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129,053
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in: Ed Hannigan/Cover Artist, Klaus Janson/Cover Artist, Martin Pasko/Writer,
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The Best of DC Vol 1 54

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"Mxyzptlk Spelled Backward Is T-R-O-U-B-L-E!": This story is reprinted from Superman #335.

The Best of DC #54 is an issue of the series The Best of DC (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1984.

Synopsis for "Mxyzptlk Spelled Backward Is T-R-O-U-B-L-E!"

This story is reprinted from Superman #335.

Mister Mxyzptlk is scheduled to wed Miss Bgbznz, but has been exiled from his dimension until he atones for an act of mischief. He appeals to Superman for help, but is told that he will only receive it if he cures Superman of a plague that is turning him into a human lizard.

Appearing in "Mxyzptlk Spelled Backward Is T-R-O-U-B-L-E!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Skeleton Gang (Mentioned only)
  • Fifth Dimensional Imps (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
    • Fznpqwxyl (a lawyer) (Single appearance)
    • Judge Grlprzr (First appearance)
    • Miss Bgbznz (First appearance)
    • Mayor (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
    • Minster (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • Space Lizard (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
  • WGBS Employees (Unnamed)
  • Daily Planet Employees (Unnamed)

Locations:

Items:

  • Daily Planet Newspaper

Vehicles:


Synopsis for "The Sixty Deaths of Solomon Grundy!"

This story is reprinted from DC Comics Presents #8.

The Swamp Thing is travelling through the sewers of Metropolis. As he travels he thinks back to the freak accident that caused his transformation into the Swamp Thing and how he has been searching the world trying to find a cure for his condition. Two weeks prior, Swamp Thing came across an issue of the Daily Planet detailing Superman's battle with Solomon Grundy. Reading about how the creature was spawned from a swamp, the Swamp Thing would come to believe that it might lead to a clue to curing himself and began heading toward Metropolis to try and find the monster.

The Swamp Thing comes across Grundy in the sewers, and as fate would have it, it would also be at a time when Superman was looking for the creature following its attack on a train. As Superman attempts to stop Grundy, the Swamp Thing steps in and tries to stop Superman from potentially destroying Grundy before he can examine him. Although Swamp Thing's arm is ripped off in the fight, he helps Grundy knock out the Man of Steel. Solomon begins to consider the Swamp Thing a friend and agrees to follow the swamp-creature through the sewers. Superman revives shortly thereafter and wonders what could have caused the Swamp Thing to come to Grundy's aid, and decides to check with his ally Batman and with S.T.A.R. Labs to find a way to end Grundy's threat. The Swamp Thing meanwhile leads Grundy to one of his labs and convinces the creature to allow him to take a sample. As Swamp Thing begins his experiments on the compliant Grundy, he is unaware that lurking in the shadows nearby is a complete duplicate of Grundy.

Meanwhile, Superman finishes a call from Batman, learning that the only thing the Dark Knight can say about the Swamp Thing was that he was able to trust the creature. Superman then meets with Jenet Klyburn at S.T.A.R. Labs and has her examine some of the water from Superman's battle with Grundy. Superman deduces that Grundy's Slaughter Swamp Blight is still creating duplicates of the monster and he wants to find a way to destroy the creature. The two are joined by the arrival of Lois Lane who has come to get the scoop from Superman about his battle with Grundy in the sewers. The update gets cut short when Solomon Grundy is spotted outside S.T.A.R. Labs, prompting Superman to kiss Lois and fly out to face the creature. Superman battles the creature and easily beats it to death, and grimly considers the fact that if he doesn't find a solution to Grundy's replicating problem an army of Solomons could destroy all of Metropolis.

While down below in the sewers, the Swamp Thing's test comes up a failure when he learns that the creature he's been examining is not truly alive and is of no use to him. Grundy becomes increasingly agitated and when he overhears a radio report about Superman's battle with one of his duplicates, the monster becomes enraged and and charges to the surface to try and kill the Man of Steel. However, this is not the only creature, but all the Grundy duplicates rise from the sewers to kill Superman. Seeing this, Superman rushes Lois to the safety of S.T.A.R. Labs and takes the chemical that Klyburn has created to destroy the Grundy creatures. Overhearing this plan, Swamp Thing attempts to try and stop Superman, believing that the creatures qualify as a form of life and that it would be more humane to send the creatures to another planet than to destroy them. However, Superman moves at super speed and does not see the Swamp Thing. Seeing that his efforts are futile, Holland decides to leave and exits Metropolis through the sewers.

Appearing in "The Sixty Deaths of Solomon Grundy!"

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Synopsis for "Gorilla Grodd's Grandstand Play!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #424.

Gorilla Grodd escapes his prison in Gorilla City and destroys the force-field that hides the city from humans. Solovar, the gorilla chieftain decides to focus his efforts on the bigger problem of Gorilla City's exposure instead of pursuing Grodd. Later in Manhattan, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are sent to cover the breaking news of Solovar appearing before the United Nations assembly. The world's representatives are uneasy and apprehensive at the appearance of a gorilla before the UN. Solovar reports to diplomats that the Congo and the Sudan have claimed that Gorilla City is within their borders, and he request protection from the United Nations. As Solovar is speaking, Grodd materialized outside the United Nations building and begins to cause an earthquake by pounding the ground in the United Nations Plaza. Inside, the assembly evacuates. Lois rushes outside to cover the story. As soon as she walks out the door, Clark knocks over the doorjam trapping him inside. Clark uses the cover of being trapped in the building to change into Superman.

As the UN Plaza is filled with bystanders and spectators, Superman flies directly at Grodd, laying his shoulder into Grodd's chest, but Grodd is unmoved and unfazed. A fight ensues where Grodd always appears stronger than Superman. Superman is confused as to why he feels as if some force is holding him back from fighting his best. In his confusion, Grodd overpowers Superman and hurls him to the ground in front of the onlookers.

"This is how I deal with earth's greatest hero...and how I will deal with all humans who oppose Grodd's Gorilla Empire!"

As a doctor on the scene examines the lifeless body of Superman, he finds a faint and diminishing heartbeat. As Superman's body is loaded into an ambulance in front of Lois Lane, there is little hope for his survival.

Grodd demands the surrender of all humans. An enraged Solovar rushes in to stop Grodd. "You have never withstood the mind-force power of Solovar...and you will not today, Grodd!" A frightened Grodd is easily over powered and knocked unconscious by Solovar.

The UN representatives rejoice and praise the exploits of Solovar to defend world peace. Lois is distraught by their joy as she is still overwhelmed by the mortal condition of Superman. Clark arrives from the crumbled build just in time to comfort her. "Oh Clark--thank goodness at least you are alright! I...I've always felt close to you, Clark--Hold me now...There were so many times I suspected you were Superman...because I hoped it was true...but now that he's gone--Oh, Clark!" Clark, seemingly slightly embarrassed by Lois' public display of affection, reminds Lois that they've got a job to do as reporters. Lois quickly composes herself as Solovar asks to give a message to the world through her news medium. As Solovar pledges his resources to provide a proper funeral for Superman, Superman appears and knocks out Solovar.

The confused UN delegates demand an explanation for Superman's attack on the peace-minded Solovar. Superman reveals that he knew Grodd's mental powers were holding him back in the fight so he pretended to be knocked out to give him time to figure out a solution. But when Solovar stepped in and defeated Grodd with no resistance, he concluded that Grodd had taken over Solovar's body. Superman takes Grodd and Solovar, both still unconscious, back to Gorilla City to return their minds to their proper place. Once recovered, Solovar confirms Superman's theory explaining that Grodd initially overpowered Solovar while he was distracted by Gorilla City being exposed, and Grodd was still controlling Solovar even when his mind was in Grodd's body. Grodd's goal was to appear as a superhero to eventually take over the world legally.

Once the news broadcast comes to a close, Clark confronts Lois to see if she really meant all those things she said when she thought Superman was dead. Lois responds, "Look, Clark--We're friends! Just friends! There can be only one man in my life, understand?" Clark leaves the room in a silent sadness. As he closes the door and walks away he can't help himself from laughing out loud.

Appearing in "Gorilla Grodd's Grandstand Play!"

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Synopsis for "Target of the Toymen!"

This story is reprinted from Action Comics #432.

Clark Kent is shooting a commercial at the airport when a criminal similar to the Toyman shrinks and steals a 707. The new Toyman is able to escape by using exploding bubble gum animals to threaten the town below, forcing Superman to abandon the chase to protect the residents.

Within a few days, a nuclear submarine and a solar-powered train are stolen as this new Toyman intends to ransom off the stolen vehicles for $100 million. The newscast catches the attention of the original Toyman, who decides to defend his reputation.

