Superman: The Animated Series (TV Series)

The Way of All Flesh (1996)

Malcolm McDowell: John Corben, Metallo

Quotes 

• Metallo : [Lois goes to comfort Superman who has been weakened by kryptonite when a hand grabs her shoulder]  He's not going anywhere Miss Lane!

  Lois Lane : Corben?

  Metallo : You remember me, good I've been thinking about you a lot especially these last few months in prison!

  [walks towards her as she backs away] 

  Lois Lane : Corben if you so much as...

  [gasps as he grabs her and forcefully kisses her] 

  Metallo : [confused]  I-I-I didn't feel anything?

  Lois Lane : See if you feel this!

  [slaps him but grabs her hand in pain] 

  Lois Lane : Ow!

  Metallo : [concerned]  I can't even feel a kiss, what did they do to me?

• Metallo : [after realizing he can never be a normal human again]  It's all fake

  [looks at himself in the mirror and rips off half his face revealing a metal skull underneath] 

  Metallo : A fraud!

  [as he continues to tear off bits of his flesh] 

  Metallo : there's the reality, the metal behind the man, it's all I am now, it's who I am

  [smashes the mirror] 

  Metallo : Metallo!

  [smiles at his body in his reflection which looks half human and half robot] 

• Metallo : [bursting through the door to give him a sense of feeling]  I want those adjustments NOW!

  Young Doctor : What... what adjustments?

  Metallo : The ones Luthor told me about when I said I couldn't feel my hands! *Those* adjustments!

  Young Doctor : Well, the adjustments were yours to make.

  Metallo : Mine?

  [slams his fist on the desk] 

  Metallo : You're telling me...

  Young Doctor : There'll always be a certain numbness, a lack of feeling. But you'll get used to it.

  Metallo : I don't *want* to get used to it!

  [throws the desk] 

  Young Doctor : Mr. Corben, the operation gave you almost infinite strength. You can never get sick. You're invulnerable to injury. You'll never feel pain again!

  Metallo : And what about pleasure, hmm?

  Young Doctor : That - that was never part of the equation.

  Metallo : [grabs him by the collar]  Find me a body. Change me back. I have to feel!

  Young Doctor : [nervous]  We... we can't. The transplant is permanent.

  [Corben yells in insane anger and throws the young doctor onto a sofa] 

• Ralph : Mr. Corben, I hope you don't mind me asking, but after all these months I just gotta know. How do you rate all this?

  John Corben : Ralph, the trick is to never underestimate the value of a good friend, and always keep your mouth shut.

• Lex Luthor : I have a luncheon to attend, but I expect to hear the tragic news about him just before dessert.

  Metallo : Dessert. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since the operation. Haven't wanted anything.

  Lex Luthor : The only hunger you should have is for power, my friend. The only thirst for revenge.

• Lex Luthor : No one's been more loyal to me than you, John. You could have implicated me in the Lexo-Suit affair, but you didn't, and for that, I'm going to reward you.

  John Corben : This sure doesn't feel like a reward, Luthor.

  Lex Luthor : It's the only way to save your life. You have to do it. Don't worry. You'll look exactly as you do now.

  John Corben : But I'll be metal on the inside.

  Lex Luthor : Better than metal. Metallo. A virtually indestructible alloy.

  John Corben : [a cart is wheeled in]  That the kryptonite?

  Lex Luthor : The source of your power and Superman's destruction. You want that, don't you, after what he did to you?

  John Corben : What do I have to lose?

  Lex Luthor : [with an evil chuckle]  Indeed.

• Superman : Listen to me, Corben. You're being duped. Luthor's the one who set you up.

  Metallo : [firing a blast of kryptonite]  You didn't know I could focus it like that, did you?

  Lex Luthor : Finish him. Now!

• Lex Luthor : Well, how do you feel?

  John Corben : Great. Better than I have in weeks.

  Young Doctor : Shall we test out that theory?

  [leading him to a machine] 

  Young Doctor : Hit that, please.

  [as Corben hits a pad, a weight rises and hits the top of its chamber] 

  Young Doctor : Impressive.

  John Corben : Wasn't even trying.

  [as he punches it again, harder, pieces break off] 

  John Corben : Satisfied?

• Metallo : Some enemy.

  Superman : Luthor's your enemy. He did this to you.

  Metallo : Yes, he saved me from that virus. Otherwise, I'd be dead by now.

  Superman : [showing him a small vial]  Here's your virus.

  Metallo : What's this?

  Superman : The doctor... put it in your food. How else do you think you got... such a rare disease?

  Metallo : But... why would he...

  Superman : Luthor... told him to.

  Lex Luthor : The kryptonite's gotten to him. He's delirious.

  Metallo : I'm not so sure of that. I'll be right back.

  [he throws Superman down and leaps up to join Luthor] 

  Lex Luthor : Don't be a fool, Corben. Don't you see? He's trying to turn us against each other to save his own skin. Who knows what's in that vial?

  Metallo : Then why don't we test it?

  Lex Luthor : [trying to fight off the force-feeding]  Corben, no! No!

  Metallo : Come on, Luthor. Drink up. It did wonders for me.

• Young Doctor : Now, if you'll please stand still.

  John Corben : [seeing a canon being aimed at him]  Hey, wait a minute!

  [the ordnance has no impact on him] 

  John Corben : How...?

  Lex Luthor : Your skin is also made from metallo.

  John Corben : But I... I can't feel anything. It's like I'm controlling my hands from outside my body.

  Lex Luthor : Some adjustments need to be made, that's all. But first, you have a job to do.

  John Corben : Superman?

  Lex Luthor : Yes.

• Superman : How did you do it, Corben, a drug? Some kind of operation?

  John Corben : Elective surgery. Jealous?

  Superman : Not likely. You're going back to prison.

  John Corben : [matching his strength]  I'm as strong as you are now.

  Superman : Almost.

  John Corben : No. Stronger.

  [as he reveals his kryptonite heart, Superman begins to feel its radioactive effects] 

  John Corben : What's the matter, guy? You're looking a little green at the gills.

  [punching him] 

  John Corben : I think you are jealous of me, because now I'm the real Man of Steel.

  [punching him again; on the ground, Superman grabs a piece of metal pipe and throws it at him] 

  John Corben : [it bounces off him]  That was rather desperate.

  [grabbing him and throwing him off a building onto a freeway] 

  John Corben : You humiliated me, Superman. Took me in by the scruff of my neck like I was a kid. Now it's payback time.

• Lex Luthor : You didn't think I'd leave you like this, did you? I told you it was temporary.

  Metallo : Liar! The doctor can't do anything for me.

  Lex Luthor : Maybe not now, but someday. I've got people all over the world working on this. It'll take time, but what do you care? You're practically immortal. So go ahead, kill me if you want to, but what then?

  Metallo : You don't know how this feels! It's driving me crazy.