- "Bet A Million" Butler, who will "bet on anything," wages $100,000 he can keep Superman under his control for 30 minutes. He shows up at the Daily Planet and abducts Lois Lane, forcing her onto the ledge of the newspaper's office building. Butler, calling himself only the "human bomb," has strapped dynamite to himself. After Superman arrives, the "human bomb" says he'll detonate the explosive unless Superman agrees to stay put for 30 minutes while a robbery takes place. Superman agrees but has no intention of allowing the robbery to take place.—Bill Koenig
- Synopsis - The Human Bomb
Sitting at the Metropolis City Club, Daily Planet in hand, headline reading Superman Wages War Against Crime, Butler tells Conway he is envious of Superman's power. Butler bets Conway $100,000 he can control Superman for 30 minutes.
Butler walks into Lois' office claiming he is a human bomb, with sticks of dynamite rigged to explode with the touch of a button, on his shirt he is wearing. He handcuffs Lois to himself stating he wants Superman for 30 minutes, and it is crowded in her office, so they step onto the ledge out from her office, looking down several stories above the sidewalk.
Perry and Jim debate the practicalities of the situation and decide to visit the two perched on the ledge, where Mr. White calls for Inspector Hill at police headquarters. Butler and Lane move away from the window so as to keep Perry from attempting to grab Lois, again. Lois kicks off her heels after slipping, while Kent appears, claiming this is all a publicity stunt, he doesn't want any part of it and leaves.
Clark changes, visits the ledge people, takes the left dynamite stick from Lois' office, attaches it to a camera flash starter, flies off, ignites it, proving it is real explosives. Inspector Hill and Officer Riley are in Lois' office to watch Superman test the dynamite.
Superman returns to the ledge to negotiate, learning a robbery takes place at a designated spot, Superman is allegedly helpless preventing the robbery, and the stunt will end.
Watching with binoculars from across the street are Butler's henchmen deciding now is the time to rob the Metropolis Museum.
Superman is rigging a hoax to fool Butler, stop the robbery, and rescue Lois. The hoax involves a desk lamp, a tape recorder with his voice comments, with the Inspector acting in his place so he can quell the robbery.
Now it is time for Olsen to make a fool of himself.
The robbers have met Superman stopping them from moving in their getaway car while Olsen in out on the ledge with a golf club ready to do combat with Butler. Jim figures the remaining dynamite is fake because it's make is not listed in the phone book.
Superman grabs the robbers and takes them to the police station while Jim threatens Butler. He releases the cuffs on Miss Lane, she works her way to the safety of her office, Jim tells Butler there is a recording and Superman is not in the room, still threatening Butler to push the button, while holding the golf iron in his hands. They fight on the ledge while Superman is flying by and Butler punches Jim off the ledge, Lois screams, and Superman catches a falling Jim.
Inspector Hill and Officer Reilly safely walk Butler back to the office. Lois explains how wrong he was in his assumptions, Superman reminds Jim the first stick did explode and Lois says just because the name of the company was not in the Metropolis phone book, doesn't mean it was not the real thing.
Hill and Reilly walk Butler in the office to say he who he is and Lois slaps his face, off to jail with Butler, then Clark walks in.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content