Superman’s First “Flight Through the Air”
Just for fun… here’s the moment Superman literally took to the air for the very first time — as a magnetic radio wave!
The Adventures of Superman debuted February 14, 1940, on WOR in “Gotham,” and if you’ve ever wondered what pieces of that radio world carried over into the TV series that arrived in 1952 (syndicated first, then picked up by ABC in ’54), this is the clip to hear. The first few minutes of Episode 2 are the real milestone — the first time Superman actually speaks on the air.
Episode 1 was all setup: his trip from Krypton, his arrival on Earth, and young Clark Kent with no speaking part yet. But Episode 2? That’s where the voice of Superman finally shows up… and at about 2:33, you get a surprise that longtime TV fans might not expect.
Most of us know Bud Collyer as the genial game‑show host from Beat the Clock and To Tell the Truth. But before all that, he was the original voice of Superman, and this broadcast is where he first steps into the role.
Give it a listen — it’s a great little time machine back to the moment the Man of Steel first found his voice.