The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, was the largest world's fair of all time. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people attended its exhibits in two seasons. The NYWF of 1939-1940 allowed all visitors to take a look at "the world of tomorrow".
History
Earth-Two
Daily Star editor George Taylor sent Clark Kent and Lois Lane to cover the New York World's Fair. As the train was taking them to New York, Kent discovered that it was about to crash into another train. He leapt in between the two trains, and used his strength to bring them to a stop.
When they arrived at the World's Fair, he heard about an exhibit on infantile paralysis that was not going to be able to finish in time, so he sprang into action. He completed the necessary excavations, drove pilings into the swamp, and completed the exhibit.
He jumped to the top of the Trylon in order to locate Lois Lane. He caught up with her, and they ran into Nick Stone, a noted criminal. He decided to pretend to be knocked unconscious to see what would happen. Stone took Lane back to his hideout and told her his plan: to have his henchmen steal the Rhanee jewels that were being exhibited when the fireworks go off.
As Stone was about to shoot Lane, Superman showed up. He snatched the bullet out of the air just two inches from Lois' head. He then rushed back to the world's fair just as the fireworks were going off. He landed on the ground as the two crooks drove off. He chased after them, pulled them out of the car, and dragged them back to the police. And for good measure, he saved a parachuter whose chute had failed to open.
Superman was not the only "Mystery Man" to take an interest in events at the fairgrounds. Mister Evarts of the Dodds-Bessing Steel Corporation telephoned Wesley Dodds and arranged to meet him at the New York World's Fair. He instructed Dodds to bring the plans for the ray gun that he had invented. Dodds complied, but didn't understand the request, as he was already donating the ray gun itself. At the fair, Wes and Evarts met U.S. Secret Service agent George Henry. Henry insured them that he would safeguard the plans and bring them to Washington. Suspicious by nature, Wesley surreptitiously pocketed a crucial page from the blueprints.
Suddenly the lights flickered out, and when they came back on, the blueprints were missing. Evarts appeared upset, but cited that there was little that anybody could do now. Wesley sneaks away and changes into his "Mystery Man" alter ego - the Sandman.
The Sandman discovered that the man he met with earlier was not the real George Henry. He went to the steel foundry where he found the real Secret Service agent bound and gagged. Releasing him, Wes learned that the impostor he met earlier was actually an international spy named Boris Leland.
In 1942, the fairgrounds area, including the Perisphere and Trylon became the headquarters for the All-Star Squadron.
Issues
Links and References