We begin with "The Super-Powers of Perry White" by Jerry Coleman, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #278. After eating the fruit of a strange plant in his garden, Perry White gains super powers which he uses to become Masterman, a new super hero. Eventually his mind is taken over by Xasnu, a plant creature from another world. It was the fruit which allowed him to take over Perry’s mind and the powers were just a side effect. Xasnu, as Perry, attempts to kill Superman, knowing he is the one person who can stop an invasion.
He learns Superman’s secret identity, but Superman has hypnotized himself not to feel pain when exposed to Kryptonite. Superman is forced to hide at his Fortress of Solitude. Perry attacks him there and nearly kills the Man of Steel. Supergirl arrives just in time to save her cousin by exposing Perry to White Kryptonite, which destroys plant life, including the one controlling Perry. His memory is lost for the entire experience.
Next up is "The Great Kryptonite Mystery" by Jerry Coleman, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley and reprinted from Superboy #58. Superboy begins deliberately exposing himself to Kryptonite meteors and collecting them in a secure vault. He refuses to tell anyone why he is hurting himself. The continued exposure causes the Boy of Steel to become ill and his powers weaken. After collecting several such meteors, Superboy hides the vault of Kryptonite on the ocean floor. He explains to his foster parents that he hoped to build up an immunity to the Kryptonite meteors, so that he could use them later against ten Kryptonian criminals due to arrive on Earth in 15 years.
This is followed by "The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner" by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan and George Klein and reprinted from Superman #157. When Phantom Zone criminal Quex-Ul is released from the Zone by Superman, having completed his sentence, he vows revenge against Superman. While Quex-Ul creates a magnet to gather Gold Kryptonite, Superman visits Krypton’s past to learn that Quex-Ul is innocent of his convicted crime.
When Superman returns, Quex-Ul tries to use the Gold Kryptonite against him. Supergirl informs Quex-Ul that he has been cleared of his previous crimes. This revelation causes the former Zone resident to save Superman, sacrificing his own powers to the Gold Kryptonite. The accident gives him amnesia, so Superman gets him a job at the Daily Planet.
Next we have "The Invasion of the Super-Ants" drawn by Al Plastino and reprinted from Action Comics #296. A race of giant ants is spotted outside Metropolis. Superman is unable to approach the ants because of the presence of Green Kryptonite. Instead, he flies into a Red Kryptonite cloud which temporarily gives him an ant head and makes him immune to Green K. He then approaches the ants and communicates with them. He learns that they are from another planet and have come to Earth to warn humans about nuclear destruction. Superman takes their message to the U.N. after the ants have repaired their rocket and left Earth.
We end with "Secret of Kryptonite Six" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Klein and reprinted from Action Comics #310. Superman releases Jax-Ur from the Phantom Zone on a trial basis when Jax-Ur claims to have a cure for an Atlantean plague. Superman and Jax-Ur use a time-bubble to travel to Krypton prior to its explosion. Jax-Ur retrieves the formula for the cure from an old laboratory in the Jeweled Mountains. He also sets up a device to send a fragment of the Mountain to Earth when Krypton explodes.
When Superman and Jax-Ur return, Superman gives the plague cure to Lori Lemaris and the Atlanteans. Jax-Ur then hypnotizes Jimmy Olsen into uses the Jewel Kryptonite fragments on Superman.
Afterwards, Superman's presence cause fuel to explode when he is near. Superman believes he must leave the Earth, until he deduces that the real cause of the explosions is the fragment of Jewel Kryptonite in Earth's orbit. The Phantom Zone criminals are able to use the Kryptonite to focus their thoughts and cause the explosions. Superman hurls the fragment into the sun, ending the threat and Jax-Ur's scheme.
Edited by Mort Weisinger.
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