This document is a screenplay that follows Clark Kent/Superboy as he questions his role and purpose as a superhero. He wonders if heroes still make a difference as the world seems overwhelmed with problems. Clark observes various incidents where people need help but do not receive it. This causes him to question whether he should continue helping others or just focus on his own life. In the end, Clark realizes he wants to help people but in a human way, not by using his superpowers. He decides to continue fighting for justice and humanity.

1. BEING
written by
John Sacapano
characters based on
originals created by
Jerry Siegel

2. INT. SCREEN - DAY
CLARK KENT, a 17 year old teenager is in front of a projector
where the horrible atrocities of the world is projected over
him while the all-too-familiar isignia 'House of El' hovers
on his chest.
CLARK
(Looking down in dismay)
Do heroes exist? Why aren’t they
saving us? Maybe they’re tired.
Maybe it's the lack of empathy. The
fact is they’re not invincible.
They’re just like you. And me.
People think that superpowers
provide access to freedom, but
freedom is about choice, about
choosing to do is right. You can
help you know, but you choose to
rely on me- on us. Now, help
yourselves.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREETS - DAY
CLARK walks around town. The scene alternates between his
civilian form and his Superboy form.
CLARK
When I was young, I always wanted
to fly. I wanted to know what it
felt like to feel the wind against
my hair. Nowadays, I can’t stand
it. Superboy- that’s what they
called me. When people needed help
they’d see that teen in a red cape,
flying around town- then he
disappeared, replaced by a teen in
a hoodie walking around in a daze.
CLARK removes his glasses and looks directly towards a series
of houses and an X-ray vision-esq effect is shown.
CLARK (CONT’D)
Sometimes, I stop to listen- I
could hear it all, and when I
couldn't help it, I took a peek as
well.

3. 2.
EXT. FLAT AREA - DAY
GEORGE SHUSTER, a suicidal young man stands on the edge of
the flat rooftop, threatening to jump to end his life. A mob
watches closely, filming his actions rather than aiding him
from his horrible mistake. CLARK watches by closely.
CLARK
Life is such a fragile thing-
sometimes there are people who
expect to be saved, so
they willingly jump, but when
they’re not lucky enough to have
Superboy catch
them in his arms, they plummet to
their death.
GEORGE SHUSTER jumps down.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREETS - DAY
Scene cuts to CLARK's dismayed look as he walks away from the
scene and a timelapse is shown.
CUT TO:
INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY
CLARK had just finished buying several items and is about to
make his way out of the shop when he notices on the side of
the street, a woman is being robbed.
EXT. SUPERMARKET STREETS - DAY
CLARK watches closely as the robber takes the woman's bag.
CLARK
Why should the lives of other
people matter? They’re nothing more
than strangers, so why bother? For
satisfaction? To feel good about
helping? It’s better to be a
bystander- most people choose to do
so. Who cares if that girl just got
robbed? You don’t know her, so why
should her struggle matter?
(MORE)

4. 3.
CLARK (CONT’D)
You’ve got to get home; someoneelse
is bound to help her- eventually.
He walks pass by her and looks at her, wondering whether he
should help or not, and decides not to get involved.
CUT TO:
EXT. SCHOOL - DAY
CLARK enters school and begins to look around, remembering
several memories as well as thinking deeply.
CLARK
Compassion gradually withers as we
grow older- I see that now. When we
were younger, we
used to have sympathy for anyone.
The cat that just fell needed help,
and we’d come to the rescue. The
stranger couldn’t open the door, so
we do it for them. But when we’ve
become full grown adults we realise
it’s every man for himself,and that
compassion will get you nowhere.
Scene cuts from CLARK entering the school gate to him
entering a classroom.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
CLARK watches carefully as the person in charge of the class
continually bables on about Superboy's disappearance,
completely ignoring the issues at hand shown in other news
clippings in the board.
CLARK
Everyday is the same, the media
covers what they think is
‘newsworthy’, and they tend to be
the most useless gossip out there.
Everyone seems to care so much
about the lives of ‘important
people’, but lack the empathy for
those who are in a struggle.
Sometimes the media becomes so
repetitive it just gets tiring-and
then I wish I could just run away-
from these monsters who call
themselves people. Day by day, they
break you.
(MORE)

5. 4.
CLARK (CONT’D)
They’re the villains you read from
those comic books,they’re the ones
who slowly destroy you from the
inside, until all of your humanity
is gone. But when you’re no longer
human, that must mean you’ve become
a super being. I guess the whole
world must be full of super beings.
CLARK decides to leave the class. The camera follows him as
he leaves the school room, and stops when he flies off.
Narration continues as this happens.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON
CLARK types away on his laptop, but suddenly looks at space
and reflects on the actions he had taken. He then remembers
that he actually had helped those people, but in a human way
rather than using his powers. A series of flashbacks (in slow
motion) are shown of him providing aid in the incidents he
had stumbled upon, which causes him to feel inspired and
began to write things in a positive tone.
CLARK
But I choose to be human; I choose
to not let the world’s complacency
destroy my compassion. When someone
needs help, I will come to help-
but I will do it in the way real
heroes used to do. I will fight for
the truth, justice, and the human
ways. Now all I ask is this, do you
choose to be a super being, or to
be a human being?
CLARK ends his article by typing his name, but decides to
replace it with his new persona: SUPERMAN.
THE END.