Consume All Media! Superman: "Showdown"

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 Superman catch a plane. This time, Joe watches another Superman entirely.

Superman: "Showdown" - 8:16 (Available on YouTube.)

Film Info

Release date: October 16th, 1942

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Written by Jay Morton

Based on the National/DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

Produced by Sam Buchwald

Directed by Isadore Sparber

Writer Highlights

Jay Morton (1911-2003)

Other comic book media credits: Writing the previous Superman animated short Terror on the Midway (1942) & further Superman animated shorts Destruction Inc. (1942), The Mummy Strikes (1943), Jungle Drums (1943), & The Underground World (1943).

Producer Highlights

Sam Buchwald (Unknown-1951)

Other comic book media credits: Previous animated Superman short Japoteurs (1942) & further animated Superman shorts Eleventh Hour (1942), Destruction, Inc. (1942), The Mummy Strikes (1943), Jungle Drums (1943), The Underground World (1943), & Secret Agent (1943)

Director Highlights

Isadore Sparber (1906-1958)

Other comic book media credits: Writing previous Superman animated shorts Superman (1941), The Mechanical Monsters (1941), Billion Dollar Limited (1942), & Electric Earthquake (1942) as well as directing Destruction, Inc. (1942) & The Mummy Strikes (1943)

Showdown is the eleventh Superman cartoon and the first officially released under the Famous Studios banner.

The opening list of Superman’s abilities has been entirely replaced! It now goes “Faster than a streak of lightning! More powerful than the pounding surf! Mightier than a roaring hurricane!”

And not only has the opening bit been replaced, but so has Superman!

Surely this is an imposter!

Yes. It is.

This guy is committing crimes dressed as Superman and passing on the money to his boss. But he’s also skimming a little. You can see it hanging out of his shorts. And so can his boss, who immediately takes it back and smacks him around a little.

This guy’s not the brightest supervillain.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark are told by a weirdly comical office boy that they have to cover the opera.

While not officially said anywhere, it’s pretty much everyone’s headcanon that this is Jimmy Olsen. (If you don’t know, in the comics, Jimmy Olsen is a photographer for the Daily Planet and Superman’s Pal.)

At the opera, Clark immediately falls asleep. Meanwhile, Fake Superman pickpockets some jewelry. Lois bumps into him at one point, ripping the S right off of his costume. I assume this is so the audience can tell the two Supermen apart, even though it’s very obvious due to the character design.

Clark wakes up and follows Fake Superman to the roof. Fake Superman sees that the place is surrounded by cops and tries to retreat, but bumps into the real Superman. He pulls out a gun and starts shooting him, which doesn’t work at all. So then he tries begging for his life. While backing away in fear from the stoic, silent Superman, Fake Superman falls off the building. Superman catches him and takes him to his boss.

His boss doesn’t immediately realize he’s the real Superman, but when he does, he drops Superman through a trap door and puts a desk on top of it. The boss and Fake Superman get in their car and drive away as Superman makes his way back up through the trap door.

The police and Lois are speeding their way towards the criminals as the criminals are speeding their way away from Superman. Just as they are about to crash into either other, Superman jumps between them and brings them both to a halt. He then hands the criminals over to the police.

Clark goes back to his nap and Lois gets the scoop.

Should you watch it, though? I absolutely adore this one. The comedy is amped up to a level I find personally delightful. The Fake Superman is a fantastic concept and the animation does a great job of distinguishing him from the Real Superman. Plus, Jimmy Olsen! And Clark taking naps! This is definitely my favorite of the Superman cartoons so far.

Tune in next time for another Superman cartoon: "Eleventh Hour" (Available on YouTube.)

A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.

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