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"Superboy: "The Man Who Hunted Superboy"": This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #303.

Four-Star Spectacular #5 is an issue of the series Four-Star Spectacular (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1976. It was published on August 2, 1976.

Synopsis for Superboy: "The Man Who Hunted Superboy"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #303.

Clark falls out of an airplane and lands in the country of Sardonia where he is mistaken for Prince Mark. Mark's fiancee, Zorina, breaks up with him because he is a weakling. Superboy spots the real Prince Mark, saves his life and uses his super senses to discover that Lord Hawke is trying to kill Prince Mark in order to ascend to the throne. After the two switch identities, Superboy (as Prince Mark) survives multiple attempts on his life (winning Zorina's heart in the process) accrediting some of his "rescues" to Superboy. Prince Mark, meanwhile, is secretly learning various fighting disciplines. Lord Hawke begins to suspect Mark and Superboy switched places and he devises a Kryptonite trap to kill Superboy. He throws Superboy and the kryptonite into a pit. Mark attempts a rescue, but is captured and thrown in the same pit, after refusing to abdicate the throne. Mark manages to get the kryptonite out of the pit, and he and Superboy switch clothing again. Prince Mark prevents Lord Hawke's coronation. Lord Hawke escapes and tries to loot the castle but Superboy stops him. Clark returns to Smallville telling everyone he was saved by Superboy.

Appearing in Superboy: "The Man Who Hunted Superboy"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Lord Hawke (Single appearance)
  • Durand (Single appearance)
  • Grimm (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Prince Mark
  • Princess Zorina (Single appearance)

Locations:

Items:


Synopsis for Vigilante: "The Unlucky Horseshoe"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #194.

Three men break into the Wild West Museum and steal a horseshoe once belonging to Jesse James. There's a rumor that inside the horseshoe is a capsule containing a map to his hidden treasure. There's also a rumor that the horseshoe is unlucky. As they exit the museum they are spotted by Vigilante and Stuff who pursue them. The man holding the horseshoe trips and falls onto the tracks of an approaching elevated train and is killed. The two men grab the horseshoe and board the train while Vigilante and Stuff ride the roof to the next stop. Vigilante tells Stuff the legend of the horseshoe. At the next stop, the men sneak into line at a factory, losing the heroes, until the horseshoe activates a metal detector. The guards and heroes follow. The man with the horseshoe is captured but tosses it to his colleague. Believing the horseshoe is the cause of all the bad luck, the man tries to pitch it into the water by the dock but Vigilante snares it with his lasso. The man flees but is knocked out when the Vigilante throws the horseshoe at him. Back at the museum it is discovered that the capsule actually contains arsenic - it was a suicide pill.

Appearing in Vigilante: "The Unlucky Horseshoe"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Horseshoe thieves
    • Jerry
    • Joe

Other Characters:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for Green Arrow: "The Rainbow Archer"

This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #246.

Albrecht Raines an artist by day was also a leader of an underworld criminal gang, that was printing counterfeit money. Green Arrow and his sidekick, Speedy, investigating the trail of phony money and quickly identify Raines' counterfeit bills by their inaccurate coloring. They capture Raines and his men and take them to prison.

In route to the police station, Raines escapes and declares his vengeance against Green Arrow and Speedy. He dons a costume and begins calling himself the Rainbow Archer. On his first operation, He loots the purser's office of an ocean liner and uses slinging arrows of various colors to escape. His second operation he attempts to loots an armored car, using an amber arrow. Due to his hatred of Green Arrow however, he refuses to use arrows that are colored green. Police officers arrive on the scene and the Rainbow Archer attempts to distract them. Green Arrow shows up and stops him once again. He returns Raines to prison ending his career as the Rainbow Archer once and for all.

Appearing in Green Arrow: "The Rainbow Archer"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Rainbow Archer (First appearance)
    • his henchmen:
      • Iggy (Cameo) (Single appearance)
      • Joe (Cameo) (Single appearance)
      • Three Men (Unnamed) (Cameo) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

Locations:

  • California
    • Star City
      • Raines' Studio
      • Counterfeiting Location (Unnamed)
      • Police Headquarters (Mentioned only)
      • Docks
      • Queen's Residence

Items:

  • Counterfeit Press
  • Counterfeit Money
  • Trick Arrows
    • Gun Barrel Plugging Arrows (Unnamed)
    • Lariat Arrows
    • Flaming Green Arrow Signal (in the sky)
    • Nine Flaming Green Arrows
  • Rainbow Archer's Arrows
    • Red Flare
    • Vari-Colored Flares
    • Amber Arrow (Detour sign)

Vehicles:

  • Two Star City Police Boats
  • Ocean Liner
  • Arrowplane
  • Armored Car

Synopsis for Wonder Woman: "Demon of the Depths"

This story is reprinted from Wonder Woman #7.

In present day 1943, the harvest celebrations are disrupted by Paula's daughter Gerta, whose sharp temper runs amok despite her Amazon lessons. After calming Gerta's tantrum, a concerned Wonder Woman asks to see Gerta's future on the Magic Sphere. Queen Hippolyta obliges, displaying a grim future where Gerta has become a ruthless criminal who ultimately dies at a mistreated subordinate's hands.

Horrified at the vision, Wonder Woman swears to teach Gerta the value of love and submission. Her chance comes at the Harvest of the Children, a series of athletic games where Amazon children compete with one another; when Gerta finds herself evenly matched with another child, she refuses to share the first prize, and attempts a forbidden dive into a grotto inhabited by a vicious octopus.

Wonder Woman unhesitatingly follows Gerta and holds the octopus at bay, but Gerta is too proud to swim to safety. Only when Paula calls does Gerta finally obey, subsuming her pride for her mother's love. Once Gerta is safe, Wonder Woman makes short work of the octopus, then she joins the Von Gunthers on the shore, and cautions Paula to maintain lessons in loving submission.

As the harvest festival ends, Wonder Woman and her mother re-activate the Magic Sphere, and are heartened to see a new, happier future for Gerta.

Appearing in Wonder Woman: "Demon of the Depths"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Madame Aterg (Possible future) (Dies)

Other Characters:

  • Don Alvardo (Possible future)
  • Rena (Possible future)

Animals:

  • Octopus

Locations:

Items:



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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