Superboy #78 is an issue of the series Superboy (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1960.
Appearing in "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Shar-La
- Lana Lang
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Arrow Girl (carnival performer)
- Maloana (Island girl)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister!"
Superboy is patrolling the skies of Smallville when he encounters a spaceship piloted by a woman. The spaceship is out of control and is about to crash when Superboy comes to the rescue. Superboy is critical of the pilots flying skills because she is a woman and makes a number of condescending remarks. The woman pilot introduces herself as Shar-La. She is from a planet where women are in charge. Shar-La takes offense to Superboys remarks and showers him with rays from her ring. At first Superboy doesn’t detect that there is anything wrong but then he realizes that he has been changed into a girl. Shar-La supposedly returns back to her world leaving Superboy stuck in female form. Superboy then starts having to dress like a girl. He befriends Lana Lang and changes his identity to Super Sister. Clark introduces himself as Claire Kent and starts to attend school along with Lana. Lana immediately starts to suspect that Claire and Super Sister are one and the same. Super Sister continues to perform super feats and rescues. He notices that he is developing an intuition for rescuing females. Martha Kent explains that it is a sixth sense that women have for detecting danger. Super Sister comes to the aid of a water show performer and prevents her from getting fired. He earns the sympathy of Shar-La who never left the planet. She reveals that her ring only hypnotized Superboy into believing that he was a female. Superboys female adventure was just a dream that never took place. She says goodbye to Clark who has learned his lesson to respect women and returns back to her home planet.
Appearing in "The Origin of Superboy's Costume!"
Featured Characters:
- Superboy (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Origin of Superboy's Costume!"
Superboy is demonstrating the indestructible features of his costume at a local carnival. A bystander asks Superboy about the origin of his costume but Superboy responds that he cannot answer because it would reveal his secret identity.
The question prompts Superboy to flashback to the time he landed on Earth in his rocket. He is found by the Kent’s and they adopt him. The Kent’s immediately discover his super abilities. They also discover that Clarks clothing tends to get destroyed while performing his amazing feats. They notice that Clark’s baby blankets are indestructible since they accompanied him from Krypton. Martha Kent gets the idea to unravel the material from the blankets to sew Clark a durable indestructible outfit. Clark uses his heat vision to sever the strands of yarn that Martha needs to complete her project. As Clark becomes Superboy, they sew a bigger costume for him with the familiar S that will stretch along with him as he grows older.
Appearing in "The Ghost of Jor-El!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mister Mxyzptlk (Origin)
Other Characters:
- Fuzastl (Mxyzptlk's father)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Ghost of Jor-El!"
When Mxyzptlk, a 5th dimensional teenager, is penalized by his parents for playing too many pranks with his magic, he goes illegally through a space-warp to Earth's dimension. There he sees Superboy and decides to bedevil him with pranks, including an illusion of Jor-El's ghost telling him to leave Earth. But Mxyzptlk's father, observing the incident, sends Superboy a message revealing that he can banish the sprite back to the 5th dimension for 90 days by getting him to say his name backwards. Superboy does so, and Mxyzptlk is warped back home, where he faces punishment from his father and vows vengeance on Superboy.
Notes
- "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister!" was reprinted in 80-Page Giant #1.
- "The Origin of Superboy's Super-Costume!" was reprinted in Superman Annual #8 and Superboy Spectacular #1.
- "The Ghost of Jor-El!" was reprinted in Superman Annual #8 (retitled as "Mxyzptlk's First Prank!") and in Limited Collectors' Edition #C-45 (under its original title).
- "Claire Kent, Alias Super-Sister!" is not an Imaginary Story, but Superboy's dream in the story is very similar in function to an Imaginary Story, so this story is often considered an "honorary" Imaginary Story.
Trivia
In the second story of this issue, Superboy declares that the S on his chest stands for Superboy/Superman, Saving lives, Stopping crime and rendering Super aid when needed.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Superboy Recommended Reading
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 2)
- Superboy (Volume 4)
- Superboy (Volume 5)
- Superboy (Volume 6)
- Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
- Superboy and the Ravers (Volume 1)
- Young Justice (Volume 1)
- Young Justice (Volume 3)
- Teen Titans (Volume 3)
- Teen Titans (Volume 4)
Links and References
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