Superman: The Movie starring Christopher Reeve was directed by Richard Donner. The film was released in theaters on December 15, 1978. Topps Chewing Gum issued two series of photos cards and stickers for the first film.

Series 1 was released in 1978. The first series is comprised of white bordered cards numbered #1–77, six blue paper stickers, and six foil stickers. Series 1 is sold in black boxes and black wax packs. Packs were originally sold for 20 cents each in 3-pack bundles and boxes of 36. Each wax pack contains ten cards, a stick of bubble gum, and a sticker. A 21 x 27 inch Press Sheet was sold through mail for $2.50 and one wrapper.

 

Series 1 contains blue paper stickers. The odds of receiving a foil sticker are about 1:2 packs. The Superman emblem foil stickers in Series 1 are metallic. The foil stickers are often damaged by print roller marks and gum sugar.

 

 The card backs feature a puzzle piece or a production factoid. There are many variations of back errors due to a misoriented printing plate. Like many Topps releases of the era, ink smudges and poor centering are common occurrences.

  

 The S-shield emblem used by the film was illustrated by Bob Peak. Card #64 features an image of Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The cover artwork is by an unknown DC staff member based on an interior panel by Superman co-creator Joe Shuster.

An nearly identical set was released by Topps Ireland and distributed by Trebor in the UK. The UK set is comprised of 66 base cards and no stickers. The wax packs were originally sold for five pence and there are 48 packs per box. Each pack contains five cards and a stick of bubble gum. The UK box image is different, substituting the American flag with the photo from card #1.

A 74-card set was distributed in New Zealand by Allens & Regina Ltd. Each pack contains 3 base cards and a stick of bubble gum. The Allens & Regina series does not include any stickers. The New Zealand boxes feature the American flag photo from card #63.

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Series 2 was released in 1979. The red bordered cards are numbered #78–165. Series 2 is sold in green boxes and yellow wax packs that indicate an "All New Series." The photo of Superman and the American flag on the display box is not included in Series 2. The second series may be confused for Superman II due to the red border design and similar nomenclature. Series 2 includes six red paper stickers and ten foil stickers.

A 132-card set that combines both series was released in Canada by O-Pee-Chee. The O-Pee-Chee cards contain all white borders. O-Pee-Chee wax packs originally sold for 15 cents and there are 36 packs per box. Each pack contains ten cards, a stick of bubble gum, and a paper sticker; no foil stickers were included. The text on the O-Pee-Chee cards and packaging is printed in English and French.

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In 2001, the Topps Vault released the original 1978 color proof sets to the public. Some of the original 1978 base cards have been stamped in gold foil by Topps as buyback inserts in 2002 American Pie: Spirit of America Edition, 2011 American Pie, and 2013 Topps 75th Anniversary. Reprints and parallels of card #37, "Night Flight," were issued in 2013 as part of the Topps 75th Anniversary series.

Topps first issued Superman trading cards in 1965 with a test series for The Adventures of Superman television show. A 1966 test issue for Superman in the Jungle was later licensed to A&BC gum in the UK. Topps released trading card sets for Superman II in 1980, Superman III in 1983, Supergirl in 1984, and Superman Returns in 2006.