Action Comics #259: "The Revenge Of Luthor!"

Action Comics #259
"The Revenge Of Luthor!"
December, 1959

Script: Jerry Siegel
Art: Al Plastino

Who is the most powerful man on the planet? The Man of Steel! And who was the most powerful boy on the planet? The Boy of Steel! Superboy grew up in Smallville and as Superman, made Metropolis his home. His feats as the Boy of Steel will never be forgotten, but there is no longer any need for mere memory. Superboy exists once again, existing at the same time as his older self! And this incredible situation inspires -- "The Revenge Of Luthor!"

As the Man of Steel does an aerial patrol of Metropolis, he sees an aircraft about to be struck by a meteor! Superman catches the meteor and discovers it's Red Kryptonite! As he tries to get rid of it with his super-breath, the Man of Steel recalls the dreaded substance was formed years ago when fragments of Green Kryptonite passed through a cosmic cloud. While Green Kryptonite can kill Superman, Red Kryptonite has unpredictable effects upon him! He becomes dizzy and loses all control of his movements! He starts to fall... The Red Kryptonite has affected him, for the Man of Steel's fall has knocked him unconscious! Superman is plagued by nightmarish faces rushing towards him!!

A crimson haze blots out all thoughts. After a supreme effort, the Man of Steel open his eyes once more. He is grateful to have escaped this particular encounter with Red Kryptonite with no serious after-effects! No bones are broken! Everything appears to be normal. As he starts feeling lucky, Superman turns and sees Superboy! The Boy of Steel sees the man he will grow up to be... Superman! Superboy can't exist at the same time as the Man of Steel! He ceased to exist years ago when Superman became an adult! The Red Kryptonite must have pulled him out of the past and deposited him in the present! If this is true, the Boy of Steel will never see Ma and Pa Kent again!

With Lana Lang grown up now and his adopted parents deceased, Superboy feels like his whole world has collapsed from under him. Recalling that villains have tried this trick on him, Superman uses his x-ray vision to determine if Superboy is a robot! The Boy of Steel does the same. Both are flesh and blood, and both share the same bone structure! Superboy suggests they test their fingerprints. Microscopic-vision reveals the markings on their hands are identical! Both of them are now existing simultaneously! At a nearby freight yard, the Man of Steel would like to see if Superboy possesses all of his super-powers! Both are stronger than a locomotive! As the Man of Steel uses his heat-vision to melt a mountain, the Boy of Steel bores underground.

Now at a molten strata, Superboy kicks up a fuss, and heaves a new mountain up out of the ground. After telling the Boy of Steel the location of his Fortress of Solitude, the Man of Steel changes back to Clark Kent, and is about to return to the Daily Planet. Superboy is about to change back to Clark, but is reminded by his older self if people learn they now exist simultaneously, and if they see a young Clark Kent with an adult Clark Kent, their secret identities would be undone. Older Clark wonders if his younger self has been made stupid by the Red Kryptonite. If it made him stupid, his older self must have been given a terrible temper! Superboy is ordered to go to the Fortress of Solitude and remain there until he is summoned with an ultra-sonic whistle!

At the office of the Daily Planet, Perry White asks Clark to go interview the president of the Metropolis Trust Bank about their new branch. The mild-mannered reporter can't stop thinking about his younger self! He hopes Superboy won't make any silly mistakes that will seriously affect his activities as the Man of Steel. As Clark reaches the bank, a strange ship descends from the sky. A startled guard figures it must be a Martian spaceship! The beams from its portholes may turn out to be death rays! As the costumed crooks exit from their disguised helicopter, they enter the empty bank, and plan to wipe out any stragglers! After swiftly assessing the situation, the mild-mannered reporter changes to Superman, and uses his x-ray vision to identify the alien invaders as wanted criminals! As he soars in, the Man of Steel collides with his younger self!

Both Man and Boy of Steel are stunned for several seconds, giving the criminals enough time to make their getaway! After apologizing for losing his temper, Superman asks Superboy to help him catch a counterfeiter! At "Flashy" Burke's hotel room, the Boy of Steel seizes a locked box, and uses his x-ray vision to peek inside! As he sees the counterfeit bills, they suddenly catch on fire! The counterfeiter laughs at the accidental use of heat-vision to destroy the evidence. His older self demands to know if he can control his super-vision powers?

The Man of Steel recalls being rather clever as a youth, but this Superboy... has suddenly become distracted by a rodeo! The sight of the flying Boy of Steel causes the bulls to get excited. The rodeo has become a riot! After rounding up the bulls, Superman tells Superboy to stay away from him! The Boy of Steel doesn't want anything to do with a hot-headed Superman, either!

News of this startling development spreads throughout the entire world. One person in particular is extremely interested in this startling development, Luthor! For years, the Man of Steel has been the bane of his existence, but now thanks to Red Kryptonite, Luthor has got an excellent opportunity to get rid of Superman! He will pit the Man of Steel against himself, in the form of the Boy of Steel! The stupidity of Superboy against the temper of Superman will prove to be their utter downfall! One day, as the Boy of Steel is on aerial patrol, he spots Luthor's trap to capture him! Figuring no one would deliberately put him on guard by putting up a sign on a real trap, he decides to enter! He soon passes out within the Kryptonite-lined trap!

Later that very day, Superman is challenged by his younger self, and loses consciousness while fighting a Superboy robot whose interior is packed with Green Kryptonite. Man and Boy of Steel revive within an underground arena. Luthor reveals Lois Lane and Lana Lang are both his prisoners! If either of them attempt to penetrate the force-globe, the force rays will kill Lois and Lana, who are not properly insulated against the rays. As Superman warns his younger self not to do anything stupid, Superboy warns his older self not to lose his temper!

Luthor orders them to battle to the death! If the Man of Steel dies, Lois Lane will die! If Superboy dies, Lana Lang will die, too! If they refuse to fight, both Lois and Lana will die! With Lana Lang's life at stake, the Boy of Steel moves at super-speed, and forces his older self to the floor! The Man of Steel rebounds from the hole in the ground and delivers a kick...WHOOSH! As Lois yells for them to stop fighting and get Luthor, the evil scientist assures the girl reporter that he understands human nature, and has thoroughly planned this!

Man and Boy of Steel fence with one another via heat-vision! Both are equally invulnerable! Luthor realizes this is a case of the irresistible force meeting an immovable object! He has prepared an alternate plan. After ordering Superman to lie face down, a double-chambered metallic cabinet rises from the floor. The Boy of Steel enters one of the chambers and closes the door. After that, the Man of Steel is allowed to rise once more. The lead cabinet is impervious to his x-ray vision. His younger self is in one of the chambers. There is a Green Kryptonite meteor in the other. Superman is to open one of the doors immediately! If the Superboy door is opened, the Boy of Steel will be killed with Kryptonite, and the rest will go free! If Superman opens the door with the meteor, the Man of Steel will die, and the others will go free! Luthor has calculated Superboy's return to the past, when the effects of the Red Kryptonite wear off. Now, Superman must choose who will die!

He can't possibly win. No matter what choice he makes! If he chooses the Kryptonite door, he will die! If he chooses the Superboy door, his younger self will die! If Superboy dies, he could never have grown up to become an adult, and would cease to exist! His super-hearing detects the Boy of Steel's foot behind the left door tapping in morse code the word H...E...R...E... Is his younger self sacrificing himself.. or... is Superboy trying to trick him via super-ventriloquism? He would do anything to save Lana! Luthor's voice urges him to choose now, or Lois and Lana will die! Luthor's laughter rings in the Man of Steel's ears as he awakens at the very spot where he had fallen after the collison with the Red Kryptonite meteor. It was all a Red Kryptonite-induced nightmare! Luthor is currently in prison! If his younger self had materialized, they would have made a fine team! Superman is relieved, but as he reflects upon the dream, a question remains. What if it hadn't been a dream? What choice would he have made? The Superboy door or the Green Kryptonite door???

This story was reprinted in 80 Page Giant #1 (August, 1964).

Viewers of The Adventures of Superman know that the Man of Steel is more powerful than a locomotive.

Green Kryptonite is fatal to Kryptonians. Red Kryptonite has unpredictable side effects. White Kryptonite affects plant life. Blue Kryptonite affects only Bizarro. Gold Kryptonite permanently robs a Kryptonian of their super-powers.

Superman lost his adopted parents when he was Superboy.

Lana Lang was a childhood friend of Superboy in Smallville.

The Man of Steel may subconsciously blame himself for his adopted parents' death and was taking it out on his younger self.

Superboy had his Secret Citadel and Superman has his Fortress of Solitude.

J'onn J'onzz is the Manhunter from Mars.

The Man of Steel and the Boy of Steel both built robots in their own likeness to take care of their dual identities.

Lana Lang, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor all share the same initials.

There is a classic saying about a comic book story not being a dream, imaginary tale, or a hoax.

This story was a Red Kryptonite-induced nightmare and the Man of Steel is spared from making a life-threatening choice.

Steve Chung
"The Review Of Luthor!"

Superboy 79, "Life On Krypton"

Superboy 79, "Life On Krypton"

