Back Issue Box: Action Comics #297 (sort of) - The End Of Lesla Lar (sort of)

With her return in the current Supergirl book by Sophie Campbell, I have been doing a deep dive into Lesla Lar's first storyline, a multi-part classic with a million twists and turns. I'd advise you go back and read those reviews before this one.  But the last part ended with Lesla being discovered by Kandorian police and hauled off to jail.

But what ultimately happened to her? Well we find out in 1962's Action Comics #297, a whole 15 months after her last appearance! And when I say 'ultimately', I mean until she is brought back decades later. 

One thing I have to say about this era of Supergirl stories, which appeared as back-ups in Action Comics, is that they really told a running narrative, more akin to current comics than the time. There were subplots and multi-part stories that ran through several issues, unlike the Superman stories which were mostly 'done-in-one' adventures.

Nothing shows that more than Super DC Giant #S-24 from 1971 which sports a great Curt Swan cover (with Mike Sekowsky throwing in the bottom costume bit), a cover which Sophie Campbell homaged with Supergirl #2 . 

My review of the story comes from this reprint which covers four consecutive back-up stories which comprise one long narrative. And what a story. We get the introduction of Lena Thorul, who doesn't know she is Lex's sister Lena Luthor. We learn about Lena's ESP powers. And we get the return of Lesla and Supergirl defeating both Lex and Phantom Zone villains. Kudos to DC for recognizing this is a banger of a story and worth collecting.

Lesla appears in chapter 3. So buckle up!

'The Forbidden Weapons of Krypton' was written by Leo Dorfman with art by Jim Mooney.  As you see, there is the 'from Action #297' box from my reprint issue. 

We get this mini-splash to open the proceedings and tease the story. Supergirl stands alone against Phantom Zone villains in a battle of survival. With Superman in the past and a barrier blocking time travel, she stands alone!

But we start with more mundane proceedings.

Lena (who at this time doesn't know she is a Luthor) has entered Linda's life. Through the usual shenanigans, Dick Malverne thinks Lena is Supergirl. Even stranger, Lena admits she IS Supergirl to Dick. 

Supergirl can't understand why Lena would lie. But I love the miffed face she is sporting in that first panel. She can't quite get over it, even complaining to her step parents that night. Perhaps there is a little jealousy since Dick is involved?

But in a flashback we see why Lena lied.

Lesla has broken out of prison and is up to her old tricks. Holed up in a secret lab, she begins to hatch a plot. She uses her mind control ray to make Lena say she is Supergirl, knowing the real one is eavesdropping. 

Lesla is just delicious in her schemes.

But she feels a bit like a one-trick pony here.

Instead of switching places with Supergirl, this time she'll switch with Lena. So now Lena is in the mind-control helmet being convinced she is Lesla while Lesla goes up to Earth and takes Lena's place.

Even better, she sets off an 'anti-monitor' bomb, blocking all video transmissions out of Kandor and even plugs the cork. The Kandorians have no idea what is happening on Earth and they cannot warn the cousins.

A bit to unpack. 

The switch identities trick is such a complicated plot but I guess if Lesla doesn't want to appear to be missing from Kandor she has to do it. Also, isn't it strange that Lesla/Lena/Linda all look so much alike that they can swap in and out for each other? Crazy.

But lastly, we could have used an Anti-Monitor bomb in the Crisis. Just sayin'.

When Supergirl goes to visit Lena and confront her about the lie, she is actually visiting Lesla. 

Lesla shows off that she has super-powers (she is Kryptonian after all) but then spins a tale to explain things. She says, as Lena, she discovered she was a Luthor and drank a serum Lex was making that gave her powers. Moreover, 'Lena' wants to become a super-hero fighting evil.

I just have to say it again. Lesla looked enough like Supergirl to replace her. And she looks enough like Lena to replace her? Three exact duplicates!

And crazy artistic choice in the second panel. I suppose with that many words, to construct a panel with people might be too hard. So Mooney pulls back to show the house! Incredible.

Instead of doing some low-level scheming and living a bit as Lena hoping to slowly destroy Supergirl, Lesla kicks her plan into high gear with 'Operation Breakthrough'!

She creates a 'trans-dimensional lens' out of a simple television!!! Her tech is insane! Imagine if Lesla was a force for good! 

By the way, check out that costume and now look at the last page of Supergirl #2. Bless Sophie Campbell for the deep cuts.

The plan is relatively simple. Use the lens to open up the Phantom Zone and bring out some of the worst of the worse - Zod, Kru-El, and Jax-Ur. I love that Dorfman gives us little bios about the criminals so we know their bona fides.

