Action Comics #283 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1961.
Synopsis for Superman: "The Red Kryptonite Menace!"
Jan Dex and Zo-Gar, two criminal chameleon men from the 30th Century, travel back to the modern era in a time bubble and land on a hidden island on Metropolis Bay in order to setup equipment to attract Red and Green Kryptonite from space. Their arrival does not go unnoticed, as their time bubble is picked up by military radar, however they avoid detection by disguising themselves as a tree and a pile of rocks.
Left alone, the two aliens then construct their device to attract chunks of Red and Green Kryptonite to Earth. Once collected they begin setting up a trap for Superman. As Jan Dex collects the Green Kryptonite, Zo-Gar piles the Red Kryptonite into the shape of a humanoid statue and dresses it in a Superman costume to attract the attention of Superman. With their trap set, the two aliens then leave the island with the Green Kryptonite, hoping to get to the mainland and tricking Jimmy Olsen into luring Superman to the island.
At the Daily Planet, Perry White, Clark Kent and Lois Lane wait eagerly to try and learn the location of a meeting between President Kennedy and Premier Khruschev, but to no avail. Jimmy is told that he has a call, answering it, he is told by one of the aliens (posing as a naval officer) that there is an item of interest out on Rock Island. Jimmy asks Clark and Lois to accompany him and they row out to investigate what's to be seen there. They find, much to Clark's horror, that there is a statue made out of Red Kryptonite there waiting for them. Knowing that it will have an effect on him, Clark wishes for a thick fog, and surprisingly one does happen. Using it as an excuse to get Lois and Jimmy to leave, Clark tells them to go back to the mainland and "warn" Superman about the Red Kryptonite while he destroys the statue. Using his super-breath, Clark then blows his two friends out to sea so that they are quickly out of sight allowing for him to change into Superman.
As Superman is attempting to throw away the Red Kryptonite, he wishes Sherlock Holmes existed so that he could help Superman solve the mystery of the Red Kryptonite statue. To his surprise, the legendary detective appears out of nowhere. Superman realizes that the Red Kryptonite has given him the power of mind-over-matter. With the effect of the other two Kryptonite chunks unknown, Superman wishes for his parents to appear and to his surprise both his real parents, Jor-El and Lara, and his adopted parents Jonathan and Martha Kent materialize out of thin air. Once formalities are done, Jor-El attempts to come up with an antidote for Red Kryptonite, however the effects of the first chunk wear off before Jor-El can finish and they all dematerialize.
Returning to Metropolis, Superman does a number of super feats, unaware that the Chameleon Men are watching to see if the Red Kryptonite has any fatal effects on Superman. The effects of the second chunk kick in, causing Superman to have fire breath whenever he opens his mouth. However, as Superman and Clark Kent, the Man of Steel gets around this problem by using his Super Ventriloquism to get around the affliction.
Superman is called into Perry White's office who tells the Man of Steel that he got a call that Kennedy and Khrushchev are meeting in the Fort Dixon bunker and sends Superman to guard them. On his way out, the effects of the third chunk of Kryptonite kick in giving Superman the power of telepathy.
When Superman arrives, he is able to read "Kennedy" and "Khrushchev's" minds and learn that they are really the Chameleon Men trying to lure Superman into being exposed to their Green Kryptonite. With their plot foiled, the two aliens surrender to Superman who whisks them off to the 30th Century for punishment before they can blurt out Superman's secret identity.
Appearing in Superman: "The Red Kryptonite Menace!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Durlans
- Jan-Dex
- Zo-Gar
- "Legion of Super-Outlaws" (Mentioned only)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Supergirl: "The Six Red 'K' Perils of Supergirl!"
Kara Zor-El/Linda Danvers has recovered her Kryptonian powers and gained immunity to Kryptonite thanks to Mister Mxyzptlk's meddling and she's happier than she's been in a long while. As she does her chores, though, she can't help but think how dull they are and how easier it would be if she revealed to her parents her secret.
At afternoon, Linda goes skating with Dick Malverne. Dick asks her to go out the next day and Linda replies she would love to, but she isn't sure she can get away. When both her parents and Kal-El leave, though, she finds herself bored and streaks into space. Kara spots a swarm of six Red Kryptonite meteors and promptly smashes them to atoms. Afterwards, she decides to fly back Earth, go to the Midvale's fair and join Dick.
Supergirl changes back into Linda Danvers and goes to the fair, but all of sudden she turns into a fat woman. Linda realizes she may be immune to Green-K, but she's still affected by Red-K. Linda manages to get away unseen and turns back to normal, but she remembers there were six meteors. Worried, she wonders how she'll be affected by the five remainder pieces of Red Kryptonite.
At evening, Linda and Dick go to the movies. Sitting near from them Linda spots Rolf Von Holtz, a famous movie director, arguing with Conway Tremaine, a great horror film writer. Linda feels sorry when she overheards the latter asking the former for a last chance and being denied. All of sudden she feels she's transforming again, this time into a werewolf. Linda snucks out quickly and gets her Linda Danvers Robot pose as Dick's date. In the meantime she sees Tremaine is about to commit suicide and pulls a quick appear-scare-and-disappear act, successfully inspiring him to write another movie.
Thankfully, the Red-K effect wears off. Linda switches places with her robot and Dick takes her back home. Linda still wonders whether he's made it back home safe and decides to check in on Dick using her super-senses. Linda finds out Dick's father has contracted a rare disease and may never wake up again unless a new experimental serum works.
Linda wonders what she can do to help when she's turned into a microbe-sized girl. Glad to be able to help now, Kara flies towards the Midvale Hospital and into Mr. Malverne's room, and enters his blood stream. Supergirl fights off millions of disease bacteria in Dick's foster father's bloodstream until Mr. Malverne has stabilized, and feeling the Red-K effect starts wearing off, she goes out, letting the white blood cells do their job.
Supergirl succeeds in helping save Mr. Malverne. She's happy, but she wonders how the last three Red-K meteors will affect her.
Appearing in Supergirl: "The Six Red 'K' Perils of Supergirl!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mister Mxyzptlk
- Lesla-Lar (Mentioned only)
Other Characters:
- Superman
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Mentioned only)
- Rolf Von Holtz
- Conway Tremaine
- Mr. Malverne (First appearance)
- Mrs. Malverne (First appearance)
Locations:
- Midvale
- Arctic Circle
- Fortress of Solitude (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Linda Danvers Robot (Formerly Linda Lee Robot)
- Green Kryptonite
- Red Kryptonite
Vehicles:
Notes
- The Six Red 'K' Perils of Supergirl is the sixth part of "The Unknown Supergirl" storyline which continues in the next issue.
- The Six Red 'K' Perils of Supergirl is reprinted in Action Comics #360, The Supergirl Archives Vol. 2, Showcase Presents: Supergirl Vol. 1, Supergirl: The Silver Age Vol 1 and Supergirl: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1
Trivia
- First 12¢ issue in series.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Main article: Supergirl Recommended Reading