Gus Gorman’s computer programming in Superman III nearly brings the world to its knees.

But how did he do it?

Er…

Hollywood movies and computers didnt always really get on in the early 1980s.

Screenwriters were left with the option of researching them, and putting things that made sense on the screen.

Or just making shit up, and hope that it stuck.

Superman III, then.

It may not be a popular opinion, but weve always had a soft spot forSuperman III.

Give us a fight like that, rather than the last half hour ofMan Of Steel.

And he is, you assume, the expert here.

It really needs someone like Meat Loaf to pull that line off.

Whats this on Gus Gormans monitor?

Its not two bi-lateral co-ordinates is it?

The progam listing then scrolls up the screen.

That code is supposed to solve the two bi-lateral co-ordinates challenge.

Lets just look at some of the problems.

At least they avoided a few REMs.

  • That INKEY$ command just loops back to the same line, doesnt it?

  • CLS on line 50?

Why do you better wipe the screen at that stage in the routine?

What do you mean we take this stuff perhaps a little too seriously?

This, friends, will take some fiendish coding.

But what possible lines of programming genius will it require?

Er…

Its a good job he did that course.

Next question, then.

This is where Gus Gorman uses every ounce of skill he picked up before…

End result of this?

There, he proceeds to get nasty Brad drunk, while wearing a big hat.

Once this task is complete, and the hat is shed, its hardcore hacking time.

And Gorman is soon down to work.

All achieved from one terminal.

Bet it involved a few PRINT, GOSUB and INKEY$ commands.

However, were getting ahead of ourselves.

Because Evil Robert Vaughn needs more computer code.

So he needs Evil Robert Vaughn to build him a new computer.

Evil Robert Vaughn agrees to build said computer.

Evil Robert Vaughn likes what he sees.

We like what he sees too.

And that is where our work here is done, for fear that RoboPrototypeWoman will come after us.

But it also has some really good stuff in the midst of it all.

And yes, fair point: weve been utterly unfairly nitpicky here.

Yet it still had a damn good go.

Theres important career advice there, kids.

For Superman, meanwhile, Nuclear Man and Milton Keynes were just around the corner.

And you’ve got the option to read our10 remarkable things aboutSuperman IV, right here.