Consume All Media! Atom Man vs. Superman: "Chapter One: Superman Flies Again"
- Joseph Heath
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Joe Heath is a big fan of comic books and watching things in order. So they made this spreadsheet containing every serial, short, film, television episode, commercial, motion comic, and web series based on a comic book. Now they're watching them all. Previously, Joe watched the first ever Bat-Sequel. This time, they watch another Super Sequel.
Atom Man vs. Superman
Film Info
Release date: July 20th, 1950
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Written by David Mathews, George H. Plympton, & Joseph F. Poland
Based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster
Produced by Sam Katzman
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Writer Highlights
George H. Plympton (1889-1972)
Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), The Vigilante (1947), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman & Robin (1949), & Blackhawk (1952)
Other comic book media credits: Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941), Spy Smasher (1942), Captain America (1944), Superman (1948), & Batman & Robin (1949)
Producer Highlights
Sam Katzman (1901-1973)
Other comic book media credits: Hop Harrigan (1946), The Vigilante (1947), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman & Robin (1949), & Blackhawk (1952)
Director Highlights
Spencer Gordon Bennet (1893-1987)
Other comic book media credits: Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman & Robin (1949), & Blackhawk (1952)
While Batman and Robin is the first sequel based on a comic book, Atom Man vs. Superman is the first to actually feel like a sequel. It is a direct continuation with occasional references to events from the first serial, Superman.
And unlike Batman and Robin, it doesn't have an entirely different cast. Kirk Alyn (Superman/Clark Kent), Noel Neill (Lois Lane), Tommy Bond (Jimmy Olsen), and Pierre Watkin (Perry White) all return.
And a new comic character is added to the mix! Lyle Talbot joins the cast as the serial's main villain.
We've previously seen Talbot play the villain in The Vigilante, as well as playing the iconic role of Commissioner Gordon in Batman and Robin, so it's only fitting that his final comic book-related role would be a combination of both, playing the iconic villain and arch-enemy of Superman... Luthor.
Luthor was introduced in Action Comics #23 in 1940. Initially, he appeared with a mop of red hair. A year later in the Superman newspaper strip, he was accidentally drawn bald by Leo Nowak, possibly confusing the redheaded Luthor with one of his bald henchmen. Later that same year, Nowak again drew a bald Luthor in Superman #10 and it stuck.
It's not a mistake! It's canon!
Luthor wouldn't get a first name until Adventure Comics #271 released in 1960, 20 years after his first appearance!
The comic not only named him, but revealed how Lex Luthor first met Superboy. It also explained how he lost his hair.
In the process of blowing out a fire, he blew out Lex's hair. Thus was a rivalry born.
Silver age comics are pretty bonkers sometimes.
But what about Atom Man vs. Superman, the Superman serial that ushered in the 50s? How would it handle the first on-screen meeting of Luthor and Superman? How bonkers would it be?
Let's dive in further to find out.
Atom Man vs. Superman: “Chapter One: Superman Flies Again” - 22:51 (Available on Amazon)
The serial begins with a montage of crime perpetrated by the Luthor Gang.
We meet Luthor and he is surrounded by machinery. He uses the machinery to somehow send electrical sparks at police to free up his gang to do even more crime. It's very scientific.
The Daily Planet tunes into a radio broadcast where Luthor says if he doesn't get a bunch of money within the hour, he will destroy a bridge. Lois Lane says this is beginning to look like a job for Superman. I love that this serial starts off with a little bit of a twist by having Lois say the line Superman himself usually says.
Then we get a lot of recycled footage from the original serial of Clark ducking into a closet and changing into Superman, followed by animation of Superman flying. But there is some new footage mixed in with the animation to give you the impression that a real person is flying!
While it's clearly just Kirk Alyn in front of a fan with smoke being blown past him, it's still a pretty effective shot. Though it can be pretty jarring when intercut with all the animated shots.
Luthor turns on a machine that causes a bridge to collapse. The bridge has been mostly evacuated except for one woman driving a car.
Jimmy makes a truly terrible joke about woman drivers. At least Lois looks annoyed at him.
Superman holds the bridge still while a policeman rescues the woman.
Then we get one of those really creepy close-ups that lets you know Superman is looking at something super hard.
The narration says he uses his x-ray vision to see far away and I don't know how that works exactly. But he sees Luthor's hideout. So he lets the bridge collapse and flies off.
Luthor's hideout is in a cave, so this footage from the original serial can be reused:
Superman takes Luthor away and he's put in prison.
A newspaper montage tells us that Luthor-esque crime continues. But Luthor can't be behind it, because he's in prison!
Jimmy is sent to check out a building fire, which means we get even more reused stock footage from the first serial. Gotta save every penny you can, kids.
Speaking of coins, Jimmy gets into a fight with some henchmen who run out of the burning building. One of the henchmen pulls a coin out of his pocket and then mysteriously disappears.
Jimmy tells Perry, who doesn't believe any of this magical bullshit.
Later, Lois and Clark go to see a recently prosecuted killer being taken away to prison. He pulls a coin out of his pocket and mysteriously disappears.
Lois and Clark tell Perry, who now believes this magical bullshit.
Clark suspects Luthor, but Luthor's in solitary. Though he is up for parole, because he's offering up one of his inventions in exchange for his release.
In prison, Luthor puts a pillow under his blanket to fool any guards, then takes a familiar coin out of his pocket. He disappears and then reappears in a (different) cave hideout. He explains to his henchmen that he's made a teleportation machine.
Which I'm sure they all know, seeing as how they've all used it at this point.
He's working on an even more powerful version of it that could move armies. It could also shoot Superman's atoms into what he refers to as "The Empty Doom." Which sounds rad as hell.
Lois is writing a story about the henchman who disappeared. Turns out he's a stuntman. In the next scene, there's a stuntman climbing the Commerce Building.
Clark uses his "x-ray vision" to look really hard at the stuntman. He realizes that it's the disappearing henchman from earlier. But I'm sure you already put that together.
The henchman steals some jewels and disappears using the coin trick. But Jimmy spots him in the back of a TV truck. He goes to confront him, but gets shoved into the back as it takes off.
Clark changes into Superman and flies after them. A bystander says "It's a bird!" Really? You think people would know Superman is not a bird at this point. Clark's gonna have to write another article about it.
Superman stops the truck by grabbing it.
He did this a handful of times in the first serial. He will do it so much more in this one.
A henchman gets out and runs off. Superman chases after him.
While he is away, Luthor turns on one of his machine and the truck explodes, presumably with Jimmy still inside.
Should you watch it, though? This seems like not only a rehash of the original serial, but also like it's stealing things from Batman and Robin. Specifically Luthor and his teleportation machine seem like a tweak of The Wizard and his invisibility machine. There are a few fun things sprinkled throughout and the cast is again delightful, but everything else feels a little choppy and rushed.
Tune in next time for Atom Man vs. Superman: "Chapter Two: Atom Man Appears!" (Available on Amazon.)
A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.