671 – Adam Strange!

Another DC newcomer in Showcase #17 (Sept 1958) in Adam Strange. Archaeologist Adam Strange accidentally leaps into a Zeta beam striking Earth at just the right moment and finds himself on the planet Rann. After being put through the “Menticizer”, he is able to understand the language and that the babe is Allana and the […]

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670 – Challengers Traveling in Time

In Challengers of the Unknown #4 (August 1958), it’s hard not to see Jack Kirby angling towards complex, fantastical world-building alongside and team-building between characters, as the Challengers find themselves traveling through time in a scientist’s “time cube”. Very Fantastic Four! And what I love the most are those giant, single-page splashes, like this one […]

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669 – Robin Meets Superboy

Oh, speaking of which, Adventure Comics #253 (Aug 1958) contains that promised story of when Superboy and Robin meet for the first time. Robin appears from the future to warn Superboy that a clock trophy given to him by a scientist is actually a kryptonite bomb that goes off and fatally wounds Superman years from […]

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668 – Bizarro!

In Superboy #68 (Aug 1958) sees the introduction of one of Superman’s sillier heroes: Bizarro! Accidentally created by Professor Dalton using a “duplicator ray”, the imperfect copy of Superboy innocently wanders around Smallville, much like Frankenstein’s monster. After several acts of Bizarro are mistaken as menacing, Superboy decides the creature is not living (wtf/) and […]

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667 – Klax-ar, the Kryptonian

In Superboy #67 (July 1958), a new Kryptonian makes his appearance in Smallville to taunt Superboy. Klax-ar claims it was he that destroyed Krypton with his “atron rays” for being exiled into space by a jury of scientists led by Jor-El. He agrees not to destroy Earth if Superboy willingly leaves Earth too. But Klax-ar […]

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666 – Elastic Lad

In Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #31 (July 1958), Jimmy drinks a serum that temporarily gives him stretchable powers, not unlike Quality Comic’s Plastic Man. Jimmy would go on to periodically gain stretchy powers and help Superman or more often than not, get into trouble. This is a couple of years before stretchy characters like Elongated […]

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665 – Red Kryptonite

Superboy encounters his first fragment of red kryptonite in Adventure Comics #252 (July 1958). The meteor is ejected accidentally from a spaceship intent on invading Earth from another dimension and Superboy has to keep vigil until the invasion is attempted. This kryptonite is “ten times the radiation power of ordinary kryptonite!”, so I guess they […]

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664 – Prototype Supergirl

In Superman #123 (June 1958), the creators of Superman test the waters with a prototype Supergirl. Jimmy gains a magic totem that grants three wishes once a century and his first wish is that Superman have a female companion that matches all his powers. Despite all her efforts, she ends up annoying Superman, and in […]

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663 – Jimmy is an Orphan?

In Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #30 (June 1958), it is established that Jimmy Olsen is an orphan, so apparently something must have happened to his father since Superboy rescued him years ago. In this story, Superman decides to become Jimmy’s foster father. Wish fulfillment ensues, including Jimmy getting a chance to visit the Fortress of […]

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662 – Space Ranger

Showcase #15 (May 1958) introduced the 22nd century character of Space Ranger. Space Ranger was Rick Starr, the son of Thaddeus Starr who owns Allied Solar Enterprise. Rick uses his inherited wealth, his private secretary Myra Mason, and a shape-shifting alien named Cryll to scoot around the solar system as the Space Ranger, solving space […]

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