Supergirl index vol 1 (1959 - 1963)

VOLUME 1 1959 - 1963

COMICS INDEX

VOLUME 1 1959 - 1963

COMICS INDEX LEONIDAS FRAGIAS

The Arts & Charts Index to Supergirl The format and design of this book is based on George Olshevsky's Marvel Index series and Murray Ward's DC Index series. Their books have a beautiful layout which was an inspiration for me.

The Official Marvel Index is a series of comic books released by Marvel Comics which featured synopses of several Marvel series. The books were largely compiled by George Olshevsky and featured detailed information on each issue in a particular series, including writer and artist credits, characters who appeared in the issue, and a story synopsis.

The Official Marvel Index was preceded by the Marvel Comics Index (also compiled by Olshevsky) and distributed by Pacific Comics Distributors sporadically from 1976-1982. These books were magazinesized as opposed to comic-sized. The first Official Marvel Index titles were published in 1985, and produced regularly through August 1988.

A similar series of indices was published for DC Comics. The Official DC Index was released by Independent Comics Group (an imprint of Eclipse Comics) from 1985–1988. The books were edited by Murray Ward.

The data for this book is taken from various sources. I fill the gap of the missing data, since I have the complete collection of DC and Marvel comics from the 1930s to the present. Also I made some corrections, when the data is wrong.

The book series cover the silver age (from the mid-1950s to 1969) and the bronze age (from 1970 to 1986) of DC Comics. This is my favorite era, when it comes to comics. Many thanks to DarkMark, George Olshevsky, Murray Ward, Mark Waid and Mike Tiefenbacher among others.

Leonidas Fragias

THE SUPERGIRL COMICS INDEX Volume 1, 2018. Published by Arts & Charts.

Editor: Leonidas Fragias, Writers: Various. Supergirl is trademark of DC Comics Inc. All art and cover reproductions Š2018 DC Comics Inc.

Action Comics #252 May 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Al Plastino Story: "The Supergirl From Krypton" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Al Plastino Synopsis: Argo City, a domed city on Krypton, was flung free of the planet when Krypton exploded, many years ago. Jor-El's brother (and Superman's uncle) Zor-El and his wife Alura were in Argo City and survived Krypton's destruction, along with the other Kryptonians therein. But, when exposure to Kryptonite threatened to destroy all the Argo City people, ZorEl and Alura sent their young daughter Kara to Earth in a costume fashioned after that of Superman, whom they had learned about by viewing Earth on telescopes. Superman meets Kara when she emerges from her crashed rocket, sees that she has super-powers similar to his own, and both of them learn that they are related. He arranges for her to take on the secret identity of Linda Lee, complete with a brunette wig, and enrolls her in Midvale Orphanage. However, he cautions her to keep her existence as Supergirl a complete secret while she learns to use her powers properly, and says that he will reveal her existence to the world when the proper time comes. Later, Supergirl decides to become the "guardian angel" of Midvale, and do good deeds while remaining unknown.

Action Comics #253 June 1959 Story: "The Secret of the Super-Orphan" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl secretly helps her fellow orphan Timmy Tate get adopted.

Action Comics #254

Action Comics #255

July 1959 Story: "Supergirl's Foster Parents" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Linda Lee is adopted by the Dales to serve as a shill in their crooked medicine show for a phony "power tonic". Supergirl secretly puts the skids to their plans, and Linda ends up back in Midvale Orphanage.

August 1959 Story: "Supergirl Visits the 21st Century" (7 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Superman drops Supergirl a note instructing her to test her time-travel abilities by going into the future. Accordingly, Supergirl goes to the 21st Century, where she encounters a young Tommy Tomorrow, also an orphan, and secretly helps him get adopted.

Action Comics #256

Action Comics #257

September 1959 Story: "The Great Supergirl Mirage" (7 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When orphan Dick Wilson snaps a picture of Supergirl in action, and suspects Linda Lee of being the Girl of Steel, Superman gets his cousin off the hook by creating a robot Supergirl, having it entertain the children of Midvale Orphanage, and then expose its mechanical self.

October 1959 Story: "The Three Magic Wishes" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Αrtist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When cynical orphan Tom Baxter scoffs at the fairy stories Linda Lee reads to the younger children at the Orphanage, Linda, as Supergirl, impersonates a "fairy godmother", grants three wishes to Tom, makes his nose seem to grow Pinnochio-style with a yeast prosthesis, and convinces him to mend his ways.

Action Comics #258 November 1959 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "Supergirl's Farewell to Earth" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Supergirl reveals her existence to Krypto, Superman penalizes her by exiling her to an asteroid for a year. She later gets a note from him instructing her to temporarily return to Earth, since Kryptonite dust is supposedly about to envelop the asteroid where she now lives. On Earth, Supergirl becomes Linda Lee again, explains away her abscence to the headmaster of her orphanage, and, later, deduces that Clark Kent is really Superman. Superman then reveals that he only intended to keep her away for a week, to see if she could cover her abscence successfully, which she did. He also intended to reveal his secret identity to her...but got scooped!

Action Comics #259 December 1959 Story: "The Cave-Girl of Steel" (7 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl takes a trip to the past and aids a tribe of cavepeople with her super-powers. When she returns to the present, she sees in a museum an image of herself chiseled in stone by an artisan of the tribe.

The museum guide, however, thinks the "flying girl" is just an imaginary goddess.

Action Comics #260

Action Comics #261

January 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "Mighty Maid" (12 pages) Writer: Artist: Al Plastino Synopsis: When an armada of alien invaders heads towards Earth to attack Superman in vengeance for some of their spacecraft having been shot down decades past by Kryptonians, Superman stages an elaborate ruse, disguising Supergirl as "Mighty Maid", a superheroine, faking a romance with her, and pretending to elope with her to the Fourth Dimension. After putting the aliens in suspended animation in space, Superman returns to Earth and tells Lois that his romance with Mighty Maid went on the rocks.