  March 1960
Originally posted 8/13/2001
by Jerry Siegel and George Papp
In January 1960, when this book probably came out, I was barely 7 years old, 5 months into second grade, walking the 5 (long) blocks to school by myself (though there usually was some parent at the corner of Willow and Cedar Hill to make sure nobody got killed trying to cross this incredibly busy street), and dealing with my very first teacher from Hell. (Not sure I knew that word then.)
Mrs. Wilson was pleasant enough, I suppose, as long as you did everything exactly her way and agreed with her every notion on how life was supposed to run, but throw any sand in the gears and boy, did she let you have it. Mrs. Wilson was a firm believer in discipline via public ridicule. By the end of my two year stint in her regiment (she arranged to teach me in third grade too, somehow) I'd learned never to open my mouth in class unless I was forced to.
Because of this, many future teachers decided I was shy. I wasn't shy, I just wasn't going to give any satisfaction to the enemy. If they wanted my name, rank and serial number they could look it up.
Anyhow, on this particular occasion (no matter how I spell that word it looks wrong- at least it doesn't have a red line under it.) Mom had given my a quarter for school. I was supposed to turn that quarter over to the dreaded martinet for something or other. But I couldn't turn it over unless she announced she was gonna collect them. Which she didn't - for a week! Finally, this damn quarter burning a hole in my pocket, I raised my hand out of turn and asked her about it.
After being made to feel like a complete moron in front of everybody for throwing off her train of thought, I went home with the quarter still in my pocket. Now I'm in a really bad mood. I got yelled at for nothing. I got a quarter in my pocket that nobody wants.....
Well what would you have done with it?
I went down to Vinnie's Soda Shop and bought two comic books! (and probably a candy bar). One was Superboy 79 and the other was Detective 276 (The Return of Bat-Mite)!
Unfortunately I was a lousy sneak, and an even worse liar. I managed to finish the Superboy before my mother caught me, but the Detective was history before I got to it. I got yelled at again, for (in my opinion) no reason at all, was incarcerated in my room (no problem, I was sulking anyway) and decided that all adults were crazy and from now on I wasn't talking to any of them ever again.
Sadly, I still don't have a copy of Detective 276, though I'm sure I've read it at some point, but the miracle of E-bay has restored little baby Kal-El to my hot little hands, so I can decide whether it was worth all that long ago angst and aggravation.
We start off with one of those great Mort Weisinger covers, showing baby Kal-El in his mother's arms, as his evil father, blasts his poor doggy into outer space! Jor-El looks grim, Krypto looks pitiful, Lara looks ready to kill, Jor-El's dressed in green, the rocket is yellow, Kal is blue. There are tears all over the place. A marketing dream of a cover. Probably sold over a quarter million copies. (Eat your heart out Paul Levitz.)
The story begins, like almost all Superbaby stories, in the "present". (1932? Superboy's timeframe was never really clear back then) Superboy has invented a mind-prober ray, designed to drag his youngest baby memories from deep in his subconscious, so that he can dictate them to Mom and Dad Kent and reconstruct his "Life on Krypton". Later it would be stated that he needed this because repeated exposure to Kryptonite had made it hard for him to remember what happened to him as a baby. This change must have been in response to some know-it-all fan letter that questioned this flaw in Superman's invincible "super memory." But for now, it was just a frame work to get us into the baby story, and it provided a neat visual of Superboy with his head stuck into a cosmic hair dryer while Ma and Pa looked on with wrapt astonishment.
We begin with some random Kryptonian vignettes, designed to show how wonderful life was in paradise, before the fall. Kal-El's baby crib has a mechanical arm that will automatically catch him if he falls out. His Kryptonian bubble pipe can blow any shaped bubbles: pyramids, cubes, dumbbells, etc. He watches 3 dimensional TV, the home weather machine projects a waterproof dome over the house, so Kal can play in the rain. He has a rocket ride that looks like it belongs in an amusement park in the backyard.
But mostly he seems to wander around alone (except for his doggy) looking for someone to pay attention to him. He wanders into Jor- El's lab and listens to his father dictate into a computer, using voice recognition software. Jor-El predicts Krypton will soon blow up, ending all life. Then Jor-El takes Krypto away from baby Kal and blasts the little mutt into space, (right in front of his bawling son) and as usual, screws up so that Krypto doesn't come back down. Traumatize the kid for life why don't you? No wonder he's incapable of forming a normal relationship!
Lara is so pissed, she takes Kal and returns to Mother's. Mom isn't home though, so they visit a robot show to pass the time, and Kal gets himself locked inside one of the demonstration models. (On Earth, Mom would be in jail for child neglect). Then they go to an amusement park where Kal watches an underwater battle between Lightning fish and cannonball clams. At another exhibit, he visits the planet of 100 moons and then- wonder of wonders!- there's an exhibit showing a typical small town on Earth, which Kryptonian scientists have viewed through their telescopes. (Sort of like a diorama of life in primitive Africa or caveman times you might find at Yale's Peabody Museum) The small town is (wait for it) Smallville!
To make sure they can see it up close, children are outfitted with rocket tubes so they can fly around the exhibit. To protect them from the rocket exhaust they wear fireproof capes. (What protects them from crashing into the ground and breaking their necks I have no idea.) After flying right over Ma and Pa Kent's house (Oh, the irony!), Kal moves on to see the atomic clock. There, scientists ridicule the notions of the mad-scientist, Jor-El, that Krypton will soon blow up. Forgetting that she's left the jerk, Lara rushes to Jor-El's defense. Abandoned again, Kal sneaks away and interferes with an exhibit showing another space rocket being launched. The new rocket, knocked off course by Kal's meddling, hits Krypto's ship in space and sends it careening out of orbit.
After Lara's tearful reunion back home with Jor-El, he explains that Krypto was never supposed to have been launched into space, but the rocket's anchoring chain broke. The ever-gullible Lara forgives him, despite the transparentness of the lie. But all's well that ends well, as Krypto's rocket mysteriously lands back on Krypton. Kal tries to claim credit for rescuing his dog, but of course no one believes him. That's it kid, learn to keep your mouth shut. No one's interested in your opinions anyway.
So the story ends, with a boy and his dog together again. Even if Mom and Dad are complete gits.
But wait a minute? Didn't Krypto actually get sent to Earth? Was Jor-El really stupid enough to try the same trick again?
Keep reading future issues and maybe ol' Uncle Mort will tell you!!!
So what did this seven-year-old think? Well I had mixed feelings. First I was mad because it wasn't a three-part novel. I had thought Life on Krypton worthy of at least that many pages. And the other two stories were awful. (I still think they're awful). Second, the story appeared to be continued. How was I ever going to get the next issue? Especially since that one had already been destroyed? This was too much psychic trauma for a kid to handle. (I was sort of mollified, and mystified, when the story wasn't continued in the next issue. In fact, Life on Krypton stories dribbled out very slowly over the next ten years. I think there were only six of them all together).
But the story itself fascinated me, all those Kryptonian gadgets, and that baby wandering all over the place by itself, getting into all kinds of mischief without being punished. Heck, he even got his dog back! What a life! Let's all move to Krypton, where it doesn't make any difference that all the adults are crazy.
This was, I'm pretty sure, only Kal-El's second appearance as a speaking toddler on Krypton. Up until now, it had been pretty much assumed that ol' Supes had been a babe in arms when he was blasted into space. Now he definitely appeared to be at least two years old.
This finally explained something that had been puzzling readers since the early fifties. How did Superboy know he was from Krypton? There had been that famous story in Superman 61 wherein Superman first encounters Kryptonite and follows the meteor's trail back to Krypton and discovers his origin for the first time, but this story in no way explained how Superboy would know anything about the planet. Yet he clearly did, mentioning Krypton at least as far back as Adventure 170.
Fortunately a seven-year-old who had only been reading comics for 4 years didn't have to worry about stuff like that. I was just glad Superbaby got his doggy back.
(Update: I finally got a copy of Detective 276 and can finish my train of thought...)

Superboy #153, "Challenge of the Cosmic Invaders!"

SUPERBOY #153, January 1969; DC Comics; Murray Boltinoff, editor; featuring 
"Challenge of the Cosmic Invaders!"  Script by Frank Robbins, pencils by  Bob
Brown, inks by Wally Wood.  On the cover by Neal Adams, Superboy  struggles in
vain to hold back his foster parents, the Kents, from being sucked  into
nothingness by a pinkish mist that has invaded their living room.  (a  scene
which, as we shall see, never precisely appears in the  story)

Review by Bill Henley

An early harbinger of the end of the  Silver Age was Mort Weisinger giving up
the editorship of SUPERBOY to Murray  Boltinoff during 1968, a couple of
years before Weisinger retired altogether.  Boltinoff made an effort to give the
Boy of Steel's title a fresher look. He  assigned newspaper strip veteran Frank
Robbins to the scripts and put more  emphasis on action and suspense rather
than the familiar Weisinger plot  twists.  Art-wise, Boltinoff parted ways with
longtime Superboy artist  George Papp, bringing in Bob Brown and-- on some
issues including this one-- the  legendary Wally Wood, who could make anyone's
pencils, including those of the  competent though unspectacular Brown, look
exciting.

On the splash page,  a series of panels shows a peaceful but utterly deserted
town of  Smallville.  "The houses are hushed....not even the twitter of birds
disturbs the eerie silence...something is wrong....WHAT?  WHERE ARE THE 
PEOPLE!"  The one person who is still around is Superboy, who is flying his 
patrol high above the town when he sees a U.S. Mail bi-plane (this is supposed  to
be the 1930's, remember) suddenly go into a tailspin.  Superboy rights  the
plane and guides it to the ground, thinking the pilot has fallen  unconscious,,
but he is shocked to find that the cockpit is empty, though he is  certain
the pilot neither bailed nor fell out.  He is further baffled to  find the
airport deserted and an abandoned gas pump filling a plane's tanks to  overflowing.
"Day's beautiful enough to make anyone want to goof off and  go fishing, but
not like THIS...l!  I'm worried!"  He's even more  worried when he arrives
back at the Kent home and finds it too deserted, with a  boiling pot left behind
on the stove.  Rushing out into the streets,  Superboy realizes that the
entire town of Smallville is deserted.  Did they  all evacuate in the face of some
sudden danger?  Spotting a police car  patrolling the outskirts of town,
Superboy accosts the cops and asks them if  they have seen people fleeing. 
"Superboy, we may have little to do when  you're around, but we'd have seen them!" 
But when the police drive back  past the Smallville city limits sign, their
car goes out of control and  crashes-- and Superboy finds that the two officers,
too, have vanished.   Fearing that he is somehow responsible, Superboy
wonders, "Have I been cursed by  some EVIL POWER?  Every human I TOUCH-- or come
into contact with--  VANISHES!"

As Superboy prepares to start another desperate search for  Smallville's
inhabitants, he hears voices emanating from various inanimate  objects, boasting
that they can tell Superboy where his parents and friends have  gone, because
they made them disappear.  "Despite your invulnerability and  incredible power,
you cannot harm US!  WE ARE THE INVISIBLE EMPIRE!"   (The Ku Klux Klan used
to describe themselves that way, but no, this isn't an  early example of a
"relevant" story with super-racists as villains.)    These aliens come originally
from the "dwarf neutron star, Lethos", and they are  disembodied beings, an
"elemental force" inhabiting the very molecules of the  air, the street, and
everything else in Smallville.  And Smallville itself  is the site of their
"pilot project" for the conquest of the entire Earth. (For  a supposedly
small,peacful, typical American town it's remarkable how many alien  invasions, cosmic
disasters,and super-villains Smallville managed to attract  over the years.  At
least the producers of TV's SMALLVILLE came up with the  mutant-creating
Kryptonite meteor storm as an explanation of sorts as to why  that little town was
such a magnet for trouble. Actually, a page or so later  Superboy deduces
that the aliens chose Smallville specifically because of him,  taking his family
and friends hostage in order to neutralize his power and force  his
obedience.)  Moreover, the aliens demand Superboy's help in their  conquest.  "No power
on Earth or in the heavens can force me!"  Not so  fast, the aliens warn; they
hold the entire population of Smallville prisoner in  the form of
"disembodied molecules".  "Only WE have the secret of the  GENETIC CO-LINKAGE LIFE FORCE
which held them together initially!  And only  we can provide the cosmic
adhesive to bring them back into being!  If you  do not do our bidding, they will
remain disembodied for ALL TIME!"

