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in: Dick Giordano/Executive Editor, Ed Hannigan/Cover Artist, Bob Smith/Cover Artist,
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The Best of DC Vol 1 38

Revision as of 08:30, 6 November 2017 by DrJohnnyDiablo (Message Wall | contribs)
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"The Eliminator!": This story is reprinted from Action Comics #379.

The Best of DC #38 is an issue of the series Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1983. It was published on April 7, 1983.

Synopsis for "The Eliminator!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #379.

Superman seems to trigger a curse that kills seven reporters, but learns later that they were only aliens imitating the reporters and that an other-world lawman has been executing them for murder.

Appearing in "The Eliminator!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Aliens impersonating Chris Swan, Joe Letterman, and Mark Sharpe

Other Characters:

  • Chris Swan (Single appearance)
  • Joe Letterman (Single appearance)
  • Mark Sharpe (Single appearance)

Locations:


Synopsis for "The Truth Mirror!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #269.

As Superman patrols over Metropolis, Lois Lane gets a package from her Uncle Ned from England. In it, she finds a mirror which was supposedly owned by Merlin the magician and would reflect the true nature of whoever was reflected in it. When "Fred Caldwell" comes posting as a representative of a charity, the mirror shows him in prisoners garb, prompting Lois to agree to meet with him later. Reviewing the Daily Planets files, she learns that the man is really "Flash" Dugan, a known criminal and tells the story to Clark, prompting him to capture Dugan as Superman.

After the mirror reveals that her friend Hazel is temporarily bald, that Perry White has a heart of gold, and Jimmy has a swelled head, she invites a child into her home who claims they are lost. But it turns out that the "child" is really a midget burglar and when she exposes him, he ties her up at gun point and then begins to loot her home. Resourceful, Lois manages to dial Clark Kent using her mouth and a pen to operate the rotary phone. Clark in turn "calls" for Superman's aid, and the Man of Steel saves Lois, easily dealing with the midget burglar.

Lois decides to use the mirror to learn Superman's secret identity, and invites Superman over to her place. Sure enough, when Superman stands before the mirror, it reveals that he's really Clark Kent. Before he can answer for himself, there is a radio call for Superman to defuse a bomb that has been planted on a plane full of comedians. He arrives there, and the doubtful jokers don't believe Superman, even when he finds the bomb (hidden in a stop watch) and places it in his mouth where it harmlessly goes off. It's not until they see Superman fly away do they realize how close to death they were. This repast gives Superman a moment to come up with an idea to trick Lois into once more doubting that Clark Kent and Superman are one in the same. Building robots of himself and Lois that are scarecrow thin, Superman replaces the mirror with a pane of glass, and then changes the inscription on the back of the mirror. When Lois once more has Superman look into it, she is horrified to find sickly thin versions of themselves looking back at her. Superman then turns the mirror around and Lois reads the inscription: "This Mirror Tells The Truth, but It May Also Lie To You!" Furious, Lois smashes the "mirror" once more unsure of Superman's true identity.

Later Superman leaves Lois's home and dumps the real mirror into a volcano before returning to his Fortress of Solitude with his robots.

Appearing in "The Truth Mirror!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Flash Dugan (Single appearance)
  • "Evil-Faced Midget" (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Demons from Pandora's Box!"

This story is reprinted from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #81.

Jimmy Olsen helps Prof. Lewis Lang and Lana Lang discover a duplicate of Pandora's box and gains horrible hallucinations from a radiant rock inside it.

Appearing in "The Demons from Pandora's Box!"

Featured Characters:

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Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Enchanted Mountain"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #86.

Appearing in "The Enchanted Mountain"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • The Wizard of Wokit (Single appearance) (Character in a storybook)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • None

Vehicles:

  • None

Synopsis for "The Spectre Suitor"


Appearing in "The Spectre Suitor"

  • Appearances not yet listed

Synopsis for "The Spell of the Shandu Clock"

This story is reprinted from Superman #126.

When Shandu the Mystic is exposed as a fraud by Superman, the fake mystic vows to get revenge against the Man of Steel. Days later, when it's learned that Shandu apparently died at sea and leaving a prophetic message of doom directed at Superman, Superman agrees to take Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson to check out the story. They go to Shandu's home where they find a giant goblin faced clock waiting for them. When it strikes twelve o'clock, a Superman statue pops out and hits a gong, upon doing so the real Superman is suddenly caught in a trance and flies into a rock face.

