Faster than a speeding bullet... More powerful than a locomotive... Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...
Look, up in the sky... It's a bird... It's a plane... IT'S SUPERMAN!
When Superman experienced runaway success with his debut in Action Comics in 1938, it was obvious that a radio show would be in demand. And so it was that it premiered in syndication in 1940. Unlike many such spinoff efforts, where diehard fans would endlessly argue whether or not it was canonical, the radio show came up with contributions to the Superman Mythos that were later incorporated into the comic book. Among these were the characters Perry White and Jimmy Olsen and the substance kryptonite. The show ran 1940-1951, initially as a syndicated series until it got picked up by Mutual in 1942. The stories were multi-parters told in fifteen minute installments at a rate of five a week until 1949, when the show switched to half-hour stand alone episodes (though most of the latter type are lost). The title role was portrayed by Clayton "Bud" Collyer, who would gain later fame as a TV game show host. In the supporting roles were Joan Alexander as Lois Lane, Julian Noa as Perry White, and Jackie Kelk as Jimmy Olsen. The proceedings were narrated by Jackson Beck, who also voiced copy boy Beany Martin.
The Atom Man (38 parter)
Der Teufel has acquired a shard of kryptonite which he has made into a solution that, when injected into a subject under his control, will make that person able to fire kryptonite powered blasts that can kill Superman and thus allow the Third Reich to rise again.
Batman's Great Mystery (11 parter)
Batman disappears with a mysterious stranger who threatens to publicly reveal his dual identity if he doesn't come along. When he resurfaces, he's giving speeches supporting an isolationist group that opposes the Marshall Plan.
Doctor Bly's Confidence Gang (14 parter)
A gangster is displeased that one of his underlings killed a federal agent in public. But when he realizes that she's a dead ringer for Lois Lane, he cooks up a nice little frame.
Doctor Roebling and the Voice Machine (16 parter)
On their way back to Metropolis, Clark and Jimmy spot a reclusive inventor whose new invention is rumored to have been insured for ten million dollars on the train, looking as if he’s worried about being shadowed.
Drought in Freeville (16 parter)
Clark and Lois head to a farming community to cover an unseasonable dry spell that they're experiencing. While there, they find some war veteran homesteaders targets of racial and religious bigotry from the locals which might somehow be connected to the drought.
Knights of the White Carnation (14 parter)
The leader of the bigoted Knights of the White Carnation is incensed over the fact that four of the starters on the Metropolis High basketball team are from immigrant families. So he brings up false reports linking said players with professional gamblers as a start of a greater effort to spread his brand of intolerance.
Note: The conclusion of this adventure partially spills over into Part One of The Man Without a Face.
The Man Without a Face (15 parter)
Kent must find the son of a now-deceased Daily Planet foreign correspondent who may be the key in preventing one of Hitler's former advisors from plunging the world in nuclear war.
Note: Not only does the conclusion of Knights of the White Carnation spill into the first part of this adventure, but the conclusion of this one spills over into Part One of The Mystery of the Lost Planet.
The Meteor from Krypton (2 parter)
In this intermediary story, Kent learns that Dr. Whistler has just died and the ownership of the kryptonite that was in his possession is in the air.
The Monkey Burglar (10 parter)
An incredibly acrobatic thief has been fleecing several high-rise apartments and the police have evidence to suggest that it's being done by none other than Robin.
Mystery of the Lost Planet (13 parter)
Kent recounts for a Sunday supplement the story of the despotic ruler of the dying planet Utopia and his plans to invade Earth to make it his race's new home.
Note: Originally broadcast with Beck narration under the title Planet Utopia. The conclusion of The Man Without a Face spills over into the opening episode and the conclusion of this story spills into the opening episode of The Phantom of the Sea.
The Phantom of the Sea (12 parter)
Lois and a correspondent with a reputation for being a crackpot are at a fishing village in Canada where the local industry is at a standstill due to reports of a sea serpent and find that there may be more to this than mere superstition.
Note: The conclusion of The Mystery of the Lost Planet spills over into the opening episode and the conclusion in turn spills into the opening of Superman vs. Kryptonite.
The Scarlet Widow (11 parter)
The Scarlet Widow has obtained the kryptonite meteor and plans to sell fragments of it to enemies of Superman at a million dollars a pop.
Superman Vs. Kryptonite (34 parter)
Racist politician George Latimer, who has been stuck in prison for a year thanks to Superman, is now free and is ready to take on the Man of Steel thanks to a piece of kryptonite bequeathed to him by the dying Laugher.
Note: The conclusion of The Phantom of the Sea spills over into the opening episode of this story.