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. 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.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Action Comics #382

Action Comics #382 (On Sale: September 30, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

"Clark Kent, Magician" is by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Roussos. That is followed by the Legion of Super-Heroes in "Kill a Friend to Save a World" by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. This story was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

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 #220

Superman #220 (On Sale: August 5, 1969) has a nice cover by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

"Who Stole My Super-Powers?" is by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and George Roussos and guest-stars the Flash. This story was reprinted in Best of DC #8.

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 #378

Action Comics #378 (On Sale: May 29, 1969) has a great Curt Swan and Neal Adams cover.

We begin with Superman in "The Devil's Partner" by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and Jack Abel.

That is followed by the Legion of Super-Heroes in "The Forbidden Fruit" by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Mike Esposito.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #121

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #121 (On Sale: May 22, 1969) has a great Curt Swan and Neal Adams cover. I love the way Adams' inks respect the Swan pencils on this one.

We begin with "The Three Lives of Superman" by Jim Shooter and Pete Costanza.

That is followed by our cover-story, "Jimmy Olsen's Death Trick," by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Jack Abel.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #380

Adventure Comics #380 (On Sale: March 27, 1969) has a cover by Curt Swan and Mike Esposito.

"The Legion's Space Odyssey" is by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel and was reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC. Hmm, guess what movie came out in 1969?

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #379

Adventure Comics #379 (On Sale: February 27, 1969) has a cover by Neal Adams.

"Burial in Space" is by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. Continuing from last issue, an alien arrives in Legion Headquarters to request aid. He finds five Legionnaires dying from poison and stops time to save them. He then meets seven other Legionnaires who are returning from another mission. To save their teammates the seven Legionnaires offer their assistance to the alien.

The Legionnaires return to the alien's home planet Seeris where an army of brutes is attacking. The people of Seeris have vast mental powers, but lack the physical force to repel the invaders. The Legionnaires attempt to defend the city, but their own power is not enough to repel the attackers. The Legion inspires the aliens to resume physical activity and defend themselves. Finding strength in numbers, the aliens are able to defeat the invaders.

The Legionnaires return to Headquarters after being told that the aliens have cured everyone there. Unfortunately they discover that Invisible Kid and Shrinking Violet found their apparently dead teammates and sent their bodies into space. Ultra Boy saves the Legionnaires by using the Miracle Machine to revive them. The identity of the man who poisoned them is then revealed as small-time crook Alek Korlo. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #378

Adventure Comics #378 (On Sale: January 28, 1969) has a Legion of Super-Heroes cover by Neal Adams.

"Twelve Hours to Live" is by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. At a celebration of Brainiac 5's birthday, five Legionnaires are poisoned. Brainiac 5 analyzes the poison and determines that it will kill each of them in twelve hours. Brainiac 5 uses the time to find a cure. Superboy returns to the 20th century and attempts to stay busy. Duo Damsel returns home to visit her parents for the last time. Karate Kid tracks down the Fatal Five on a suicide mission. Projectra mopes around the city until she meets Myron Marks, who lifts her spirits.

As the twelve hour period comes to an end, the poisoned Legionnaires return to headquarters. Brainiac 5 admits that he could not find an antidote. The Legionnaires then compose a will, before each succumbs to the effects of the poison. Brainiac 5 makes one last effort to save them using the Miracle Machine, but he runs out of time. When all the Legionnaires fall unconscious, their killer gloats over his victory. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #377

Adventure Comics #377 (On Sale: December 31, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Neal Adams.

The Legion of Super-Heroes star in "Heroes for Hire" is by Jim Shooter, Winslow Mortimer and Jack Abel. The Legion and Science Police are unable to stop the latest crime wave across the galaxy because criminals have been using the planet Modo as a base. Modo's overlord Modulus controls the very planet itself and defeats any law officers from apprehending criminals on that world.

The Legionnaires seem to give up crime fighting for the public good and begin hiring out their services as mercenaries. Their actions cause them to lose the public trust. The Legionnaires collect money in many forms from various worlds around the galaxy.

When the Legion has collected enough money, a few members begin a large spending spree. Crooks decide to hijack the Legion's spaceship where the currency is stored and bring it to Modo. As they are leaving with the ship, Brainiac 5 orders Chemical King to speed up a reaction which releases some crystal creatures that start a chain reaction with the various alien currencies. When the ship lands on Modo, a paralyzing gas is released across the entire planet. The Science Police then moves in to capture every crook on the planet. The Legion then uses the recovered loot to pay back the people they charged for service. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #376

Adventure Comics #376 (On Sale: November 28, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Neal Adams.

