Action Comics #393 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1970.
Synopsis for Superman: "Superman Meets Super-Houdini!"
Escape artist Hairbreadth Holahan displays his skills above the sky of Metropolis. His act is witnessed by Superman who stands ready to save Holahan in case his trick goes wrong. In the meantime underworld thugs figure out that Holahan is actually an ex-con named Mace Larkin. They blackmail him into helping them break out mob boss Stoney Croy out of prison. In reality, Superman and Holahan have switched places with the help of masks and costume changes. Under the guise of Holahan, Superman breaks Croy out of prison and Croy leads Superman back to his secret lair where a collection of wanted thugs have gathered to use a former prison location as their base of operations. Superman rounds up the thieves and Hairbreadth Holahan receives a pardon for helping Superman round up the crooks.
Appearing in Superman: "Superman Meets Super-Houdini!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Hairbreadth Holahan (Mace Larkin)
- Dan Holahan
Antagonists:
- Petty criminals
- Riff
- Cass
- Stoney Croy
- Mick Leroy
- Hack Wheeler
- Crip Brand
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Metropolis Airport
- Metropolis Museum
- Metropolis Penitentiary
- Old State Pen
Items:
- Star of Asia (diamond)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Superboy: "The Day Superboy Became Superman!"
A gang of boys known as the Raiders take over a swimming pool at Metropolis U. The students complain and Superboy rounds them up and takes them back to their poverty stricken neighborhood. A student activist named Marla Harvey lectures Superboy that the gang only wanted to have fun but Superboy argues that he was trying to prevent violence from breaking out. The gang then steals food from the University cafeteria and attempts to feed some underprivileged inhabitants but Superboy retrieves the food and lectures the gang on how stealing is wrong.
Marla Harvey announces that she is leaving Metropolis U to service the underprivileged in the neighborhood. She mentions that she will be using an abandoned building as a learning academy to educate the poor. She also lectures Superboy on the issues facing people in his own backyard and urges him to become Superman instead of Superboy. The next day Superboy arrives in the neighborhood only to find that Marlas learning academy has been bulldozed with her trapped inside. As she lay dying, Marla urges Superboy to take care of the poor in the neighborhood. Superboy starts construction on a new academy but he urges the people to help themselves by getting involved in voting and making changes on their own. As the new academy is opened, Superman dedicates it to Marla Harvey instead of dedicating it to himself.
Appearing in Superboy: "The Day Superboy Became Superman!"
Featured Characters:
- Superboy (Flashback only)
Supporting Characters:
- Marla Harley (Dies in flashback)
Antagonists:
- Raiders (gang)
Other Characters:
- Metropolis University students
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Metropolis University
- Marla Harvey School
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
In the end of the second story, Superboy is renamed Superman.
Trivia
- The Headquarters of the mob is in the old state pen which was abandoned years ago.
See Also