And even better, I like that he realizes that Mon-El would also try to get out to fight the bad guys. How crazy that Lesla was prepared with a 'lead gun' to drive him back into the Zone.

This was before the internet and Who's Who. Those history lessons, like with the villains, was essential back then and even when I was first reading.

You would think that 4 Kryptonians on Earth would be enough of a threat to the world. But they want to beef up even that threat level. They head to the bottom of the ocean to find Kru-El's cache of weapons. Could this be the same trunk seen in Adventure Comics #283? No editor's note but given Kru-El's dialog I am saying that it is the same.

And what a cache! First off, a force beam that blocks the Earth from outside forces including temporally! Superman is in the past on a mission. The Legion is in the future. Neither can come to help fight these villains.

Now that is some weapon!

Also inside is a disintegrator pistol. Will it work against a super-powered Kryptonian? There is only one way for the villainous group to find out ... fire it on one of their own members. 

Alas, Lesla loses the draw. So despite freeing these guys they kill her. 

Goodbye Lesla Lar (sort of). 

The gun shorts out so it cannot be used again. I don't know why the writer felt they needed to kill of Lesla in this way. They didn't even need to bring the gun into the story (which, of course, couldn't stick around because it could kill our heroes). 

Poor Lesla.

Left alone, Supergirl seems to be able to stymie the villains. But then Kru-El hits her with another weapon. Struck by a 'plague beam' from his belt, Supergirl radiates an aura that turns any living being into a plant!

That is some crazy cache of weapons!!

Now you think Supergirl would go to the Justice League and recruit Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. But instead she thinks the best person to team up with is Lex. He initially laughs her off but she then tells him that Lena is stuck in Kandor. With his sister in peril, Lex joins the fight! TO BE CONTINUED!

I still feel Lesla's death was too quick and so needless. Supergirl needed a rogue's gallery. Lesla was a perfect Lex-like foil. But as I said she only sort of died.

Lesla Lar comes back in another multi-part story by Jack C. Harris in Superman Family in the early 80s. As a disembodied sentience, we see her manipulate events in her quest for revenge! 

And now we have her back in the current book!

I loved this long story as much as the first Lesla one, especially since this had big stakes and Supergirl forced to use her wits to defeat everyone. The weapons cache is crazy but certainly pushed the threat level up. Perhaps one day I'll own the actual issue!

Overall grade: B+

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #301

What can I say? With a lack of new material on the shelves to review and with a surprise find of a Comet the Super-Horse kid's book, I have been looking back at some of Comet's adventures. Earlier this week I reviewed Supergirl's Girl Friend Lois Lane #92 in which a nearby comet turned Biron from horse back to human.

I realized that the story turn of Comet turning human hasn't been officially reviewed here. So why not dust off 'The Secret Identity of Super-Horse' from Action Comics #301.

Written by Leo Dorfman with art by Jim Mooney, the story adds a new wrinkle to Comet's story. We know he wished to turn human because he was in love with Circe. He was turned into a horse by the vengeful Maldor and then banished. Kara's rocket freed him from his prison and he began a super-heroic career with her.

Now this issue begins two subplots which have made their relationship a little bit cringey. One, he gains the ability to turn human when a comet is near Earth. And second, it is clear he has developed strong feelings for Supergirl. For these things to happen, you need the same rapid fire plot twists that the Silver Age is known for. 

But a lot of Comet/Biron/Bill's love of Kara seems off from a 21st century view. He doesn't reveal either aspect to her.  As a human, he looks much older than our Maid of Might. And the hint of bestial love of some sort, even fantastical, is a bit odd. 

But here we are! Let's learn how Comet gains the ability to become a man at last! (Of note, scans are from the reprint of the story in Adventure Comics #390.)

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #293

It's a slow week for actual Super-comics so I thought I would double down on the Comet stories by reviewing Action Comics #293. Hard to believe that this site is this old and I haven't looked at this closely. But with my reviewing the Comet! kid's book and commenting on how it stuck to the Silver Age narrative, I figured why not look at the actual story. 

I'm always happy to see the Supergirl story get cover treatment. Here we see a wonderful Curt Swan and George Klein image of Supergirl riding Comet. With the super-horse unaffected by Kryptonite beams, even Superman has to note that Comet might indeed be the mightiest super-creature of them all! Kara looks almost manic! As a bonus, we'll see this exact scene coming up in the story!