The new Toyman's next target is the world's fastest car but his plot is foiled by the original, who threatens his younger counterpart into joining forces with him.

The two Toymen steal a satellite rocket and return to the forest where the new Toyman has been hiding what he has stolen but the young upstart turns on Schott, attempting to suffocate him with poisonous cotton candy.

Meanwhile, a shrunken Superman is revealed to have stowed away on the rocket. After returning to normal size, Superman dribbles the new Toyman into unconsciousness and frees Schott with his heat vision. It is revealed that Schott was actually working with Superman to take down the new Toyman.

Appearing in "Target of the Toymen!"

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Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Mr. Barton

Locations:

Items:

  • None

Vehicles:

  • None

Synopsis for "The Man With the Kryptonite Heart"

This story is reprinted from Superman #310.

Superman intervenes during a daytime robbery of S.T.A.R. Labs by SKULL. One of the SKULL agents is crushed by debris after a laser bolt ricochets off of Superman's body and causes a roof to collapse. After Superman departs with the captured SKULL agents, Albert Michaels, executive director of S.T.A.R. Labs, is shown to be a spy secretly working for SKULL.

Clark is surprised to learn from Steve Lombard that Lois plans to leave Metropolis to work for a Midwest paper. Steve tells Clark that he "borrowed" a minicam so he can prove himself to be capable of investigative journalist by discovering the industrial spy at S.T.A.R. Labs. Steve follows an ambulance, driven SKULL agents and transporting a strange "coffin", from S.T.A.R. to the Monroe Sports Arena. Entering, Steve is quickly stunned and captured by a robot. Morgan Edge discovers from a technician that Steve has stolen a camera and, due to the interrupted camera feed, appears to be in trouble.

At Clark's apartment, Lois complains about Clark's erratic personality changes and that their relationship exists only because she cannot have Superman, the man she really loves. When Morgan Edge calls Clark to alert him the Steve has been captured, Clark traps Lois in his bathroom, to prevent her from seeing him change to Superman -- he imagines that it will take only a few minutes to free Steve.

Arriving at the sports arena, Superman is attacked by Roger Corben, the SKULL member Superman thought had been killed in the earlier robbery. Corben reveals that he is the brother of John Corben the original Metallo and wants revenge on Superman for his brother's death. He has been transformed by SKULL into a cyborg like his brother, this time powered a Synthetic Kryptonite heart.

The story cuts away to a conversation between the SKULL High Commander and agent Helvig. Helvig reveals that with the help of Michaels they have obtained the man-made elements that were used to create the synthetic kryptonite. The accident during the S.T.A.R. robbery that crushed Corben's body was actually staged, so SKULL could perform the operation to make him into the new Metallo cyborg.

Returning to the ongoing battle, the weakened Superman destroys Metallo's flying jet-scooter, triggering a fear-induced heart-attack in Metallo that reduces the kryptonite radiation enough for Superman to capture him. However, Metallo triggers a self-destruct button and apparently dies. Superman captures the remaining SKULL agents, but leaves Steve hanging suspended from the stadium goal posts as punishment for stealing the minicam.

Lois is enraged with Clark when he returns, since she has been trapped in his bathroom for six hours. In the police morgue, Metallo rises, revealing that his self-destruction was a fake.

Appearing in "The Man With the Kryptonite Heart"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Metallo (Roger Corben) (First appearance) (Flashback and main story)
  • SKULL (Flashback and main story)
    • High Commander (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
    • Helvig (First appearance)

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Canister of Radioactive Man-Made Elements (Which makes up the components for Synthetic Kryptonite)
    • Einsteinium (Mentioned only)
    • Nobelium (Mentioned only)
    • Element (Unnamed) (Mentioned only)
  • WGBS Minicam
  • SKULL Robot
  • Synthetic Kryptonite

Vehicles:

  • Metallo's Jet-Scooter (First appearance)

Synopsis for "Happy New Year... Rest in Peace!"

This story is reprinted from Superman #333.

Bizarro No. 1 comes to Earth with the intent of fulfilling a prophecy of Lois Lane's and Lana Lang's deaths, despite opposition from Superman.

Appearing in "Happy New Year... Rest in Peace!"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Future-Scope Teletype (Fyoorchur Skope)
  • Duplicator Ray (Flashback only)
  • Imitator Ray (Flashback only)

Vehicles:

  • Galaxy-One (A non-commercial Super-Sonic Transport (SST) GBS airplane) (First appearance)

Concepts:



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