Action Comics #473 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1977.
Synopsis for "The Great Phantom Peril!"
On the Daily Planet, Morgan Edge, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane and Steve Lombard are examining the video of the fight between Superman and Faora Hu-Ul. Lombard asks how Superman lost, but due to being a Klurkor adept,[1] Lois recognizes Faora uses some other style of Kryptonian fighting art and overwhelmed Superman with precise blows and pressure points. Whatever the case may be, Superman ran off and hasn't been seen since.
At the same time, Supergirl heads into the Fortress of Solitude in search of her cousin. After checking the whole place she finds the Phantom Zone Projector with a note attached and addressed to her, written in Kryptonese. Her cousin narrates the circumstances which led him to exile himself into the Phantom Zone. Kal-El likewise asks her to not contact him and assures she'll soon understand the why of his actions. Kara can't help but feel troubled, nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Faora wreaks havoc all over Metropolis without a care. Suddenly she hears Steve Lombard badmouthing her and decides to kill him. Before her blow connects, though, Steve and Jimmy are sent into the Zone together with everyone in Metropolis. Somehow, the people of Earth has exchanged places with the Phantom Zoners, who run rampant over Metropolis.
In the meantime, Faora has broken into the Fortress and smashed the Projector to bits to prevent Superman from finding his way back out. A Superman Robot tries to stop her but she destroys the android easily and heads out to inform her Zoner fellows she's their new leader. Supergirl has observed the scene from the Zone, and ponders her cousin was in the Zone when he switch was made. Kara wonders if it all was part of Superman's plan.
In Metropolis, the Zoners are leveling the city. They notice an inmate who was thrown into the Zone right before their release and are about to approach him when Faora returns and takes them down with several well-placed psychic bolts. However, her bolts haven't affected the unknown Zoner. The man rips his disguise off and reveals he is Superman.
The Phantom Zoners mass-attack him. Superman fights back, but he's severely outnumbered. His friends watch the fight from the Zone, fearing it's only a matter of time before Superman is defeated. Nevertheless, Batman and Green Lantern come near from them and tell them they previously saw Superman searching for and reprogramming Faora's dimensional-phaser which performed the switch. Right now Superman is stalling for time and trying to stay alive until the device switches everyone back.
After a long battle, the Zoners have managed to seize him. Before killing him, Faora demands to know how he knew about her plan, and Superman answers the Zone must have increased her telepaty without her realizing it because she was broadcasting her thoughts during their first battle. Faora is about to kill him, when all Zoners plus Superman are sent back to the Phantom Zone and the Earth people returns to their own planet.
Several hours later, Supergirl has built a new Projector in the Fortress and brings her cousin back. Superman is greeted by Lois, Jimmy and Batman, and he sees Batman has brought Mr. Porter along. Jackson Porter is still deluded into believing Faora is his deceased wife, and requests to be sent into the Zone with her. After of careful deliberation, Superman, Supergirl and Batman agree the man feels so lonely it'll make him happy... and Faora deservedly miserable.
Inside the Zone, Faora swears to make Superman pay.
Appearing in "The Great Phantom Peril!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Supergirl
- Justice League (Mentioned only)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Galaxy Communications
- Kandorians
- Jackson Porter
- Jor-El (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Concepts:
Notes
End of the storyline started in Action Comics #471.