JUSTICE LEAGUE

ACT III "League of Nations"

The capital city of Markovia exudes history and royalty, adorned with baroque palaces and cathedrals. A small royal motorcade makes its way along a beautiful avenue.

KING Perhaps they will, If their royal family does.

BRION The Earth is everything to us. It’s all we have. Our world gives us life and today, it gives us power. Blah blah blah clean energy, future of Markovia, blah blah declare this Geo-thermal plant open. Do people really care about this stuff?

The KING OF MARKOVIA is en route to an official function with his teenage son BRION. Though both are dressed for the occasion, the King carries himself with dignity while Brion sprawls across his seat reading his speech from a tablet. The back of the DRIVER is visible through a window.

A bird flits over Markovburg. As it alights on the rail of an overpass we see that it is artificial. When the King’s car approaches the bird DETONATES with a bright blue pulse.



EXT. MARKOVBURG OVERPASS - DAY.

The motorcade slows to a stop on the overpass. A ROYAL GUARD dismounts from his bike, drawing a pistol and speaking into his lapel.

GUARD

Off plan, possible attack! Move to… (beat) Comms are down!





INT. STATE CAR - DAY. Brion panics and scrabbles at the door. BRION

We have to get out of here!



The King stops him.

KING

And run out into the open? That’s the last thing we should do. Sit tight, this car can take an IED.

The King stops him.



EXT. MARKOVBURG OVERPASS - DAY. A glowing plasma blade thrusts up from beneath the overpass. It cuts through the road around the car, and the foot of a guard in the wrong place. The guards try to look over the side of the overpass, but can’t see anything.

The section of road buckles, and the state car drops neatly into a large truck beneath the overpass. Smoke grenades are thrown up through the hole as the truck drives away with its captives.



INT. STATE CAR - DAY. The plasma blade thrusts down through the car’s armored roof, drawing a long cut as if it were butter. Two sections of roof are peeled back by RAVAN, a middle eastern man wearing a plated exoskeleton across his chest and arms. Standing atop the car is RASTAM, goateed leader of the group, wielding the plasma scimitar. The driver fires pistol shots through the car’s roof at him. Ravan lifts a huge metal sledgehammer and slams it down onto the state car’s cab, caving it in. The pistol falls silent. RASTAM

Greetings from Quarac, your majesty!

RASTAM

I’d offer the personal greetings of the Sultan, but you may have heard that he’s dead.

KING

That’s what this is about? You think Markovia was involved? I heard he was assassinated by mercenaries, American criminals. We had nothing to do with that.

RASTAM

That is not for you to decide. The tribunal of Quarac will determine the truth.

BRION

They’re gonna kill us!

RAVAN

(laughs) No, little prince. Not today, at least. You and your father are coming for a ride in our helicopter.

He jumps down into the car and sits beside the King. Brion scrambles away from the scimitar, flattening himself against the opposite wall. Ravan stands guard above them, shifting his feet with the motion of the truck.(Beat) Behind him, a smoking helicopter spins to the ground and explodes. The truck slows and stops. RASTAM

(To King)

It would seem that your air force is commendable.

KING

They’re not that good.

RAVAN

(looking around)

No gunfire. No rockets. Someone’s coming.

BRION

Gonna die. Gonna die.

KING

Have a little hope.

RAVAN

Wait.

RASTAM

We’ve planned for a hostage contingency, your majesty, so I don’t advise thinking about-



Rastam turns off the scimitar and drops it, raising his hands. Brion lifts his head, allowing himself to hope for the first time. RASTAM

OK, we can talk-

BRION

FATHER!

A shadow flashes over him.He moves out of sight, hefting the hammer. Rastam lifts the scimitar.Pieces of Ravan’s exoskeleton rain into the car.Rastam turns off the scimitar and drops it, raising his hands. Brion lifts his head, allowing himself to hope for the first time.A claw grips Rastam and throws him shrieking out of the car. A face appears, not a hero but a hideous PARADEMON. It studies a holographic image of the King projected from its wrist, then grabs him and carries him into the sky.



INT. DAILY PLANET NEWSROOM - DAY. PERRY WHITE storms past cubicles and into the Planet’s lunch room, where a crowd of employees have gathered around a TV. He is met at the door by JENNY OLSEN. PERRY

Is Lang back in Washington yet?

JENNY

landed, not deplaned.

PERRY

Why the hell not?

JENNY

You said coach, so-

PERRY

And where’s Lane?

