17

Superman

Story continued from ACTION COMICS #663 (March 1991); Story continues in ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #477 (April 1991)

Superman finds himself in Warsaw, Poland in June of 1943, standing on some tracks, about to be hit by a Nazi train.  Superman flies over the train, alterting some Nazi officers and some Jewish captives within the train.  A man called Max kneels before a Nazi Officer, General Zeiten ("Mister Z"), who holds a staff with a head of crystal.  The officer tells him that the Reich has no more need of his body, but they wish to preserve his mind.  He absorbs the man's spirit into the staff's crystal.  An officer interrupts, telling the general about the train and wondering how a "mystery man" could have gotten past Hitler's mystical barrier.  The general says they must find the flying man before he impedes Project Zitadelle.  Superman lands in the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto.  A little girl tells him to hide, saving him from being spotted by some S.S.  Superman notes that history has changed; it's early June 1943, and the Nazis were supposed to have been out by mid-May 1943.  The little girl takes Superman to her mother, who is frightened of him.  He decides to leave, but the little girl gives him an old coat before he goes.  Back in the present, Bibbo orders another drink.  Jimmy Olsen's mom interrupts Jimmy and Lucy Lane at his apartment.  Lexcorp board members stress about the state of the company.  Perry White tells Alice that there are a lot of good times left if they can get back on track.  Lois walks through the street, lamenting Superman's jaunt through time.  In 1943, Superman x-rays a Nazi convoy, revealing a soldier guarding a lead-lined box.  A Nazi sees Superman, who disables him and goes to the convoy's destination.  He listens in on a conversation between Zeiten and others regarding plutonium and atomic weapon experiments.  Superman bursts in, avoiding looking into the crystal.  He destroys the lab and races to catch the train with the bomb.  He wrecks the train, freeing the Jewish captives.  Superman remembers that the first time he ran into Mr. Z, Zeiten showed him a photo of the same train wreck, saying Superman had caused it.  The Nazis remark that this flying man could do more damage to the Reich than all of Stalin's armies, and they decide to drop the bomb.  The little girl from before comes out of the wreckage and thanks Superman.  He sees the bomb falling and catches it, flying it out into space.  He disappears in the massive explosion, the onlookers below thinking that he has died.

Letterer: John Costanza; Inker: Dennis Janke; Penciller: Jerry Ordway; Writer: Jerry Ordway; Colorer: Glenn Whitmore;

6

Newsboy Legion

Story continues in SUPERMAN #55 (May 1991)

In the underground labs of the Cadmus D.N.A. Project, just outside Metropolis, a giant green Jimmy Olsen attacks the Guardian, who has caught him trying to sneak out with a cyclomatrix unit.  Jimmy grabs a metal pipe and begins to turn a greyish-purple.  The Newsboy Legion try to help Guardian, and Jimmy turns on them, attacking Gabby, who is saved by Tommy.  Big Words remarks that the alarms should have gone off by now.  Tommy hits the panic button, which is on a different circuit.  Elsewhere in the project, Shino Kurosawa shows Mr. Barstow a clone-detector and thanks Anthony for his help in developing it.  Tom and Walt Barstow remark on Anthony's attraction to Shino.  They hear alarms and run outside, seeing Gabby and Scrap.  Jimmy Olsen's clone has stretched his arms around the Guardian, trapping him.  Dubbilex saves the Guardian, but Jimmy's not out.  He rips a door marked "Danger" off its hinges and throughs it at the Newsboy Legion.  The Guardian blocks it, and the Guardian follows Jimmy down a corrider that provides access to the Project's nuclear facilities, telling Dubbilex to stay with the boys.

Inker: Karl Kesel; Penciller: Karl Kesel; Writer: Karl Kesel; Letterer: Bill Oakley; Colorer: Glenn Whitmore;