Krypto-killer (Superman 195)

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Are you ready? [00:00:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:00:01] Speaker A: Are you with it? Yeah. Okay, let's go. [00:00:04] Speaker B: You know what to do. [00:00:05] Speaker A: The whole world's watching and counting on you. And all you people listening out there. Everybody everywhere. Hang on, hang on, hang on. Welcome to Checkered Past, a loving postmodern examination of the. Go. Go. Check. Branded comic magazines published by DC Comics between February 1966 and August 1967. I'm Dr. Bob, and each week I'll be your guide on this trippy tour through 535 mid century masterpieces of graphic noveldom. This week, Superman 195. Cover date April 1967. Cover price $0.12. Cover artists Curt Swan and George Klein. Edited by Mort Wisinger. Featuring the Fury of the Kryptonian Killer. Written by Jim Shooter. Art by Curt Swan and George Klein. Are you ready? Are you with it? Then away we go. Go. If you're walking in the shadows? Then it's time that you get wise? I just forget about your troubles? And open up your eyes? When you wear a smile? The world will shout hooray. You gotta turn on the sunshine? You're gonna push the blues away. A mysterious foe begins destroying all Kryptonian items and memorials on Earth. Superman, Supergirl and Krypto are unable to track down their unknown opponent, who soon steals the bottle city of Kandor. Confused? Don't worry, I'll be right back with doctor Husband to explain and everything. Strange parasitic beings are taking over human minds and then killing other humans for food. But what if the alien takes over your hand and not your brain? That's the pitch for Hitoshi Iwaki's manga, Parasite. In the second season of Full Manga, Alchemists, Patrick and I are discussing the story chapter by chapter, looking at not only the story itself, but where it intersects with our own experiences of living in Japan. We're also comparing two different English translations of Parasite to the original original and evaluating their respective translators choices. And every time we finish a volume of Parasite, we insert an episode on some aspect of our season one topic. Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist. Listen every other Monday on your favorite podcast app, Full Manga Alchemists. Well, hello. [00:02:39] Speaker B: Well, hi. [00:02:40] Speaker A: Where you been? [00:02:41] Speaker B: I've been around and about. Here and there. Yonder? [00:02:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:02:46] Speaker B: How about you? [00:02:47] Speaker A: Same. Yeah. You know, finishing up some projects in the real world. [00:02:53] Speaker B: I've been very busy the last. How long. How many weeks has it been since we. [00:02:57] Speaker A: Four weeks? A month? [00:02:58] Speaker B: Oh my gosh. Listener. I'm sorry. We've been very busy. Very, very busy. [00:03:05] Speaker A: Well, as entertainment professionals, you know, we're often called upon to assist with the production of a big show. [00:03:12] Speaker B: Yes. And we were. We were working together on a production of Next to Normal. [00:03:18] Speaker A: Yes. [00:03:19] Speaker B: Which is a hilarious romp through mental wellness. [00:03:23] Speaker A: It's a perfect show for Valentine's Day, which is when it was performed. Valentine's Day weekend, actually. [00:03:31] Speaker B: It was fantastic. [00:03:32] Speaker A: It was pretty good. Yeah, mostly. The piano player in the pit was aces. [00:03:39] Speaker B: Yeah, he was pretty good. He was pretty good. [00:03:40] Speaker A: It was me listener and I was, as a matter of fact, not good. [00:03:44] Speaker B: It was. Okay. [00:03:46] Speaker A: Serviceable. [00:03:47] Speaker B: Well, I mean, I. You were my 10th choice. [00:03:53] Speaker A: As I hear it. I was your only choice. [00:03:55] Speaker B: Well, I. I had contacted nine pianists before you, but no one could fit it into their schedule, so it had a very tight production schedule of six weeks. [00:04:04] Speaker A: Yes. Tenth time's a charm. [00:04:07] Speaker B: Yeah. So that. So that really was literally like what we were doing all the time. That was our. In addition to our. That was my part of my full time job and it was in addition to your work, so. [00:04:20] Speaker A: Yes. And you've been traveling for business