Superman #129
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuperman #129 is a double-barreled landmark of the Silver Age: it introduces Lori Lemaris, the mermaid from the Atlantean city of Tritonis who became one of Superman's most emotionally resonant love interests and one of the few romantic relationships in his life that ended not through villainy but through the insurmountable gap between two different worlds. The story deepens Clark Kent as a character, framing his human identity as a genuine choice born of longing rather than mere necessity. The issue also quietly rewrites the Superman power set for all future media: the 'Clark Kent, Fireman of Steel!' backup strip marks the first-ever use of Superman's freeze breath in any medium, a power that has been central to his toolkit in comics, animation, and film ever since. Its key story, 'The Girl in Superman's Past,' proved durable enough to be reprinted across six decades and re-adapted nearly panel-for-panel by John Byrne in the post-Crisis relaunch.
In "The Ghost of Lois Lane," Superman's accidental use of his x-ray vision triggers a catastrophic malfunction in Professor Grail's teleporter chair, leaving Lois seemingly vanished—only for Superman to glimpse her as a ghostly apparition. With help from Jimmy's new typewriter, Lois sends a cryptic message from the fourth dimension, guiding Superman to a single lever in the lab that might bring her back. Written by Jerry Coleman and illustrated by Wayne Boring with inks by Stan Kaye, this 1959 classic features Curt Swan's iconic cover and a chilling mystery that tests Superman's resolve.
When Superman’s x-ray vision inadvertently triggers a malfunction in Professor Grail’s experimental teleporter chair, Lois Lane vanishes—leaving behind only ghostly visions. As the spectral Lois reaches out through Jimmy’s new typewriter, Superman must race against time to pull the right lever in Grail’s lab and bring her back from the fourth dimension.
In "Clark Kent, Fireman of Steel!", Clark Kent swaps his reporter’s notebook for a fireman’s helmet, joining the department for a short assignment—only to find his secret identity under pressure as he navigates the skepticism of Fire Chief Hogan. With his powers tested in the heat of the blaze, Clark must stay one step ahead of discovery while proving he’s more than just a reporter in a suit.
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The issue was published with a cover date of May 1959, during the peak of editor Mort Weisinger's tightly controlled Silver Age Superman line at DC Comics. The three-story anthology format was standard for the era, with a rotating stable of writers and artists rather than a single creative team. Lori Lemaris was written by Bill Finger and drawn by Wayne Boring — the same pairing responsible for her debut story — while the cover was penciled by Curt Swan and inked by George Klein. The issue also carried an in-house advertisement for Supergirl's first appearance in Action Comics, placing it squarely at the center of one of the most character-introduction-dense periods in Superman publishing history.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of Lori Lemaris, a mermaid from Tritonis, a city in the lost continent of Atlantis, in the story 'The Girl in Superman's Past!'
- Lori Lemaris was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Wayne Boring; she belongs to DC's tradition of Superman love interests sharing the alliterative initials 'LL' (joining Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and others).
- The backup story 'Clark Kent, Fireman of Steel!' contains the first recorded use of Superman's freeze breath in any medium, according to the DC Database and the Superman Homepage.
- The issue contains three stories: 'The Ghost of Lois Lane!' (written by Jerry Coleman, penciled by Wayne Boring), 'Clark Kent, Fireman of Steel!' (written by Bill Finger), and 'The Girl in Superman's Past!' (written by Jerry Coleman, penciled by Wayne Boring with inks by Stan Kaye); the cover was penciled by Curt Swan and inked by George Klein.
- Editor on the issue was Mort Weisinger, the architect of the Silver Age Superman mythology.
- Lori's debut story was reprinted extensively, including in Superman Annual #1, Superman #217, Superman: From the Thirties to the Seventies (1971), Superman: From the Thirties to the Eighties (1983), The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (1987), Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 2, Showcase Presents: Superman Vol. 1, and Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years (2013).
- Lori Lemaris went on to be a recurring supporting character through the Silver Age and survived into the post-Crisis era via a John Byrne re-adaptation in Superman Vol. 2 #12 (1987); she was killed during Crisis on Infinite Earths and later restored to continuity.
- The issue's letters column, per the Grand Comics Database, includes an early letter from a young Jon Lomberg, who later became Carl Sagan's principal artistic collaborator on space-science projects.
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↩ Reprints A Date with Judy #18 (1950)
Reprinted in Superman #147 (1959), Superman Annual #1 (1960), Superman #197 (1967), Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #77 (1967), Superman #21/1967 (1967), Superman album #5 (1968), Supermann #4/1968 (1968), Superman #217 (1969), Supermann #8/1969 (1969), Supermann #12/1970 (1970), Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies #[nn] (1971), The Best of DC #38 (1983), Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn] (1983), The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told #[nn] (1988), The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told #[nn] (1989), Giant Superman Annual #1 Replica Edition #[nn] (1998), Showcase Presents: Superman #1 (2005), Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives #2 (2006), Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years #[nn] (2014)
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