Action Comics #404

Action Comics #404 (On Sale: July 29, 1971), has a Superman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Superman in "Kneel to Your Conqueror, Superman" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman is tricked into the clutches of Rufus Caesar, a "human computer" who uses an apparatus of his own devising to drain the Man of Steel's superpowers and infuse them into his own body.

Our first reprint is the Atom in "The Specter of 3000-Moons Lake" by Gardner Fox, Gil Kane, and Murphy Anderson and reprinted from Atom #5 (1963). Ray Palmer and Jean Loring accompany millionaire Don Morgan to where he keeps his cottage at 3000-Moons Lake. There, a series of strange thefts and supernatural activities have become the subject of debate. Since the grounds are the location of an ancient Indian curse, the people of 3000-Moons Lake are torn between believing in the curse or summing up all the strange happenings as unrelated pranks by local children.

Ray decides to investigate as the Atom, and when another subject of strange supernatural events occurs, the Atom learns that they are really being caused by resident Fred Harris, who is using the old curse to get away with the thefts. However, the Atom tricks him into confessing by pretending to be an ancient Indian spirit (really shrunk down in size and hiding in Harris's ear) and incapacitating him by throwing off his center of balance.

Next, we have Aquaman in "The Coward and the Hero" by Jack Miller and Ramona Fradon and reprinted from Adventure Comics #220 (1956). Aquaman meets Johnny Blake, a former war hero who is now scared of the water. Johnny is humiliated when he won't dive into the water to save his own girlfriend. Aquaman saves her, then doubles as Johnny to save the man's reputation. 

His hoax is soon discovered. Aquaman explains that Johnny crashed into the water during the war and barely survived which has led to his fear. Aquaman then stages an accident where Johnny must enter the water to save him. Johnny unknowingly dives in to save Aquaman and regains his courage.

We end this issue with Superman in "The Day They Killed Clark Kent" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Clark Kent teaches a lesson to a group of fraternity brothers who like to haze new pledges.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #403

Action Comics #403 (On Sale: June 29, 1971), has a Superman cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

We begin this issue with Superman in our cover story, "Attack of the Micro-Murderer" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman's body is invaded by a Zohtt, a magical wraith-being that attempts to destroy him, and not even a blood transfusion from most of Metropolis' citizens can save him.

Our backup Superman story is "The Man with the X-Ray Mind" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman learns that a Metropolis University janitor has psychic powers, including precognition, the ability to predict the future -- and that the janitor knows that he is Clark Kent.

Our first reprint is the Vigilante in "The Impossible Legend" by Dick Wood and Bob Brown and is reprinted from Action Comics #176 (1953). Vigilante proves an old legend by capturing criminals, two while deaf, two while he could not speak, and the final two when he could not see.

We end with a Superboy reprint, "When Krypto Was Superboy's Master" drawn by George Papp and reprinted from Adventure Comics #310 (1963). Professor Lang discovers several artifacts within a lost city. When he returns to Smallville his translations of the ancient inscriptions are questioned by the faculty of his school, and they force him to prove their validity in order to get a promotion.

Lang has not had enough time to translate everything, so Superboy pretends that one of the artifacts that the professor has translated switches his mind with Krypto’s. Superboy acts like a dog for a few days in order to convince the members of Lang’s school board. When the professor has completed his work, Superboy drops the act and claims the effect has worn off.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #402

Action Comics #402 (On Sale: May 27, 1971), has a beautiful Superman cover by Neal Adams. 

We begin with "This Hostage Must Die" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Continuing from last issue, Red Hawk, the leader of the Navarro tribe, has stolen Superman's powers with a mysterious red jewel and takes him captive, intending to trade him for their lost land. Superman discovers that the red jewel is drawing energy from a red sun, and frees himself by blocking out its light. Then he discovers that Frank Haldane has found the treasure of Montezuma, and is attempting to steal it with a mechanical mole of his own design. Superman captures Haldane and turns the wealth over to the Navarros.

In our backup, Superman and Supergirl star in "The Feud of the Titans" also by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman and Supergirl are made hostile to each other and goaded into a feud when fumes from a "brainwash bomb" they are disposing of in the Fortress of Solitude's disintegration pit combine with Kryptonian elements there and make them hate each other. Superman begins to suspect the truth after seeing a two-headed bird's two heads quarrel with each other in the Fortress, and he rescues Supergirl from death when she falls into the disintegration pit. Once outside the Fortress, they regain their senses, and they clean the gas from their headquarters.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff. 

Action Comics #401

Action Comics #401 (On Sale: April 29, 1971), has a cover by Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. They say that Swan made extensive corrections to the Superman figure.

We begin with Superman in "Invaders Go Home" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman becomes embroiled in a conflict between Navarro Indians, who want to reclaim their land, and Frank Haldane, who has built a missile manufacturing site on it. But Red Hawk, the leader of the Navarro tribe, steals Superman's powers with a mysterious red jewel. The natives take him captive, intending to trade him for their lost land. This story is concluded next issue.

The backup Superman story is "The Boy Who Begged to Die" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman must decide between the life of one orphan or the lives of an entire town.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #400

Action Comics #400 (On Sale: March 30, 1971), has a nice Superman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with Superman in  "My Son... Is He Man or Beast?" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman attends the funeral of scientist Jan Nagy. Superman once prevented a disaster caused by Nagy's experiments with metamorphon, an artificial element. However, Nagy's son Gregor was accidentally exposed. Gregor now transforms into beasts uncontrollably. Gregor hates Superman for his affliction and is further disturbed when his father's will appoints Superman as his guardian.

Superman attempts to help Gregor use his abilities for good. However, the boy's contempt for the Man of Steel remains. When showing Gregor his Fortress, Superman is forced to leave to repair a satellite. An emergency call is received moments later and Gregor leaves to help a damaged submarine. However, his transformation does not last long enough and he is soon exposed to the crushing pressure of the ocean depths. As Superman carries the dying boy ashore, Gregor reconciles and makes peace with his guardian.

The backup is Superman in "Duel of Doom" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Two Kandorian students Arvor and Yllura compete during their final examinations to make a great discovery. Yllura discovers a hidden cavern in the Crystal Hills carved by a prehistoric cult known as the Torgs. Arvor creates an infra-scope that provides him with x-ray vision. 

However, an accident causes Arvor to become lost in the caverns. Yllura's presence has triggered a booby trap. Working together, Arvor and Yllura avoid the traps and escape the tunnel. Their success and teamwork are awarded at a graduation ceremony attended by Superman and Supergirl. Reprinted in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies HC (1971).

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #399

Action Comics #399 (On Sale: February 25, 1971), has a Superman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

We begin with "Superman, You're Dead... Dead... Dead" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. While attempting to stop an out-of-control solar furnace, Superman is transported through time, landing in a crystalline dome with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and George Custer. Superman escapes the dome and finds himself in a 24th Century museum. The researchers at the museum brought the historical figures into their time moments before their own deaths. Superman is told that he is actually the third Superman. Two others had died previously. He sees their bodies (Once again, the outrageous DC cover is actually a real scene from the story).

Superman is convinced by the researchers who then send Superman back to his own time. He believes he will die stopping the solar furnace, but he doesn't. Superman then realizes that the research lab must have existed on a parallel Earth. Some of their facts such as Washington freeing the slaves were clearly wrong indicating that their history was different. On his Earth, Superman is the only Superman, and he is still alive. Reprinted in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies HC (1971), Best of DC #12 (1981), and Superman from the 30s to the 80s HC (1983).

Our backup is "Superbaby's Lost World" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. When Clark is a toddler, the Kents visit an amusement park where Clark gets separated from his foster parents. Two jewel thieves, Connie and Hyde, offer to help Clark, but they are really using him as a cover to hide from the police. When Clark begins using his powers, the thieves nearly drown. Clark then takes them to a fake volcano, where the smoke nearly kills them. Clark uses his super-breath to cause the crooks to fall from the top of the volcano into the waiting hands of the police. No one believes their story about there being a super-child. The Kents are able to find Clark and take him home.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #398

Action Comics #398 (On Sale: January 28, 1971), has a Superman cover by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano.

