Continuity mistake: After Clark reads the 'Drop Dead' cover, he stands up and walks down the newsroom, all puzzled. The number of people and their positions has no continuity at all between shots.
Continuity mistake: The same man next to Lois on the train is standing on the platform a second later.
Continuity mistake: After the "Drop dead" cover, Jimmy Olsen talks to Lois. In the close-up of Lois while she says "He looks like my father," the journalist behind her is standing up. An instant cut later, he is seated.
Continuity mistake: When Superman leaves Lenny at the school, a group of kids gather around the gate. On the far right there's one with a red hat, an Afro-American boy with a football, and one with a jacket who grabs the gate. A shot later these last two have vanished but can be seen in the background, metres behind. When the priest exits, half a second later, half a dozen more boys have appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
Continuity mistake: When Perry White dismisses Warfield, a woman in yellow walks towards the escalators. A shot later, the escalators are empty, and she is walking towards them again.
Continuity mistake: When Nuclear Man steals the Statue of Liberty, its pedestal looks normal. When Superman puts it back in place, the pedestal is missing a huge chunk (surely because of some FX going wrong). In further shots, it's fixed.
Continuity mistake: When Moscow's Red Square scene begins, the tanks and soldiers parade in front of the authorities (a combination of matte painting and a real set). When Superman arrives, a second tree has appeared next to the one on the left. On the right side, an unfinished painting has replaced the previous huge wall, trees, and decor. (International theatrical, TV, and LaserDisc releases).
Continuity mistake: Before Nuclear Man finds the newspaper with Lacy's photo, he is at Lex's lair kneeling down, then starts to fly. Big clouds of smoke come out of his wrists, but an instant cut later in the close-up, the smoke is gone.
Continuity mistake: Nuclear Man dents the floor with his footsteps, but in a wider angle the floor is intact.
Continuity mistake: Two firemen are seen away from their truck, but when the angle changes six firemen have appeared seemingly from nowhere.
Continuity mistake: When Nuclear Man arrives on Earth, he enters a shady place which makes him lose his power and cools his body, producing some frozen-like smoke. The next two times that he enters a dark place (inside the elevator and in space) he doesn't produce the smoke.
Continuity mistake: When Superman is walking with the kid towards the UN, they pass by a fire hydrant and one can see the street ahead is empty. A shot later another hydrant suddenly appears but the white benches disappear.
Suggested correction: The fire hydrant in question is actually two. The one they first pass is slightly faded with chipped paint. The next shot you see a different one that is fully painted red. The next shot shows the crowd passing the first hydrant seen.
Continuity mistake: The shape and size of the volcano is totally different between the moment when Nuclear Man enters it, to when it erupts.
Continuity mistake: After Superman straightens the US flag, a brief shot shows he is on a plain ground, but when he is knocked down by Nuclear Man, a big mount appears in front of him.
Continuity mistake: When Lacy is in outer space grabbed by Nuclear Man, she slides down dramatically and grabs on his wrist. Half a second later, the sliding effect is gone and she is now floating relaxed, grabbing the upper part of his arm.
Continuity mistake: Mr. Warfield asks the little boy to repeat "I wish Superman had said yes" and places his hand on the kid's shoulder. The shot changes inmediately to a close-up and the arm and hand are gone.
Continuity mistake: While the people in the village are watching the lava flow down the streets, the first shot shows them to the right of a wooden door. A frame later they are positioned several feet further, close to a big green plant.
Continuity mistake: When Nuclear Man buries Superman, there's a huge rock near the hole. When Superman comes out, the rock has disappeared.
Continuity mistake: When in the subway, Superman is standing by a 6 foot poster of the Statue of Liberty. When the shot changes to a flying Superman, he is a third of his size and the poster is huge.
Continuity mistake: Behind where Nuclear Man lands there's no school bus on the wide shot, which is a matte painting, but a frame later one appears and stays there for the rest of the scene.