JENNY

Memorial Park, sir. Apparently there’s also been a Superman sighting.

PERRY

Super-? Not now. Washington’s the story. This is global and we’re getting scooped by nobodies!

TIGHT ON TV. IRIS WEST stands in front of the White House giving a breaking news report with the title “Attack on Washington: President taken”. IRIS

Iris West in Washington for Central City News. Several Secret Service members are dead and the President has been abducted in one of several simultaneous attacks around the world.

IRIS

Information is still coming in but it appears the leaders of China, India and at least six other nations have been taken by the same flying creatures that have been sighted over the last few days. A few minutes ago, General Swanwick had this to say.

SWANWICK

We know where they have been taken, and we have a battle group in the region. We are working with other nations to mobilise a joint armed response.

PERRY

Why would they want the President?

JENNY

Half of us don’t want the President.

PERRY

We need some expert heads on this.

JENNY

Who?

PERRY

Someone who sounds like they know about flying... things. Dorothy and the Tin Man, I don’t know. Just get them! I want reactions around the world, stock market, mom and pop witnesses and that science guy. And somebody find Lane!

The TV shows grainy phone footage of a gun battle and someone being dragged into the air by parademons.GENERAL SWANWICK appears surrounded by microphones.CUT TO: Perry and Jenny.

EXT. KENT FARM - DAY. SUPERMAN floats down to the corn fields of the Kent farm with LOIS LANE in his arms. He sets her down gently, staring into space. LOIS

Clark?

LOIS

Clark? Are you… you?

CLARK

Lo?

LOIS

Oh god, I’ve missed you.

CLARK

It was taking me over. It used my memories, it was… driving me. I could have killed people.

LOIS

You didn’t.

CLARK

I didn’t feel part of the world. It wanted me to bring… an apocalypse.

LOIS

Why didn’t you?

CLARK

I saw you. Swam toward you.

LOIS

Clark, I’m not your inner strength or your conscience. You’re not just strong on the outside.

CLARK

You bring me back to earth.

LOIS

You’re not Superman because you can beat everyone. You’re Superman because you don’t beat everyone. Pulling your punches so you don’t hurt a gunman, or holding a baby with hands that can crush a mountain. You’ve controlled yourself your whole life, so this alien box couldn’t control you either. You beat it.

CLARK

There were people, like me. They tried to hurt me.

LOIS

They tried to stop you. Help you. I think they were holding back too.

CLARK

I have to-

LOIS

No, Clark. You have to rest. You were dead. You have to smell the hay and feel the grass with your toes and know who you are. Be sure this thing is gone.

LOIS

You pushed yourself too far too soon fighting those people, but they’re protectors too. The world isn’t on your shoulders anymore, Clark. You have friends now. This time, the one you have to save is you.



(Beat)They embrace.Lois pulls down a lock of his hair into a curl.Clark moves away, looking up. He can barely stand.Clark sags to his knees.The farmhouse light comes on.



INT. BATCAVE - DAY BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN, FLASH, CYBORG, AQUAMAN and ALFRED descend into the cave into an elevator. AQUAMAN

Kind of a shock having a bunch of costumed weirdos turning up at the door again, huh?

ALFRED

Oh, you have no idea.

FLASH

So we can just get that box and zap stuff back to life? Because I had a puppy that-

CYBORG

No. Superman’s cells were fused with something called a codex, like an instruction manual for Kryptonian DNA. It won’t work again. The box and the birthing chamber consumed it.

BATMAN

That’s why we didn’t get another Doomsday.

Aquaman

What we got wasn’t much better. We can’t count on Superman, we’re on our own.

WONDER WOMAN

He’ll help us. He’ll return another time.

AQUAMAN

How do you know?

WONDER WOMAN

Because that’s who he is.

CYBORG

Not hard to find where Steppenwolf went. His soldiers have hit Washington, New Delhi, Beijing, all over. Presidents, Chancellors, Kings… most of them were taken into those tubes, but two fliers were tracked on radar to here, in northern Ukraine.

ALFRED

The nuclear accident site from the eighties.

FLASH

Why there?

AQUAMAN

Maybe it feels like home.

WONDER WOMAN

It will be home, once those boxes come together.

CYBORG

Russians sent in a force that didn’t last an hour, so they started listening to the offers of other nations. Military chatter is granting air corridors, planning land access, negotiating chain of command.

