Superman #264
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeSuperman #264 (June 1973) is the debut issue of Steve Lombard, a deliberately abrasive workplace foil who fundamentally reshaped the social dynamics of Clark Kent's supporting cast during the Bronze Age. By giving Clark an office antagonist rather than another admirer or ally, writer Cary Bates and editor Julius Schwartz injected a new comedic tension into the Daily Planet — or rather the WGBS newsroom — that writers across the Superman line quickly embraced as a reliable recurring device. Lombard proved durable enough to survive multiple continuity overhauls, from the post-Crisis era through the New 52 and Rebirth, and has since appeared in animated series, prose, and James Gunn's 2025 theatrical Superman film. The issue also features an installment of the 'Fabulous World of Krypton' backup series, an anthology format that enriched Kryptonian history and mythology throughout the early Bronze Age under Schwartz's editorial stewardship.
In "Secret of the Phantom Quarterback!", a seemingly heroic football player named Steve Lombard saves a child but struggles with painful knees, leading to an experimental treatment using solar energy. When a sunspot triggers a powerful energy surge, a radiant double of Steve emerges—first helping his team, then spiraling into unpredictable, dangerous behavior. As Superman steps in to prevent disaster, the situation grows more complex when Morgan Edge recruits Steve as a sports commentator. With the line between hero and menace blurring, Clark Kent and Lois Lane find themselves drawn into a mystery that tests the limits of identity and control.
In "The Headband Warriors of Krypton!", young Nim-Ed learns from his mother the forgotten history of Krypton’s past, where the people once endured oppression under the rule of the tyrant Taka-Ne. As she tells the tale, the story unfolds through the daring plan of Rik-Ar, whose wedding day became the turning point in a rebellion that hinged on the mysterious power of the headbands. With Jani and the spirit of Krypton at the heart of the struggle, the tale reveals how a single act of courage, masked by tradition, sparked a revolution.
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Editor Julius Schwartz conceived the idea of adding a sportscaster to Clark Kent's new television-newsroom setting — itself a recent editorial shift that moved Clark from print journalism to a broadcast anchor role at Morgan Edge's Galaxy Broadcasting System. Cary Bates scripted the lead story and fashioned Lombard as a workplace adversary, drawing partial inspiration from Ted Baxter, the pompous anchorman of the then-popular Mary Tyler Moore Show, while penciler Curt Swan modeled the character's physical look on real-life football star Joe Namath. The backup, 'The Headband Warriors of Krypton,' was written by Elliot S! Maggin with art by Dave Cockrum — an early Bronze Age collaboration that contributed to the ongoing 'Fabulous World of Krypton' anthology. The issue carried a cover by Nick Cardy and was inked in the lead story by the veteran Murphy Anderson, with E. Nelson Bridwell serving as assistant editor under Schwartz.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Steve Lombard, former star quarterback for the fictional Metropolis Meteors, who becomes the sports anchor at Galaxy Broadcasting and a recurring, often comedic antagonist to Clark Kent — a role he has maintained across pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, and modern DC continuity.
- Lead story: 'Secret of the Phantom Quarterback!' — written by Cary Bates, penciled by Curt Swan, inked by Murphy Anderson; Steve Lombard's origin is established in this very issue, as an experimental solar healing ray cures his injured knee but also spawns an energy duplicate of him that goes on a rampage before being stopped by Superman.
- Cary Bates modeled Lombard's personality on Ted Baxter from The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Curt Swan based the character's physical appearance on NFL quarterback Joe Namath.
- Backup story: 'The Headband Warriors of Krypton!' (part of the 'Fabulous World of Krypton' anthology series) — written by Elliot S! Maggin, with art by Dave Cockrum; a Kryptonian mother tells her son the legend of the ancient hero Rik-Ar, who overthrew the tyrant Taka-Ne using slings fashioned from headbands.
- Cover art by Nick Cardy; editorial credits include Julius Schwartz (editor) and E. Nelson Bridwell (assistant editor).
- Lombard immediately became a fixture: for several years following his debut, he appeared in nearly every published Superman story, with writer Martin Pasko later noting Lombard was one of the few characters that all of the Superman scripters of that era wrote consistently.
- The lead story's plot was later re-imagined in DC Comics Presents: Superman #1, and the Krypton backup story was reprinted in Best of DC #40 (September 1983).
- Steve Lombard has since appeared in multiple animated adaptations — including Young Justice, My Adventures with Superman, DC Super Hero Girls, and the All-Star Superman animated film — as well as in James Gunn's 2025 Superman theatrical film, where DC confirmed his first appearance as Superman #264.
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Reprinted in Superman #16/1973 (1973), Superman #19/1973 (1973), Superman Supacomic #172 (1973), Stålmannen #8/1974 (1974), Supermann #7/1974 (1974), Superman Supacomic #178 (1974), Supermann #15/1976 (1976), The Best of DC #40 (1983), DC Comics Presents: Superman #1 (2004)
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