I wonder what new toy Luthor is showing off for the brass today.
Whatever it is I’m sure it’s going to wind up on all their Christmas lists...
“Ghost in the Machine” · Season 2, Episode 14
In this episode: Lois Lane (4), Clark Kent (4), Lex Luthor (4), Brainiac (3), Mercy Graves (3), Superman (1)
What would you do without me?
Let's hope it never comes to that.
Hey, Lex, what went wrong? Premature product launch?
Sabotage?
Has to be. Luthor's too careful to foul up like that.
But who'd want to destroy Luthor? [Clark stares] Well, yeah. But who'd be crazy enough to try?
I needed a way of attracting your attention.
There is always email.
I have been using these robots to rebuild my damaged frame, but they are far too crude to complete the job. For that, I need your hands, and your brilliance.
You flatter me, Brainiac, but I already have a day job. [Brainiac seals door, but Lex keeps his calm] I am the CEO of one of the world's foremost multinational corporations. Do you not think someone will notice I am missing?
No one is irreplaceable. Allow me to demonstrate.
[Brainiac generates a hologram of Lex Luthor sitting in his office, then accesses phone lines]
Hello?
HHologram
Miss Graves, I am still conducting my investigation and I do not wish to be disturbed.
Yes sir.
[Mercy hangs up phone while the real Lex Luthor watches in horror]
Well then, shall we begin?
Why are you stopping?
I'm not some infernal machine. I'm human. I need food and rest.
There is no time for rest, but if it's food you need.
[Brainiac uses a robot to break open a vending machine. Lex treats the candy bars like a feast, then looks in shock at his reflection in a metal shard, which shows a stubbly face and raccoon eyes, a far cry from the powerful CEO image he shows to the public]
Maybe he should make time. [He goes towards Luthor's office door]
Hey! [Bars his way] One more step and it gets ugly.
[Clark forces his way past Mercy and opens the door]
What are you trying to pull here? Where's Luthor?
[shocked] He... he was right here! You saw him...
[Clark goes to Luthor's desk, and picks up a mug]
This coffee's ice-cold. No one's been here for a while. Well?
[uneasy] I'm afraid you'll have to leave, Mr. Kent, right now.
Do yourself a favor, Miss Graves: call me when your lord and master shows up.
Granted, Lois, Luthor does lots of strange things, but what reason could he possibly have for trying to fool his own bodyguard?
Maybe he needed some space. Haven't you ever noticed the way she hovers around him all the time?
But that's her job.
It's no wonder why you're still single, Kent.
You can't kill me until I finish the job, and I'll rot before I help you any more!
[Luthor starts to leave, but Brainiac's image disappears, and his body rises from the table]
I believe I can take it from here.
[After seeing Mercy's continued loyalty to Luthor] Just a stray...
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Superman: The Animated Series pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.