I'll also point out that this is the second part of a two-parter. To set things up, Linda Danvers is spending some vacation time at the Supergirl Dude Ranch. There she meets Comet who she believes is just a horse. But during her stay she has some odd dreams which seem to hint that Comet could be something more.

And so we end up here with Comet's complete origin. And I think it's a hoot!

On to the book!

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #308

Tom King recently rearranging of Supergirl's timeline in Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow mini-series to be a sort of mash-up of her Silver Age original beginnings and some of the more modern turns that have taken place since Kara was re-introduced in the DCU.

With that in mind I have been reading over the back issues to find other points in comic history where her earliest adventures or memories are delineated further.

On that mission, I re-read Action Comics #308 which includes the tiniest little nugget of information about Kara's journey from Argo City to Earth, something which is an interesting factoid which I believe has never been mentioned again. 

"The Super-Tot from Nowhere" was written by Leo Dorfman with art by Jim Mooney and is a typical bonkers Silver Age story with more plot turns in this back-up feature than many multi-issue arcs have in current continuity.

Supergirl is flying over a 'jungle country' when she is astounded to see a young girl falling from the sky. Our hero swoops in and catches the toddler before tragedy strikes. Scanning the skies, Supergirl sees that several planes have passed over the land recently. She assumes this girl, named Candy, fell out of one of them.

But this certainly is a 'thrown into the story' moment. The first panel of the actual tale is Supergirl seeing the girl falling to her death.

I did love how back in this era, the first panel was usually a teaser for the story. I like the exasperation in Kara's words as she realizes being a parent to a super-baby is tough work.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #309

I have been thinking about Action Comics #309 a lot recently and it finally occurred to me that I should formally cover it on the site.

First, I'll say that I first read this issue in the phone book style Showcase Supergirl trades from years ago. Only recently did I read it in color thanks to the DC Infinite app. I have never seen it in the wild but more on that later. 

I began thinking about covering it here when I guest starred with Mart Gray over on the Fire and Water Podcast network to discuss Gene Colan's work on the Phantom Zone mini-series. Here is a link to that discussion:http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/podcast/fw-presents-showcase-gene-colan-phantom-zone/

Kudos to Ryan for keeping me and Mart on task. One thing I didn't go into at length in that review was the character of Jer-Em. He is seen throughout the story and has a unique history with Supergirl, one here in this issue. I figured I should fill that in.

Second, the Supergirl show has brought back Zor-El, saying he has stayed alive in the Phantom Zone. That resonates with this story.

But more importantly, I was listening to Tom King talk about his upcoming Supergirl run on the most excellent Word Balloon podcast, hosted by John Siuntres. Here is that link:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kings-speech-tom-king-q-and-a/id207700416?i=1000513255019

In that interview, King calls Kara a survivor. He sort of squishes the newer origins (Kara born years before Kal and grew up on Krypton and witnessed its destruction) with some Silver Age aspects of her origin (living on the floating Argo City, the ground becoming Kryptonite, the meteor shower that exposes the lead covered K-soil which ultimately kills everyone). He describes that as three distinct threat about excessive loss, basically three traumatic experiences,  that Kara has had to deal with.

Of course Tom King would focus on the trauma. Hopefully, for once, he has the character come out of it with a healthier outlook. Supergirl should be optimistic and helpful.

But it made me think of this story as a potential 4th trauma Kara lived through. And I wonder if King has read this story.

 On to the book.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #366

The world is in the midst of a pandemic crisis with the COVID19 virus.

I continue to work in a busy emergency department but have been doing my best to socially distance myself as best as I can.

And as always, I try to think of interesting back issues to look at which either reflect current comic trends or even real life trends. With that in mind, I figured I could take a look at Action Comics #366, the end of the multi-part  Virus X storyline, which seemed somehow appropriate for the current times.

As this is a Supergirl site, the last chapter has the most Kara as well as standard bonkers Silver Age charm, so here we are.

To set the stage, Superman has contracted Virus X, a form of Kryptonian leprosy. Luthor got Clark to accidentally self-inoculate himself. It is unclear if the virus can be spread to humans (although we see Superman accidentally give it to a cat). So realizing he needs to get off Earth to save humanity from this plague, he rockets himself away. His plan is to cremate his dying body in the hottest sun in the universe.

This was a five part story by writer Leo Dorfman and artist Ross Andru, something relatively unheard of back in 1968. But Dorfman ramps up the drama during the story, having Superman avoiding loved ones, announcing his illness to the world, refusing to be sent into the Phantom Zone (for fear of infecting the criminals there), and looking back on his life.

