Man of Steel Quotes

Father Leone: What's on your mind?
Clark Kent: I don't know where to start.
Father Leone: Wherever you want.
Clark Kent: That ship that appeared last night, I'm the one they're looking for.
Father Leone: [swallows nervously] Do you know... why they want you?
Clark

Kent: No, but this General Zod... even if I surrender, there's no guarantee he'll keep his word. But if there's a chance I can save Earth by turning myself in, shouldn't I take it?
Father Leone: What does your gut tell you?
Clark Kent: Zod can't be trusted. The problem is, I'm not sure the people of Earth can be either.
[walks away]

Father Leone: Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later.

Jonathan Kent: Did they hurt you?
Clark Kent at 13: You know they can't.
Jonathan Kent: That's not what I meant. I meant, "are you all right?"
Clark Kent at 13: I wanted to hit that kid. I wanted to hit him so bad.
Jonathan Kent: I know you did. I mean, part of me even wanted you to,

but then what? Make you feel any better? You just have to decide what kind of a man you want to grow up to be, Clark; because whoever that man is, good character or bad, he's... He's gonna change the world.

Superman: [about Earth's people] Why am I so different from them?
Jor-El: Earth's sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's was. Your cells have drunk in its radiation, strengthening your muscles, your skin, your senses. Earth's gravity is weaker, yet its atmosphere is more nourishing. You've grown stronger here than I ever could have imagined. The only

way to know how strong, is to keep testing your limits.

General Zod: [transmission] You are not alone... My name is General Zod. I come from a world far from yours. I have journeyed across an ocean of stars to reach you. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual to my custody. For reasons unknown, he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made efforts

to blend in. He will look like you, but he is not one of you. To those of you who may know of his current location: the fate of your planet rests in your hands. To Kal-El, I say this: surrender within 24 hours, or watch this world suffer the consequences.

Lor-Em: General Zod, for the crimes of murder and high treason, the council has sentenced you and your fellow insurgents to 300 cycles of somatic reconditioning. Do you have any last words?
General Zod: You won't kill us yourself! You wouldn't dirty your hands but you'll damn us to a black hole for eternity! Jor-El was right! You're a pack of fools, every

last one of you!
General Zod: [to Lara] You... you believe your son is safe... I will find him. I will reclaim what you have taken from us! I will find him. I will find him, Lara. I WILL FIND HIM!

[Superman has brought down a military drone]
General Swanwick: Are you effing stupid?
Superman: It's one of your surveillance drones.
General Swanwick: That's a $12 million piece of hardware!
Superman: It was. I know you're trying to find out where I hang my cape. You won't.
General

Swanwick: Then I'll ask the obvious question. How do we know you won't one day act against America's interests?
Superman: I grew up in Kansas, General. I'm about as American as it gets.
[pause]
Superman: Look. I'm here to help... but it has to be on my own terms. And you have to convince Washington of that.
General

Swanwick: Even if I were willing to try, what makes you think they'd listen?
Superman: I don't know, General. Guess I'll just have to trust you.
[Superman flies away]
General Swanwick: What are you smiling about, Captain?
Captain Carrie Farris: Nothing, sir. I just think he's kind of hot.
General

Swanwick: Get in the car, Captain.
Captain Carrie Farris: [still smiling] Mm-hm. Yes, sir.

Jor-El: To see you standing there having grown into an adult... if only Lara could have witnessed this.
Clark Kent: Who are you?
Jor-El: I am your father, Kal, or at least a shadow of him. His consciousness. My name is Jor-El
Clark Kent: Kal? That's my name?
Jor-El: Kal-El, it is.

