Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997) – Comic References

[Avilos]

So what is the status, when will we see more?

[Silver Nemesis]

To those who are following this thread, sorry for the delay with the update. Here's the analysis for the second half of season one. Special thanks to thecolorsblend and Avilos for giving me some pointers on these episodes.

'Witness' (s1e13)

This episode contains the first of numerous references to the Batman mythology. The reference in question occurs when Superman is giving a talk at a school and two of the children suggest the police could summon him using a signal in the sky:

BOY #1
                     Maybe you could make a deal with
                     nine-one-one.

                                      BOY #2
                     Or you could have a signal in the
                     sky that they shine when you're
                     needed.

Not much else to say about this one, so I'll move on.

'Illusions of Grandeur' (s1e14)

This is the first episode to explore Superman's vulnerability to magic. The villain, a female stage magician named Constance, is like an evil version of the comic hero Zatanna. Like Zatanna, Constance learned her magic skills from her father. And like Zatanna she is a skilled hypnotist. A major difference between the two characters is that Zatanna possesses genuine magical abilities, whereas Constance relies on hypnosis and trickery to pull off her feats.

Superman is susceptible to hypnotism in both the comics and the TV series. The following example is from 'The Master Mesmeriser of Metropolis!' (Superman #330, December 1978). Note that Superman is only pretending to be hypnotised in this panel, but he genuinely was hypnotised earlier in the issue.

Not much else to say about this one, so I'll move on.

'The Ides of Metropolis' (s1e15)

I've got nothing on this one.

'The Foundling' (s1e16)

This episode is loosely adapted from books one and six of Byrne's Superman: The Man of Steel miniseries. It is the first episode of the series to depict the planet Krypton and reveal Superman's full origin story.

The episode begins with Clark waking up in the middle of the night and encountering a spectral vision of his late father, Jor-El.

This triggers the first of a series of visions depicting the destruction of Krypton. In the comic Clark resists and overcomes these haunting visions, but in the TV show he eagerly awaits them in order to learn his true heritage. The first thing he learns is his Kryptonian name: Kal-El.

In the flashback visions we see Jor-El, played by David Warner. Jor-El would appear again in season 3 played by a different actor.

We also see Lara, played by actress Eliza Roberts.

The TV show's depiction of the destruction of Krypton is a concise summary of the event as portrayed in the comics. Conscious of Krypton's impending destruction, Jor-El selects Kansas, Earth, as a suitable home for his infant son Kal-El. The dialogue during the scene where he explains this to Lara is similar in both the comic and TV episode.

Jor-El places his infant son in a spaceship so that he alone will escape the apocalypse. In both Byrne's comic and the TV episode, Jor-El installs "a hyper-light drive" to allow the ship to travel to Earth. The TV episode also recreates the panel showing Jor-El stroking the matrix orb with the baby Kal-El lying within. In the TV episode it is Lara who strokes the orb, but the shot is otherwise the same. Note the reflection in the glass as Kal-El's parents bid a sad farewell to their baby.

The image of Kal-El's ship flying away from Krypton as it explodes is also faithfully recreated in the TV episode.

There is a subplot in this episode that is indebted to an episode of The Flash (1990-91) television series, 'Child's Play' (s1e7). In both TV shows a teenager living on the streets steals something precious without realising its true value. The hero (Barry Allen/Clark Kent) tries to help the kid and discovers that they are stealing to provide for their younger sibling, who is also living on the streets with them. The item the teenager has stolen also attracts the attention of a criminal, and this leads to the teenager being taken prisoner and threatened by the villain. The hero (the Flash/Superman) ultimately rescues the teen, reunites him with his younger sibling and arranges a new home for the both of them. In the Lois and Clark episode the teenager is named Jack, and the episode ends with Clark finding him a job at the Daily Planet. Jack, played by Chris Demetral, would become a recurring character throughout the remainder of season 1.

This episode's theme of Clark/Superman helping out the homeless is similar to the plot of 'Homeless for the Holidays' (Adventures of Superman #462, January 1990), which was one of the stories included in the 1994 Lois & Clark tie-in book I mentioned at the beginning of this thread. In this comic a Daily Planet employee named Alice falls on hard times and has nowhere to live. Clark and the rest of the Daily Planet staff help find her a home, just as they do for Jack – who also becomes a Daily Planet employee – in the television episode.

The final shot of this episode is of Clark's childhood treehouse back on the Kent Farm. The sign on the door reads 'Fortress of Solitude', a reference to Superman's Arctic hideout in the comics.

'The Rival' (s1e17)

This episode explores the field of newspaper journalism in Metropolis, and specifically the Daily Planet's struggle against a rival paper called the Metropolis Star. The Daily Star was the name of the newspaper the original Earth-Two Clark wrote for during the Golden Age. In the modern canon, the Metropolis Star is a rival newspaper of the Daily Planet.

'Vatman' (s1e18)

The plot of this episode is loosely adapted from book five of the Superman: The Man of Steel miniseries. In both stories Luthor has a secret laboratory hidden in his penthouse apartment. There he has assigned a geneticist the task of creating a clone of Superman. In the comic the scientist is named Dr Teng, while in the TV episode he's called Dr Fabian Leek. Leek is portrayed by Michael McKean, who would later play Perry White in Smallville.

The clone at first appears to be a perfect doppelganger of Superman.

But they soon learn its genetic structure is deteriorating, much to Luthor's annoyance.

The clone (played by Dean Cain) is never actually referred to as "Bizarro" in the Lois and Clark episode, even though that's clearly who he's meant to be. Lois does pointedly describe him as "bizarre" at one point, similar to how Luthor does in Byrne's comic.

The colouring on the clone's costume is identical to Superman's, unlike the Post-Crisis Bizarro's which is typically depicted as having darker shades of red and blue. But the Pre-Crisis Bizarro's costume was also identical to Superman's, displaying the same shades of red and blue as the clone's in this episode.

The clone also doesn't speak with Bizarro's distinctive syntax from the comics. But then neither did the first Post-Crisis Bizarro from John Byrne's Superman: The Man of Steel.

At first the clone attempts to perform acts of heroism, much the way Superman himself would. In the comic he unnerves people with his freakish appearance, while in the TV episode he disturbs them with his smugness and violent treatment of criminals.

The clone also develops an interest in a member of the Lane family and clumsily attempts to woo her. In the comic it's Lucy. But Lucy had already left the series by this point, so instead the TV episode sees the clone going after Lois herself. Both stories include a scene where the clone forcibly kisses Lois against her will.

Clark fears the clone's actions will compromise his duel identity in both versions of the story. When the two of them finally face off against each other, the clone initiates the battle by hurling Superman through a window.

