Superman #229

Superman #229 from August 1970 presents a genuinely intriguing cover dilemma: the Man of Steel hovers above a group of chained, desperate figures crying out to "Supro" for salvation, while a speech bubble reveals he's secretly struggling just to stay airborne with hidden glider wings. Curt Swan's pencils and Murphy Anderson's inks deliver a Superman who looks every bit the confident hero on the outside, even as the cover hints at something far more complicated beneath that familiar blue-and-red costume. With Leo Dorfman's script and the evocative title "The Ex-Superman!" promising a story about a hero stripped of his power, this 1970 issue offers the kind of premise that keeps readers turning pages.