ALFRED

Nothing sets aside one’s differences like the end of the world.

WONDER WOMAN

It won’t help. Steppenwolf has conquered many worlds. They’re outgunned.

BATMAN

Then they’re our diversion. We need to get to those Mother Boxes.

CYBORG

Maybe I can interface with them. Talk them down.

WONDER WOMAN

They have had one purpose for thousands of years. Their minds cannot be changed.

AQUAMAN

(To Cyborg)

Maybe they can change yours.

CYBORG

You got a better idea? Smash them?

AQUAMAN

Maybe, but one of those boxes could handle the crush depth of a nuclear sub with no problem.

BATMAN

So can you. The boxes need to touch, so if you can’t break them, keep them apart.

WONDER WOMAN

This beast has many heads. We stop the boxes, we save our statesmen, we halt an army, and we drive Steppenwolf’s injustice from the earth.

AQUAMAN

(whispers to Flash)

I love it when she talks all warrior princess.

WONDER WOMAN

If we fail our world is lost and our people will be processed into his servants, conquering other worlds for him in a living death.

FLASH

(whispers to Aquaman)

Scares the shit outa me.

BATMAN

Plan while we’re in the air. If we don’t start prepping the ship now, a lot of soldiers are going to die.

CYBORG projects a 3D map of the world on the bench in front of them.

INT. HELICOPTER COCKPIT - DAY A flight of helicopters passes over the Ukrainian coast, some of them sling-loading tanks. They pass a convoy of trucks bearing the japanese flag. A PILOT talks into his headset. PILOT

Highfather C3I, this is Orion. Countersigns accepted, ETA 1400 hours.





INT. MILITARY CONTROL ROOM - DAY General Swanwick paces nervously behind CARRIE FERRIS and others at the comm station. FERRIS

Copy that, Orion. Watch that crosswind. You drift off that path and we add an international incident to our problems.

SWANWICK

Our hands are tied enough as it is. Even if we get through this, we have so many international VIPs in there that one stray bullet could start a war. Jets and drones are off the table. We need naked eyes on, and hope everyone else’s trigger discipline is as good as ours.

FERRIS

Sir, we have so many different national forces converging on the same AO and many of us don’t even speak the same language. Is this really gonna work?

SWANWICK

It’s worked before, when it had to.





INT. BATCAVE - DAY Batman connects hoses to the Flying Fox. Alfred checks diagnostics on a computer. ALFRED

It’s good to see you as a leader again.

BATMAN

I think Diana is more-

ALFRED

It softens you.

BATMAN

Softens?

ALFRED

When was the last time the fight-winning gadget you pulled out was your opponent’s girlfriend?

BATMAN

Every puzzle has a key. Superman was angry, so he wasn’t thinking clearly. I snapped him out of it.

ALFRED

Sounds like someone I know. You’re… you again. What did it for you?

BATMAN

Superman’s sacrifice inspired a lot of people.

ALFRED

But not you. Oh, you rediscovered your humanity when you discovered his, but that won't turn around a man who’s spent their life encased in darkness. It was something else, wasn’t it?

BATMAN

The night I took down that assassin, Deadshot. He went for deadly force. I did too.

ALFRED

But you didn’t kill him.

BATMAN

No. His daughter stepped between us, and I…

ALFRED

You finally realised what you’d become. It was you, now. You were the man in the alley about to make a child an orphan.

BATMAN

I would have. I’ve killed before.

ALFRED

There’s a difference between defending yourself from anti-aircraft fire and being a face-to-face killer. You stopped yourself.

BATMAN

Some say I’m no better than them.



Alfred snaps a console shut. ALFRED

Evil men try to control others. Good men try to control themselves. Now, which car would you like on board?



Alfred snaps a console shut.Batman smiles.



EXT. HIGH ALTITUDE - DAY The Flying Fox soars through the upper atmosphere. Clouds are far below.

INT. FLYING FOX COCKPIT - DAY Cyborg stands immobile in the middle of the cockpit as the control sticks move of their own accord. On the console is a multifaceted silver box with a red light, like Cyborg’s eye. Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman check their equipment. AQUAMAN

This thing can cross half the globe in less than an hour?

FLASH

Meh.

BATMAN

ICBMs have done it for decades.

AQUAMAN

Yeah, but they don’t have to land.

WONDER WOMAN

What else can it do? Cloak?

BATMAN

Not yet. We have to assume they know we’re coming.

(To Flash)

Are you ready now, to do battle?