"The Execution of Chameleon Boy" is by Jim Shooter and Winslow Mortimer. Continuing from last issues, Bouncing Boy finds himself in an extra-dimensional world not unlike that of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, whose people use modern technological implements which nonetheless resemble ancient devices. He learns that Kodar the Black Vassal, a powerful baron, seeks the hand of the kingdom's Princess Elwinda, daughter of King Artros, and then the kingdom itself. Since none of Artros's men dare to face him, a challenge was issued to the Legion of Super-Heroes' mightiest member. If the Legionnaire defeats Kodar, he will win the princess's hand.

When instruments indicate that Bouncing Boy is not what he seems, he is revealed as Chameleon Boy, who had disguised himself as Bouncing Boy, while his pet, Proty II, became a duplicate of his master. Since the real Bouncing Boy had been knocked unconscious during the battle, Chameleon Boy had decided to borrow Bouncing Boy's identity, hoping it would help him win the contest.

Touring the kingdom in the form of a bird, Chameleon Boy sees Princess Elwinda in a walled garden and flies to her. Although initially afraid of his powers and alien appearance, she soon accepts him for what he is, and the two grow close. When the Legionnaire is summoned before Artros and his council, however, he is informed that he will not be allowed to fight Kodar because he might win, and an alien cannot be permitted to claim Elwinda. When he rebels, they imprison him, and Elwinda fruitlessly pleads his case.

Some days later, Kodar and his forces attack. Artros and his men fall before him, but Chameleon Boy's cell is blasted open during the course of the battle. Chameleon Boy then defeats Kodar and is honored by a grateful Artros. He asks to marry Elwinda, and a ceremony is performed on the battlefield in which the couple takes vows under raised axes.

Meanwhile, the Legionnaires have realized that Chameleon Boy is missing, and are using the seven stones of Alactos to search the dimensions for him. When they suddenly find him, they suppose that he is about to be executed, and so use a teleport ray to bring him back to Earth, permanently sealing the dimensional passage between the two worlds in the process. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Captain Action #2

Captain Action #2 (On Sale: October 29, 1968) has a cover by Gil Kane.

"The Battle Begins" is by Jim Shooter, Gil Kane and Wally Wood. In the name of full disclosure I must confess to owning a Captain Action doll as a kid. In fact, they were so well made he is sitting on my drawing board even as we speak. I also owned the Captain Action Superman costume and the Silver Streak, the amphibious car depicted on the cover of above.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #374

Adventure Comics #374 (On Sale: September 26, 1968) has a cover by Curt Swan and Mike Esposito.

"Mission:Diabolical" is by Jim Shooter and Winslow Mortimer. Various teams of Legionnaires are overpowered and taken captive at different locations, leaving only five members, Ultra Boy, Element Lad, Dream Girl, Supergirl, and Matter-Eater Lad, at headquarters. A mysterious masked figure suddenly appears on their communicator and tells the five heroes that the notorious space gang, Scorpius, holds their comrades hostage. Teleporting them to a hidden headquarters, he informs them that they must defeat a group of criminals who are part of a rival organization called Taurus. These include Rogarth, who possesses super-strength, Black Mace, who wields the weapon for which he is named, Mystelor, a woman with telepathic and telekinetic powers, Shagrek, an alien able to disintegrate anything with beams from his antennae, and Quantro, a member of a self-professed "superior" race able to change into a beam of light.

Forced to obey, the Legionnaires disguise themselves and assist a Scorpius squad in battle with the Taurus Gang at the Brande Industrial Complex in Metropolis. When the Substitute Heroes and the Science Police arrive, the Legionnaires and the gang members flee. Police Chief Zoltorous ignores the Taurus Gang to concentrate on the Scorpius Gang, and the Substitutes recognize the departing Legionnaires. Later, Zoltorus visits Leland McCauley, the second richest man in the universe, to accuse him of being the brains behind Scorpius, and of attacking R.J. Brande out of jealousy.

Meanwhile, Ultra Boy and his fellow Legionnaires try to discover the identity of Taurus's leader. Dream Girl predicts where the Taurus gang will next strike, and Ultra Boy makes plans to impersonate Black Mace and to switch places with him. The heroes follow Dream Girl's prediction and show up in a casino on the asteroid, Ceres, but in the ensuing struggle, Ultra Boy is knocked out. Dream Girl decides to follow through with his scheme and, after rendering Mystelor unconscious, takes her plate within the Taurus Gang. Once inside their ship, Dream Girl, as Mystelor, persuades the gang to meet their leader to demand more pay for their services.

