685 – Superwoman as Revenge

Lois Lane’s solo comic is providing many more instances of Superman being petty and using his abilities frivolously. In Lois Lane #8 (Feb 1959), for her birthday – but really just to “teach her a lesson” – Superman decides to give Lois Lane his super-powers. Clark then proceeds to put her into a series of […]

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676 – Clarence Kelvin

In Superman #126 (Nov 1958), Superman gets super-amnesia again when he decides to spend Clark Kent’s vacation on coming up with a cure for Kryptonite in his Fortress of Solitude. A freak explosion wipes out Superman’s memory. After quickly learning about his powers, he instinctively flies back to Metropolis where he decides to take on […]

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649 – Super-Bat-Woman

In World’s Finest #90 (July 1958), Elton Craig makes a re-appearance. Craig escapes prison and Superman and Batman fear he has secreted some of his super-power capsules. Kathy Kane also hears the police bulletin and dons her Batwoman outfit to help the World’s Finest team, finding the capsules before Craig and becomes super-powered. After being […]

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631 – No Seriously, Only One Robin!

Complete with a cheeky sidelong glance to the reader, Detective Comics #237 (September 1956) seeks to ensure Dick Grayson that there will _NEVER_ be another Robin. “Search for a New Robin” finds Bruce Wayne seeking a new identity as “Barney Warren”. While sinking into his new identity, he encounters a couple of brash youngsters and […]

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628 – Charles King

A meteor destroys the Kents home just as they are prepping for a camping trip in Adventure Comics #229 (August 1956). Because there was an eyewitness, the Kents decide to start new identities as the “Kings” in Centerville, with Clark adopting the name Charles King. Typical minor plots like Charles meeting “Millie”, a Lana substitute […]

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558 – Amnesiac Clark… again

Well it’s been a couple years since we’ve had a prominent Superman-gets-amnesia story, so it’s time for World’s Finest #68 (Nov 1953) and “The Menace from the Stars!”. In this story, Superman saves the planet from an asteroid by smashing it and forcing it into a steady orbit around the Earth. Unfortunately, a spectroscope reveals […]

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508 – Batman’s Identity Pin

In Detective Comics #185 (May 1952), Batman loses his utility belt which contains a pin that, when sprayed with a special chemical, will reveal Batman’s identity. Batman thinks this is a good idea because something might also happen to Robin. Ok, but isn’t it more likely that you’ll die and then reveal your and Robin’s […]

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433 – Heat Vision Redux

Only one month after Superboy first uses his heat-vision, Superman does the same in Action Comics #139 (Oct 1949). In a typical lazy-writer stunt of the time, Superman sets fire to an old covered bridge to force the criminal driver into the river. Why not just use your super-speed to catch the car? At least […]

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402 – Luthor Ponders Secret Identities

In Action Comics #125 (August 1948), a gimmicky story about a Nostradamus-like hermit who discovers predictions in a cave turns into a slightly interesting moment where one of Luthor’s henchmen surfaces that idea that Superman’s secret identity might be Clark Kent. Of course Superman convinces them otherwise thanks to his super-speed.

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401 – Vicky Vale

Batman #49 (August 1948) introduces a new potential love interest for Bruce Wayne in the form of Vicky Vale, a photographer who plays with the now-tired trope of the girl who suspects the superhero’s secret identity. This story also introduce a new rogue for Batman and Robin in the form of The Mad Hatter, a […]

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