and whatnot and. Yeah, I've been holding down the home fires here. You have been in my comfy brand wearable blanket. I'm very warm. [00:04:33] Speaker B: It certainly is a thing. [00:04:36] Speaker A: We've got a snowstorm going on. Another one. [00:04:40] Speaker B: It doesn't appear to be sticking to the road. [00:04:42] Speaker A: No, but it's going to keep snowing all night. You never know. [00:04:46] Speaker B: Yeah, but it's not going to get very cold tonight. [00:04:48] Speaker A: Well, agree to disagree. What else have we missed? Our wedding anniversary. [00:04:56] Speaker B: Yes. We didn't celebrate it on our wedding. [00:05:00] Speaker A: No. Because we were busy. [00:05:02] Speaker B: We went out to dinner and stuff after our anniversary. 33 years. [00:05:07] Speaker A: You know what else we missed? [00:05:08] Speaker B: What? [00:05:09] Speaker A: The anniversary of this very podcast. [00:05:12] Speaker B: What? [00:05:12] Speaker A: Last week. You're kidding. Our eight year anniversary of podcasting. [00:05:18] Speaker B: Are you sure? [00:05:19] Speaker A: Yeah, I looked it up. I looked up the publication of the first episode. [00:05:24] Speaker B: Wow. [00:05:24] Speaker A: I know. [00:05:25] Speaker B: I could swear we started this in the other house. Aren't we in our ninth year at this house? [00:05:30] Speaker A: No, we did start it in the other house. No, we're in our eighth year. [00:05:33] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:05:34] Speaker A: We started February of 2018 and we moved in the summer of 2018. [00:05:38] Speaker B: Okay. All right. Yeah. [00:05:43] Speaker A: I have to make a quick trip to Japan this week. [00:05:46] Speaker B: Yes. [00:05:47] Speaker A: To get Punch and bring him home to live with us. Punch the monkey. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just Google it. [00:05:53] Speaker B: But stories about poor Punch. [00:05:56] Speaker A: Well, he's gonna. My sister and I are gonna share custody. [00:05:59] Speaker B: Okay. [00:06:00] Speaker A: So you don't have to worry about your life being disrupted by Punch. He's pretty quiet. He sticks to his stuffed mother. But I'm gonna try to wean him off that and have him cling to my comfy brand wearable blanket. Got a big pocket here where he can sit in. [00:06:18] Speaker B: He can sit in. Yeah. [00:06:20] Speaker A: Kangaroo baby. And you know, I already keep snacks in there, so he'll have snacks. And if he wants his stuffed mother, there's room in there for her too. But as I say, I'm going to try to wean him off. [00:06:33] Speaker B: Okay. [00:06:34] Speaker A: And make me his mother. [00:06:35] Speaker B: Poor Punch. [00:06:36] Speaker A: Poor Punch. He's going to grow up to lead the revolt of the apes. [00:06:41] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. [00:06:42] Speaker A: Don't you think? He's been bullied so much. [00:06:45] Speaker B: Why are they showing him so much? [00:06:49] Speaker A: Where have you been? [00:06:50] Speaker B: I haven't been watching it. [00:06:51] Speaker A: You're on Instagram all day long. His mother rejected him at birth, and so the zookeepers gave him a stuffed orangutan toy so he could be comforted. Well, he drags that thing all over the place. He sleeps with it. He cuddles with it. He uses it as a shield when the bully adult monkeys beat up on him. Mm. There is a female monkey now that's taking him under her wing. [00:07:19] Speaker B: Oh, good. [00:07:20] Speaker A: Yeah. But he still drags that stuffed animal around. It's the most precious thing that ever was. [00:07:26] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Poor Punch. [00:07:28] Speaker A: What is this podcast about? [00:07:30] Speaker B: This one right now, in general. What's the comics. [00:07:36] Speaker A: Com. Right, right, right. I'd forgotten. What else is new? [00:07:41] Speaker B: Oh, I have to say, just, I haven't been playing guitar. [00:07:45] Speaker A: Yes. [00:07:45] Speaker B: Or flute. For. Since we started the. The production. [00:07:48] Speaker A: I know. [00:07:49] Speaker B: And I. My. My guitar is sitting stringless on the wall. My. My California made guitar. And so I need to string it after we get. Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry. I'm still kind of waking up for my two hour nap. Two hour nap. [00:08:06] Speaker A: Yeah, I got it. [00:08:07] Speaker B: We stayed up late last night. [00:08:08] Speaker A: Yes. [00:08:08] Speaker B: Very late. Watching the Columbus Crew and their inaugural game of the season against the Portland Timbers. [00:08:16] Speaker A: Who won? Because I went. [00:08:17] Speaker B: Oh, the Portland Timbers won. [00:08:18] Speaker A: Aw, geez. [00:08:19] Speaker B: Final score was three to two. [00:08:20] Speaker A: Ah, gee. Or at least it wasn't like six nil or something. [00:08:24] Speaker B: No, it wasn't a bad game. But if that's an indication of how the season's gonna go, it's just one game. [00:08:33] Speaker A: Sorry, Match. [00:08:35] Speaker B: Yes, but, well, they were pretty evenly matched with the Portland Timbers. [00:08:40] Speaker A: Also in news, we are delighted to be appearing currently on the three part Crisis in Eternity. Episode over at the Fabulous Earth 2 podcast, we play Mr. Scarlet and Pinky. [00:08:58] Speaker B: Yes. [00:08:58] Speaker A: So you want to check that out? I believe episode two just dropped of the three parts. [00:09:02] Speaker B: Cool. [00:09:03] Speaker A: But it's an excellent podcast. Anyway, I know you won't listen because you hate Earth 2, but. Anything else? [00:09:11] Speaker B: Is that where Bridgerton takes place? Earth 2? Yeah. [00:09:15] Speaker A: So you do like it? [00:09:16] Speaker B: I do. [00:09:18] Speaker A: Anything else new? [00:09:20] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, no. I can't think of anything except that I am. I'm really, really, absolutely excited to settle into the new routine. [00:09:32] Speaker A: The new old routine? [00:09:33] Speaker B: The new old routine, yes. Which will be not being at rehearsal five nights or four nights a week, and then occasionally on weekends. [00:09:43] Speaker A: Right to. [00:09:44] Speaker B: Yes. Yeah, I just got a glimpse of that. Thursday. [00:09:50] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [00:09:52] Speaker B: So it's nice. [00:09:53] Speaker A: Welcome to the club. [00:09:54] Speaker B: Yes, of course. We teach on Wednesdays, don't we? Wednesday evenings. [00:09:58] Speaker A: Yes. Well, I teach several evenings a week. [00:10:01] Speaker B: Well, yes, you do. Yes. [00:10:03] Speaker A: And still manage to find time to keep a lovely home. I couldn't even get through that myself. [00:10:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:12] Speaker A: Hey, who is the mystery foe who vows to destroy every living member of Superman's race? On the COVID we have Superman being overcome by kryptonite gas. I'm assuming it's green. [00:10:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it is. [00:10:30] Speaker A: In tubes against the back wall, we have the Bottle City of Kandor, Supergirl and Krypto, who's inexplicably floating in the air. Maybe the kryptonite hasn't affected him and he's still able to fly. [00:10:45] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, he is, isn't he? [00:10:48] Speaker A: Yes. This is Superman. Sorry, Superman number 195. Who ranks Superman highest on his private hate parade? Brainiac? Luthor? Guess again. Because you're about to meet a man who not only despises the man of Steel, but is seeking revenge against all things Kryptonian. And not even the mighty walls of the Fortress of Solitude can keep out the fury of the Kryptonian killer. Now, it says we're about to meet him. We actually met him before in issue 190. [00:11:37] Speaker B: Have we? [00:11:37] Speaker A: Yeah, it's recapped in this. Did you read the story? [00:11:42] Speaker B: Yes, but he's not. I mean, he's the man behind it, but he's not. [00:11:47] Speaker A: Yes, Right. [00:11:49] Speaker B: You know what I'm saying? [00:11:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:50] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't want to give anything away. [00:11:51] Speaker A: No. No spoilers. [00:11:52] Speaker B: Right. [00:11:54] Speaker A: One day in Metropolis Square, reporter Jimmy Olson covers an important event. The dedication of a monument to Krypton, the birthplace of Earth's mighty defenders, Superman and Supergirl. Krypton. In attendance are Superman and Supergirl and presumably the mayor of Metropolis and the population. And Jimmy Olsen. [00:12:16] Speaker B: Yeah. Hi, Jimmy. [00:12:19] Speaker A: Now, Jimmy bets that everyone in