NOTE: This is a bit of a “full circle” article for Russ Dimino, who was a regular contributor to the Krypton Club Newsletter with its “What’s Up With That?” column and later here at KryptonSite with the “Many Faces Of…” series. Russ is a longtime Super-fan and it’s great to have him around again – Craig

Almost from the time he first appeared in the comics, Superman was just too big to be contained on the printed page.  He leapt not just over tall buildings, but onto movie screens and television sets as well.  Cartoons, movies, and weekly TV shows have brought the Man of Steel to life for generations, as the Superman saga is constantly retold, reinvented and reimagined for new audiences.  As each new version unfolds, a new group of actors gets the chance to take part in the never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.  Many of these actors have become icons in the eyes of the fans, almost synonymous with the roles that they play.

Oftentimes as a new version of the Superman story takes center stage, an homage will be made to those that have come before.  By bringing back the actors who have portrayed Superman and his supporting cast in previous incarnations, there is a sense of paying tribute to those who have helped make Superman’s story so legendary.

In 1978, audiences believed that a man could fly when they flocked to see “Superman” on the big screen, starring Christopher Reeve.  In the scene in Smallville where a young Clark Kent outraces a train, a little girl sees him race by and excitedly tries to point him out to her parents.  The parents are played by none other than Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill, who starred as Superman and Lois Lane in the first live action version of the Man of Steel’s adventures, the 1948 “Superman” movie serial.  (Later versions of the 1978 film’s train scene included dialogue which revealed the little girl to be a young Lois Lane.  This dialogue was cut from the original theatrical version, but later restored and is included on the more recent DVD releases.)

In the late 1980s and early ’90s, well before “Smallville,” Superman’s adventures as a teen were chronicled on television for the first time on “The Adventures of Superboy.”  In a 1991 episode called “Paranoia,” Noel Neill appears again, this time alongside Jack Larson, who played Jimmy Olsen on the 1950s “Adventures of Superman” series starring George Reeves.  Mr. Larson and Ms. Neill play Lou and Alexis, two of Clark Kent and Lana Lang’s coworkers at the Bureau of Extra-Normal Affairs.  Larson even sports a bow tie and says “Jeepers!” in the episode, much like his Jimmy Olsen often did.

As the first season of ABC’s “Lois & Clark” drew to a close in May of 1994, fans were faced with a seemingly impossible scenario.  Would Teri Hatcher’s Lois Lane marry the diabolical Lex Luthor?  Lois’s mother made an appearance at the wedding to provide her daughter with some advice.  The role of Lois’s mom, at least for that one episode, was played by Phyllis Coates, who had played Lois Lane to George Reeves’ Superman in the early episodes of “The Adventures of Superman.” Later in the series, when Ellen Lane reappeared, she was played by Beverly Garland.

In “Lois & Clark” season four, Jack Larson actually got a chance to play Jimmy Olsen again!  In the 1996 episode “Brutal Youth,” Jimmy (played by actor Justin Whalin) was the victim of a scientist whose latest invention could quite literally steal someone’s youth, causing them to age rapidly.  The aged version of Jimmy was played by Mr. Larson.

When Superman made his return to the big screen in the 2006 film “Superman Returns,” Noel Neill and Jack Larson were on hand once again!  Ms. Neill played Gertrude Vanderworth, a dying old woman who Lex Luthor swindles out of a fortune.  Mr. Larson played Bo, the bartender at the Ace of Clubs (once again, sporting a bow tie!).  In an even more direct homage, director Bryan Singer chose to use footage of the late Marlon Brando from “Superman” and “Superman II” to recreate Jor-El in the Fortress of Solitude scenes.  Also, a photo of Glenn Ford can be seen on the mantel in the Kent home.  Mr. Ford played Jonathan Kent in the 1978 “Superman” film.

Even some of the recent animated versions of Superman have featured familiar actors providing the voices.  “Smallville” star Allison Mack supplied the voice of Power Girl in “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.”  Michael Rosenbaum, well known for playing Lex Luthor on “Smallville,” provided the voice of The Flash on Cartoon Network’s “Justice League” and “Justice League Unlimited.”  In the episode “The Great Brain Robbery,” Flash temporarily switched minds with Lex Luthor, giving Rosenbaum a fun opportunity to voice Lex Luthor on the animated series as well.  (Worthy of note: on “Justice League,” the name is pronounced “Lu-THOR,” whereas “Smallville” pronounces it more like “LU-ther.”)

Since it began its impressive 10 season run in 2001, “Smallville” has paid homage to many versions of the Superman legend with a hefty list of superheroic guest stars, recurring characters, and even one member of the main cast plucked from various versions of Superman film and television!  Annette O’Toole played Clark’s mother, Martha Kent, for six seasons of the show.  Ms. O’Toole had previously played Lana Lang in “Superman III” in 1983, as Lana rekindled a romance with Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent after their Smallville High class reunion!