They fight to a stalemate, with Superman realising the futility of their duel since their powers are equal.

Both stories end with the clone dying as a result of its genetic instability. In the comic Superman voices his belief that the clone had good in him at the moment of his death. The TV episode takes this more literally, having the clone change sides to help Superman retrieve the genetic template from Luthor. The clone then hands the genetic material, along with his own dying body, over to Superman. Superman mercifully carries the clone into space and hurls his body into the sun, thereby ending his suffering and ensuring no further clones will be made.

The clone's sympathetic demise in the TV episode may also have been influenced by the second Bizarro clone Superman encountered in the Post-Crisis comics. This clone died in Superman #88 (April 1994), but not before it made sure to destroy the last sample of its DNA in Luthor's possession; frustrating Luthor's plans and earning the respect of Lois and Superman, just like the clone in the TV episode does.

One last thing to mention about this episode is that actress Cynthia Ettinger appears in a small role as a tour guide on a studio lot where Superman and his clone are fighting. Ettinger would go on to play Martha Kent in the unaired pilot episode of Smallville.

'Barbarians at the Planet' (s1e19)

This episode has parallels with book four of Bryne's Superman: The Man of Steel. The basic plot of both stories sees Lois, Clark and Lex Luthor taken prisoner during a hostage situation.

In the comic, this situation arises on a luxury ship and is secretly orchestrated by Luthor himself. In the TV episode it happens in the Daily Planet building and Luthor is as much a hostage as the other characters.

Clark has to find a way of rescuing everyone without compromising his secret identity. In the comic he allows the villains to throw him overboard, then returns as Superman to stop them. In the Lois and Clark episode he has to sit tight until an opportunity arises to change into his costume without the other hostages seeing. In both stories he is able to accomplish this and rescue Lois in the nick of time.

This episode marks the final appearance of Cat Grant.

[Silver Nemesis]

'Barbarians at the Planet' (s1e20) and 'The House of Luthor' (s1e21)

These final two episodes comprise the season finale. In my opinion this is where the show reached its peak. If you were to edit these two episodes together with the pilot episode then you'd end up with one of the best Superman movies ever made. Since it's a single storyline spread over two episodes I'm going to analyse them together.

There are two main plotlines in these episodes. The first concerns Lex Luthor proposing to Lois and their subsequent engagement. As I mentioned earlier, Luthor's romantic interest in Lois was an ongoing storyline in the comics at the time. And the idea of him trying to dupe her into thinking he's a good man, as he does in these episodes, is precisely what he was up to in the comics. The following example is from Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987).

In this example Luthor is trying to convince Lois of his good intentions by providing medical treatment for her mother. In the season finale he tries to win her over by purchasing the Daily Planet after it runs into financial difficulties.

This leads into the second plot of the season finale. The Daily Planet building is blown up and Clark's friend Jack is set up to take the blame. In reality though, Luthor himself is responsible for the attack. He engineers the destruction of his own property to gain the insurance money, remove the Daily Planet from circulation, and bring Lois and himself closer together. This is similar to a plot line beginning in Man of Steel #27 (November 1993), where Lex Luthor II tries to pull off a similar insurance scam by sabotaging several of his own buildings and blaming their destruction on the recent Doomsday rampage. In both the comic and the TV show the Daily Planet reporters investigate the insurance scam and Lois personally confronts Luthor on the matter. And in both stories Luthor smoothly deflects her suspicions.

The destruction of the Daily Planet building is one of several elements in these episodes adapted from Action Comics #700 (June 1994), which was part of the Fall of Metropolis storyline in the comics. The Fall of Metropolis arc was being developed concurrent with the first season of Lois and Clark, and there are enough parallels between that storyline and the season finale to suggest a deliberate synergy between the two writing staffs. In the comic, as in the TV episode, it is Luthor who is responsible for destroying the Daily Planet building.

Perry is particularly devastated by this tragic loss.

With the Planet gone, Lois goes to work for LNN (the Luthor News Network), which is a branch of LexCorp in both the comics and the TV show.

Returning to Man of Steel #27, this issue also marks the first appearance of Franklin Stern in the comics. Stern appears in 'The House of Luthor' played by James Earl Jones. As in the comics, he's portrayed as a wealthy businessman and a supporter of the Daily Planet.

Luthor refuses to rebuild the Daily Planet and so Perry convinces Stern to step in and purchase majority shares in the paper. Stern was already the owner of the Daily Planet in the comics at the time this season was being aired.

Meanwhile plans for Lex and Lois's wedding proceed apace. Action Comics #700 also features a plotline about a wedding, although in the comic it is Lana Lang and Pete Ross who are tying the knot.

The idea of Lois and Lex marrying was also explored in 'The Cheat the Whole World Cheered' (Superman Family #172, September 1975), although in the comic Lois is merely pretending she will marry Luthor so she can spy on him. When Luthor realises this, he brainwashes her into going through with the wedding anyway. By contrast, the Lois in the TV episode genuinely intends to marry Lex, having been duped by his benevolent public persona.

At one point Luthor enjoys a virtual reality fantasy in which he visits Superman's grave. A similar image of Superman's gravestone was used in the marketing campaign for The Death of Superman (1993) story arc in the comics.

The idea behind The Death of Superman storyline arose following a meeting between the writing staffs of the TV series and the Superman comics. It was agreed that they would delay Lois and Clark's wedding in the comics to coincide with their onscreen wedding in the TV show. And it was because of that delay that The Death of Superman storyline occurred. So the makers of the TV show would have been very much aware of this storyline.

'The House of Luthor' features a scene where Clark shaves using his heat vision and a mirror. This is yet another scene adapted from Byrne's Superman: The Man of Steel miniseries.

Luthor has an assistant in these two episodes called Mrs. Cox. She is a physically intimidating woman who serves as his assistant, chauffer and bodyguard. She was an original character created for the show, but I suspect she may have influenced the character of Mercy Graves, who first appeared in Superman: The Animated Series and was later adapted into the comics.

Yet another plot strand in these two episodes sees Luthor procuring a sample of kryptonite, having learned about the substance following the events of the earlier episode 'The Green, Green Glow of Home' (s1e8). He uses this to create a kryptonite cage and lures Superman into a trap. Similar cages have appeared in the comics over the years. Here's an example from World's Finest #105 (November 1959).

The sequence where Luthor imprisons the depowered Superman seems to have been inspired by a similar scene from 'The Life Story of Superman' (Action Comics #500, October 1979). In the comic Luthor uses red sunlight to weaken Superman, while in the TV episode he uses kryptonite. But in both stories he traps the depowered Superman in a cage and triumphantly gloats over him.

Superman tries to escape the cage using brute force but is unable to do so in his weakened state.

