Cover: George Pérez & Bob Smith

Adventure Comics #490

Feb 1982 · DC · 0.60 USD; 0.20 GBP

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★ 1st appearance — The Abyss

About this Issue

Adventure Comics #490 closes out the twelve-issue run of the revived 'Dial H for Hero' feature in Adventure Comics, making it the final chapter of one of the Bronze Age's most reader-driven storytelling experiments before the feature migrated to New Adventures of Superboy. The issue represents a genuine milestone in fan-creator collaboration: every hero identity assumed by Chris King and Vicki Grant, as well as every villain they faced, was submitted by readers from across North America and beyond — a participatory model that DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle credits with raising the bar on fan interaction in the creative process. As the last standard-format issue of the long-running Adventure Comics title before it was briefly cancelled and relaunched in digest form, #490 also marks the end of an era for one of DC's most storied anthology series.

Contains 3 stories

Into the Abyss

6 pp · Superhero

Christopher KingVicki GrantSquidTempest [Vicki Grant]The AbyssRadarman [Christopher King]Stuntmaster [Christopher King]Starburst [Vicki Grant]

Chapter II: The Other Side of Nowhere!

13 pp · Superhero

Christopher KingVicki GrantStuntmaster [Christopher King]Starburst [Vicki Grant]The AbyssBlackjackShadow Master [Christopher King]Centaurus [Christopher King]The SerpentDeflecto [Christopher King]Worm Man [Christopher King]Spinning Jenny [Vicki Grant]Spectro [Christopher King]Air Master [Christopher King]The Sting [Christopher King]The Attacker [Christopher King]Galaxy [Christopher King]

In "Chapter II: The Other Side of Nowhere!" from Adventure Comics #490, Chris and Vicki are mysteriously separated and stranded in opposing realms by the enigmatic force known as The Abyss, each fighting to find a way back while calling upon a series of unfamiliar heroes in a desperate bid to reunite. The story unfolds with a sense of urgent mystery, as the duo’s only hope lies in discovering which of these new allies can bridge the gap between their fractured realities.

Chapter III: Battle of the Abyss!

7 pp · Superhero

Christopher KingVicki GrantThe SquidThe AbyssScylla [Vicki Grant]Topsy-Turvy [Christopher King]Greg KingElizabeth KingGary King

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (Fine) $3

CGC 9.8 · 6 in census $130*

CGC 9.6 · 6 in census $39*

CGC 9.4 · 4 in census $22*

CGC 9.2 · 1 in census $20

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CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $20*

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VG $3 VG+ $3.4 NM $3.63 FN $4 VF $4.5 FN $4.5 FN+ $4.8 VG · Newsstand $4.98

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History

The 'Dial H for Hero' revival was originally scripted by Marv Wolfman with art by Carmine Infantino beginning with the preview in Legion of Super-Heroes #272 (February 1981) and continuing through Adventure Comics #479. By the time the run reached its conclusion in #490, writing duties had passed to Bob Rozakis and consulting editor E. Nelson Bridwell, with interior art shared between Carmine Infantino and Howard Bender; the cover was pencilled by George Pérez and inked by Bob Smith. The indicia title for this entire stretch (issues #479–490) read 'Adventure Comics Presents Dial H for Hero,' signaling that the feature, not the classic anthology brand, was the commercial draw, and editorial had already arranged for Chris King and Vicki Grant to continue their adventures immediately in New Adventures of Superboy beginning with issue #28.

Trivia · 8 facts

Cover date: February 1982; the final issue of the Adventure Comics 'Dial H for Hero' run, which occupied issues #479–490.
Writers: Bob Rozakis and E. Nelson Bridwell; interior pencillers: Carmine Infantino and Howard Bender; cover pencils by George Pérez, cover inks by Bob Smith.
Story title: 'Into the Abyss' — a full-length tale in which Chris King and Vicki Grant transform into multiple fan-submitted hero identities (including Tempest, Starburst, Radarman, Stuntmaster, and Shadow Master) to battle the villains Abyss and Squid, both making their first and only appearances in this issue.
Abyss and Squid are first appearances: Abyss was created by reader Robert A. Buethe of Elmont, NY; Squid was created by reader Lester English of Claplin, KS — consistent with the series' unique practice of printing reader-submitted hero and villain concepts directly into the stories.
The fan-submission mechanic credited readers by name and hometown for each hero and villain design; submitters also received a series logo T-shirt, though DC retained full ownership of all submitted characters.
After this issue, the 'Dial H for Hero' feature transferred directly to New Adventures of Superboy beginning with issue #28, ensuring continuity for Chris King and Vicki Grant without interruption.
Adventure Comics itself was briefly cancelled with this issue before being revived in September 1982 as a digest-sized reprint title (issues #491–503), marking #490 as the last standard-format issue of the original run.
The series' founding creative team — writer Marv Wolfman and artist Carmine Infantino — debuted Chris King and Vicki Grant in a special insert in Legion of Super-Heroes #272 (February 1981); Carmine Infantino's presence as interior artist continued through to this final issue.