a bag with a note that contains information leading to Irons' home. Vicki, who has also entered Irons' lab after failing to get information from Weston. Not wanting to let the other get the story, Lois and Vicki escape from the AmerTek building before the security guards can catch them.
Superman and Jimmy have tracked Flip's coordinates to a house that is the home of Dr. Irons, who is happy that Superman and Flamebird answered his message. Irons explains that, after AmerTek hired, he moved back to Metropolis to spend more time with his niece and designed the Steel mech suit to help first responders, but Weston wanted a product that could boost AmerTek's reputation, so he rushed production of the Metallos. According to Irons, the Metallo's power core is unstable. When multiple Metallos come in close proximity to each other, their cores combine and explode. The explosion of three Metallos destroyed Irons' lab and Irons realized that the AmerTek building is powered by an Amerfusion core, which could explode and destroy the city. Irons and his partner, Silas, asked Weston to stop production on the Metallos but Weston refused because he wanted to seize an opportunity to surpass AmazoTech as the world's leading tech company.
Just as Lois and Vicki have arrive at Irons' house, Irons revealed that when he tried to go public with his findings, Weston fired him and Superman replies that he saved Silas from a fire at his apartment. Irons theorizes that Weston has been trying to silence whoever knows about Amerfusion's flaw and now, he could be next. In that moment, Livewire breaks into Irons' apartment and destroys his computer and, by extension, the evidence he gathered on Weston. Livewire escapes, calls Weston and informs him that Superman is involved. Angry that he could be exposed, Weston activates AmerTek's fusion core and the Metallos.
Superman takes Irons to AmerTek so he can shut down the core, but Weston destroys the fusion core's controls. The Metallos attack Superman, so Irons puts on the Steel suit to help him. The fusion core suddenly grows unstable and Superman attempts to contains its energy by using his biolectric aura while Irons destroys the core with his hammer. Superman and Irons are successful in shutting down the Metallos and dispersing the core's energy before it destroys the city.
After the fight, Lois and Vicki have filed their stories to their respective papers. Impressed by Lois' ambition, Vicki offers a job at the Gotham Gazette and Lois admits she is interested but taking the job would mean leaving Metropolis. Vicki tells her that if Lois wants to become a successful journalist, she will have to make some sacrifices.
Lois attempts to talk to Superman, who tells her that his inability to get to AmerTek in time almost got everyone killed and the only reason Superman saved the day was because he had helped, but Lois replies that everyone needs help every once in a while, even Superman. This gives Clark an idea for his article: he will write about Irons.
Despite Clark's article praising Irons' heroism, Irons is fired by Lex, who proclaims that AmerTek's assets, including the Steel suits, now belong to LexCorp. Lex plans to use his new resources, including the Metallos, to help Waller.
Cast[]
- Jack Quaid as Superman
- Alice Lee as Lois Lane
- Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen
- Andromeda Dunker as Vicki Vale
- Azuri Hardy-Jones as Flip Johnson
- Zehra Fazal as Livewire and Audrey
- Joel de la Fuente as Sam Lane
- Byron Marc Newsome as Silas Stone and John Henry Irons/Steel
- Max Mittelman as Alex 'Lex' Luthor and Thomas Weston
Appearances[]
Events[]
- Attack on The Irons Residence
- Battle At AmerTek
Items[]
- Superman Suit
- Steel Mech Suit
- Metallo
- AmerTek Fusion Reactor
Trivia[]
- The title of the episode is a play on the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise.
- The name of Flip’s drone, The Flying Newsroom, is an obscure Silver Age reference to a full size helicopter owned by the Daily Planet and used by Jimmy Olsen in the 1950s comic series Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen starting with the first issue.
- This episode features the debut of a lesser known power of Superman, his bio-energy field, a field of energy generated by his saturation of solar power in his cells. The idea was first implemented during John Byrne’s run of Superman stories in the Post-Crisis era as a plot device explaining why Superman was invulnerable and could catch/hold objects or people without harming them with his super strength or other things that would defy the laws of physics otherwise.
- Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman also played with the concept in its first issue, as a solar energy supercharged Superman could extend his bio-field outward to contain and protect a spaceship from falling into the sun and pulled it back into orbit, though not without exposing himself to deadly radiation by lowering his own protection, kicking off the plot of the mini series as the Man of Steel realizes he is slowly dying from the effects of the radiation. Superman in this show is able to manipulate his bio-field at will with practice without a larger amount of solar energy to protect himself or others, essentially the writers adopted Morrison’s idea and expanded upon it.
- End Credits Image: Lois and Jimmy watch as Clark shakes hands with Dr. Irons.