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Post by Rob Allen on Aug 24, 2015 17:28:57 GMT -5
I like your new avatar!
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 24, 2015 18:11:22 GMT -5
Thanks! It was taken last Saturday at my 40th high school reunion (which was the best party I've been to in a long, long time... since my 50th birthday anyway).
Cei-U!
I summon the old friends!
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 25, 2015 7:27:18 GMT -5
The Superman Family #199
January-February 1980 (October 8, 1979) $1.00
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Frank Giacoia (Inker), signed
“Susie's Flying Saucer!” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), E. Nelson Bridwell (Writer), Kurt Schaffenberger (Penciller), Joe Giella (Inker); Ben Oda (Letterer), Adrienne Roy (Colorist)
FC: Lois Lane Kent, Superman, teamed as Mr. & Mrs. Superman
SC: Jimmy Olsen, Susie Tompkins
Intro: The Jeyesians
Synopsis
Lois' niece Susie has come to stay with the Kents while her parents are away. Clark is amused to hear that the little girl has channeled her penchant for outrageous fibs to positive ends by competing for cash and prizes sponsored by the “Junior Liars' Club.”
The next morning at the Daily Star, Jimmy Olsen passes a rumor on to Clark of a UFO crashing into the lake at Metropolis Park… the same lake past which Susie is walking at that moment. The telepathic voices of aliens trapped in their spaceship at the bottom of the lake plead with Susie to rescue them, warning that their vessel will explode in a little over two hours with deadly consequences for Metropolis. When she asks her Aunt Lois to send for Superman, she is not believed. Uncle Clark on the other hand, realizing that Susie's story “dealt with concepts too complicated for a child to understand,” changes into the Man of Steel to investigate.
Swinging by the apartment to pick up Susie, Superman takes Lois aside and reminds her that aliens from outer space aren't that improbable: “You should know, … you married one!” The little girl is exonerated when the Metropolis Marvel finds the invisible flying saucer right where she had said it was. Communicating with the aliens through Susie, Superman repairs their spaceship with time to spare.
Behind the Scenes
There is no “Mr. & Mrs. Superman” story in The Superman Family #200.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 26, 2015 7:37:34 GMT -5
The Superman Family #201
May-June 1980 (February 11, 1980) $1.00
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker), signed
“The Enigma of the Empty Elevator!” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), E. Nelson Bridwell (Writer), Kurt Schaffenberger (Penciller), Frank Chiaramonte (Inker); Todd Klein (Letterer), Adrienne Roy (Colorist)
FC: Lois Lane Kent, Superman, teamed as Mr. & Mrs. Superman
SC: Batman (as Bruce Wayne)
Reintro: The Ultra-Humanite (true name unknown)
Intro: Hector (full name unknown)
Synopsis
Clark and Lois are looking forward to a visit from their good friend Bruce Wayne. Bruce announces his arrival over the lobby intercom but when the elevator arrives on the Kents' floor, he has vanished. After checking with their doorman Hector, who confirms that Wayne boarded the car, Clark declares his disappearance “a locked room mystery worthy of the Batman!” Changing to Superman, Clark finds evidence that Bruce was hustled out the elevator's emergency hatch and up the shaft during his short ride from the first to the third floor. The trail leads across the rooftop to a neighboring apartment building.
Bruce, meanwhile, finds himself a prisoner of the Ultra-Humanite, the evil scientist who years ago had his brain transplanted into the body of movie actress Dolores Winters. Now the arch-foe of the Man of Tomorrow proposes to take over Bruce's body, giving the villain access to the Wayne fortune which he/she will use to further his/her plans for “world domination!” His/her scheme seems to hit a snag when Superman bursts into the room but the wicked genius has come prepared: he/she catches his mortal enemy in a freezing ray that lowers the temperature of the air around the hero to absolute zero, cold enough to freeze even the Last Son of Krypton to death. Though it means revealing his secret identity, Bruce prepares to escape his bonds and save his friend.
Downstairs, Lois learns enough from the building's doorman to figure out the situation. Refused admission, the intrepid reporter climbs up the fire escape to Ultra's sixth floor apartment. Her unexpected entrance through the window distracts the bad guys long enough for Lois to switch off the ray machine. With Superman free once again, the Ultra-Humanite and his/her gang are easily rounded up.
