As publisher of The Planet and President of the Galaxy Broadcasting System... it's my duty to keep the public informed about this crisis! But as a secret agent for the villainous Darkseid, my instructions are to utilize all the media at my command... to ruin Superman's reputation! When I finish tearing down his heroic image, he'll make Benedict Arnold look like a saint! 
Action Comics #408 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1972.
Synopsis for Superman: "The Hero Superman Doomed To Die!"
Superman is summoned to the Houston Space Center where he is informed that an astronaut on the ARGO 1 is stranded in space. Col Carter only has 8 hours of oxygen left and Superman is asked to fly out to rescue him. Superman confidently flies out into space but he is repelled by some unseen force when he comes close to the spaceship. He returns back to earth and announces that he cannot save the astronaut. The world is shocked in disbelief that their hero Superman cannot rescue the Col Carter. Superman offers no explanation and continues on his daily routine as Superman. Public resentment grows against him as he continues to perform routine rescues. Morgan Edge launches a public smear campaign making it seem as if Superman has the ability to rescue the astronaut but chooses not to. Superman attempts to rescue Carter once more but the same thing happens. An overpowering mental block compels him to turn back. Superman then gets the idea to use a conventional spaceship to rescue Carter. He contacts the Houston Space Center and they provide him with a space vehicle to use in his rescue operation. Superman is launched into space and reaches the ARGO 1. He notices that the ARGO is trapped inside a weird space vortex. He uses his super vision to look inside the spacecraft and sees that Col Carter has been transformed into the shape of a futuristic human being. The weird vortex has transformed the astronaut into a bizarre futuristic human shape with incredible mental capabilities. The being reveals that he willingly stayed in the vortex to further his transformation. He produced the mental block inside Superman's head to prevent him from interfering with his spaceship. The being announces that he will clear Superman's good name by appearing as an apparition in the sky and explaining that it was he who prevented Superman from performing his rescue. Carter then tells Superman that he has been in the vortex long enough and asks him to remove him. Superman then attempts to rescue Carter but he finds that he cannot penetrate the vortex energy field. He then uses the metal from his own spaceship to fashion a pair of giant tongs. Superman uses the tongs to extract Carters spaceship from the vortex. When he opens the capsule he finds that Carter has been devolved into a primitive cave man. Superman then gets the idea to place Carter back in the capsule and dip him into the vortex once more to change his transformation back to normal. His idea works and Carter returns back to his normal form. Superman then flies Carter and his spaceship back to Earth.
Appearing in Superman: "The Hero Superman Doomed To Die!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lois Lane
- Jimmy Olsen
- Perry White
- Colonel Sean Carter (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Darkseid (Behind the scenes)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Earth's Orbit
- Houston
- Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
- Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
Synopsis for Superman: "The Shocking Secret of Super-X!"
A University Bacteriologist asks Superman to dispose of a giant strain of dangerous bacteria that he accidentally produced in his lab. He attempts to fly the bacteria into deep space but the container jar holding the bacteria shatters into pieces due to the extreme temperature change in space. To avoid contamination into the atmosphere, Superman suctions the bacteria into his body with his breath. Once he returns to Earth, Superman discovers that he has contaminated every square inch of his skin. He will return back to normal in 24 hours once his super antibodies kick in but in the meantime Superman is forced to wear an insulated sterilized suite to protect others around him while he performs his duties. He adopts a third alter ego and calls himself Super-X. In the meantime Superman conceals his compressed regular suit in a book that is somehow obtained by Lana Lang. Superman swishes by her at super speed and douses her with a sampling of amnesia germs to make her forget she ever found the uniform in Clark Kents book. Lana is then left sitting by a tree wondering how she got there.
Appearing in Superman: "The Shocking Secret of Super-X!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lana Lang
- Professor Smithers
Locations:
Synopsis for Atom: "The Atom's Phantom Double!"
This story is reprinted from The Atom #9.
While conducting an experiment in his lab, Ray Palmer is caught in an explosion which causes him to be bombarded with radiation. While unconscious this radiation creates a phantom version of Ray, who initially tries to kill the original, but decides to wait until he can be alone to investigate his current condition.
The phantom Ray gets his chance when Ray gets a phone call from the police asking him to track down a stolen scientific device. As the real Ray Palmer goes after the crooks as the Atom, the phantom Ray learns that he only has a few hours to live unless he uses a device (fashioned out of an opal ring) to switch places with the real Ray Palmer. He also learns that they are mentally linked and that any harm caused to one is felt by the other.
After the crooks are dealt with, the phantom Ray (also with his own set of Atom powers) tries to use the opal device to replace the real Ray. During their fight, Ray manages to get a hold of the device and toss it into a roaring fire place. With his phantom unable to get the ring without horribly burning himself, the Atom turns his phantom's size changing device on full blast and wrecks it, shrinking his double into nothingness.
Appearing in Atom: "The Atom's Phantom Double!"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Phantom Ray Palmer
- Crooks
Locations: