Wednesday, February 20, 2008

40 Years Ago Today From DC Comics -- Superboy #146

Superboy #146 (On Sale: February 20, 1968) has an "OK" cover by Neal Adams.

"The Runaway Superboy" is by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff. Clark Kent leaves home and meets up with two runaway boys on the road. He deduces that one boy is Barry Porter who has left home after his father accused him of theft. Superboy proves to Dr. Porter that Barry is not a thief, so the boy returns home.

The other boy, Ducks, is an homely orphan. When a runaway steamroller threatens to hit a blind couple, Ducks helps them get out of the way while Clark secretly uses his powers to stop the steamroller. Ducks is then adopted by the blind couple.

Clark then continues on his own. His foster parents send out an anonymous notice that Superboy has run away from home. Superboy sees the notice, but he mysteriously refuses to return home.

The back-up is "The Notorious Captain Sinbad Kent" reprinted from Superboy #79 and by Robert Bernstein and John Sikela. For a school project, the Kent family line is traced back to Captain Sinbad Kent, a pirate in the days of the Revolutionary War. The town of Smallville learns of the Kent lineage and begins to harass Jonathan at the Kent store.

Superboy travels back in time to learn the truth about his adopted ancestor. He soon discovers that the accounts are true, and Captain Sinbad is indeed a notorious pirate. Later, however, Superboy learns that Sinbad is actually working undercover for the colonists in their fight with the British. Superboy aids the captain and then returns home to his own time.

With no way to prove the reasons for his ancestors actions, Jonathan plans to leave Smallville. A document is uncovered though that exonerates Captain Sinbad and reveals his true motives. The Kent name is finally cleared.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.

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