Atom Man vs. Superman (1950) – Review

The 1948 Superman serial was an incredible success for Columbia Pictures, so successful that it was even released in theatres not known for showing serials, which meant a sequel was pretty much a foregone conclusion. And while that first one featured the nefarious plotting of the femme fatale known as the Spider Lady, who was an original villain created for the serial and not from the comics, this entry would include Superman’s comic book archenemy, Lex Luthor.

With Atom Man vs. Superman, Columbia Pictures and producer Sam Katzman would bring together two legendary characters from the DC universe, Superman (Kirk Alyn) and his archenemy Lex Luthor (Lyle Talbot), in an epic battle of good versus evil that would span 15 thrilling chapters. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet this second action-packed serial captures the essence of the Superman comics, providing a captivating exciting adaptation of one of the most popular comic book characters ever created. And once again, intrepid reporter Lois Lane (Noel Neill) and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen (Tommy Bond) will find themselves knocked unconscious, captured, and nearly killed on a fairly constant basis.

A Superman’s job is never done.

The main plot to this serial kicks off when Lex Luthor threatens to destroy Metropolis if the contents of a major bank are not handed over, he even destroys a bridge with a devastating ray gun to prove he has the capability, needless to say, Metropolis is not destroyed as Superman is able to capture Luthor in time and the evil genius is sent to prison. Unfortunately, the legal system of the 1950s isn’t much better than it is today and Luthor is given parole by offering the United States government a scientific breakthrough.  But that’s not the only bad thing in the offing as some helmeted villain calling himself “Atom Man” is masterminding several capers involving high-tech weaponry, okay, Atom Man is simply Lex Luthor wearing a stupid helmet and anyone in Metropolis who thinks Luthor has gone legit is an idiot.

Atom Man, winner of the Most Embarrassing Disguise award.

But what exactly is Luthor’s diabolical plan? Turns out good ole Lex has developed a disintegrating machine that can reduce people to their basic atoms and then reassemble them in another place, which allows him to teleport his henchmen out of Superman’s clutches at the last minute, but at the heart of his plan is the desire to use the machine dematerialize Superman and then scatters his atoms across the universe in something he calls the “Empty Doom.” Of course, that doesn’t quite work out as expected, Superman becomes an immaterial ghost for a while but he is eventually returned to full dimensionality, so Luthor will have to rely on standard backup plans like finding kryptonite and holding Lois Lane hostage.

He’s an evil genius who likes the classics.

What makes Atom Man vs. Superman such fun to watch is the mental chess game that Superman and Lex Luthor engage each other with, constantly employing various ruses to lure each other into some form of trap, and while most of these fail – we have 15 chapters to fill – some of them are quite clever and shows that even though Lex is an evil genius the Man of Steel is no slouch in the brain department. As to be expected, we will also get some suspense surrounding the “will she or won’t she” aspect of whether or not Lois will figure out Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same, but even Perry White (Pierre Watkin) comes to the conclusion that Kent is Superman when after the Man of Steel is sent to the “Empty Doom” all of a sudden Clark is missing as well. What is odd is that Lois and Jimmy worked together to fool Perry into believing that Clark was off working on a big scoop.

Instead of wandering the Empty Doom.

I will give Sam Katzman and Columbia Pictures a lot of credit for their creative and brilliant use of stock footage, such as Luthor’s destruction of a “Metropolis” bridge utilizing the footage of the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge undulating and collapsing, but it’s not just Lex Luthor/Atom Man’s attacks that cause grief as Superman must also save people from stock footage of floods and oil refinery fires, but these moments of amazing feats of super heroics are not primary examples of what you will find in these serials as the most common “super-act” depicted in these outings consists mostly of Superman lifting the backend of a car up so that the villains can’t drive away and then grabbing the occupants, often bumping their heads together and then leaving them for the police.

I wonder if Lex’s men have medical benefits.

Stray Observations:

• Lyle Talbot was the first actor to ever play the character of Lex Luthor, but unlike Noel Neill, neither he nor the character of Luthor would be appearing in the television series The Adventures of Superman.
• Fans of the 1949 Batman serial may also have recognized Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon, a role where he wasn’t forced to wear a bald cap.
• We are to believe that Superman’s archenemy Lex Luthor is this brilliant evil scientist, who can invent amazing death rays, but if he’s so brilliant why does he try and shoot Superman with a regular gun?
• Clark Kent gets a slight upgrade in this serial, while still being considered a coward by Lois he is finally allowed to win a few fights with henchmen, as opposed to throwing every fight as he did in the previous serial.
• Jimmy Olsen is punched unconscious so often that it’s surprising he doesn’t suffer from permanent brain damage.
• Lex Luthor has synthetic kryptonite that is only missing one element to make it the real thing, which is eerily similar to what Richard Pryor created for Superman III.

“I hope this at least turns you evil.”

One of the major strengths of this serial is its ability to capture the essence of Superman’s character as Kirk Alyn was able to perfectly embody the role of the Last Son of Krypton with an unwavering sense of justice, courage, and compassion. His portrayal of Superman and Clark Kent showcases a remarkable duality, allowing audiences to connect with both aspects of the iconic character. In fact, every cast member in this serial provides excellent performances, from Noel Neill’s scoop-obsessed Lois Lane to the random henchman Luthor sends out to pillage and plunder Metropolis, Atom Man vs. Superman brings to life the adventures found in Action Comics in surprisingly convincing ways.

You will believe a man can ride an atomic missile.

As was the case with the first serial, the special effects in Atom Man vs. Superman might seem rudimentary by today’s standards but as they were trying to pull off adapting a comic book with an incredibly small budget one must look at the end result with forgiving eyes. The filmmakers continued to use animation to create Superman’s flight sequences, making him appear to soar through the skies, and while these moments can seem jarring it also kind of makes this serial rather unique – I still prefer the flying technique utilized in The Adventures of Captain Marvel – but not all of the effects in this movie even meet the standards of nostalgic forgiveness, at one point, towards the end of the serial, Lex Luthor launches a flying saucer at our heroes and to say the end result was less than convincing would be the understatement of the century.

War of the Worlds this is not.

Sam Katzman’s Atom Man vs. Superman is a noteworthy piece of cinematic history that contributed to the popularization of superheroes on screen. Although the film may not hold up to modern blockbuster standards, it remains an enjoyable watch for fans of vintage sci-fi and those curious about the early portrayal of iconic characters like Superman and Lex Luthor. Unfortunately, despite it being one of, if not the most successful serials released, this was the era in which television was making headway and the end of the serial format was nigh, but the nostalgic charm these things have and the enduring legacy of the Man of Steel makes it worth a watch for any ardent superhero enthusiast.