The Interplanetary Olympics
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Speaking of Dworn, the Super-Weakling, Superman was a Super-Weakling when he was summoned to Thon, to compete in “The Interplanetary Olympics” in ACTION COMICS No. 220 (September ’56)--in a story with Al Plastino art, possibly written by Edmond Hamilton.
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Superman is bested by Bronno of Kor; however, it turns out that Bronno is a robot, and a piece of Kryptonite inside the robot has been weakening the Man of Tomorrow. Bronno having been disqualified, the prize of the power crystal goes to the second place finisher, [b]Sharn of Iwo[/b]--who looks like Aquaman’s cousin. Good thing, as the planet Iwo could sure use that power crystal.
This story was rehashed, with a few differences, in ACTION COMICS No. 304 (September ’63)--again titled “The Interplanetary Olympics”--this time from Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Klein. All the other competitors in that one were alien bad guys intent on siphoning Superman’s powers for their own ends. The worst of them was Borko of Gor.
This version was reprinted in a Super-Spectacular issue of SUPERMAN--No. 284 (February ’75). At the time I first read that comic, my nemesis in high school gym class was a kid named Borko, who always wore an Adidas track suit and thought he was a better athlete than anyone else. So I could identify with the Man of Steel wanting to put Borko in his place.
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Batman--the Superman of Planet X
Bruce Wayne is “Batman--the Superman of Planet X,” in BATMAN No. 113 (February ’58)--by France Herron, Dick Sprang and Charles Paris.
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With the synchronicity of a dream, Batman is teleported to the planet Zur-En-Arrh, in a star system far from Earth. There, he is greeted by [b]Tlano[/b], the Batman of that world, who has modelled himself after the Masked Manhunter, using futuristic technology, including the powers of his Bat-Radia, to battle crime.
As a result of Zur-En-Arrh’s differences from Earth, there Batman has the abilities of a Superman.
It would be far easier to consider this a dream--as so many other tales of Super-Men turn out to be in the end--yet how can it be, when in his hand Batman holds the Bat-Radia?
The Super Family from Outer Space
“The Super Family from Outer Space” arrives on Earth in the March SUPERMAN issue for 1956 (No. 104), illustrated by Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye (the writer is undetermined).
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Having come from the scientifically advanced planet of Skar, [b]Vitor Vall[/b] is the only one identified by name; however, the rest of the Vall family would seem to be his wife, their young son and daughter, and Vitor’s elderly parents. On Earth, with its lesser gravity, they have super-powers, but they are limited by the air which is thinner than on their homeworld. They arrive on this planet, in search of a lost cousin, believing Clark to be him.
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When they discover their mistake, the Super Family decide to stay for awhile and play the part of cousins to the orphaned Superman. They’re a lively and rambunctious bunch and all too eager to help.
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Superman doesn’t seem to fully appreciate the benefit of having a loving family--worried too much about protecting his secret identity (the poor Man of Steel can never see the forest for the trees, despite his amazing eyesight). And hoping to send them packing, he builds the world’s greatest telescope, with which he locates the Valls' lost cousin, in a dark nebula. And so Clark’s space cousins depart, leaving the Last Son of Krypton alone again--just how he likes it.
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The Mysterious Mighty Mite
Little brats were often featured in DC’s super-hero comics, back in the ‘60s. And I’m sure this was because their presecnce in a comic book could drive up sales. I know seeing a cute kid on the cover of a comic book could get my sister and I to buy that comic if we saw it in Mrs. Ryan’s drugstore.
After all, we loved to read comics like LITTLE ARCHIE, SUGAR AND SPIKE and RICHIE RICH, so why shouldn’t we gravitate toward the same material in a super-hero comic?
Which is most probably why I grabbed SUPERBOY No. 137 (April ’67), with its Swan and Klein cover showing a charming toddler holding the Boy of Steel over his head.
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“The Mysterious Mighty Mite” by Leo Dorfman, George Papp and Chic Stone--the story behind that cover--is not what it seems.
Clark finds a baby on the Kent doorstep, with a note written in Kryptonese that says the Kryptonian toddler is [B]Kit-El[/B] and cautions that he should not be given milk. Clark thinks it’s all a hoax--Krypton blew up 12 years ago--and when the baby pulls a tantrum he tells his mother to give Kit-El some milk, despite the warning in the note.
Clark imagines the baby being raised by the Kents and the problems that will make for him . . .
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Later on, Superboy returns to the Kent house to find that Kit-El is now a teen--the effect of the milk!
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To be concluded in [URL="https://community.cbr.com/showthread.php?75972-The-Super-Men-(and-Women)-of-All-Planets&p=3414301&viewfull=1#post3414301"]post #53[/URL]