FLASH

Hyaa!

AQUAMAN

You go, champ. Looking badass.

FLASH

Thanks, I sewed this myself.

BATMAN

Thumbs on the outside or you’ll break them. Straighten the fist. contact with these knuckles. Don’t overextend.

FLASH

If I’d known all this was gonna happen I would have hit the gym, put on some mass.

BATMAN

There doesn’t need to be much mass in a bullet.

FLASH

I heard you can dodge bullets. Are you that fast?

BATMAN

If you can read movements, anticipate them, redirect them, you don’t have to be.

CYBORG

Twenty three minutes out. International forces have made contact. It’s not going well.

WONDER WOMAN

Should we go through our strategy again? Does everyone understand their role?

AQUAMAN

Kick ass. Got it.

FLASH

Just make sure it’s the right ass. Cause there are a lot of asses down there and some of those asses are ours. Keep an eye out for the President’s ass. I’m new at this.

Flash grins and adopts a fighting pose.Batman adjusts Flash’s pose.



INT. MILITARY CONTROL ROOM - DAY General Swanwick speaks to a screen containing the image of COLONEL NICHOLS. A battle rages behind the Colonel. NICHOLS

Conventional land-based tactics are useless, General. Many of these things fly, they can maneuver in units anywhere. Cohesion with the other national forces is breaking down.

SWANWICK

You have to push through, Colonel. If we don’t stop them here we won’t stop them at all.

NICHOLS

This is without precedent, General. They’re clearly battle tested, and they have force multipliers we’ve never seen. This fight may be beyond our capabilities.



EXT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. The reactor tower is encrusted with alien growth. A parademon perches atop it, surveying a vast battle below. Tanks are lit up with energy beams. Helicopters are swarmed with flying parademons and spiral to destruction.

The parademon swoops down inside the reactor, to where the growths form a cluster of platforms. On one platform, some twenty feet across, kneels the group of eight WORLD LEADERS, including the Markovian King, with nowhere to go. They are at the chest height of STEPPENWOLF, standing on an adjacent platform. Nearby, three hulking GUARDIAN PARADEMONS flank the three mother boxes. The boxes slowly move together and energy dances between them, configuring. STEPPENWOLF

Diplomats. Merchants. Scholars. Not a warrior among you, and yet you hold the thrones of your world. Conquest of your species is deserved. It is justice.

As the Unity begins, it will be baptised with the blood of undeserving kings. Then this world will know that there is but one throne, and all other thrones shall not stand before it.

STEPPENWOLF

Galez Darkseid el tave aukotis iv sis visuom's vele, ir graft zhol kia tave esencija iv Apokalips!

He moves toward the boxes. The GUARDIAN PARADEMONS prostrate themselves before them, wings splayed. Steppenwolf lays his axe at his feet and raises his arms to the heavens.The mother boxes are almost touching. The energy increases, as if excited. The boxes touch.

EXT. GROUND BATTLE - DAY. A veined purple force field rises slowly from the ground around the reactor buildings. Energy beams and missiles are absorbed into it, leaving blood-red stains. The majority of the parademon army is inside the field, having anticipated it. Humans luckless enough to be with them are quickly overrun. A tank FIRES a heavy shell into the field to no effect.

The force field rises into the sky, converging toward the sky above the reactor. Two Indian Army soldiers, SOLDIER #1 and SOLDIER #2, turn to each other. SOLDIER #1 (subtitled)

We’re screwed now.

SOLDIER #2 (subtitled)

Look! Up in the sky!



Batman thumbs a button on his utility belt that emits a high-pitched buzz. The guards shriek as he engages them. BATMAN

Go! Go!



The armies of the world look up. Thousands of parademons turn their eyes skyward to the Flying Fox zooming in. It shoots two parademons out of the sky, threads the closing gap in the force field and flares to a halt at the top of the reactor tower. Batman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman spring from the ramp onto a platform manned by a group of guards.Batman thumbs a button on his utility belt that emits a high-pitched buzz. The guards shriek as he engages them.Wonder Woman and Aquaman drop inside the tower. The parademon army surges toward the reactor. The Flying Fox drops to ground level in front of them.

EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY CYBORG

Goal line play. Clear me some space.

FLASH

HyaaHyaaHyaaHyaaHyaaHyaaHyaaHyaaHyaa!

FLASH

Great, now it’s just several thousand against two.

CYBORG

Only if you count me as one.



