Action Comics #471
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeAction Comics #471 marks the debut of Faora Hu-Ul, the first female Kryptonian supervillain to graduate from a supporting mention into a full, menacing antagonist role in Superman's rogues' gallery. Where most Phantom Zone escapees had been politically motivated rebels, Cary Bates engineered Faora as something altogether darker — a serial killer whose motive is pure misandry, imprisoned for torturing and murdering 23 men in a secret concentration camp on Krypton. Her mastery of Horo-Kanu, a Kryptonian pressure-point martial art, gave her a tactical edge that forced Superman to flee their first encounter, a genuinely rare humiliation for the Man of Steel in the Bronze Age. The character proved durable enough to be reimagined across every subsequent DC continuity and served as the direct inspiration for Faora-Ul in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013), cementing this issue's place as the source-point for one of Krypton's most enduring villain archetypes.
When a mysterious phantom wreaks havoc in Metropolis, Clark Kent finds himself sharing a building with a strange new neighbor—Greg Porter, who claims to hear messages from his late wife. But as the chaos grows, it becomes clear that Porter is being manipulated by Faora Hu-Ul, a vengeful woman from the Phantom Zone using him as a conduit to escape her prison.
In "The Long Weekend," Clark finds himself restless during a quiet weekend, seeking connection—only to stumble into a mystery when a missing heir becomes the unexpected focus of a citywide search. With no clear destination and a quiet curiosity, he steps into a story that pulls him far beyond his usual routine.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 16 grades ▾
More listings for this title
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was produced by the Superman line's long-running Bronze Age creative axis: writer Cary Bates, penciler Curt Swan, and inker Tex Blaisdell handled the 11-page lead story, while editor Julius Schwartz — who had overseen the title for decades — guided the broader direction of the run. The cover, a striking image that became a showcase piece for the artist, was penciled by José Luis García-López and inked by Bob Oksner; the Grand Comics Database notes that García-López signed his pencils, reflecting the pride the creative team took in the work. Schwartz's editorial records, later supplied by DC Comics, confirmed the credits for both the lead story and the backup 'Private Life of Clark Kent' strip scripted by Bill Kunkel with art by John Calnan and Tex Blaisdell — an unusual level of archival precision for a Bronze Age monthly. The issue went on sale February 22, 1977, carrying a cover date of May 1977, and landed in an era when DC was actively expanding the Phantom Zone mythology through multi-part storylines, with Faora's arc continuing into Action Comics #472 and concluding in #473.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Faora Hu-Ul, a Kryptonian woman condemned to 300 years in the Phantom Zone — the second-longest sentence ever handed down by the Kryptonian Science Council — for torturing and killing 23 men in a secret concentration camp.
- Created by writer Cary Bates and penciler Curt Swan; the lead story 'One of Our Phantoms Is Missing!' runs 11 pages with inks by Tex Blaisdell and colors by Jerry Serpe.
- Cover penciled by José Luis García-López (signed) and inked by Bob Oksner, with colors by Tatjana Wood — one of the most praised covers of García-López's celebrated DC Bronze Age tenure.
- Edited by Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell served as associate editor; Joe Orlando was managing editor at the time.
- Faora is established as a master of Horo-Kanu, an ancient Kryptonian pressure-point martial art that allows her to paralyze opponents by targeting their nervous system — a skill that enables her to overpower Superman physically in subsequent issues.
- The issue opens a three-part Faora storyline concluding in Action Comics #473, in which Superman is forced to exile himself into the Phantom Zone as a consequence of the conflict.
- The lead story was reprinted in the French digest Superman Poche #11 (January–February 1978) and later collected in DC's hardcover Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López #2 (March 2020), giving the García-López cover art an archival showcase.
- A Mark Jewelers insert variant of the issue exists, distributed through military PX channels — a standard Bronze Age DC production variant, not a separate print run.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Superman Taschenbuch #7 (1977), Comic Reader #140 (1977), Superman #18/1977 (1977), Superman Poche #11 (1978), Supermann #2/1978 (1978), Teräsmies vuosialbumi #1981 (1980), Supermann årsalbum #1981 (1981), Superman #8 (1983), Seriepocket #146 (1984), Adventures of Superman: José Luis García-López #2 (2020)
Key issues in Action Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.