A superhero’s welcome

Spirits were sky high, sometimes literally, at Wednesday night’s world premiere of “Superman Returns.”

At the after-party, the cast -- Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane), Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor), Parker Posey, Frank Langella, James Marsden and that hot new Man of Steel, Brandon Routh -- were all ecstatic about the raves for the iconic superhero’s return to the big screen.

The top-secret party location, according to the clever Daily Planet party pass, was due to concerns that the evil Luthor might crash Sup’s party. The bash turned out to be in an open-air venue on the Veterans Administration grounds -- just a quick limo hop from the nearby Mann Village and Mann National theaters in Westwood. The movie opens nationally Wednesday.

Spotted in the family-style crowd: a blond Roseanne Barr with her son Buck; former small-screen Superman Dean Cain; Eva Longoria and her arm candy, Tony Parker; Josh Jackson; Shaquille O’Neal; Virginia Madsen; Michelle Trachtenberg; Anna Paquin and Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Routh (pronounced like “south”) brought his real-life mom, who carefully smoothed her 6-foot-3 son’s hair before photogs snapped him arriving at the bash.

But guests had more to do than mingle. Some lined up to be snapped for a souvenir Daily Planet front page. Others snarfed down-home vittles in a Smallville cornfield setting. Many hung out nibbling sushi and cocktails in Luthor’s disco-like lair, complete with laser lights.

A few guests even tried to fly.

That sporadic deafening roar heard through the night came from a 747 engine-sized fan that simulated sky-diving for those brave (crazy?) enough to climb into flight suits and slap on helmets. “Imagine throwing yourself into a tornado,” explained the machine’s operator. Um, thanks, but no thanks.

A far more popular exercise was the strap-in Gyroscope. But most parents only dared let young children leap on trampolines with bungee harnesses around their middles for a fleeting feeling of flight.

Bosworth sought relief from fans and the press in a well-guarded celeb section with her on-again beau, Orlando Bloom, who has his own even bigger premiere for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” on Saturday at Disneyland.

The blond actress affectionately rubbed Bloom’s back and kissed him lingeringly. Bloom kept close watch when his girl was pulled away to pose cheek-to-chest with her super on-screen love interest. He even barked a cautionary “Hey!” when Routh squeezed Bosworth a little closer. No worries, Orlando -- Routh’s girlfriend, Courtney Ford, was watching too.

So where’s Superman/Clark Kent been? Seems he flitted off to Krypton to find his family, leaving behind a really annoyed Lois and a worried mom.

In reality, the character’s return was trapped in Hollywood Development Hell for a decade until 2004, when “X-Men” director Bryan Singer signed on and made his vision: a more human -- and sexually active -- superhero who returns to Earth to find that his true love has a 5-year-old son and is involved with another man. Oh, and that his nemesis Luthor is out of jail and taking over the world again.

Routh handled it all -- the long press line and the onslaught of congrats and photo requests at the party -- like a pro. But he’s gotta feel like he’s landed on another planet. The unknown actor explained that he has gone from wearing Superman pajamas as a kid and dressing up like Superman for Halloween in 2004 to landing this lead role a year later.

His on-screen mom, Eva Marie Saint, wasn’t worried about Routh getting warped by overnight fame. “Brandon will be just fine. He’s very grounded and disciplined,” she said.

Still, she did have one beef with the actor: no flight lessons.

“I didn’t get to fly once,” Saint complained. “I’ve told the producers that I’m not doing the next movie unless I get to fly. Superman should take his mom flying at least once!”