This issue begins with Superman in "The Pied Piper of Steel" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Morgan Edge assigns Clark Kent to drive a mobile newsroom so that he can report news live from the scene. Clark's first report comes from a rock concert. During the show, the audience is compelled to dig. Superman is forced into action to prevent a nearby hotel from being destroyed. The strange behavior of the crowd remains unexplained.

Clark then reports on another concert. This time the crowd begins fighting each other in order to obey a command to drink. Superman again intervenes.

Suspecting something might happen again, Superman uses Kryptonian recording technology at the next show. When the audience is commanded to tear down a building, Superman is affected too. However, when his Kryptonian recorder is knocked loose, he regains his senses. He then finds that the concert promoter has been using a device to brainwash the crowds. Superman destroys the device and apprehends the promoter. This was reprinted in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies HC (1971) and Superman from the 30s to the 80s HC (1983).

Our backup Superman story is one of the Untold Tales of the fortress, "Spawn of the Unknown" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman is summoned to a volcanic crater in Africa where the botanist Professor Bruno was conducting experiments with plant life. An accidental explosion has compromised the experiment. When Superman arrives he sees several animals that have been transformed into strange plants. He then sees that Supergirl has also been affected.

Superman tries to help his cousin, but the plant wraps its branches around him. When Superman struggles to free himself, Supergirl's arms are ripped off. He is shocked. Suddenly, the real Supergirl arrives. She explains that that plants merely imitate other life forms. She then shows him another one that has taken his form. The Kryptonians then take the plants to another world where they can continue their existence. The Superman and Supergirl plants are put on display in the Fortress. This has never been reprinted.

Edited by Julius Schwartz.

Action Comics #397

Action Comics #397 (On Sale: December 31, 1970), has a great Superman cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

Our imaginary story continues from the last issue, "Secret of the Wheel-Chair Superman" is by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Jimmy Olsen finds Superman panhandling on the street in front of the Daily Planet. Jimmy follows Superman back to an abandoned tenement where he now lives. Superman explains how he lost his powers. He also introduces Jimmy to two scientists who are dying from the plague.

Jimmy takes Superman to a neurologist who believes Superman's loss of power is due to a mental block. The condition originated when Superman began to feel unneeded due to advances in modern technology. Later, when his tenement catches fire, Superman is able to overcome his disability to save the two scientists.

With his powers restored, Superman plans a return. However, modern advances are still able to perform his mission better than he can. Superman sets off into space to begin a new mission on another world.

Our backup Superman story is an Untold Tale of the Fortress: "The Super Captive of the Sea" also produced by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. A pollution cloud from space enters Earth's atmosphere and causes Superman's powers to malfunction. He takes refuge underwater and uses his old undersea Fortress as a base. While remaining underwater, Superman uses his powers and ingenuity to solve several emergency situations. Eventually, two aliens reveal themselves and their plans to take Superman back to their aquatic world. The pollution cloud and emergencies were all designed to test Superman's ability to operate while submerged. Superman tricks the aliens into releasing him. He then sends them home before ridding the Earth of the pollution cloud.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #396

Action Comics #396 (On Sale: November 25, 1970), has a cover by Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson.

Proving that old ideas die hard, we get yet another "imaginary story" of Superman, "The Super-Panhandler of Metropolis" is by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Superman's powers begin to fade over time. By the 1990s, he has dropped out of the public eye completely. Now he lives anonymously on the streets of Metropolis as a wheelchair-bound beggar. His friends are not aware of his condition. He does however retain his super-vision and super-hearing. As he wheels through the city, he sees how the improvements in technology have eliminated the need for a Superman. Climate control has melted the ice caps revealing his Fortress of Solitude. 

He returns to the abandoned building he now calls home with food he has bought for the two people staying with him. His latest attempt at finding a cure for his condition winds up destroying his Clark Kent outfit forcing him to panhandle in a blanket and shawl. In his attempt to get a coin that misses his cup he reveals his Superman suit and escapes the resulting hero-worshiping mob. This mess is continued next issue.

