584 – Not Bizarro

A panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954
A panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954

In “The Phantom Superman!” from Action Comics #199 (October 1954), Luthor creates a living duplicate of Superman with a “three-dimensional materializer” and an “atomic transformer”. This duplicate is completely grey, lacking in color, but has all of Superman’s abilities for a few hours until the charge wears out. Luthor then sends the duplicate out into the world to commit crimes.

Another panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954
Another panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954

Superman eventually does battle with this evil phantom duplicate and we get to see some action sequences.

Yet another panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954
Yet another panel from Action Comics #199, October 1954

In the end, Superman outwits the duplicate and Luthor by holding it under water until its charge ran out, then dressing up like the duplicate so it could find Luthor via the control beam he was using.