Metropolis is there to honor Superman. But he's wrong. Not everyone. One lone figure concealed in the shadows has a far different reason for attending. Now, this monument is a model of the planet Krypton up on Trivet. I guess you'd call it a pedestal. A tripod. Some kind. A tripedistal. It's pretty big. Yeah, it's about as big as the Daily Planet globe on top of the building. [00:12:54] Speaker B: And this hand holding a gun blasts it so that this thing would fall down and potentially kill people. [00:13:02] Speaker A: Well, yeah. Presumably it's made of cement or something. [00:13:06] Speaker B: Something. [00:13:09] Speaker A: Luckily, Superman and Supergirl are both in attendance. And so Superman makes quick work of the globe not crushing everyone. And Supergirl points out where the ray gun came from. She tracks it to the alleyway. But the perpetrator is gone. Or, in police talk, the perpetrator, the perp. [00:13:31] Speaker B: Yeah, the perp has vanished. [00:13:34] Speaker A: Superman. Superman, we learned, just disposes of the monument after Superman has disposed of the monument. We're not gonna reclaim it and reset it. [00:13:46] Speaker B: No, he's thrown it away. Probably threw it in the ocean or [00:13:48] Speaker A: in the sun, probably. [00:13:50] Speaker B: It's like, oh, someone broke the pedestal. Might as well get rid of it. [00:13:53] Speaker A: Or wouldn't it be ironic if he blew it up with dynamite just like real Planet Cryptid blew up? [00:14:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Why didn't he just set it aside? [00:14:02] Speaker A: I don't. I don't know. Yeah, maybe because it. If it's not on the trivet, it would roll. Roll right out of Metropolis Square, down the street, crush people in a bowl [00:14:13] Speaker B: shaped depression in the earth that he carved with his hands or breath or anything just to keep it from rolling around until they figure out what to do with it. [00:14:22] Speaker A: Or he could fashion a giant, like a doorstop kind of a thing and just stick that under it. [00:14:31] Speaker B: A few of them. Wedge them under a couple. [00:14:33] Speaker A: Yeah, wedges. [00:14:34] Speaker B: Or he could just take his super speed. Or the Flash could use his super speed hands and drill out a moat. Yes, yes. And they could place it inside the moat. The depression in the earth. I like the idea of just simply putting it in a low place in the earth that you've created with your superpowers so it won't roll around until they just figure out how to pick it up with a crane and put it back on a new pedestal. [00:14:56] Speaker A: Or if it's not actually made of cement, but rather made of iron or something, he could weld it to the ground until such time as the workmen could come and build another trivet. [00:15:08] Speaker B: Weld it to the soil. Weld it to the sand. [00:15:12] Speaker A: Well, yes. If you superheat sand, it'll turn to glass or lava. Molten lava. [00:15:18] Speaker B: Which will cool down. [00:15:19] Speaker A: Yeah. And then it'll harden. It'll trap the. [00:15:22] Speaker B: Or he could just do the first thing that I suggested, which was use his super strength and just dig a depression in the ground about the size of a car, about 3ft deep to keep it from rolling around. [00:15:32] Speaker A: Okay, but he's already keeping it from rolling around. Who's going to hold the globe while he's digging this hole in the ground? [00:15:37] Speaker B: He would literally do it with his laser eyes or with his heat vision, or with one hand as he held the globe up with the other hand. [00:15:45] Speaker A: He's not a Harlem Globetrotter. He can't balance a giant planet Krypton on his one hand. [00:15:51] Speaker B: But Krypto could use his back legs and kill him. [00:15:53] Speaker A: Crypto's not there. Only Supergirl could have. [00:15:56] Speaker B: Supergirl could have. [00:15:57] Speaker A: And she's busy tracking down the criminal. [00:15:58] Speaker B: She didn't even do it. Her job. [00:16:01] Speaker A: She did. She tracked him down, but he's gone. [00:16:03] Speaker B: She didn't track him down. [00:16:04] Speaker A: She just saw where he went and he disappeared. [00:16:07] Speaker B: Tracking down means here he is. I found him. [00:16:11] Speaker A: Well, she doesn't say that. She says the ray came from here. [00:16:15] Speaker B: I. I don't get