“Man of Steel” is episode seven of season one of Superman and Lois.
At the end of the previous episode, “Broken Trust”, Jordan was in a lot of pain and Clark has flown him to the Fortress. He gets his suspicion confirmed, that Jordan’s hearing has kicked in. Until he controls what he hears, every sound will be accompanied by pain. Clark is told he has to teach Jordan what he knows.
Back at home, Jordan has on some sound muffling headphones. Clark says it took him a couple of weeks to adapt. Until then, Jordan can’t exactly go to school. Jordan and Jonathan head to bed, Clark telling Jordan they will work on this tomorrow. He reassures Lois that Jordan will be fine.
Lana, who has agreed to help Lois, is on the phone to her. She wants to know what to look out for. Anything out of the ordinary; buildings, machines, even invoices. And no, there isn’t really a way to tell if someone has powers. But Leslie Larr has them, so it’s safe to assume others do too. But Lana shouldn’t do anything that makes her feel remotely unsafe.
Lois has a photo of the real Marcus Bridgewater; the man she knows as Marcus scrubbed most of the images from the internet, but this was a photo. She tells Clark she doesn’t know what ‘Marcus’ is doing, but it has something to do with the fact he knows so much about edge. Clark suggests telling the boys. In hindsight, not telling them about Superman may not have been the best choice. He thinks they can handle it; Lois wants to know more first. She’s going to confront the former Mr Bridgewater and may need help.
Morgan Edge is speaking to Leslie Larr, who hasn’t been able to identify Luthor. How are they to get the X-Kryptonite out of the mines with him, Lois and Superman all watching. Leslie has an idea; sending out a small sample and seeing who goes to get it. On the way out, Edge bumps into Lana and speaks to her about what he wants her to do, which is find five candidates for the leadership programme.
Luthor is working on his AI, which makes a sarcastic comment about him not smashing her, when there’s a knock at his RV. It’s Lois, who greets the guy who is not Marcus Bridgewater. No, she’s not coming in. Meet her in the diner if he’s ready to tell the truth. After Lois has gone, Luthor has a memory of his Lois – his wife – and their daughter at home when there’s an explosion. Outside, Superman and others are hanging in the air and they are destroying Metropolis.
Sarah finds Jonathan at school and asks why Jordan isn’t there. Jonathan insists Jordan had nothing to do with Tag getting powers and then admits the reason Jordan isn’t at school is Tag jumped him and he’s now having terrible headaches. Also, Jonathan broke his wrist. Thanks for asking.
Clark and Lois split up and Lois heads into the diner. She tells Luthor he’s been lying to her. He says he hasn’t. Well, the name part, yes, but everything else is true. Clark enters the RV and the AI greets him. As Captain Luthor. Luthor is saying to Lois that explaining who he is will confuse things. Edge is building an army to take over the world and Metropolis will be the first city to fall. Chrissy calls Lois; she’s got details of a shipment being sent from the mines. Lois excuses herself – Luthor says he needs to speak to Superman – and leaves, meeting Clark in the truck.
Back in the RV, the AI tells Luthor they have a problem. She explains about an intruder and she has an image. Luthor says it’s Lois’s husband. He’s not important. The AI tells him there’s a development at the mines; increased activity.
Lois and Clark are wondering if Luthor could be Lex’s son. It’s possible, but they don’t know. They’re also following the shipment, which has a van full of armed men behind it. Lois wants to see where it’s going. Clark doesn’t think that’s going to happen. Luthor is blocking the road ahead and has a gun. Clark leaves before it gets ugly, and the truck stops and the driver gets out. Superman takes the van of people behind it elsewhere.
Luthor has tied up the driver and is preparing to blow the back of the lorry open when Clark and Lois arrive. He says he couldn’t risk it getting where it was going. Leslie Larr is listening in.
Luthor really wants to meet Superman, and there are more clips from his past. And Luthor’s real identity is revealed. Edge’s leadership programme may not be to the benefit of its recipients, and there are strange implications about the X-Kryptonite. Jordan is still struggling with his hearing.