We end with  "The Invaders from Nowhere" also by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan, and Murphy Anderson. Two aliens from the planet Krann appear in Superman's fortress and abduct the Man of Steel. The aliens have advanced technologies that they use to immobilize Superman and return with him to their home planet which has a red sun. They place Superman in a large machine that siphons off his super-kinetic energy as he tries in vain to escape. Oddly, Superman retains his superpowers under the red sun. The aliens use the siphoned energy to reignite their planet's core to save their dying world.

Superman feigns his own death. The aliens remove him from his cage. This allows Superman to escape and reach the alien ship which brought him to Krann. He then discovers that Krann is actually a microscopic world within a dust particle in his fortress. Their red sun was actually a model red sun which explains how Superman retained his powers. With the mystery solved, Superman observes Krann as it explodes. The alien experiment to save their planet backfired resulting in its destruction.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #395

Action Comics #395 (On Sale: October 29, 1970), has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Dick Giordano.

We begin with our cover story,  "The Secrets of Superman's Fortress" by Leo Dorfman,  Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Superman invites Lois Lane to visit his Fortress of Solitude and unveils a new room dedicated to Lois. During her tour, Lois asks about a door which is marked prohibited. Superman refuses to tell Lois what is behind the door. When she leaves, Superman enters the room and remembers his encounter with Althera.

When returning from a space mission, Superman stopped on a jungle planet to rescue some primitive people. A group of women from Vrandar are trying to enslave the people and uses them to mine ore. The women are led by Captain Althera who becomes enamored with Superman. The Man of Steel also develops feelings for Althera. He is able to peacefully resolve the conflict between the women and the primitives. He then discovers that Althera is of avian descent. Fearing their relationship is impossible, the two would-be lovers part ways.

We end with "The Credit Card of Catastrophe" by Leo Dorfman,  Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Superman visits Madame Mephisto, a gypsy fortune-teller at a carnival, who gives him a "credit card" that is good for three wishes. She says once he uses its three times, he will find out what it costs. Superman considers it a gag, until his power fades out three times and he regains it each time by using one of the wishes on the card. When he has used all three wishes, his powers seem to disappear permanently. He goes to Madame Mephisto, who says she has erased his powers magically and will restore them for half the gold in Fort Knox. He agrees. 

She makes him super again, and he returns with half the gold in Fort Knox, given to him with a promise to the authorities to replace it, and dumps it all on Madame Mephisto. Seconds later, he digs her out and unmasks her as Supergirl. She said that she assumed the identity of the fortune-teller to see whether or not she or Superman could be hypnotized into committing a super-crime, and used her super-hypnosis to convince Superman he had lost his powers, while standing nearby when each crisis happened in which Superman used his card. 

Superman said he deduced her true identity when he wondered why Madame Mephisto didn't use her magic to get the gold herself, rather than using him to do the job, and then realized he had not lost all his powers. The two Kryptonians fly the gold back to Fort Knox, and Supergirl admits she still doesn't know if they can be hypnotized into committing crimes or not.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #394

Action Comics #394 (On Sale: September 29, 1970) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story, "Midas of Metropolis" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Soon after Superman stops a robbery as two men try to break in to the vault of tycoon Cyrus Brand, Superman begins charging for his services. He goes into business buying and selling companies, in direct competition with Cyrus Brand. 

Superman makes so much money he creates his own bank to contain it and other citizens want to deposit at his bank as well. Brand is furious over the competition and escalates his financial war with Superman. Eventually, Superman depletes Brand of cash, forcing him to get more printed by his counterfeiting partner Rembrandt Regan. Superman then shuts down the counterfeiting operation and turns both men over to the authorities. Superman's greedy behavior was a ruse to get the counterfeit bills out of circulation without creating a financial panic.

Next is "It's a Plane! It's a Bird--No, It's a Swan... and Anderson" written by E. Nelson Bridwell with illustrations by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. The feature contains biographies of Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson with self-portraits of the artists.

