Action Comics Vol 1 252

{{DC Database:Comic Template
 * Title              = Action Comics
 * Image              = Action Comics 252.jpg
 * Volume             = 1
 * Issue              = 252
 * Month              = May
 * Year               = 1959


 * Executive Editor   = Whitney Ellsworth
 * CoverArtist1       = Curt Swan
 * CoverArtist2       = Al Plastino


 * Quotation          = While everyone's asleep, it's my chance to change to Supergirl and look over my new home town!
 * Speaker            = Supergirl


 * StoryTitle1        = The Menace of Metallo
 * StoryTitle2        = Congo Bill Dies at Dawn!
 * StoryTitle3        = The Supergirl from Krypton!


 * Synopsis1          = John Corben is an unscrupulous reporter that works in the Metropolis area. Aside from his mustache, Corben is practically the spitting image of Superman. While driving his car, Corben gets into a terrible accident and is nearly killed. His broken body is taken to the laboratory of Professor Vale who replaces Corben's failing limbs with a super-strong metallic alloy. He replaces his heart with a surrogate pump made of Uranium and covers the endoskeleton with a foam-latex sheathe resembling human skin. The operation is a success, but soon after, Professor Vale suffers from a mild stroke.

Dubbed Metallo, Corben begins his new life – a life of crime. Metallo's Uranium heart will only last for one day before it needs to be replaced, so Metallo begins breaking into various facilities to steal more Uranium. Whenever he feels his Uranium stores running low, Metallo becomes weak and dizzy.

Corben gets a job at the Daily Planet and begins courting Lois Lane. Lois is enamored with Corben due to his physical resemblance to Superman – a fact that invariably irritates Clark Kent.

Professor Vale meanwhile, discovers that Kryptonite can work just as effectively at powering Metallo as Uranium, but with the added benefit that it will no longer need to be recharged. Metallo steals a Kryptonite rock from a local exhibition hall and has Vale implant it into his chest. Metallo learns that Kryptonite can also destroy Superman. Certain that Superman will likely try to arrest him for his recent crimes, Metallo decides to use the power of his Kryptonite heart to strike the first blow against the Man of Steel.

He baits a trap for Superman, but Superman manages to avoid exposure to Kryptonite and pursues Metallo. He chases him back to Lois Lane's apartment when suddenly Metallo begins to feel weak. What neither Vale nor Metallo realize was that the Kryptonite that had been used to power his heart was actually fake. It was nothing more than an ordinary rock painted green to resemble Kryptonite. Unable to recharge himself, Metallo falls over dead from a heart attack.


 * Synopsis2          =
 * Synopsis3          = Clark Kent is working alone in his office one afternoon when he catches something out of the corner of his eye. Using his x-ray vision, he witnesses a purple colored rocket ship crash landing several miles away. Switching into his Superman costume, he flies off to investigate. When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that the rocket’s sole occupant is another Kryptonian – a young blonde-haired girl named Kara.

Kara tells Superman that her home town, Argo City was blasted free of Krypton's destruction in a bubble of compressed air. The island soared through space as free-floating planetoid. Her father was a scientist named Zor-El who created a force field bubble around the city to contain the atmosphere and also coated the ground with sheets of lead to prevent traces of Kryptonite in the ground from poisoning the populace. Years later, when Kara was a teenager, a meteor shower in space penetrated the air bubble and tore through the lead shielding. In order to save his daughter from Kryptonite poisoning, Zor-El designed a space ship to rocket her away from the city. His wife learned of the existence of Earth, and its Kryptonian hero, Superman. They chose to send Kara to Earth so that she can be with one of her own.

Superman realizes that Kara's father, Zor-El, was the brother of his own father, making the two of them cousins. He is elated to find another Kryptonian but remorseful for the fact that like he, Kara is now an orphan.

Superman cannot take charge of Kara because he needs to protect his own secret identity. However, he flies her to the nearby town of Midvale and registers her at the Midvale Orphanage. He provides her with a brown pig-tailed wig, and Kara chooses the name Linda Lee as her new Earth name. Superman promises to train Kara in her new super-powers, stating that this Supergirl will become his new secret weapon against fighting crime.

After Superman leaves, Kara settles in at the orphanage. She begins testing her new powers by cleaning her room with super-breath and fixing a bent iron bed leg with super-strength. She cannot wait for her first official adventure as Supergirl.


 * Editor1_1          = Mort Weisinger
 * Editor2_1          = Mort Weisinger
 * Editor3_1          = Mort Weisinger


 * Writer1_1          = Robert Bernstein
 * Writer2_1          = Robert Bernstein
 * Writer3_1          = Otto Binder


 * Penciler1_1        = Al Plastino
 * Penciler2_1        = Howard Sherman
 * Penciler3_1        = Al Plastino


 * Inker1_1           = Al Plastino
 * Inker2_1           = Howard Sherman
 * Inker3_1           = Al Plastino


 * Colourist1_1       =
 * Letterer1_1        =

Featured Characters:
 * Appearing1         =
 * {{apn|Superman|Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #9|World's Finest #101}}

Supporting Characters:
 * {{a|Jimmy Olsen}}
 * {{a|Lois Lane}}
 * {{a|Perry White}}

