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Action Comics #242
Synopsis for Superman: "The Super-Duel in Space"
Clark Kent and Lois Lane are guest passengers aboard the Columbus – Earth's first manned space vessel. Shortly after breaking the planet's atmosphere, they encounter a strange, alien flying saucer. The ship belongs to Brainiac, a self-styled Master of Science. Clark dons a pressure suit and pretends to space-walk back to Earth (supposedly out of fear). However, when he is outside of Lois' view, he changes into Superman and pushes the Columbus back towards Earth, out of harm's way.
Superman flies towards Brainiac's ship, but even his super-strength is not enough to penetrate the villain's Ultra-Force Shield. From inside the craft, Brainiac uses his Hyper-Ray to steal several Earth cities, including Paris, Rome and New York City. He shrinks them down to miniature size and places them inside of special bottles on his craft.
Superman comes up with a plan and flies back to Earth. He arrives in Metropolis, just as the city is hit by Brainiac's Hyper-Ray. Metropolis shrinks in size, and Brainiac places it amongst his collection. Now barely an inch-tall, Superman flies upward pushing the cork out of the top of Metropolis' bottle. Having eluded the Ultra-Force Shield, he is now safely inside his foe's ship.
Superman flies around the laboratory analyzing Brainiac's collection of stolen cities. He learns that he plans on bringing them back to his homeworld, where he will then repopulate his lifeless planet.
Superman finds one bottle without its stopper and flies inside. Surprisingly, the city inside the bottle is Kandor – once the capital city of the dead planet, Krypton. As Kandor synthetic environment is powered by an artificial red sun, Superman loses all of his powers. Brainiac finds the bottle and replaces the stopper.
Inside the shrunken city, Superman meets a scientist named Kimda. Kimda provides Superman with a one-man rocket and a pet animal to help him escape from the city. As he blasts through the bottle's stopper, he learns that Brainiac has now placed himself in suspended animation for the long voyage home. Superman takes control of Brainiac's Hyper-Ray and restores all of Earth's cities back to their normal size and geographic location. He is then prepared to use the ray's final charge on Kandor, but Kimda exits the bottle and activates the Hyper-Ray on Superman. Superman returns to his normal size, and Kimda explains that he could not sacrifice Earth's greatest hero to remain shrunken for the rest of his life.
Superman gathers together the bottle city of Kandor and leaves Brainiac's ship. He returns to Earth, where he places the bottle inside of a special vault in his Fortress of Solitude.
Clark Kent and Lois Lane are guest passengers aboard the Columbus – Earth's first manned space vessel. Shortly after breaking the planet's atmosphere, they encounter a strange, alien flying saucer. The ship belongs to Brainiac, a self-styled Master of Science. Clark dons a pressure suit and pretends to space-walk back to Earth (supposedly out of fear). However, when he is outside of Lois' view, he changes into Superman and pushes the Columbus back towards Earth, out of harm's way.
Superman flies towards Brainiac's ship, but even his super-strength is not enough to penetrate the villain's Ultra-Force Shield. From inside the craft, Brainiac uses his Hyper-Ray to steal several Earth cities, including Paris, Rome and New York City. He shrinks them down to miniature size and places them inside of special bottles on his craft.
Superman comes up with a plan and flies back to Earth. He arrives in Metropolis, just as the city is hit by Brainiac's Hyper-Ray. Metropolis shrinks in size, and Brainiac places it amongst his collection. Now barely an inch-tall, Superman flies upward pushing the cork out of the top of Metropolis' bottle. Having eluded the Ultra-Force Shield, he is now safely inside his foe's ship.
Superman flies around the laboratory analyzing Brainiac's collection of stolen cities. He learns that he plans on bringing them back to his homeworld, where he will then repopulate his lifeless planet.
Superman finds one bottle without its stopper and flies inside. Surprisingly, the city inside the bottle is Kandor – once the capital city of the dead planet, Krypton. As Kandor synthetic environment is powered by an artificial red sun, Superman loses all of his powers. Brainiac finds the bottle and replaces the stopper.
Inside the shrunken city, Superman meets a scientist named Kimda. Kimda provides Superman with a one-man rocket and a pet animal to help him escape from the city. As he blasts through the bottle's stopper, he learns that Brainiac has now placed himself in suspended animation for the long voyage home. Superman takes control of Brainiac's Hyper-Ray and restores all of Earth's cities back to their normal size and geographic location. He is then prepared to use the ray's final charge on Kandor, but Kimda exits the bottle and activates the Hyper-Ray on Superman. Superman returns to his normal size, and Kimda explains that he could not sacrifice Earth's greatest hero to remain shrunken for the rest of his life.
Superman gathers together the bottle city of Kandor and leaves Brainiac's ship. He returns to Earth, where he places the bottle inside of a special vault in his Fortress of Solitude.
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 1958
About the author
Otto Binder
400 books15 followersOtto Oscar Binder. Used these alternate names: Eando Binder (together with his brother Earl Binder -E and O Binder-), John Coleridge, Gordon A. Giles, Will Garth, Ian Francis Turek, Ione Frances Turek and Otto O. Binder.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 9, 2024
The first Brainiac apparition in Superman’s life was almost a defeat for him but, given the fact that good always triumphs over evil… here we have an ingenious way (albeit almost childish) to defeat the criminal/tyrant from outer space. Oh.. and, by the way, this issue is also significant for the first apparition of Kandor, the kryptonian city-in-a-bottle which Superman has at his Fortress of Solitude… and we also learn because this is its sad reality.
April 11, 2026
It’s a fun little pre crisis read that introduces us to brainiac (pumped for MoT to release next year) and the bottled city of Kandor, it’s really a classic Superman tale. Of course it has that pre crisis cheese to it, but it’s an endearing quality and reflects the time and space of the world then. Of course a must read for Superman fans.
December 27, 2024
Definitely the best pre crisis Superman comic I’ve ever read! Hell, I think it’s my favorite DC comic pre crisis. The inclusion of Kandor and the first appearance of Brainiac make this a great read! It’s just funny how goofy Brainiac is here compared to his future appearances.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews