...so the vile Lex Luthor thwarted Superman today with his trickery and escaped capture. No citizen is safe until that warped criminal genius is apprehended. In fact, that skin-headed wretch should be put away for a hundred years... and even then he'd be getting off easy. Luthor's a blight on the human race... a stomach-churning disgrace to all of us. 
Action Comics #423 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1973.
Synopsis for "Luthor's Hammer of Hate!"
After 40 straight hours of thought, Lex Luthor has an epiphany, which sets off the Mento-Graph; coincidentally while Clark Kent is watching it record the brainwaves of Metropolis. Luthor finds a means of transferring his hatred for Superman — and a loss of control and judgment — into Superman himself via an energized hammer. Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent are insane with anger at Luthor.
A News report states that Superman has murdered the maker of the Mento-Graph; but it is a ruse to lure out Luthor, who is quickly subdued. The Man of Steel is back in control because Superman transferred his anger to the Mento-Graph, which prompty burned itself out with rage.
Appearing in "Luthor's Hammer of Hate!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Anton Falenni
- Bank Tellers
- Doctor Morton Thames
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Galaxy Communications
- Metro Institute
- Junkyard
- Stanismov Acting School
- Military Base
Items:
- Artillery
- Deadly Brass Knuckles
- Luthor Mask
- Machine Gun
- Psyche-Sonic Hammer/Hammer of Hate
- Superman Statue (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
- Luthor's War Tractor (Destroyed)
- Teleportation Chair (Destroyed)
Synopsis for "The Deadly Dancer Contract!"
Christopher Chance poses as a man named Hyram Walsh, an accountant informing on the mob, to draw out a hitman named Dancer who killed his father. He takes out two thugs who try to collect the price on his head and leaves them both knocked out in an alleyway.
Tracking the killer down to an abandoned movie theater, he confronts Dancer and the two men fight against each other. It is an intensely physical struggle, with a single gun between them, and after a number of blows are exchanged, Chance grabs the weapon. He points the gun at his assassin and reveals his true identity. Before he can kill him, Chance watches decades of mental illness finally catch up with Dancer. The man descends into madness before his very eyes, begs and pleads for his life to be spared, having completely snapped and begun hallucinating. Christopher takes pity on the villain, and stays to comfort him until an ambulance arrives to take him away.
Appearing in "The Deadly Dancer Contract!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Hyram Walsh
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Street Punks
- Jeff
Locations:
- Boston
- Walsh's Apartment Building
- Basement
- Wilmer Theater
- Walsh's Apartment Building
Items:
- Automatic Pistol
- Knife
- Revolver
Vehicles:
- 1936-37 Cord 810/812 Convertible
- 1960 Edsel Ranger (Custom)
Notes
- "The Deadly Dancer Contract!" is reprinted in The DC Universe by Len Wein.
Trivia
- The Cord automobile that Chance drives in "The Deadly Dancer Contract!" was the basis for Bob Kane's original Batmobile design.
- Dancer's fate is later revealed, when Christopher Chance mentions to Amos Sharkey that he is a patient in the Arkham Sanitorium.[1]
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Superman Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Action Comics (Volume 2)
- Adventures of Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 1)
- Batman/Superman (Volume 2)
- Batman/Superman: World's Finest (Volume 1)
- DC Comics Presents (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 1)
- Superman (Volume 2)
- Superman (Volume 3)
- Superman (Volume 4)
- Superman (Volume 5)
- Superman (Volume 6)
- Superman/Batman (Volume 1)
- Superman Confidential (Volume 1)
- Superman: Son of Kal-El (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Steel (Volume 1)
- Superman: The Man of Tomorrow (Volume 1)
- Superman/Wonder Woman (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
- Human Target Recommended Reading