Monday, January 13, 2025

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #303


Back in Action Comics #1081, Phantom Zone villain Ras-Krom summoned Zanchyroia dragons.

I'll be honest, I thought for a second they were an updating of the Kryptonian kaiju from Action Comics #303. Turns out, I was wrong. This creature is a Kryptonian Drang. 

Then in Superman #21, we learned that Superman's Red emotional storms are the result of a Red K injection from Pharm and Graft. I remembered Action Comics #303 again for its Red-K centric main story.

Between a flying Kryptonian dragon and the Red K connection, I thought it would be fun to formally review this story here. As a plus, Supergirl has a small role in the story. Besides, it has been a while since I have gone back to the Silver Age for something completely silly and fun. 

'The Monster from Krypton' was written by Edmond Hamilton with art by Curt Swan. It sports a pretty eye-grabbing cover of Supergirl riding the one-horned monster while the US military fire Kryptonite bullets at it. But perhaps the most interesting thing about the cover is that it gives away the twists. The monster IS Superman, changed by Red Kryptonite!

Well, settle in for a silly ride! Here's some Kryptonian Kaiju and Red K hijinks!


We start out with a great splash. Supergirl is saddened because Superman is apparently dead at the hands of this flying monster. She is being consoled by Jimmy! I love that! It isn't Lois; it's Kara!

And I like the 'Superman's annual picnic for children' sign. I suppose it is there to fill in some negative space. But it shows how caring this Superman was. 


But the story actual starts out in a 'remote mountain range' where he has been part of a major discovery, a giant red egg in a fissure.

Amazingly, Superman recognizes it as the egg of one of the most feared monsters on Krypton. 

We all know how a lot of Kryptonite and other stuff made it's way to Earth, so why not an intact egg?


Turns out this is a Drang egg! (I should be happy it isn't a Dranj egg!)

In Krypton's past, the Drangs were horrible monsters that destroyed cities. They were thought to be extinct but a whole clutch of Drang eggs was found. (Check out little Kal eavesdropping!)

Remember, this was the benevolent Krypton of the Silver Age. Rather than just destroy the eggs before they hatched, the rocketed them off to an uninhabited planet. Unfortunately one rocket malfunctioned. The egg remained in its rocket in orbit. Clearly, this has to be that egg.

Imagine that though. How much did that rocket fleet cost, created just to save these unborn dragons!


As Superman flies in to investigate, the egg topples into a ravine.

Superman flies down. But a Drang flies out, Superman's costume in its mouth. Everyone assumes this thing hatched and ate Superman. 

But as readers we aren't left wondering. We immediately hear the dragon's thoughts. It is Superman, turned into a Drang by the red K egg shell. And because he was thinking of Drangs, the red K energy turned him into one. 

It is a shame. As you read the story, imagine if we only saw the Drang's actions without knowing it was Superman. It might have been a fun sort of puzzle.


Flying around, Superman, in Drang form, tries to communicate that he is who he is.

First he tries chewing off letters off a sign to communicate. The he tries using his mouth to create ditches to write a message in a field. 

But every time he tries to communicate, the American military interferes, blasting him with planes, bombs, and rockets.


In a last ditch effort to communicate, the Drang-Superman heads to his Fortress in hopes of using a 'telepathic-sending trophy' to use his mind to tell everyone this secret. 

Alas, to everyone he is a Drang. That includes the Kandorian Superman Emergency Squad. The Kandorians think this thing wants to break in to destroy the Fortress. So the block the key from getting into the lock.

Now as far as I know, the Drangs are wild creatures. You think one picking up a key, putting it in a lock, and trying to turn it would be a clue that maybe it isn't what everyone thinks it is.

But I love this scene! A giant dragon trying to put a giant key in a lock only to be thwarted by an army of miniscule Supermen. 

That is the Silver Age!


With no other choice, he heads back to Metropolis.

The army has used a cache of Green K (hidden in the Pentagon!) to create Kryptonite bullets to kill the Drang! Is this the first time we saw the military armed with Green K weapons??

You have to love the accuracy of the army. They fire at a gigantic flying dragon and instead hit Supergirl! Thankfully they bounce off her.

Drang Superman flies under her to save her. This we have the recreation of that amazing cover!


With everyone finally recognizing that the Drang hasn't done anything violent, they allow it to fly around.

Luckily there is a Superman statue with a very long inscription. The Drang rips the statue off, scratches off a bunch of letters to have the inscription say 'I am Superman' and then sits on it triumphantly. I wonder how many Superman statues are in Metropolis!

Nothing left to do but wait for the change to reverse itself.

I do like the denouement. Superman knows what it is like to be hunted as a wild beast making him glad he has set up sanctuaries. I wonder if his interplanetary zoo in the Fortress had been established before this.

I haven't mentioned much about the art. I love Curt Swan. I love this young Supergirl. But mostly I love how he imparts some human expression on the Drang face.

It's a silly story for sure. But a wonderful representation of the stories of the time. 

Overall grade: B+

1 comment:

Martin Gray said...

Thanks for this, I love a retro review. It is great for Supergirl to be shown as so important to Superman… Lois was likely being romanced by a fake superhero that month, who then died.