When  Superboy expresses skepticism as to the invaders' abilities, they
demonstrate by  bringing Ma Kent back into corporate existence briefly-- still busy
at her  cookstove-- only to have her vanish again out of Superboy's arms. The
Boy of  Steel concedes defeat and asks what the aliens expect him to do.  The
answer is, since they are limited in their mobility, they want Superboy to
bring  to them in Smallville the "leaders of the Earth's great nations", so
that they  can "iinfiltrate their brain cells and thereby destroy their leaders! 
Then...the WORLD IS OURS!" 

As Superboy flies off to gather the  world leaders, the aliens warn, "No
tricks!", but a trick is just what our hero  has in mind.  He speeds first to
Madame Tussaud's famous Wax Museum in  London, where he finds and absconds with
utterly lifelife wax figures of leaders  such as Hitler, Mussolini, and Winston
Churchill  (Remember, again, this is  the 1930's.  Or is it the 40's?  It's
not clear if World War II is  already supposed to be in progress, but before the
war started, Churchill wasn't  a "world leader", just an out-of-office
British politician.)  Seeking to  make these fake leaders "convincing enough to fool
the most brilliant assemblage  of brain-power in the universe", Superboy
provides them with robot brains and  simulated internal organs, and then imbues
them with pseudo-life by means of a  Frankensteinish "nuclear-energizing power
source" that shoots the wax figures  with lightning-like bolts.  His first
creation, "Benito Mussolini", gives a  lifelike fascist salute and shouts, "I am
Il Duce...VIVA IL DUCE!  I build  a new Roman Empire...I am the new Caesar! 
HAIL CAESAR!" to which Superboy  replies, "Don't take yourself too seriously,
Musso!  You're just  WAX!" 

Assembling his creations back at Smallville town hall,  Superboy announces to
the alien invaders that he has fulfilled his  mission.  The aliens want to
insure that the leaders are not merely "clever  replicas", but their suspicions
are lulled when each leader stands and (with the  aid of Superboy's
super-ventriloquism) gives a tupical spiel; "I am HIROHITO,  emperor and supreme ruler
of Nippon, land of the rising sun!"  "I am  Stalin!  Arise, workers, and cast
off your chains!"  "I am Der  Fuehrer!  Today we conquer all Europe...tomorrow
the world!"  As his  creations do their act, Superboy muses, "I'm not sure the
world wouldn't be  better off if the cosmic invaders did take over from the
REAL dictators!"   (Though Mort Weisinger established early in the Silver Age
that Superboy's  exploits took place during the 1930's, he rarely if ever made
any reference in  the stories to real world events of that time.... perhaps to
forestall readers  wondering why, if Superboy grew up during the rise of
Hitler, he didn't take a  more direct hand in stopping that ultimate
super-villain.  Apparently  Boltinoff and Robbins here, in their attempt to give Superboy's
adventures a new  look, decided to try to tie his exploits more into the
history of this  time.  Later in Boltinoff's run on SUPERBOY, however, in
collusion with new  Superman editor Julius Schwartz, he jumped Superboy's time period
two decades  ahead into the mid 1950's, so that the Superman of the 1970's
would not be  approaching Social Security age.) 

Before he will allow the aliens  to take over the brains of the world
leaders, Superboy insists that they keep  their word and restore the population of
Smallville to corporate  existence.  And so they do, as Ma Kent reappears at her
stove.  And  then the aliens enter their new bodies, and at first are quite
satisfied with  the deal they have made, not realizing they inhabit bodies of
wax, not flesh;  "Hail Il Duce!  I feel at home here!"  "Da!  Also is
comfortable  in here!"  But then "Hitler" wonders just who another figure on hand, not 
identifiable as any world leader, is.  "He's unknown to you!  But he  will
determine your DESTINIES!  Meet Professor MESMER...the worlds first  and
greatest hypnotist!"  As the waxen Professor begins to fix his gaze on  the other wax
figures and swing his watch chain, Superboy directs, "Okay,  Professor, do
your stuff!  MESMERIZE!"   And "Mesmer"'s spell  causes each of the other wax
being, inhabited by the aliens, to fall into a  deep, unbreakable sleep.  But as
a satisfied Superboy prepares to return  the wax figures-- with their new
"guests"-- to the confines of the wax museum, a  single alien, inhabiting the
eagle-head top of a flagpole, declares, "You may  have betrayed the OTHERS, but I
was too QUICK!"  "For want of a nail, a  kingdom was lost!  Will this one
slip-up cost Superboy the world he  loves?"

In between parts 2 and 3 of this Superboy saga, we have house ads  for ANGEL
AND THE APE and BINKY'S BUDDIES (a sign that humor, along with other  genres,
was overtaking superheroes in popularity) and a "Wonderful World of  Comics"
text page written by Mark Hanerfled aka the "Inquiring Fanatic". The  page
contains a short bio of Jay Scott Pike, the artist mainly known for romance 
comics who produced the one-shot career of Dolphin in SHOWCASE #79, and a fan 
letter (actually a compilation "from various letters" inquiring, "Whatever 
happened to....Metamorpho, Dial H for Hero, Plastic Man, Rip Hunter Time Master, 
Secret Origins, House of Secrets, Sea Devils, etc., etc., etc?  Mark  advised,
"All of the above titles and strips have been discontinued, for one  reason or
another."  He went on to explain the various reasons for  cancelling series,
starting with low sales but also allegedly including the  unavailability of a
particular writer-artist team, shortages of production staff  or "press time",
etc.  Yet another fan question on the page was "whether or  not today's
Superman and Batman are the same Superman and Batman that appeared  in the Golden
Age".  Mark replied, "Both the Superman and Batman strips  have changed and
developed in the 30 years of their existence and most of the  fans I know consider
the first few years of each strip to be about the Superman  and Batman of
"Earth-Two".  It helps explain the little inconsistencies,  such as the fact that
Clark Kent worked for the Daily Star in the first few  strips, and that
Luthor was originally depicted as having red hair."

As  we return to Superboy's plight, it seems he has utterly failed to save
his town  or his world, for even though only one alien escaped his "mesmerism"
trap, that  one can "split like an earlhly amoeba...inhabit many bodies!"  And
unless  Superboy carries out his original mission of bringing the real Earth
leaders, "I  will turn Smallville into a human wasteland for all time!  You
have one  hour to comply!"  But as Superboy bitterly muses over his failure,
while  returning the wax "leaders" to their museum, a figure of the midget Tom
Thumb  standing inside a glass bottle gives him an idea for a new plan. Sneaking
back  into Smallville, he asks Ma Kent (who is blissfully unaware of having
been  disassembled) what is the most powerful dye she owns.  "RED!  It's a  very
powerful, aniline dye!"  In his cellar lab, he creates "temperatures  higher
than any known on Earth" I(I'll bet that violates  Smallville fire  codes and 
the terms of the Kents' homeowners insurance) in order to create  out of red
dye and one of the Krypton-glass portholes of his childhood spaceship  a
"vitreious compound as invulnerable as my own skin!"  Warning the  populace of
Smallville to evacuate, he confronts the invisible and intangible  alien alone. 
Chugging down his jug full of reddish compound and then, with  an "explosive
burst of super-breath", spewing it forth over the entire town of  Smallville,
Superboy spots the alien, a sluglike, tentacled creature now made  visible by
the red dye.  (Oddly enough, nothing else in town is tinted red,  just the
creature.)  The exposed alien boasts, "You forget,  Superboy....that I can change
my shape and substance into ANYTHING!  So...I  become a SPREADING RED MIST! 
Something you cannot TOUCH...or FIGHT!"   But Superboy exults, "Just what I'd
HOPED you'd do!" as, "drawing in his mighty  breath with massive suction, " our
hero inhales the misty alien completely into  his invulnerable lungs, from
which it cannot escape.  (If this story were  to be printed for the benefit of
today's youth, it would probably inspire a lot  of schoolyard jokes about how
"Superboy really sucks".)  Back in his cellar  lab, Superboy creates an
indestructible Krypton-glass bulb and exhales the  gaseous alien into it, sealing it
off.  "Hermetically sealed!  Now  you'll remain in there....like an evil
genie...for ALL TIME!"  But though  he has saved Smallville from alien conquest,
Superboy's duty to his hometown is  not quite done, as he groans, "And now I've
got to face the prospect of a  massive cleanup of Smallville's square!"  (Could
it be that scripter  Robbins intended that Superboy's super-breath dye job
did indeed "paint the town  red", and that the colorist didn't follow his
instructions?) 

SUPERBOY 66 - "THE FAMILY WITH THE X-RAY EYES"

SUPERBOY 66 - "THE FAMILY WITH THE X-RAY EYES"

COVER: The cover is of the Kents pleased at a Superboy experiment
which had give them X-ray allowing them--Martha to cook a roast for
dinner while Jonathan is using it on to light his cigar--while
Superboy is upset become his experiment lost is x-ray vision.
PENCILLER: Curt Swan
INKER: Stan Kaye


1. COVER STORY: "The Family with The X-Ray Eyes"
PLOTTER: Editor Mort Weisinger
WRITTER: Unknown
ARTISIT: John Sikela



This story is the one that my brother joked about.

It's begans off at the Kents' home as Superboy is trying experiment
with making his x-ray vision to see though lead and needs totally
darkness--but the Kents enter abruptly because Mr. Kent had forget
that his super-son need
totally darkness. It turns out that the Kents are fine--but Kal-El's
mechine is really for the junkyard.

The next day, a lazy Mr. Kent wants to see if the newspaper and
discover that he has x-ray vision and he tells Mrs. Kent who uses to
toast a two slices of bread. Superboy tries to get them to take
antidode--but the Kents tell them
they were be careful with it. Anyway, Superboy flies off to do this
usual
super-boy. This first one is to find a reporter that sneaked aboard
one of three rocket ship--and Superboy discovers he doesn't he
doesn't have his X-ray vision anymore--but our alien teenager come
up with using pieces of a meteor to locate the rocket that has the
reporter. As Kal-El is lifting him, he thinks that the flash from
the failed experiment had transferred his X-ray vision to the Kents--
and he decides to keep the lost of his X-ray vision from the Kents.

Meanwhile as Mrs. Kent doing her shopping, she discover that a train
moving towards a crossword with a unworkable signal--she uses the
heat of the full power of her x-ray vision to make the signal red.
At the same time, Superboy next job is to melt the ice around a
cargo ship with explosives. Superboy come up with a idea--by taking
a few portal holes from a sunken ship--and creates a "gaint lens"
which melts the ice--thought the crew of the cargo ship assumes that
it was Superboy's x-ray.

A problem pops up at Smallville hospital when their X-ray can't
detect glass and if they don't find it--their paitent is going to
die. While doctors are hunting down Superboy, Mr. Kent using his x-
ray vision to melt a tar road to trap some crooks. By this time, the
doctors has located Superboy and tells him what's up--Superboy uses
a his finger to locate the glasses-and tells the doctor is the below
the third rib. Superboy sadly leaves and return home to hear how the
Kents used their X-ray visions. Superboy had accidently left his
private dairy open--and discover that Superboy lost his! Superboy
next jump is to clear a path of snow for ambulance--Superboy uses
his super-breath to suck up some fire from the Kent's cellar and use
it to clear a path.

