Action Comics #156 (1951)
written by unknown
pencils and cover by Al Plastino
Yet another Supergirl ancestor, but this time it’s a bit more significant because for once the story actually does happen in canon.
The writer is not known with certainty; it might have been Al Schwartz.
We begin with Lois Lane overhearing someone discussing a machine that can (gasp) give powers.
Lois decides to act on her own because Superman is “on a government mission”.
Said mission is hollowing a mountain with a giant drill. It’s good that this is something that Superman definitely needs for this job; if this was something he could easily do on his own, the scene would have been silly.
One of the most hilarious tropes of the Silver Age was how every time Lex Luthor was sent to jail, he would CONSTANTLY end up working at the workshop.
Apparently that goes a long way, because not only Lex gets parole but he also gets a job at an electronics shop.
Leaving aside the fact that they really need to STOP GIVING LEX ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, how is Lex even getting parole!?
Snooping inside, Lois finds a machine so complicated she assumes Lex made it.
People misinterpret the existence of Pink Kryptonite all the time, but that’s not the only in-universe thing that can influence your sexuality.
(yes I know “queer” meant something else in the 50s. That’s the joke.)
You saw the cover, right?
This is the third time in this retrospective that Lois gets Superman powers, and some trends are starting to emerge.
The most interesting one is that, every single time, Lois jumps at the occasion to play hero.
The story even gives us a good explanation for why Lex doesn’t immediately get powers.
It also has a relatively believable reason for Lois to have a secret identity.
And she wastes no time switching to said secret identity when the Daily Planet presses malfunction.
She even puts on a wig, giving us the first blonde Superwoman.
She even added gloves to the costume, which is a nice touch.
Although maybe she should have added glasses, because Superman IMMEDIATELY figures out it’s Lois.
Another staple of this kind of stories is that Superwoman doesn’t know how to properly use her powers. Compare to the evil Kryptonians of Superman #65, though, because THOSE guys mastered their powers instantly.
Another tradition is having Superman being kind of a dick the moment someone else has powers.
Lois Lane, globally renown superstar reporter, everyone.
Unable to stand on any roof without falling.
Meanwhile Luthor also figures out Superwoman’s identity, with an admittedly pretty cool invention.
Superwoman was SO preoccupied to making sure Superman wouldn’t discover her plans that she let Lex Luthor escape.
And she didn’t even fool Superman, because he did find Luthor’s place… only to get kidnapped.
So for once we’re going to have Lois rescue Superman!
Or not. That was just Luthor’s trap.
Worse news: the powers are temporary.
Superwoman falls for this completely.
On one hand, I could be forgiving considered that she hasn’t demonstrated that she has X-Ray vision: she’s only used super-strength, super-speed and flight.
On the other hand, she correctly deduces that Lex is lying and she STILL goes along.
Great job, Lois, now Lex is going to have superpowers.
Or at least he WOULD have, if the real Superman hadn’t switched places with the fake one.
In this period, Superman seems completely incapable of believing ANYONE ELSE could be able to use superpowers correctly.
I can’t be the only to suspect he just doesn’t want competition.
Considering Superman can smell things from space… somehow… does it even matter that she was wearing perfume?
Historical significance: 0/10
Yet another predecessor to Supergirl. The costume is much closer than the previous occasions, she’s even blonde AND unlike the other times this wasn’t a dream or a hoax… and it’s still never referenced.
Silver Age-ness: 9/10
This might as well have been a Silver Age story given the number of tropes at play… except I would have expected a way dumber finale.
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
Superman instantly recognizing Lois could be considered pushing the boundaries of the secret identity concept, if it wasn’t for the “women are too vain to think” angle.
Still, generally speaking the plot is fine once you modernize a few moments.
Stupid Lois Lane moment
Superman’s greatest weakness is Kryptonite.
Lois has rooftops.
What else was in Action Comics #156 ?
Tommy Tomorrow meets the Metal Men!
Just not the ones you’re thinking about.
And of course… you know the drill… Congo Bill and Vigilante.
Have you read Johnny Quick’s story in 1952’s “Adventure Comics” #181? The way Johnny treats Joanie Swift unfortunately isn’t very respectful or enlightened either.
It is easy to fail to notice, but Congo Bill already had a considerably longer staying power than the JSA itself. He debuted in 1940, not long after most founding members and actually before Green Lantern, Atom and Wonder Woman. And while the JSA ended in 1953, his feature went on to 1959 before even changing its premise.
Vigilante, too, was published continuously from 1941 up to 1954. Not too shabby by any measure.
Yes, I’ve talked about Joanie Swift when I reviewed Johnny Quick’s origin story.
And you’re right: as bad as Superman can be, Johnny probably had the worst way ever to deal with a potential female rival.
https://comicsarcheology.com/index.php/2024/08/27/more-fun-comics-71/
Also, I find this Metal Man very reminescent of the first G.I. Robot (“Joe”), which would come ten or eleven years later.
You said:
“Leaving aside the fact that they really need to STOP GIVING LEX ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, how is Lex even getting parole!?”
Well, I’m convinced that Luthor would “just” pull off a Sivana and escape anyway.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fqkvhfka4jgh71.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D9f05d52357ddba707ba2cc96778e4a664593ad65
He’s getting parole with the ‘convince the parole board of anything’ device he built from scraps in jail, obviously.
A valuable reminder that with Lex, “technology” includes orange juice cans and light bulbs, which he used to build a time machine in his cell. Or alarm clocks and shaving mirrors, which he used to… build a time machine in his cell.
Indeed.
“Another tradition is having Superman being kind of a dick the moment someone else has powers.”
In fairness, up to this point “someone else” has been Lois, and she has messed up each time. Later other people will get powers, like Jimmy Olsen, and… You know, I’m going to side with Superman on this one.