Andru's pencils are solid throughout, especially on the 'melting face' afflicted Superman panels. And the whole arc comes with solid Neal Adams covers, including this one with Supergirl front and center.

On to the conclusion!

Digest Cast: Supergirl

You all have read my thoughts about Supergirl over the years here.

Have you ever wanted to HEAR my thoughts on Supergirl?

Over on the Fire and Water Network of podcasts, I was invited onto the DigestCast to discuss The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digests #17 - The Many Lives Of Supergirl.

Here is the link for DigestCast so go and listen!

We review this great digest from 1981 showing the different periods of Supergirl's life.
There is orphan and secret weapon Supergirl in The Great Supergirl Mirage from Action Comics #256 (by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney).
There is revealed super-hero in The World's Greatest Heroine from Action Comics #285 (by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney).
There is college student Linda in Supergirl Goes to College from Action Comics #318 (by Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney).
There is reporter Linda in Crypt of Frozen Graves from Adventure Comics #424 (by Steve Skeates, Tony DeZuniga, and Bob Oknser).
There is drama student Linda in Trail of the Madman from Supergirl #1 volume 1 (by Cary Bates and Art Saaf).
And finally there is Guidance Counselor Linda in Princess of the Golden Sun  from Superman Family #165 (by Elliot S Maggin and Art Saaf).

Whew ... a lot of great stories, many covered on this blog.

Not only do I help with the reviews, I talk about Supergirl's history and my love of the character.

But there is more.

Back Issue Box: Action Comics #295 - Lena Thorul

I am a little late in blogging about this but a while back Katie McGrath was cast as Lena Luthor on the Supergirl television show. Here is a link:http://tvline.com/2016/08/04/supergirl-katie-mcgrath-lena-luthor-cast-season-2-the-cw/

I have seen exceedingly little of McGrath's work although plenty of people tell me her work on BCC's Merlin was exemplary. So I am looking forward to see what she brings to the table.

The character of Lena is no stranger to Supergirl or the DCUniverse. She was a recurring character in Supergirl's Silver Age adventures, she popped up in Superman Family, she was an antagonist in Cosmic Adventures, in a vegetative state in the pre-Flashpoint world, and has been in opposition of her brother in more recent times.

I have covered Lena a lot on this site but I was surprised to discover that I have never covered her introductory story to Supergirl and so I thought it was time to rectify that. (As an aside, you know you have been blogging a long time when you can't remember which issues you have reviewed!)

'The Girl with the X-Ray Mind' was originally printed in Action Comics #295 back in late 1962.
For the sake of transparency, I need to let you know that my scans are from the Super DC Giant Supergirl issue from 1971. I don't own Action Comics #295 (yet).

The story is a brief 13 pages but, like many Silver Age stories, it is jam packed with story. This is no decompressed tale. Creators Leo Dorfman and Jim Mooney spin a yarn which introduces us to Lena and her power set, talks of Lena's early years, sneaks in a Luthor guest spot and reviews his origin, has Lena become a criminal, and wraps it all up in a bow. Whew ... they knew how to tell them back then!

I love this splash page. Lena is fetching in the red cocktail dress and domino mask, invoking images of the old pulp heroine the Blonde Phantom.

Back Issue Review: Action Comics #318 - Supergirl Heads To Stanhope

Starting in Supergirl #36 as written by Kate Perkins and Mike Johnson, Supergirl will be attending Crucible Academy, a school for people of cosmic importance and training them to be forces of good.

With Supergirl once more entering an institution of higher learning, I thought I would take a look back into other school days for Kara. Certainly, it looks like entering colleges and acadamies have led to some dramatic events in Supergirl's life and I am sure Crucible Academy will be no different. Now I have already covered Linda heading back to school at Lake Shore University in Daring New Adventures #1, so anyone looking for that story can head here.

So let's set back the time machine to 1964 and look at Action Comics #318, the issue where Supergirl first went to college.

"Supergirl goes to college" was written by Leo Dorfman and had art by Jim Mooney. Dorfman was the primary writer for Supergirl's adventures at this time. And, of course, Jim Mooney is considered by many to be 'the' Supergirl artist, drawing her back up feature in Action Comics for her entire run of Action Comics (outside of her introduction in Action Comics #252).

I am continually amazed at just how much story is jammed into these stories. In 12 short pages, Dorfman has Linda graduate high school, head to college, deal with 5 different hazing incidents, and basically change the culture of the campus.

