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"The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!": Lex Luthor secretly built an escape vehicle and breaks out of prison. He issues a challenge to Superman -- a fair fight on equal terms under a red sun. Superman forges a spacecraft and they fly to t

Quote1 It's strange... I never had a crowd cheer me before, and I rather like it. Quote2
Lex Luthor

Superman #164 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1963.

Synopsis for "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"

Lex Luthor secretly built an escape vehicle and breaks out of prison. He issues a challenge to Superman -- a fair fight on equal terms under a red sun. Superman forges a spacecraft and they fly to the barren, yet-unnamed, planet Lexor; where the two challengers set up a boxing ring. Though he took some punishment due to his tendency to pull a punch, Superman eventually knocked-out Luthor.

After a chase through cactii and a brutal sandstorm, Superman and Luthor find the dregs of Lexorian civilization. They both learn the language, but it is Luthor that restores their water and power, drives off the Dorulgs, and sets about digging a new well. Because they were helped by Luthor, the Lexorians regard him as a hero -- and Superman as a villain.

Luthor's digging machine finds no water, and Lex seems to be feeling his first pangs of shame. He and Superman have a gadget duel in the public arena with various old Lexor weapons before Luthor throws the fight, and pleads with Superman to take him away so that he doesn't have to let down the grateful Lexorians.

Once Superman's spacecraft returns to the light of a yellow sun, Lex asks Superman to stop and launch mountains of ice back at Lexor to create reservoirs of water. Superman was happy to do so and lets Luthor take the credit, while Lex is desperate to hide his compassion and return to jail. Back in his cell, Superman brings Lex a photograph from Lexor -- of a statue erected to honor Lex Luthor.

Appearing in "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Anti-Gravity Tornado
  • Boxing Ring
  • Broadcast-Interruptor
  • Dark Force Ring Projector
  • Gravity Shoes
  • Lesson Machine
  • Radium Battery
  • Shooting Suns
  • Statue of Lex Luthor
  • Thermal Detector

Vehicles:

  • All-Terrain Escape Vehicle
  • Superman's Spacecraft


Synopsis for "The Fugitive From the Phantom Zone!"

Superman is called to stop the accidental detonation of a nuclear missile. He diverts it into space where Ras-Krom, a Phantom Zone villain, is freed by the force of the blast. Ras-Krom set out to cause a larger nuclear war to blast free the rest of the Phantom Zone criminals; but is deterred by Superman. When Ras draws a Kryptonian demon for luck, Superman not only knows that he is dealing with an escaped Phantom Zone inmate -- but he is a superstitious one.

As Ras-Krom continues to try to free his brothers from the Zone, Superman uses Kryptonian superstition against him. An artificial comet drives Ras-Krom into a magnetic cave that disables his belts' safety aura, and Jimmy Olsen sends him back in the Zone with a plastic Phantom Zone Projector.

Appearing in "The Fugitive From the Phantom Zone!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Kryptonians (Flashback only)
    • Bor-Ak (Flashback only)
    • Bor-Ak's Bride
    • Lon-Ra (Dies in flashback)
    • Winged Ones

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Jet Plane
  • Jet-Sled (Flashback only)
  • Polaris Submarine

Notes

Alexis Luthor Earth One 0001

Trivia

  • "The Showdown Between Luthor and Superman!" is a rare moment where Lex Luthor shows compassion for fellow human beings, after the people of Lexor celebrate him for helping them out of the (little) goodness of his heart. A statue is built in his honor, which Superman gifted him a picture of.


See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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