Superman Family #175 is an issue of the series Superman Family (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 1976.
Synopsis for Lois Lane: "Fadeout for Lois"
While Lois Lane is burdened by Morgan Edge's niece, who tags along with her, Superman faces the threat of the X-Ray Man, an intangible villain bent on destroying Washington, D.C.
Appearing in Lois Lane: "Fadeout for Lois"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Superman
- Morgan Edge
- Stephanie Edge (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Dr. Fredrik Schlaus, the X-Ray Man (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Fred (helicopter pilot for the Daily Planet)
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Synopsis for Supergirl: "Supergirl's Big Brother"
This story is reprinted from Action Comics #303.
Linda Danvers/Kara Zor-El is doing a bit of housekeeping when a stranger man appears on her house's doorstep, claiming to be Fred and Edna Danvers' son Jan who was declared Killed In Action during the Korean War. Linda is wary, but his identification card and her parents' arrival, as well as a birthmark on his wrist and a locket with their portrays, check out his history. Jan claims there was a mix-up in the records and he was merely wounded and amnesic until one month ago. Edna explains they never told their adopted daughter about Jan because it was too painful. Jan is warmly welcomed, but after being left alone he congratulates himself for fooling them all.
Linda is hesitant regarding revealing her identity, but she finally has to reveal she is Supergirl. Kara doesn't like the way Jan gushes about how much he would love to have powers, and she feels even more wary when she discovers Jan knows about his deceased grandfather leaving him $50,000. Jan passes up the opportunity to get his hands on the money, though, so Kara decides to give him a chance and cooks an experimental super-power pill, warning Jan it only lasts one hour.
Not long after, Supergirl finds out her brother used his powers to steal some diamonds. As she is angrily leaving to turn the diamonds over to the police, Supergirl notices his birthmark has faded, and she decides to investigate. Kara verifies the real Jan Danvers is dead, and confronts the fake. The man admits his real name is Biff Rigger, another ex-soldier who met Jan in Korea. They were just alike so they became friends, and Jan told him about his inheritance. So when Jan died, Biff decided to steal Jan's parents' locket and pose as him. Supergirl wants to denounce him, but Biff reminds Supergirl her parents will be heartbroken, and he knows her secret identity.
Supergirl goes on a mission as she thinks of ways to get rid of him now his artificial powers have faded. However Biff was watching her while she made his super-pill, and he makes another as she is away. Biff gets to loot a sunken ship at the bottom of the sea. Supergirl tries to stop him, but there are Green Kryptonite rocks nearby and she passes out. At the beginning, Biff is willing to leave her die, but his conscience will not leave him alone, and he takes her away. As he surfaces, though, he realizes he messes up while making the pill because his invulnerability wore off too soon, and the sudden change in water pressure has damaged his heart.
Supergirl comes to and wants to save him, but it's too late. Before dying Biff apologizes, confesses he deep-down wanted to have a family for the first time, and asks her to not reveal the truth to the Danvers.
Lori Lemaris and other Atlanteans arrive and give Biff a burial beneath the sea. Kara later tells her parents Jan died in order to save her life, but she inwardly swears to never reveal the truth.
Appearing in Supergirl: "Supergirl's Big Brother"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Biff Rigger (Single appearance; dies) (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Jan Danvers (Single appearance) (Dies in flashback)
- Miss Hart (Flashback only)
- Superman (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- United States of America
- Midvale
- Midvale Orphanage (Flashback only)
- Metropolis
- Midvale
- Atlantic Ocean
- Atlantis (Mentioned only)
- Korea (Flashback and main story)
- Chu-Li Island
- Pacific Ocean
- Sea of Japan
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Synopsis for Jimmy Olsen: "The Legend of Greenbeard Olsen"
This story is reprinted from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #21.
When genealogist Peter Shaw of the Genealogist society stops by the Daily Planet, he shows Jimmy the Olsen family tree and Jimmy learns that he is the descendant of Greenbeard Olsen, a buccaneer from the 1700's. He tells Jimmy that every generation a male descendant of Greenbeard would revert to a similar personality under a full moon. Shaw, wishing to disprove this superstition, asks Jimmy to accompany him on a specially reconstructed pirate ship. Perry White, thinking it would make a great story for the Daily Planet sends Jimmy, Lois Lane and Clark Kent to cover the story. Before going, Jimmy is asked to sign a contract making him liable for any damages done should he "turn pirate."
As it turns out, Jimmy apparently does become "Greenbeard" in personality whenever he puts on his costume, and becomes more and more tyrannical. Making Clark walk the plank (although he is pulled out shortly after a quick brush with sharks) and later locked beneath the ship. With each lapse into his Greenbard persona, Jimmy would eventually return to normal with no recollection of what he had done. Locked up in the hold, Clark is able to go into action secretly as Superman and prevent "Greenbeard" from destroying passing ships with cannon balls.
Eventually, the ship crashes into an iceberg, and despite Superman's secret aid, it still sinks putting Jimmy in the hock for $25,000 for damages done to the ship. Returning to Metropolis, Jimmy soon learns that his ancestor Greenbeard was really a double agent that hunted pirates, and that he had inherited Greenbeard's gold due to the fact that he was the first direct male descendant of Greenbeard. When Shaw tries to collect it for damages when Superman enters the room with a man bearing a striking resemblance to Jimmy. Superman reveals that Shaw orchestrated the whole ordeal in order to swindle Jimmy out of his inheritance and had an impostor pose as Jimmy whenever he was "Greenbeard" and carts Shaw and his men off to prison.
Appearing in Jimmy Olsen: "The Legend of Greenbeard Olsen"
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Other Characters:
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Synopsis for Superman: "Perry White, Jr., Demon Reporter"
This story is reprinted from Superman #108.
Perry White, Jr., fresh out of college and interning at the Daily Planet, thinks that Clark Kent may be Mr. Wheels, engineer genius of crimedom, but Superman teaches him a few lessons he couldn't learn at school.
Appearing in Superman: "Perry White, Jr., Demon Reporter"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mister Wheels (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Perry White, Jr. (First appearance)
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