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The year is 2006. For nearly 20 years, the Man of Steel has remained absent from the cinema, leaving the world with the embarrassing Superman IV: The Quest for Peace' as his legacy to be remembered by.

When Superman: The Movie' opened in theatres in 1978, it was hailed as a great American movie, and this cinematic spectacle fueled Superman's reinsertion into mainstream pop culture. However, the producers misinterpreted the public's increasing desire for "super cinema" as a request for crap, and they ended up giving birth to three sequels, each one more nauseating than the last.

By 1987 it appeared as though the Kryptonian's dominating presence in the world was a thing of the past.

So how did he regain his clout?

It began in 1993, when Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman' made its debut on television. Loyal fans watched a show focused on Clark Kent's personal and romantic life for four seasons. Unfortunately, the show was taken off the air in 1997 due to low ratings.

Nearly 10 years later, the Man of Steel appeared to the online community under the direction of Barry Levinson (Rain Man). The short 10-15 minute clips show a hilariously oblivious Superman in ordinary situations (i.e. avoiding the Green Lantern, going to see a Broadway musical) with a new best friend Jerry Seinfeld. Originally created as a series of commercials for American Express, the AmEx Web site boasted an audience of 2.4 million people during its first week of being released another win for our favorite superhero.

Also, let's not forget Clark Kent's latest and possibly most viewed appearance Smallville'. This television show managed to miraculously burst through the WB's bubble of mediocrity by securing a fan base of over 8 million viewers. Armed with a stunningly creative writing team, Smallville' manages to capture the teen angst, confusion, and sexiness of Superman as a teenager in rural Smallville, Kansas. The WB manages to stay true to the plot lines of the original Superman movies without having any direct contradictions yet is still able to create a new world of stories and direction. Smallville' aired in November of 2001 and is showing no signs slowing down. It is entering its sixth season.

With such a solid support, it was only a matter of time before someone bold enough would step up to bring Superman back to the movie theatres.

Director Bryan Singer (X2, X-Men) was the man for the job. Armed with a production budget of over $260 million, Warner Bros. Studios was ready to finally

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