A brass tuning fork encircled by blue wire loops beside a folded white paper bird against a pale background.

Original artwork, not a still

Lex Luthor

This is Lex Luthor. Only one thing alive with less than four legs can hear this frequency, Superman, and that's you.

— Superman

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker identifies himself and singles out Superman as uniquely able to hear a particular frequency among creatures with fewer than four legs. The elaborate qualification makes a direct address sound like a display of special knowledge. Its confidence gives the announcement a showy quality.

Context reviewed

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