We end with "Requiem for a Hot Rod" also by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Clark and Lois join an Antique Car Association to get a story on their vintage car rally. When hotrodder Coffin Crowley runs Lois and other drivers off the road, the members call off their rally. Lois and Clark then see the reckless driver at an abandoned air strip where a group of other young motorists are playing chicken. Clark challenges Crowley and beats him. He then exposes Crowley's trick of uses a shining medallion to blind the oncoming driver. Clark wore dark glasses to win. With Crowley exposed, the other drivers call off their game.

One hopes these were inventory pieces from the Weisinger era and not the way forward by Boltinoff.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #393

Action Comics #393 (On Sale: August 27, 1970) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. It is hard to tell if this is an inventory issue or not as this is Murray Boltinoff's first issue as editor, taking over for the soon to be history Mort Weisinger.  

I haven't read this issue in years, but I don't recall there being a huge shift in the character or the presentation, certainly nothing like what was happening in Jimmy Olsen. We begin with "Superman Meets Super-Houdini," our 14-page cover story from Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Clark Kent and some fellow reporters are at the Metropolis Airport to watch "Hairbreadth" Holahan perform his death dive act. 

It looks like Holahan is too close to the ground to make an escape, so Clark plays the milquetoast and runs off so he can change into Superman. Meanwhile, Holahan's son Dan says that his dad still has 10 seconds to spare and clicks his stopwatch. Just as Superman arrives to save Holahan, the lock on his chain suddenly pops open and he's able to land safely via parachute. The crowd goes wild and Superman pretends to be stumped, but his thoughts reveal that Dan clicking his stop watch sent a hypersonic signal to the lock, causing it to open. Superman invites Holahan to do some stunts with him at a museum fundraiser the next week.

The next day two cons looking at Holahan's poster realize that he's actually Mace Larkin, another con who escaped from prison 15 years ago and got married. His wife died a few years ago, but not before giving birth to a son. That night, the cons confront Holahan and blackmail him into helping them with a scheme.

A few days later, at the fundraiser, Superman uses his heat-vision to weld Holahan into a suit of armor. Moments later, Holahan mysteriously emerges from behind a curtain, much to the amazement of Superman. After Superman inspects the armor and sees that it is still intact, Holahan and Dan leave to prepare new stunts. Suddenly an alarm goes off in the museum and it is discovered that the Star of Asia has been stolen with the lock and glass staying intact. Superman figures that only Holahan could pull off this robbery and with a quick blast of heat-vision, melts the tires of Holahan's car. After revealing that Holahan is really Larkin, Superman flies him to prison, where he is locked up in Maximum Security in a cell across from Stoney Croy, the boss of the convicts who blackmailed Larkin.

We learn that the jewel theft was a ruse to get Larkin into prison so he could then escape with Croy. Pulling out a fake molar, he uses the chemical inside to freeze the cell lock and kick the door open. Repeating the same trick on Croy's cell door, they then use old drain pipes and conduits to escape from the prison, before heading to the old state pen. Seems the cons have secretly bought it and turned it into an underworld resort. Once inside, Larkin recognizes the cons as being wanted by the FBI. This sets off Croy because Larkin wouldn't actually know who the FBI are looking for if he's really been "out of the rackets" for 15 years.

A shotgun blast to Larkin's chest reveals that he's actually Superman in disguise. While explaining that Larkin told Superman about his visit from the cons, and that they switched identities so that Croy would show him the new hideout, he swiftly knocks all of the cons out. For his assistance in helping Superman round up the hoodlums, the Governor grants Larkin a full pardon. We end with Superman flying off wishing he had a son like Dan.

Our back-up story is "The Day Superboy Became Superman!" by Leo Dorfman, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. Years ago at Metropolis University a group of students discover that the Raiders, a gang from the slums, have broken in and are using the new college pool. Clark Kent, who just happens to be nearby, ducks behind a hedge to change to Superboy. He then uses his super-breath to freeze the Raiders into a block of ice and drops them off off-campus. When he returns, Marla Harvey, one of Clark's fellow students, chastises Superboy for ruining those poor kid's fun. The next day, the Raiders steal the food from the cafeteria and take it back to the slums where others join in the "banquet." Superboy then swoops in, retrieving the food. Later, Clark sees Marla leaving the school with luggage. Turns out she's leaving the college because the school arrested the Raiders for feeding the hungry.

