Action Comics Vol 1 524

"Superman: "If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"": The Superman clone created by Lex Luthor escapes from the Fortress of Solitude and tries to take the place of the original Superman.

Superman: "If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"
Cover
Action Comics Vol 1 #524
October, 1981
Executive Editor	Joe Orlando
Cover Artists	Ross Andru Dick Giordano
Superman: "If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"
Writers	Martin Pasko
Pencilers	Curt Swan
Inkers	Frank Chiaramonte
Colorists	Gene D'Angelo
Letterers	Todd Klein
Editors	Julius Schwartz E. Nelson Bridwell
The Atom: "Catastrophe by Calculation!"
Writers	Bob Rozakis
Pencilers	Alex Saviuk
Inkers	Vince Colletta
Colorists	Tom Ziuko
Letterers	Todd Klein
Editors	Julius Schwartz
Previous Issue	Action Comics # 523
Next Issue	Action Comics # 525

You mean your apartment, Superman? Oh, you needn't bother trying to cover up-- I know everything there is to know about you!

— Superman Clone

Action Comics #524 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1981.

Synopsis for Superman: "If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"

The Superman clone created by Lex Luthor escapes from the Fortress of Solitude and tries to take the place of the original Superman.

Appearing in Superman: "If I Can't Be Clark Kent... Nobody Can!"

Featured Characters:

• Superman (Flashback and main story) (from Action Comics #500)

Supporting Characters:

• Superman Robot (In ruins)
• Perry White
• Dan Reed (Mentioned only) (Dies)
• Lois Lane
• Kent Family
  • Jonathan Kent (Mentioned only)
  • Martha Kent (Mentioned only)

Antagonists:

• Alien Creature (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
• Superman Clone (Flashback and main story) (from Action Comics #500) (Final appearance) (First appearance as Dan Reed) (Origin)

Other Characters:

• NASA (Mentioned only)
• J. Robert Arngrim (Mentioned only) (Dies)
• Lex Luthor (Flashback only) (from Action Comics #500)
• Batman (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
• Citizens of Metropolis (Unnamed)
• Ronald Reagan (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
• Central Intelligence Agency (Mentioned only)
• Four Doctors (Unnamed) (Cameo) (Flashback only)

Locations:

• Space
  • Asteroid
  • Krypton (Mentioned only)
  • Justice League Satellite (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen)
  • Earth
    • North Pole
      • Fortress of Solitude
    • Metropolis
      • Galaxy Communications Building
        • Clark Kent's Office
        • Perry White's Office
        • Morgue Room
      • Metropolis World Fair
        • Superman Pavilion
          • Luthor's Underground Lair (Flashback only) (from Action Comics #500)
      • 344 Clinton Street
        • Clark Kent's Apartment
      • Metropolis International Airport (Unnamed)
      • Simpson's Jewelers
      • Mountainside Cave (overlooking Metropolis) (Unnamed)
        • Superman Clone's Hideout
      • Superman Museum
        • New Pavilion (In ruins)
    • Rocky Mountains (Mentioned only)
    • Smallville (Mentioned only)
    • Washington, D.C. (Flashback only)
      • Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
• Phantom Zone (Mentioned only)

Items:

• NASA's Space Probe
• Artificial Red Sun Lamp (Flashback only) (from Action Comics #500)
• Lex Luthor (Statue only) (Flashback only) (On a TV or computer screen) (from Action Comics #500)
• Suspended Animation Cabinet (Flashback only) (Destroyed)
• Krytonite Display Case (Flashback only) (from Action Comics #500) (Destroyed)
  • Green Kryptonite
  • Red Kryptonite
  • White Kryptonite
  • Gold Kryptonite
  • Jewel Kryptonite
  • Blue Kryptonite
• Green Kryptonite Beam

Vehicles:

• Lockheed L-1011 Jetliner (Destroyed)
  

Synopsis for The Atom: "Catastrophe by Calculation!"

The Calculator escapes from the Atom during his trial, so the Tiny Titan enlists the aid of Air Wave to recapture him.

Appearing in The Atom: "Catastrophe by Calculation!"

Featured Characters:

• Air Wave
• The Atom

Supporting Characters:

• Professor Alpheus Hyatt (Flashback and main story) (from Action Comics #522)
• Jean Loring

Antagonists:

• The Calculator (Flashback and main story) (from Action Comics #522) (Final appearance) (on Earth-One)

Other Characters:

• Judge Bradley Golding (Single appearance)
• Courtroom Occupants (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
• Don Rickles (Mentioned only)
• Green Lantern (Mentioned only)
• Green Arrow (Mentioned only)
• Black Canary (Mentioned only)
• Larry Holmes (Mentioned only)
• Janice Jordan (Mentioned only)

Locations:

• 1981
• Space
  • Earth
    • Ivy Town
    • County Court
    • Texas
      • Dallas
  • June 17th (Flashback only)
    • Ivy Town
      • Hyatt's Residence (Flashback only) (from Action Comics #522)

Items:

• Justice League Teleporter (Behind the scenes)
• Hurricane Harness (Final appearance)
• Time Pool

Notes

• First .60 cent issue.
• The Superman story continues from the events in Action Comics #500.
• Last Earth-One appearance of the Calculator his next appearance is on the New Earth in Blue Beetle (Volume 6) #8.
• Letter to the editor from Todd McFarlane.

Trivia

• Entrepreneur J. Robert Arngrim, WGBS news anchor Dan Reed and unnamed others were killed in a plane crash over the Rocky Mountains. With the approval of the President, Superman took the Superman Clone to Washington D.C. to have surgery which gave the Superman Clone's the deceased Dan Reed's looks and altered his larynx to sound like Dan. The Superman Clone ceased to exist and took over the identity of Dan Reed.
• The Fortess of Solitude's door is shown to have the keyhole going clear through, like a true Warded lock.

See Also

• Cover gallery for the Action Comics series
• Images from Action Comics Vol 1 524