Continuity
According to this story, its events occur after those of Superman #76 (May-June 1952), in which the Man of Steel and Batman first exchanged their true identities. The events of that story cannot be considered wholly canonical, however, as much of its plot turns on Lois not knowing Superman's true identity, knowledge her Earth-Two doppelgänger had by '52 (see the first Continuity note for Action Comics #484 for more on the “Mr. & Mrs. Superman” chronology). It is not clear how much time has passed since those events beyond Clark Kent's statement that he hasn't seen Bruce Wayne “in some time.”
The Good Guys
Lois Kent has learned Batman's true identity of Bruce Wayne sometime prior to this story.
The Bad Guys
The Ultra-Humanite was last seen in the “Superman” story in Action Comics #21 (February 1940). Asked how he/she escaped from the volcano where he/she was believed killed, Ultra credits “a special heat-proof cylinder I had previously prepared” for his/her survival.
Points to Ponder
It is curious that the Ultra-Humanite waited until Bruce Wayne visited Metropolis, even renting an apartment there, to kidnap the millionaire. Had he/she struck in Gotham City, the odds against interference from Superman would've been substantially higher.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 27, 2015 6:43:32 GMT -5
The Brave and the Bold #162
May 1980 (February 25, 1980) $.40
Cover Art: Jim Aparo, signed
“Operation: Time Bomb” 17 pages
Paul Levitz (Editor), Bill Kelley (Writer); Jim Aparo (Art and Lettering); Gene D'Angelo (Colorist)
FC: Batman and Sgt. Rock
SC: Bulldozer, Little Sure Shot, Wildman and other unnamed soldiers of Easy Company
Villain: The Iron Major
Synopsis
It is the autumn of 1944 and the Allied invasion of occupied Europe is gaining ground. The Iron Major, the “Nazi deathmaster of World War II” and arch-enemy of Sgt. Frank Rock, plans a fatal blow against the enemy. “Operation Time Bomb” involves saboteurs in England secretly attaching bombs to Allied tanks, bombs which will detonate en masse “when the assault battalion reaches its objective-- --blasting the Allied infantry with them… to oblivion!”
In Great Britain on business, Bruce Wayne receives a phone call from a worried Alan Davies, an old friend who “operates a depot where much of the Allied hardware and munitions come through.” Alan suspects sabotage. Answering the call as Batman, he arrives too late to prevent the murder of Davies, who dies in the Masked Manhunter's arms with the words “M-marteau… b-bound for Marteau… sabotage…” on his lips.
Pursuing the killer across the English Channel, Batman crosses paths with Sgt. Rock and Easy Company. Using a German ambush as cover, the Darknight Detective catches up to Davies' murderer at an inn on the edge of the French village of Marteau. The noisy arrival of Easy in town gives the Nazis within the inn time to destroy their radio and documents before Batman can stop them. A cyanide capsule prevents the captured assassin from revealing the Nazis' plans. Listening in from his headquarters miles away, the Iron Major hears Rock's name shouted in the seconds before the radio was destroyed. He reluctantly sets aside his thirst for revenge against the American non-com for the greater good of the Third Reich.
Despite the dearth of evidence, Batman deduces that the newly-arrived Allied tanks have been sabotaged just in time for the bombs to be defused. One tank, sent ahead on a courier mission, remains in danger. Rock volunteers to catch up to it. Realizing that the enemy must have planned to strike elsewhere while the assault battalion was being destroyed, the Caped Crusader sets out for the chateau where the Nazis are headquartered to determine where they are to strike. Once he knows the location, he will contact Rock — “the only one close enough to relay word to base!” — by walkie-talkie.
At dawn, Batman infiltrates the chateau in his usual quiet fashion but loses the walkie-talkie while climbing the outer wall. Though the sentries give him little trouble, the Gotham Guardian is caught unprepared for the Iron Major and the prosthetic iron hand from which he derives his nom de guerre. Batman is put in chains. His taunting captor moves to unmask the mystery man but is interrupted by the missing courier tank, manned by Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, blasting through the chateau's stone walls. Rock overheard everything on his walkie-talkie, thanks to its counterpart lying where it fell on the window ledge outside the interrogation room.
The Iron Major returns with a machine gun, intent on killing both Batman and Rock, but a skillfully thrown batarang disarms him. The Nazi and his hated foe close in hand-to-hand combat. When a second bomb is discovered aboard the tank, Batman pulls Rock off his opponent and follows Easy Company out of the chateau only seconds ahead of the explosion that destroys the huge castle. An iron hand is found amidst the smoking rubble.
