Cover: Joe Staton & Jack Abel

Adventure Comics #458

Jul 1978 · DC · 0.35 USD

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“The Superboy Who Wasn't”

In "The Superboy Who Wasn't," a 1978 Adventure Comics issue, Clark Kent faces a terrifying twist when his own parents are manipulated by the cunning Lester Wallace. Written by David Michelinie and illustrated by Joe Staton, with inks by Jack Abel and colors by Jerry Serpe, this story plunges Superboy into the Phantom Zone, where he meets the enigmatic Zan-Em—whose influence has been shaping Wallace’s actions. The cover by Joe Staton and Jack Abel captures the tension, as Wallace activates the Phantom Ray Projector in a desperate, self-inflicted turn.

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writer David Michelinie · artist Joe Staton · inker Jack Abel · colorist Jerry Serpe · letterer Clem Robins · cover Joe Staton, Jack Abel

More listings for this title

NM $2.49 VG $2.99 VG $3.2 FINE $3.95 MINT $3.99 FN/VF $4 VG+ $4.34 VG $4.7

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Full credits

writer David Michelinie

artist Joe Staton

inker Jack Abel

colorist Jerry Serpe

letterer Clem Robins

cover pencils Joe Staton

cover inks Jack Abel

Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers

▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers

Jonathan and Martha Kent attack Clark under the control of Lester Wallace. Wallace sends Superboy into the Phantom Zone, where he encounters Zan-Em. Zan-Em has been influencing Lester Wallace and turning him against Superboy. Superboy escapes the Phantom Zone, and the disturbed Wallace turns the Phantom Ray Projector on himself.

Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).