Mr. Kent thinks of a way to double the power of his and Mrs. Kent's
x-ray vision--and gets the OK! from Superboy. Mrs. Kent wonders
what's going on in her husands mind as Mr. Kent tells that he knows
what's he doing. Superboyd discovered that Dad is using the mechine,
open the door and turn on the light--and the flash of energy
restores the Superboy's x-ray vision--thought the Kents lied--and
say it "failed"--but Superboy  said he doesn't need his X-ray vision
to see thought--and assumed that they guessed what happen to him and
remarks that "they are SUPER!"

2. "Clark Kent, Class Cheat"
Editor & Plotter: Mort Weisinger
Writter: Unknown
Artisit: George Papp


If this I was Uncle Mort, this is the one would have picked to be on
the cover.

This story begans on "Examination Week" at Smallville High School,
Clark "Superboy" Kent and Lana Lang are among the first to talk a
test.

Lana: Gosh, these geography question are tough, Clark!
Clark:  You said it, Lana! I hope I get a passing back.

The writer remarks that Clark might be joking since he has super-
wits--but as the papers are graded the teacher discover that it's
the first time that Clark has failed a test.  Clark fails a lot more
tests and gets his grounded by Mr. Kent--but after this night, Clark
flunks another test and he's send to the principal. Lana assumes
that the principal is going to denote Clark since he flunked so
often, but when the door closses.

Principal: Good work, my boy! You're bravely face the scorn of the
classmate and pretending to be a "dunce"..at my request! I hope you
parents doesn't mind this deception.
Clark: They don't, sir. They're co-operating in the pretense because
they know it's for a purpose.

I bet this was this is first hoax that Superman ever did! If any one
can find a early Superboy hoax--I'm eat a grilled crow with a slice
of humble pie.

We learn from the principal that certain students are cheating on
the exams--but they don't know or what's the methods. It's turns out
Clark as Superboy offered himself to the "undercover agent". (Holy
James Bond, Batman! -- Dr. Thinker) They expect a racketeer is
selling the items. Clark vows to play dumb until they "smoke the
culprit out!"

[Some of these lines look funny as small letters. The real issues
they look better because CAPTIAL LATTERS! I'm just shrinking them
because CAPTIAL LETTERS annoys most internet surfers. - Dr. Thinker]

It has some adventures--because he decide on super-boy job and
writes "Don't Know" on his paper. It's turns out Superboy had
overheard the general science teacher telling the princpal that he
needs more mineral specimans for his exam. He collects some mineral
and give to the general science teacher. As soon, Clark fails on
purpose to name his own minerals. Later, he gets corner by Johnny
Carson and gets a cheating glasses from him--who tells Clark to use
him in Clark's math test. Durning the math test, Clark  discover
that glasses
has  special filler that lumious equations painted on the window
become visible when you look thought them--but some equations are
missing so that the cheater won't get more then a passing grade and
arouse suspicion! Clark decides to go a 100% on this exam. It works--
and Clark's ruse unmasked the person behind the cheaters' supplier
as "Humbug" Hilton, a notorious con-man. Clark's super-memory
recogizes him from police poster. Mr. Hilton claims that it was
just "dumb luck" that Clark got 100%. Johnny gives double the usual
amount to Mr. Hilton. Clark decides to teach a lesson to the
cheaters. Mr. Hilton gang had finished setting up. First class up is
Zoology class, where serval boy cheaters uses special pens--but
Superboy uses his x-ray to short circut things. Next up for the
cheaters is history, where up Superboy uses his super-ventriliquism
to give the fifth president instead of the first to a cheater. Third
is chemisty for the other boy cheating is trying to get Mr. Hilton's
crooked flag waver--but get a eye full of Superboy's clothing
costume. Using his super-powes, Superboy gives the cheaters the
wrong answers for the entire exams. The cheaters are upset and try
to get money back from Mr. Hilton, but Superboy appears to get
Hilton and says that he will tell the principal and the police.  The
principals tells the cheaters that when you cheat you cheating
yourselfs out of valuble knowledge you will need later in life--to
make his point crystral clear--he makes the cheat wear dunce cap--
and revelas to the cheat that Clark was playing the dunce to trap
the guilty party. Later, as Clark Kent is retaking the exam, he's
thinking the follow:

"My super-memory and super-speed would allow me to finish all these
exam in brief moments! But I'll have to pretend that it takes me all
afternoon to answer the questions or I'll 'cheat' myself out of my
sercet identity!"

Oh, what a weird and wonderful world that Sliver Age's DC universe
must have been! I was born too late!


3. "The World Thought Superboy's Eyes"
Editor & Plotter: Mort Weisinger
Writter: Otto Binder
Artisit: George Papp


This story begans off at Lana Lang's house as her father, Prof. Lang
is giving her a camera that can develop the film itself--and is told
to open the back of camera after one mintune. She decides to take
picture of full bloomed flowers--but Lana sees the snapshot she's
gets a puzzle of bird-eye flew of Smallville--but she notes a cape--
and assumes it's Superboy's cape. Lana thinks it's a freak accident.
Superboy is on his way to vist Johnny Otis at the [Smallville]
Hospital again. It's turns out Lana snap another picture with the
camera, and gets a picture of banagaed power. Lana thinks Superboy 
oftens vist the hopstial to cheer up patients. Superboy has super-
boy to see thought a vault. The picture Lana gets his a picture of
gears of steal vault. Superboy ready to ahead home for lunch and
pleased that no one Superboy lives the Kent sas Clark Kent. But
Clark's identity in his danger, because Lana is still using the
freak camera. The next two pictures she takes are the pictures of
her next-door neighbors, the Kents, and picture of hands polishing
Clark's glasses. Now, Lana is sure that Clark Kent is SUPERBOY!

But now, Superboy discovers what's happening--and notes that two
pictures exposes his double-identity. This morning, Prof. Lang asked
Superboy to  a picture of a new comet discovered--and that comet
maked the film to take picture of what every Clark sees that moment--
so he quicky gets out the Kent house. Lana hides the comet-effected
camera under a parakeet's cage cloth--then "she's going to pretend
that she's out of earshot!" Using his super-breath, she makes Prof.
Lang spot the camera. The sciencist has a idea to get picture NO ONE
has see before. Here's list of all the science's picture.

1. The heart of a voilent explosion!
2. The famous sunked ship, the Titanic, under water
3. The very center of Earth core's.

By now Superboy has discover a way to cover up his sercet identity
from Lana's big nose-no often to Lana Lang fans. He gets challege by
given
by a biologist to stump him and he donate $1,000 to charity.
Superboy does stump him with the following picture:

4. Miscrobes and algae in pound water--as seen by Superboy's
microscope vision.



Lana is pleased that she's gets the camera back--unware that
Superboy is up to something. He going to use his super-speed to get
hospital so when Lana snaps the picture it will be the same time as
Johnny Otis's bandage are
removed at 5 P.M. But when examines the picture after the last snap,
she discovers that bandaged boy is Clark Kent! As Superboy planned,
Lana makes another reason for the two earlier photos (The Kents and
the sight of Clark's glasses)--Superboy was picking them up while
Clark was undering a treatment for face rush or burn. Superboy
reveals that he tricked her by wearning his own glasses and move his
hands as if he was putting them on Johnny. Later, as Clark and Lana
meet:

Lana: Sorry, I didn't see you at the hospital, Clark! But then, with
you face all bandaged up, I really wouldn't have seen you! Ha, Ha!
Clark: (thought) If only knew her joke is true!


--------------------------------------------------------------
Flying off,
Dr. Thinker

SUPERBOY #80

SUPERBOY #80 - "SUPERBOY MEETS SUPERGIRL!"

On the cover of this issue, Kara makes her first appearance with
Superboy--not counting "the Legion of Superheroes" of which both and
her teenaged cousin of part of them. The Kryptonian teenagers are
playing darts with
Superboy being a dart board--thought one again Uncle Curt Swan. This
issue is totally full of good stories--the dessert of the entire
mind meal!

1. "THE THEIF OF STEAL!"

I allow the introducing page's scroll near a picture show aliens
watching Superboy steals from their "Fortess of Riches" to summary:

      "In Smallville on Earth, SUPERBOY has always been know as
      a defender of law and order and bitter enemy of crimedom!
      But on another world far off in space one day, he is known
      as quite the opposite! Yes, you won't belive your eyes when
      you see the boy hero of Earth become the outlaw of ZOORIA!
And
      you never guess the strange twist of destiny transforms the
BOY
      OF STEAL into the "THE Theif of Steal!"


While on a camping trip with the Kents, their mighty son,
Clark "Superboy" Kent gets hit by rockful avalanche. The son broke
out the rocks and tells
his parents that the rock only ripped his Clark Kent sweater. While
Superboy his heat of his x-ray to clear the path of the landside,
two aliens are watching him, Zog and Jix. The aliens takes the Kents
and when Superboy
is done, they threat to kill the Kents if Superboy doesn't loot a
world
for them. Superboy shocking argees with them, but the alien crooks
are worried--but one of them remember of his powers. The alien give
them the command to use their shinny side of their ship as a mirror
to super-hypnotize yourself into aiding the vile aliens. "Refuse
and doom your parents" one of the aliens remembers. Mr. Kent
recalls the reason for Superboy's sercet identity--to prevent
being hostage for criminals! Superboy attempts to locate
space police--but find nothing--and argees with the crook. He
put himself super-hypntonic trance to go to Zooria and smash
it's law! Just to on the safe side, the crooked aliens lunch
a missle eye to follow him and show of  Superboy's move
to Zog and Jix.

On Zooria, Superboy smashes a robot and steals a safe
dropping it      on remote island. The Kent are displeased--but
Zog and Jix are pleased. Superboy's next job is knock
out gaint four-eye andriod--the writer states a andriod
is  a chemical-made man--and swipes sets a gaint jewel.
While on the island, Zoorian rocket ships spots him. They
quick attempt to load the riches into rocket--but not as
fast as Superboy's super-speed--but Superboy gets a nasty
suprize--Zoorian rocket ship are made from Green Kryptonite--
Superboy's
great weakness. After getting to safe distant away, Superboy plays
"bowling" with a boulder and knocks the rocket as if it their
was Earth-type "bowling pins." That's allows Superboy to steal
the riches from the Fortess--and drives his third load of
treasure to the remote island. Next, Superboy flies to
to Zoorian World Congress building to "over throw the
rulers!" He turns the Congress building into a jail--and
in the real Zoorian jail--he freeds the prision. Jix and
Zog are pleased--and take off for Zooria! When Superboy
returns, the Kent discovered the Superboy freed
the real rulers of Zooria--which was recently overthrow
by world-wide criminal upraising! Mr. Kent is suprized
by this twist! While he telescoping for space police ships,
he discovered crooked Zoorians took-overed--the Kent
are worried that Zoorians will tell other Zoorian
crooks in jail--but Superboy claim reveals that
young crooks like Zog and Jix are brain-washing
to be honest citzens! Later, Clark Kent and his
mom are watching his father attempting to hypnotize
himself into never doubting Superman again!


