Consume All Media! Superman: "Chapter Nine: Irresistible Force!"
- Joseph Heath
- 4 hours ago
- 2 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 eighth chapter of Superman. This time, they continue with the ninth.
Superman: “Chapter Nine: Irresistible Force!” - 15:37 (Available on Amazon)
Superman stands in front of a stock footage train and stops it before it reaches the explosives.
Clark gets the train story and Lois finds it incredibly fishy. Clark just got a lucky break. Lois says she’d like to give him a break… Their competition gives me life.
Perry assigns Lois to interview the reducer ray inventor, Dr. Graham (Herbert Rawlinson).
Actor Highlights
Herbert Rawlinson (1885-1953)
Other comic book media credits: Rozan (remember Rozan?) in the first episode of the 1952 Adventures of Superman show "Superman on Earth"
Spider Lady wants Graham for her own nefarious purposes. Also, she’s not blonde.
The reason for the hair change is because her and Hackett are gonna swap places with Lois and Graham.
Lois is forced off the road by henchmen, giving Spider Lady the lead. She picks up Graham for the “interview.”
They stop in the middle of nowhere to swap out Hackett for Graham. I don’t know why they do this in a semi-public place. Seems unnecessary.
Anyway, Lois gets back on the road and picks up Hackett-Graham. Jimmy sneakily takes a photo of him meeting Lois. For some reason? Seems unnecessary. It’s clearly for the story Lois is going to write, so I don’t know why he took the photo from across the street super sneakily.
Lois takes the fake Graham and his “assistant” to the university. Hackett-Graham takes photographs of the reducer ray. When Lois asks why, considering he invented it, he claims he’s interested in the way it was installed.
Lois wraps up her interview and pretends to leave, then secretly listens in and discovers they’re not on the up and up. She tries to call and tell someone from a phone in the room, but that obviously alerts Hackett and they grab her. Why didn’t she leave and call from somewhere they couldn’t hear her? A lot of questionable decisions in this chapter.
Back at the Planet, Jimmy shows Clark the photo he took. Clark looks at it super weirdly.
We see Clark’s POV as he stares at the picture of Graham.
Graham fades away and Clark sees Hackett instead.
I… I have no clue how that works. His x-ray vision works on photographs?
Clark leaves, changes into Superman, and flies away.
Hackett ties up Lois and sets up the machine to explode. Which it does shortly after he leaves.
Should you watch it, though? A lot of weird writing choices in this one, but also it’s just delightfully bonkers. I love the villains dressing up like the good guys and Clark’s weird photo x-ray.
Tune in next time for Superman: "Chapter Ten: Between Two Fires" (Available on Amazon)
