Superman #382 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 1983.
Synopsis for "Where Trouble Goes--Euphor Follows"
Euphor has ordered Lois Lane to kill Superman. Mind-controlled and super-charged by Euphor's weird energy, Lois strikes Superboy with strong energy blasts. Superman flies away, Lois hot on his trail. Delighted, Euphor hopes Superman stays ous of Metropolis from now on.
However, Superboy isn't running away. He's afraid that Euphor's energy will burn Lois up, so he's leading Lois away from Euphor, where he can take her out quickly.
Boasting about chasing Superman out, Euphor declares before his supporters he has spent days collecting negative emotions and turning them into energy as leaving his donors in a state of bliss, which is something Superman was never able to do.
Meanwhile, Superboy has brought Lois to the Fortress of Solitude after getting her fall asleep with a nerve-pinch. As she is unconscious, Euphor's energy and influence is wearing off.
Lois comes to, and remembering their earlier fight, she apologizes for letting her resentment turn her into Euphor's attack puppet. Superboy apologizes in turn and explains he's in reality sixteen-year-old Superboy in his adult self's body, and narrates the accident which caused he and Superman to switch minds. Lois suddenly realizes "Superman" was cold and distant to her for several days since his teen self barely knows her and still has a crush on Lana Lang.
Their conversation is cut short by the ringing of Superman's crisis alarm.
Few minutes earlier, on Galaxy Communications, Morgan Edge isn't happy to hear Lana and Steve Lombard have changed the schedule abruptly in order to make a special broadcast. When Morgan angrily stomps into the Studio, though, his employees are about make another guest-spot with Euphor. Morgan Edge wants him out of the premises at once, until Euphor uses his power on him.
The special broadcast begins, and Euphor starts to tell his story. Many years ago, Euphor's ten-year-old self was visiting a fair when he happened upon an elderly mentalist who billed himself as "Mr. Hypno". Mr. Hypno sensed Euphor was endowed with a psychic power that dwarfed his, and he set out to train the kid so he could help mankind one day.
Euphor declares that day has come. He has absorbed and turned into power all kind of negative emotions, and now he asks people to let him absorb their pain and unhappiness. Euphor sucks negative emotions from nearly a million of people and declares he'll cleanse Metropolis of negative feelings and then he will proceed to cleanse the entire world.
Superboy and Lois watch the broadcast from the Fortress. Lois thinks Euphor has gone nuts, corrupted by his own power without even realizing it, and Superboy has to stop him before he turns Metropolis into a city of drones.
However, Superboy doesn't know how to stop him. He isn't experienced enough yet. His adult self would know how to stop him, but they can't switch places because it's impossible to co-exist with yourself at the same time. Lois suggests since Superman is more experienced, he's already figured that out and is waiting on his side of the temporal storm for Superboy to show up so they can duplicate the mind-switching accident.
Back on Metropolis, Euphor's powers have been boosted to such a degree he is able to transmute matter and fly.
Superboy darts out of his Fortress and streaks into the time-barrier. A quick X-Ray scan confirms his other self is waiting for him on the other side of the time storm. Once again, both Clarks fly towards each other and merge briefly before being repelled backwards. Superboy is hurtled out of the time-stream into past Smallville. His mind is back in his proper body again, but the shock of the collision has left him stunned and with no recollection of the mind-switch.
Superman goes back to his own time and sees Lois pacing back and forth in his Fortress. Superman heads in there, and after a quick kiss, is filled in by Lois.
Superman flies to Metropolis and confronts Euphor. Unfortunately, Euphor is way more powerful than before. Superman challenges Euphor to follow him, and flies off. Euphor darts after him, proclaiming Superman will surrender his negative emotions to him or annihilate himself trying to resist him.
Superman goads Euphor into following him into the time-stream and flies back to the time of Krypton's destruction. Euphor rushes into absorbing Superman's overwhelming grief but it's too much for him and gets paralyzed inside a energy cocoon. Superman quickly grabs him and pushes him out of the time-barrier. All negative energy absorbed by Euphor bursts out of his body, and people starts to turn back to normal.
Euphor falls down, depowered and unconscious, but Superman catches him. As Superman takes his adversary away, he thinks maybe Euphor meant well, but he failed to realize no person can take on everybody's troubles without paying a heavy price, and every person must learn how to deal with their inner demons.
Appearing in "Where Trouble Goes--Euphor Follows"
Featured Characters:
- Superman/Superboy (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Lana Lang (Flashback and main story)
- Lois Lane
- Morgan Edge
- Josh Coyle
- Steve Lombard
- Perry White
- Jimmy Olsen
Antagonists:
- Euphor (Flashback and main story) (Origin) (Final appearance)
Other Characters:
- WGBS Employees
- Assistant Director Freddie or Frankie (Morgan Edge doesn't know his real name) (Single appearance)
- Citizens of Metropolis (Unnamed)
- Mr. Hypno (Single appearance) (Flashback only)
- Kent Family
- Jonathan Kent (Mentioned only)
- Martha Kent (Mentioned only)
- House of El
- Jor-El (Mentioned only)
- Lara Lor-Van (Mentioned only)
- Legion of Super-Heroes (Mentioned only)
- Rao (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- 1982
- Earth
- Arctic Circle
- Metropolis
- Metropolis Park
- Galaxy Communications Building
- Studio B
- Earth
- 1969
- Smallville (Flashback and main story)
- 321 Maple Street
- Smallville (Flashback and main story)
- Midwestern Town (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
- Carnival (Unnamed) (Flashback only)
- Krypton (Mentioned only)
- Kryptonopolis (Mentioned only)
- 30th Century (Mentioned only)
Items:
- World Monitoring System
Vehicles:
Concepts:
- Time Travel (Flashback and main story)
- Mind Control
Trivia
- The catch phrase on the cover Here Comes Lois Lane-- Witch of Metropolis is nearly identical to the title of the story The Witch of Metropolis from Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #1.