2. "THE SHYEST BOY IN TOWN"

As Jimmy Olsen would said--"Jeepers!" The introdude
picture has Lana and follow female girls are giving
Clark "Superboy" Kent a super-size headache! They
assume that avoidance of company is a "inferority
complex!", unware the Clark Kent is the mighty
boy of steel.

This very weird story begans off with Mrs. Kent is visting
Dr. Wiles, school pyschologist wondering why Clark avoids after-
school actives and almost all social life. Dr. Wile plans to use
Clark's friends
in attempt to cure Clark's "shyness". At Kent's home, Clark and his
parents
talk about days events. The next day, Dr. Wiles has a chat with Lana
Lang
and some of Clark's classmate. The first problem, Clark must deal
with
the football team's coach, who is cut a dummy rope super-thin--and
plans to put Clark on the football team after he smashes it. Lucky,
Superboy uses
his super-ventrio-quism to force Krypto smash the dummy into a
million pieces-giving Clark off the hook.

The next problem is cooked up by his neighbor, Lana Lang! Lana and
her girl will "spin the bottle" with Clark "Superboy" Kent. If it
the bottle points to a girl, Clark must kiss her-but all ofng Lana
Lang's twelwe tries to spin a bottle to point to the girl--end up
with point to Clark Kent. Lana thinks fate is against them, but they
didn't know that Clark used his super-breath till it pointed to him.
(Sharp thinking, Kal-El!)

Following day, Clark has to deal with another problem, when his class
decide to vote for the most popular boy in Smallville. Superboy
assumes
that "shyness" is mistaken for "inferiority complex!" When the
teacher
returns to count the votes--the ballots read "Superboy!"--much to the
teacher and the class. Girl assumes that they sub-consciously told
the truth--become Superboy IS the most popular boy in Smallville.
How did Superboy change the class vote from Clark Kent to Superboy?
He use a paper-clip to mass-super-hypnosis the entire class into
voting for Superboy.

After that day, Mrs. Standish, the Smallville princpal is trying cure
Clark of his shyness by using a fake bomb made from a "blowing ball"
and a candle.  Clark decides to have a little fun with Ms. Standish,
first by shaking off his glasses and then throwing the fake bomb the
other way. One of the students decide on getting Superboy's help.
Clark's thought replied is
sums up his feeling at this: "A nice fix! Now I'm have to help
myself!"


That night, Superboy  refers a high-school hockey game between
Smallville High & Grender High in which uses his teeth to get a
flying hockey puck. After the game, the students ask if Superboy can
drop off a fake super-suit at Clark house. The next morning, Dr.
Wiles watches as Clark Kent is
wearning a superboy outfit--unware it's Clark Kent's real Superboy
super-suit. Clark shocks the coach with his play of football! Clark
aslo insults
the the coach--by telling him that coach they is nothing to teach
the coach
can teach Clark. Following days, Clark drives his classmate crazy by
boasting
about himself--Clark is lying about becoming president--since was
born on Kpytron. The next he tries Lana Lang and her girlfriends
crazy at dance to the awe of Mr. Standish and Dr. Wiles. The next
day, Clark Kent shows
runs for G.O. President--the writer doesn't tell what G.O stand for--
I'm assuming Student President, thought--on his own ticket--"A Kiss
for Every
Girl Who Votes For Clark Kent!" Lana Lang is shocked--and remarks
that it
was a mistake to give Clark a costume because he become "vain as
[male] peacock." Another classmate remarked that he's fed up with
Clark's boasting
and wants to "the old shy and timid Clark Kent back again!"

Suprizing, Clark flies up! Did he expose his super-identity. No,
become
a student assumes that it is Superboy! Superboy reveals that Clark
Kent
was hidding behind a tree! Superboy lies that he's been impersoning
him
for days to show what might happen if Clark's personality was
changed. The Kryptonian stated, "I belive that a person have the
right to live this
own life without interference!" The classmate argees and circle
around
Clark Kent, as Superboy flies off, he thinks to himself that his
classmate
doesn't know that it was a "Clark Kent" robot. The next moring, Dr.
Wiles
decides on writting to Clark's mom to accept you as you are. In his
mind, Clark thinks to himself that everbody prefers the shyest boy
to the boldest
and most of all to me!

3. THE COVER STORY: "SUPERBOY MEETS SUPERGIRL!"

"We all had our dreams" -- Those words starts the introducing story
scroll next to a picture Superboy trying to find Supergirl--unware
that she's flying behind a lead meteor and laughing at him.
Superboy's greatest desire is to have a super-play mate to have fun
with! The scroll ask if: "Is Superboy doomedis his hope doomed never
to come true?" It's answer: "Yes..and..no!"

We began off as Kal-El and Kara are in their super-costume in the
deep in the heart of the "frigid antarctica" are making a colossal
snowman. Kara sights
ask "why Superman isn't smiling." Superman tells her that he
couldn't play
with other kids with out exposing his sercet identity and how he
longed
for a human playmate who was super, like Superboy.

Later after, Superman and Supergirl goes different aways. Supergirl
thinks
that she isn't going to feel sorry for Superboy and herself. Using
her
super-speed, she heads for the time when Superman was a Superboy.


In the past, Superboy flies thought the stratosphere over Smallville
on his regular patrol. Nothing happening needing Superboy, so he
decide on peeking on Tommy Dale's playroom to how some of Clark
Kent's
friends are doing. In the playground, the girls are playing hop-
scotch
while the boys are leaving to play baseball. As Superboy is thinking
the follow: "Baseball! Game requiring ordinary skill don't thrill
me! If only
I had someone with super-powers to play against me. Suddenly the--I
assume 15 year old--Kal-El is super-shocked by the arrival of
Supergirl!

Kal-El: You popped out of the empty air, wearing a costume like
mine, and
        you can fly, too!
Kara Zor-El: I'm your cousin [,] Supergirl, from the future! Glad to
meet
you, Superboy.

Quickly, Supergirl tells Superboy come how she come after the
destrution
from Krypton. The writer tells the reader that "see May
1959's 'Action Comic' for the full story of Supergirl's origin"
Kara's tells her strange origin and some bonus facts for those who
only pick readers "Superboy" comics:

"When Krypton blow up, by sheer luck, of the planet was hurled away
in
with people on it, together with a large bubble air. You father
brother,
Zor-El, was one of the survivors, when the fregment tured into [Anti-
]Kryptonite, he had it covered with a lead-sheet metal from his
laborator.
Years laters, Zor-El  took a life wife, and a daughter was born to
them... Me! But when I grow up into girlhood, meteors smashed holes
into the lead
shield...I was shot free of the my doomed people, in an expermental
rocket,
barely in time. Reaching Earth,I learned I was Superman's cousin. I
now live
on Earth, in the year 1960, aiding Superman..In the year 1960, I
masquerade as Linda Lee, an orphan in the Midville Orphanage! I
promised Superman to reveal my sercet to no one that I am on Earth,
but since you are Superman
when he was young, I guess it's all right for you to know it."

Kal-El can guessed the reason: "So we can super-romp together!"
Quicky, Superboy gets some materials from home lab then he and his
cousins fly
off to a secluded valley to play super-darts. Not totally suprizing
is
that panel 1 of page 4 of this story is the similar to the cover,
with
Superboy being super-dartboard for Supergirl.

Superboy decides on moving to out space--wonder that if anyone saw
her--it would betry the sercet of existance! Supergirl decides on
racing Superboy 
to a planet called "Hebos." Superboy quicky put his super-speed into
full
throttle--and thinks to himself--"Nice kid, but he's no match for
me!" But
when he arrives on Hebos, he discover a life-size stone statue of
Supergirl,
but he gets hunch! He uses his super-hearing to discover a heart
beat! Kal-El isn't fooled by Supergirl--and reveal that she got to
Hebos first and took a dip in molten lava! She reveals that she
didn't stop her heart--to see if
Superboy could find a clue. 

Kal-El: How did I mere girl here ahead of me?
Kara Zor-El: You'll just use to the idea that a Supergirl can be just
as super-duper as Superboy!

After a short talk, they play a catch with a lunar sattilite, space
leap-frog with space meteors. Superboy has trouble trying to find
Supergirl durning their game of "hide-and-go-seek", unware that
Supergirl had hide herself
in fierly sun! They go for the swim in a "completely water-covered
world", and get clawed by giant metal claws drived by mermaid. Using
their super-strengh they escaped the metal monster. On the way home
to Earth,
they discover two spaceship firing death ray at Earth--suprizing.
Worried
about human life form, Superboy and Supergirl uses their x-ray to see
that spaceships are run by robots! The two super-powered teenagers
turn the two spaceships so that the death rays or pointed at each
other.

On top of Mt. Everest, Superboy is saying good-bye to Superboy, but
Supergirl
has a horrible thought about "her and Superboy!" She is worried that
if Superboy is suffering from a Kryptonite fever he might accidently
reveal
her arrival to the to Earth! She think she's "goofed" and worried
that
Superman might exile me from Earth permanently. Suprizing, Supergirl
gets a super-brain storm and tells Superboy to go to purple triagle
moutain on the planet Albo, in the foreign galaxy Xurolu, to inhale
the fragrance  of the giant red flower which will make him forget
about the preceding week! As Supergirl flies back to 1960, Superboy
flies to the Ablo and exposes his lungs to it's red flowers.

In the 1960, Supergirl returns to her sercet identity of Linda Lee,
but thinks about one day--going back to see Superboy again!
Meanwhile, back
in the past, Superboy has return to his Clark Kent identity and join
his parents for dinner--while thinking I would he never know  the
joy of having a super-playmate.

The writer, "Wouldn't Superboy be amazed if he knew that his burning
desire actually come true?"

SUPERBOY #78

"SUPERBOY #78"

The third story is the one show on the clover. It's show the Kents
being hunting by a very strange ghost of Jor-El, which normal syuit
color is reversed. Aslo they is a small tale of Superboy in this
one, but when you open up the comic book to the first story of his
issue...it's called...

1. "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister"

This story can be found on line at the TransGender Graphics and
Fiction at "http://www.tgfa.org/index.htm" has it as the first story
under it's "Superman/Superwoman" story. This story begans as Clark
Kent is changing into Superboy in front of Mrs. Kent. He lands off
his mom's "feminine intuition!" While patrol for storm clouds,
Superboy spots a spaceship. Superboy startled the space woman flying
the spaceship. Using his super-hard body, Superboy turns a rock
field into sand. 