Now some may read this as an overly sweet, overly sentimental piece of fluff. And it may seem quaint and dated. But I would ask the readers to take a step back and look at the character themes here with Supergirl helping others, remaining optimistic, using her intelligence to outwit her 'enemies', and seeing the best in people. That version of Supergirl is timeless.

 The story starts with a bang as Linda heads to her high school graduation.

I love how Linda is proud of this accomplishment even though her 'super-intelligence' made school somewhat unnecessary. She could have been the best athlete and student but she didn't think that would be fair.

And I can't help but love seeing Fred and Edna Danvers as well, proud of their adopted daughter.

That doesn't mean Linda was a slacker at school. In fact, she wins a 4 year scholarship to Stanhope College for her 'modesty and excellent character'.

It would have been easy to not give Linda a scholarship, or have it be for a high grade point average, but it is for character. And we will see that played out throughout this story. She accepts the scholarship and heads to school.

 After being dropped off on campus by boyfriend Dick Malverne (who won the high school award for excellence in Math and Science and is attending State Tech down the road), Linda sees some sorority hazing.

The president of Alpha Lambda, Donna Storm, is putting some pledges through the paces. One is forced to roll a peanut uphill with her hose. The other is forced to stand in a fountain. I love how Linda feels she needs to right even these small injustices. She nudges the peanut along with her super breath. And when the other pledge leaves the fountain, Linda warms her with heat vision.

Linda is already a semi-known commodity on campus. The other Alpha Lambda sisters feel Linda would be a good member of their sorority. But Donna feels Linda is a small town nobody unworthy of their hallowed halls.

Isn't Donna Storm a great name for a 'mean girl' Sorority queen?

 In fact Donna decides to humiliate Linda through a series of hazing incidents which go from ridiculous teases to outright Herculean requests.

The first request was to head to a department store and get a date with the model appearing in the store front window. It turns out that the model is a monkey. But in a double twist, the monkey turns out to be Beppo, the super-monkey. He flies around the town with Linda which makes Linda even more popular.

The next haze Donna plans is for Linda to wear a ripped and shabby dress to the pledge dance. As Supergirl, Linda flings a planetoid around to Earth so that it causes a lunar eclipse for the outside dance, dimming the lights and hiding the dress's flaws.

Then Donna asks Linda to get an animal mascot for the football game even though all animals are quarantined because of a virus. Linda shows up with Comet the Super-Horse. Hmmm... seems convenient that Linda can get Comet to come.

 It is enough to make Donna suspicious that Linda is friends with Supergirl who is helping her.

She makes Linda promise that she won't use Supergirl's powers to work her way through the next of the sorority's 'tests' to see if she is worthy of being a sister.

And amazingly, Linda promises. And she means to keep her promises ... which means not using her super-powers for the next challenges.

Now that is high character! She doesn't need to agree to this. But she does.

Kissing a monkey and wearing a shabby dress are one thing. Donna decides to up the ante and make the 'tests' ridiculous.

She asks Linda to figure out the nationalities of ten visiting students who are strolling around campus. Now she could have used her xray vision to read their passports. But she promised not to use her powers.

So instead she finds the flags from the prior year's international track meet and runs them up the flagpoles. The international students each stop at their country's flags and salute their nations.

That is pretty slick thinking by Linda.

 So Donna decides to make things even more impossible. Stanhope recently built a new library on campus, a short distance from the old one. Unfortunately, the school didn't budget moving the books. (I hope that the finance people of Stanhope get fired for such an egregious mistake.)

Donna's next test for Linda is to have her move all the books from the old library to the new. These are rather insane tests for a sorority pledge though ... don't you think?

Amazingly, Linda uses her intelligence again as well as tapping into the unbridled power of school spirit. She holds an emergency campus meeting where she implores every student to check out 10 books from the old library and return them to the new one. With such a bucket brigade method, the new library is soon filled with books.

Suddenly Donna Storm isn't thinking that Linda is friends with Supergirl. She thinks Linda is Supergirl.

 In fact, Donna's belief is so great, she pulls a 'Silver Age Lois' maneuver, taking Linda for a ride on a winding mountain road and then intentionally driving the car off a cliff.

Using her super-speed, Linda hypnotizes Donna to sleep, catches the car as Supergirl, places it on a nearby haystack, and then becomes Linda again. This is a miracle that the car just happened to land on a giant soft pile of grass! There is no way that Linda could be Supergirl.

But look at the result. There is some introspection by Donna who realizes she was a snob who resented Linda for being so plucky and upbeat. She simply couldn't break Linda's spirit, tarnish that award winning character. Donna apologizes.

