Adventure Comics #396

Adventure Comics #396 (On Sale: June 30, 1970) has a Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "I am a Witch" by Robert Kanigher and Kurt Schaffenberger.

We end with our cover-story "The Mystery of the Super-Orphan" by Leo Dorfman, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #101

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #101 (On Sale: March 24, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story,"The Super-Reckless Lois Lane" by Leo Dorfman and Irv Novick. The back-up is "The Anti-Superman Lois" from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #13 and drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois Lane goes undercover as blond-haired Sadie Blodgett to get a story. Two members of the Anti-Superman Gang see her and decide to use her in a plot to kill Superman, by having her impersonate Lois Lane. The crooks train her to be Lois, while she plays dumb. The crooks pull off their scheme, but Lois had tipped off Superman. He foils their plan and captures them.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman #226

Superman #226 (On Sale: March 17, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover-story, "When Superman Was King Kong" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. The back-up is "Uncle Sam's Prize Prisoner" by Bob Haney, Curt Swan and Joe Giella.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superboy #165

Superboy #165 (On Sale: March 5, 1970) has cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with "The Super-Dog from Krypton" by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and John Fishetti and reprinted from Adventure Comics #210. This story tells the origin of Krypto, Superboy's dog. Superboy encounters a super powered dog on the streets of Smallville. The dog seems to recognize him and is friendly. Superboy follows the dog to a rocket that has recently crashed on Earth. Inside the rocket he finds papers which reveal that the dog came from Krypton. The dog was sent into space by Jor-El to test a rocket which was deflected by a meteor. The dog, Krypto, belonged to Kal-El as a baby. Krypto's ship eventually made its way to Earth.

Superboy is thrilled to have his dog back. However, Krypto's frisky nature and super powers cause several problems for Superboy including threatening his secret identity. Superboy constructs a super doghouse for Krypto, but the dog is easily able to free himself.

Eventually Krypto takes off into space to chase meteors. Superboy is happy that he won't have to deal with Krypto's antics anymore, but he is sad that his friend is gone.

Next we have "Superboy's Last Day" by Otto Binder and George Papp and reprinted from Adventure Comics #251. This story tells of Superboy's first encounter with Kryptonite. While cleaning house, Clark Kent recalls how one of his Superboy robots saved his life. Many years before, Pa Kent brought home a green glowing rock for Clark’s mineral collection. Clark immediately took ill and was on his deathbed. To replace him as Superboy, a recently constructed Superboy robot was sent out controlled by Jonathan.

When the robot returned, it inadvertently stepped in front of the Kryptonite. Being made of lead, the robot blocked the radiation. Superboy recovered but relapsed when the robot moved away. Pa Kent realizes that the rock must be responsible and places it inside the robot. Superboy recovers and learns that the rock was Kryptonite, a fragment of his home planet, which is deadly to him.

This is followed by "The Girl Who Saw the Future Superboy" by Jerry Coleman and Al Plastino and reprinted from Superboy #90. While helping her father clean a scientist’s lab, Lana accidentally activates a machine that allows her to see the future. Although the image only lasts for a moment, Lana sees Superman and his girlfriend, Lois Lane. Lana become jealous and tries to alter fate by getting Lois to enter a different career.

Lana visits Lois’s school and tries to sabotage Lois’s attempts to join the school paper. Failing in that, Lana tries to get Lois to pursue a career in science and later, sculpture. Each attempt fails due to the Unbeknownst actions of Superboy and Krypto.

Next we have "The Phantom Superboy" by Robert Bernstein and George Papp and reprinted from Adventure Comics #283. This is the first appearance of the Phantom Zone. Professor Lang discovers a box of Kryptonian weapons which he delivers to Superboy. While Superboy examines and tests the weapons, he is accidentally sent into the Phantom Zone, a dimension which exists near ours in which beings can only exist in a ghostly state. Kryptonian criminals were banished here before the destruction of the planet.

Unable to be seen or heard Superboy can not communicate with anyone in his own dimension. Eventually he discovers that his super thought is enough to activate an electric typewriter on which he types a message to Pa Kent. Jonathan rescues Superboy from the Zone, and then the Boy of Steel disposes of the box of weapons.

We end with "The Death of Ma and Pa Kent" by Leo Dorfman and Al Plastino and reprinted from Superman #161. While on vacation in the Caribbean, Jonathan and Martha Kent find a buried pirate’s treasure. The chest contains a scrap from the diary of Pegleg Morgan and presents them a mystery. Superboy carries them into the past to learn how Pegleg was stranded on the island by Blackbeard the Pirate.

