Wednesday, September 26, 2007

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #79

Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #79 (On Sale: September 26, 1967) features Neal Adams' first super-hero cover. Soon Neal would be doing most of the Superman family covers. I always thought Neal drew a beautiful Lois Lane.

Inside we have "The Bride of Titanman" by Richard Hughes and Kurt Schaffenberger, When a member of the Anti-Superman Syndicate uses an experimental weapon on Superman, the blast is deflected off his body and strikes Lois. The ray transports Lois to a parallel dimension inhabited by girls resembling Twiggy. Lois is arrested by the midget police force and put in a jail cell (Is Richard Hughes a pseudonym for David Lynch?). She is rescued by Titanman, a hero visiting from another planet.

Titanman falls for Lois and despite her feelings for Superman, she agrees to marry him. At the wedding she learns that Titanman already has seven wives and polygamy is legal. Lois wants to back out, but Titanman's mental powers sap her will to resist. Superman then arrives, but instead of helping Lois, he encourages the marriage.

The backup story is "Checkmate for Lois" by E. Nelson Bridwell and Kurt Schaffenberger. Lois investigates a mysterious millionaire who has converted an aircraft carrier into a castle. Lois fails to get an interview, but Lana Lang succeeds. Then several people who share similarities with chess pieces disappear. Lois tracks them and Lana back to the aircraft carrier where she unmasks the millionaire as Professor Lang, Lana's father.

Lois is then taken prisoner, because Lana, her father, and the others have been taken over by a ancient sorceress, two kings, and their followers whose spirits had been trapped inside magical chess pieces. The sorceress Lediv, inhabiting Lana, then lures Superman to the castle and arranges for his mind to be taken over.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

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