Superman #136 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1960.
Synopsis for "The Man Who Married Lois Lane!"
Lois Lane and Clark Kent are sent on assignment to New Mexico, where Superman is expected to assist in the construction of a dam. That evening when Superman completes his appointed task, he meets with Lois. Their meeting is interrupted by X-Plam, a chameleon-like being from the year 2360, where humanity has all mutated into similar beings by a passing comet. He has come to the year 1960 because he had uncovered an ancient newspaper from the Daily Planet with a headline that states Lois Lane is intended to marry a man from the future: namely X-Plam. The vain Lois at first doesn't want to marry X-Plam, however his chameleon-like abilities make him change into a normal looking human, and he retains all his original super-powers.
Superman accepts the fact that X-Plam wants to marry Lois, and finds that he'll be a perfect husband because he's handsome and has super powers. Lois, however still mulls the idea over, thinking about all the other super-beings that have proposed to her in the past. Lois decides to go for it anyway, and the two are married, in spite of Superman's warnings that upon returning to the future, X-Plam will likely change back to his original form. Lois ignores this, marries X-Plam and the two return to the future, where not only does X-Plam turn into his former form, but Lois also is mutated into a similar being.
Realizing that Lois is miserable in the future, he decides to get more fuel for the time machine and bring her back to the present. However, the fuel proves to be highly radioactive, and X-Plam's second exposure to it proves fatal, however he does not die until he successfully gets Lois back to her own time. Back in her own time, the saddened Lois reverts back to her original form, reunited with Superman, they both wish that X-Plam had found the next day's edition of the Daily Planet, the one which reported that Lois had become a widow.
Appearing in "The Man Who Married Lois Lane!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lois Lane
- X-Plam (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Mr. Mxyzptlk (Flashback only)
- Bizarro (Flashback only)
- Power Man (Single appearance) (Flashback only)
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Synopsis for "The Secret of Kryptonite!"
All is gathered in Smallville to to celebrate Superman's Earthday - the day which Superman, as a baby, arrived on Earth from doomed Krypton. The mayor wants Professor Halley to be the guest of honor, Halley panics telling the mayor that Superman hates him more than Luthor himself and flees the scene. Later, when Superman arrives, they reenact the destruction of Krypton. This gets Superman to reflect on how he learned of his weakness to Kryptonite and how this secret was exposed to the world, and how hard he tried to keep it a secret.
Yeas previously, as Superboy, Clark became aware of his weakness to Kryptonite when Pa Kent brought a small piece of the element home one day. Sometime later, before the opening of the Smallville Planetarium, Superboy was weakened by Kryptonite that was among a collection of different minerals being wheeled by a clerk. This clerk notices it, and decides to use it for his own criminal gain, and steals all the meteor samples before Superboy could replace it with a painted lead rock. The crooks then try to see which rock effects Superboy, by trying to expose them to him one at a time. They first use Melybdenum, and Superboy feigns weakness to it, but has to blow his ruse when Lana Lang got into trouble.
Tracking the crooks to their hideout, he fills the home with smoke from a near by smokestack, and uses the confusion to replace the Kryptonite chunk with a fake. He then enters the room and fools the criminals by showing that he's "immune" to all the samples.
Later that day at the first ever Earthday, the mayor has scientist Mel Evans, a leading expert on the planet Krypton, present Superboy with a gift: A Kryptonite meteor that he had recovered, unaware that this is Superboy's Achilles heel, leading to the news getting out about Superboy's weakness. Superboy would later destroy the Krytonite by dropping it in a volcano.
Finishing his recollection, Superman spots Professor Halley, and recognizes him for who he really is: Mel Evans. When Superman reveals his true identity, the Man of Steel lets him know that he doesn't begrudge Evans for his accidentally revealing to the world that he is vulnerable to Kryptonite, and asks him to join Superman in the festivities.
Appearing in "The Secret of Kryptonite!"
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Synopsis for "The Super-Clown of Metropolis!"
Superman is called to a nearby retirement home where billionaire "Sad" Sam is getting close to his death. His entire life he has never known laughter, and wants to laugh at least once before he dies. He asks Superman for his help, and in return he will donate his entire estate to the Metropolis Orphans Fund. Superman agrees and tries his very best to make Sad Sam laugh. Each attempt fails, no matter how wacky, or elaborate his jokes are.
Giving up, Superman quickly switches back to Clark Kent to cover the story. However as he is interviewing Sad Sam, he spots a boy almost falling over a railing with his x-ray vision. Deciding that child's life is more important than his secret identity, Clark changes into Superman right in front of Sad Sam. This proves to be enough to make Sam burst out with laughter. When Superman sees with his x-ray vision that the child is saved by a passing police officer, he then decides to ham up the experience for the men -- who think that Clark Kent is trying to make them laugh by trying to pass himself off as Superman. He finishes up by running into a wall, because Clark succeeded where Superman failed, Sad Sam donates his money to the charity.
Appearing in "The Super-Clown of Metropolis!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Lois Lane
- Sad Sam
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
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Notes
- The story was adapted into The New Adventures of Superboy episode "Super Clown of Smallville".
See Also