And Linda, again showing that character, accepts the apology without snark, superiority, or schadenfreude.

And, finally accepted into Alpha Lambda, Linda asks that all hazing stop and  the sisters agree. Now that is progress!!

Supergirl is barely in this story. This is a story about Linda. But we see that same hatred of injustice, that fierceness in fighting it, that intelligent mind here ... despite it being with the campus cuddle-bun hair and not the s-shield and cape. I love this story. I mean ... hazing is something I would expect Supergirl to hate.

Will there be a Donna Storm at Crucible Academy? We shall see.

As for this issue, I would hold it of high importance in a Supergirl collection. Linda graduating high school is a big deal in and of itself. But Stanhope as a school is a huge part of not only this Supergirl's history but others as well. We see Stanhope in an issue of Peter David's Supergirl. We saw it as a prep school in Cosmic Adventures. This is a key to her history and therefore crucial.

There is another academy that this Supergirl attended between Stanhope College and Lake Shore University. I'll take a look at that school soon.

Overall grade: A

Back Issue Box: Action Comics # 307

It was something of a slow news week which means I have been doing almost non-stop reviews! I figured I would go to the long box and find a Silver Age story to review after a week of reviewing current books.

I always try to tie in my Silver Age reviews with current themes but this one feels something of a stretch. My thoughts were to either review the first appearance of the Kryptonite Man from Action Comics #349 (given the recent reintroduction of the K-Man in this year's Annual) or to find an issue where Kara is duped by another Kryptonian (as she is slowly being won over by potential Kryptonian H'El). I decided the latter might be more fun to look at.

Action Comics #307 features a story where Supergirl gets fooled by Tor-An, an escaped Phantom Zone villain. As in H'El on Earth, the villain preys on something that Supergirl wants desperately. In the current book, Supergirl wants to go home. In the Silver Age, I think she just wanted to be loved and accepted. And the oily Tor-An goes out of his way to woo her ... albeit with evil intentions.

One thing to note is that Tor-An has made a modern age appearance. Greg Rucka had Tor-An be one of Zod's sleeper agents being hunted down by Nightwing and Flamebird. Here is a look back at that appearance: http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/2009/03/review-action-comics-875-guess-who-isnt.html

The Silver Age was a simpler time so this story reads a little dated with a somewhat gullible Supergirl. But there is always a foundation of sweetness in these stories, as if the universe is somehow conspiring against Supergirl having a happy life and yet, despite that, she continues to rise above it all and remain pure.

'Supergirl's Wedding Day!' was written by long time Supergirl scribe Leo Dorfman and drawn by Supergirl legend JimMooney.

The opening semi-splash is a perfect set-up for the story. There is a romantic scene, the moon out over a tropical paradise, Supergirl embracing and kissing Tor-An, her hand lovingly on his head. She is happy.

And yet we are privy to those Tor-An's evil thoughts, how this love is a sham to get revenge on Superman.

And poor Jerro, always looking from the outside in. He wants to warn her but is scared.

One thing that I love about these Silver Age Supergirl Action Comics stories is that the Phantom Zone villains were as much a Supergirl rogue as they were for Superman. In fact, maybe moreso! They were always plotting, focusing their telepathy to do her harm.

Here, the Zoners use their wills to overpower Midvale Mayor. The Mayor then asks Supergirl to carry out their wishes. Celebrating the Midvale anniversary, he has Supergirl create a cosmic 'firework spectacular' out of meteors. Little did Supergirl know that this, as anticipated by Tor-An, would open up a small temporary rift from the Zone to reality. As it was Tor-An's plan, he gets to flee with the plan to get the Phantom Zone projector and free everyone else.

In the Fortress, Tor-An easily wipes out the Superman robot defenders. But one of the robots has the wherewithal to destroy the Zone projector so the remaining villains will remain trapped.

With the plan foiled, Tor-An comes up with a more devious way to exact his revenge. And to make sure the Kandorians don't interfere, he booby-traps the bottle.

We learn that Tor-An was a brilliant scientist who experimented on people, putting their minds in monsters.

Now you sometimes have to take these Silver Age plots with a grain of salt. The brilliant scientist who is freed from the Zone doesn't rebuild the projector, doesn't flee Earth to be free roaming the universe, doesn't bide his time to find another way to release his fellow prisoners. Instead he decides the best plan of action is to woo Supergirl and trick her into marriage to sully the name of El. Incredible!

Tor-An uses super-hypnotism to mind-wipe the new science teacher for Midvale High. Tor-An then replaces him.