In an epic “passing of the torch” moment, Christopher Reeve, the actor that millions have equated with Superman for years, made an appearance in the show’s second season.  In the landmark episode “Rosetta,” Reeve played Dr. Virgil Swann, a scientist who had studied Clark’s home planet.  It was from Swann that Clark first heard the names “Kal-El” and “Krypton.”  After relaying a message from Clark’s homeworld, Swann cautioned Clark that he must write his own destiny, rather than look to the stars.  Reeve reprised the role in the season three episode “Legacy.”

At the end of the second season, Clark first heard the voice of his father, Jor-El, speak to him from beyond via the spaceship that brought him to Earth.  The booming voice of Clark’s Kryptonian father was provided by Terence Stamp, well-known for his turn as the ruthless General Zod in “Superman II.”  The casting led many fans to speculate that this was not actually Jor-El speaking to Clark, but some kind of a trick by Zod himself!  Though this was proven not to be the case, Clark’s tumultuous relationship with his father has provided much conflict throughout the series.

In season four, Margot Kidder, the Lois Lane to Christopher Reeve’s Superman, appeared on the show as Dr. Bridgette Crosby, an emissary to Dr. Swann.  Margot shared a scene with Annette O’Toole in the episode “Crusade” (the actresses only shared one brief scene together in “Superman III”).  Crosby hinted at a romantic relationship with Dr. Swann, “in another lifetime.”  Kidder appeared as Dr. Crosby once more, in a cameo at the end of “Transference” in the same season.

In the sixth season, “Smallville” welcomed a guest who, while not directly tied to the Superman mythology, is iconic enough in the hearts and minds of superhero fans that she is worth mentioning here.  In the episode “Progeny,” Chloe reconnected with her mother, Moira Sullivan, who had spent years in a mental hospital.  Moira was played by Lynda Carter, famous for bringing Wonder Woman to life on TV in the 1970s.

The episode “Cure” in the seventh season saw a seemingly immortal scientist try to harvest Chloe’s meteor-infected organs to save the life of his dying wife.  Dr. Curtis Knox was played by Dean Cain, who had starred as Superman on “Lois & Clark.”  Curtis Knox’s initials, C.K., are almost surely a reference to Dean’s years as Clark Kent, who Jimmy Olsen constantly referred to as “C.K.”

In that same season, Clark was able meet his mother, Lara, in the Fortress of Solitude.  Flashbacks also revealed that Lara and Kara, Clark’s cousin, visited Earth together before the destruction of Krypton.  Lara was played by Helen Slater, who portrayed Supergirl in the 1984 “Supergirl” movie.  (Jeannot Szwarc, who directed “Supergirl,” has also directed many episodes of “Smallville.”)

Also in season seven, in the episode “Persona,” Clark met Dax-Ur, a Kyrptonian living a normal life on Earth without super powers, thanks to constant exposure to blue kryptonite.  Playing Dax-Ur in this episode was Marc McClure, the Jimmy Olsen of the Christopher Reeve era.  McClure was the only actor to appear in all four of the Superman films and the Supergirl movie.

The most recent addition to the list comes with the tenth season episode, “Abandoned,” in which Lois finds a video tape that her mother made for her.  Here, Lois’s mother is played by Teri Hatcher, who played Lois for all four seasons on “Lois & Clark.”  The episode gives Teri the opportunity to do what Phyllis Coates did for her 16 years ago, and pass the torch from Lois Lane to Lois Lane in the form of a mother-daughter scene.

The legacy of Superman continues to march on, more powerful than a locomotive.  Another big-screen installment is in the works, with Zack Snyder of “Watchmen” and “300” fame in the director’s chair, and “Dark Knight” director Christopher Nolan overseeing the project.  As for whether or not any familiar faces from the previous installments will appear, we can only speculate at this time – the movie is not due out until 2012, and no casting announcements have been made.

There is something about the character of Superman that brings out a natural sense of nostalgia. He has been around since the late 1930s, so we all grew up with him. No matter how old we are, there has always been a Superman comic book, or TV show, or movie, or cartoon, or radio show out there, heralding his exploits into our living rooms. Each new writer, or director, or actor who steps in to provide their vision of what the Man of Steel could be almost surely has in the back of their memory the day they first tied a towel around their neck like a cape, and imagined they were saving Metropolis from Brainiac and Lex Luthor. Perhaps that is why each new story of Superman’s adventures seems to include a wink and a nod to all those that have come before. It’s a chance to say thank you to those who gave us the stories we fell in love with, and with that, the hope that today’s new tales will inspire tomorrow’s storytellers.