Superman B-Day Villain: The Tax Man

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to spoil Superman's birthday with a single tax bill ...

Dean Cain, who played the Man of Steel in the '90s TV show "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," has been hit with two tax liens totaling $193,719 ... just in time for Supe's big day ... TMZ has learned.

To mark the 75th anniversary of Superman's comic-book birth, Uncle Sam and the state of California hit up the actor for unpaid taxes from 2011 and 2012.

We reached out to Cain ... so far, no word back.

Superman -- putting a big red "S" in IRS.