Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
Superman: The Animated Series
S1.E12
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Tools of the Trade

  • Episode aired Feb 1, 1997
  • Unrated
  • 21m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
617
YOUR RATING
Superman: The Animated Series (1996)
ActionAdventureAnimationFamilySci-Fi

Intergang boss Bruno Mannheim receives powerful alien weapons from a mysterious benefactor.Intergang boss Bruno Mannheim receives powerful alien weapons from a mysterious benefactor.Intergang boss Bruno Mannheim receives powerful alien weapons from a mysterious benefactor.

  • Director
    • Curt Geda
  • Writers
    • Mark Evanier
    • Jerry Siegel
    • Joe Shuster
  • Stars
    • Tim Daly
    • Dana Delany
    • Michael York
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    617
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Curt Geda
    • Writers
      • Mark Evanier
      • Jerry Siegel
      • Joe Shuster
    • Stars
      • Tim Daly
      • Dana Delany
      • Michael York
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos8

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 3
    View Poster

    Top cast10

    Edit
    Tim Daly
    Tim Daly
    • Superman
    • (voice)
    • …
    Dana Delany
    Dana Delany
    • Lois Lane
    • (voice)
    Michael York
    Michael York
    • Kanto
    • (voice)
    Lauren Tom
    Lauren Tom
    • Angela Chen
    • (voice)
    Bruce Weitz
    Bruce Weitz
    • Bruno 'Ugly' Mannheim
    • (voice)
    Joanna Cassidy
    Joanna Cassidy
    • Maggie Sawyer
    • (voice)
    Joseph Bologna
    Joseph Bologna
    • Dan Turpin
    • (voice)
    Michael Ironside
    Michael Ironside
    • Darkseid
    • (voice)
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    Kevin Michael Richardson
    • Al
    • (voice)
    • (as Kevin M. Richardson)
    Philip Maurice Hayes
    • Blaine
    • (voice)
    • (as Phil Hayes)
    • Director
      • Curt Geda
    • Writers
      • Mark Evanier
      • Jerry Siegel
      • Joe Shuster
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1

    7.4617
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7ccthemovieman-1

    Rolling Out More Mechanical Weapons Against Superman

    The Metropolis Gold Exchange is under attack from a huge green tank! The Special Crimes Unit is there in a hurry but can't stop this tank. As the big green machinery crashes through the front entrance, suddenly it's pulled back. Superman has arrived as is dragging the big tank back outside! He takes care of things, the SCU is insulted by a wise-acre female reporter (not Lois) and the man behind the scheme, Intergang leader Bruno Mannheim, is frustrated.

    However, someone comes to Mannheim "bearing gifts," which include "The Armature." an extremely powerful alien weapon.

    After some interesting battles, at the very end we are introduced to a new villain: Darkseid. I presume he appears in the next episode, or one coming up. There are still six adventure stories left in this first season DVD

    Overall, this was entertaining and had the usual bold, beautiful colors which look really nice on my small flat-screen TV. Being an inanimate object rather than a living being, "The Armature" was not a villain you could really get involved with or root against.

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Still frame
    Adventure
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The character Dan "Terrible" Turpin was visually modeled after the character's creator, Jack Kirby. His first appearance in the episode "Tools of the Trade" also marks the first series appearance of "The Fourth World" characters and concepts that were Jack Kirby's major modern DC Comics creations.
    • Quotes

      Bruno Mannheim: [about the new weapons] What's your boss want in return?

      Kanto: Nothing... for now.

      Bruno Mannheim: It's my experience that "nothing" can get very expensive.

    • Connections
      Featured in Superman: Timeless Icon (2021)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 1, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros. Television Animation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 21m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.