Secretly tracked by the Legionnaires, the Taurus Gang meets with their boss, and to the heroes' astonishment, he is none other than R.J. Brande, their benefactor. After capturing him in the battle that follows, however, they unmask him as a disguised Chief Zoltorous, who had kidnapped Brande and used his money to build a crime empire.

When Quantro learns of the fake Mystelor, he vows to her that he will try to reform his fellow criminals. The heroes are then transported back to Scorpius headquarters, where they are reunited with their captive comrades. When Scorpius is about to kill them all rather than let them go free, however, the Substitute Legion arrives to save them. Scorpius is captured, and the two Legions compare notes on the case. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Captain Action #1

Captain Action #1 (On Sale: August 29, 1968) has a cover by Irv Novick. OK, I have to admit as a kid and the proud owner of a Captain Action doll, I was jazzed when this hit the stands and grabbed me a copy immediately.

"Origin of Captain Action" is by Jim Shooter and Wally Wood. This was my first exposure to the legendary Wally Wood and I loved what I saw. While on an archaeological dig in Spain Professor Clive Arno uncovers evidence that shows the Gods of many ancient cultures were actually the same alien beings. He also finds a box of coins that grant him the powers of the gods. His assistant Krellik tries to steal the coins, but is prevented from doing so. Arno then returns to America with the coins with the intention of becoming a super-hero named Captain Action.

When Arno reveals his plans to his son Carl, the boy shows him a newspaper in which Captain Action is shown as a criminal. Arno realizes that Krellik has taken his idea and corrupted it using the powers granted to him by evil gods.

When Krellik strikes again dressed as Captain Action in an attempt to frame Arno for his crime, Superman is there to stop him. However, the real Captain Action accompanied by Carl, now the costumed Action Boy push Superman out of the way to battle Krellik. While the crook escapes from the first battle, Captain Action tracks down his foe again, but is nearly killed when Krellik finds a cache of weapons left on Earth by the aliens.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #373

Adventure Comics #373 (On Sale: August 29, 1968) has a cover by Neal Adams.

"The Tornado Twins" is by Jim Shooter and Winslow Mortimer. An alarm summons the Legionnaires to the United Planets Vehicle Research Center, where crooks are stealing the vehicles stored there. When the super-heroes arrive, they find the crooks already bound and captured by two youths who introduce themselves as Don and Dawn Allen. Karate Kid tries to question them to no avail, and the two depart.

Later, the Legion answers an emergency summons at the Alpha Iron Mine, where people are trapped underground in a cave-in caused by malfunctioning robot workers. During their rescue attempt, several Legionnaires are overcome by the robots, and a second cave-in cuts Superboy off from his comrades. Because a Green Kryptonite meteor thwarts his attempt to dig them free, he rushes to the surface to get help. Don and Dawn Allen suddenly appear and use their abilities to vibrate through the fallen earth. Dawn causes the robots to smash against the cave wall with a wave of her hand.

The rescue gets full coverage by the press. The Legionnaires, suspicious, do some investigating, but fail to uncover any incriminating information on the Allens. When Don and Dawn reappear to save the day at a third emergency, a fire at a chemical plant, the Legion members watch them in action, then offer them membership, which the Allens refuse. An irritated Karate Kid starts a fight with Don Allen in which the others are quickly involved, but they are defeated by Don and Dawn.

When next an alarm comes in, the Legionnaires' morale is so low that they leave it unanswered, assuming that Don and Dawn will take care of it. After some moments, however, they investigate and fly to Central Square where they find a gigantic alien spaceship. Reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.


Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #372

Adventure Comics #372 (On Sale: July 30, 1968) has a very cool Neal Adams cover. Love that visual of a glass Superboy being shattered.

"School for Super-Villains" is by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and Jack Abel. Continuing from last issue, the two crooks who had forced Colossal Boy to betray his comrades meet him with a new proposition, even as Bouncing Boy and Ultra Boy visit the Allon apartment in hope of questioning Gim's parents and discover that the Allons had mysteriously vanished a week earlier.

Back at Legion Headquarters, Brainiac 5 examines Mrs. Allon's life-jewel, a gem linked with its owner's life-force. Shrinking Violet reduces to atomic size and travels through the infra-energy beam connecting the jewel to Mrs. Allon, and is thus transported to a strange distant planet. There she finds an exact duplicate of the Legion training center, which is being used to instruct future members of a Legion of Super-Villains. Colossal Boy, who remembers much of the data he stole, is present as a teacher. Tarik the Mute, a man who turned criminal when a police blaster accidentally hit his throat, ruining his voice, and who now communicates by beaming his thoughts to a telepathic android which speaks for him, is the organizer of the evil Legion counterpart.

