697 – Luthor Recreates Bizarro

A panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959
A panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959

In Action Comics #254 (May 1959), a renegade scientist copies Professor Dalton’s failed duplicator ray from years ago and deliberately re-creates the Bizarro creature. Then the renegade scientist unmasks himself and it is revealed to be Luthor.

Another panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959
Another panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959

Funnily enough, Bizarro rejects Luthor’s attempt at controlling him and Luthor is quickly sent back to prison. The rest of the story deals with poor misunderstood Bizarro, who only wishes to be like Superman. He falls in love with Lois Lane

Yet another panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959
Yet another panel from Action Comics #254, May 1959

Lois rejects the “ugly” creature, but then Bizarro gets an interesting idea. He takes the imperfect duplicator machine and uses it on himself which creates a Superman that looks like Superman, which Lois falls in love with. And we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger! (We still don’t see a lot of cliffhanger stories in comics these days, most stories are completely self-contained).