We begin with "Hercules in the 20th Century" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #267 (1960). Lex Luthor constructs a device that brings Hercules into the present. Luthor tricks Hercules into helping him break out of jail and rob Fort Knox. Hercules learns that he has been duped and recaptures Luthor.
Superman arranges a secret identity for Hercules, Roger Tate. He gets Roger a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. He falls for ace reporter Lois Lane and tries to impress her. Lois only has eyes for Superman though, so Hercules speaks to the ancient Gods. The Gods give Hercules a portion of their power which he can use only once. Hercules then goes to prove he is superior to the Man of Steel.
This story continues in "Superman's Battle with Hercules" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Action Comics #268 (1960). Having gained superpowers from the Gods, Hercules tries to humiliate Superman before engaging him in a duel for Lois Lane. As the duel begins, Hercules uses his magic weapons against Superman. The weapon Superman fears the most is a tiny bow and arrow which causes Lois to fall in love with the first man she sees. After having hit Lois with the arrow, Hercules thinks he has won, but she was looking at a picture of Superman and falls for him instead.
Hercules then uses the flute of Apollo to put Superman to sleep for a hundred years. When Lois willingly sacrifices herself for Superman’s well-being, the Goddess Venus arrives to stop Hercules. Superman awakens and lures back to his own time, where his memory is erased. He remains in the past, without any knowledge of the events which just occurred.
Next up is "Titano the Super-Ape" by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring, and Stan Kaye and reprinted from Superman #127 (1959). Lois Lane befriends a performing chimpanzee, Toto. Toto is launched into space as part of an experiment. During his space flight, a uranium and Kryptonite meteor collide near his capsule. When Toto returns to Earth, he grows to giant size. Lois Lane dubs him, Titano.
Titano is still an innocent monkey, but his great size makes him a menace. Superman can not get near him because Titano possesses Kryptonite vision. The government decides to execute the super-ape. Lois is appalled but leads Titano into a trap.
Lois fears for the monkey’s life and is able to get Titano to put on some lead glasses. This allows Superman to get close enough to hurl Titano into the past. Titano survives on prehistoric Earth with the dinosaurs. I guess time-travel paradoxes did not exist at DC in the 1950s.
We end with "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman" by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan, and George Klein and reprinted from Superman #164 (1963). Luthor escapes jail and challenges Superman to a fair fight without superpowers. Superman agrees and takes Lex to a planet with a red sun. They battle but are temporarily separated.
Lex discovers a native civilization and befriends the people, convincing them that Superman is evil. He promises to find them a new water supply but fails. When Superman and Luthor clash again, Luthor throws the fight. Superman returns to Earth, but Luthor talks him into sending the planet water for the people. Though he is returned to prison, Luthor is happy to have helped the people of the planet, and they consider him a hero.
Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.
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