NEW YORK CITY — Tom Cruise hopscotched through Manhattan on Wednesday during a fast-paced promotional tour for the premiere of "Mission: Impossible III."

Cruise traversed the city -- catching rides on a fire truck, helicopter, motorcycle, speed boat, sports car and subway train -- to hit three screenings of the movie and make two publicity stops.

Hundreds packed Times Square to greet the 43-year-old film star, who appeared on MTV's "Total Request Live" for the first leg of tour.

"You're a wonder of the world," host Vanessa Minnillo told Cruise, who channeled "Mission" alter ego Ethan Hunt in a sleek black leather jacket, black turtleneck and dark shades.

Meanwhile, a fire truck arrived to give Cruise a lift to his next destination: a heliport, where a helicopter waited to whisk him to a premiere downtown.

"These are my buddies," Cruise said of the firefighters. "These are my heroes."

Less than an hour later, he pulled up on a motorcycle to the first opening of the movie at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center as hundreds of fans whooped and hollered, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hollywood royalty.

The fans -- mostly students from nearby high schools clad in giveaway "Mission" T-shirts -- got more than a glimpse. Cruise shook hands, signed autographs and posed for pictures on the red carpet.

"Tom! Tom! I love you, man!" yelled 15-year-old Steve Chu.

Cruise, smiling widely, gave Chu an autograph.

Another student, Rebecca Hwang, was scolded by a security guard for forming the classic rabbit-ears gesture behind Cruise's head while taking a picture with him.

"I wanted a natural picture, not 'Oh my god, he's a movie star!'" Hwang, 15, explained.

In a grand exit, Cruise waved at the crowd, jumped behind the wheel of a glistening orange sports car and sped away.

Gushed Maryann Caputo, a volunteer at the Tribeca Film Festival: "Oh my god, he's adorable!"

Cruise's fiancee, 27-year-old Katie Holmes, gave birth last month in Los Angeles to the couple's first child, a daughter named Suri.