A few weeks later, the Raiders "borrow" several books from the university library, and take them to their new teacher, Marla Harvey. She tells them they shouldn't have, then tells them to run when she sees Superboy arrive on the scene. She reveals that she is starting a school for the slum kids in a condemned building that a demolition company is letting her use temporarily. She then explains to Superboy what life is like in the slums and that instead of helping other planets, he should become a Superman and help these people. He then returns the books and heads off on a vital mission in space. 

When he returns to talk to Marla the next day, he sees that the demolition company is tearing down the "school." Suddenly, his X-ray vision reveals that Marla is still inside the building. He's too late to save her, but before she dies she makes Superboy promise that he will help the people in the slum. He starts to build a new school for the kids when he realizes what Marla really meant. He tells the watching crowd that he could build a new school and rebuild the entire slum area, but then they would be relying on him. He suggests that they go to their mayor or councilman and fight for their future.

Months later, when the new school is completed, the school is dedicated to Superman for inspiring the improvements to the slum. Superman declines and remolds the statue to look like Marla, saying that it was all because she inspired Superboy to become a Superman. Not a bad little story.

Edited by Murray Boltinoff.

Action Comics #391

Action Comics #391 (On Sale: June 30, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story, the imaginary tale "The Punishment of Superman's Son" by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

The back-up is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Ordeal of Element Lad" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

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.

Action Comics #389

Action Comics #389 (On Sale: April 30, 1970) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "The Kid Who Struck Out Superman!" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. Superman decides to try out for the Metropolis Majestics baseball team. During the try-out the coach asks if his nephew can pitch to Superman. The Man of Steel agrees, and the little league pitcher strikes him out. Superman takes the ball and throws it into space.

Later Superman tries out for a soccer team, a basketball team and a football team. He also tries out as a boxer and a tennis player.  He excels at each sport, but doesn't join the teams. Instead he throws, punches, and kicks more sports equipment into space.

We then learn that an invading alien race has sent a probe into Earth's atmosphere, a probe he cannot approach or it will explode. However, all the sports equipment has been lodged on the air intakes. When the probe returns to it's home planet, the air from the intakes is analyzed by the aliens and determined to be dangerous. Therefore the alien plan for conquest is called off, just as Superman had planned when he inflated the equipment with dangerous gasses.

Next is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Mystery Legionnaire!" by Cary Bates, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel.  The android Klim, created by four disabled criminals on pinion asteroid Voran-4, was undefeated until it encountered members of the Legion of Super-Heroes. However, the head of the android escaped. When Klim's body regains power, it seeks to rejoin the head. Cosmic Boy, Chemical King, and Shrinking Violet track the body to Voran-4.. After battling their way through booby-traps, the Legionnaires find the head. Klim wants revenge against the Legionnaire who defeated him, but in the first battle his vision was damaged. He thought Cosmic Boy and Chemical King were the same person. While Klim announces his revenge plan, Shrinking Violet disables him, ending the threat. 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.

Action Comics #388

Action Comics #388 (On Sale: March 26, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. I remember falling for this cover gag and trying to count everything that was wrong on it.

Our cover-story is "Puzzle of the Wild World" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos. I think the answer to the cover question was that nothing was wrong, that on the planet it was depicting, everything was normal, but it has been a while and I might have that wrong. As I have mentioned earlier, I sold most of my Weisinger books in the late 70s.

The back-up Legion of Super-Heroes story is "Sun Boy's Lost Power" reprinted from Adventure Comics #302 and created by Jerry Siegel and John Forte. After attending the dedication of a Sun Boy statue, Sun Boy finds that his powers of heat and light have stopped working. With the help of the Legionnaires, he tries to recharge himself by duplicating the accident that gave him those powers, but to no avail. After his powers briefly return in an entomologist’s office, he invites Ultra Boy and Superboy to concentrate their heat vision powers on him, still with no effect. Heartbroken, he resigns from the Legion, just as Kranyak, his old foe, breaks prison and comes after him.

