87 Atom Man Powers . Superman is a 1950 american film serial and the second superman movie serial featuring kirk alyn, credited only by his character name, superman. Reece explains that he chose the name molecule man out of a love of alliteration even though his power makes even atoms seem clunky, and that his abilities function at deeper levels, with him going through a list of more appropriate names proton man, or quark man. Superman (film serial) the atom man, in a markedly different form, was the title villain of the second superman film serial, atom man vs. When lex luthor blackmails the city of metropolis by threatening to destroy the entire community, perry white, editor of the daily planet assigns lois lane, jimmy olsen and clark kent to cover the story. The second atom was the silver age atom, ray palmer, who first appeared in 1961.