807 – De-Powered Supergirl Arc

Action Comics #278 (May 1961) begins a multi-issue spanning Supergirl arc, starting with the revelation that Superman has decided to reveal the existence of Supergirl to the world. It’s been more than two years since the introduction of the Supergirl character and perhaps the writing team has run out of ways to make interesting stories […]

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806 – Sinestro!

Green Lantern #7 (May 1961) debuts another long-standing Green Lantern villain: Sinestro. The Guardians explain to Hal Jordan that Sinestro was the Green Lantern of sector 1417 on the planet Korugar. I guess they should have thought twice to give a power-ring and battery to a being with such an obviously-evil name, but oh well. […]

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805 – Pete Ross Learns the Secret

The second outing of Pete Ross happens in “Pete Ross’ Super-Secret!”, a story in Superboy #90 (May 1961). In it, Pete Ross continues to be a stand-up guy against bullies picking on “that drip” Clark Kent and then happens to discover that Clark is actually Superboy. This is a bit of clever planning on the […]

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804 – Lana Marries Superman

In the fifth story in the “Imaginary Tales” series in Lois Lane #26 (May 1961), Lana reveals to Superman she knows his secret identity. It turns out she is noble about this and wants him to erase her memory with his super-hypnotism. Surprisingly (to me), this causes Superman to suddenly fall madly in love with […]

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803 – Superman Changes the Past

Superman #146 (May 1961) has a great re-telling of Superman’s origin, deftly weaving in all sorts of facts and notes of the Superman mythos up to this point, but I found its second feature “Superman’s Greatest Feats!”. In it, we see Superman convinced by Lori Lemaris to try and save Atlantis from being sunk. Superman […]

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802 – Marvel Monsters: April 1961

I’m going to call April 1961 the month when Atlas Comics finally FINALLY became Marvel Comics, since some of their comic books on sale that month had a very distinctive “MC” insignia box on the covers: Journey into Mystery #69 and Strange Tales #86. Farewell Atlas Comics! I, for one, welcome our overlords Stan Lee, […]

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801 – DC and Togetherness

A fun letter appears in the Justice League of America #5 (Apr 1961), in which Bob Cherry of Detroit, Michigan calls on DC comics to up their crossover type events and weave their characters much more tightly together. Clark (Superman) Kent, Lois Lane and Iris West interview Carol Ferris and Hal (Green Lantern) Jordan on […]

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800 – Mon-El

Superboy #89 (April 1961), expands the Superboy/Superman/Legion mythos yet again by introducing another important character: Mon-El, also known as Lar Gand. After crash-landing on Earth, Superboy rescues the amnesiac young man who seems to have all the powers of a Kryptonian, carries a letter written in Kryptonese from Jor-El, and a locket expressing their love […]

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799 – Shadow Thief

In the Brave and the Bold #36 (April 1961), one of Hawkman’s repeating enemies is introduced: the Shadow Thief. Carl Sands learns how to separate himself from his shadow, then rescues a dying alien who gifts him with a “dimensiometer”, which can let him control his shadow and manipulate the world around him. The alien […]

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798 – Atomic Knights Go Green

In “World out of Time”, Strange Adventures #129 (Apr 1961), after the Atomic Knights manage to connect to a satellite orbiting the Earth and are able to see live video from across the globe, they discover an island that is lush and green – a surprising anomaly in a world devastated by atomic war. It […]

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