When they return to present-day Smallville, the Kents become ill from jungle fever. Doctors are unable to find the cure, and Superboy is likewise helpless. Superboy tries to send them to the Phantom Zone, but solar flares prevent the projector from functioning.

Without a cure, the Kents die. Superboy blames himself for their deaths and gives up his Superboy career. He donates their money to charity, maintaining their house and store for himself. When searching through his father’s belongings he finds the diary scrap and learns that the chest the Kents found in the sand was the actually source of their illness. Relieved that his time-trip was not responsible for the death of his parents, Superboy resumes his career and treasures the memory of his Earth parents.

Edited by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Adventure Comics #392

Adventure Comics #392 (On Sale: February 24, 1970) has a Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with Supergirl in "The Super-Cheat" by Robert Kanigher and Kurt Schaffenberger. The back-up story is our Supergirl cover-story "One Hero Too Many" by Leo Dorfman, 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.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #127

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #127 (On Sale: January 15, 1970) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

This issue begins with our cover-story "The Secret Slumlord of Metropolis" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos.

The back-up is "When Olsen Changed History" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #390

Adventure Comics #390 (On Sale: January 13, 1970) has a Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson featuring an All-Romance Issue!

This issue begins with Supergirl in"When Supergirl Played Cupid" from Action Comics #289 by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney. Supergirl embarks on a campaign to see Superman happily married. Traveling into the past, she unsuccessfully attempts to interest him in Helen of Troy. Her similar effort in the future era of the Legion of Super-Heroes also fails, when she learns that Saturn Woman, the adult Saturn Girl, is already married to Lightning Man, the adult Lightning Lad.

Finally, she locates Superman’s ideal mate on a distant world, where Luma Lynai, a superwoman who resembles Supergirl herself as an adult, falls in love with the Man of Steel. When it turns out that Luma Lynai cannot survive on Earth, however, the couple are focused to part, and Supergirl learns not to interfere in her cousin’s love life.

Next is Supergirl in "The Secret Identity of Super-Horse" from Action Comics #301 by Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney. Supergirl and Comet visit the planet Zerox to help Superman’s friend Prince Endor. Comet allows Endor to ride him in order to complete a ceremony which allows the prince to retain his rule. In appreciation for Comet’s help, Endor places a spell on the horse, which allows him to temporarily become human, when a comet passes.

When they return to Earth, Supergirl leaves Comet with some other horses. A comet passes by, transforming Super-Horse into a man. He assumes the identity of Bronco Bill, a rodeo star. He later meets Supergirl at the rodeo, but decides to keep his identity secret from her. Eventually the effect of the spell wears off, and Comet is returned to his horse form.

This if followed by "Supergirl's Cowboy Hero" from Action Comics #311 and also created by Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney. Comet travels back in time to visit his former love Circe in hopes that she may find a way to make him human. Circe creates a potion that will take effect shortly after Comet returns to the present. However, when Comet arrives back in his own time, he has amnesia.

A masked crook called the Hooded Demon finds Comet and uses him to commit a series of robberies. Comet's powers then begin to wear off and both he and the bandit are wounded. Comet's transformation then begins. He becomes human again.

A posse searching for the masked crook believe Comet is the bandit. Comet eludes them and manages to spend some time with Linda Danvers. She thinks he is Bronco Bill, whom she once met as Supergirl. The posse eventually catches up to Comet forcing him to flee.

Supergirl pursues him too, so Comet wishes Circe to reverse the effects of the potion. She complies, and Comet changes back to a horse. The real Hooded Demon is caught clearing Bronco Bill, and Supergirl still does not know that he was really Comet.

Next is "The Great Supergirl Mirage" from Action Comics #256 and created by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney. While secretly performing good deeds as Supergirl, a boy from the Midvale Orphanage, Dick Wilson, takes a picture of her. He suspects Linda Lee is Supergirl, when he sees her turn in a report that she finished at super-speed. Linda makes an excuse that she had a copy of the finished report elsewhere, but Dick is not convinced.

While looking for minerals for Geology class, Dick tricks Linda by throwing a dummy of himself off a cliff. Linda’s X-ray vision ignites chemicals which Dick coated the dummy with. Linda causes lightning to strike the dummy to cover her mistake. Dick is still convinced she is a Supergirl.