it. [00:16:18] Speaker A: Why? [00:16:19] Speaker B: What did anyone literally. Did you just like, think like, what annoying fact can I bring out of this page? I know, okay? [00:16:29] Speaker A: I'm trying to contribute more. Why would anyone want to destroy Monument to Krypton? Jimmy asked. Ace reporter Jimmy Olsen asking the hard hitting questions. [00:16:40] Speaker B: Probably some crook you captured seeking revenge, huh? [00:16:44] Speaker A: Well, maybe. But Superman thinks that the blast was too powerful to be the work of a common crook. Only Brainiac or Luther could have done it. But he knows where they are, right? In jail. Next day, he's patrolling Metropolis. He can't get this incident out of his mind. Suddenly he hears an explosion at the Superman museum. He puts out the fire with his super breath and then investigates. Luckily, the museum was closed. Must be Sunday. [00:17:17] Speaker B: Can we talk about who drew this? [00:17:19] Speaker A: Yeah, Kurt Swan and George Klein. [00:17:21] Speaker B: Inking. Why? Is this the guy who draws Superman? Looks like he's just standing still and puts him in flight. [00:17:30] Speaker A: No, this is Kurt Swan, who is the preeminent Superman artist of the 60s, 70s and 80s. [00:17:39] Speaker B: A couple weird poses there for Superman. Looks like he's missing a hand at the bottom of page three. And. Oh, that's a statue. [00:17:48] Speaker A: That's a statue that is missing a hand. Is this about where you fell asleep for your nap? [00:17:58] Speaker B: No, no, it isn't. I fall asleep later on and it [00:18:01] Speaker A: looks like Jor El doesn't have a body. He's just a floating head. [00:18:04] Speaker B: It's a plinth. [00:18:06] Speaker A: I don't know what that means, but take your word for it, it's a bust. Great Scott. [00:18:14] Speaker B: No, it's a bust on a plinth. Plinth. [00:18:17] Speaker A: Superman goes into the Kryptonian room, which is where the explosion came from, and it's been destroyed. Statues of famous Kryptonians, including Superman's parents. So Superman correctly deduces that someone's out to destroy everything Kryptonian. But who? And why? And how long will this continue? [00:18:42] Speaker B: Well, later on, he goes to the Metropolis park and sees some statues that have been defaced, literally defaced. [00:18:49] Speaker A: Like Supergirl's head. It's statues of Supergirl and Superman. Supergirl's head has been ripped off and [00:18:55] Speaker B: half of Superman's head has been taken off. [00:18:57] Speaker A: Yes, and their arms. In the weeks that follow, Superman goes [00:19:07] Speaker B: to, [00:19:10] Speaker A: I guess the library, maybe the Library of Congress, where Kryptonian books, which he has recreated, have been destroyed. Some other room with files and literature on Superman. He finds that someone has gone through each book and redacted Superman and Supergirl's names out of some sort of heat source with a heat ray of some kind. [00:19:39] Speaker B: Well, how was that person allowed to be in that room for that long? [00:19:42] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:19:43] Speaker B: Mm. [00:19:44] Speaker A: You wouldn't just let anyone in there. You'd have an archivist. You'd make them wear gloves. [00:19:48] Speaker B: Right, right. I mean, that person had literally had time to go through every cabinet to a pile of books and just go through. It's like this, Bob. Lick your finger, flip the page. Wait, flip the page. That's the heat signature device. [00:20:11] Speaker A: It's like when Joan Crawford cut out. What was his name? Philip or Jeffrey. [00:20:16] Speaker B: Or when she, like when she doesn't like you, she makes you disappear. [00:20:19] Speaker A: Uh huh, yeah. [00:20:21] Speaker B: Is that the line from Mommy Dearest? [00:20:23] Speaker A: Oh, yes. And what's more, the orbiting monument to Jor El and Lara, his parents, has been melted, floating out in space. [00:20:35] Speaker B: Did you know there was an orbiting monument to his parents? [00:20:38] Speaker A: I probably did. Somewhere in the back of my mind, you know, there's one Supergirl or Superboy story, Superboy story, which has been ignored since, but he finds that his parents are actually in suspended animation, floating in space. Because right before Krypton exploded, they discovered they were already dying of kryptonite