oscaralbert Review of Superman: The Mad Scientist

Superman: The Mad Scientist (1941)

"Lois Lane" is the true star of this early . . .

[7/10 · 20 December 2019]

. . . SUPERMAN outing, as the title guy merely serves as her Johnny-Come-Lately tag-along bumbling afterthought. Lois seizes the initiative as the DAILY PLANET's crack investigative reporter, out to confront the self-proclaimed "Electrothanasia" Terrorist. Flying solo in a large, clunky plane, Lois skillfully lands her crate on the Mad Scientist's rocky crag, and taxis this lumbering machine right up to his very doorstep. But Lois' misplaced confidence in a blowhard Caped Crusader dooms hundreds to their untimely deaths. First, "Superman" allows a bridge packed with people to be vaporized in Metropolis. Rubbing in salt to injury, the so-called "Man of Steel" enables the nefarious death ray wielder to decimate everyone in the DAILY PLANET's office tower (except for managing editor Perry White, who apparently went home for an early supper). This horrific disaster happens because Mr. Kent briefly steadies the tottering edifice after one corner of its foundation has been atomized, but then gets distracted and thoughtlessly leaves the whole people-packed spire to tumble while he tries to horn in on Ms. Lane's news coup! In the words of Mr. White, "With 'protectors' like 'Superman,' what city needs Public Enemies?"