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The Best of DC Vol 1 27

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"The Luthor Nobody Knows!": This story is reprinted from Superman #292.

The Best of DC #27 is an issue of the series The Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1982.

Synopsis for "The Luthor Nobody Knows!"

This story is reprinted from Superman #292.

Lex Luthor attempts to defeat Superman again with a muscle-decoordinating ray that causes him to wreck Metropolis Airport, but the Man of Steel triumphs again. Later, putting the airport back together again, Superman remembers Luthor's origins and that he once had a lot going for him, but now has only hate.

Appearing in "The Luthor Nobody Knows!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Lex Luthor's Battle Array
  • Green Kryptonite (Flashback only)
  • An atom bomb (Flashback only)

Vehicles:


Synopsis for "Superman's Super Hold-Up"

This story is reprinted from World's Finest #59.

Appearing in "Superman's Super Hold-Up"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Dr. Charles Morven

Locations:

Items:

  • Morven Magnet

Vehicles:



Synopsis for "The Most Dangerous Door in the World!"

This story is reprinted from Superman #213.

Superman sets up a ruse where a supposedly Supermanium safe contains his valuable final gift to mankind, that will only be opened if his heart stops beating. At the same time, Clark Kent runs a series in the Daily Planet detailing the times that Superman has beaten Lex Luthor; angering Luthor.

Luthor takes the bait and steals the safe, using Brainiac's Mole Machine and Shrink Ray. In Metropolis Park, Luthor's giant Kryptonite automatons seem to kill Superman. But the safe — supposedly keyed to Superman's heartbeat — still does not open. Using extremes of heat, cold, and vibration; Luthor finally cracks the vault — and out comes Superman! Flabbergasted by the trick, Luthor's henchmen are slapped unconscious, and Luthor himself faints in disbelief.

Legion villain Mordru had imprisoned Superman in a vault, and magically prevented him from opening it. Supergirl would be drawn inside as well if she attempted to free him. So the Man of Steel concocted an elaborate ruse which, with the help of Supergirl — and Brainiac 5 disguised as Superman — induced Lex Luthor into cracking the vault and liberating him.

They repay Luthor by sending him back to prison.

Appearing in "The Most Dangerous Door in the World!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Crane
  • Harbour Boat
  • Mole Machine

Synopsis for "The Death of Luthor!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #318.

Lex Luthor secretly made a robot duplicate and uses its noisy break-out as a cover for his real escape. Rather than return to Metropolis, Lex stows away on a rocket and blasts-off back to the red-sun world of Lexor, where he is celebrated in a parade and ultimately marries his love, Ardora.

Superman follows him there in a space-craft, as the Man of Steel is just a mortal under Lexor's red sun. In revenge for his earlier beating,[1] Superman punches out Luthor, who appears to die when he falls on his headbone. The Lexorians stone Superman and chase him into the Living Lake, but Ardora prevails upon them to rescue Superman, if only to give him a fair trial -- though few believed he deserved one. A pair of unfortunate attourneys are chosen to defend Superman, and he began to mount a defence.

From across the universe, Brainiac brings criminals to pay tribute at Luthor's funeral, and stir up anti-Superman sentiment.

Appearing in "The Death of Luthor!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Batman (Mentioned only)
  • Lexorians
    • Garn Abu
    • Lar Than
    • Vel Quennar
    • Doctor
    • Judges
    • Jungle Hunter

Locations:

  • Earth
  • Red Sun X-156-99F
    • Lexor
      • Capital City
        • Prison
        • Courtroom
    • Jungle
    • Field of the Gods

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Brainiac's Flying Saucer
  • Floating Parade Float
  • Luthor's One-Man Flier
  • Space Rocket
  • Superman's Spacecraft

Synopsis for "The Condemned Superman"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #319.

Superman was facing the Lexorian death penalty for the murder of Lex Luthor. The prosecutor, Lar-Than, presented an air-tight case and had Luthor's widow in tears on the stand. Superman's defence team, Vel Quenner and Garn Abu, could do little but call Superman to the stand; but the courtroom erupted when Superman testified that, their hero, Luthor was a desperate criminal on Earth; and that he hit Luthor in self-defence.

It was customary on Lexor to move prisoners to Death Row while on trial for capital crimes; and Superman was no exception. He watched from hus cell as convicted criminal Zin Zabo's sentence was carried out, and he was turned to stone.

Even though Superman was losing the trial, his lawyers had become convinced of his innocence and inadvertently helped him sneak out of jail.

Once freed, Superman discovered drugs in Luthor's lab that Lex had used to place himself in a death-like coma during their battle. He revived Luthor with the antidote, and was cleared of the murder charge. The Lexorians celebrated Lex's return and Superman was exiled from Lexor. Ardora was just happy to have her husband Lex back.

Appearing in "The Condemned Superman"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Lexorians
    • Doctor
    • Garn Abu
    • Lar Than
    • Judge
    • Jungle Hunter (Flashback only)
    • Jury
    • Stenographer
    • Vel Quenner
    • Zin Zabo (Dies)

Locations:

  • Earth (Mentioned only)
  • Red Sun X-156-99F
    • Lexor
      • Capital City
        • Courthouse
        • Prison
          • Maxium Security
          • The Stone Room (Execution Chamber)
        • Luthor's Monument
      • Field of the Gods (Flashback only)
      • Jungle (Flashback only)

Items:

  • Coma Drug
  • Green Kryptonite
  • Jungle Wildlife (Mentioned only) (Flashback only)
    • Madness Flower (Mentioned only) (Flashback only)
    • Truth Beast (Mentioned only) (Flashback only)
  • Shock Restorative Chemical
  • Stone Gods
  • Superman Alarms (Flashback only)

Vehicles:

  • Space Rocket (Flashback only)
  • Superman's Spacecraft (Flashback and main story)

Synopsis for "Luthor's Hammer of Hate!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #423.

After 40 straight hours of thought, Lex Luthor has an epiphany, which sets off the Mento-Graph; coincidentally while Clark Kent is watching it record the brainwaves of Metropolis. Luthor finds a means of transferring his hatred for Superman — and a loss of control and judgment — into Superman himself via an energized hammer. Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent are insane with anger at Luthor.

A News report states that Superman has murdered the maker of the Mento-Graph; but it is a ruse to lure out Luthor, who is quickly subdued. The Man of Steel is back in control because Superman transferred his anger to the Mento-Graph, which prompty burned itself out with rage.

Appearing in "Luthor's Hammer of Hate!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Anton Falenni
  • Bank Tellers
  • Doctor Morton Thames

Locations:

Items:

  • Artillery
  • Deadly Brass Knuckles
  • Luthor Mask
  • Machine Gun
  • Psyche-Sonic Hammer/Hammer of Hate
  • Superman Statue (Destroyed)

Vehicles:

  • Luthor's War Tractor (Destroyed)
  • Teleportation Chair (Destroyed)



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

  1. ↑ Superman #164
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