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Superman's Funeral
The setup
The premise
Here’s the bit.
At the Metropolis Funeral Home, Jimmy Olsen greets the mourners for Superman: Hawkwoman and Hawkman, Aquaman bearing a tray of shrimp, and a downcast Flash, who tells Green Lantern that all he can do is run fast. Lex Luthor is on hand to show guests to their seats and soon admits he is delighted his arch-rival is gone. Batman opens the eulogies but breaks down, and Robin has to steady him while the Penguin insists his laughter is just how he cries. Perry White struggles for words between cries of "Great Caesar's ghost," remembering that Superman only called him Chief once. Black Lightning then tries to slip in, claiming he and Superman were tight and that he taught him to fly, but Jimmy has never heard of him and has him thrown out. A Marvel Comics delegation of Spider-Man, Mister Fantastic and the Hulk pays its respects, and the Hulk, not good with words, puts on reading glasses to deliver an eloquent written tribute. When Jimmy reports that the Legion of Doom is attacking the civic arena, Batman organizes the remaining heroes to carry on without Superman, and Lois Lane is left wondering why Clark Kent missed the funeral.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 18
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
I'm not laughing. This is also how I cry.
He only called me Chief once. I told him, don't call me Chief, and he never did it again.
Hulk not good with words.
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
Aired three days after DC Comics published Superman #75 (November 18, 1992), the issue in which Superman dies in The Death of Superman storyline.
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:11
Jimmy Olsen ?
Oh, Hawkwoman, Hawkman, Jimmy Olsen, Superman's pal.
- 00:17
Hawk Woman ?
Don't be silly. Of course we know you. Jimmy, it's a terrible thing.
- 00:23
Jimmy Olsen ?
I know, I'm just kind of numb. But it's Miss Lane I'm worried about. We'll talk later. Lex, do you see the Hawks over by the Teen Titans?
- 00:32
Lex Luthor ?
Certainly. Right this way.
- 00:40
Jimmy Olsen ?
Aquaman Glad you could make it
- 00:43
Aqua Man ?
I brought some shrimp If you need anything else Kelp, seaweed, anything You just name it
- 00:52
Jimmy Olsen ?
Thank you so much Hello, Hello, Flash, Green Arrow I mean, Green Lantern I'm sorry, I'm just barely keeping it together
- 01:04
The Flash ?
Tell me about it Life is so unfair You know, Superman could do anything He could fly, x-ray vision supervision, super strength, all I can do is run fast.
- 01:15
Green Lantern ?
No, don't say that.
- 01:16
The Flash ?
No, no, no, it's true. All I do is run fast. He can run as fast as me, but he never mentioned that in all these years. He's a real man. I like that.
- 01:27
Lex Luthor ?
Gentlemen, may I show you to your seats?
- 01:29
Green Lantern ?
Thanks, Luther. What are you doing here?
- 01:32
Lex Luthor ?
It's a tragedy, a real tragedy. It's a great loss, just a pity, just tragic.
- 01:41
Green Lantern ?
mean that do you Luther
- 01:42
Lex Luthor ?
all right you got me I'm glad he's dead he was a worthy arch rival and I'm here to show my respect but I gotta tell you I'm happy he's gone this this should be a great year for me right this way
- 01:56
Lois Lane ?
Jimmy they're about to start still no sign of Clark
- 02:06
Jimmy Olsen ?
no sorry miss Lane looks like mr. Mr. Kent's a no-show again.
- 02:15
Jimmy Olsen ?
Uh, uh, Batman, thank you for coming.
- 02:20
Batman ?
I said I wasn't gonna cry. I was fine until about a minute ago. Nothing more important to Superman than his friends. And looking out at all your faces makes me realize I'm sorry.
- 02:39
Robin ?
It's okay, Batman.
- 02:40
Batman ?
man stop laughing Stop laughing, pig wit
- 02:57
Penguin ?
I'm not laughing this is also how I cry
- 03:00
Batman ?
like to say a few words
- 03:06
Perry White ?
great Great Caesars ghost I'm For the first time in 30 years I find myself at a loss for words great caesar's ghost what can i say about superman he only called me chief once i told him don't call me chief and he never did it again great caesar's ghost i can't believe he's gone
- 03:40
Jimmy Olsen ?
Excuse me. excuse me this is a private service
- 03:43
Black Lightning ?
i know i'm black lightning
- 03:44
Jimmy Olsen ?
black black lightning
- 03:48
Black Lightning ?
you know black light you know me me and superman were like this we was tight You know, I had my own comic book back in the 1970s. I'm the one who taught him how to fly.
- 03:57
Jimmy Olsen ?
Look, I'm sorry. I'm Superman's pal, and I've never heard of you.
- 04:00
Black Lightning ?
Come on, man. Black Lightning. I shoot electric charges, you know. There's Batman after he know me. Yo, Batman, what's up, man? It's me.
- 04:08
Jimmy Olsen ?
Sorry, Mr. Lightning. If it were up to me, it would be no problem. But, you know...
- 04:13
Black Lightning ?
Oh, it's like that, huh? It's like that?
- 04:15
Jimmy Olsen ?
Yeah, I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to go.
- 04:16
Black Lightning ?
All right, man. Why don't you eat some lightning bolts, Chuck? chop
- 04:18
all right get out
- 04:23
Black Lightning ?
hey man get off my case chop hey that stings
- 04:28
and get out
- 04:29
Black Lightning ?
yo black lightning
- 04:36
Jimmy Olsen ?
uh some people here from marvel comics they've come to pay their respects spider-man
- 04:51
Mr. Fantastic ?
you want me to Hulk, go ahead.
- 04:57
The Incredible Hulk ?
I... I wish I... Hulk Hulk not good with words. Hulk, write it down. Superman was that rarest of things. Every superhero owes him a debt of gratitude and homage. His life was the superhuman expression of the noblest aspirations of man. and in death he has become the ideal of my friend superman i can only say this he was my hero
- 05:48
i I hope just hope hope just shot just no sad
- 06:03
Jimmy Olsen ?
i just heard from the chief of police the legion of doom is attacking the metropolis a civic arena right
- 06:12
Perry White ?
caesar's ghost
- 06:12
Jimmy Olsen ?
you know i can't help thinking this looks like a job for superman
- 06:16
Batman ?
okay thank you jimmy we're gonna have to try to carry on without superman you understand me okay who can fly okay get going anybody have super strength okay great can anywhere anyone here change the rotation of the earth on its axis really that's great come on let's go let's do it for superman
- 06:38
that
- 06:48
Lois Lane ?
Oh, clark kent where could he be he's missing superman's funeral
The rabbit hole continues
One more couldn’t hurt.
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