More worried than before, Sun Boy realizes what it will take to recharge his powers, and deliberately walks into the blast of a Kryptonian flame-beast. With his abilities restored, he defeats Kranyak, and rejoins the Legion. He then explains that he needed the heat-energy of a living being to restore his power, and the Ultra Boy and Superboy present are robots, sent to take those heroes’ places while they celebrate Pete Ross’s birthday in the 20th century.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #387

Action Comics #387 (On Sale: February 24, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with our Superman cover-story, "Even a Superman Dies" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos. The back-up story is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "One Hero Too Many" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. This story guest-starred the Legion of Super-Pets and was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #386

Action Comics #386 (On Sale: January 29, 1970) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with our cover-story, Superman in "The Home for Old Super-Heroes" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos. The back-up is Legion of Super-Heroes in "Zap Goes the Legion" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #385

Action Comics #385 (On Sale: December 23, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with Superman in "The Immortal Superman" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos.  When the president asks Superman not to fly through time for a few days so that the military can test a new weapon, he is called to the future and uses an old Legion time-bubble to do so, but a defect int he bubble causes Superman to age. After solving a crisis he finds that when he attempts to return to the present he is stopped by some sort of barrier and returns to the 1,020th century where he is given immunity to kryptonite, magic and Virus-X. Though now pretty much immortal, Superman is trapped in the future and this story is continued next issue.

The back-up Legion of Super-Heroes story, "The Fallen Starboy" is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. When a criminal gang is running rampant on his home-world of Xanthu, Starboy, along with Colossal Boy and Saturn Girl respond only to discover that the gang is from Naltor, Dream Girl's home planet and can foresee every trap the Legion sets for them.  One of the gang is the brother of the man Starboy killed and is out for revenge. He captures Starboy but he is rescued by his fellow Legionaries..  This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC and is the first LSH story in years not written by the now departed Jim Shooter.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #384

Action Comics #384 (On Sale: November 26, 1969) has a nice cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. I particularly like the cop on this cover.

We begin with Superman in "The Forbidden Costume" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos.  Continuing from last issue, Superman is confronted at the Fortress of Solitude by two mysterious costumes, which he places on two Superman robots to see what will happen. The two robots begin fighting each other and when the dust clears the robots have been destroyed and the costumes are gone. We learn the costumes come from an interstellar prison transport that was caught in the tail of a comet, killing the convict and the enforcer that was transporting them, but not before they both transferred their essence to the suits.

Later, at the Daily Planet, Clark is forced to put on the criminals's costume. The costume knows Clark is Superman and uses his body to crash a luxury liner, but Supergirl shows up to make thing right again. back in Metropolis, Clark helps a convict by hiding him in the Daily Planet globe, but Batman shows up and rearrests him. The next morning the suit is furious, learning that Superman knew Supergirl and Batman would be showing up and only pretended to create havoc. The suit frames itself for multiple crimes and Superman is unable to take it off so he puts his suit on over the top. The suit then forces Superman to attack a few cops and demand that he be x-rayed. Yeah, it makes little sense, but it does lead us to the cover shot.

The enforcer suit shows up and takes Superman away where the two essences to fight each other, ending up with Superman wearing both suits. He flies into space and under the rays of an orange sun the essences leave the suits and Superman returns home.

That is followed by the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Lament for a Legionnaire" by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. This is Jim Shooter's last story for DC for about five years. He will work at Marvel for a week or two and then leaves the comic book industry for a while, returning to Pittsburgh. After Dream Girl dreams that Mon-El will die in five days. He tries to find a cure but eventually accepts his fate. Wishing to be helpful to the very end, Mon-El goes on a three-day mission and while gone Dream Girl reveals that Mon-El will battle a band of inter-dimensional invaders on Friday.

When the day comes, Mon-El seems to stop the invasion only to be revealed as Eltro, a relative of Mon's from Daxam, having drugged the real Mon-El and left him on a planetoid. When they go to retrieve him they find his serum has worn off and the lead in the planetoid's rocks has killed him. Eltro scoops up Mon's body and flies to Earth. The LSH follow and find that Eltro has built some sort of exchanger that transfers his life to Mon-El's body, sacrificing himself so that Mon-El may live.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.