Shortly thereafter, he begins dropping hints that there is more to him than meets the eye. For example, he draws something similar to Argo City on the blackboard when discussing atmospheres. And at the same time, Linda starts receiving extravagant gifts from a secret admirer.

Finally, he shows Linda his powers and admits he too is an Argo City survivor. And moreover, he has fallen in love with her. At least that's his story.

He whisks her away to his secret cave hideout where he hooks her up to a 'memory machine' to share his phony origin.

He also lived on Argo. His father, Vac-An, was also a scientist. Knowing Argo was doomed and knowing Tor wouldn't leave his family, Vac drugs his child, throws him in a rocket, and sends him to Earth.

Isn't that eerily similar to the current Supergirl's origin?

And then, the coup de grace! Tor-An tells Kara he fell in love with her because she reminded him of Alura. What a great pick-up line! In fact it is so powerful, she swoons, landing in his arm for a dramatic kiss!

With all that phony sentiment laid out, Tor-An begins courting Supergirl, lavishing gift on her.

And why not try to woo the family too!

Tor-An gives the Danvers a 'youth potion', one he knows will only last a few weeks. And then he brings Edna a chest of jewels, an old Kryptonian couple. Just like that, Edna is ready to welcome Tor into the family.

And this new found sense of love is effecting Supergirl deeply, to the point where she is literally counting the seconds since she was last kissed by him.

But those who truly love Supergirl, who also happen to have rudimentary telepathy sense something is amiss with Tor-An.

First Jerro tries to warn her only to be told by Kara that he is just jealous.

Then Comet tries to warn her but she tells her horse that he resents Tor-An because she loves him.

It isn't a shining moment for Kara but I think it shows just how much she needed to be loved.

And so a whirlwind courtship leads to a rapid fire marriage. And Tor-An has all the bases covered. First he bullies the Kandorian leader to marry them or he will destroy the city. Then he creates a 'chemical android' to play the role of Superman and act as the witness.  The vows are exchanged ... it's official!

Before even kissing the bride, Tor-An drops all pretenses. He married her out of revenge! He hates her!

Seems like a complicated plan to get revenge, no?

And we learn more about Krypton's customs. In Action Comics #289 we learned that Kryptonian cousins can't marry. Here we learn Kryptonian law forbids divorce. Supergirl's family will forever be tainted by having a felon in their midst. Seems silly? That is his great revenge? Sullying the name of the only surviving Kryptonians? Why not go off somewhere and create super-science weapons and kill Superman instead?

Anyways, turnabout is fair play. Supergirl sheds her veil and costume revealing she is actually Saturn Girl. And the jewel altar turns out to be a time machine platform sending Tor-An to the future where the Legion is waiting.

It turns out that Lori Lemaris and Jerro were so worried they called on Saturn Girl for help. And Imra discovered who Tor-An was and warned Supergirl. Since Saturn Girl looks just like Supergirl (as Lena Thorul and Lesla Lar do), she was able to stand in. Thus the vows are not binding.

Isn't this plan to foil Tor-An a bit convoluted too?

And so Tor-An is trapped in a Kryptonite cage in the future, awaiting Superman to return from his mission, rebuild the projector, and send Tor-An back to prison.

Alas, all the wonders of Tor-An ends. The Danvers return to their normal age. And Supergirl has a hole in her heart. Will she ever find the man of her dreams?

So this is a tough one to call for a grade. Supergirl is pretty much fooled this whole story, wooed by a villain. She certainly isn't strong or savvy. But throughout many stories like this in the Silver Age an unwavering love of life and hope for the future emerges. These stories define Supergirl as someone who doesn't give up and continues to look for the positives in the world around her.

As for a Supergirl collection, nothing crucial happens from a historic point of view. That said, this story has Comet, Jerro, Kandorians, and the Phantom Zone villains. It has a sort of hopeful tone which was the mainstay of many Kara's adventures in that time. It isn't a bad 'old' issue to have to capture the feel of Supergirl in the early 60's.

I can't help but grade these high. Probably higher than other would.

Overall grade: B+

Back Issue Box: Superman #176 - Kryptonian Day Of Truth

Last week Superman #709 came out and continued the rehabilitation of the 'Grounded' storyline. Hooray for writer Chris Roberson who seems to be righting the ship!

As  I mentioned in my review, something I appreciated in the issue was all the references and homages to classic comic history littered throughout. While I don't know how a new reader processes this stuff, to an old-timer like me these references enrich stories, bringing the depth of character history to the table and confirming the respect the creators have for what has come before.