Flash blurs from the ramp and punches all the parademons around the Flying Fox.He crackles to a stop. Cyborg steps from the ramp, his arm transforming into a sonic cannon.Behind him, three different batmobiles ROAR from the ramp, each adorned with a multifaceted silver box, red light glowing. They are followed by a small group of bat-drones. The machines lay down smoke and fire weapons at the parademons as the Flying Fox lifts to join the fight.

INT. REACTOR - DAY. The Guardian Parademons stand around the mother boxes, raising their appendages to the sky in homage. A shimmering haze punches through the platform below the boxes. It strikes the reactor floor below. Cracks of lava appear in the shape of a large omega symbol. STEPPENWOLF

In The Unity this world is claimed, and my exile is redeemed.

STEPPENWOLF

And the iniquity of the fathers shall be visited upon the sons.

STEPPENWOLF

You again?

WONDER WOMAN

Always.



He lifts his axe and moves toward the world leaders.The leaders begin to panic, but have nowhere to run. Steppenwolf moves to dispatch them with one great sweep of the axe when Wonder Woman drops from above and catches the mighty blow on her shield.She pushes him back, drops to his larger platform and they trade blows. The Guardian Parademons activate bladed polearms and move to assist when Aquaman lands on one from above, pinning it to the floor. He brawls with the other two.

EXT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTER - DAY. The guns of the helpless nations have fallen silent, and an eerie calm lies across the battlefield. Flashes of light and muffled sounds of fighting come from within the shield. Colonel Nichols speaks to a screen containing the image of General Swanwick. NICHOLS

Hostile stragglers outside the shield have been neutralised, general. We’re regrouping and tending the wounded. Japanese engineers are trying to find a way beneath the shield, but they’re saying the ground is changing somehow. We have no offensive options at this time.





INT. MILITARY CONTROL ROOM - DAY General Swanwick speaks to a screen containing the image of Colonel Nichols. SWANWICK.

Other nations might, Colonel. Russia’s sharing some good intel. Spitball squad-level tactics with your troops and be ready for when the situation changes. We’ve lost visibility and haven’t identified the unknown friendlies in there.

CYBORG

We’re the ones changing the situation.

SWANWICK

This is an encrypted military channel. Identify yourself.

CYBORG

I’m your quarterback sneak.

FERRIS

Sir, something’s happening. Our communications with the other forces are… translating themselves. We’re receiving data on the capabilities of the hostiles.

CYBORG

And some of your toys needed a firmware upgrade.

SWANWICK

Who are you? Cyber Ops? JSO?

CYBORG

The Big League.

SWANWICK

Well, any assistance you can give us, we’ll take it.

CYBORG

I was gonna say the same thing to you.

Cyborg’s face appears on a screen inset.The symbols of the heroes appear on screen.

INT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. Steppenwolf and Wonder Woman battle furiously. STEPPENWOLF

I bested you before. Why face me again?

WONDER WOMAN

Because I’m the distraction.

AQUAMAN

Wait, I thought I was the distraction?



Wonder Woman soars upward through the tower, her lasso pulling the entire group of world leaders. Several parademons give chase. Steppenwolf crouches to jump up after her, but the quindent slams through his foot, pinning it to the floor. He screams. Steppenwolf glances to Aquaman, who has defeated the Guardian Parademons.Steppenwolf turns back to Wonder Woman, only to find her not there. He glances across to find the world leaders also gone. He looks up.Wonder Woman soars upward through the tower, her lasso pulling the entire group of world leaders. Several parademons give chase. Steppenwolf crouches to jump up after her, but the quindent slams through his foot, pinning it to the floor. He screams. Wonder Woman alights on the platform at the top, now cleared by Batman. The world leaders sprawl roughly beside her. The parademons on their heels appear, and Batman and Wonder Woman engage them. Around them, far beneath, a great battle is raging.



EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY. Flash zips everywhere at once, sending parademons flying. Batmobiles charge through more of them. Cyborg hovers and fires his arm cannon. One of the batmobiles, an early model, is swarmed and torn to pieces.

A parademon gets the drop on Flash but he grabs its gun and shakes the weapon at super-speed until it falls apart. FLASH

There are too many. We can’t beat them all.

CYBORG

That’s not the plan. Hostages are in our hands now, it’s evac time.

FLASH

The shield is still there. The boxes are doing their thing.

CYBORG

Not for long. We do our job, so the team can do theirs.