February 1960 Story: "Supergirl's Super Pet" (8 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Origin: Streaky the Supercat Synopsis: After Linda Lee rescues an orange cat with white zig-zag streaks down its sides, it opts to become her pet, and she names it Streaky. Later, Supergirl unsuccessfully experiments on a piece of Kryptonite in an attempt to develop an antidote, but it is chemically changed into "XKryptonite", which gives Streaky temporary super-powers. Streaky uses his newfound abilities to protect downtrodden animals and to frolic with Supergirl in space, until the X-Kryptonite's effect wears off and he becomes a normal cat again.

Story: "The Girl Superbaby" (8 pages) Writer: Otto Binder?

Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Supergirl is turned into a superbaby for a time by the magic powers of a Fountain of Youth, she accidentally (and secretly) helps drive two jewel thieves into the hands of the law.

Action Comics #262

Action Comics #263

March 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "Supergirl's Greatest Victory" (12 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl attempts to immunize herself to Kryptonite, and only thinks she is succeeding because a metal-eater beast, escaped from the Fortress of Solitude, is secretly eating through the Kryptonite and reducing its mass and power. Thus, Supergirl unwittingly lures herself and Superman into a deathtrap, which they barely escape. Later, they learn the truth and restore the metal-eater to the Fortress.

April 1960 Story: "Supergirl's Darkest Day" (12 pages) Writer: Otto Binder Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Zoxxo, prime minister of the world of Korvia, apparently (and secretly) kills the king and queen of his world in order to gain power, Prince Valzorr escapes to Earth and assumes the idea of "Johnny", an Earth boy, winding up in Midvale Orphanage. There he discovers Supergirl's secret identity and existence, and gets her to clear his name on Korvia, rescues the King and Queen, and has Zoxxo brought to justice.

Action Comics #264

Action Comics #265

May 1960 Story: "Supergirl Gets Adopted" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel (plot possibly by Otto Binder) Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Linda Lee is adopted, despite her efforts to avoid it, by police captain Wilkins and his wife, to take the place of their late daughter.

Supergirl secretly helps save Capt. Wilkins's life several times during his racket-busting activities. Finally, the Wilkinses tell Linda that their daughter was killed by vengeful criminals, and, telling her that they cannot risk her life in similar circumstances, they take her back to the orphanage.

June 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "The Day Supergirl Revealed Herself" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When a Red Kryptonite meteor causes Supergirl to forget her Linda Lee identity and her promise to stay incognito, she goes to Smallville, becomes the foster daughter of Prof. Ralph Evans, and operates openly as Supergirl. Later, Superman discovers the situation, and uses an amnesia gas to make everyone in Smallville forget her presence. When the Red K effect wears off, Supergirl returns to Midvale Orphanage, not remembering anything of her stay in Smallville.

Action Comics #266 July 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "The World's Mightiest Cat" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: After Superman and Krypto put on a show for the Midvale Orphans, Superman passes out small replicas of his cape for souvenirs.

Paul Dexter, an orphan, ties one of the capes to Streaky's neck and thinks he can make him fly by wishing hard. It doesn't appear to work, but later Streaky sniffs X-Kryptonite and regains his temporary super-powers. Paul witnesses Streaky doing super-deeds and tries to convince his fellow orphans that Streaky is a super-cat, but no one believes him. Streaky's powers wear off, and, to save Paul's reputation, Supergirl arranges for Krypto to be seen by the orphans while he pulls off a super-stunt. The children assume that Krypto was behind the super-deeds Paul attributed to Streaky, and conclude that he is not a liar.

Action Comics #267 August 1960 Story: "The Three Super-Heroes" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel (plot possibly by Otto Binder) Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: The three original members of the Legion of Super-Heroes come to 1960 and offer Supergirl the chance to return to the 30th Century with them and try out for Legion membership.

Supergirl passes the tests with flying colors, but exposure to a Red Kryptonite meteor causes her to physically age into maturity. Since her physical age is over the Legion's under-18 limit, Supergirl cannot be inducted into the Legion, but they offer her the chance to try again next year. Supergirl returns to 1960, where she becomes a teen-ager again after the Red K effect wears off.

Action Comics #268

Action Comics #269

September 1960 Story: "The Mystery Supergirl" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Linda Lee becomes an intern at the Daily Planet for a summer job and, while there, learns that a redheaded, costumed Supergirl is performing amazing feats around the world. Linda exposes the ruse as a publicity stunt for a new movie, The Supergirl From Krypton, using five costumed stunt women who performed "super-feats" with mechanical aids. Though the real Supergirl's existence remains a secret, the fictional Supergirl posited by the movie makers is a reasonable approximation.

October 1960 Story: "Supergirl's First Romance" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Lori Lemaris telepathically summons Supergirl to Atlantis, where she helps dispose of a cache of outlawed super-weapons. In the process, she meets Jerro, a merman, and has a romance with him. Realizing that all the telepathic Atlanteans now know of her crush on Jerro, Supergirl embarrassedly leaves and returns to Midvale Orphanage. Since Atlanteans normally only marry their own kind, Supergirl believes a relationship between her and Jerro is impossible, but can't get him out of her mind.

Action Comics #270

Action Comics #271

November 1960 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "The Old Man of Metropolis" (10 pages) Writer: Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: After Clark Kent reads a story Linda Lee has written about her possible career as Superwoman, he falls asleep and dreams of being an old Superman without powers in a future Metropolis.