Cosmology
As mentioned in the index entry for The Brave and the Bold #84, longtime DC editor Robert Kanigher insisted that the adventures of the company's war heroes did not occur in any of the super-hero universes. As with Rock, Mademoiselle Marie and the Unknown Soldier, we must assume the existence of an Earth-Two doppelgänger of the Iron Major if the story indexed here is to be considered canonical. This is, therefore, the first appearance of the Earth-Two counterpart of the character.
Continuity
No specific date is given for the events of this story, which is said to occur in the autumn of 1944, placing it after the flashback sequence in the “Batman and Sgt. Rock” story in The Brave and the Bold #84 (which occurs June 5-6, 1944). The scenery in the background art shows trees with green leaves so it probably occurs either shortly before or shortly after the “Batman and Blackhawk” story in The Brave and the Bold #167 (which occurs September 19-21, 1944) but this cannot be confirmed. See the first Continuity note for Brave and Bold #84 for further information.
Sgt. Rock refers to his previous encounter with Batman in Brave and Bold #84. According to that story, however, Rock met him only in his cover identity as spy “Jack Pimpernel.” Batman did not appear in costume in front of Rock or his men anywhere in that story.
The Good Guys
Little Sure Shot appears only on the cover of this issue.
Fashion Watch
Batman wears a costume with detailing consistent with the 1970s version of the character rather than with the detailing it had in 1944. Only the omission of the yellow oval around his chest emblem differentiates this Batman visually from his Earth-One doppelgänger.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2015 8:23:51 GMT -5
Batman wears a costume with detailing consistent with the 1970s version of the character rather than with the detailing it had in 1944. Only the omission of the yellow oval around his chest emblem differentiates this Batman visually from his Earth-One doppelgänger.
Jim Aparo is one of my favorite artists. However this issue bugged me every time he drew Earth Two Batman.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2015 8:38:23 GMT -5
Thanks! It was taken last Saturday at my 40th high school reunion (which was the best party I've been to in a long, long time... since my 50th birthday anyway). Cei-U! I summon the old friends! Cool Picture of Cei-U! |
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 28, 2015 6:28:04 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents #23
July 1980 (April 7, 1980) $.40
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker), signed
“The Curse Out of Time!” 17 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), Denny O'Neil (Writer); Joe Staton (Penciller), Vince Colletta (Inker); Ben Oda (Letterer), Jerry Serpe (Colorist)
FC: Superman [of Earth-One] and Doctor Fate
SC: Lois Lane [of Earth-One], Inza Nelson, Jimmy Olsen [of Earth-One]
Intro: El Muchacho (true name unknown)
Intro: Sir Ezra Hawkins
Synopsis
A family curse is slowly turning Inza Nelson into a monster. Only by finding the grave of the seafaring ancestor with whom the curse originated can Doctor Fate cast the necessary spell to cure her. Searching the past with his crystal ball, Fate learns that her ancestor's three-masted schooner disappeared “out of space and time” after being enveloped in a strange mist.
On Earth-One, a S.T.A.R. Labs demonstration of a new invention for Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen goes seriously awry when a huge wooden sailing vessel materializes out of thin air. Seeing the ship burst through the lab walls, a tardy Clark Kent becomes Superman and flies to investigate. The Man of Steel is challenged to a duel by its captain, Elizabethan-era privateer Ezra Hawkins, who concludes the hero's super-powers must be “more of El Muchacho's necromancy!” Despite the eerie green aura around Hawkins, the outcome seems inevitable… until his men seize Lois as a hostage. Superman surrenders.
Dr. Fate learns that “a rent in the fabric of the cosmos” caused Inza's ancestor — Ezra Hawkins, naturally — to “slip between worlds… in the gap between Earth-One and our world!” Traveling to that “region between planes of existence,” the Mystic Mage is attacked by El Muchacho, a “nasty-tempered imp” who cursed Hawkins and his crew for invading his territory. No match for Fate, the leprechaun-like sorcerer flees.
Hawkins makes a galley slave of Superman, chaining him with enchanted fetters. The time-lost privateer, believing himself in Spanish territory, prepares to raid City Hall and slaughter all within in the name of “good Queen Bess.” A police helicopter orders the schooner to land and surrender or it will open fire. El Muchacho, drawn to Earth-One by the pull of his own curse, turns the oars with which Superman keeps the ship aloft to water. Dr. Fate materializes just in time to lower it gently to earth.