In the end he manages to escape by using an item of clothing to snag the keys to the cell.

Elsewhere, Lois's wedding is underway. Amongst the guests is her mother Ellen, played by Phyllis Coates. Coates had herself played Lois Lane during the 1950s, while Teri Hatcher would go on to play Ellen in the final season of Smallville. Elinore Lane first appeared in the comics in 'Introducing... Lois Lane's Parents!' (Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #13, November 1959). She becomes a recurring character in seasons 3 and 4, though she is then played by a different actress.

At the end of 'The House of Luthor' Lex is publically exposed for the villain he is. This also happened in Action Comics #700 when the truth finally emerged about Lex Luthor II. The comic ends with Luthor being arrested. The TV episode ends with Luthor ostensibly dying after he leaps from the balcony of his penthouse. The Daily Planet is purchased and rebuilt by Franklin Stern, the journalistic team of Lois and Clark is reformed, and Superman flies off into the sky to answer a call for help.

And so ends this analysis of the first season of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

[Silver Nemesis]

Nine years later, here's an update.

First of all, I mentioned in the section on 'Pilot' that Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale referenced a scene from that episode – where Superman appears outside Lex's office – in Superman for All Seasons (1998). Something else they referenced from that same episode, which I neglected to mention, is the scene where a child compliments Superman on his costume, and Superman replies "Thanks. My mother made it for me." I saw this comparison on Twitter:

But enough about season 1.

SEASON TWO

The main storylines in the second season include the rise of Intergang, Lex Luthor's return from the grave, and the progression of Lois and Clark's relationship from a platonic friendship to a romantic courtship. Season 2 features more comic book villains than any other season, though most are limited to standalone villain-of-the-week appearances.

'Madame Ex' (s2e1)

The season premiere introduces Denise Crosby as Dr. Gretchen Kelly, who remains a recurring villain throughout the first half of the season. In the comics Dr. Gretchen Kelley was an ally of Luthor's who posed as his mother when he assumed the clone identity of Lex Luthor II. She was loyal to Lex for a time, but ultimately betrayed him. By contrast, the TV version is depicted as a younger and more psychotic woman who is madly in love with Lex and will do anything to restore him to full life. Gretchen first appeared in the comics in 'The Secret Revealed!' (Superman Vol 2 #2, February 1987).

Lex himself is alive but comatose within some sort of life support capsule. This visually evokes the high-tech iron lung in which Lex Luthor II was confined when his clone body deteriorated in the comics. Note Gretchen standing over him in both of the following images. The panel below is from 'Swan Song' (Action Comics Vol 1 #700, June 1994), a story that was heavily referenced in the first season finale.

Lois and Clark discover that Lex had at least one ex-wife named Arianna Carlin who is out for revenge against them. The Post-Crisis Lex had seven wives prior to meeting Lois in the comics, though Arianna was created especially for the TV show. The name 'Carlin' is likely a nod to Superman comic editor Mike Carlin, who had previously made a cameo in the Lois & Clark episode 'I'm Looking Through You' (s1e4).

Arianna poses as a therapist in order to infiltrate The Daily Planet office and win Lois's trust. Lois also speaks with a therapist in 'The Mad Woman of Metropolis' (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane Vol 1 #26, July 1961). In both the comic and the TV show the topic of conversation invariably turns to her love life and her obsession with Superman.

Lois speaks to another therapist later in the season, and her obsession with Superman is once again the central topic. Here's another example of her speaking to a therapist about Superman in 'Lois Lane's Romance with Clark Kent!' (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane Vol 1 #39, February 1963).

Another subplot in the episode sees Lois having to deal with a left-handed criminal lookalike. Lois also encountered a left-handed criminal lookalike in 'The Candid Camera Kid!' (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane Vol 1 #33, May 1962), and coincidentally the lookalike's first name in the comic was Terry.

Towards the end of the episode Arianna shoots Superman with a kryptonite bullet. The Man of Steel has been shot with kryptonite bullets numerous times in the comics. The following example is from 'Bloodsport!' (Superman Vol 2 #4, April 1987). In the comic the bullet is subsequently removed by doctors at a hospital, while in the TV episode it falls on Lois to remove the bullet and save Superman's life.

One last thing to mention about this episode is that Justin Whalin takes over the role of Jimmy Olsen from Michael Landes. Whalin continues to play Jimmy throughout the remainder of the series.

'Wall of Sound' (s1e2)

The villain in this story is a rock musician named Lenny Stoke, whose modus operandi involves the use of sound waves to commit crimes and attack Superman's super-hearing. The comic villain Silver Banshee wields sonic attacks with similarly destructive results, though her abilities are supernatural whereas Stoke's are derived from technology.

Stoke is played by Michael Des Barres, who had previously appeared in the Superboy (1988-1992) episodes 'A Change of Heart: Part I & II' (s4e1 & 2).

At one point Stoke attacks Superman using a sonic gun like the one Batman wields in the final chapter of The Dark Knight Returns (1986).

A plot point at the end of the episode involves Superman having to create a sonic boom in order to bypass Stoke's sound wave barrier. The Superman in the comics can create sonic booms with ease, as demonstrated in this example from 'The Day Superman Broke the Law!' (Superman Vol 1 #153, May 1962).

'The Source' (s2e3)

Superman stops a runaway train in this episode, which is something he's done countless times in the comics. The following example is from 'Duel of the Diamond Demons!' (Superman Vol 1 #280, October 1974).

I can't think of anything else to say about this one, so I'll move on.

'The Prankster' (s2e4)

This episode marks the first of two appearances in the series by the Prankster, who debuted in the comics in 'The Case of the Crimeless Crimes' (Action Comics Vol 1 #51, August 1942). In the comics his real name is Oswald Loomis, while in Lois & Clark his real name is Kyle Griffin. However, the name 'Loomis' is referenced in the TV episode in the form of Randall Loomis, a red herring whom Lois and Clark wrongly suspect of being the Prankster. They quickly determine that Loomis is innocent before eventually identifying Griffin as the real Prankster. Griffin is played by Bronson Pinchot.

In the Post-Crisis stories the Prankster was a TV comedian who turned to crime to get revenge on the network executives who cancelled his show. The Lois & Clark version of the Prankster is a former weapons developer who is out for revenge against Lois Lane after she wrote a story that got him arrested. Revenge factors into his motives in both versions.

The TV Prankster, like his comic book counterpart, uses weaponised pranks to terrorise people. At one point he pesters Lois with a harassing phone call. The following comparison is with a scene from 'He Only Laughs When I Hurt!' (Superman Vol 2 #16, April 1988), which was the Prankster's first Post-Crisis appearance.

'Church of Metropolis' (s2e5)

This episode introduces Intergang, a criminal organisation that acts as a recurring threat throughout seasons 2 and 3. Among the various leaders of Intergang in the comics were Vincent Edge and his son Morgan Edge, owners of the multimedia corporation Galaxy Communications. The Lois & Clark character Bill Church, Sr., played by Peter Boyle, is based on the comic character Vincent Edge, who debuted in 'The Racer's Edge' (Superman Vol 2 #35, September 1989).

Galaxy Communications is renamed Multiworld Communications for the TV show. In both the comics and the TV series, Edge/Church maintains the public facade of a legitimate businessman while secretly running his criminal empire. In the comics Intergang was really controlled by Darkseid, but Darkseid and Apokolips are never mentioned in the Lois & Clark universe. Intergang debuted in the comics in 'Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Pal, Brings Back the Newsboy Legion!' (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 #133, October 1970).

In the TV show Intergang use robot insects to assassinate their enemies. Intergang has also deployed robot assassins in the comics, as illustrated by this example from 'Who Took the Super Out of Superman!' (Superman Vol 1 #296, February 1976).

Later in the season we learn that Church has a son who takes over control of Intergang, just as Morgan Edge took over from his father in the comics. But I'll get to that later.

'Operation Blackout' (s2e6)

The plot of this episode concerns a scheme to plunge Metropolis into chaos by cutting off the city's power and attacking the population's dependency on technology. This might have been inspired by the 'Blackout' storyline in the comics that ran through Adventures of Superman Vol 1 #484, Action Comics Vol 1 #671, Superman: The Man of Steel Vol 1 #6, Adventures of Superman Vol 1 #485 and Superman Vol 2 #62 (November-December 1991). In the comics the blackout was accidentally triggered by Emil Hamilton, while in the TV show it is deliberately orchestrated by the villains. But the chaotic results are similar in both stories.

The TV episode features a cool opening scene where Superman rips the gun off a robot tank. He's ripped apart countless tanks in the comics, so this is a fairly typical display of his super strength.

Another scene has Lois and Clark disguising themselves as soldiers to sneak onto a US Army base, only for Clark to be caught and imprisoned in the base guardhouse. The comic story 'Lieutenant Lois Lane, U.S. Army!' (Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane Vol 1 #6, January 1959) also includes a scene where Clark is imprisoned in a US Army base guardhouse while wearing a soldier's uniform. But in the comic Clark was enlisted, while in the TV show he is merely pretending to be.

The villain in this episode hijacks an orbital weapons platform called the Hawkeye satellite that can kill from space using a powerful laser. This might have been inspired by the Laser Defence System (LDS) that featured in a storyline running through Superman Vol 1 #319-322 (January-April 1978).

In both stories the villain (Parasite in the comic) takes control of the satellite from Earth and tries to fire the laser at Metropolis. In the comic Superman saves the day by pushing the Earth out of the way of the laser. In the TV episode he flies into space and moves the satellite itself so that the laser misses.

'That Old Gang of Mine' (s2e7)

Dr. Emil Hamilton makes his TV debut in this episode played by John Pleshette. Professor Hamilton first appeared in the comics in 'Man O'War' (Adventures of Superman Vol 1 #424, January 1987) and subsequently alternated between being an ally of Superman and a villain. In the TV show he is initially an unwilling collaborator with the villains but later becomes an ally to Lois and Clark. In both the comics and the TV show Hamilton has ties to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Hamilton later assists Superman in the episode 'Return of the Prankster' (s2e15). After that a new S.T.A.R. Labs scientist is introduced named Dr. Bernard Klein, played by Kenneth Kimmins. Klein shares certain characteristics with Hamilton and continues to act as an ally to Lois and Clark throughout the remainder of the series.

The plot of 'That Old Gang of Mine' concerns the clones of famous gangsters attempting to take over the Metropolis underworld. The leader of the gang is Al Capone, played by William Devane. Superman also encountered Al Capone in the comics in the aptly titled 'Superman Meets Al Capone!' (Superman Vol 1 #142, January 1961).

In the comic Superman met Capone after travelling back in time, while in the TV show Capone is resurrected in the present day via cloning, so there aren't too many plot similarities to note beyond the fact the two characters met.

There's a memorable scene in the TV episode where Capone goes to The Daily Planet and tries to buy off Perry White, only for Perry to send him packing. There's a similar scene in 'Zimba's Gold Badge Terrorists' (Superman Vol 1 #11, August 1941) where mobster Rolf Zimba goes to Perry's office and tries to secure his loyalty. As in the TV show, Perry tells him to get lost. In the comic he actually punches the mobster in the face. This is a nice demonstration of Perry's incorruptibility and journalistic integrity.

Another scene has Lois and Clark investigating a lookalike agency where they encounter a Superman impersonator. This is unlikely to have been a deliberate reference, but there was a Superman lookalike in the comics named Greg Read who appeared in several Pre-Crisis stories beginning with 'Superman vs. Superstar!' (Action Comics Vol 1 #414, July 1972). Read was an actor and Superman impersonator who portrayed the Man of Steel on television and was occasionally called upon to double for him when Clark's secret identity was at stake.

[Silver Nemesis]

'A Bolt from the Blue' (s2e8)

The central concept of this episode deals with an ordinary man named William Wallace Webster Walldecker acquiring Superman's powers after being struck by lightning while in proximity to him. Walldecker then assumes the costumed identity of Resplendent Man and proceeds to charge people exorbitant sums of money for saving them. I don't know of any examples of lightning transferring Superman's powers like this in the comics. Usually lightning just tickles him.

Resplendent Man's costume resembles that of Don Rickles lookalike Goody Rickles from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 #139 & 141 (July & September 1971).

There's not much else to say about this episode. Lois finds out that Lex is still alive and Gretchen Kelly briefly acquires super powers before Superman strips them away from her and Resplendent Man. Moving on.

'Season's Greedings' (s2e9)

This Christmas-themed episode was written by Dean Cain and features the comic villain Winslow Schott, aka Toyman, played by Sherman Hemsley. Toyman debuted in the comics in 'The Terrible Toyman' (Action Comics Vol 1 #64, September 1943).

Cain briefly acknowledges Schott's comic book origins in the episode's DVD commentary:

"And this character is based on the Toyman, who is a character who really did exist in Superman lore. But it's a little bit different than the Toyman that existed in the comics."

In point of fact, the TV version's back story is largely faithful to that of the Post-Crisis Toyman, as depicted in 'Toys in the Attic' (Superman Vol 2 #13, January 1988). In both versions, Schott was formerly a toymaker who specialised in manufacturing cute teddy bears that nobody wanted.