December 1960 Story: "Supergirl's Fortress of Solitude" (14 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Just as Streaky regains his super-powers by another exposure to the X-Kryptonite, Supergirl constructs a Fortress of Solitude of her own in the desert. Three archaeologists in the area stumble upon it and learn of Supergirl's existence. Prof. Damon Brant hypnotizes the other two men into forgetting what they have learned, but retains the knowledge himself. He and his wife in America adopt Linda Lee and force Supergirl to bring them riches or have her existence exposed. However, Streaky appears, accidentally burns out parts of their brains' memory cells with his X-ray vision, and renders the Brants ignorant of Supergirl's existence again. The Brants, now cured of avarice, return Linda Lee to the orphanage. Supergirl destroys her Fortress with her own X-ray vision.

Story: "Supergirl's Busiest Day" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl has her day full of unexpected emergencies, including saving Krypto from a trap in space, helping Atlanteans capture a criminal, and saving Batman and Robin from an apparent cave-in in the Batcave.

Later, Superman summons her to his Fortress of Solitude, where he, Batman, Robin, Lori Lemaris, Jerro, Ronal, and Krypto have gathered to give her a surprise 16th birthday party. Superman confesses that they were all in on the gag, that the menaces were faked up by himself, and that she performed splendidly in each instance.

Action Comics #272

Action Comics #273

January 1961 Story: "The Second Supergirl" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl gets Superman to agree to a new test of her abilities. If she can perform super-feats on the parallel world of Terra, a nearduplicate of Earth, and not make any mistakes, she will be allowed to make her public debut on Earth. When she arrives on Terra, Supergirl discovers and befriends Marvel Maid, a superheroine who is her double and who operates in public on Terra. Her cousin Marvel Man is a latecomer whose existence is still in secret while he is in training. Marvel Maid allows Supergirl to stand in for her on Terra while she herself goes to save the inhabitants of an endangered world. Unfortunately, Supergirl is uninformed about some aspects of Terran existence, and makes several severe blunders.

February 1961 Story: "The Supergirl of Two Worlds" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: After completing her space mission, Marvel Maid goes to Earth, where Superman sees her performing an unseen rescue. He initially mistakes her for Supergirl and tells her that he will reveal her existence to the world. But she finally gets to explain to Superman that she is not his cousin. Marvel Maid praises Supergirl to Superman, excusing her mistakes to him. Unfortunately, Superman uses a video monitor to observe Supergirl on Terra, making yet another mistake. When she returns to Earth (and Marvel Maid returns to Terra), Superman shows Supergirl that she could have learned of Terra's unique nature by browsing through one of its libraries at super-speed, which, he says, is something he does every time he goes to an unfamilar world.

Marvel Man is revealed to the people of Terra, but Superman decides that Supergirl is not yet ready to be unveiled to the inhabitants of Earth.

Action Comics #274 March 1961 Story: "Supergirl's Three Time Trips" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Given a school assignment to write a paper on what historical figure she'd most like to be, Supergirl opts to take time-trips to the past to learn if she'd prefer to be Annie Oakley, Pocahontas, or Betsy Ross. In 1885, Supergirl covertly substitutes for Annie Oakley in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show when Annie is stricken by fever. In 1776, she secretly recreates Betsy Ross's original American flag when the flag is accidentally burned, and sees it delivered to General George Washington. And in 1607, Supergirl frees Pocahontas from a rival tribe of Indians. In each era, however, Supergirl is astonished that she encounters Kryptonite. After she returs to 1961, Supergirl learns from Superman that fragments of a green Kryptonite meteor were sent into the past by an H-bomb explosion. Later, with three of her classmates choosing the women she encountered in the past as subjects for their reports, she opts for Joan of Arc.

Action Comics #275 April 1961 Story: "Ma and Pa Kent Adopt Supergirl" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: After seeing statues of Jonathan and Martha Kent on a visit to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, Supergirl returns to Midvale Orphanage and dreams that she was the daughter of Jor-El and Lara, was rocketed to Earth by them, and was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent.

Action Comics #276

Action Comics #277

May 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "The War Between Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad" (13 pages) Writer: Robert Bernstein Artist: Wayne Boring Synopsis: John Kiley, a wealthy philanthropist who is really a member of the Anti-Superman Gang, fakes his own death and induces Clark Kent to reveal that he is Superman to fulfill Kiley's "dying wish". Kiley and the gang lure Clark Kent into a Kryptonite deathtrap. Using super-ventriloquism, Kent summons Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad to save him.

With an elaborate ruse, the heroes convince Kiley and the Anti-Superman Gangsters that they have been having an hallucination and that Kent and Superman are not one and the same.

June 1961 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / Stan Kaye Story: "The Battle of the Super-Pets" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Streaky regains his super-powers due to X-Kryptonite exposure and engages in a feud with Krypto, supervised by both Superman and Supergirl at first, then by Supergirl alone. Supergirl directs both superanimals in a series of contests on a distant planetoid to try and settle the rivalry, but both she and Krypto fall prey to a Kryptonite meteor, and Streaky's powers wear off. However, since both they and the Kryptonite are in a "magic wishing well" used by Mr. Mxyzptlk and other members of the Interplanetary Multi-Dimensional Practical Jokers' Club, all Supergirl has to do is wish the Green K could not harm her, and wish it into being false Kryptonite, to nullify it, which she does. The rivalry of Krypto and Streaky is interrupted by the appearance of Super-Monkey. Supergirl takes the powerless Streaky back to Earth, and Krypto and Super-Monkey fly away.

Story: "The Three Super-Girl Friends" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl is summoned by Saturn Girl, Phantom Girl, and Triplicate Girl to the 30th Century to try out a second time for membership in the Legion of Super-Heroes. She passes the test and is inducted, and in the process meets Brainiac 5, descendant of a youth once adopted by the 20th Century space villain. Brainiac 5 becomes romantically interested in Supergirl and gives her a force-field belt to protect her from Kryptonite.

However, her trip back to 1961 shortens the "life" of the belt and soon renders the force-field null and void.

