We begin with "Menace at 1000 Degrees" by Denny O'Neil, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. In the fifth part of the Sandman Saga storyline, Superman must now deal with having abilities much closer to his original 1940s self when he comes to the rescue of a freighter that is under attack from modern-day pirates. His powers are still weakened following his encounter with the sand Superman but he still manages to defeat the pirates.
Superman learns that the attack was merely a decoy that allowed a terrorist named Quig to take control of a government drilling site that has been bringing molten magma to the surface. Superman attempts to stop the terrorists, but he is hit by a magma-powered weapon. In his weakened state Superman is forced to break off his assault.
The terrorists then issue demands including the delivery of hostages and a hydrogen bomb. Seeking a new story, Lois Lane volunteers as a hostage. Superman has donned a disguise and is pretending to be one of the hostages. When Lois provokes the terrorists, Superman is forced to reveal himself. He saves the hostages and stops the bomb. After the incident is resolved, Lois asks Superman why it took so long for him to intercede. Superman remains silent about his recently weakened condition. Reprinted in Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore HC (2009).
The backup story is from the World of Krypton. "A Name Is Born" is by Cary Bates and Gray Morrow. On the planet Krypton years before its eventual destruction, a teacher consults with her colleague Du-Vor. She seeks a way to control her younger students. Du-Vor offers her a story to keep them entertained.
The story begins before Krypton was inhabited. An alien explorer found the new planet and landed his ship on the surface. Although he thought he would be the first person on the planet, he soon meets another alien who has been shipwrecked. A lack of common language and a misunderstanding leads to a conflict between the two aliens. Eventually, they make peace. When they return to the alien's ship, they find it has been rendered inoperative, stranding them both. Then the aliens remove their protective helmets and meet face-to-face.
The newly arrived explorer reveals that his name is Kryp. The shipwreck survivor is a woman named Tonn. The two never did leave the planet. Instead, they settled the world which would become named for them. This classic tale has been reprinted in Best of DC #40 (1983), Superman: The World of Krypton TPB (2008), and Superman: The Many Worlds of Krypton TPB (2018).
Edited by Julius Schwartz.
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