Villains:
 * {{a|Metallo}} {{1st}} {{dies}}

Other Characters:
 * {{a|Professor Vale}}
 * Edith

Locations:
 * {{a|Metropolis}}
 * {{a|Daily Planet}}

Items:
 * {{a|Green Kryptonite}}

Vehicles:
 * None

Featured Characters:
 * Appearing2         =
 * {{a|Congo Bill}}

Supporting Characters:
 * {{a|Congorilla}}
 * {{a|Janu}}

Villains:
 * Unknown

Other Characters:
 * Unknown

Locations:
 * {{a|Africa}}
 * {{a|Republic of the Congo}}

Items:
 * None

Vehicles:
 * None

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations: Items: Vehicles:
 * Appearing3         =
 * {{apn|Supergirl}} {{1st}} {{Origin|Supergirl}}
 * {{a|Superman}}
 * {{a|Zor-El}} {{Flashback}} {{1st}}
 * {{a|Allura In-Ze}} {{Flashback}} {{1st}}
 * {{a|Miss Hart}} (headmistress at orphanage)
 * {{a|Mister Dixon}} (headmaster at the orphanage)
 * {{a|Earth-One}}
 * {{a|Metropolis}}
 * {{a|Daily Planet}}
 * {{a|Midvale}}
 * {{a|Midvale Orphanage}}
 * {{a|Krypton}} {{Flashback}}
 * {{a|Argo City}} {{1st}} {{Flashback}}
 * {{a|Kryptonite}} {{Flashback}}
 * Space Telescope
 * {{a|Supergirl's rocket}}


 * Notes              =
 * The Menace of Metallo is reprinted in Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives, Volume 2.


 * The Supergirl From Krypton! is reprinted in DC Special Series #19, Supergirl Archives, Volume 1 and Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives, Volume 2.


 * Superman appeared last in the third story in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #9. Following the third story in this issue, he appears next in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37.


 * Congo Bill appeared last in the second story in Action Comics #251. He appears next in the second story in Action Comics #253.


 * Congorilla appeared last in the second story in Action Comics #251. He appears next in the second story in Action Comics #253.


 * Janu the Jungle Boy appeared last in the second story in Action Comics #251. He appears next in the second story in Action Comics #253.


 * Jimmy Olsen appeared last in the third story in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #9. He appears next in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37.


 * Lois Lane appeared last in the third story in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #9. She appears next in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37.


 * Perry White appeared last in the third story in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #9. He appears next in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37.


 * Professor Emmett Vale's first name is not provided in this story. In the Post-Crisis introduction of the character, Vale's first name is identified as Emmett.


 * This issue presents the first appearance of the Silver Age Supergirl, Kara Zor-El. Kara is not to be confused with the magical entity Super-Girl who predates Kara's perennial appearance by nearly one year.


 * Supergirl makes a chronologically earlier appearance in flashback in Action Comics #316. She appears next in Action Comics #253.


 * This issue is the first appearance of Supergirl's parents Zor-El and Allura In-Ze (Allura is not referenced by name in this issue). Both characters appear in flashback only. Their first actual appearance takes place in Action Comics #309.


 * This issue is the first and only appearance of John Corben as Metallo. The role of Metallo is later assumed by his brother, Roger who attempts to avenge John's death by killing Superman.


 * Mister Dixon of the Midvale Orphanage is not named until the third story in Action Comics #253.
 * Trivia             =
 * John Corben's Metallo character is resurrected for the Post-Crisis environment. Similar to his Pre-Crisis counterpart, Corben is the beneficiary of Professor Vale's genius and is transformed into a cybernetic entity with a Kryptonite heart.


 * Supergirl chooses the name Linda Lee as her civilian identity on Earth. Ironically, the name fits the double "L" naming convention common to many of the women in Superman's life.

Reprints

 * "The Menace of Metallo" is reprinted in DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics #252, Millennium Edition: Action Comics #252, Superman (Volume 1) Annual #2, Superman (Volume 1) #217 and Showcase Presents: Superman, Volume 1.


 * "Congo Bill Dies at Dawn" is reprinted in DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics #252 and Millennium Edition: Action Comics #252.


 * "The Supergirl from Krypton!" is reprinted in Superman (Volume 1) Annual #1, Action Comics #334, Secret Origins (Volume 1) #2, DC Special Series #19, The Great Superman Comic Book Collection, Superman: From the '30s to the '80s, DC Silver Age Classics: Action Comics #252, Millennium Edition: Action Comics #252, Supergirl Archives, Volume 1, Superman in the Fifties, Showcase Presents: Superman, Volume 1,  and Showcase Presents: Supergirl, Volume 1.


 * Recommended        =
 * Congo Bill
 * Supergirl (Volume 1)
 * Supergirl (Volume 2)
 * Superman (Volume 1)
 * Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane
 * Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen
 * World's Finest (Volume 1)

}}
 * Links              =
 * Read "The Supergirl from Krypton!" online
 * Action Comics series index at the Grand Comics Database
 * Superman article at Wikipedia
 * Superman article at Supermanica
 * Superman article at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics
 * Superman article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
 * Superman article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Supergirl article at Wikipedia
 * Supergirl article at Toonopedia
 * Supergirl article at Supermanica
 * Supergirl article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Supergirl article at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics
 * Supergirl page at DC Comics
 * Supergirl page at Kara Lives
 * Congo Bill article at Wikipedia
 * Congo Bill article at Supermanica
 * Congo Bill article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Congo Bill article at Mike's Amazing World of DC
 * Congo Bill article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
 * Congorilla article at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
 * Jimmy Olsen article at Wikipedia
 * Jimmy Olsen article at Supermanica
 * Jimmy Olsen article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Jimmy Olsen article at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics
 * Lois Lane article at Wikipedia
 * Lois Lane article at Supermanica
 * Lois Lane article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Lois Lane article at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics
 * Metallo article at Wikipedia
 * Metallo article at Supermanica
 * Metallo article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Perry White article at Wikipedia
 * Perry White article at Supermanica
 * Perry White Article at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
 * Perry White article at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics