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"Superboy: "The Rip Van Winkle of Smallville"": Clark Kent learns the details of a story involving a man named John Blair. Blair had been a brilliant scientist who was working on a new invention in the area of electrical engineering. While working with his device he gets an electrical shock a

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Aquaman

Adventure Comics #208 is an issue of the series Adventure Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1955.

Synopsis for Superboy: "The Rip Van Winkle of Smallville"

Clark Kent learns the details of a story involving a man named John Blair. Blair had been a brilliant scientist who was working on a new invention in the area of electrical engineering. While working with his device he gets an electrical shock and falls into a deep coma. His nervous system is stunned and the doctor declares that it could be years before he awakens. His girlfriend Mary Norton promises that she will wait for him to wake up no matter how long it takes. In the meantime, Blairs invention was successful and earned him a fortune while he slept. His cousin Henry Vanning was appointed to manage his finances while Blair was in a coma. Many years passed and Mary Norton inquires about a specialist in stunned nerves. She is told that the doctor lives too far and is much too busy to help Blair. Clark overhears the conversation and offers to contact Superboy to fly the doctor over to the Blair residence. He delivers Dr Harris to Smallville and the Dr is able to shock Blairs nervous system with Superboys assistance in harnessing enough energy from lightning bolts. Blair awakens but the Dr announces that Blair must not yet learn that he has been asleep for 20 years. The mental shock might cause him to relapse into a coma once again. Mary Norton realizes that she must not let Blair see her since she has visibly aged. Superboy also helps by removing any signs that time has progressed by 20 years. As he removes all tell tale signs he accidentally drops a tray on the floor that falls harmlessly to the floor without breaking. As the days follow, Superboy has quite a challenge hiding newspapers and radio programs that would tip Blair off that time has progressed. He wonders how those items keep showing up unexpectedly resulting in close calls. Blair becomes increasingly insistent that he wants to see his girlfriend Mary Norton. At one point Blair manages to escape from his house to look for Mary. As Blair walks towards Mary’s house, Superboy constructs various canvas scenes giving Blair the impression that the city has not changed. He arrives at Mary’s house but it turned back when Mary announces she does not want to see him. The next morning Superboy examines the key that Blair used to access the outside area. He notices that is contains traces of soap. In the meantime cousin Henry Vanning is seen calling Mary and telling her that John has been badly hurt and is calling for her, Mary states that she will be right over. Superboy then confronts Vanning and notices that he is carrying a duplicate gate key in his pocket. He comes to the conclusion that Vanning had copied the key and left the gate open allowing Blair to escape the previous day. Superboy further surmises that Vanning was trying to shock Blair back into a coma to cause his to go back into a coma. This would allow Vanning to continue managing his financial affairs. Mary Norton suddenly arrives and Blair declares that she is as beautiful as ever. Blair reveals that he figured out that he has been out 20 years from the unbreakable tray that was left in his room. He managed to study it and figured out that its chemical composition did not exist in his time. Studying the problem gradually was a good way of lessening the shock that he had been in a coma for so long. Blair and Norton embrace each other as Superboy hauls Vanning away to the authorities.

Appearing in Superboy: "The Rip Van Winkle of Smallville"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:

  • Henry Vanning (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • John Blair (Single appearance)
  • Mary Norton (Single appearance)
  • Dr. Harris (Single appearance)
  • Mr. Hawkins (Single appearance)

Locations:


Synopsis for Aquaman: "The Mystery of the Aqua-Dolls"


Appearing in Aquaman: "The Mystery of the Aqua-Dolls"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:


Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Horace Bean (Single appearance)

Items:

  • Aquaman Dolls

Synopsis for Green Arrow: "The Incredible Land of Yesteryear"


Appearing in Green Arrow: "The Incredible Land of Yesteryear"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • The Professor (Single appearance)
  • Sally (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:

Notes

  • "The Rip Van Winkle of Smallville" is reprinted in Superboy #185.



See Also


Links and References

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