When his products failed to sell, he was made redundant and embarked on a criminal quest for revenge. In the comic he targeted the employers who ended his career, while in the TV show he seeks revenge against the whole of Metropolis. In both stories he has his hideout in a toy factory where he makes weaponised toys. In the comic he uses lots of different type of toys, but in the TV episode he has only one: Atomic Space Rats that spray a drug that makes people behave in a childishly greedy manner.

On the trivia front, the Post-Crisis Superman first learns about Toyman in 'Toys in the Attic' from a pair of unnamed British secret agents who are clearly modelled on John Steed and Emma Peel from the TV show The Avengers (1961-1969).

The humour and tone of Lois & Clark, as well as its central will-they-won't-they dynamic, have been compared to those of The Avengers. There is also an episode of The Avengers titled 'Two's a Crowd' (s4e12) in which the main villain uses weaponised toys to assassinate people, similar to Toyman's MO in the comics. The plot of the second season Lois & Clark episode 'Resurrection' (s2e17) also has some striking similarities with The Avengers episode 'Bizarre' (s6e33).

Anyway, the TV version of Schott ultimately turns over a new leaf and is revealed to be a softy at heart. A second and more deadly version of Toyman would later appear in the fourth season Lois & Clark episode 'Toy Story' (s4e21), exhibiting an MO that is closer to that of the comic version plus a wider array of lethal toys.

The plot of 'Season's Greedings' also has parallels with Jerry Siegel's one-shot Superman's Christmas Adventure (1940). Both stories begin with a scene of Lois and Clark strolling around Metropolis observing the Christmas shoppers.

They soon encounter a disadvantaged child (Billy Connelly in the comic, Danielle in the TV show), and Superman is inspired to procure Christmas toys for underprivileged kids. Elsewhere, a criminal duo plans to spoil Christmas. In the comic the two villains are named Dr. Grouch and Mr. Meaney, while in the TV show they're Winslow Schott/Toyman and his secretary Miss Duffy.

Both stories feature a scene where Clark is exposed to the villains' chemical weapon in The Daily Planet building. In the comic it is knockout gas and he has to pretend to be affected by it, while in the TV episode it's the Atomic Space Rat gas and he genuinely is affected by it.

In both stories Superman defeats the villains, saves Christmas and makes certain that the toys are delivered to the children on time. Both the comic and TV episode feature the image of Superman carrying Santa's sleigh through the night sky to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

In the TV episode this is actually Perry dressed as Santa. However, Clark later hears the real Santa Claus flying through the sky. So the real Santa features in both stories.

One final observation to make about this episode is that Martha reveals Clark's middle name to be Jerome. In the comics his middle name is Joseph, after Superman's co-creator Joe Shuster. The use of Jerome in the TV series is a nod to the character's other co-creator, Jerome Siegel.

'Metallo' (s2e10)

This episode focuses on the cyborg villain John Corben, who debuted in the comics in 'The Menace of Metallo' (Action Comics Vol 1 #252, May 1959). The TV episode begins with a robbery being committed by a moustachioed robot resembling the original Silver Age John Corben.

The Pre-Crisis Corben was a thief and embezzler who murdered a man to cover up his crimes. He was subsequently injured in a car crash and had to have a new kryptonite-powered metal body built for him by Professor Emmet Vale. In the TV show Corben is initially a small-time crook who is shot while committing a robbery. His partner in crime sells him out to Vale, who then builds a new metal body for him powered by kryptonite. Corben's physical appearance in the TV show, with artificial skin covering everything except his silver torso, reflects his original appearance in the Pre-Crisis comics. He is portrayed by Scott Valentine.

He has a panel that opens up in his chest to reveal his kryptonite power source.

In his Pre-Crisis debut story Corben got a job working for The Daily Planet. In the TV show he mentions having worked a paper round for The Daily Planet until he got fired after he was caught stealing money.

In the TV show Corben is romantically involved with Lucy Lane. In his Pre-Crisis debut story he briefly dated Lois Lane, but only because she mistakenly thought he was Superman after she saw bullets bouncing off his chest.

Elizabeth Barondes had played Lucy Lane in the first season of Lois & Clark, but in the second season she is played by Roxana Zal. Lucy is mentioned in later episodes, but 'Metallo' marks the character's final on-screen appearance in the series.

Emmet Vale also debuted in 'The Menace of Metallo'. In the TV show he is played by John Rubinstein and has a sibling accomplice named Rollie Vale, played by Christian Clemenson.

The scene where Corben first awakens in his new cyborg body recalls a similar scene from Metallo's Post-Crisis debut story in 'Heart of Stone' (Superman Vol 2 #1, January 1987). In both stories he examines his reflection in a mirror as Vale explains what has happened to him. In the comic Vale tells Corben that he's stronger than Superman, while in the TV episode Corben proclaims himself to be as strong as Superman.

As in the Pre-Crisis comics, it is the press that first names Corben 'Metallo'.

The first time Superman and Metallo come face to face in the TV episode the cyborg easily defeats the Man of Steel. The same thing happened the first time they fought in the Post-Crisis comics, as depicted in 'Heart of Stone'.

In the TV show Superman defeats Metallo during their second fight by melting his legs with his heat vision. In the comics Corben's metal body is explicitly stated to be "unmeltable" in Action Comics Vol 1 #252.

Metallo's Post-Crisis debut, published in Superman Vol 2 #1-2 (January-February 1987), ended with Corben seemingly dying after Lex Luthor wrenched his kryptonite power source from his chest. Corben dies in a similar manner at the end of the TV episode, only it is Rollie Vale who tears the kryptonite from his chest. Rollie later gives Metallo's kryptonite power source to Lex Luthor in the episode 'The Phoenix' (s2e13). So Luthor ends up acquiring Metallo's kryptonite in both the comic and the TV show.

Corben's death at the end of the TV episode reflects how the Pre-Crisis Corben died at the end of his debut story in Action Comics Vol 1 #252. Both were limited to a single appearance. Subsequent Pre-Crisis Metallo stories focused on the second Metallo, John Corben's brother, Roger Corben. There's no mention of John having a brother in the TV series. However, when Rollie Vale next shows up in 'The Phoenix' he has enhanced his own body with a cybernetic limb to compensate for the damage Corben inflicted on his arm, and he still has the kryptonite power source that had fuelled Corben. He's the closest thing the series has to a second Metallo.

'Chi of Steel' (s2e11)

This episode was written by Hilary J. Bader, who later went on to write extensively for various DCAU shows including Superman (1996-2000), The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) and Batman Beyond (1999-2001). Bader also wrote numerous scripts for tie-in comics connected with the DCAU, including the Superman story 'Dark Plains Drifter' in Superman Adventures Annual Vol 1 #1 (November 1997). Her association with DC began with 'Chi of Steel'.