FLASH

Uh oh.

The Flying Fox stops firing its guns and lifts toward the top of the tower.A screaming parademon throws itself into the engine intake of the Flying Fox, detonating itself. The vehicle falls from the sky.TIGHT ON: Flash’s feet. The ground darkens and glowing cracks appear.

INT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. Aquaman parries Steppenwolf’s axe. Steppenwolf slices a truck-sized chunk of growth from the wall and it falls heavily onto Aquaman. STEPPENWOLF

Can you feel it? Your world is changing. The soil blackens. The very air here grows thick.

AQUAMAN

Finally one of you assholes admits it.

STEPPENWOLF

(laughs)

Nothing on this planet can interrupt The Unity. Accept it. My world and yours will become the same.

STEPPENWOLF

Your world must accept that your new gods are stronger than a Lantern, Amazon, Kryptonian. You are no match for me.

AQUAMAN

I ain’t asking for a date.

STEPPENWOLF

Any more false kings? Any more who think they are stronger than the gods?

STEPPENWOLF

The human? Have you not just seen your betters cast down? Who do you think you are facing?

BATMAN

Just another clown in a stupid hat.

With a mighty heave he throws the weight off him and scoops up the quindent. He feints at Steppenwolf, then throws his weapon at the mother boxes with Atlantean strength. It clangs harmlessly off them to no effect. He runs toward them and strains to break them apart, gritting his teeth as electricity surges through him. He is thrown to the floor.Steppenwolf raises his axe as Wonder Woman plummets from above. This time Steppenwolf catches her. He swats her sword away and violently slams her into the floor until she stays there, unmoving. Aquaman climbs to his feet.They fight savagely. Aquaman delivers some hard hits but he too, is defeated and lays motionless.Batman drops from the darkness and alights on the platform. Steppenwolf is astonished.

EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY. Flash notices parademons are thrown around by his slipstream, so he creates a small tornado to pull them from the sky into the path of a batmobile.

One of the parademons fires a wide energy net that snares Flash and brings him down, but he is cut free and saved by Cyborg. FLASH

So, do we have a new plan?

CYBORG

I think we’re improvising.

He breaks a cannon off the crashed Flying Fox. Wires snake inside it and he lifts it onto his shoulder as a bat-drone crashes behind him.

INT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. Batman avoids Steppenwolf’s attacks and unleashes everything in his arsenal. Blinding lights, obscuring smoke, hardening foam, mini grenades. Steppenwolf only grows more and more angry, his movements erratic. STEPPENWOLF

Insect! You only delay your death. How can you hope to harm me?

BATMAN

Not trying to.

He drops to the floor. The enraged sweep of Steppenwolf’s great axe passes over his head and smashes through the mother boxes. They explode with a crackling shockwave.



EXT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTER - DAY. The shield dissipates. The nations of the world cheer as they move forward.





INT. MILITARY CONTROL ROOM - DAY SWANWICK

This is it, people. All or nothing.





EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY. Cyborg collapses to the ground with the destruction of the boxes. Behind him a batmobile slows to a stop and is destroyed. Parademons around him seize the moment, firing at him in unison. Flash arrives an instant before the shots land, speeding Cyborg behind a building. The parademons’ blasts hit each other. FLASH

You okay?

CYBORG

I’m alright. The boxes made me, but they ain’t me. I’m connected to something more powerful.

FLASH

The human mind?

CYBORG

I was gonna say The Black Man but yeah, we can go with that.





EXT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTER - DAY. A titanic battle takes place. Tanks fire overhead to keep the parademons on the ground as the troops move in.

An energy blast forces the crew out of a tank. There is a red blur, a silver box appears on the tank and it begins to fight without a crew.

Soldier #1 pops the empty clip from his rifle. SOLDIER #1 (subtitled)

I’m out!

SOLDIER #1 (subtitled)

Never mind!

There is a red blur, and a new clip appears in the rifle.



INT. MILITARY CONTROL ROOM - DAY Carrie Ferris reads from a screen and updates General Swanwick. FERRIS

Our troops are gaining ground but casualties are mounting. The Markovian National Army has been wiped out. Russian tanks have taken hits but are pushing forward. The Chinese are securing evac of wounded Japanese. The hostiles made a large counterattack in the northeast but it’s being stopped by Korea.

SWANWICK

Which one?

FERRIS

Both of them.

SWANWICK

(studying radar)

Our nations are moving together, timing their attacks. We have battlespace cohesion.