Dick tries to trick Linda again with heavy dumbbells. Linda falls for the trick, but her powers allow her to once again cover her mistake and protect her identity. She is distressed over the situation when a Supergirl robot arrives to perform amazing feats at a show. Dick is now convinced that he saw the Supergirl robot sent by Superman, and that Supergirl does not exist.

We end with "Supergirl's Wedding Day" from Action Comics #307 created by Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney. Tor-An, a criminal from the Phantom Zone, escapes. He takes the identity of a teacher at Midvale High School in order to get close to Supergirl. He reveals his powers to her, but claims to be a survivor of Argo City.

Supergirl falls in love with the criminal and plans to marry him. Supergirl’s telepathic friends Jerro and Comet warn her about Tor-An’s evil intentions, but she does not believe them. When Superman returns from a space mission, he appears to give his approval. However, Tor-An has replaced the Man of Steel with a robot.

The wedding takes place at the Fortress of Solitude. Immediately after the ceremony, Tor-An reveals his true background. Supergirl then reveals herself to be Saturn Girl in disguise, therefore the marriage was illegal. Saturn Girl had been contacted by Jerro, Comet, and Lori Lemaris. Tor-An is taken to the future for imprisonment until he can be returned to the Phantom Zone.

Edited most likely by E. Nelson Bridwell.

Adventure Comics #388

Adventure Comics #388 (On Sale: November 26, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Supergirl in "The Kindergarten Criminal" by Leo Dorfman, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. That is followed by Supergirl in "The Romance Machine" by Cary Bates and Kurt Schaffenberger.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #126

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #126 (On Sale: November 25, 1969) has a nice cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Jimmy Olsen -- Traitor" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza. That is followed by our cover-story, "The Mystery of Kryptonite Plus" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #387

Adventure Comics #387 (On Sale: October 30, 1969) has a Supergirl cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Supergirl in "The Wolf-Girl of Stanhope" by Cary Bates and Kurt Schaffenberger. The back-up story is our cover story, "Lex Luthor's Outlaw Nephew" by Leo Dorfman, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Able.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #125

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #125 (On Sale: October 14, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with our cover story "Superman's Saddest Day" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza. The back-up is "The Spendthrift and the Miser" from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #28 and is by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. Jimmy is hyptonized by two con artists. During the day Jimmy spends all his money foolishly, then at night he turns into a greedy miser. The crooks force Jimmy to sell his Superman trophies which they wanted all along. Jimmy tricks them instead by selling them worthless junk. Superman frees Jimmy of the hypnotic spell, and the crooks leave town.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman #221

Superman #221 (On Sale: September 18, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "The Revolt of the Super-Slave" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. The back-up is the cover-story "The Two-Ton Superman" by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Roussos.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #381

Action Comics #381 (On Sale: August 28, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Superman in "The Dictator of Earth" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. The back-up story is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Hapless Hero" by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #124

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #124 (On Sale: August 21, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "Jimmy Olsen’s Girl Trouble" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Pete Costanza. This story was reprinted in Superman: Daily Planet TPB.

We end with the cover-story, "The Secret of Jimmy Olsen’s Lost Father" by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #96

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #96 (On Sale: August 12, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. This one has an interesting gimmick on the cover, with the empty word balloons and the question to the reader.

We began with "The Girl Who Died for Superman" by Cary Bates, Irv Novick and Mike Esposito. The back-up is "Weep for Lois Lane's Baby" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #380

Action Comics #380 (On Sale: July 31, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with Superman in "The Confessions of Superman" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. That is followed by the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Half a Legionnaire?" by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel, which was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #123

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #123 (On Sale: July 8, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

We begin with "The Sacrifice of Jimmy Olsen" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. That is followed by "The Robber Robot" by Jim Shooter and Pete Costanza, and we end with "The Puzzles of Space and Time" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Pete Costanza.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #379

Action Comics #379 (On Sale: June 26, 1969) has a Superman cover by Curt Swan and Neal Adams.

We begin with Superman in "The Eliminator" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Jack Abel. This story was reprinted in Best of DC #38.

Next is the Legion of Super-Heroes in "One of Us is an Imposter" by E. Nelson Bridwell, Winslow Mortimer and Murphy Anderson. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #94

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #94 (On Sale: June 24, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Neal Adams.

We begin with "The Lois Lane in the Mystic Mirror" by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Mike Esposito.

