Speaking of over-powered god-like beings, the Roman God Mercury awakens in Superman #20 (November 1943) and causes mischief for Superman. Eventually, Superman takes scissors and snips off Mercury’s ankle and helmet wings… a little harsh! Humiliated, Mercury stops clowning around and helps clean up the mischief and goes back into hibernation for another 1,000 years. […]
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Wonder Woman’s powers continue to grow as she uses her power of astral projection in Sensation Comics #25 (November 1943) to track down criminals. Speaking of newfound powers, over in Superman #20 (also November 1943), we learn that Superman has super-control over his super-facial-muscles: And so the super-powers arms race continues…
Read More »Toyman makes his bland debut as the newest Superman villain in Action Comics #64 (July 1943). In a world that already has The Joker and The Prankster, it seems like a pretty gimmicky idea, but whatever. The only real memory of Toyman I have from my youth is from the phenomenal Alan Moore 2-issue story […]
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Superman stories throughout every age includes those where he suddenly appears to, or actually does, work on the side of the bad guys. In Action Comics #63 (June 1943), we get the first such story, in which invisible rays from two stars colliding in the cosmos strikes Clark and not only wipes out his nipples […]
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Lois Lane is proposed to by an obnoxious millionaire in Action Comics #61, (April 1943)… and she accepts. This forces Superman into the realization that he cares for Lois. He decides on a drastic step, to reveal his identity: … but she doesn’t believe him. In the end, it turns out Lois was only accepting […]
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Five years after the debut of Action Comics, we get the first time that Lois Lane gains super-powers in Action Comics #60 (March 1943). After a car accident in which Lois gets a head injury, Superman gives her a blood transfusion which results in her gaining all his powers. Lois decides on costumed adventuring. Note […]
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Ok, time for some more comic relief. Clark Kent discovers that Lois’ niece Susie needs to be looked after. He reads her the story of Cinderlla, falls asleep, then dreams he is Superman and needs to help Cinderella. The obnoxious Susie keeps Clark and Superman a little busy, throughout her appearances and gives Superman something […]
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In Superman #19 (September 1942), we find what I can only assume is an intentionally-whimsical story in which Clark Kent takes Lois Lane to the movies and Clark has to prevent Lois from seeing key parts of the Superman cartoon to protect his actual secret identity from being discovered. Of course this makes no sense […]
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In the Superman story of World’s Finest Comics #7 (July 1942), Superman is shown spending time in his “mountain retreat”, working out and staying fit. This is the first sort of expanding of the Superman storylines to feature things he would do in his off-hours between adventures.
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In June 1942, Superman gains a new supervillain in his roster: The Prankster. Looking like a creepy human representation of a vaudeville style ventriloquist dummy, complete with half-lidded eyes, he plagues Superman with practical joke-themed crimes.
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