After freeing Superman and capturing El Muchacho, Fate uses his mystic powers to send Hawkins and his ship back to their proper place and time. With the curse lifted, Inza's beauty is restored.
Behind the Scenes
Captain Ezra Hawkins is modeled after Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595), an English privateer in the service of Queen Elizabeth I, who distinguished himself in battle against the Spanish Armada.
The Good Guys
Dr. Fate and Kent Nelson are portrayed as a single personality throughout this issue.
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 29, 2015 7:01:37 GMT -5
The Superman Family #202
July-August 1980 (April 7, 1980) $1.00
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker), signed
“The Man Who Discovered Kryptonite!” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), E. Nelson Bridwell (Writer), Kurt Schaffenberger (Penciller), Joe Giella (Inker); Ben Oda (Letterer), Adrienne Roy (Colorist)
FC: Lois Lane Kent, Superman, teamed as Mr. & Mrs. Superman
SC: Jimmy Olsen
Reintro: Jor-L, in flashback only
Reintro: Lora, in flashback only
Reintro: Alexei Luthor
Reintro: Swami Riva (Dan Rivers)
Synopsis
Clark and Lois Kent are alarmed to learn that Dan Rivers — the con man also known as “Swami Riva” — has been paroled. It was Rivers who first exposed Superman to kryptonite, an event which led the Man of Steel to discover his origins as the son of Jor-L and Lora of the doomed planet Krypton. Since then, Superman has managed to keep secret the deadly effects of the extraterrestrial mineral on his alien physiology.
The Kents' concern is well founded. Even as they speak, Rivers is retrieving his kryptonite fragment from the bottom of the Metropolis River, where Superman had disposed of it. A chemist's analysis confirms the parolee's suspicions that the mineral is from Krypton and therefore fatal to that planet's sole survivor. Armed with this knowledge, Rivers and his gang plan to use the kryptonite in their scheme to loot the annual Daily Star charity drive, where Superman will be appearing.
The morning of the charity event, Lois receives a beautiful brooch with a glistening green jewel from an anonymous admirer. She wears it to the charity event. When Superman appears at the Star offices to pose for pictures with the staff, he collapses in agony. At that moment, Rivers and his henchmen burst in, guns waving. The criminal boasts of his successful plan to expose the Action Ace's vulnerability to the gem in Lois' brooch… but his triumph turns to ashes when Superman jumps up from the floor in perfect health and rounds up the gang. Lois explains that she recognized the jewel as the one from Swami Riva's turban and worked with Superman to trick Rivers and prove once and for all, as the Man of Steel laughs, that “no little green stone can harm me!” (In fact, she and Clark substituted a phony gem for the real kryptonite, which was destroyed.)
Dan Rivers returns to prison convinced he was wrong about kryptonite but his new cellmate isn’t so sure. His name is Luthor.
Continuity
Three pages of this story are devoted to retelling the story from Superman #61 (December 1949) in which Superman first encounters kryptonite and learns of his extraterrestrial origins.
The kryptonite fragment seen in this issue is the standard green kind. The fragment was red in Superman #61.
The Good Guys
Jor-L and Lora were last seen in the “Superman” story in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). Their names were not given in that story. In Superman #61, their names were given as Jor-El and Lara, like their Earth-One counterparts. The –L form of the Kryptonian surname first appeared in the 1939 Superman newspaper strip and was first established in Earth-Two continuity in the text piece in Action Comics #484 written by this story's scripter, E. Nelson Bridwell.
The Bad Guys
Because Luthor appeared in “Superman” stories throughout the 1940s, '50s and '60s, there is no point at which the character clearly segues from his Golden Age persona to the Silver Age version. It is therefore impossible to pinpoint the exact title and issue number of the Earth-Two version's last appearance.
This is the first time the Earth-Two Luthor's given name, Alexei, is revealed. The character was simply called Luthor throughout the Golden Age.
Swami Riva was first and last seen in Superman #61.
Fashion Watch
Luthor has regrown the red hair last seen in Superman #5 (Summer 1940).
