 The ABC television version originally contained 17 minutes of footage that  had been cut from the theatrical release, much of it remnants of  Richard Donner (qv)s scenes he originally shot before  Richard Lester (qv) became director, while others are alternate scenes  involving Lex Luthor in prison and the Fortress of Solitude. Also, the  network version has an alternate ending where Lex Luthor is arrested and  taken away by the Arctic Police (and, if you look closely, the three Phantom  Zone villains are also arrested and taken away!), thus explaining Luthors  appearance in "Superman IV". 