Adventure Comics SUPERGIRL "Return of the Black Flame" Conclusion

When Last We Left the Girl of Steel...

...Kryptonian villainess Black Flame escapes from Kandor, recruits several other (non-Kryptonian) super villains, and traps Supergirl using (what else?) Green Kryptonite!

A villain from Supergirl's early days returns, but writer/artist/editor Mike Sekowsky gets a lot wrong, as we pointed out yesterday!

Let's add to the goofs...

The "solid kryptonite" bowling balls are not the usual bright green, nor do they glow!

(Non-glowing dark green had been used to show fake or inert Green K in various pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths stories.)

Plus, just hitting Supergirl's feet with them (but not keeping the balls in proximity to her) while painful, wouldn't kill her!

One thing Sekowsky did get right...though Kryptonian, Black Flame is unaffected by the Green K, because Gold Kryptonite took away her powers in the previous battle...which leads us to...

Gold K acts instantly, as shown in several stories, including Black Flame's intro in DC's Action Comics #304!

And, it doesn't weaken or knock-out Kryptonians, as shown here, just de-powers them...permanently!

In future Sekowsky stories, the DC editorial staff does try to keep him on-track about continuity, probably after fan complaints about this tale!

As to the cover-featured mention that this 400th issue of Adventure Comics was the 35th Anniversary of the title...DC fudged the numbers a bit!

While it was Adventure Comics #400, it wasn't the "35th Anniversary of Adventure Comics"!

The comic started out as New Comics in 1935 (35 years earlier than 1970), retitled New Adventure Comics as of #12 early in 1937, and finally became Adventure Comics in late 1938 with #38!

So the actual 35th Anniversary would've been #425 (1973)...ironically, the issue when Supergirl moved to her own title and Adventure once more became an anthology title!

Next Week:

A never-reprinted, multi-issue epic so big it had to be spread over two blogs: this one and "sister" RetroBlog True Love Comics Tales!

The excitement starts here on Monday!

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Supergirl Silver Age Omnibus

Volume 1

(which includes Supergirl's first battle with Black Flame!)

Adventure Comics SUPERGIRL "Return of the Black Flame" Part 1

It was 1970, and Adventure Comics was celebrating a double anniversary...

...it's 400th issue and the 35th Anniversary of #1!
But more about that tomorrow.
Let's jump into the action...

As will you, dear reader...
THURSDAY!
One of the problems with being your own editor is that nobody double-checks your own work!

This never-reprinted tale by writer/penciler/editor Mike Sekowsky from DC's Adventure Comics #400 (1970) is a classic case in point!

1) Kandor is a Kryptonian city sealed in a bottle...inside Superman's Fortress of Solitude!
It's not an installation on a distant planet!
How did Black Flame enlarge herself and get out?
Why didn't the Fortress intruder alarms go off?
2) The Phantom Zone is another dimension.
There's no "dome" around it, nor are guards required!
How did she gain access without a Phantom Zone Projector?
3) Who are the villains?
Obviously they're not Kryptonians!
Yet, at the time, there were no non-Kryptonian prisoners in the Phantom Zone!
(Mon-El was there, but that was to keep him from dying from lead poisoning...and he wasn't a prisoner!)
4) Why would a Kryptonian like Black Flame create such a human...and American...death-trap?
I could think of numerous easily-adapted games from other countries which would be more effective in disposing of an enemy!
BTW, though she's handling Green Kryptonite bowling balls, Black Flame is immune to the radiation, since she lost her powers after being exposed to Gold Kryptonite in her previous appearance (DC's Action Comics #304 [1963})!
At least he got that right!

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Supergirl Silver Age Omnibus

Volume 1

(which includes Supergirl's first battle with Black Flame!)

WONDER WOMAN (and SUPERGIRL) "Fight to the Death!"

When Last We Left Our Heroines...

Art by Carmine Infantino, Irv Novick, and Mike Esposito

The cover pretty much says it all.

Prepare for a classic Silver Age catfight!

Grok has never appeared again, not even in the many reboots that have occurred since Crisis on Infinite Earths...
Written by Bill Finger, penciled by Win Mortimer, and inked by Jack Abel, this tale has never been reprinted in color since it's first appearance in DC's Wonder Woman #177 (1969).
You may wonder about the tag line..."Turn the page for the real END!"
This is the page...

Art by Mike Sekowsky and Dick Giordano

...and the series was about to do the wildest reboot any comic had ever done up to that point!
My blog-buddy, Rip Jagger, can fill you in on that fascinating story, starting HERE!

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Showcase Presents

Wonder Woman

Volume 4

(which concludes with the story we're re-presenting...but in black and white!)
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WONDER WOMAN (and SUPERGIRL) "Captive Queens"

We Have Already Seen...

Interplanetary conqueror Klamos wants a super-powered bride!

His troops have been sent to every corner of the universe to round up worthy candidates!

Having captured a de-powered Supergirl by temporarily making Earth's sun red instead of yellow, they now make their move on Wonder Woman...

"...such loyal friends?"

Except for a previous Brave & Bold tale (where they were hardly the best of friends), the two of them never met!

Either way, the mayhem concludes tomorrow!

Don't miss it!

This Bill Finger-scripted, Win Mortimer-penciled, and Jack Abel-inked tale, was totally-different from any of the previously-published Wonder Woman stories!
Not surprising, since none of these creatives had worked on her tales before!
Ironically, this story apparently served as a try-out for Mortimer and Abel, who became regular artists (along with already-established illustrator Kurt Schaffenberger) on Supergirl's two tales-per-issue run in Adventure Comics in 1969!

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Showcase Presents

Wonder Woman

Volume 4

(which concludes with the story we're re-presenting...but in black and white!)
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WONDER WOMAN "and Supergirl vs the Planetary Conqueror"

With the new Wonder Woman movie coming out this week...

...plus Supergirl concluding her second season (and looking forward to a third on the CW...

...we thought we'd present a kool tale featuring both of them that's never been reprinted in color since its' first appearance in 1968!

A surprise you'll see...tomorrow!

This tale from DC's Wonder Woman #177 (1968) is atypical for a number of reasons.

None of the supporting cast for either heroine appears!

Neither heroine appears in her secret identity!

In fact, neither heroine even shows up until page 5!

Plus, writer Bill Finger, penciler Win Mortimer, and inker Jack Abel weren't the regular creative staff for the book!

(That would be writer Robert Kanigher, penciler Irv Novick and inker Mike Esposito.)

It appears this was a "fill-in" meant to be used for either a blown deadline or (as it turned out in this case) a "space-saver" before a reboot involving a totally-new creative team!

We'll go into that matter at the end of the tale...

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Showcase Presents

Wonder Woman

Volume 4

(which concludes with the story we're re-presenting...but in black and white!)

Paid Link