634 – The Superman of Krypton

Action Comics #223 (October 1956), brings us another super-coincidence, as Superman discovers a chunk of Krypton that happens to contain the laboratory of Jor-El, including his journal and films of his exploits. Superman is discovers that before he sent his son to Earth, he had built an “Earth valley” on Krypton to explore how Kryptonians […]

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632 – One Robin, but Two Supermen?

Though Batman may be insisting on only One Robin for now, Action Comics #222 (Sept 1956) brings us “The Duplicate Superman”. The government sets off a new experimental bomb, the Q-Bomb, and Superman is caught in the blast, resulting in the splitting of Superman into two nearly identical beings. It turns out they are identical […]

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620 – Super Ape

In Action Comics #218 (May 1956), Superman encounters a talking, super-strong, intelligent ape who turns out to be from the planet Krypton. The apes were shot into space by a scientist, Shir Khan, who was too cautious and died in the explosion of Krypton. Superman unites Super-Ape with his kindred who were sent to other […]

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619 – Luthor’s First Power Suit

In Superman #106 (May 1956), Luthor invents a metallic allow that absorbs the energy Superman generates within a 100-mile radius and tricks Superman into performing several impressive super-feats to charge up the suit. Luckily Superman gets wise and fishes out some kryptonite to drain himself, which somehow drains the battle-suit, foiling Luthor’s plans.

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616 – Super Menace From Daddy

In Action Comics #216 (March 1956), Superman encounters a series of menaces on Earth that lead him to believe an evil Superman is operating on Earth. As he employs his detective skills, he discovers that “person” operating the menaces is actually a robot from Krypton created by his father, Jor-El to prevent war on his […]

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612 – Superman of 2956

In Action Comics #215 (Feb 1956), Superman is summoned 1000 years into the future by a “scientific mind-to-mind transmitter”. There, Kal-El meets the Superman of 2956 (alias Craig King, a telenews reporter for the Daily Solar System). The scientists of 2956 realize they need a hero and outfit King with gadgets that give him some […]

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610 – Superman’s Grandfather

Continuing to pile on Krypton coincidences, Superman #103 (Dec 1955) establishes that Superman’s grandfather had visited Earth 60+ years prior using an “experimental space machine”. Boy, that machine must have had serious problems that led to technological upheaval because Jor-El only manages to build a prototype space rocket to save his son thirty years later… […]

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604 – Jimmy as Superboy

In Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #8 (August 1955), Jimmy poses as Superboy alongside Superman to fake out a criminal who is threatening Superman’s secret identity. It seems like the character of Jimmy Olsen has really taken off by mid-1995 – giving readers that sense of escapism of being Superman-adjacent.

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599 – Lois Marries Superman?

Forty-one years before DC comics had the balls to actually make it happen, Lois tells the story of how she married Superman in Action Comics #206 (May 1955). She relates the story to the reader, a rare departure for DC Comics in which they break the fourth wall. Readers may have been scratching their heads […]

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596 – Superman Thinks of the Past

In Superman #97 (March 1955), Superman thinks about the past instead of the other way around. A crook gives Superman the heads up that something he did as Superboy on his last day in Smallville will net him $1M. Superman heads back to his old stomping grounds to reminisce on his adventures and try to […]

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