Action Comics #278

Action Comics #279

July 1961 Story: "The Super-Powers of Perry White" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Coleman Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: Perry White eats the fruit of an alien plant-being invader, Xasnu, which has taken root in his garden. Xasnu takes gradual control of White's mind and gives him super-powers, so that White takes on the secret identity of Masterman. Superman learns of the alien's plan to invade Earth by taking over human bodies, but is almost defeated by Masterman in battle. At the last moment, Supergirl rushes in and kills Xasnu in White's body with a chunk of White Kryptonite, and Perry White is freed.

August 1961 Story: "Supergirl's Secret Enemy" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl's powers have been robbed by a ray created by LeslaLar, a female Kandorian scientist who is Supergirl's double, but who hates her and has a criminal bent. In the meantime, Linda Lee is adopted by Fred and Edna Danvers. Lesla uses a teleport ray to shrink and teleport Linda to Kandor, where she uses a brainwashing machine to convince her that she is really Lesla-Lar. In the meantime, Lesla teleports herself to the outside world and enlarges herself, taking both the places of Linda Lee Danvers and Supergirl. As a phony "Supergirl", Lesla breaks Lex Luthor out of jail and helps him perform a colossal heist. Kara, who believes herself Lesla-Lar, observes the act on a Kandorian monitor and attempts to alert the authorities to the existence of a criminal "Supergirl". But Lesla sees Kara's actions, trades places with her again, and resumes her Lesla-Lar identity in Kandor. Linda, in the Danvers' home again, has no memory of her Kandorian adventure and thinks she has awoken from a dream. LeslaLar, observing her on a monitor, intends to continue her evil plans.

Story: "The Unknown Supergirl" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Superman finally declares to Supergirl that he will announce her existence to the world within the week, and shows her a videotape he has prepared for the project. However, he and Krypto undertake a mission in another dimension beforehand, and in their abscense, a ring of Kryptonite dust surrounds the Earth. Supergirl is forced to go to Atlantis to be safe, but fulfills her crime-fighting obligations from long-range, with the police and criminals assuming that Superman is on the job. Later, the Kryptonite drifts away from Earth and Superman and Krypto return to the 3rd Dimension. But Supergirl proves, unexpectedly, to have lost her powers. Superman investigates and learns the power-loss was not due to Kryptonite exposure. Though he cannot reveal Supergirl's existence if Kara has no powers, he pledges to try and find a way to restore them. Later, at the orphanage, Linda resolves to find a way to live on as a normal person.

Action Comics #280

Action Comics #281

September 1961 Story: "Trapped In Kandor" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Lesla-Lar changes places with Linda Lee Danvers again, becomes "Supergirl" and visits Luthor in prison, and, via a ruse, convinces Superman that her powers have been "restored". Superman gladly proclaims that he will soon announce her existence to the world. Lesla, for her part, intends to have Luthor kill Superman with a Kryptonite ray. Then she will kill Luthor and "conquer or destroy Earth, as I please!"

October 1961 Story: "The Secret of the Time-Barrier" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Krypto deduces that the new "Supergirl" is not really his old friend Kara, and uses the exchange ray to send Lesla-Lar back to Kandor and return Kara to Earth. Since Supergirl has no memory of her Kandorian adventure, she and Superman have no idea why her powers have vanished again. But Superman takes her on a time-voyage to 1691, and they discover that her super-powers function in the past era. Supergirl helps the people of a nearby village before she returns to 1961, and for that becomes known as "the Golden Witch." Supergirl has no powers in the present, though, and Lesla-Lar intends to take her place once again.

Action Comics #282

Action Comics #283

November 1961 Story: "The Supergirl of Tomorrow" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Superman gives Supergirl a time-bubble which she uses to go to the far future, where her powers are also in effect. There she helps the Unconquerables, an underground rebel group, defeat the All-Seeing Eye and the Clan of Censors, who seek to destroy all books and knowledge of freedom. Back in 1961, Supergirl tells Superman that, even without powers, she intends to stay in the present with Superman and her foster parents. (Later, on the beach, she meets Dick Malverne, formerly Dick Wilson of the orphanage, who has also been adopted.) However, Mr. Mxyzptlk gives Kara Superman's powers magically, plus invulnerability to Kryptonite, to "make a mere slip of a girl mightier than he!" Thus, Supergirl is not only able to perform super-feats, but she can save Superman from a Kryptonite deathtrap and Lesla-Lar's power-sapping machine no longer works on her. Lesla herself is arrested by Kandorian police and her equipment is destroyed.

December 1961 Story: "The Six Red K Perils of Supergirl" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Mr. Mxyzptlk made Supergirl invulnerable to Kryptonite, he neglected to extend the spell to cover Red Kryptonite as well. As a result, exposure to six Red K meteors turns Supergirl into a fat woman (she mimics being a hot-air balloon), a wolf-girl (she inspires a horror-movie writer to another triumph), and a microbe-sized girl (she fights off disease germs in Dick's foster father's bloodstream and saves his life). Later, Supergirl wonders how the other Red Kryptonite exposures will affect her.

Action Comics #284

Action Comics #285

January 1962 Story: "The Babe of Steel" (14 pages) Writer: Robert Bernstein Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: When Mon-El signals Clark Kent at a seance that the Aurora Borealis is causing a rift in the Phantom Zone just big enough for him to poke his hand through, Superman turns himself into a Superbaby by Red Kryptonite exposure. After ascertaining the truth of Mon-El's statement by entering and leaving the Zone itself through the hole, he, Supergirl, and Krypto burn up the Aurora Borealis with their heat vision, and the rift closes. Later, Superman returns to his normal size and age.

February 1962 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "The World's Greatest Heroine": Part 1 (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Linda Danvers has to save her foster parents when their car crashes through a bridge, and Superman arrives to confirm to the Danverses that their adopted daughter is really a Supergirl from Krypton.

