| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | |
| Season 2, Episode 11 | |
 | |
| Air date | January 8, 1995 |
| Written by | Hilary J. Bader |
| Directed by | James Hayman |
| Episode Guide | |
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A Robin-Hood-style Ninja thief is stealing from the rich and giving to the poor in Chinatown, armed with bracelets that, by channeling the 'Chi' power, could enable the wearer to kill even Superman.
Plot[]
Harlan Black has persuaded Perry White to invest a large percentage of his savings into a new method of manufacturing microchips. Perry has second thoughts and is horrified when Harlan mentions he has converted Perry's investment into bearer bonds in order to purchase equipment from an overseas company. A ninja breaks into Harlan's office and uses superhuman techniques to overcome Perry and Harlan and steal the bonds. Lois and Clark volunteer to get back Perry's bonds. As Superman, Clark finds the impression of a Dragon's Heart (a Chinese symbol of power) at the scene of the crime and advises Lois to ask his Chinese-American friend Chen Chow to identify it while he lets his parents into his apartment. Chen tells Lois the ninja has committed four thefts before this, all of them in Chinatown. His grandfather, a martial arts instructor, recognizes the Dragon's Heart from two powerful bracelets which were stolen from a monastery many years ago.
Lois's sexism fantasy.
The theft occurred at a men's club; Lois and Martha are both outraged that there is a place where men can congregate without being chaperoned by women. In their anger, Lois has fantasies of Clark, Perry, and Jimmy Olsen making sexist remarks while smoking cigars and Martha makes Jonathan do all her usual chores.
Clark finds all the places in Chinatown which the ninja hit are subsidiaries of Son Kwan Industries. The ninja strikes the Son Kwan dockyard while Lois and Clark are investigating. Clark changes to Superman to stop the ninja, but using the Dragon's Heart bracelets, the ninja tosses Superman into a crate and then vanishes.
Tong thugs ransack the Chow dojo, only to find the bracelets already stolen. When Lois and Clark tell Chen about the Son Kwan connection, Chen informs them that Son Kwan Industries is run by Harlan and its laborers are indentured workers recruited through human trafficking. The ninja is acting as a Robin Hood, stealing from Son Kwan and giving the money to the workers so they can buy their way out of debt. When Chen helps one such indentured worker with handling the stolen money he received, Harlan thinks he is the ninja and orders Grandfather Chow's former pupil Jzuk-Mao to kill him. Superman hears his cry for help and saves him.
With no leads on the ninja's identity, Lois and Clark decide to try exposing Harlan's illegal dealings in hopes that this will somehow persuade the ninja to give back Perry's money voluntarily. Lois goes into the men's club in disguise and sneaks away Harlan's financial records.
Jzuk-Mao discovers the ninja is Grandfather Chow's grandaughter, Lin Chow, and shapeshifts into Grandfather Chow to trick her into giving the bracelets to him. With Lin now powerless, Harlan tells her that if she doesn't bring Superman, he will kill her grandfather. If Jzuk-Mao kills Superman with the bracelets, Son Kwan will be able to greatly step up its human trafficking. Lin gives Superman a crash course in martial arts, and he defeats Jzuk-Mao in a hand-to-hand match. Harlan takes up the bracelets to battle Superman, but he cannot control their power, which renders him unconscious. The Tong leader, who works for Harlan, takes Jimmy hostage, but Lois takes him down with karate.
Grandfather Chow gives the bracelets to Lin. Lin returns all the stolen money and no charges are pressed against her. Jimmy coaches Perry on how to wisely invest his recovered money. Lois has dinner with the Kents, during which Martha embarrasses Clark by declaring herself to be flatulent.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Dean Cain as Clark Kent/Superman
- Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane
- Lane Smith as Perry White
- Justin Whalin as Jimmy Olsen
- K Callan as Martha Kent
- Eddie Jones as Jonathan Kent
Guest starring[]
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Harlan Black
- Yuji Okumoto as Chen Chow
- James Hong as Grandfather Chow
- Leila Hee Olsen as Lin Chow
- Steve Eastin as Doorman
Co-starring[]
- Dana Lee as Tong Gang Leader
- Michael Yama as Chinese Father
- Michael Leopard as Cop
Quotes[]
Grandfather Chow: "This one's heart and head are in different places."
Lois: "Hmm, it's a good thing. If my heart was in my head, I wouldn't have any room for my brain."
Harlan: "You are Lois Lane, aren't you? A great reporter, but a lousy commando."
Lois: "Nobody's perfect. You're a good dresser, but a lousy human being."
Harlan: "Really? You like the suit?"