Superwoman in Dirigible of Doom

Here you go,enjoy!

"Up in the sky,look!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's Superwoman!"

Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall
buildings in a single bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton! The Woman
of Steel,Superwoman! Posessing remarkable physical strength,Superwoman fights a never
ending battle for truth and justice! Disguised as a mild mannered newspaper reporter,
Clara Kent!

On a cloudy night in a town of the small European country of Toran, a man walks outside
of a local tavern and opens the door of his car to get in,when suddenly, he hears a
high pitched whistling sound,and looks up too late to see a missle head for his vicinity.
The missle hits the ground at an extremely high velocity and explodes,leaving a large
crater in the gound where the man,his car, and several buildings used to be. Up in the
sky,the silouhette of a large floating object goes up through the clouds.

The next day in the Toran Times,the headline read "Sister Country Galonia Launches
Suprise Attack!" a sub read "President Monuval Orders Retaliation!" In the United
States,The Daily Planet's headline read "War Brewing In Europe" In the Chief Editor's
office,Perry White was briefing his ace reporters Clara Kent and Louis Lane. "Now be
careful out there you two,there's all kinds of dangerous things going on over there."
"Don't worry Chief,I'll take good care of Clara." Louis said condescendingly. "Nice,
Louis,but who's going to take care of you?" Clara thought to herself as the two left.

After landing in Galonia International Airport the two were detained for several hours
while their luggage and backrounds were checked as a precaution to make sure they
weren't spies. Ultimately,the two were let go with a smile and a "Sorry 'bout that,
folks." in broken English from the security guard. "Good thing they didn't do a body
search,I don't know how I would've explained the costume under my clothes!" Clara thought
with a nervous smile and a blush.

The dirigible floated evenly just above the clouds,inside the giant operations center,
men in red robes worked calmly at the controls. Seated on a throne with two guards,
Alexei Luthor,a red haired multi-millionare,also dressed in a red robe,prepared his next
move. Luthor was the son of a Dutch father and a Russian mother,he was a lonely child,
living in the minute country of Pocchia in absolute poverty with whatever money his
father could bring home as a railway worker.However,Luthor stuck dilligently to his
studies and amassed a great amount of intelligence,and began to make money inventing
weapons for the army. But Luthor's brilliant mind began to drift towards more grandiose
plans and he wondered why he should help his country rule the world when he could do it
himself. So,after rounding up a large number of disenchanted soldiers and teaching them
how to replicate his amazing weapons,Luthor staged a massive coup against the Pocchian
government and was successful,becoming the country's new President. But the power quickly
went to the young ruler's head,and he became a vile dictator,ruling the country with an
iron grip.With his now massive fortune he was able to construct such massive machines
such as the dirigible he was floating in.Now,Luthor was setting his sites on conquering
Europe several countries at a time,by attacking,then letting them destroy each other.
"Galonia in site,sir." one of Luthor's technicians announced. "Ready the missle." Luthor
commanded.

In the office of Galonia's President,a tall,easygoing man named Rufus Caglistam,Louis
and Clara were sitting opposite him,Louis was writing down his every word on his notepad
as the President spoke. "Rest assured,both of you. We will persue every peaceful avenue
with our neighbors the Toranians. We will find out who actually.." Suddenly the office
was rocked by the sound of a mighty explosion,which knocked the three out of their seats!
"Good Heavens! What was that?" Louis exclaimed. Suddenly an aide ran into the room and
said something in the Galonian tongue before exiting. "What did he say?" Louis nervously
asked as he got to his feet. "He said the Toranians have launched an attack on us!" The
President walked over to his phone and dialed a number,then spoke rapidly in Galonian
before hanging up. "What was that all about?" Clara asked. "We're forming a counter
attack strategy." President Caglistam responded grimly,mopping his brow with a
handkerchief. "But you said.." Louis began to protest before the President cut him off,
saying "I know what I said,but innocent Galonian lives are now at stake! I'm afraid you
two will have to get out of here for your own safety!" The President again picked up
the phone and said something into it before putting it back on the cradle. "I've already
arranged for your safe transportation back to the airport." A large man entered the room
and said with a thick accent "Follow me,please." The two reporters reluctantly did so
as the President said "Please have a safe voyage back home,my friends." before they left.

Luthor gazed at the Galonian landscape through a telescope and said "They have not
retaliated yet,maybe I need to give them another little push! Ready another missle!" As
Louis looked out the window of the limousine,he saw the giant airship descend and shouted
"Stop the car!" the drier did so and Louis got out just in time to see the dirigible
fire a missle at a distant area.There was a large explosion. "Louis,get back in here! We
have to get out of here while there's still time!" Clara yelled exasperatedly. Louis
turned to her and said "Sorry,Clara,but I've got to help stop this!" he then ran towards
the area where the airship hovered as the chauffer said to Clara "Miss,we've got to get
out of here!" but to his suprise, Clara bolted out of the vehicle as well.

Louis walked up to an abandoned bunker where a machine gun had been carelessly left
behind. After checking that it was loaded,Louis aimed the weapon at the dirigible and
began firing. Luthor and his men could hear the clinking of bullets hitting the airship's
exterior. "Sir,we're under fire!" One of his men reported. "Find out who it is!" Luthor
commanded. Upon zeroing in on Louis,one of the technitions shouted "Enemy sighted,sir!
Should we open fire?" "No,bring him to me!" Luthor ordered. Suddenly, a giant steel claw
emitted from the dirigible and sped towards Louis. Louis dropped the gun and attempted to
enter the bunker,but he wasn't fast enough and the claw wrapped around him and pulled him
up to the floating fortress as he screamed for help. Clara heard Louis' screams and saw
him being lifted into the airship. She looked around to make sure no one was watching
her,then she took her jacket off,saying in a mighty voice "This looks like a job for
Superwoman!" She then ducked behind a large tree and stripped of the rest of her outer
clothing,she removed her glasses and let down her hair,then stood revealed as Superwoman!
Superwoman then flew up towards the airship as it ascended towards the clouds.