They pledge to keep her double identity a secret. Superman then breaks into all television broadcasts around the world to present Supergirl to the world. He also takes her on a whirlwind world tour, introduces her to President Kennedy, and presents her to the representatives of the United Nations. Supergirl also receives accolades from the Kandorians, from the Atlanteans, and from natives of alien worlds. Then, leaving her on duty in his place, Superman goes to the 50th Century on a special mission.

Story: "The Strange Bodies of Supergirl" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl experiences the last three Red K effects by temporarily growing an extra head (which usually disagrees with her), having an hallucination that she possesses deadly "fatal vision", and gaining the finned, scaly lower body of a mermaid (she visits Atlantis and saves Lenora Lemaris, who also loves Jerro, from the hands of giants trapped in a bog).

When the final Red K effect wears off, Supergirl joins Superman and finds that her vulnerability to Kryptonite has returned. Superman informs Supergirl that he learned of Mxyzptlk's involvement and that her normal powers have now returned, since his magic has worn off. He also says that he has decided, at long last, to reveal her existence to the world.

Story: "The Infinite Monster": Part 2 (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Prof. Hartz's attempt to communicate with other worlds creates a dimensional rift through which steps a monster so huge that only part of its body can be seen at any time. The Infinite Monster also has a forcefield similiar to Brainiac's, so that Supergirl's powers are of no use against it. But Supergirl dispatches a note to the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th Century, and receives from Brainiac 5 a shrinking ray originally designed by Brainiac. She uses a copy of the device to shrink the Infinite Monster to doll-size and puts it in a bottle in the Fortress of Solitude.

President Kennedy and the people of the United States express their gratitude to Supergirl, and Superman, who creates a special Fortress wing just for her, tells the world that henceforth Supergirl will be his crimefighting partner.

Action Comics #286

Action Comics #287

March 1962 Story: "The Death of Luthor" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Lex Luthor breaks jail again and reunites with his gang. His objective: prove that Supergirl is a hoax, and / or destroy her. He succeeds in endangering her with Kryptonite, but, when she escapes that hazard and pursues him, Luthor accidentally kills himself with a ray-gun of his own creation. Though the police on hand believe Luthor has finally gotten his just deserts, Supergirl thinks that he should not escape his life sentence this way. She scours Atlantis and several alien worlds to find material for a cocoon which, applied just in time, restores Luthor to life. Luthor proves to be less than grateful, especially when they haul him off to jail again.

April 1962 Story: "Supergirl's Greatest Challenge" (14 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: The Legion of Super-Heroes summons Supergirl to the 30th Century to help them destroy the menacing Positive Man and Negative Creature, which she does. However, the Legionnaires are kidnapped, put in suspended animation, and impersonated by Chameleon Men who put Supergirl and her newfound friend Whizzy the Supercat, the 30th Century descendant of Streaky, into the Phantom Zone with a stolen projector.

Supergirl uses Whizzy's telepathic powers to have an android manufacturer make a phony Chameleon Man who infiltrates the villains' hideout and releases her from the Phantom Zone. Supergirl then defeats the Chameleon Men and releases the Legion from captivity.

Action Comics #288

Action Comics #289

May 1962 Story: "The Man Who Made Supergirl Cry" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Fred Danvers, who possesses unexpected extra-sensory powers, is telepathically influenced by inmates of the Phantom Zone to perform cruel actions that make Supergirl cry, and then to save her tears. The Zoners then induce Danvers to mix the super-tears with other chemicals to form a substance that opens a rift between the Phantom Zone and the Earth's dimension. Only one can emerge at a time, however, and Mon-El is forced out first, followed by Jax-Ur, who hits Fred Danvers to force more tears from Supergirl. Mon-El returns, however, with a green Kryptonite meteor which he uses to force Jax-Ur back into the Zone. He leaps into the Zone himself just before the rift closes up. Later, Fred Danvers discovers that Jax-Ur's blow destroyed his psychic abilities.

June 1962 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "Superman's Super-Courtship" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: After watching a tear-jerker movie in which a bachelor loses his true love, Supergirl resolves that such will not happen to her cousin Superman. First, she lures him back to ancient Greece, where she hopes something will happen between Superman and Helen of Troy. They end up in a fight with the Minotaur and Unicorn, but no romancing. Later, Supergirl takes him to the 30th Century in the time of the adult Legion of Super-Heroes and tries to fix him up with Saturn Woman. The only problem is, Saturn Woman is already married to Lightning Man. Back in the present, Superman tells Supergirl he could only marry a lovable superwoman like her, though Kryptonian law forbids marriage between cousins. Accordingly, Supergirl uses a computer to find a superheroine on the planet Staryl, Luma Lynai, a sexy white-and-green-costumed woman who is an adult double for Supergirl. Superman and Luma do fall for each other, but they soon discover that Earth's yellow solar rays are deadly to Luma, and they make a tearful parting. Supergirl finally decides to let Superman take care of his own love life.

Action Comics #290

Action Comics #291

July 1962 Story: "Supergirl's Super Boy-Friends" (13 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Phantom Girl carves a statuette of Supergirl and travels briefly to 1962 to give it to Kara, not knowing that she has carved it out of Red Kryptonite. The Red K causes Supergirl to impart her powers to whomever she kisses, for the 48-hour active period. Thus, Jerro and Dick Malverne gain super-powers, and perform super-deeds. But when their abilities run out with both of them over a live volcano, a group of Kandorian girls don Supergirl costumes and masks as the Supergirl Emergency Squad, and save the boys' lives. Later, Linda sprays the statuette with lead.

August 1962 Story: "The Bride of Mr. Mxyzptlk" (12 pages) Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Mr. Mxyzptlk plagues Earth with pranks again, such as turning the entire United Nations delegation into Bizarros, and Supergirl is unable to make him say his name backwards. When she denounces him as, among other things, "the greatest creep there ever was!", Mxyzptlk thinks that she is beautiful when she's angry, and proposes marriage to her. She gives him an unequivocal "No!", but Mxyzptlk proves his love by materializing her dead parents, Zor-El and Allura. Supergirl is overwhelmed, and is torn between affection for her natural parents and the Danverses. Zor-El, for his part, insists that Supergirl marry Mxyzptlk.

