5 Weirdest Moments in Superman Movies, Ranked

Superman has a strange history on the big screen. Richard Donner’s first movie remains the gold standard of the genre, introducing a selfless hero into an inherently selfish world. However, things take a turn after that, with Superman II having two different cuts that drastically change the story. The two sequels that follow aren’t much to write home about, so much so that Superman Returns, a legacy sequel, ignores them altogether. The DC Extended Universe reboot comes after that, and while it’s something new, it doesn’t push the Man of Steel in the right direction, choosing shock value over heart.

With a new take on DC’s strongest hero in the mix with James Gunn’s DC Universe, things are on the up and up. But that doesn’t mean the situations the hero finds himself in are getting any more normal. Here are the five weirdest moments in Superman movies, ranked.

5) Saving Baby Joey (Superman)

The first wacky moment to make the cut for this list comes from the Man of Steel’s first DCU appearance, Superman. While in Lex Luthor’s pocket universe prison, Superman makes friends with Metamorpho, another methauman the villain is blackmailing. They realize that they need each other to escape, but they can’t do that before securing Metamorpho’s son, Baby Joey.

The prison break is already wild on paper, and the dial hits eleven when the heroes find themselves going down an anti-proton river on their way into a black hole. It feels like a moment ripped right out of a comic book, for better or worse.

4) The Amnesia Kiss (Superman II)

Superman prefers living a double life, as it allows him to keep his loved ones safe. Not every iteration of the character can keep up the facade, though, as Lois Lane is always hot on his tail. Well, in Superman II, after Lois figures out the truth, Superman kisses her and makes her forget all that she’s learned.

The “amnesia kiss,” as it’s been dubbed online, is very controversial because it’s not a power the character typically has in the comics. But the background of it really doesn’t matter, as it’s still a bizarre moment, since Lois is probably going to figure it out all over again.

3) Superman’s Bad Behavior (Superman III)

Heroes often have to fight evil versions of themselves; it’s essentially a rite of passage in the superhero genre. Superman III takes that idea to another level by introducing Evil Superman, a being created after the Man of Steel was exposed to red Kryptonite. His whole deal is that he’s the worst parts of the hero, always wanting to give in to dark temptations.

While blowing up a few things and knocking buildings over are understandable pastimes for an evil Superman, binge drinking and being a womanizer are more out of a bad comedy than a superhero movie. It’s a good thing he unites with his better half by the end because he’s just the worst.

2) The Tornado Incident (Man of Steel)

As previously mentioned, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel doesn’t follow in the footsteps of its predecessors. Nowhere is that more obvious than the way it handles Superman’s parents. Pa Kent in the 2013 movie isn’t super amped about his son’s abilities, wanting to hide them out of fear that people won’t understand him. Unfortunately, that comes back to bite him.

When a tornado hits Kansas, Clark Kent and his father work to get everyone to safety. Pa runs back into danger to get the family dog and doesn’t give himself enough time to get back. Instead of having Clark quickly grab him and make it look like the tornado just set him down somewhere, Pa calls off his son and lets the weather event take him.

1) “Save Martha!” (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)

Man of Steel‘s sequel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, doesn’t care about the critiques, continuing to walk to the beat of its own drum. The biggest way it does that is by turning Batman into a killer with a vendetta against Metropolis’ resident hero. The two heavyweights clash in an epic fight that sees the Dark Knight get the advantage over his foe.

Just as Batman is about to strike the killing blow, Superman stops him by saying, “Save Martha!” because Lex Luthor has his mother captive. The choice of words sends Batman spiralling because Martha is also the name of his dead mother. While it’s nice that Snyder pointed out the coincidence, it’s hard to describe the choice to make it the emotional crux of the movie as anything but odd.

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