Clark Kent: I have so many questions. Where do I come from? Why did you send me here?
Jor-El: You came from Krypton, a world with a much harsher environment than Earth's. Long ago, in an era of expansion, our race spread out through the stars, seeking new worlds to settle upon. This scout ship was one of thousands launched into the void. We built

outposts on other planets, using great machines to reshape environments to our needs. For 100 thousand years our civilization flourished, accomplishing wonders.
Clark Kent: What happened?
Jor-El: Artificial population control was established. The outposts and space exploration were abandoned. We exhausted our natural resources. As a result, our

planet's core became unstable. Eventually, our military leader, General Zod, attempted a coup, but by then it was too late. Your mother and I foresaw the coming calamity and we took certain steps to ensure your survival. This is a genesis chamber. All Kryptonians were conceived in chambers such as this. Every child was designed to perform a predetermined role in our society as a worker, a warrior,

a leader, and so on. Your mother and I believed Krypton lost something precious, the element of choice, of chance. What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater? You were the embodiment of that belief Kal. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries. That's why we risked so much to save you.
Clark

Kent: Why didn't you come with me?
Jor-El: We couldn't, Kal. No matter how much we wanted to. No matter how we loved you. Your mother, Lara, and I were a product of the failures of our world as much as Zod was. It's hard to explain.
Clark Kent: So I'm alone?
Jor-El: No, you are as much a child of Earth now as you are

of Krypton. You can embody the best of both worlds. The dream your mother and I dedicated our lives to preserve.
[He reveals to him the Superman suit]
Jor-El: The people of Earth are different from us, it's true, but ultimately I believe that is a good thing. They won't necessarily make the same mistakes we did, but if you guide them, Kal, if you give them hope,

that's what this symbol means. The symbol of the House of El means hope. Embodied within that hope is the fundamental belief the potential of every person to be a force for good. That's what you can bring them.

General Zod: [Holding dust in his hand talking to Superman] Look at this. We could have built a new Krypton in this squalor, but you chose the humans over us. I exist only to protect Krypton. That is the sole purpose for which I was born. And every action I take, no matter how violent or how cruel, is for the greater good of my people. And now... I have no people. My soul, that is

what you have taken from me!

Clark Kent: My father believed that if the world found out who I really was, they'd reject me... out of fear.
[flashbacks show Clark telling Lois how Jonathan died in a tornado; Clark having to stand and watch because Jonathan told him not to use his powers to come to his aid]
Clark Kent: I let my father die because I trusted him. Because he was

convinced that I had to wait. That the world was not ready. What do you think?

Lois Lane: Why are you surrendering to Zod?
Superman: I'm surrendering to mankind. There's a difference.
Lois Lane: You let them handcuff you?
Superman: Wouldn't be much of a surrender if I resisted. And if it makes them feel more secure, then... then all the better for it.
Lois Lane:

What's the 'S' stand for?
Superman: It's not an 'S.' On my world it means 'hope.'
Lois Lane: [smiles] Well, here it's an 'S.' How about... Super-
[interrupted by Dr. Hamilton]

Dr. Emil Hamilton: Sir? Hi, my name is Dr. E...
Superman: Emil Hamilton. I know, I can see your ID tag in your breast pocket, along with a half-eaten roll of wintergreen Life Savers. I can also see the squad of soldiers in the next room, preparing that tranquilizing agent of yours. You won't need it.
Dr. Emil Hamilton: Sir, you-you

can't expect us to not take precautions. You could be carrying some kind of alien pathogen.
Superman: Been here for 33 years, Doctor. Haven't infected anyone yet.
General Swanwick: That you know of. We have legitimate security concerns. Now, you revealed your identity to Miss Lane over there. Why won't you do the same with us?

Superman: Let's put our cards on the table here, General.
[Superman effortlessly snaps the links between his cuffs and approaches General Swanwick]
Superman: You're scared of me because you can't control me. You don't, and you never will. But that doesn't mean I'm your enemy.
General Swanwick: Then who is? Zod?

Superman: That's what I'm worried about.
General Swanwick: Be that as it may, I've been given orders to hand you over to him.
Superman: Do what you have to do, General.