World's Finest #130 is an issue of the series World's Finest (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1962. It was published on October 25, 1962.
Synopsis for Superman and Batman: "Riddle of the Four Planets!"
While outside doing yard work Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson spot an alien star-fish creature fly through the air and land nearby. Changing into Batman and Robin, the Dynamic Duo go to investigate the creature and find that it is firmly fastened to the ground. Just then an alien ship lands and they are confronted by the alien beings piloting the ship. They explain that the creature is a Zelaphod that they accidentally unleashed on their world. They also explain that the creature grows in strength and size and gains the ability to fire explosive bursts of energy by sapping minerals deep below the surface of a planet and is seemingly indestructible. When Superman arrives, they find that it is no idle claim either as the creature proves impervious to Superman's strength and x-ray vision. The alien tells them of an old poem that itemizes ingredients to a chemical compound that can help them defeat the monster.
Telling them the title of the poem -- Sauk -- contains the first letters in the names of different planets that supposedly have the key ingredients. With this information, they alert Commissioner Gordon of the creature and fly off to the various worlds to collect the ingredients they need.
Superman travels to the planet Sinzar to find "sand from the beach of a waterless sea", and upon freeing a trapped archeologist finds exactly what the poem is talking about: a dried out beach in front of an ancient city buried underground. On Antella, Superman seeks out "moss from a barking tree", which he finds on that worlds "forbidden forest" region after destroying hallucination inducing plants and finding that the poem verse is not quite literal: He finds the moss in a tree that is defended by a small dog-like creature.
While elsewhere in the universe Batman and Robin arrive with the travelling band of aliens to the planet Unxor. There they agree to put on an acrobatics show when the alien cast comes down with space measles. After putting on the show, the aliens gladly tell them where to find "Ears that hear the music of the morning knell" which turn out to ear-shaped plants that are around giant singing boulders. When traveling to the planet Karos to collect a "tuft of hair from the mystic Krell" they have to battle a giant reptilian creature - a Krell. Although they are overpowered Superman arrives and lends them a helping hand by taking a tuft of hair from the creature. In the aftermath of the battle, Batman notes that a strange gem is shining energy on a hole in the ground shaped like the Zelaphod creature and deduces that it is the source that makes the creatures a threat to the universe.
Destroying the gem to prevent anymore Zelaphod threats in the future, Batman, Robin and Superman return to Earth with the mixture of items and use it to destroy the Zelaphod that is threatening Gotham City.
Appearing in Superman and Batman: "Riddle of the Four Planets!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Zelaphod (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Indal (Single appearance)
- Yagor (Single appearance)
- Shbao (Single appearance)
- Forpo (Single appearance)
- Thrikor (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Aquaman: "King of the Land Beasts!"
While Aquaman is directing salvage operations on a cargo of chemicals, Aqualad falls asleep and dreams that Aquaman is mutated by the chemicals into an alien-faced villain with control of all land beasts.
Appearing in Aquaman: "King of the Land Beasts!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Unnamed crooks (In dream sequence only)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Green Arrow: "The Human Sharks"
When a group of criminals known as the Shark Gang start using underwater escape vehicles to pull off their crimes, Green Arrow and Speedy develop the Arrow Sub to be able to fight them in their own element. When trying to stop them from for robbing a ship, the criminals try to "fish" the two heroes out of the water, but are stunned with electric arrows, and arrested.
Appearing in Green Arrow: "The Human Sharks"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Shark Gang
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Arrowsub
- Arrowcar
- Shark-mobiles
Notes
- "Superman and Batman: Riddle of the Four Planets!" is reprinted in World's Finest #206.
Trivia
- Superman appears to know the alien's name, Indal, after hearing the poem that lists the ingredients of the compound that will destroy the Zelaphod, but the alien's name was not revealed to this point in the story.
See Also