Inferior Five #10

Inferior Five #10 (On Sale: July 16, 1968) has a cover by Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell featuring some obvious Marvel characters and Superman. This is the Five's last issue.

"A Monster Rally" is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell. Earth is invaded by little green men. Many heroes respond to the invasion including the Inferior Five. However, the aliens are able to use their mental abilities to hypnotize the Kookie Quartet (Mr. Manplastic, Vanishing Queen, Matchstick Kid, and Whatchamaycallit), the Submoron (Prince Nabob), and the Cobweb Kid. The Inferior Five also fail to stop the invaders.

Finally Superman returns from a space mission and forces the aliens to leave Earth. After the battle the Inferior Five recovers, but the other defeated heroes blame them for their own failures and plot revenge.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Inferior Five #9

Inferior Five #9 (On Sale: May 16, 1968) has a cover by Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell.

"Mummy's the Word" is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell. When a rare jewel is mysterious stolen from a museum, the Inferior Five are called for help. The team suspects that the crooks may strike again, so they take turns guarding the museum overnight. Each one of them is outwitted as more jewels are stolen. However, they do locate a secret shaft underneath one of the display cases.

The team descends into the shaft where they are attacked by a variety of monsters. After successfully passing each challenge, the Inferior Five find the thieves, aliens from Asteroid 36. They used the jewels to recharge the mind power ray devices which they then use to take control of the Inferior Five. Dumb Bunny is too stupid to be affected by mind control, so she single-handedly stops her attacking teammates and smashes the alien machine.

After the aliens leave Earth, the Inferior Five are forced to act as tour guides at the museum to pay for the damage they caused within.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Inferior Five #8

Inferior Five #8 (On Sale: March 21, 1968) has cover by Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell.

"A Little Junk... Can Go a Long Way" is written by E. Nelson Bridwell and Don Segall and drawn by Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell. Herman Cramer, alias the Blimp, calls his friends the Inferior Five for help when a growing pile of junk buries his diner. City leaders have been unable to control the junk pile, so the super-heroes climb the to the top. At the top they discover their old foe Dr. Gruesome who has created an atomic egg which he plans to drop on the United Nations. The Inferior Five steal the egg, but Awkwardman drops it. Fortunately when it lands on some military troops it turns out to be a dud. The Inferior Five then must clean up the junk.

Edited by Joe Orlando.

Inferior Five #7

Inferior Five #7 (On Sale: January 23, 1968) sports a Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell cover. This is Blaisdell's first work at DC, though he did write a story for Police Comics #8 in 1942.

"Drainy Day" is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Tex Blaisdell. While searching for a mugger in the sewers, the Inferior Five meet their friend Thor and give him a make-over. As they continue on their pursuit of the crook, the heroes meet Prince Nabob, Iron Pants, and the Cobweb Kid who are looking for Thor and become involved in a murder plot.

The Inferior Five and several of the other people from the sewers eventually gather in a room to find the murderer. The killer then reveals himself as Dr. Diabolical who has been posing as an old lady. The villain then attempts to transfer the powers of the team into one of his henchmen, but instead transfers their weaknesses.

Edited by Joe Orlando in his first book as a DC editor.

Inferior Five #6

Inferior Five #6 (On Sale: November 23, 1967) features an odd Mike Sekowsky and Mile Esposito cover. Odd because how often do you see Superman and Superboy on the same cover?

"How to Make a Bomb""How to Make a Bomb"is by E. Nelson Bridwell, Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito. In the offices of National Periodicals, the big boss known as I.D. seeks out Jack Miller the editor of the Inferior Five. I.D. informs Miller that the latest issue of the Inferior Five is due, so Miller corners E. Nelson Bridwell to get him to write the script. Miller and Bridwell then walk through the National office meeting other staffers in an attempt to get them to finish the issue.

When they return to Miller's office, a bald villain attacks them. The villain is removed to be used in a better feature. Bridwell finishes his script, while Miller is dragged away to a padded cell. The Inferior Five then falls asleep in Miller's office having missed out on taking part in any sort of adventure.

Besides Jack Miller, Irwin Donnenfeld, and E. Nelson Bridwell, the story also features appearances by Barbara Friedlander, Robert Kanigher, Julius Schwartz, Mort Weisinger, George Kashdan, Murray Boltinoff, Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino, Mike Esposito, Jack Schiff, Jack Adler, Sol Harrison, Gil Kane, and Joe Letterese.

Edited by Jack Miller.

Inferior Five #5

Inferior Five #5 (On Sale: September 19, 1967) has another Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito cover.

"I Was a Guillotine-Age Hero" is written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito. The Inferior Five go back in time to the French Revolution and chaos ensures. Along the way, they meet several figures including Robespierre, The Scarlet Pimpernel and the infamous sewing mother who sits in the front row of every execution.

Edited by Jack Miller.

Inferior Five #4

Inferior Five #4 (On Sale: July 18, 1967) has a Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito cover featuring the Five and Thor!

"Valhallaballoo" is written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito. Bored with the heroes of Asgard, Odin sends the Valkyries to Earth to fetch some new heroes to entertain him. Unable to find any heroes in Scandinavia, the Valkyries visit Megalopolis where they find the Inferior Five. They bring the heroes back to Asgard to meet Odin and the other Norse gods.

The Inferior Five soon meet Thor who is interested in visiting Midgard. The team returns to Earth with Thor and three other Asgardians. Thor assumes the identity of a baseball player, Don R. Blitz. Loki however has followed Thor to Earth. After a battle between Loki and Thor, the Asgardians plan to return home. However, the baseball team owner tells Thor that he is under contract and must remain to play baseball.

Edited by Jack Miller.

Inferior Five #3

Inferior Five #3 (On Sale: May 18, 1967) has a cool Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito cover featuring the Five and Darwin of the Apes!

"Darwin of the Apes" is written by E. Nelson Bridwell and drawn by Mike Sekowsky. The CIA contact the Inferior Five to help locate Dr. Livingroom, who vanished in the Congo in 1960. The famed Darwin of the Apes will be their guide. They use their new Inferiplane to fly to his home. They are surprised to find that Darwin is a refined gentlemen, now called John Claypool, Lord Gravestone. His wife Jayne helped with his return to civilized ways. When questioned about their youthful appearance, Darwin explains that he was given eternal youth by a witch-doctor, then he later picked up immortality pills for his wife and friends. Darwin and the Inferior Five finally locate and rescue Dr. Livingroom from Oompah, a lost colony of Atlantis.

Edited by Jack Miller.

Inferior Five #2

Inferior Five #2 (On Sale: March 16, 1967) has a cover by Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito. For some reason I like this Sekowsky cover more than the JLA cover from two days ago.

Inside we have our cover story "The House-Hunting Heroes" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Mike Sekowsky and Mike Esposito. The Inferior Five seek a new headquarters after an awful songwriter barges into their current meeting place. After purchasing a new Inferi-Car, the team visits the Batson Building, a prospective headquarters.

At the same time in the penthouse of the Batson Building, Rod Rickard conducts an experiment which bestows himself, his assistant, his wife, and her kid brother with super powers. The foursome form the Kookie Quartet and promise to take over the crime-fighting duties in Megalopolis.

Before the Inferior Five can meet the Quartet's challenge, a bank robbery is committed. The perpetrators are King-Size and the Tsetse Fly, a pair of crooks with size changing abilities. Guest-stars Plastic Man and Invisible Kid.

Edited by Jack Miller.