Violet reports to the Legionnaires, who now realize that Colossal Boy had betrayed them only because the criminals are holding his parents. They decide to infiltrate the villains' school to help him, and Superboy, Chameleon Boy, and two Legion Academy trainees, Chemical King and Timber Wolf, are chosen for the job. They disguise themselves as students who failed Legion training and create a staged disturbance in order to get themselves noticed. A man representing Tarik sees them, offers them sanctuary, and takes them to the Super-Villain school.

Touring the complex, the four disguised heroes note familiar faces belonging to such Legion traitors and rejects as Nemesis Kid, Spider Girl, Radiation Roy, and Lightning Lad's brother Mekt, now the villainous Lightning Lord. Colossal Boy recognizes the four before they have a chance to confer with him, however, and exposes their true identities. In the battle that follows, the heroes are captured and condemned to be turned into glass and shattered.

The next morning, the four are brought to the death-room to be executed before the entire student body. When Superboy is seemingly turned to glass and smashed, Colossal Boy goes berserk. In the ensuing melee, the surviving heroes summon the other Legionnaires and together they break up the villain school. Superboy knocks out Tarik when the villain attempts to destroy Mr. and Mrs. Allon in revenge. The Boy of Steel had actually exchanged identities with Chameleon Boy, who had used his power to become glass, thus making it seem that Superboy had been destroyed.

The Allons are returned to normal, Colossal Boy is restored to full Legion membership, and Chemical King and Timber Wolf earn their Legion Academy diplomas and join the team. Reprinted in Best of DC #24 and Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

Adventure Comics #371

Adventure Comics #371 (On Sale: June 27, 1968) has a Legion of Super-Heroes cover by Neal Adams that illustrates the back-up reprint in this issue. Strange Uncle Morty, strange.

This issue begins with "The Colossal Failure" by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and Jack Abel. Colossal Boy is spending a quiet evening at home with his parents when two men claiming to represent Universe TV call on the Allons to interview them as part of a documentary on the Legion. When the men set up their equipment, however, it gives off rays that turn Mr. and Mrs. Allon to glass. They then explain that their criminal superiors have assigned them to learn the exact details of the Legion training and testing program. Since such knowledge is classified and known only to members of the selection board, the men give Gim two weeks to uncover the information, and teleport away with his parents as hostages.

Afraid to tell his comrades of his problem, Gim deliberately fails on a mission and submits to retraining in order to gain the needed information. Bouncing Boy, temporarily acting as instructor at the Legion Academy, suspects something wrong and, hoping to find clues to Gim's problem in the Allons' apartment, discovers a top-secret manual and illegal notes on the Legion training procedures. Reprinted in Best of DC #24 and Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8 HC.

The back-up is our cover feature, "When Superboy Walked Out on the Legion," a reprint from Superboy #101, where it was originally entitled , "The Valhalla of Super-Companions." This was originally not a Legion story and only in this reprint are the Legion inserted in a couple of new panels. Whatever you want to call it, it was drawn by George Papp. An alien ship arrives on Earth and puts the residents of Smallville to sleep. Othar, the alien leader, wants Superboy to return to his homeworld of Thrann to live. The Boy of Steel is forced to comply in order to wake the sleeping people. Othar stops at several other worlds and blackmails their heroes into coming to Thrann as well.

On Thrann, the heroes compete to determine leadership. Superboy wins by performing the greatest feat, but everyone misses their homeworlds. The heroes begin to fight among themselves, forcing Othar to realize his mistake in bringing the heroes to Thrann. He allows them to return home where they belong.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

World's Finest Comics #177

World's Finest Comics #177 (On Sale: June 13, 1968) has a cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito.

"Duel of the Crime Kings" is by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and Mike Esposito. The Joker breaks Lex Luthor out of Gotham prison and Luthor takes the Joker to a hidden cache of loot and weapons. Superman and Batman have followed the crooks, but they are unable to capture them. Luthor then uses a time machine to transport three historical figures from the past into the present to help commit crimes. He summons Benedict Arnold, Baron Von Munchhausen, and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Leonardo helps Luthor build weapons, while Von Munchhausen's lies inspire the Joker to plan crimes. Benedict Arnold serves as a field general for the crooks during their crimes, but he secretly sets Luthor and the Joker against one another.

The back-up story is "Dead Silence" drawn by Nick Cardy and reprinted from Gang Busters #67.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.