Martial arts feature prominently in this episode. Lois mentions having trained in karate and tai chi, and in the later episode 'Lucky Leon' (s2e16) we find out that she has a brown belt in taekwondo. In the comics Lois has a black belt in karate, as revealed in Superman: The Man of Steel Vol 1 #6, which was part of the aforementioned 'Blackout' event. According to Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Vol 1 #13 (March 1986), the Earth-One Lois Lane was also an expert in karate and judo.

Now for a slight digression. In the tradition of our threads examining the fighting styles of the Batman actors...

Fighting Style of the Dean Cain Superman

In real life Dean Cain had a background in contact sports before becoming an actor. He'd competed in wrestling during his high school years, played American Football for Princeton University and later signed on as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. He's also a long-time MMA enthusiast and has indicated in interviews that he might have competed in the sport had he known more about it back when he was younger. But what martial arts does his character use in the TV show Lois & Clark?

To begin with, Clark trains in boxing in the season 1 episode 'Requiem for a Superhero' (s1e5).

In 'Chi of Steel' Superman is trained in the Yi Chi fighting discipline by 10th Level master Lin Chow. The kata they are shown practicing in this episode strongly resembles the real Chinese martial art of tai chi.

During the final fight, Superman takes down the villainous Jzuk-Mao with a jumping side kick. Such moves are common to numerous martial arts, including jiu-jitsu, karate, taekwondo and various forms of kung fu.

Clark employs a similar fighting style against some muggers he encounters while depowered in the episode 'Ultra Woman' (s3e7). The way he traps his opponent's arm with a joint lock before striking and throwing him is typical of jiu-jitsu.

Lieutenant Ching trains Clark in Drei (battle staff) fighting in the fourth season episode 'Battleground Earth' (s4e2), and Superman later uses this Kryptonian martial art to defeat Lord Nor (the L&C version of General Zod) during their climactic battle.

Later that season, Clark displays some basic fencing skills when he duels Baron Tempos in the episode 'Soul Mates' (s4e4). So by the end of season 4 Cain's Superman seems to be proficient in at least four or five different fighting styles, which is more than most live action versions of Superman.

Anyway, back to the comic influences.

The plot of 'Chi of Steel' concerns special bracelets that grant the wearer supernatural abilities. Wearing these, a martial arts master can stand toe to toe against Superman. One example of something similar in the comics is the 'The Fantastic Fists and Fury Feet of Jimmy Olsen' (Superman Family Vol 1 #185, October 1977), in which Jimmy acquires special CAPOCC (computerised atomic-powered combat clothing) boots and gloves that grant him advanced martial arts abilities.

The most obvious example of a ninja giving Superman trouble in hand-to-hand combat in the comics would be the various times he's fought Bruce Wayne. Lin Chow's ability to disappear from sight, eluding Superman's super senses, is reminiscent of Batman's ability to vanish in Superman's presence. The following example is from 'Deadly Covenant' (Action Comics Vol 1 #654, June 1990).

At one point Lois disguises herself as a man to infiltrate a gentlemen's club. She also disguised herself as a man in the 'Pilot' episode (s1e1), and she's done so in the comics too. The following example is from 'The Mad Woman of Metropolis', which I mentioned earlier.

Well that about covers the first half of season 2, so for now I'll leave it there. If anyone can think of anything I missed from these episodes then go ahead and add it. I'll try not to wait another nine years before the next update. There's some good stuff in the second half of season 2, including Doctor Light, red kryptonite and Adam West!

[thecolorsblend]

'Neverending Battle' (s1e3)

It's in this episode that Clark moves into his new apartment. The address is 344 Clinton Street, which is the same address as Clark's apartment in the comics. In both the comics and in the TV show, Clark continues to live in this apartment until his eventual marriage to Lois.

Can't believe I never remarked on this part of your post sooner.

But the episode itself is very reminiscent of Byrne's Man Of Steel #2, the plot of which partly revolves around Lois chasing Superman all over Metropolis and just barely missing him. The ending of the comic subverts expectations somewhat, by showing Lois missing out on the first interview with Superman... as Clark interviews himself.

Obviously, the show gave the first Superman interview to Lois. And in so doing, some chaos unintentionally resulted from that.

Originally, the episode Neverending Battle is supposed to take place immediately after the pilot and episode 3 is supposed to be Strange Visitor. But some kind of something went wrong with Neverending Battle so the ordering was flipped around. The best evidence of this is Clark rapidly changing into Superman in midair in Strange Visitor (the second episode to air) while struggling with changing into Superman in the Daily Planet bathroom in Neverending Battle (the third episode to air). It LOOKS like discontinuity. But it's actually not. Watching the episodes in their intended order resolves that quite handily:

01- Pilot
02- Neverending Battle
03- Strange Visitor

The above is the intended order. But obviously, those last two were reversed with each other. But the above is the order in which they were meant to be watched.

The reason I mention that is because it clarifies a mini-arc Lois has in the first three episodes. The INTENDED order of the episodes (Pilot, Neverending Battle, Strange Visitor) establishes Lois as a domineering, take-no-prisoners career woman (Pilot), Lois pursuing the Superman story at just about any cost before being humbled by Clark (Neverending Battle) and then relaxing SOMEWHAT while becoming somewhat protective of Superman (Strange Visitor).

It kind of doesn't make sense for Lois wanting to somewhat protect Superman in Strange Visitor and then try exploiting him (in her own way) herself in Neverending Battle. But again, reverse the order of those two episodes (watching Neverending Battle and then following it with Strange Visitor) and it makes more sense.

The capstone for all that is Superman consenting to an interview with Lois at the end of Strange Visitor. It's sort of a reward for Lois's newfound maturity.

And again, it doesn't make sense for Lois to ravenously pursue a story in episode 3 that she already got in episode 2 (i.e., an interview with Superman). But correcting the running order solves that problem.

Also, you can extrapolate an arc for Clark here too. In NB (tired of writing out these titles), he's unprepared for (and uncomfortable with) his new fame. By the end of SV, he's at least comfortable enough with it to do a brief interview with Lois. Which shows that he's growing too. But the wonky air dates throw that off.

...

Yeesh, I know a lot about this show.

But whatever, let this be a lesson to all of you. If you ever binge the first season, make sure to watch Pilot THEN the NB episode and THEN the SV episode. Everything makes a LOT more sense after that.

Anyway, unrelated to what I wrote above, the 344 Clinton thing has always intrigued me. Yes, that was Clark's address in the Post-Crisis comics. But a frequently overlooked fact is that it's also his address in the Pre-Crisis/Bronze Age period as well. John Byrne changed so much about Superman and his mythos that I always thought it was curious that he apparently made a priority of retaining his Pre-Crisis address.

