Mythos be busting out all over the place, with the introduction of another major element of Superman stories being introduced in Adventure Comics #283 (February 1961): The Phantom Zone! Superboy discovers some Kryptonian machines sent into space (by Jor-El of course) and learns about how the Phantom Zone was where Krypton placed its dangerous criminals […]
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After all that deeper thinking about character motivation, it’s time for something light-hearted and fun: a new Legionnaire is introduced in Adventure Comics #282 (Jan 1961): Star Boy! Lana wants to make Superboy jealous, so she eavesdrops as a new teen superhero arrives from the future to meet Superboy. She learns the teen’s identity is […]
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Superboy #68 (Nov 1960) features the next appearance of a young Lex Luthor in a Superboy story. Superboy eventually defeats the “Army of Living Kryptonite Men” by getting help another L.L: Lightning Lad from the Legion of Super-Heroes. Lex learns of the existence of the Legion and theorizes that a Legion of Super-Villains must also […]
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In Superboy #68 (Nov 1960), “The Boy Who Betrayed Clark Kent!” introduces the character of Pete Ross, expanding Superboy’s supporting cast. Newly moved to Smallville, Pete Ross stands up to bullies for Clark Kent and Clark decides to befriend him, learning that Pete’s hobbies include acting and detective work. Later, Clark becomes suspicious of his […]
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A new form of kryptonite is introduced in Adventure Comics #279 (Oct 1960): Superboy is yet again thrust into the distant future and must prove he wasn’t just a myth, that he actually existed in the past. He finally convinces folks when he uses a piece of white kryptonite from a museum to kill all […]
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Superboy #83 (July 1960) introduces a new Super-villain in the form of Kryptonite Kid. known in the future as Kryptonite Man. He starts out as a juvenile delinquent on the planet Blor, volunteers for a space mission, and is given powers by having his rocket pass through a “strange space cloud”: the ability to project […]
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Remember that time Superboy met Oliver Queen and set him on the path to become Green Arrow? The plot is shamelessly copied in Adventure Comics #275 (June 1960) wherein Superboy reminisces about meeting Robin and then wonders if he’ll ever meet a young Bruce Wayne. Literally one panel later guess who shows up in Clark’s […]
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In Action Comics #265 (April 1960), Supergirl exposes her existence to Smallville and Superman doesn’t want that to happen yet. So he digs up some old Gas Z “Amnesia Gas”, which he had once buried outside of Smallville as Superboy. What’s interesting here is not the over-use of amnesia-as-a-convenient-means-to-revert-to-the-status-quo, but the back-reference to earlier Superboy […]
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DC continues to weave Supergirl throughout the Superboy family of books. In Superboy #80 (Feb 1960), Supergirl learns from Superman that he was lonely as a teenager without a playmate. Supergirl gets the bright idea to travel back in time to meet Superboy and play with him. What ensues is a cute story with the […]
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In Adventure Comics #271 (Feb 1960), Superboy meets a new kid in town: Lex Luthor. This is the first comic that uses his full name in the story (though it was mentioned in a previous letters column. Lex starts out as a really smart guy who is also a Superboy fan. He ends up saving […]
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