Action Comics #390

Action Comics #390 (On Sale: May 28, 1970) has another Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issues begins with our cover-story, "The Self-Destruct Superman" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos.
An earthquake near the White House accidentally activates an anti-Superman weapon given to the President by Superman himself. Superman intended for the weapon to be used against him should he ever go mad. Using super-hypnosis, Superman blocked the knowledge of how the weapon worked from his own mind.

The weapon attacks Superman, leading to a chase around the world and through time. Eventually, Superman is contacted by a Kandorian who explains that the weapon was invented by Jor-El on Krypton. Fearful for his life, Superman begins to suffer from stress. He then realizes his own fear is killing him. He makes a stand against the machine. It self-destructs when Superman uses a helmet to alter his own brain waves.

Superman at last remembers an incident that occurred as a child on Krypton. Jor-El's weapon nearly killed young Kal-El, so Jor-El deactivated it. However, Kal-El developed an instinctual fear of the weapon which lasted his entire life.

The back-up, "The Tyrant and the Traitor", featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. President Peralla of the planet Lahum, used an army of indestructible androids to conquered his world and plans to expand his empire to other planets. Diol Masrin, who has led his people in revolt against Peralla, is secretly allied with the Dark Circle empire. Unable to intervene officially, the United Planets requests the aid of Chameleon Boy and the Legion Espionage Squad.

Chameleon Boy, Brainiac 5, Timber Wolf, Element Lad, Saturn Girl, and Karate Kid capture a ship carrying contraband weapons to Lahum, weapons supposedly effective against the androids but actually obsolete. Impersonating the ship's crew, the Legionnaires rendezvous with Chavak, Masrin's lieutenant. They capture him, and Chameleon Boy takes his place, while the other male Legionnaires pose as new recruits. The disguised Legionnaires, accompanying the rebels on a march to their base camp, where they are ambushed by the humanoids. When blasted, the chemical beings burst into pieces, each of which then grows into a new humanoid.

The rebels manage to escape and reach their camp, where they meet Masrin and the disguised Chameleon Boy encounters the real Chavak's girlfriend, Yroa. Saturn Girl, meanwhile, reaches Hueuas, Lahum's capital city, and schemes to infiltrate the Presidential Palace by applying to become the assistant of Wanpar, Chief of Scientific Development, unaware that a woman on his staff recognizes her as Imra Ardeen. Continued next issue. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC and Showcase Presents: Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 4 TPB.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.