There was a lot to love in Superman #709 but my favorite reference was of Val-Lor and the Kryptonian Day of Truth. It was too good a reference to pass up without looking closer.

I am pretty sure the first time the Day of Truth is discussed is in Superman #176 from way back in 1965. I will admit that I bought this issue at a comic store sale based only on the cover which is pure Silver Age wackiness. But what a treat to discover that one of the stories within the issue is devoted to the Day of Truth.

Written by Leo Dorfman and drawn by Curt Swan, I present to you 'Superman's Day of Truth'. I think this story captures the best of the Silver Age in many ways.

Yes, Superman stands for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. But what about unfiltered pure truth? Can he remain a hero?

The beginning of the story shows a number of quick vignettes showing both Superman and Supergirl being brutally honest to everyone they encounter.

First Superman, acting as judge at a baby contest, calls the rowdy babies 'the worst collection of miserable brats' he has ever seen. When Lois asks why Superman offended the mothers, Superman retorts that he won't be a hypocrite and 'praise those little demons.'

Supergirl also shows a surprisingly frank honesty as well.

While attending a dinner made for her by the Supergirl Fan Club, Kara insults their cooking. 'The salad tasted like moldy hay'! Wow.

Not surprising is the girls' response. They begin to cry. Supergirl seems somewhat shocked by this. Her fans asked for the truth and they got it ... both barrels!

The interactions continue throughout Metropolis.

First he reveals to Jimmy that his girlfriend isn't all she claims to be.

Then he calls the invention of a struggling scientist a 'miserable flop'.

And then he says Perry White's cigar smells like the city dump.

That certainly is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. No sugar coating the facts here.

Later, while testifying in a trial, the criminal's lawyer demands that Superman reveal his alias. Superman agrees to tell the truth, but only once and in writing.

Of course, those restrictions allow him to use his powers to remain truthful but protect himself.

Then the lawyer asks Superman to reveal the location of his Fortress of Solitude. Superman does it ... but it turns out later that the coordinates he gave are to an abandoned early Fortress underwater. Truthful I suppose.

Lois and Lana aren't about to let this opportunity pass them by. In classic Silver Age shenanigans, they corner Superman and ask him to tell them who he really loves.

Again Superman uses his powers to remain truthful but keep his secrets to himself. The answer is so loud it is incomprehensible.

So why is he being so honest, even if it is insulting?

The answer is revealed in Kandor.

Superman and Supergirl parachute into Kandor to join in a Kryptonian celebration. Gathering at a statue of Val-Lor, the greatest hero of Krypton, the Kandorian citizens listen as the city elder reads from the ancient Book of Deeds.

The elder reads how centuries before the destruction of Krypton, an alien race called the Vrangs invaded Krypton and took over. These humanoid bat-like creatures enslaved the Kryptonians.

Not only were the people of Krypton forced to do hard labor but they were humiliated by the Vrang forces. The Kryptonian leaders were hung up in arenas for giant cats to play with like chew toys. They were worked until they collapsed. And they were forced to smile while doing so, thanking the Vrangs for allowing them to live.

Finally, one Kryptonian ... Val-Lor ... stood up to the Vrangs. Vowing not to lie, he says he despises the Vrangs.

Because of his valor, Val-Lor is gunned down.

But his death acts as a catalyst, energizing the Kryptonians to rise up and overthrow the Vrangs. Val-Lor spoke the truth! And the truth sets the Kryptonians free. The very chains of slavery become weapons as the Kryptonians rout the Vrangs.

And so, on this day each year, Kryptonians must tell the truth ... just as Val-Lor did.

Okay, an inspiring story with a nice sentiment, wrapped up in the silliness of the Metropolis encounters ... that's the Silver Age!

With the ceremony over, Superman and Supergirl return to Earth and explain the holiday to their friends. Despite the blunt nature of Superman's statements, his friends understand and forgive.

While a 'Day of Truth' is an interesting comment, couldn't Superman and Supergirl state things in not such an abrasive way? Or does the nature of the holiday mean you need to speak frankly ... whatever you feel must be couched in those terms, no matter how incendiary. I mean, isn't there a truthful way of saying the salad wasn't tasty without saying it is like moldy hay?

More about the Vrang invasion and the Day of Truth is discussed in 1981's Krypton Chronicles, something I touched on here.

I definitely like this story, a mix of silliness and inspiration. And I am glad Dorfman included Supergirl in the story as this was a Kryptonian holiday. But I would say it is of low importance to a Supergirl collection.

Overall grade: B+ (seen through the rose colored glasses of nostalgia)