But, before the wedding can take place, he has Mxyzptlk drink a toast laced with Krypton Truth Serum. Thus, when Zor-El directs him to, he has to say his name backwards, and returns to the 5th Dimension. All his magical effects are cancelled, including the existences of Zor-El and Allura.

Later, Supergirl wonders if she will ever see her real parents again.

Action Comics #292

Action Comics #293

September 1962 Story: "The Super-Steed of Steel" (11 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl has several dreams about Comet, a white super-horse who performs amazing feats. Later, she and her parents go to a "Supergirl Dude Ranch", where they meet with the real Comet, a white horse whom only she (as Linda Danvers) can claim. Comet demonstrates that he really has super-powers and, by taking her to the giant image of Supergirl outside the ranch, indicates to Linda that he knows her secret identity.

She promises to make him a red super-cape to wear later on, and wonders where Comet came from.

October 1962 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "The Secret Origin of Supergirl's Super-Horse" (11 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl learns that Comet has telepathic powers, by which he tells her of his origin. He was once Biron the Centaur in ancient Greece, and saved the sorceress Circe from an enemy sorceror, Malador. For this she gave him a potion intended to give him full humanity, but Malador switched her potions and caused Biron to become all-horse instead. To make up for her mistake, Circe fed Biron (now Comet) another potion which gave him the speed, invulnerability, strength, immortality and telepathic power of the Greek gods. But, to complete his revenge, Malador and his mentor cast a spell to exile Comet to the constellation Sagittarius forever. The rocket that sent Supergirl to Earth passed near the asteroid where Comet was imprisoned, shattered its force-field with repeller rays, and freed Comet. Later, after performing rodeo stunts with Linda Danvers, Comet helps Supergirl and Superman overcome alien invaders. Back at the ranch, Linda discovers that Comet has been sold to an animal trainer from Hollywood who intends to make him a sensation in Westerns.

Action Comics #294

Action Comics #295

November 1962 Story: "The Mutiny of Super-Horse" (11 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Supergirl helps Comet with his first picture, in which he co-stars with actress Liz Gaynor. However, after he eats a variety of lotus flowers which induce amnesia, Comet forgets his old identity, Supergirl, and his super-powers. He becomes the "pet" of Liz Gaynor, and Linda Danvers wonders tearfully if she'll ever see her old horse again as a friend.

December 1962 Story: "The Girl With the X-Ray Mind" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Linda Danvers's friend Lena Thorul has ESP powers and wants to join the FBI, but she has no verifiable past and cannot be accepted.

Supergirl investigates and finds the reason why: Lena is really the younger sister of Lex Luthor, and gained ESP powers through contact with a "spacebrain" brought to Earth by Superboy. Lena and her parents were forced to move from Smallville and change their last names to Thorul, though Lena never learned of her brother's criminal past and was told he died in an accident, not long before her parents died in a very real accident. When the FBI learns the truth, they are adamant about not hiring her. Lena, however, pretends to infiltrate Bank Busters, a gang of bank robbers, and to use her powers in their behalf. When Luthor hears of it, he tells all to Supergirl and pleads with her to keep Lena from a life of crime. However, Lena was only playing along with the crooks to catch them in the act, and helps Supergirl and the police capture the Bank Busters. Supergirl promises to tell the FBI about the case, in hopes that they will reconsider hiring her. But she gets nerved when Lena admits that she has Supergirl telepathically linked with Linda Lee Danvers.

Action Comics #296

Action Comics #297

January 1963 Story: "The Girl Who Was Supergirl's Double" (12 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Lena Thorul attends a costume ball dressed as Supergirl, a soiree also attended by Dick Malverne and Linda Lee Danvers, Dick is convinced by Lena's resemblance to the Girl of Steel and by the real Supergirl's appearance when thieves attempt a jewel robbery there, that Lena is really Supergirl. Other circumstantial evidence later on hardens Dick's mistaken belief. Linda becomes jealous when Dick's affections are turned to Lena. Lex Luthor, in the meantime, asks Supergirl to give Lena some diamonds he created from coal lumps, as a secret birthday gift.

When Dick sees one of the diamonds fallen into the coal scuttle at Lena's house, he is finally convinced beyond any doubt that Lena is Supergirl.

Lena finally "admits" that she is the Princess of Power, and the real Supergirl, listening in with super-hearing, wonders why Lena has told a lie.

February 1963 Story: "The Forbidden Weapons of Krypton" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Lena Thorul actually told Dick Malverne that she had superpowers because her mind was controlled by a device operated by LeslaLar, who has recently broken jail in Kandor. Using her teleport ray, Lesla exchanges places with Lena, and imitates her, convincing Supergirl that a special serum has given her super-powers. Later, Lesla-Lar uses a Phantom Zone projector to free Jax-Ur, Kru-El, and General Zod from the Zone. The threesome arm themselves with a cache of forbidden Kryptonian weapons, and repay her by destroying her with a disintegrator gun. Since Superman is in another time-era on a mission, the three villains set up a force-field that blocks time-travel, and the people of Kandor are made prisoners of their bottle. Both Supergirl and the villains are stalemated when they try to use their powers on each other, but the weapons give the villains the edge. Supergirl is infected with a disease that turns living creatures into plants. But, when Supergirl tells Lex Luthor that Lena is prisoner in Kandor, he agrees to help her battle the three Kryptonians.