Each time the clock tolls, the Superman statue inside exhibits a different power causing Superman to go into a trance and mimic the exact same thing; when attempting to destroy the clock, Superman finds that some force is preventing him from doing so. When the Fallon Gang learns of this, they decide to leave their lead lined hideout in order to rob the Metropolis National Bank during one of Superman's trances. The gang is shocked when the metal statue from the clock comes to stop them and is revealed to be the real Superman, who quickly captures the gang and turns them over to the authorities.

Returning to the site of the clock, Superman reveals that Shandu is alive and well and was helping Superman catch the Fallon Gang, and that while the real Superman posed inside the clock, it was a Superman robot that was in the "trances."

Appearing in "The Spell of the Shandu Clock"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • The Fallon Gang

Other Characters:

  • Shandu

Locations:

Items:


Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Ghost of Lois Lane"

This story is reprinted from Superman #129.

At the Daily Planet a salesman manages to sell Jimmy Olsen a typewriter that is so sensitive that it can type up words with only a breath from the writers mouth. Lois is asked by Perry to bring a briefcase belonging to Professor Grail on Warder's Island and try to get a scoop on his latest experiment. Lois goes, but forgets the briefcase, Professor Grail delightfully allows her to view his latest experiment unattended, as he intends to take a boat back to the mainland anyway. Before leaving he shows her his latest invention, a device that may transmit people through space via radio. Back on the mainland, Superman arrives at the Daily Planet and is asked by Perry to bring the briefcase to the island.

When Superman arrives he uses his x-ray vision to look into the building accidentally activating the device and causing a huge explosion. Believing that Lois Lane was killed, and blaming himself, Superman believes he is haunted by Lois's ghost as it appears wherever he goes. Returning to the Daily Planet and changing into Clark Kent, Superman is still being followed by Lois's supposed ghost. Just then, Jimmy's typewriter springs to life, Lois is able to manipulate the hyper-sensitive tool and informs everyone that she is trapped in the 4th Dimension and asks for Superman's help in rescuing her.

Clark changes back into Superman and returns to Professor Grail's lab where he repairs the device and uses it to bring Lois back to Earth. They deduce together that Superman was the only one who could see her because whenever he used his x-ray vision it made her visible to him.

Appearing in "The Ghost of Lois Lane"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:


Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Jimmy's new typewriter
  • Professor Grail's lab equipment

Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Black Magic of Supergirl!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #324.

While patrolling in India, Supergirl sees a fakir die when he is struck by a cobra. With his dying breath, Abdul, the fakir, bequeaths to Supergirl a small casket containing the Satan Ring, and a scroll. The last part of the scroll is torn off, revealing that the ring will grant wishes, but the third wish will turn the wisher into a demon--with horns such as she finds on Abdul.

Supergirl, in the days to come, uses the Satan Ring's magical powers to save Superman from Kryptonite (a pair of skeletal hands hurl it into the sea), to save an innocent man from the electric chair (a skeletal hand pulls down the knife switch while a ghostly figure sits in the chair, short-circuiting it), and, though she fears the third wish, to save her father's life during an operation (the skeletal hands guide the surgeon). As a result, Supergirl gains horns on her head, and, despite her resistance, does evil. At one point, she makes a witch's brew that produces ghostly hands to blind Superman.

However, she visits India again, and sees that Abdul is alive, after having been cleansed by fire intended to cremate him. Supergirl recovers the last of the scroll, which says the curse can be lifted by fire. Not even the heat of the sun works on her, but Supergirl comes across the Fire Falls of Krypton, hurled intact into space. She bathes herself in its Kryptonite-tinged flames, and is cured.

Appearing in "The Black Magic of Supergirl!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:


Other Characters:

  • Abdul (Single appearance; dies)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Ghost That Haunted Clark Kent"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #406.

In the Tower of London, Superman learns of Dr. Troy Magnus, a 300-year-old man who cannot die.

Appearing in "The Ghost That Haunted Clark Kent"

Featured Characters:

Other Characters:

  • Troy Magnus (Single appearance)

Locations:



See Also

  • Cover gallery for the Best of DC series

Recommended Reading

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