World's Finest #263 is an issue of the series World's Finest (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1980.
Synopsis for Superman & Batman: "Final Secret of the Super-Sons"
Superman, Jr. and Batman, Jr. discover that their whole existence is a lie and they are actually only computer simulations created on Superman's Super-Computer in his Fortress of Solitude. The Super-Sons find a way out of the computer system via the Fortress' disintegration pit into the real world, where radiations from their bodies cause chaos and destruction, as well as beginning to endanger the entire planet. Superman and Batman are forced to confront the young and confused computer simulations and take them back to the Fortress of Solitude. Once there, Superman and Batman convince the Super-Sons of their non-existence by pointing out that neither can give the name of their mothers; that information was not relevant to the scenarios Superman and Batman created, so it was never added. Faced with this evidence, the Super-Sons enter the disintegration pit from where they came to save Earth. Although this is the best course of action, Superman and Batman are truly sad for having to destroy their own creations.
Appearing in Superman & Batman: "Final Secret of the Super-Sons"
Featured Characters:
- Superman
- Batman (Bruce Wayne)
- Super-Sons (Final appearance)
- Superman, Jr. (Final appearance; dies)
- Batman, Jr. (Final appearance; dies)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Doctor Sivana (On a TV or computer screen)
Other Characters:
- Hagen (Single appearance)
Locations:
- North Pole
- Fortress of Solitude
- Atomic Cauldron (Disintegration Pit)
- Fortress of Solitude
- Gotham City
- Metropolis
- Metropolis Central Hospital
Items:
Synopsis for Green Arrow: "Hell's Acre Savior!"
Green Arrow takes down the third crooked generation of a family in Hell's Acre of Star City, inspiring him (in his Oliver Queen identity) to write a demand that the neighborhood be upgraded. Wealthy magnate Matthew L. Durkin astonishes all by unveiling a project to do just that. But GA later proves that Durkin has dealings with local mobsters, who dumped corpses of murder victims in a plot of land in Hell's Acre that Durkin's new project is scheduled to cover in concrete. Green Arrow exposes Durkin and the scandal and sees him sent to prison for life. But the reclamation project goes on, funded by private contributions.
Appearing in Green Arrow: "Hell's Acre Savior!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Ricky Sanchez
- Matthew L. Durkin
- Rooftop Robinson
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Star City
- Hell's Acre
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Adam Strange: "Zeta-Death"
While Kaskor makes an alliance with the Kirri to conquer Rann, Adam Strange uses the new Zeta-Beam to teleport to their hideout in order to destroy their Zeta-Flares. He succeeds, and Rann becomes the only planet with transporter technology.
Appearing in Adam Strange: "Zeta-Death"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Aquaman: "Return to New Venice!"
Aquaman returns to the city of New Venice, whose flooded streets are a counterpart of the canals of Venice, Italy. He easily defeats a gang of scuba-equipped bank robbers.
The mayor takes him on a tour of the new Aquaman Museum, which was set up by the citizens. After reminiscing about his origin, he decides it is time that he and Mera have "surface" people around them. He promises the mayor that he'll return soon, and is off to save the mayor's brother, Senator Lyndon, from another dimension.
Appearing in Aquaman: "Return to New Venice!"