Action Comics #298

Action Comics #299

March 1963 Story: "The Super-Powers of Lex Luthor" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: The warden of Metropolis prison refuses to believe Luthor when he says that Supergirl wants him as an ally, so Luthor throws in with the Phantom Zone villains. Kru-El gives Luthor super-powers with a ray device, and, later, demonstrates a mind-over-matter helmet to him. The Zoners, in a private conversation, plan to use Luthor to construct a magnet that will attract Gold Kryptonite to permanently remove Superman's and Supergirl's powers, but they also intend to strip away Luthor's new superpowers as well when they have it. Unknown to them, however, Luthor is listening with his super-hearing, and, once Kru-El drops the force-field so as to lure Superman into their trap, he switches sides again by using a fake Gold K meteor. Supergirl, Superman, and Luthor triumph, send the Kryptonian villains back to the Phantom Zone, destroy the weapons (and thus remove Luthor's powers and Supergirl's plant scourge), release Lena Thorul from Kandor, and return Luthor to prison.

April 1963 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "The Fantastic Secret of Superbaby II" (12 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: When Supergirl rejects two actors, Mar-San and Lira, from appearing as Jor-El and Lara in a Kandorian movie about Superman's life, they enlarge themselves on Earth with child prodigy actor Rax-Rol (who resembles Superbaby), impersonate Ma and Pa Kent, and try to deceive Supergirl into thinking that history is repeating itself. If their hoax succeeds, they intend to reveal themselves to Supergirl, and thus convince her that they should get the movie roles. Supergirl is almost convinced, but when the "Kents" drive on the left hand side of the road, as did drivers on Krypton, she deduces the truth. However, she does recommend the three for the roles of Jor-El and his family, and they get the parts.

Action Comics #300

Action Comics #301

May 1963 Story: "The Return of Super-Horse" (11 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: The amnesiac Comet runs away from Liz Gaynor's stables, gradually begins using his super-powers again, and eventually ends up with a farmer and his family. When the farmer's young daughter is carried off by an eagle, Comet flies after the bird, attacks it, and rescues the girl.

Supergirl, seeing the deed with her telescopic vision, flies to Comet's side, and the sight of his old friend restores Comet's memory. Comet telepathically recounts his origin to the farmer and his daughter, then, after getting a new cape from Supergirl, helps her perform a good deed for Lena Thorul. Finally, Superman summons Super-Horse by radio to the Fortress of Solitude for a special mission, saying the task is too dangerous for Supergirl. Comet flies off to aid Superman.

June 1963 Story: "The Secret Identity of Super-Horse" (12 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Superman recruits Comet (and Supergirl, who accompanies him) to Zerox, the sorceror's world, to do a favor for Prince Endor, an old friend.

Since Endor must ride a flying horse in a royal parade, and his usual steed, Pegasus, has lost his flying power due to a spell cast by the evil Lord Nomed, Comet substitutes for Pegasus as Zerox's steed. In return, Endor casts a spell that causes Comet to become temporarily human when a comet passes through Earth's solar system. (As a man, Comet has no super-powers.) After he and Supergirl return to Earth, Comet becomes human again when a comet nears Earth, and becomes a rodeo star, taking on the name of Bronco Bill. When Supergirl is concened over Comet's abscence, Lena Thorul directs her to Bronco Bill, whom she senses is connected to Comet. Supergirl saves Bill from a bull and is rewarded with a kiss. Later, Bill transforms back into a centaur and is captured by horse thieves, but becomes Comet again, regains his super-powers, and crashes free. He reunites with Supergirl, who remains ignorant of his Bronco Bill identity.

Action Comics #302

Action Comics #303

July 1963 Story: "The Day Super-Horse Went Wild" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Vostar, an evil Atlantean scientist, plots revenge against Lori Lemaris and Jerro for testifying against him in court, and against Supergirl and Comet for saving Lori and Jerro from one of his traps. Using a telepathic command-helmet, Vostar makes Comet run amok and destroy buildings. Luckily, a passing comet activates the spell that makes Comet a human again, and, imitating a carnival fortune teller, he drops hints that lead Linda Danvers, as Supergirl, to Vostar. Comet returns to his SuperHorse identity, and Supergirl captures Vostar in time to prevent Comet from wrecking the White House.

August 1963 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "The Monster From Krypton" (12 pages) Writer: Edmond Hamilton Artist: Curt Swan Synopsis: On Krypton in decades past, Jor-El and other scientists rocketed the eggs of drangs, fearsome dragon-like monsters, away from their planet to an uninhabited world. However, a drang egg passed through the Red Kryptonite cloud in space and landed on Earth. Even though the egg cracked and cannot hatch, Superman, investigating, becomes a drang when affected by the Red K. Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, and others believe that Superman has been killed by the drang and attempt to destroy it. All of Superman's attempts to reveal the truth go awry, until he finally rescues Supergirl from a green Kryptonite weapon-burst, pulls up a Superman statue, and scratches out the letters on the base inscription to leave the message: I AM SUPERMAN. Story: "Supergirl's Big Brother" (12 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: The Danvers family is astonished when a man who appears to be their long-lost son Jan appears on their doorstep. They had believed Jan Danvers to have died in the Korean War. Unknown to them, the real Jan is dead, and his double is Biff Rigger, another ex-soldier who met Jan in Korea and learned of the $50,000 inheritance money waiting for Jan when he got home. Supergirl reveals her double identity to Rigger and gives him a pill which imparts temporary super-powers to him before learning of his deception, but he threatens to expose her secret identity if she tells her parents about him. Later, though, he saves Supergirl from a Kryptonite meteor which she is exposed to undersea. But his powers fade too soon, he develops a deadly case of the bends, and he dies in Supergirl's arms, asking her not to tell the Danvers of his deception.

