The infant Kal-El, of the planet Krypton, makes his journey to Earth in a ship constructed by his father, Jor-El, just as the planet explodes. Crashing down in the midwest United States, the boy is adopted by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent. After Jonathan's death several years later, Kal-El - now known as Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) - learns of his true identity from the ghost of Jor-El. He has great powers - he can fly, outrun a train, and lift up a 1-ton truck. But it isn't until he gains a job at Metropolis' Daily Planet newspaper that things begin to come together. One night, after leaving work, he sees a helicopter crash on the building's roof. From this night on, he will be known by a new name...SUPERMAN! His mission: "To fight for truth, justice and the American Way". Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), however, has other ideas - to sabotage a pair of nuclear missiles and use them to create an earthquake that will wipe out the California coastline. Superman must race against time and stop a sinister plan by Luthor to eliminate him before millions of innocent people are killed.

Daily Planet Lobby, 220 East 42nd Street and 2nd Avenue, Manhattan.

otsoNY Comments: New York City doubled for Metropolis, while the New York Daily News served as the location for the Daily Planet. Brooklyn Heights was also used. Filming in New York lasted five weeks, during the time of the New York City blackout of 1977. Brief filming also took place in Grand Central Terminal.

Daily Planet, 220 East 42nd Street (btw 2nd and 3rd Avenues) Manhattan.

Grand Central Terminal, 89 East 42nd Street and Park Avenue, Manhattan.

9 West 57th Street (btw 5th and 6th Avenues) Manhattan.