Superman made his animated debut in this series of seventeen classic Technicolor short films produced by Fleischer Studios and its successor Famous Studios in the 1940s.
A groundbreaking Superman cartoon. A mad scientist kidnaps Lois and demonstrates the power of his cannon to her, destroying Metropolis. However, Superman is rushing to the rescue, because...
The train transporting one million dollars becomes the target of bandit attacks. As luck would have it, Lois is also riding in it. To save her and the money, he sets out...
The story begins as the clock strikes midnight. A strange, bullet-shaped rocket-car blows right through the police department, leaving an explosion in its wake. The paper the next day reports the destruction of the building and bafflement of the police. Perry White calls Lois Lane and Clark Kent into his office. Just as he is explaining the report, the sound of a loudspeaker comes in through the window. The leader of the "Bulleteers", as Lois later calls them, is shown announcing from his hideout atop a mountain outside of town, the demands of his gang. Over the speaker, Clark, Lois, and the rest of the town hear it: Turn over the city treasury or other municipal buildings will be next as their last warning!
The story begins with Clark Kent and Lois Lane, along with the entire town, observing a scientist's (who resembles Captain Marvel (DC Comics)'s nemesis Doctor Sivana) demonstration of his magnetic telescope. A giant, u-shaped magnet connected to the telescope is pointed at a comet and turned on, drawing the comet towards the observers. Something goes wrong, however, and the comet crashes into the town, rolls through the streets, and then tumbles into the ocean nearby.
A narrator describes Mt. Monokoa, a volcano which has been dormant for about 300 years:
A local scientist, Dr. Henderson, comes to the Daily Planet with a proposition for Perry White. Several decades earlier, Dr. Henderson's father discovered a series of caverns that he named the "Henderson caves." The elder Dr. Henderson explored the caves for several years before he mysteriously disappeared in them. Now, the younger Dr. Henderson would like to go back into the caverns. He would like the Daily Planet to fund the expedition, and he would like Clark Kent and Lois Lane to come along and report on everything they find. Mr. White agrees.
Clark Kent is driving in town and stops at a drug store to talk to his chief about his assignment. Outside, there is a car chase of a group of men that are trying to gun down another car. The gun men's car crashes into the drug store, and they steal Clark's car. Clark dashes to catch up to the gangsters and grabs on to the rear of his car. The two cars pass by a police car who try to chase them down. The gangsters try to shoot at the police, but Clark grabs the gangster's gun and throws it away. The gangsters use another gun to blow out their victim's tires. The gangsters speed off with Clark on their rear bumper.
Superman leaps off the comic page for the first time in this animated series that ran from 1941-1942.