Absolutely! Space travel of any kind-- manned or unmanned-- is patently-- blatantly-- scientifically-- impossible! Superman has been hoaxing the world with fradulent space-feats and his claim to an alien origin for years! There are no other habitable planets! 
- — Gustav J. Arno
Action Comics #509 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1980.
Synopsis for "The Great Space-Travel Hoax!"
Superman tangles with an energy-being created from the subconscious of five aliens masquerading as Earth people.
Appearing in "The Great Space-Travel Hoax!"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
- Perry White (Cameo)
- Jimmy Olsen (Cameo)
- Lana Lang
- Lewis Lang (Mentioned only)
- Morgan Edge (Mentioned only)
- Josh Coyle (Cameo)
Antagonists:
- Psychic Enforcer (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story) (Destroyed) (Origin)
Other Characters:
- NASA
- General (Unnamed) (Behind the scenes)
- Rao (Mentioned only)
- WGBS Employees
- Cameraman (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Producer (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Two Cameramen (in the WGBS Studios) (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Aliens (Unnamed) (Behind the scenes) (Dies in flashback)
- Society of Space Skeptics (Skepticons) (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance) (Origin)
- Gustav J. Arno (Single appearance)
- Emery (Single appearance)
- Man (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Two Women (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Society of Space Skeptics (Skepticons) (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance) (Origin)
- United States Government (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- 1930 (Mentioned only)
- 1957 (Mentioned only)
- Space
- Solar System (Mentioned only)
- The Sun (Mentioned only)
- Mars
- The Moon (Mentioned only)
- Earth
- Texas
- Houston
- Ground Control Center (near Houston)
- Houston
- Metropolis
- Galaxy Communications Building
- Daily Planet Offices
- WGBS Studios
- Galaxy Communications Building
- Brambleville (200 miles southwest of Metropolis)
- Society of Space Skeptics (Flashback and main story)
- Africa (Mentioned only)
- Texas
- Solar System (Mentioned only)
Items:
- Omega V Rocket (Destroyed)
- Nose Cone (brought to Mars by Superman)
- Daily Planet Newspaper
- Sputnik Space Satellite (Mentioned only)
- Apollo Moon Mission (Mentioned only)
- Skylab Probes (Mentioned only)
- Mariner Probes (Mentioned only)
- Pioneer Probes (Mentioned only)
- Fake:
- Moon Walks (Mentioned only)
- Planetary Photographs (Mentioned only)
- Bio-Transmuters (changed the aliens to look like humans) (Flashback only)
- Cerebro-Diffuser (erased the memory of the aliens) (Flashback only)
Vehicles:
- WGBS Newsvan
- Xeta Cruiser (Destroyed) in (Flashback only)
- Five Proto-Shields (capsules) in (Flashback only)
- Five Proto-Shields (capsules) in (Flashback only)
Synopsis for "The Computers That Saved Metropolis!"
This story is reprinted from Superman in The Computers That Saved Metropolis.
Major Disaster uses synthesized Green Kryptonite Crystals to fog Superman's super brain, and launches three attacks on Metropolis. Luckily, with the aid of a microphone attached to his costume, schoolkids Shanna and Alec, pupils of Superman's old friend schoolteacher Ms. Wilson, are able to use their new TRS-80 computers to provide the Man of Steel with the super fast calculations he needs to be able to use his powers to thwart Major Disaster's disasters.
Appearing in "The Computers That Saved Metropolis!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lana Lang
- TRS-80 Computer Whiz Kids (First appearance)
- Shanna (First appearance)
- Alec (First appearance)
- Margaret Wilson (First appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Sixth Grade Students
- Timothy Yarrow
- Jason
- Karen
- William
- Metropolis Police Department
- Citizens of Metropolis
- Mom (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Cindy (Single appearance)
- Dad (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Mom (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Tommy (Single appearance)
- Stacey (Single appearance)
- Boyfriend (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- NASA
- Astronauts (Flashback only)
- Computer Operators (Cameo) (Flashback only)
- John Bardeen (Cameo) (Flashback only)
- William Shockley (Cameo) (Flashback only)
- Walter Brattain (Cameo) (Flashback only)
- Computer Factory Workers (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- WGBS Employees
- Cameraman (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Producer (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
Locations:
- 1945 (Mentioned only)
- 1948 (Mentioned only)
- Space
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- Mars (Mentioned only)
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- The Moon (Flashback only)
- Earth
- Metropolis
- School (Unnamed) (outskirts of Metropolis)
- Sixth Grade Classroom
- Roof
- Major Disaster's Hideout
- 344 Clinton Street
- Clark Kent's Apartment
- Airport (Unnamed)
- Metropolis Resevoir (Destroyed)
- Metropolis Police Headquarters
- School (Unnamed) (outskirts of Metropolis)
- Nuclear Reactor (Unnamed) (north of Metropolis)
- Metropolis
Items:
- ENIAC (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
- Apollo Program
- Viking Program
- Voyager Program
- Radio Tubes
- Transistors
- TRS-80 Microcomputers
- BASIC
- Tornado
- Green Kryptonite (as Kryptonite crystals)
- Thunderstorm
- Flood
- Radioactive Gases
Vehicles:
- Challenger Lunar Module
- Sports Car
- Jetliner
Notes
- "The Computers That Saved Metropolis!" was produced for a RadioShack giveaway comic. It was also published in House of Mystery #282, Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 2) #265 and Superboy (Volume 2) #7.
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)