Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Action Comics #357

Action Comics #357 (On Sale: October 31, 1967) features another Curt Swan and George Klein cover.

"The Kryptonite Rumble" is by Leo Dorfman and Wayne Boring and is a continuation of the story from last issue. Having gained an explosive punch via Kryptonian chemicals the Annihilator, Jr. forces Superman to release his mentor, the Annihilator. The junior super villain then contacts his old gang and forms a new government cabinet. Superman is forced to back off to prevent an earth-shattering explosion.

Later, the Annihilator discovers that the Kryptonian chemicals have weakened his heart. He creates a cure, but when he tries to give it to Pete, the boy believes his mentor is trying to betray him. The Annihilator is then thrown out of the White House.

Pete and his gang then set a Kryptonite trap for Superman. Pete knows that his explosive power is wearing off, so he forces the Man of Steel to supply the chemicals needed to restore his power.

Wayne Boring is fired after this issue and will only do a single Superman story in 1970 until returning to DC for six stories beginning in 1984.

The back-up story is "Supergirl's Secret Marriage" by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney. Linda Danvers leaves Stanhope for the weekend and meet Joaquin Jarl, a man who claims that he is her husband. Joaquin knows that she is Supergirl and has several items to prove his story. He believes that a recent exposure to Kryptonite has caused Supergirl to forget him.

Joaquin tells Supergirl that he is actually from the planet Zhonnia, which Supergirl visited a year earlier. After rescuing a young couple, Supergirl met Joaquin and they fell in love.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

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