Superboy is discovers the alien name is Shar-La! Superboy insults
her again,
and Shara-La decides on teaching him a lesson. By the first panel of
page 3,
Superboy is a female! Superboy returns to Shar-La's landing sight
but she
had left Earth. The girl version of Superboy almost gives Martha and
Johanthan a heart attack! After telling what happen, Martha goes out
to by "dress" for the new "Claire Kent". The new female is yank
into "cooking" by Lana Lang, but the male-mind female doesn't want
to do it. While listing to "dreaming records" with Lana, our female
tomboy gets a weird message. Making
a hurried excuse, the lad..or..lass of steal is mind is all mix up.
For moment, the amusement is fine--but suddenly the wind blew the
Arrow Girl. The female-ized Superboy smashes a new hole in the
target, which allows the Arrow Girl to reach the net safely--but
she's neverous about revealing the "embrassing change" to the
Smallville citzens. Lucky, one of the citzens,
come up with a excuse. Superboy decides to call his female
side, "Super-Sister", pretending that she and Superboy switched
planets. The same
man insults Super-Sister by saying "you're just a girl!"  Super-
Sister
wants to know the weird mind message she gotten. At home, Mrs. Kent
tells it's "feminine intution", and reveals it's a six sense that
warns "many women of dangers in advance!" Kal Jor-El is pleased--and
states "the laugh is on Shar-La!", instead of punishing him--it give
him a new power--and it's working again. It's a SOS that reveals that
old Lana Lang is up to her own tricks again! Super-Sister has plan
for
Ms. Sercet Identity Hunter. In class, Lana tries to cut Claire's
fingernails, but at that moment, Lana spots  Super-Sister flying
past! It's turns out, Claire is one step ahead of the game by
coverting her Superboy. Again, Superboy gets another SOS--this time
for Wallibu Island! Super-Sister
saves a life of a tribe girl who tooks her father's death hood.
Super-Sister takes the death hood from the girl--and drives into the
lava. Super-Sister
swims in the lava as a normal human would do in a pool or lake of
water. Super-Sister laughs about "Shar-La!"

But on the way back to Smallville, Super-Sister meets up with coast
guard
towing a disabled freighter. Super-Sister learns that disabled
freighter struck a iceburg. The guards barely rescued them. It's
turns out that
"super-intuition" that Shar-La give only works for girl--not man!
The next
job is at under water show, where Super-Sister gives a shark--that
was
about to attack a female skindiver-- a super-shake up via it's tail.
Mr. Stone gets bad news when the skindivers quiets--but Super-Sister
decides
on putting on show! After the show, Superboy is stunned to see Shar-
La
is back. Superboy asks when did Shar-La change me back from a girl.
It's
turns out that Shar-La has been playing with Superboy's mind. Back
at home, Clark Kent overheards that Mrs. Kent wishes for a daughter.
Superboy thinks
to him that Ms. Kent did have a daughter--but only in his mental
vision, as
for Superboy, he's glad that he's back to home.

Many people have a belive that a story that Red Kryptonite
transformed Superboy or Superman into a Supergirl/Superwoman. I told
web master of the website I mention early that this story was
reprinted Shar-La's ring was accidently colored "red".

In "Superboy" comic in Adventure, Martha gets a super-daughter in
the form of Kara Zor-El when she plots to send a week in the path to
hide her sercet identity--in an attempt to prove that she can hide
her indentity.

Speaking of Kara Zor-El, in one of her story uses her super "female
intution" to solve a mystery about a red haired Supergirl.

2. "The Origin of Superboy's Costume"

This story is an "Untold Story Of Superboy!" This story begans off at
a grand opening of a new clothing store for boys. The owners had
asked
"Superboy" to help out. Aftering dripping into acid, being set on
fire,
and getting chew on my lions, a citzen asks how did he get this
costume--but he tells him--that it will reveal his sercet indentity.
As Superboy changes back into Clark Kent, he recalls how his super-
suit was made. He recalls his
landing as Kal-El, the discover of it by Kents. Pa Kent hides the
rocket
ship in the shed. Using the orphanage to hide Kal-El. Shortly, Kal-
El is
adopted--and called Clark Kent. After sometimes, the Kent discovers
Clark has super-powers! When Clark become a super-tot, he was give
his first playsuit but that was ruin when the Kent's bull's horns.
Supertot's
second playsuit was riped by sunk log while he tried to get Mr.
Kent's fish. On the day that a nasty storm wind knocks lose a
lighting rod, Supertot's chest reflects into the Kent's attic. After
tighting the rod, Supertot uses
his super-breath to put out the fire. Mr. Kent discovers that the
blanket
from Kal-El's rocket unharmed. Of course, since the blanket come from
Krypton, they about as indestructible as Kal-El is. They unrevel the
blankets, but to cut it--they use Superbaby's heat vision. Once the
tot grow up to be a grade school. When Mr. Kent and Clark had a talk
about his future. Clark needs a costume--a "sort of uniform". Clark
unrevel
his old playsuit. It's looks kind of funny to have Superboy in his
tights with out the familar S-shield on it. Clark needs "belts"
and "boots" that
can't been make from yarn. Rubber padding from Kal-El's rocket ship
become
the boots. A yellow strap from the rocket become Superboy's belt.
Using the red yarn, Mrs. Kent creates the cape and the hidden pouch.
Superboy picks
the familr "S-Sheild" to "not only" stand for "Superboy" and
later, "Superman" - it will mean "saving life, stopping crime and
giving
super-aid wherever is need!"  Later, Clark founds out only Kryptonite
radiation were the only thing can get past the unharmable suit. "As
I grow
older, the super-costume will s-t-r-e-t-ch!"

This was reprinted as "The Origin of Superman's Costume" in a giant
issue.

Lex Luthor will not like  how Superboy will use his super-breath to
blow out
a fire--because in that fire--Lex will lose his hair!


3. COVER STORY: "THE GHOST OF JOR-EL!"

Who is Mr. Mxyzpltk? Why, he is the zany imp that pranks Superman or
Supergirl under they trick him into saying is name backward which
returns the imp back to the 5th dimisonal for 90 days. This is the
first appearance of the Earth-1's Mr. Mxyzpltk. We began this story
in the past as Fuzastl [Mxy's father] & Tlndsa [Mxy's mom] is
worried about their son, Mr. Mxyzpltk. It's seem that as a teenager,
Mr. Mxyzptlk has the red hair. Giving his pet a second head gets Mxy
a punishment of no supper for him. In his room, Mxy decides to run-
away into our dimisonal! He remember not to say this name backward
or the vibrations of my own voice will return him to the 5th
dimisonal for at least 90 days! The teenage imp discover a flying
boy! Mxy plots to make fun of Superboy. At school the next, Mxyzpltk
ends up setting up to his target, Superboy, who's in his Clark Kent
indentity. Mxy asks if he wants to be "pals". The writer of this
story remarks "Pals? How ironic! Little do the two youth know it,
they are about to embark on  a red-hot, incredible, long-lasting
feud!"

Clark is told by the teacher to takes some papers to the principal's
office. After Clark leaves, some of the students are  to write
historical facts on
the chalkboard. Two of the students are Lana Lang and Mr. Mxyzpltk.
Clark Kent discover the choas going on--and changes into Superboy.
Mr. Mxyzpltk
claims it's "Superboy", but Superboy gets off this trick by using a
magnifying glass to show the teacher the faint impression of the
original
correct answers. Superboy assumes Mxy is color-blind when he and Mxy
is
on stoll together they spot a traffic light. The next day, Superboy
is on patrol--he is battled by the correct answers being changed ont
the chalkboard. He gets new meaning to "the yolk on you" when he
gets attack by a gaint egg. Mr. Mxy has a good laugh--but Superboy
steals it when he  uses his super-puff and heat-vision to make
a giant omelet. Tricking crooks into making a deal. Mxy shows
up with him in Superboy and the crooks in different costumes--
as Mr. Mxyzpltk states as "Samson, Hercules, & Altas". Mxy
leaves the classwords--he spots another Mxy enters. The other
Mxy turns out Superboy with a Mxy-face mask on him. Superboy
recognize the actors as crooks. Mxy is mad that he "goofed again!"
Upset,
Mxy vists Superboy measum to learn about his target. He creates a
illusion
of Jor-El and gives the fake Jor-El the mission to wreck his career
on Earth. Superboy. The last panel on this page is similar to the
cover. Mxy is pleased
when he heards the radio. It's turns out Superboy wasn't fool
because Jor-El's ghost had his red and green color reversed. (And in
Superboy's mind,
recalled the mistaked red for green.) In Mxy mind, he realized
crossing
the space-warp have given him temporary color-bindess--but he states
"he's lying!" Superboy forces Mxy to read a word--unknowning
it's "Kltpzyxm!", which sends Mxy back to his own world. How did
Superboy
know what's up? He tells that he a capsule materized out of air with
this message inside: "Attention, Superboy! Dimenisonal-Binoculars
have enabled me to see my pest of a son annoying you! You can
send Mxyzpltk back to the 5th dimision by tricking into saying
his name backwards. We end up back in the fifth dimsional as
Mr. Mxyzpltk gets "combed" by his father. Mxy vows "it's
war" with Superboy.

In Byrne's Mxy appearances, Superman has figure out Mxy's rules.

In the animated series and related comic, Mxyzptlk has to say his
name
backwards TWICE!

This was reprinted as "The Origin Of Mxyzptlk!" in a giant issue.



Flying off, Dr. Thinker

SUPERBOY #95 - "THE SUPER-FAMILY FROM KRYPTON!"

Hi, my name is Dr. Thinker. I'm a new review on the group, so please

go easy on me. If any format issue appears, but the blame on Yahoo's
form.

SUPERBOY #95 - "The Super-Family From Krypton"
WRITTER: Otto Binder?

SUMMARY:

As you know already is a old joke that only Jor-El and Laura went
with Krypton. I bet you dollars to newspapers, Kal-E might have one
time or another wonder what might have happen if his parents come
with him. 

The cover to issue has a Laura, Jor-El and Kal-El buiding house as
angry Smallville citizen looking on. They is two notes in yellow
from writter:
the top on tells us the story and it's a three-part imaginary novel
telling
us what might happen if Laura, Jor-El and Superbaby went to Earth
together.
The box on bottom has list of guest stars feature in: Lana Lang,
Lori Lemaris, Lex Luthor, Perry White, The Phantom Zone Villains &
introducing
a "NEW Clark Kent". I bet you can't figure out a some-what shocking
twist:

The chapter listing page for his imaginary novel has picture of Jor-
El saving a plane. Laura saving a female girl and her young boy from
a fire. Superboy
stopping some crooks. It's a bit of shock to read "Kal-El as
Superboy", "Laura as Super-Woman", and "Jor-El as Superman". I let
the Sliver Age scroll
set the stage from what I'm assume to be Superboy writter, Otto
Binder:

      "Did you ever wonder how different Superboy's life would be
if his
      parents had been able to make the journey though space with
him? If
      a Super-Family has escaped the doomed planet of Krypton and
landed
      together on Earth? Why every tiny detail in the boy of
steel's life
      would have been incredibly altered! Of course, it didn't
happen, but it
      might have, and this is the sensational, some time happy,
and
      sometimes sad story of THE SUPER-FAMILY FROM KRYPTON!"



CHAPTER 1 - THE LANDING ON EARTH

This story begans on the doomed planet of Krypton, as Jor-El is
about to put Kal-El into his rocket ship when Laura comes rushing in-
-telling him to wait. She had a "last mintune brainstorm!" has been
working on a Enlarging Ray that
works to large the rocket ship. Taking only a "Kryptonian
televiewer", the
family escape the doom planet of Krypton.

Jor-El: Farewall to Krypton! Our world has ended, Laura! Our
friends..the
        dearest places were know blow to dust!
Laura: Yes..it is the end of life..but aslo  the beginning..a new 
beginning
      for us, dear.

It's turns out Jor-El land protected to land near Smallville. He
aslo computed that yellow sun and the lower gravity with give the
family Superman. He tells Laura, "We must learn to use them wisely".

When the ship lands, Jor-El and Laura leave to put of a fire that
they rocket
caused. As they discover their super-powers, a familar couple enter
the pictures, Martha and Jonathan Kent discover Kal-El. Jor-El and
Laura shocks
the Kents. Lucky, the Kents's hearts are not as weak as Mrs. Wayne's
heart. Johathan promised Martha to adopt another boy. Jonathan
allows Jor-El to stay
until he gets a place of his own.

Jor-El uses his hand to cut thought the Kent's firewood that makes
Jonathan
remarked "The things you can do sure make my eye pops!" (Holy
Beetlejuice, Batman!) Martha had spotten some reports. One of the
reporters is "Perry White" of the "Daily Planet". Jor-El tells him
that they are peaceful
and friendly, but Perry White doesn't buy it. Back in Metroplis,
Perry
tell his boss that he's very sure that the aliens are "up to no
good". Jonathan tells that Jor-El that "people are bound to be a
little  suspicious
of strangers..but this story goes too far! It's going to set folk
against you!"

Jonathan is right on the money, because that afternoon, people of
the Smallville Town Council tell Jor-El "they don't want you".
Jonathan gives Jor-El tells not to worry and gives them a strip of
barren land and a card
to give to a friend called Bill Evans.

At the Evan Can Company, Bill is about to show Jor-El how to run a
mechine, but Jor-El states that it's not "neccessary". He cuts the
metal with his finger and well them into cup shape with his heat
vision. For this work,
Bill gives Jor-El a month's wages. Jor-El decides on using it to by
gifts
for Kents. (Holy Kal-El, Lois Lane!) Later, the family builds their
hands with Kal-El smashing rocks to build a fireplace. Jor-El quicky
flies to
the Amazon river to get top soil for the barren land to transform
into
a farm. A week after their arrival on Earth, the farm has become
huge amount
to feed army of cattle and enough left over to give to the Kents.
Meanwhile,
Martha and Jonathan adopt a blonde hair boy and call him "Clark
Kent".

Clark and Kal-El become fast friends, but when other children want
to play with Kal-El, their parents reject him. Kal-El wants to warn
Earth clothing, but he learns what happen to Earth closing after
trying to chase a eagle in
them. Laura sings him Kryptonian songs, but Kal-El wants to
hear "Rock-a-bye,
baby". Laura tells him legends of Krypton--The one in this tale is
about Bir-El flying up in iceburg jet to cold off a flame-spitting
monster--but Kal-El want to hear about George Washington and the
cherry tale. We learn that Jonathan is moving to the city and
starting his general store business. Sad effects all three members
of the Jor-El family--two becasue of Krypton, one
because of Kent move.

CHAPTER II - "THE NEW LIFE OF SUPERBOY!"

We had a half-page introduce to this chapter. Showing blone haired
Clark Kent in the hands of the flying Superboy over Smallville, with
Kents looking on very happy.

We start is chapter of this imaginary tale with Kal-El and Kypto
playing. Kal-El takes off for Smallville. In the park, he gets
rejected by a girl and a boy. For a while, Kal-El roams Smallville,
until he  discover a train trick--but he accidently wrecks a train.
Kal-El spys a traffic light and takes what he thinks is a "toy"
home. One citzen of Smallville compares the Super-Family to a
volcano.  The next morning, the Super-Family is suprize to see a
rock through their window. They discover a very bad sign: "LEAVE
EARTH, SUPER-FAMILY! WE DON'T WANT ALIENS in SMALLVILLE!" Jor-El
states they "hate us" and their "sojourn on Earth is a failure!"

After the angry mob leaves, Jor-El plots to look for another planet
to life on--but then, they heard  a boiler on a boat has exploded.
Faster then a speeding bullet, they arrive and pick up the boat and
get safely to shore
in seconds. Suprizing two of peopl eon the boat are Prof. Lang and a
young
Lana Lang. Kal-El shows Lana how strong is. As time passed people
from around
the world come to see the amazing "Super-Family". To escape the
crowds, Jor-El builds a real "private house" with "anti-gravity".
Kal-El finally grows up
to a "Superboy" and gets his costume from Jor-El.  Now, recall the
pictures
from the chapter listing at the beging--well they are BACK! Showing
now the
Super-Family fighting crime and averting catastrophes!  As Superboy
grows, the family adopts earth customs more and more, even changing
their names, and warning earth clothes. We see Parker and a follow
cop remarked about them:

      Parker: There go Joe, Laura and Cal Ellton...a fine family!
      Police Officer: I'm sure glad they protect Smallville, Cheif
Parker
                      makes our job a cinch!


In this imagary tale, Lex Luthor is greater admirer of Superboy then
Lana Lang. We see old red-hair Lex getting autograph of Cal Ellton,
while Cal wishes it was Lana, but remarks that she's been sending
all of her time with her best friends, Clark. We see that life is
more uncomplated for Cal who
tells his teacher that he spotted a fire in a farmer's barn. The
teacher
tells him to take it out of wardrobe as usual. We see that Cal has
crash on Lana as burn her intials on a distant asteriods.

When Superboy vists Lex lab on day, he discovers it's on fire! Like
our Pre-Crisis Superboy, he blows the fire-out with his super-breath-
-as usual, a bald Luthor come out and curse the boy of steal. Jor-El
tells Lex to take
it easy, because it was accident. Using Kryptonian science, Jor-El
creates
an "Activator Ray" to restore Lex's hair! Lex also decides to use
his mind
to help humans.

Another day, Superboy saves a man--or for it to turn out to a
scarecrow!! On the way, home they bump into the teenage imp, Mr.
Mxyzptlk! It's turns out Mr. Mxyzpltk slip out of the school but he
claim he will return soon, but imp
has not reckoned with Jor-El's super-science, in which he created a
barrier
to block the imp dimension.

Still another day, while Superboy is digging for a irrigation ditch
for some farmers, he discovers a glowing green metor--a.k.a
Kryptonite! The farmer calls in Jor-El, and Jor-El tells them get
rid of the Kryptonite! Jor-El builds a mechine to success drestory
all Kryptonite--green and red in
one BIG stroke!

CHAPTER 3 - "THE STRANGE FATE OF THE FAMILY FROM KRYPTON"

This chapters open with a half-page introduce with the Superfamily
leaving Earth--but Kal-El wondering how well the new Superboy is
going to replace him.

One day, the Super-Family patrols the family, Superboy is give
the job of handing a hurricane near Greenland. A mind person
gives him a helping hand and Kal-El discovers a large fishing man
to get all the man of the boats. Using his television, he discovers
a mermaid.

After taking the man to shore, he hunts the seven seas for the
mermaid and
finds her on a distant coral reef. He learns her name is Loris
Lemaris!! They
reason for her knowedgle of Superboy come from Altantis version of
televisions. At Jor-El's house, Jor-El comes up with a idea for her--
by recalling old "Xzanos-LL"--one of Krypton's greatest surgeon. He
asks Lori
if she is willing to undergo a change? She approves of it and tells
that
her parents also approves it. A earth surgeon under the guidance of
Jor-El,
and soon, Lori has her legs. The Langs adopt Lori and make Lori Lang-
-the writter reminding us that it's still got the double L.L. 

While on a space mission with Jor-El, they discover a strange ship!
It's turns the strange ship is Brainic!       Jor-El aslo discover
Kandor, the famous
bottle city! Jor-El tells Superboy to keep him insight with his
telescoping
vision, while he creates weapon to deal with Brainic. Jor-El had
created
a Kar-Ol magnet on unhabit! Brainic is shocked--but knows about it--
and
the Super-Family-and he plots to get Kandor...

The vile Brainic is plot are throw out the window, when Superboy's
hands smash throught--and grab him! Brainic gets his own shrink ray
turn on
him. Surpizing, the next target is Superboy--to learn which planets
the city come from. After all--but one of the city--is restore, they
plot to restore Kandor. On a distant planet, the Super-Family
restore Kandor, the planet gets named "Krypton II" and Brainic is
jailed in a tiny jail. Now, they must decide to live either on Earth
or on Krypton II. They head back--unware, that the Phantom Zone
villains had escape! Jax-Ur
and his pal reject to the Smalville Museum, and steal the Super-
Family's
rocket ship.

The Phantom Zoners use their stolen element to recreate the explode
of Krypton, turning the Kryptonain rocket into Kryptonite! They trap
the
Super-Family with their Krypton. The Phantom Zoners are pleased with
they victory--but a new kid with super-powers show up. He's not
effected
by Kryptonite, and stays by the Phantom Zone. After the Phantom
Zoners
has been returned, we learn the new Superboy is Clark Kent! It's turn
after the Super-Family had decided on live on Krypton II, Jor-El
injected
Clark with a formula that give him permant super-powers! "Ironic,
isn't it,
dear readers that Clark Kent is one more secretly SUPERBOT!" Jor-El
tells Clark to keep his identity a sercet.In Clark mind, he thinks
of wearning glasses made of invulurable Kryptonian materials when he
adopts my role as Superboy, they would protect my identity!

"And strangely enough, in this imaginary story, it is not Clark who
destined
to wear this glasses to protect his sercet identiy, but Superboy!"

REVIEW: Pretty good for imaginary stroy. Like the end of twist.
Don't worry to much about Supergirl--because in the Superboy #97,
this letter appears on
the first page of a two-paged letter page.

      Dear Editor:

            I enjoyed your "Imaginary" novel, the "Super-Family
From                   Krypton", but I found one serious oversight.
If Jor-El has                   drestoryed all Kryptonite in the
universe, this would have                   including that chuck
of Krypton which Argo City was built--
            thus drestorying everyone in the city as well,
including
            Supergirl's parents (I assume she was not born at
this time.)
            Your author should have remembered this, and
arranged to save
            this city from the doom that overtook it.

