I’ll admit, I’ve never seen Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The title and trailer alone just felt overly political. It came out in 1987, and we were still in the Cold War/Nuclear Holocaust era. The idea of Superman eliminating all nuclear bombs seemed simplistic and naive…I wasn’t exactly wrong here.
In Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) is disturbed by the threat of global nuclear war. After reading a letter from a concerned schoolboy, Clark decides Superman must intervene. Ignoring political red tape, Superman collects all the world’s nuclear weapons and hurls them into the sun, hoping to eliminate the nuclear threat permanently. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) escapes prison with the help of his nephew, Lenny (Jon Cryer), and devises a plan to destroy Superman by creating a super-powered enemy. He steals a strand of Superman’s hair from a museum and combines Superman’s DNA with nuclear material, launching it into the sun on a missile.
Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway) exchange words in the Daily Planet newsroom in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
“…Superman collects all the world’s nuclear weapons and hurls them into the sun…”
Back on Earth, Clark’s personal life becomes complicated at the Daily Planet. The newspaper has been taken over by wealthy businessman David Warfield (Sam Wanamaker) and his sexy daughter, Lacy Warfield (Mariel Hemingway). The Daily Planet is experiencing losses and declining sales. It’s Lacy’s idea to make the paper more sensationalistic. Lacy also develops a romantic interest in Clark Kent, causing tension with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who still claims to harbor no feelings for Clark. Lacy invites Clark to spend more time with her, including a double date that turns awkward when Clark has to change into Superman, juggling his two identities secretly.
Lex Luthor’s missile succeeds in creating Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), a villain who draws his strength from the sun and is as powerful as Superman. Nuclear Man descends to Earth, bent on defeating Superman and causing destruction. With the world’s safety in jeopardy once again, Superman must figure out a way to defeat a villain who is just like him, but stronger.
Sorry, but the Superman series just got goofier and goofier as it went along. Don’t get me wrong, Christopher Reeve is a great Superman—the best Superman, but the stories just got more ridiculous over time.
"…Christopher Reeve still shines in the cape…"