[Silver Nemesis]

I never found out the reason for the reordering of episodes. But you're right – 'Neverending Battle' clearly takes place immediately after the 'Pilot' episode. At the start of NB everyone in The Daily Planet is fussing over Superman's debut, Lois is giving a description of his appearance to a sketch artist, and Cat is making innuendos about what Lois and Superman got up to on the space station. Clark only formally adopts the name Superman during his interview with Lois at the end of that episode. But in 'Strange Visitor', which aired before NB, Clark is making public appearances in costume and everyone is already referring to his heroic alter ego as Superman. The events of SV have to happen after NB.

The clearest indication of the correct timeline is in the episode 'Man of Steel Bars' where one of the reporters at The Daily Planet produces a line chart cross-referencing Superman's super-feats against spikes in temperature.

The order of the events listed on the chart goes:

•   Superman saves the Prometheus ('Pilot')
•   Superman stops two suicides ('Neverending Battle')
•   Superman intercepts missile ('Strange Visitor')
•   Superman foils robbery at Fort Metropolis ('I'm Looking Through You')
•   Superman KO's Menken prize fighters ('Requiem for a Superhero')
•   Superman extinguishes fires ('I've Got a Crush on You')

No super-feats are listed from the episode 'Smart Kids'. This could indicate that 'Smart Kids' was also shifted in the season, but it most likely reflects the fact there aren't any major super-feats from that episode worth noting. So why switch the order of those other two episodes? The only reason I can think of is that the producers might have objected to Superman almost quitting in NB, despite having only just debuted as a crime fighter in the previous episode. Also, NB and SV both feature early kisses between Lois and Clark. But in SV the kiss was merely part of Lois's plan to distract Trask and escape captivity, whereas in NB it was a sincere heartfelt kiss as Clark bid farewell to Lois. The producers might have thought the heartfelt kiss in NB happened too early in the season.

Or the episodes could have been switched owing to a less obvious technical issue. Either way, it's strange that they didn't rectify the matter by reordering them for the DVD release.

[thecolorsblend]

I think the change in broadcast order comes down to the Superman costume used in NB.

If you go back to about 13 minutes in when Superman foils the dual "suicide" attempts, his cape features those heavy shoulders. He looks like a linebacker. Fans joked about this being the "cleavage costume" because the neckline was necessarily lowered pretty far.

And yet, you flip ahead to 30 minutes in when Superman gives Lex an in-person demonstration of his abilities, his cape has been completely redesigned (to something closer to what would be used for the remainder of the series). Also, note the neckline of his tunic is MUCH higher.

Zip ahead to 33 minutes when Superman meets with the Kents and he's back to wearing the linebacker cleavage costume.

Based on that, I'm operating on the assumption that everyone agreed that the linebacker costume used in most of NB sucked and it desperately needed to be redesigned. But they were mostly willing to let the episode be what it is.

Except for the power demonstration scene! I can't prove it. But I think somebody found the original power demo sequence TOTALLY unacceptable. So, they hastily redesigned the cape and tunic to reshoot the scene. But unfortunately, that sequence features some effects stuff, some props, etc. So, reshooting it was no simple matter.

So, NB got delayed to reshoot the power demonstration scene and SV was hastily finished to take NB's place in the production order. SV has some kind of rough effects shots, which bolsters my claim that SV was finished in a rush in order to take NB's place.

As background (get out a beer, because this is a long one), the pilot featured an effective version of the Superman suit. But for whatever reason, someone decided that the suit needed to be redesigned once the main series started shooting. In particular, the production seemed to want to use a much heavier cape like the kind John Byrne favored in his run.

And fair enough, the Superman pilot outfit does have a sort of Halloween costume feel to it. So, maybe a new design was inevitable.

Well, the redesigned cape used starting in NB was made of such heavy material that attaching it to the Superman costume (as would be the intuitive approach) was simply not going to work, period. So, the costume designers had to come up with a new approach.

What the production eventually settled on was an unusual cape design supported directly by Dean Cain's shoulders. Of course, this necessitated putting the cape on to Cain's body BEFORE putting on the tunic. Strange. But effective. You can't argue with the results.



(Incidentally, this same basic cape design was utilized for the Ultra-Woman costume in season 03. There you can see Lois's cape attached to her shoulder with the support straps running under armpits just like Cain's cape. The costume designer seemed to want to somewhat disguise the shoulder straps (hence the "U" and "W" emblems on Lois's shoulders) but the shoulder straps are still plainly visible.)

This new cape design allowed a more sensible style to the Superman suit... while also showing less "cleavage" for Cain.

The Superman costume would evolve through most of the show's run. But the subsequent tweaks and changes are harder to pinpoint because they're so subtle. By the time you get to season 04, I don't think any significant changes were made to the Superman costume at all. Deborah Joy Levine left the show after the first season. But apparently, she watched the show like a hawk even after she left. Because she said in the season 01 DVD extras that by season 04, the costume designers were VERY close to what she wanted the costume to be all along. Something like 99% of the way there.

A good example of what I mean is the suit design used in The House Of Luthor season 01 finale. It's fine in its place. No major problems to speak of. The technical issues from earlier in the season had all been ironed out by the time you get to THOL.

But when you get to Madame Ex, the season 02 premiere, you can see that the bodysuit looks a lot shinier. The best evidence for this is the chest symbol, which definitely looks different from the flat/non-reflective material used in The House Of Luthor. So, obviously some significant changes were made to the Superman costume between the first two seasons.

Anyway. But if you watch closely, you can see the evolution of the Superman uniform's design through the first few episodes of season 01.



I think someone involved with producing NB even tried to half@$$ explain the change to the cape in-universe. After a commercial break, the episode shows Clark washing his Superman tunic. Clark says words to the effect of "I like the new cape, Mom. We're getting closer!" But Cain's line reading there sounds like ADR to me. I think the scene was originally supposed to begin with brief silence and then Clark says "It's [the bomb stain] not coming out", which sounds like production audio. But instead, the first thing he says it's "I like the new cape", which has a very ADR quality to it, after which Clark gives the "not coming out" line, which sounds more natural to me.

This line actually makes some sense too because after the bombing, Superman comes out of the building with a wrecked cape. He then wears a new cape in the scene with Lex. So, that part adds up.

Of course, he reverts to the old outfit/cape in his scene with the Kents. But what can you do?

But to hopefully make an actual contribution to this thread...