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Post by Cei-U! on Aug 30, 2015 7:57:19 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents #25
September 1980 (June 10, 1980) $.50
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker)
“Whatever Happened to Hourman?” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), Bob Rozakis (Writer); Charles Nicholas (Penciller), Joe Giella (Inker); Ben Oda (Letterer), Jerry Serpe (Colorist)
FC: Hourman
Synopsis
Tyler Chemical president Rex Tyler receives an anonymous letter warning that “since you won’t stop production of TCR-113, we will stop production for you!” When the phone goes dead as he reports the threat to the police, Rex decides to investigate as Hourman. Taking his last remaining Miraclo pill, the Man of the Hour finds four terrorists planting explosives in the lab where TCR-113 is under development. A chair across the skull lays Hourman out. He comes to later, how much later he cannot say because his hourglass has been jostled. Only after he defeats the terrorists and disarms their bomb — which would have spread a deadly cloud of the experimental chemical across the city — does Hourman realize he achieved victory without his super-powers: the Miraclo wore off while he was unconscious!
The Good Guys
Miraclo pills are said to lose potency over time.
Fashion Watch
Hourman wears yet another variation of his costume in this issue. It is essentially the costume last seen in the “Justice Society of America” story in All-Star Comics #64 but with the boots last seen in Justice League of America #113 (albeit with the yellow trim seen in the “Justice Society of America” story in Adventure Comics #466) and a belt with no filigree.
Rex Tyler has gone gray at the temples since his last appearance out of costume in the “Doctor Fate and Hourman” story in Showcase #56.
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Post by JKCarrier on Aug 31, 2015 22:52:26 GMT -5
He comes to later, how much later he cannot say because his hourglass has been jostled. It seems like the hourglass would constantly be bouncing around anyway, especially during a fight. How did that thing *ever* keep accurate time? |
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Post by Cei-U! on Sept 2, 2015 11:57:50 GMT -5
Sorry, guys! I've been away from the computer since Sunday so I've fallen behind on all kinds of things. Anyhoo...
The Superman Family #203
September-October 1980 (June 10, 1980) $1.00
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker), signed
“The Critic Killer!” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), E. Nelson Bridwell (Writer); George Tuska (Penciller), Vince Colletta (Inker); Todd Klein (Letterer), Gene D'Angelo (Colorist)
FC: Lois Lane Kent, Superman, teamed as Mr. & Mrs. Superman
Villain: Alexei Luthor
Intro: Lana Lang
Intro: Philo Quill
Synopsis
When the Daily Star's new television critic, Lana Lang, pans the sitcom Sam and Sally, its notoriously hotheaded creator, Philo Quill, vows revenge for the subsequent drop in the show’s ratings. Quill buys a device that allows him to remotely control the Star building's elevators and tries to kill the outspoken journalist with it. Luckily for Lana, Lois Lane is along. Superman, alerted to the danger by the “ultra-sonic pulsations given off by the [extraterrestrial] moodstone” mounted in Lois' wedding ring, arrives in time to stop the elevator car's deadly plunge. Captured by the Man of Steel and sentenced to prison, Quill upbraids fellow inmate Alexei Luthor for selling him a faulty device. Luthor answers that Quill was a fool to expect to harm any Star employee while Superman is alive. “That's why I'm determined… to take care of that little problem,” Luthor says, “in a big way!”
Behind the Scenes
Lana Lang compares Sam and Sally unfavorably to the television show Mama, a highly-rated, critically-acclaimed program that ran from 1949 through 1957.
Cosmology
Superman's hometown of Smallville did not experience the growth spurt its Earth-One counterpart did because the Earth-Two Man of Steel did not begin his super-heroic career until adulthood, thus denying the town the publicity Superboy brought to the Smallville of Earth-One.
The clothing and hairstyles seen in this issue are inconsistent with the story's 1950s setting.
The Good Guys
Lana Lang should not be confused with her Earth-One counterpart introduced in Superboy #10 (September-October 1950).
Professor Lewis Lang, an old friend of Clark Kent's father, moved from Smallville to Metropolis before Lana was born. She and Clark, therefore, have never met prior to the events of this story.
This is the first appearance of Lois Kent's moodstone ring, which alerts Superman when his wife is in danger.