"Who are you?" Luthor demanded when a bound Louis was brought before him. "I'm Louis Lane,
a reporter for The Daily Planet!" Louis angrily replied. "Why were you firing at us? Did
the President hire you?" Luthor asked. "No! I just saw you coming from the clouds and
firing your missle,and I figured you were from the country of Toran!" Louis said
defensively. "Ha! You are wrong,reporter! I am Luthor! The mighty ruler of Pocchia,
and soon,all of Europe! I've played these two pathetic countries against each other like
pieces on a chess board! And now that you've gotten in my way,you pathetic ant,I have no
choice but to crush you under my boot!" Said Luthor as Louis looked in horror as Luthor's
guards lowered their guns toward his head! Suddenly,one of Luthor's men announced "Sir,
an object is approaching our vicinity!" "What? What is it?" Luthor asked. The man replied
in a nervous voice "Well,sir,you aren't going to believe this,but it looks like a flying
woman!" Louis' heart soared at the report "My hero! She's come!" he said excitedly to
himself. Luthor thought "Impossible! The Superwoman here? How can that be?" then
ordered "Hit her with everything we've got!" "Yes,sir!" his underlings responded.

As Superwoman neared the dirigible,a missle shot out from the ship's underbelly and hit
her head on! In the tremendous explosion,Superwoman was knocked back,but quickly regained
her altitude and jetted to the airship's missle bay and deformed it with her bare hands!
The Maiden of Might then began to pound her way into the ship through the bottom.

"Sir! The flying woman just shook off the missle like it was nothing!" An engineer
announced. "I don't care! Do it again!" Luthor shouted as he began to sweat. "I'm trying,
sir,but the missle bay is jammed and now I've lost sight of the target!" The engineer
said exasperatedly. Suddenly there came a banging on the room's floor and Superwoman
smashed in trough the floor! "Superwoman!" Louis said joyfully. "So,if it isn't the
modern day Heraclea* herself! Well,Miss Woman of Tomorrow,you and this reporter may have
gotten in here alive,but neither of you shall leave that way!" Luthor said smugly as he
pulled the panel of the wall behind him to reveal a large machine with a protruding
nozzle. "This sophisticated laser can cut through solid steel in an instant! Since you
are The Woman of Steel,let's see how you fare against it!" Luthor snapped,before throwing
a switch on the machine,which sent a beam of light at Superwoman. Superwoman was slowly
dragged back by the laser as she put her arms in front of her in a crossed position.
"Too much for you,Maiden of Might?" Luthor asked before roaring with laughter. Just as
he had said this however,Superwoman's eyes began to glow,and as she concentrated on the
nozzle of the laser machine,beams of light eminated from her eyes and toward the barrel
of the weapon,which then melted,and the laser shorted out! "What?! I can't believe it!
Hurry men,destroy both of them!" Luthor shouted. The men grabbed their weapons,
Superwoman and began firing,only to have the bullets bounce off of her,she then grabbed
the guns from the men and crushed them with little effort. She then knocked out all of
men,one by one,before breaking Louis' bonds with one quick snap of the ropes! As Louis
got to his feet,Superwoman rushed to the controls,and used her mighty fists to pound
right through them! Luthor,who had retreated to the back of the room screamed "Get away
from those! Get away,I say!" But it was too late,the engines started to sputter and die.
Luthor then retreated into the room behind the wall and shut the door. Superwoman rushed
over to the door and pulled it aside,but Luthor was nowhere to be found! She went back
over to Louis and took him in the crook of her arm and taking all of the unconcious men
by the collars of their robes,Superwoman opened the side door as the dirigible began to
nosedive,air rushed in as Superwoman took to the sky with a mighty leap! Seconds later,
the airship crashed into the Golonian countryside with a massive explosion! After
dropping Luthor's followers off at the local police station,Superwoman let Louis off in
front of the American Embassy,she then took off to the sky.

Several days later the headline in the Daily Planet read "Superwoman Foils Dictator's
Plan" and underneath it was a picture of Presidents Monuval and Caglistam shaking hands
and smiling with a sub that read "Peace Restored To Galonia And Toran" while another read
"Superwoman Vanishes Yet Again" At the office Clara and Louis shared, the two sat at
Louis' desk looking over the paper. "Strange how Superwoman always shows up wherever we
are." Louis said. "I guess we just happen to be lucky." Clara assured him "Anyway,it's
great to be back in the States!" she added. "Right,Clara,Thanks to Superwoman!" Louis
said in a relieved voice. Clara turns to us,pulls down her glasses,and winks!


THE END

*Also known as Palaemona. The original,female version of Hercules.

Woot!

Excellent. I do love this one. Keep up the good work.

Thank you! I will if I can!

Once again, I'm catching up here at SWM after a few days' absence. I enjoyed all your latest stories, dr. m, but I have to give special props to this one. It has the flavor of the Fleischer cartoons, plus an original plot. It plays in my head just like a "lost" cartoon from Paramount Studios, complete with a dramatic soundtrack. Well done, sir. I hope you write more of these "new" stories.

Hey, that was my 900th post!

Thank you very much, Argo! Glad to see that these stories appeal to you! Good luck on the Superwoman story of your own, and congratulations on your 900 posts!