16. Superman (1948) / Atom Man vs. Superman
Worn by: Kirk Alyn
Kirk Alyn was the very first actor to ever play the Man of Steel on any screen, appearing in two black-and-white movie serials between 1948 and 1950. He certainly looked the part for each of them, showing off that iconic hair curl that Superman is known for while striking all of the signature poses.
Being that the first serial was the first time the suit ever appeared on-screen, it had to look good. Thankfully, it did, bringing the traditional Man of Steel look to life. It's interesting that it didn't opt for the classic Fleischer suit design (which had become incredibly popular due to the animated specials at the time) as it too would have looked great. Nevertheless, given the limitations of the time, the suit looked awesome.
Yes, it's not exactly up to today's standards - particularly because the woollen top had ribbed cuffs, making it look more like a jumper instead of a superhero uniform - but it has aged a bit better than most of the original wave of superhero suits, and we're not going to waste words talking about that on every one of the Man of Steel's early costumes.
This was a very strong, comic-accurate start for Superman.
15. Adventures of Superman
Worn by: George Reeves
George Reeves took on the role of Superman in the character's first ever TV appearance, playing him on the Adventures of Superman series for six seasons. During that time, he wore two suits; one which was designed specifically for the black-and-white episodes, and one for the color seasons.
The second of those was in the traditional red and blue colors, which highlights just how close to the comics the show was going. It worked well, too, because there was something larger-than-life about seeing the Man of Steel make the jump from the colorful pages of comic books to the live-action world of television. But Reeves was the right man for the part, ensuring that the hero lived up to the hype.
The suit was obviously a big part of the selling point, and Reeves wore it well. Yes, like Alyn's it suffers from the limitations of the time, specifically because it looks like he's just wearing a light jumper with an S on it. Furthermore, while the muscle suit that Reeves wore underneath the suit definitely sold the idea that Superman was well-built, it did often leave the suit looking a little bulky.
But again, it was limited by what was available at the time, so taking that into account, this was pretty great for a first adaptation on television; and there was no denying just how triumphant Reeves made it all look.