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"Superman: "The Super-Rivals!"": Lois Lane and Lana Lang are out seeing the Hall of Heroes in Metropolis. As usual the two women begin talking about their failed attempts to get Superman to marry

Quote1 Once, I'd have avoided adoption by using a clever super-feat...! But since I'm no longer Superman's secret super-helper, there's no reason why I shouldn't be adopted by a nice couple! I'll try to be a good daughter! Quote2
Supergirl

Action Comics #279 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1961.

Synopsis for Superman: "The Super-Rivals!"

Lois Lane and Lana Lang are out seeing the Hall of Heroes in Metropolis. As usual the two women begin talking about their failed attempts to get Superman to marry one or the other. Looking at the statues, the two women marvel about how they wouldn't have to wait around for Superman if heroes such as Hercules and Samson existed in their own time. Little do they know that Superman has been watching them with his x-ray vision and has decided to grant the women their wishes so that they can have some sort of happiness.

Traveling through the time barrier, Superman travels to ancient Greece where he happens upon Hercules in a tug of war in an arena. Because Hercules has no memory of their previous encounter, the legendary strong man is surprised when Superman arrives and snatches him out of his own time. He then travels to the era of Samson and brings him to the present as well. Using a device to teach them how to speak English. The Man of Steel tells the two strong men of the past why he has brought them to the future, and the two agree to be matched up with prospective wives.

Introducing the two men to Lois and Lana finds the women complete cowed by the strong men's super-feats and the quartet agree to marry each other, Lois agreeing to marry Hercules while Lana picks Samson. The two couples thank Superman for his match making and quickly go to the Justice of the Peace to get legally married, and the two men are quickly gainfully employed in commercials and movie deals.

However, Hercules and Samson realize that married life to Lois and Lana is not all it's cracked up to be. Hercules spends his first day as a married man moving the home he and Lois purchased to a spot that Lois finds ideal, an effort that takes all day. Meanwhile, Lana has Samson toil over the property to try and make their home as private as possible, then later go and bring home a mountain lion as a pet. Lana finds that her outlandish request is more trouble then it's worth when the mountain lion runs off with their dinner.

Hearing of Lana's attempt to get an ideal pet, she wakes Hercules to go get a pet for their home as well. Hercules goes out to the local zoo and steals an ostrich. So pleased is Lois that she feeds the bird her pictures of Superman. However, when Hercules and Lois learn on the radio that ostriches require a warm place to sleep at night, Lois forces Hercules to sleep outdoors for the night.

The next day does not prove to be any better for the two men, as they are forced to go out shopping, and Lana crashes her car. This forces the two men to take on additional employment. Samson works on a demolition crew, which causes a dangerous situation necessitating Superman to go into action to prevent harm, which gets Samson fired. Hercules fares no better when he attempts to join the Metropolis football team, and injures everyone including the team mascot. When Samson practices chewing gum with Lana for his upcoming film role, Lana's bubble accidentally bursts and gets caught in his hair. Lana then quickly cuts Samson's hair, unaware that his hair length effects his strength. Furious with Lana, Samson goes out seeking Superman.

Samson runs into Hercules, who is just as fed up with Lois Lane, and the two confront Superman and beg him to return them to the past. Superman agrees and returns the two back to their respective times. Returning to the present, Superman finds that Lois and Lana have sold their houses to settle their debts and have gone back to fighting over him once more.

Appearing in Superman: "The Super-Rivals!"

Featured Characters:

  • Superman

Supporting Characters:

  • Lois Lane
  • Lana Lang
  • Perry White

Antagonists:

  • Hercules
  • Samson

Other Characters:

Locations:

Vehicles:




Synopsis for Supergirl: "Supergirl's Secret Enemy!"

Supergirl lies in her room in the Midvale Orphanage, feeling sorry because she has lost her powers right when Superman was about to reveal her existence to the world and freeing her from operating clandestinely.

Unbeknownst to Supergirl, she had been monitored by a Kandorian scienstist called Lesla-Lar. Envious of the acclaim and praise humans were sure to give Supergirl, Lesla had grown to hate her. Before Superman went about revealing his cousin's existence to the world, Lesla used one of her machines to nullify Supergirl's powers out of despite. Lesla congratulated herself for her success, but she wasn't over with scheming against Supergirl yet.

Back on the Orphanage, Linda brushes her tears away and forces herself to forget the past and put a brave face. Shortly after Linda is finally adopted by a marriage. Her orphan friends throw a going-away party, and Linda moves with Fred and Edna Danvers, taking her pet cat Streaky with her. Her new parents are happy to have her, but Fred suspects she's hiding some past grief when she winced after being said she looks "super". Silently, Fred wonders if she'll open up to them some day.

That night, Linda is visited by her cousin Superman. Linda, who thought Kal-El had forgotten her for now, hugs him, sobbing. Faster than sound, Superman builds her a special room to hide her Supergirl costume, even though she has no powers to use. Linda tries and fails to keep smiling, and wonders if her powers will return someday. Streaky, who no longer has his piece of X-Kryptonite readily available, is as well making himself that question.

Linda falls asleep shortly after. While sleeping, Linda is shrunk and teleported to Kandor by Lesla-Lar, who uses her devices to brainwashing Linda into believing herself to be Lesla-Lar. Lesla exchanges clothes with Linda, grabs a teleport bracelet which will allow her to swap places with Linda whenever she desires, and then takes Linda's place on Earth.

While a mentally-conditioned Linda covers for the real Lesla-Lar's absence, Lesla poses as Linda on Earth. First she uses her X-Ray vision to spy on Fred Danvers working on rocket experiments. Later that night she dons Linda's Supergirl's costume and visits Lex Luthor in his cell. Lesla claims to be a supergirl from another planet who wishes being his secret emergency weapon out of admiration for him, and springs Luthor from jail, leaving a dummy in his place to cover for him.

The two criminals team up to steal an armored car before Lesla returns Luthor back to his cell to avoid detection. However, the real Linda had accidentally monitored their activities and tries to warn the people of Kandor about an evil supergirl out here. The real Lesla's super-senses pick up on Linda's actions and she uses her fail-safe to return Supergirl back to Earth and into her bed, and switch places back. Supergirl wakes up screaming, and dismisses the whole episode as a nightmare.

Meanwhile, Lesla-Lar is ready to set her plan's next phase in motion.

Appearing in Supergirl: "Supergirl's Secret Enemy!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:


Notes

Trivia

  • Lesla-Lar, Supergirl's first real villain, makes her first appearance here.
  • Although the Danvers are said to be childless, Action Comics #303 revealed they had a son who had been declared Killed In Action previously.


See Also

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Links and References

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