CYBORG

(on screen)

You’re welcome.

FERRIS

India have had to pull back, but our Marines are moving up to support.

SWANWICK.

Marines? We couldn’t bring any Marines.



EXT. MOBILE COMMAND CENTER - DAY. Soldier #1 holds his ground, firing and clutching wounded Soldier #2. Suddenly a squad of US Marines appears from behind them and charges forward.

Soldier #1 looks around. Behind them, sitting awkwardly on the ground in the middle of the valley, is a Marine landing craft. A US flag waves from it.



INT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. The red lava-like glow of the ground fades to nothingness. The Unity is gone.

Steppenwolf is livid. Batman is running out of tricks, backed onto a platform with his utility belt empty. He kicks up a guardian parademon’s weapon as Steppenwolf charges, driving it into his ankle. Steppenwolf backhands Batman into the wall. Batman tries to grapple gun away but the line is cut by Steppenwolf’s axe. He draws his last batarang. STEPPENWOLF

Thousands of years... the blessings of the Mother.. How can.. You are JUST A MAN!

SUPERMAN

I’ve always thought he was in my league.



Steppenwolf climbs to his feet in a crater ringed by the omega symbol. One of his horns is broken. Superman speeds down toward him, but Steppenwolf sidesteps, grabbing his cape and slamming him into the earth.

Superman rises into the air in shock, touching a finger to his mouth and finding blood. STEPPENWOLF

A Kryptonian. Almost a challenge.



Steppenwolf is clearly stronger. When the fight lands Superman back on one of the platforms, his eye is swollen nearly shut. Blood trickles from his mouth. STEPPENWOLF

(breathing heavily)

You are not my equal. You are not a new god. You are not stopping my conquest.

SUPERMAN

Here’s more for you. I’m not gonna quit, I’m not letting you take my world.

(Beat)

And I’m not alone.

He swings the great axe for the final blow. It’s stopped by a blue-sleeved arm. It is SUPERMAN, restored in body and spirit. He smiles.He punches Steppenwolf straight up out of the reactor, speeds past him then punches him back down.Steppenwolf climbs to his feet in a crater ringed by the omega symbol. One of his horns is broken. Superman speeds down toward him, but Steppenwolf sidesteps, grabbing his cape and slamming him into the earth.Superman rises into the air in shock, touching a finger to his mouth and finding blood.They trade blows through the complex, cutting walls with the axe, burning pipes with heat vision, blowing out windows with the force of the punches.Steppenwolf is clearly stronger. When the fight lands Superman back on one of the platforms, his eye is swollen nearly shut. Blood trickles from his mouth.Above them, Batman injects something into Aquaman’s neck as he helps him to his feet. Aquaman throws Wonder Woman her sword. She looks fierce.



EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY. The parademons are retreating. A large group have been pushed back to the reactor buildings. An assault breacher vehicle, merged with Cyborg, speeds along the wall like a snow plough. Flash is pushing it, his legs a blur. CYBORG

Booyah!





INT. REACTOR TOWER - DAY. The rest of the League fights Steppenwolf as a team. His axe is knocked from his hand with an exploding batarang, pinned to the wall with the quindent, frozen with super breath, shattered with an amazon sword. Steppenwolf fights back but is outclassed. With a strained shout, Wonder Woman finally swings him with the lasso onto a mighty punch from Superman. He flies through the reactor wall.





EXT. REACTOR GROUNDS - DAY. Steppenwolf lands among the nations of the world with his jaw broken. He tries to stand up only to have his helmet blasted from his head by sonic cannon.

He staggers to his feet to see his army defeated around him, its survivors fleeing into the distance. Looking down, he finds that he is wearing a donkey-eared onesie sewn from international flags.

He opens a Boom Tube as Wonder Woman arrives, Cyborg and Flash behind her. WONDER WOMAN

To Hades with your dreams of conquest. The spirit of ancient times has not left us. Your armies are scattered, divided. We are in league.



Superman, his swollen eye already healing in the sun, flies down from the sky holding the platform of international leaders. Everyone cheers in victory. SUPERMAN

This is what the armies of the world should be for.

WONDER WOMAN

Unity.



Batman and Aquaman arrive as Steppenwolf flees into the tube in disgrace.Superman, his swollen eye already healing in the sun, flies down from the sky holding the platform of international leaders. Everyone cheers in victory.FADE OUT.