The Mechanical Monsters is the second of the seventeen animated Technicolor short films based upon the DC Comics character Superman. Produced by Fleischer Studios, the story features Superman battling a mad scientist with a small army of robots at his command. It was originally released by Paramount Pictures on November 28, 1941.

A robot flies into a scientist's secret lair and unloads a pile of cash into a vault. The robot is controlled completely from the scientist's command center, and many robots similar to it are lined up along the walls of the lair. The front page of the Daily Planet reports the "mechanical monsters" robbery right alongside an announcement for the display of 50 million dollars of the world's rarest gems at the local museum.

Later, as Lois Lane and Clark Kent are covering the museum's exhibit for the Planet, a robot lands in the street outside. The police pelt it with machine gun fire as it marches towards the museum, but the bullets bounce harmlessly off. Museum visitors, including Clark and Lois, flee as the monster marches towards the jewels and begins loading them into an opening in its back.

While Clark phones the Planet from the nearest phone booth, Lois climbs into the monster's back, just as the monster leaves the museum and takes off into the sky. Clark emerges from the booth, notices Lois gone, and says, "This is a job for Superman!" He goes back into the phone booth and changes his clothes, emerging in his classic red-and-blue costume.

Flying high above the city, Superman spots the robot and uses his X-ray vision to see Lois inside with the jewels. He lands on it and struggles to open the door in its back, only to have the scientist maneuver the robot upside down and throw him off into a power line, tangling him in the wires. As the robot is upside down, the door flies open and all the jewels fall out, with Lois surviving only by hanging for dear life until the robot flips back over.

Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Story by Seymour Kneitel
I. Sparber
Voices by Bud Collyer
Joan Alexander
Jackson Beck
Music by Sammy Timberg
Animation by Steve Muffati
George Germanetti
Studio Fleischer Studios
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) November 28, 1941 (USA)
Color process Technicolor
Running time 9 min. (one reel)
Language English
Preceded by Superman
(aka The Mad Scientist) (1941)
Followed by Billion Dollar Limited (1942)

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