The back-up story is "Superman's Flight from Lois Lane" a reprint from Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #20 drawn by Kurt Schaffenberger. Superman travels back in time to escape Lois Lane. He gets a job at WMET as a disc jockey instead of at the Daily Planet. He checks up on Lois and learns that she is still getting into trouble. He makes frequent rescues, but he is now menaced by his secretary, Liza Landis. Liza tries to prove Clark is Superman. Finally, when Lois shows up to interview him, he gives up and restores things to their original way.

I wish I had more information on the first story. I don't, but I do have some video of the writer, Leo Dorfman. This was brought to my attention by Mark Evanier on his blog, News From ME.



Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #122

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #122 (On Sale: June 19, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Neal Adams.

We begin with "A Date with Miss Metropolis" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #27 by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley. Jimmy Olsen agrees to interview the winner of the Miss Metropolis contest. He thinks it was a beauty contest, so he tries to impress her. When he arrives though he finds out that she is ugly. He doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he tries to get out of dating her. However, everything Jimmy tries backfires. Finally, he disguises himself as an Englishman to romance Gloria. She jilts Jimmy, freeing him from her attention.

Next is "Jimmy Olsen, Freak" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #59 by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Klein. An alien girl comes to Earth and meets Jimmy. She wants to marry him and gives him a belt, which allows him to gain super-powers. Jimmy agrees to the marriage, but when he learns that Ilona has four other husbands, he wants to back out. Superman arranges to make Ilona believe Jimmy has two other wives, causing her to leave without him. Lucy Lane now wants to date Jimmy since he was seen with a beautiful woman.

That is followed by "The Girl Who Was Lucy Lane's Double" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #60 and by Robert Bernstein, Curt Swan and George Klein. Jimmy Olsen spots Streaky and sees the super-cat travel back in time. Jimmy uses the Sunevian Magic Belt given to him by Princess Ilona to follow Streaky back to colonial Salem. He meets a girl there named Lucinda Lawrence who resembles Lucy Lane. Jimmy’s actions using the magic belt get him branded a witch. Lucinda, who is a real witch, saves Jimmy from being killed and sends him back to his own time.

Our next story is "Jimmy Olsen, Wolf-Man" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #52 and by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. Mxyzptlk returns to Earth and becomes infatuated with Lucy Lane. When he approaches her however she claims to have a boyfriend already, Jimmy Olsen. The imp decides to eliminate Jimmy by once again using the wolfman potion to transform him into a Wolf-Man.

Superman arranges for Supergirl, whom Jimmy knows only as Miss X, to kiss Jimmy. This time however it does not revert Jimmy back to normal because of Mxyzptlk’s magic. Jimmy also receives kisses from Lois Lane, Lucy, Lori Lemaris and Lana Lang, but none are effective.

Miss Gzptlsnz, Mxyzptlk’s girlfriend, arrives, kisses Jimmy, and cures him. She then tricks the imp back to his own dimension and explains that her magic allowed Jimmy to return to normal.

Next is "Jimmy the Soda Jerk" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #58 by Robert Bernstein Curt Swan and George Klein. Jimmy Olsen goes undercover as a soda jerk to discover how ex-con drugstore owner, Legs Halleck is passing messages to his gang. Jimmy fumbles through his job trying to locate the hidden messages until he gets an idea. He asks a fat woman, Elsie, who has a crush on him to step on the scales of a weight machine. The machine dispenses a card with directions for the gang on it if the person is over 300 lbs. This helps Jimmy get proof against Halleck and his fat partner, Willie Paxton, who was receiving the messages.

That is followed by "The Human Porcupine" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #65 by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein. Miss Gzptlsnz from Mr. Mxyzptlk’s 5th dimension visits Earth seeking a husband. Jimmy tells her that he is not interested, then makes a cruel comment to Superman about her. Miss Gzptlsnz gets revenge by changing Jimmy into a human porcupine. She forces him to remain that way until he agrees to marry her. Jimmy tries and finally manages to get the imp girl to say her name backwards, returning her to the 5th dimension, reversing the spell, and returning Jimmy to normal.

We end with "Jimmy Olsen's Viking Sweetheart" reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #69 and by Leo Dorfman and John Forte. Jimmy and his fan club visit a ski resort where Jimmy is once again jilted by Lucy Lane. The fan club uses a female robot to make Lucy jealous. Jimmy is unaware that his new girlfriend is a robot, but Lucy finds out and makes the robot dump Jimmy. When she is about to gloat, Lucy discovers that Jimmy was about to dump the robot himself because of his love for Lucy. Finally she decides to give Jimmy another chance.
Edited by Mort Weisinger.