Action Comics #304

Action Comics #305

September 1963 Story: "The Maid of Menace" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Zora Vi-Lar, a Kandorian scientist and admirer of Lesla-Lar, vows to take revenge on Supergirl in Lesla's behalf and becomes the masked Black Flame, leaving the bottle city and enlarging herself by flying through the Red Kryptonite cloud in space. Her plan is to convince Supergirl that she is the evil far-future descendant of Supergirl herself, so that Supergirl will remove her own powers by Gold Kryptonite exposure in order to prevent her descendants from inheriting them. The plot almost works, but the sight of a dental filling in Black Flame's mouth cues Supergirl that her foe cannot have been born invulnerable. Thus, Supergirl uses Gold Kryptonite on Black Flame herself, taking away her powers. Shrunken to tiny size again, Black Flame is taken into custody in Kandor.

October 1963 Story: "The Girl Who Hated Supergirl" (11 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Karen Blair has a grudge against Supergirl, because her father, an astronomer who used a "hyper-ray transmitter" to communicate in code with aliens on the distant world of Daxnar III, was killed by a dark object from space which intersected his transmission rays, spouted fire into the observatory, and gave him a heart attack. Her brother Bill was also crippled in the fire, which took place the same day that Supergirl came to Earth. Karen believes that Supergirl's rocket caused the disaster.

But Supergirl hooks up a chronoscope invented by Superman to show Karen the truth: that her father's death was caused by a space-bat, attracted by his transmitter. Karen repents and begs forgiveness. In return, Supergirl gets famous surgeons to operate on Bill's legs and return his mobility, and she gives the designs of Dr. Blair's transmitter to the National Space Agency.

Action Comics #306

Action Comics #307

November 1963 Story: "The Maid of Doom" (14 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: To prepare Earth for conquest, the Plasmos of the planet Mutor, who have the power to transform their bodies, send their secret agent Sklor to eliminate Supergirl and Superman. First, imitating Supergirl, Sklor tricks Superman, Krypto, Streaky, Comet, and the Kandorians into going to the 40th Century. Then he imitates Superman, Krypto, Streaky, Comet, and Mr. Mxyzptlk in succession, pretends to die and glow blue when Supergirl touches him, and convinces her she has gained the "touch of death" for super-beings. However, Supergirl deduces the truth when she hears Comet speaking to her instead of using telepathy. She forces the Mutorians to sign a peace treaty and abandon war forever.

December 1963 Cover Artist: Curt Swan / George Klein Story: "Supergirl's Wedding Day" (13 pages) Writer: Leo Dorfman Artist: Jim Mooney Synopsis: Tor-An, a convict from the Phantom Zone, puts into action their plan to have Supergirl married to him and thus disgrace her and Superman forever when they learn of his criminal past. After escaping through a dimensional rift accidentally created by Supergirl, Tor-An assumes the identity of a teacher at Midvale High, reveals his Kryptonian identity to her, and romances her, telling her that his father also rocketed her away from Krypton. Supergirl plans to marry Tor-An, even though her telepathic friends Comet and Jerro warn her that he is shielding his thoughts from them. Comet, Jerro, and Lori Lemaris summon Saturn Girl of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the future. She uses her superior mental powers to read Tor-An's mind, divine his scheme, and take Supergirl's place at the wedding in disguise. Tor-An is recaptured and later returned to the Phantom Zone.

VOLUME 1 1959 - 1963

An Explanation of the Comics Index In this series, we examine every issue of every DC and Marvel comic book of the silver and the bronze age and also provide you with a color reproduction of the comic’s cover, a complete listing of the creative people involved in producing the comic, a summary of what happened in each adventure, and various other information.

All comics indexed in a series will run in serial order, beginning with the first issue or the earliest issue that features the series being indexed. Each of the index entries is as self-explanatory as possible. Some of the criteria we used to create an index entry are provided below.

Cover Credits It usually takes many people to produce a comic book cover, from conception and design through coloring and production, and it is impossible to credit them all. The Artist, responsible for the basic execution of the cover, does the lion’s share of the work. If more than one artist works on a cover, some usually pencil and the others usually ink.

Records of artists and letterers are sometimes unavailable, particularly for covers that appeared many years ago, so the identities of some cover artists and letterers are the best guesses that the indexers and DC’s and Marvel's current editors and art staff can make. Credits other than Artist or Artists and Letterer appear where known.

Story Information Story titles are given as they appear on the title pages, not as on the covers or in coming attractions. When a story lacks a title or title page (a rare occurrence), a note to this effect appears as a Comment.

Story credits are taken from the credits as published. As with cover credits, it is impossible to credit everybody who worked on a story, but whenever additional information is available, it appears in the Index. If the published credits in a story are incorrect, the Index corrects them wherever possible.

Chronology A time line for all of DC’s and Marvel's comics that allows proper chronological ordering of the appearances of every DC and Marvel character is far from complete. Nevertheless, some appearances are known to precede or follow others.

Whenever chronological information is known reliably but is not obvious from the continuity of the stories, it is noted in parentheses. “First appearance” accompanies a character’s listing when the comic is the earliest one in which the character appears. A first appearance is not necessarily a character’s chronologically earliest appearance, which might occur, for example, in an origin flashback first told many years later. As a general rule, in the case of feature characters who are members of a team but who also appear in their own features or comics, issue-by-issue chronological notations for these characters are made in the indexes to their own features, not in the index to the team feature. For instance, Superman’s chronology is noted in The Superman Index, not in The Justice League of America Index.

A casual reading of a few Plot Synopses will make it abundantly clear that a whole month does not usually pass for the characters in between monthly issues of a comic.

Many issues begin hours or even minutes after the previous month’s story. Consequently, a character who has had his own feature for ten years will not have aged ten years in the time it took for those comics to come out. As for trying to determine in what year a given adventure takes place, there’s no conclusive answer. Specific dates that appear in stories, as well as mention of current events and popular culture, depictions of contemporary fashions, and usage of contemporary slang, are all what is known as Topical References. These are specific details added by a writer or artist to a story to make it seem current at the time the story is being published. They are not necessarily indicators of when — what year or even what decade — a story took place.