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Action Comics 242

ACTION COMICS #242

Cover Date: July 1958
Cover Price: $0.10
Publication Date: 1954-04-28

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Cover Credits:
Pencils: Curt Swan
Inks: Stan Kaye


Story: "The Super-Duel in Space" (13 Pages)

Credits:

StoryOtto Binder
ArtAl Plastino
Assistant editingGeorge Kashdan, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Superman (last in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #3/3; next in World's Finest Comics #95)

Supporting Character(s):

Lois Lane (last in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #3/3; next in Superman Vol. 1 #123)

Villain(s):

Brainiac (first appearance; last chronological appearance in Superboy Vol. 1 #106/2; next in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #17/2; see Comments)

Other Character(s):

Koko (first appearance; Brainiac's alien monkey-like pet; last chronological appearance in Superboy Vol. 1 #106/2)
Professor Kimda (first appearance; last chronological appearance in flashback in World of Krypton #2)
crew and passengers of the rocketship Columbus

Cameo Appearance(s):

Jonathan Kent (in flashback)
Martha Kent (in flashback)

Location(s):

Earth
Arctic Circle
Fortress of Solitude
The Bottle City of Kandor (first appearance)
France
Paris
Italy
Rome
United Kingdom
London, England
United States of America
Metropolis
Daily Planet
New York, NY
an unidentified planetoid

Comment(s):

Brainiac's appearance within the story differs from that of the cover, most notably he is missing his familiar circuitry on his head. His stated goal is to collect cities to rule as he repopulates his barren unnamed homeworld. Aside from Kandor, he has taken seven of his planned twelve cities on Earth.

Story Reprinted in:

Superman Annual #2/6 ([Winter] 1960)
Superman Vol. 1 #217/3 (June-July 1969)
Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers) (1983)
Superman in the Fifties ([September] 2002)
Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives #1 ([September] 2004)
Showcase Presents Superman #1 ([September] 2005)
Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor ([October] 2007)
Superman vs. Brainiac (2008)
Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years ([November] 2013)


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Second Story: "The Traffic Cop of 2058, A.D." (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryOtto Binder
ArtJim Mooney
Assistant editingGeorge Kashdan, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Tommy Tomorrow (in between issues #241/3 and #243/2)

Supporting Character(s):

Brent Wood (in between issues #240/2 and #243/2)

Villain(s):

three space bank robbers

Other Character(s):

a space truck driver

Location(s):

Planeteer Headquarters


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Third Story: "Safari from Space!" (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryJack Miller
ArtHoward Sherman
Assistant editingGeorge Kashdan, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Congo Bill (in between issues #241/2 and #243/3)

Supporting Character(s):

Janu the Jungle Boy (in between issues #241/2 and #243/3)

Villain(s):

Xov (first appearance; an alien from Venus)

Location(s):

Congo Bill's camp on the Bowsami River

Comment(s):

This story continues in the next issue.


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