Action Comics #500, October 1979


The House Of Luthor

[Silver Nemesis]

The evolution of the costume presents a plausible explanation for the reordering of episodes. I never noticed the "new cape" line sounding like ADR. I'm currently nearing the end of season 4 on my latest re-watch, and I'm enjoying it so much that when I finish I might go straight back to season 1 and start over. If I do, I'll listen out for that line.

I've seen numerous people online voicing preference for the 'Pilot' suit over the later costumes. The main reason for this seems to be the smaller size of the s-shield. Cain was leaner in that first episode and had longer hair, all of which adds up to a slightly different look from the rest of the series. Personally, I like the 'Pilot' costume and rate it above the cleavage suit.

However, I think Cain's Superman looked best in season 4. His costume appeared brighter and more vibrant, with the blue sections having a shiny and almost metallic texture to them. Back then Cain had a similar body shape to Cavill.

When wearing the suit, he looked like a younger version of the Alex Ross Superman.

The only major difference (besides the top of the boots) is that the Ross Superman wears a George Reeves-style cape, while Cain's Superman sports the more traditional variety.

In general, I think season 4 might be the most visually appealing season of L&C. Granted, the quality of the writing declined, but it looked more vibrant and colourful than seasons 1-3, and the special effects were better. In fact season 4 is the only season of L&C in which the SFX arguably still hold up. I particularly like the first two episodes, which are basically the L&C version of Superman II or Man of Steel. The story ranges beyond Earth's boundaries and into space opera territory, with the production values admirably rising to meet the challenge. The costumes, sets, props and special effects in those episodes are just as good as anything you'd see in Babylon 5, which was WB's big sci-fi series at the time. The whole aesthetic of the New Krypton culture is stylish, colourful and visually appealing.

I love the model effects in the scenes with the Kryptonian spaceship/floating palace.

The imagery of the energy shield over Smallville foreshadows the Gungan energy shields during the Battle of Naboo in The Phantom Menace, which came out three years later.

Had there been a season 5, I would've liked to have seen more stories with Lois and Superman leaving Earth to visit alien worlds. The production values showcased in the New Krypton episodes make me wonder what an L&C version of Warworld or Apokolips might have been like.

[thecolorsblend]

Wish I would've included this in my last post. But to hopefully put a final bow around all this costume discussion...

The Superman costume would evolve through most of the show's run. But the subsequent tweaks and changes are harder to pinpoint because they're so subtle. By the time you get to season 04, I don't think any significant changes were made to the Superman costume at all. Deborah Joy Levine left the show after the first season. But apparently, she watched the show like a hawk even after she left. Because she said in the season 01 DVD extras that by season 04, the costume designers were VERY close to what she wanted the costume to be all along. Something like 99% of the way there.

A good example of what I mean is the suit design used in The House Of Luthor season 01 finale. It's fine in its place. No major problems to speak of. The technical issues from earlier in the season had all been ironed out by the time you get to THOL.

But when you get to Madame Ex, the season 02 premiere, you can see that the bodysuit looks a lot shinier. The best evidence for this is the chest symbol, which definitely looks different from the flat/non-reflective material used in The House Of Luthor. So, obviously some significant changes were made to the Superman costume between the first two seasons.

In this season 01 publicity photo...



... you can see the "cleavage costume". Quite apart from the low neckline, you can see the linebacker shoulder pad design for the cape. Further, the spandex (lycra?) bodysuit seems a little closer to the navy blue spectrum. Also note the "flat" material for the chest symbol, as I mentioned above.

Meanwhile, with this season 02 publicity photo...



... you can see more of an "electron blue" color to the main bodysuit while the chest symbol is made of a shinier and more reflective material. It looks like a million bucks when you it onscreen. A lot more visually interesting, we can conclude, than the above chest symbol. Obviously, the neckline has been raised and the cape deliberately appears to be supported by the bodysuit's shoulders. But by this time, the new design of Cain supporting the cape directly on his own shoulders had been in place for nearly a full year by the time this photo was taken.

So, clearly some very radical and very welcome improvements were made to the Superman suit.

As to the pilot Superman outfit, I've always been sort of fascinated by it. Levine said that ABC outright told her to right an expensive (by 1993 TV standards) pilot. So, she did.

(Incidentally, ever wonder why the pilot effects run laps around the effects from the rest of the series? That's why. About 6x the amount of money and 4x the amount of production time will do that. If you want to know what a 1993-era Superman film could've looked like, I say watch the pilot because those effects are very close to feature quality for the time.)

The one thing that stands out in the pilot is the Superman costume. As it is my understanding, the production company contracted the design and creation of the pilot outfit to a local dance costume studio in Los Angeles. Because back in those days, you were hard-pressed to find costume designers with any experience creating costumes that use the unusual combination of tights and capes. So, a dance costume designer got tapped on the shoulder for that.

And honestly, I do rather like the pilot outfit on balance. It seems like it was comfortable enough for Cain to wear and the cape obviously didn't create any of the problems that the series cape would cause later on. The pilot cape seems to be made of light material that easily catches a breeze and looks great in flying shots.



So, why did it change? Honestly, I think it was purely a question of aesthetics. The pilot costume was designed by outsiders. It didn't necessarily have the showrunner's imprimatur. Plus, the chest symbol is a direct translation of the official Superman symbol that WB and DC used for licensing purposes. It's fine for what it is. But it lacks a character specific to L&C.

So, I think the combination of the above factors inspired Levine to push for a redesign (as was her right as EP on the show). Personally, I could've accepted the pilot costume being used for the rest. But it seems like Levine had a different opinion on the matter. And when you get past the chaos of the first several season 01 episodes, the design the series eventually settled upon has a distinct character that is unique to this specific show. The pilot costume is a little generic in ways that the final costume isn't.

Had there been a season 5, I would've liked to have seen more stories with Lois and Superman leaving Earth to visit alien worlds. The production values showcased in the New Krypton episodes make me wonder what an L&C version of Warworld or Apokolips might have been like.

That's understandable. But the few times that L&C ever poked a toe into the more cosmic elements of the Superman mythos... honestly, I don't think it works to the show's strengths very well. There's a chance it could've turned out just fine.

But I look at stuff like Superman's showdown with Lord Nor in season 04, which looks more like American Gladiators (a cheesy early Nineties American gameshow) than a visceral battle to save the world, and that gives me a little bit of doubt as to how well executed Apokolips or Warworld would've been.

One quibble I've long had with L&C's production value is their seeming preference for using green screen rather than wires. Now, there are instances where the green stuff actually looks atmospheric and powerful:



At least, I assume that's green screen. It could be rear projection. Either way, L&C's green screen more often looks like this:



Whereas the wire shots usually look like this:



Or this:



The show did wire work amazingly well and it's a shame they didn't do more of it.