Powering-up Superman in service of the plot-of-the-month continues in World’s Finest Comics #29 (May 1947). In this issue, Superman is challenged by Lois Lane to bind different books of a collector with unique materials. In one instance he races to the lost continent of Atlantis, in another he needs to find a unicorn bone, in […]
Read More »
In Action Comics #106 (January 1947), Clark is told he is a long-lost heir to an English barony. But what’s interesting (as a reader 70 years later) is the blurb in which it is revealed that Clark doesn’t even know he is not human. At this point in his history, Clark does not know anything […]
Read More »
Right next to the lackluster comedic story of Lois-as-Superwoman, Superman #45 (January 1947) also featured a pretty cool story in which Superman is actually physically challenged for once! An inter-dimensional being appears on Earth and starts collecting Earthling specimens for his trophy collection. What ensues is a pretty intense battle between Superman and this unnamed […]
Read More »
We have seen Lois as Superwoman before, but that was just a fever dream. Superman #45 (January 1947) features the return of Lois-as-Superwoman when Hocus and Pocus, two magicians, grant her Superman’s powers. Hocus and Pocus are two clueless, recurring comic relief characters with no actual powers, but somehow Superman is always forced into performing […]
Read More »
As previously mentioned, 1946 is a year in which Superman’s appearance gradually evolved into its post-Siegel shape, thanks to Wayne Boring’s work on covers. In Action Comics #102 (September 1946), we see not only his pupils, but the proportion of his head to his body has now changed and his facial expression is varying and […]
Read More »
In Superman #43 (September 1946), Superman faces off against Luthor again. This time Luthor has invented a super-hard material he calls Luthorite. The story lets writers enumerate new powers and abilities, as well as a weakness. He may have photographic memory, but it is revealed that Superman cannot see through lead with his x-ray vision […]
Read More »
In Action Comics #101 (August 1946), it is mentioned for the first time that Superman has photographic memory. In this story, Superman is exposed to a chemical that makes normal people go crazy. The only thing that sets Superman right again is being exposed to a nuclear explosion.
Read More »
In Action Comics #100 (July 1946), Superman is beset by a Scotland Yard detective who is convinced that Clark Kent is Superman. In one attempt, Clark is completely doused in perfume so he seeks out an acid bath at Star Chemical Works. Is this a precursor to S.T.A.R Labs? 🙂
Read More »
In “The Death of Clark Kent” from Superman #42 (July 1946), after returning two months earlier than expected from an arctic expedition, Clark Kent gets caught in a sewer gas explosion in front of Lois Lane. To protect his secret identity, Superman is forced to make it appear as if Clark Kent has died. This […]
Read More »
Superman #41 (May 1946) features a story in which Superman gets seriously annoyed with Lois Lane. His inner monologue says it all: “Whenever she goes out, I have to rescue her. She’s so used to it, she’s lost all sense of caution. It’s exhausting!” Clark Kent, “Clark Kent’s Bodyguard”, Superman #41, May 1946 But if […]
Read More »