Kal-El is the last scion of the doomed planet Krypton, sent to Earth by his father Jor-El (Marlon Brando) in a desperate bid to ensure his survival. Found and adopted by a farm family in Kansas, Kal-El finds as he grows that he has powers far beyond those of mortal humans. He takes on the identity of Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Planet in bustling Metropolis – but when he's not dodging his boss Perry White or falling for his colleague Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), he's saving lives and fighting the evil forces of criminal genius Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) as Superman.