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Post by Cei-U! on Sept 3, 2015 6:37:56 GMT -5
Wonder Woman #271
September 1980 (June 10, 1980) $.50
Cover Art: Ross Andru (Penciller), Dick Giordano (Inker), signed
“Into Darkness Once More” 8 pages
Len Wein (Editor), Paul Levitz (Writer); Joe Staton (Penciller), Steve Mitchell (Inker); Ben Oda (Letterer), Gene D'Angelo (Colorist)
FC: The Huntress
SC: Arthur Cranston
Villain: Solomon Grundy
Intro: Harry Sims
Intro: Carole Martin
Synopsis
The routine at the law offices of Cranston, Grayson and Wayne is interrupted by the arrival of a frantic Winston Pitt, a well-known fine artist and client of Helena Wayne. Pitt is distraught because of the senseless destruction “beyond any dream of restoration” of three paintings intended for his next exhibition.
Visiting the scene of the crime that night, the Huntress is heartbroken at the sight of the charred remnants of Pitt's art. Quizzing a fence known to specialize in stolen paintings, she learns that although Pitt’s work is in such high demand that “even forgeries of his art are getting big money,” no word has reached the fence regarding those responsible for burning the paintings. After visiting her parents' grave “to think it all out,” a puzzled Huntress returns home.
Hearing a noise outside her apartment door, Helena opens it to find her friend, district attorney Harry Sims, on her doorstep. He has come to ask her advice about a problem, “the first one since I became D.A. that I can't handle myself.” Helena notes that three in the morning is not the best time for a legal conference and suggests he visit her at the office later. Something about Harry's behavior prods Helena's memory: she realizes that the signature on the destroyed artwork was not Winston's. The paintings were forgeries.
Concluding the vandalism was a setup, the Huntress returns to the museum at dawn. As she watches from hiding, the curator opens the museum’s vault to choose some replacements for the exhibit. No sooner is the vault open then the criminal gang responsible appears, ready to carry off the treasures within. Huntress is horrified to recognize the gang's leader as the monstrous Solomon Grundy.
Continuity
The story arc that begins in this issue probably occurs after the Huntress' appearance in Justice League of America #183-85 but this cannot be confirmed.
The Bad Guys
No explanation is offered in this story arc for how Solomon Grundy escaped from the Chinese volcano into which Superman and Power Girl threw him in the “Justice Society of America” story in All-Star Comics #63.
Fashion Watch
Solomon Grundy is depicted with wavy hair throughout this story arc.
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Post by DE Sinclair on Sept 3, 2015 9:00:47 GMT -5
Fashion WatchSolomon Grundy is depicted with wavy hair throughout this story arc. Grundy got a perm? |
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Post by Cei-U! on Sept 4, 2015 6:34:45 GMT -5
DC Comics Presents #26
October 1980 (July 7, 1980) $.50
Cover Art: Jim Starlin, main image, signed; George Pérez (Penciller) and Dick Giordano (Inker), New Teen Titans vignette
“Whatever Happened to Sargon the Sorcerer” 8 pages
Julius Schwartz (Editor), Bob Rozakis (Writer), Jose Delbo (Penciller), Kim DeMulder (Inker), Ben Oda (Letterer), Jerry Serpe (Colorist)
FC: Sargon the Sorcerer
Villain: The Matter Master
Cameos: The Atom, Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Hawkman, Superman, in flashback to Justice League of America #98
Cameo: Wonder Woman [of Earth-One], in flashback to Adventure Comics #462
Synopsis
Since Sargon's retirement, his mystic Ruby of Life — protected by a spell “only he can break” to prevents its theft — has been on display in an Earth-One museum. Fearing his evil self has reemerged and is responsible for a series of impossible robberies, Sargon visits the museum after hours to examine the Ruby. Knocked out by an unseen assailant, the mage awakens at home surrounded by stolen cash. At first determined to turn himself in, Sargon changes his mind after spotting a crucial clue. That evening at the museum, he catches up to the true culprit: the Matter Master. Sargon defeats the villain without revealing where he slipped up: the greedy crook created counterfeits of a single bill to plant in the magician's home rather than give up any of his loot, not knowing Sargon would notice they all bore the same serial number.
The Good Guys
Sargon “retains some magic powers even without the Ruby.” This is presumably thanks to the years of occult studies he undertook between his retirement from adventuring and his battle with the Flash in The Flash #186.
The Ruby of Life seen in this issue is one of the three introduced in Justice League of America #98. The JLA have custody of one of the duplicates. The third was destroyed in the ‘Wonder Woman’ story in Adventure Comics #260.
The Bad Guys
Among the framed headlines in Sargon's apartment is one reading “Sargon Foils Blue Lama.” This is the first and only mention of his Golden Age arch-foe in Earth-Two continuity.
[/s]
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