Featured Characters:
- Aquaman (Flashback and main story) (from Adventure Comics #260) (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18 and Aquaman #23) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- Topo the Octopus
- Mayor Lyndon
- Tom Curry (Dies in flashback) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Atlanna (Dies in flashback) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Aqualad (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Mera (Flashback only) (from Aquaman #18 and Aquaman #23)
- Aquababy (In picture only) (from Aquaman #23) (death mentioned from Adventure Comics #452)
Antagonists:
- Three Underwater Crooks (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Dolphins
- Fish
- Citizens of New Venice (Unnamed)
- New Venice Police Department (Unnamed)
- Senator John Lyndon (Mentioned only) (from World's Finest #262)
- Aquaman Museum Curator (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Members of the Press (Unnamed) (Single appearance)
- Commander Tom Haskel (Mentioned only)
- United States Navy (Flashback only) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Atlanteans (Flashback only) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Ocean Master (Flashback only)
- Tumol (Priest) (Unnamed) (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Justice League of America (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Superman (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Batman (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Wonder Woman (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Flash (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Hawkman (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Martian Manhunter (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Green Arrow (In picture only) (from Aquaman #18)
- Black Manta (In picture only) (mentioned from Adventure Comics #452)
Locations:
- Florida
- New Venice
- New Venice Bank
- Aquaman Museum (First appearance)
- New Venice
- Atlantic Ocean (Flashback and main story)
- Sargasso Sea
- Other-Worldly Dimension (Mentioned only) (from World's Finest #262)
- Atlantis (Flashback only) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Sargasso Sea
- Maine (In picture only) (from Adventure Comics #260)
- Curry Lighthouse (In picture only) (from Adventure Comics #260)
Items:
- Acetylene Torch
- Aquaman (Statue only)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Captain Marvel, Jr.: "The Graybeard Gang"
Moondust is one of the hottest discos in New York City when the three oldest men in the city show up, led by Graybeard! The bouncer tells them to basically get lost and is promptly shot by Graybeard’s cane (which is also a gun) and the three goons order money from the disco dancers. Freddy Freeman walks by the club and sees a dead man at the door and calls CAPTAIN MARVEL to become Captain Marvel, Jr. and heads inside to find him. Junior is shocked to find he’s still alive and Graybeard admits that he was looking for an ancient Egyptian tomb from an exiled Pharaoh hidden by the Hyksos and accidentally released a “deadly poisonous gas”… that proceeded to not kill him for 20 years. Junior picks him up to challenge him, but Graybeard blasts him with his cane, which also fires soot. The three goons very slowly escape as Junior wipes his face clean on his cape and their mild speed in escaping manages to escape Junior’s notice. Freddy visits Billy at the Potter House to ask him about Graybeard, going over his origin of being in prison for 99 years as a teenager and deciding to become a master criminal in his advanced age. Billy notes the other two goons of his are Albert Trent, The “Waco Kid,” the last of the Old West outlaws (having been in prison for 60 years since the ‘20s) and Calvin “Scattergun” Haines, an elderly gangster who’s served 50 years and drove a black limousine. The boys soon notice they’re being followed by the three geriatric gangsters, figuring that if they change into superheroes in front of them, it could destroy their secret identities. Freddy hangs around his Newsstand where he’s soon abducted by Graybeard… just like he’s done in the past. Driven back to their hideout, Graybeard demands to know how Freddy Freeman is still a teenager, but he points out he was in the Suspendium Globe Incident, which Graybeard recalls having read about it… and says he wasn’t among them! Graybeard says that he thinks that the Marvel Family have faked the whole thing to hand off a special youth serum to their friends. Looking very closely though, Graybeard realizes… this isn’t Freddy Freeman… it’s Captain Marvel, Jr.! He quickly breaks free and the elderly goons try to gun him down and are knocked out lightly by Captain Marvel, Jr. He soon flies outside and then catches Graybeard, saying they likely won’t survive the sentence they’ll get now… but Graybeard says that he’ll get out and get him yet!
Appearing in Captain Marvel, Jr.: "The Graybeard Gang"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Greybeard Gang
- Graybeard (Final appearance)
- Albert "The Waco Kid" Trent
- Calvin "Scattergun" Haines
Other Characters:
- Mayor Lyndon
Locations:
- Earth-S
- New York City
- Moondust
- Freddy's Newsstand
- New York City
Items:
- Graybeard's Cane-Gun
- Scattergun's Shotgun
- The Waco Kid's "Equalizers"
- "Deadly" Poisonous Gas at a Lost Pharaoh's Tomb
Vehicles:
- Scattergun's Black Limousine
Notes
- "Final Secret of the Super-Sons" is the last story written by Dennis O'Neil in World's Finest Comics. He moved on to work on Marvel Comics as an editor.
- "Final Secret of the Super-Sons" is reprinted in Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons.
- Captain Marvel's story is reprinted in Shazam!: The World's Mightiest Mortal Vol. 3.
Trivia
- When Superman and Batman programmed Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. into the Fortress of Solitude's Super-Computer, they didn't give the Super-Sons any mothers as it wasn't important to the simulation. This would probably explain why the Super-Sons' mothers are never seen fully — and never referred to by name either — during their brief appearances in the series' run.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Compendium identifies the Super-Sons' Earth as Earth-216 with Earth-154 being a variant where the identities of Superman and Batman's wives are known: Lois Lane and Kathy Kane respectively. However, this doesn't explain why Superman Jr. fails to recognize Lois Lane in "Final Secret of the Super-Sons".
See Also