            E. Nelson Birdwell, Oklahoma City, Okla.


Could that be a planted letter? Birdwell was the assisant editor to
Uncle Morty.

            Editor's reply:  Your point is well taken. However
lack of
            space prevented us from explaining that while Jor-
El's device
            could drestory all Kryptonite in the universe, it
could not
            effect Kryptonite which have been previous shield by
lead. And,
            as you know, the city of Argo, was shield by lead to
protect it
            resident from the deadly Kryptonite rays.




A another reader letter reveals a boo-boo in a red sun in the last
chapters
and the Super-Family having Superpowers. It was planned that the sun
was
going to be yellow one--according to the editor.

Superboy #125, "The Bald Boy of Steel"

Superboy #125, "The Bald Boy of Steel"

Published December 1965

Writer: Otto Binder
Artist: George Papp
Editor: Mort Weisinger

"We all know that Superboy's arch-enemy, Lex Luthor, was once his
friend... before he became bald! Strangely enough, in those days,
someone else lost his hair - yes, Clark (Superboy) Kent himself,
through one of the strange and unpredictable effects caused by Red
Kryptonite! And the 'bald' truth is that, as hairless Superboy strives
to keep himself from being identified as 'Baldy' Kenty, he has many
a 'hair-breadth' escape... and wishes one of his 'hair-raising'
experiences would really raise hair on... the Bald Boy of Steel!"
----------------------------------------------------------

The Smallville Fair has arrived, and patrons are flocking to one
incredible attraction: a performance of "Samson and Delilah" by the
Smallville Playhouse, with proceeds going to charity, and none other
than Superboy playing the role of the Biblical strongman. Who else is
better suited for the task? The play is running smoothly, and Superboy
carries his part perfectly. Unfortunately, Lana Lang, who had been
cast as Delilah, is feeling faint, and her understudy Trudy must take
over for her. As she heads onto stage for her scene, the director
warns her against making the same mistake she did in rehearsals...

Out on stage, "Delilah" prepares to cut a lock of the
sleeping "Samson's" hair, robbing him of his strength. But as she
makes the clip, the scissors break! She'd forgotten to cut the fake
hair hidden under the pillow - it's impossible to cut Superboy's hair;
his follicles are indestructible! The audience is laughing wildly over
the mistake, though the director sees nothing funny about his ruined
performance. To make up for the mistake, Superboy offers to treat the
patrons to a special act at the animal exhibit. Smallville's teenage
savior delivers on his promise by playing a game of tug-of-war with a
pair of elephants - and winning! The crowd cheers, having taken in a
truly incredible show.

Later, outside the playhouse, Lana comments to Lex Luthor (who still
had hair and was Superboy's friend at the time of this story) that she
didn't see Clark Kent at the performance, and remarks at how odd it is
that Clark is always missing when Superboy makes public appearances.
Luckily, Clark happens to be changing back into his civilian attire in
the dressing room and overhears them, quickly putting on his disguise
to rejoin his friends. Rushing up to his friends, he tells them to
hurry since Superboy will be performing as Samson in a few minutes.
Lana tells him that his wach must be slow; the show's already over.
But they decide to take in the other attractions at the fair.

Passing by a carnival barker, the huckster attempts to sweet-talk the
teens with his "miracle" products. He compliments Lana on her beauty,
then offers her a free pack of "Beauty Pills." Clark warns her that
there has to be a catch - salesmen like that never give away products
for free. The barker, in an attempt to silence the doubtful do-gooder,
splashes a few drops of his "Wonder Hair Tonic" on the young Kent's
head, promising it will make his hair grow twice as fast. He even
throws in the bottle as a free gift, not that it will do any good -
Clark's hair never grows in the Earth's atmosphere. Leaving the fair,
Lex rushes off to work on one of his experiments. Clark makes a mental
note to stop by later on his patrol and see what his friend is working
on. But before that, he tosses the useless hair tonic in a trash pile.

Later that day, Superboy does stop by Lex's lab, where his genius
friend announces he's made an amazing discovery. He asks the Boy of
Steel to focus his telescopic vision 330 miles into space and see if
he can spot anything. Superboy complies, but finds nothing visible.
But there is something there, and Lex's new Space Monitor shows it.
It's an invisible probe, and it's gradually becoming visible as it
approaches Earth. Fearing it may be dangerous, Superboy decides to
dispose of it. Flying off into the cosmos, he comes across the probe
and hurtles it into the sun, but not before it's struck by a meteor -
a meteor of Red Kryptonite! Clark thinks back on his previous
encounters with the rock, and how his exposure to it always causes
affects him in strange ways for 24 to 48 hours. Flying back to Earth,
he ponders how it will affect him this time. Little does he know that
the red rock is already working its wicked magic, for as he re-enters
the Earth's atmosphere, his hair begins to fall out!

Still unaware of the change that came over him, Superboy changes back
into Clark Kent and heads over to Lana's to help her with some
homework. When he arrives, Lana can't help but laugh. Looking in the
mirror, Clark can see why - he's as bald as a cueball! But rather than
his lack of hair, he's more concerned that Lana might figure out how
it happened. Thankfully, she assumes that it was the hair tonic from
the carnival that caused his hair loss. To cover up his dome, she
gives him a tribal mask her father has as a souvenir. Of course, the
mask is so outlandish, people will still be staring at him. Back at
home, Clark borrows a wig from one of his robot duplicates to go on
patrol. His father Jonathan is wary, though; if anyone sees that both
Clark Kent and Superboy are bald, it will be easy to make the
connection between the two.

Flying above Smallville, Superboy finds that the Monarch Movie Studio
is on fire. Luckily, the staff is out on a location shot and no lives
are at risk, but the studio still needs to be saved. He rushes in to
put out the blaze, but some of the flares catch on his wig and burn it
off - he forgot that the materials he used to make his mechanical
doubles can be destroyed. Inside the studio, Clark extinguishes the
fire with a mighty gust of breath, but since he's bald again, he can't
risk leaving without people seeing him and guessing his secret
identity. Thinking quickly, he heads to the prop room and trims a
black wig with his heat vision, sticking it to his scalp with spirit
gum. With his head covered again, he can head off to his next
appointment with Colonel Hobart.

On a field at the outskirts of Smallville, Hobart asks Superboy to
test a newly designed parachute that is supposed to open at merely 100
feet above the ground and still provide a safe landing. That's what
the claim is, but they need proof. And since Superboy can't be hurt by
the fall, he's the perfect test subject. With the chute equipped,
Clark leaps from the plane and pulls the ripcord... and the paracute
is ripped apart by the pressure of the uprising air. To make matters
worse, the spirit gum on his scalp can't stand up to the pressure
either and his wig flies off as well. As his parents watch from a
distance while Superboy falls through the branches of a tree, Jonathan
is grateful that his son wasn't hurt by the fall, but has no idea how
Clark will hide his baldness. Yet when the Boy of steel returns to
Hobart, he has a full head of hair again! The colonel is grateful that
the parachute was proven a failure without putting anyone's life at
risk, and the Kents are baffled by where Clark's new wig came from.
The answer comes as Jonathan peers up into the tree and sees his son
remove a black horsehair bird's nest from his head and return it to
the branch. Now he's off to find his other wig.

Meanwhile, at the Luthor home, Lana has come to ask Lex a question for
her science homework. Curious about how fast meteors travel, she's
informed that they can fly at a rate of at least 10 miles per second.
The coincidental topic leads Lex to relate the story of how Superboy
destroyed a space probe that had been struck by a meteor. This tidbit
grabs Lana's curiosity: what if the meteor had been made of Red
Kryptonite, and what if it's effect on Superboy was to make him bald?
Determined to test her theory, Lana stops by the junk pile where Clark
tossed the bottle of hair-tonic earlier. If Clark is Superboy, then
the tonic didn' cause his hair to fall out. She splashes the tonic on
a black Angora cat, though it manages to get away. Still, her test is
ready. If the cat's fur hasn't fallen out by tomorrow morning, that
will prove that Clark became bald due to the Red Kryptonite, and that
he is secretely Superboy.

At the Smallville Zoo, Superboy is putting on another animal act for
orphans by pretending to tame tigers. The act goes awry, however, when
one of the great cats swipes the wig off his head. He flies after his
hairpiece which lands in the goat pen... and is quickly devoured by a
hungry goat. Now how can he cover up his hairless head? Moments later,
the orphans are drawn to another section of the zoo, where they see
Superboy with his head in a lion's mouth! The children cheer his
display and compliment his bravery, while the true purpose was for
Clark to cover up his baldness. And since he doesn't have any hair, it
isn't irritating the lion's throat, so the beast's mouth stays closed
around his head. Clark puts on an impromptu aerial display, flying off
with the lion still clamped onto his head. When he's out of view of
the children, he spots a stray black cat furiously scratching itself,
and decides to solve both of their problems. Using his heat vision, he
removes the fur from the cat's body, stopping its itch and giving him
material for a new wig. Disaster again averted, Superboy returns to
the zoo, pulling his freshly-coiffed head from the lion's mouth and
astounding the children.

The next day isn't so enjoyable, however. Lana confronts Clark and
tells him of her experiment. She shows him a cat that she poured the
hair tonic on yesterday, and yet it still has all its fur. So then, if
the tonic didn't cause Clark's hair to fall out, what did? Clark is
truly caught in a tough spot, but is saved when another cat arrives,
this one missing all of the fur on its body! Lana assumes that she had
the wrong cat with her and that the hair tonic did work on the cat she
treated. Another one of her efforts to prove that Clark Kent is
Superboy has failed, though in a rather convoluted manner. The
hairless cat is the one she treated yesterday, the same cat that Clark
removed the itchy fur from to make a new wig. The cat she had was its
mate. After the effect of the Red Kryptonite wore off, Clark's hair
grew back after visiting another world where the atmosphere
accelerated its growth. But for a while, the bald Boy of Steel had a
series of "close shaves" to protect his secret identity.
----------------------------------------------------------

This story features a comical cavalcade of cosmic forces conspiring to
expose Clark as a cueball. Try saying that five times fast.

In the Silver Age, Lex Luthor became Superboy's enemy after he lost
his hair. One has to wonder if Superboy had stayed bald, perhaps Lex
wouldn't have been so upset since his friend was in the same
condition. They could have remained friends... at least until reality
was rebooted in the 80s during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Lana Lang again attempts to prove that Clark Kent is Superboy, only to
fail in her efforts once more. In "Superman: The Animated Series"
which ran in the late 1990s, Lana, voiced by Joely Fisher was far more
observant and managed to correctly link the two: Clark Kent leaves
Smallville for Metropolis, and almost instantly after his arrival
Metropolis has a super-powered defender. She managed to keep his
identity secret, and served as a good friend and ally. Lana even dated
Luthor and informed Superman of any of Lex's criminal plots she had
uncovered.