The interpretations of Superman in dramatic form since his comic-book conception in 1938 are legion: from Bud Collyer’s voice both on radio and in the Max Fleischer animated shorts in the 1940s to Brandon Routh in the 2006 Bryan Singer–directed feature film, with dozens of stops in movie serials, television, feature films and even musical theatre along the way.

Writing in late 2005 prevents me from dissecting Routh’s performance, but it might be both instructive and amusing, as he becomes the tenth actor to don the cape and tights (or at least provide voice for same), to compare the performances of his nine predecessors.

Of particular interest is how each of these thespians managed the inherent duality. One of the more interesting challenges of playing this particular part is that it’s really two people in one: Superman and Clark Kent. Anyone taking on this role has to play both the mild-mannered reporter from the Daily Planet and the world’s greatest superhero.

(For the purposes of this essay, we’re sticking with Superman. There have been four people who’ve played the younger role of Superboy: Johnny Rockwell in an abortive 1961 pilot, John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher in the 1988–1992 syndicated Superboy series, and, after a fashion, Tom Welling in the current series Smallville. There are a variety of reasons for this, but I have to confess that a total lack of interest in the character of Superboy—or not-Superboy, as they’re doing on Smallville—keeps me from sitting down with these three  …