Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #95

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #95 (On Sale: July 8, 1969) has a strange cover supposedly by Curt Swan and Neal Adams. I'm not sure I see Adams in these inks and if so, it is another example of where DC had someone else go over Neal's Superman face. If there are some Neal Adams' inks on this it is the last Lois Lane cover that Neal would work on.

We begin with "Lois Lane's Super-Brain" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #27, which is drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois Lane’s head grows to enormous size when she subjects herself to Professor Holt’s brain bank. The knowledge of famous scientists is transferred to her mind for a week, but her huge bald head is embarrassing. She attempts to cover her disfigurement throughout the week. Only her sister Lucy knows the truth. Her greatest fear is that Superman will see her like this. Fortunately only Bizarro sees her, but he falls in love with her because of it. When her head returns to normal, Bizarro becomes disenchanted with her "ugliness".

Next is "The Superwoman of Metropolis" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #8 written by Alvin Schwartz and also drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Superman gives Lois Lane temporary super powers for her birthday. She decides to keep her identity a secret, so she wears a blonde wig as Superwoman. Clark Kent tries to prove that Lois is the new Superwoman which makes it difficult for her to preform her duties.

After successfully protecting her identity several times, she eventually has to reveal herself in order to make a rescue. However, her powers have worn off. Clark secretly makes the rescue, and thinks it’s funny that Lois pretended to be Superwoman. Lois now understands how much of a pest she is to Superman.

That is followed by "Lois Lane, Slave Girl" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #33 also drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois is transported back in time by some crooks to prevent her from testifying against them. Lois winds up in ancient Rome where she is auctioned off as a slave to Crassus, a cruel master. Lois is rescued along with some other slaves by Petronius, an ex-gladiator. Petronius is betrayed by one of the slaves, Julia. Lois tries to rescue him, but learns that he already free because he is really Crassus. He uses the disguise to cover his liberation of prisoners. Petronius proposes to Lois, but she is returned to the present in time to testify.

Next is "The Widow in Black" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #32 also drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois is upset that Perry White will not let her cover any dangerous assignments. When she complains Perry assigns her to locate the Playboy Poisoner, a con man that poisons widows and steals their valuables.

Lois attracts the attention of the Poisoner at a hotel and tries to gather evidence against him while avoiding getting poisoned. Eventually the Poisoner catches on and ties up Lois. He threatens to blow her up, but Lois has discovered that the Poisoner is really Perry White. Perry tried to trick Lois to teach her a lesson, but the girl reporter has seen through the scheme, forcing Perry to give in and give her tougher assignments.

That is followed by "The Madam Jekyll of Metropolis" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #36 also drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. While explaining the properties of Red Kryptonite to her fan club, Lois Lane struck with a neutron beam of energy which is focused through the Kryptonite. Later that day Lois begins to exhibit a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Her friends try to help, but Lois gets out of control. Finally, they trick her into getting exposed to another piece of Red Kryptonite which once turned a Phantom Zone villain good. The effect cures Lois of her evil ways.

We end with "Lois Lane, Hag" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #40 once again drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois Lane investigates a doctor who claims to have invented a youth serum. Lois is knocked out during her attempt to prove the doctor a fraud. She dreams that she has grown old and ugly, until Perry White revives her. The doctor’s scheme is then exposed, and Superman arrives to arrest him.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #119

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #119 (On Sale: February 25, 1969) has an interesting cover penciled by Curt Swan. The Superman figure looks like it is inked by Swan himself, while the Jimmy Olsen figure is obviously inked by Neal Adams. Did they change the Superman figure at the last minute or did they change the Olsen figure?

We start with "The Lady-Killer from Metropolis" a reprint from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #33 by Alvin Schwartz Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. Jimmy visits Hollywood while Superman works on a movie. He tries on one of Superman’s spare costumes and actress Marilyn Marlowe mistakes him for the real Man of Steel. She and several other Hollywood girls begin to pursue Jimmy romantically. Jimmy is confused by the attention, unaware that they believe he is really Superman. Jimmy finally catches on to the mistake and quickly finds his popularity with women drop off.

We end with our cover story, "Nine Lives -- Like a Cat" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza. Criminal mastermind Dr. Klipp pretends to be the curator of the Museum of Superstition and Magic. He tricks Jimmy Olsen into believing that the Tiger's Eye jewel can bestow its wearer with nine lives. Klipp gives the jewel to Jimmy to pass along to Superman. However, the gem is actually Gold Kryptonite which will remove Superman's powers permanently.

Jimmy carries the jewel while Superman is away on a mission. Klipp and his henchmen worry that Jimmy will discover it is a fake and not deliver it. They scheme to protect Jimmy's life to convince him that the gem's power is real. However, they soon come to believe the jewel really does possess life saving powers after Jimmy survives several brushes with death.

The crooks take the gem back when they believe Jimmy's nine lives have been used up. Klipp then uses it to enter a booby-trapped vault containing his former partner's loot. The gem fails, but Superman saves Klipp. The Man of Steel then tricks the crook into signing a confession before revealing that Jimmy knew the gem was Gold Kryptonite and replaced it.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.