poisoning. And so someone had visited Krypton at the last minute and put them in suspended animation and sent them floating through space. But of course, if they wake up, they'll die from kryptonite poisoning. Wow, that's not. It's been ignored. [00:21:19] Speaker B: It's what? [00:21:19] Speaker A: It's been ignored. [00:21:20] Speaker B: Yeah, that seems like it's bad. [00:21:22] Speaker A: Bad idea. Bad idea. All right. Minutes later, outside Metropolis, the Man of Might confers with Supergirl as his super dog Krypto looks on. [00:21:33] Speaker B: So you can see why I called you. Now, what else can we do? [00:21:37] Speaker A: Well, if this enemy is powerful enough to wipe out all our Kryptonian relics, why couldn't he be monitoring us right now? [00:21:46] Speaker B: You're right. Perhaps we should move to my arctic Fortress of solitude. No enemy could spy on us there. [00:21:53] Speaker A: Only we know its location in the Arctric Ruff. What? Oh, crypto. [00:22:00] Speaker B: Crypto's turning in. So they go. And someone has broken. [00:22:03] Speaker A: Someone has busted it. No, this seems like a bit of [00:22:05] Speaker B: a far, far stretch. Like someone could actually break into. [00:22:12] Speaker A: Bust through that giant door. [00:22:15] Speaker B: Yeah, and they didn't just use the [00:22:17] Speaker A: key, they busted a hole in the door. A Mac truck sized hole. [00:22:21] Speaker B: And I mean busted up the Kryptonian display room house. Like, how did he not know that this was happening? Doesn't he have alarms? [00:22:31] Speaker A: You'd think there would be an alarm. Yes. So they head for the Kryptonian exhibits room where we have a. What was that ride at Disney World? The Carousel of Progress. [00:22:45] Speaker B: The Carousel of Progress. [00:22:46] Speaker A: It's like a Carousel of progress of a typical Kryptonian home. [00:22:51] Speaker B: Except instead of the song, There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, the song goes, there is no kind of future for crypto for Krypton. [00:23:02] Speaker A: Yes, it does look amazingly like a mid century home of the United States of America. [00:23:07] Speaker B: Well, yes. [00:23:08] Speaker A: Also we learn that Superman is a toy collector. He's got a shelf of Kryptonian animals, 1/6 actual size. That's a standard action figure size. You would one in six collective group of people who collect action figures. [00:23:29] Speaker B: I went to the Valley Mall yesterday, and speaking of collectors, it was some sort of card collecting event. Yes, people at tables. And all the people were Pokemons, Pokemon [00:23:45] Speaker A: sports cards, magic cards, all kinds of cards. [00:23:47] Speaker B: Just cards. Cards, Cards, cards, cards. Right. And everyone was milling about with their heads bent over at the tables and you could not get around. There were so many people there. And oh, first of all, just getting a parking space and Then the people who were parking in the parking space and going inside to mill about were milling through the parking lot. They were walking five and six abreast, so you couldn't drive past them. [00:24:08] Speaker A: Sure. [00:24:09] Speaker B: And they were milling. So they were shuffling about, right? [00:24:11] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:12] Speaker B: It was the most frustrating thing. I finally got there, managed to get past the people milling about, shuffling around them, moving around their slow, snail like, slug like paces as they were just milling. [00:24:26] Speaker A: Uh huh. [00:24:27] Speaker B: And got to the jeweler only to find out that he couldn't make my bracelet any smaller than it is. I have one of those steel cable beaded bracelet things, you know. [00:24:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:37] Speaker B: He said if I cut it, it won't be as strong. He says, I'll have to re. Put the beads back on. And he said it will never be as strong as it is right now. So he says, I won't do it. I said, okay, that's fine. But anyway, you know how you and I are about people who mill well. [00:24:53] Speaker A: Although as a collector myself, you've got to move slowly in case you miss anything. [00:24:59] Speaker B: Yes, but it wasn't interesting. It was cards. [00:25:02] Speaker A: It wasn't interesting to me. To Mew. [00:25:04] Speaker B: Correct. [00:25:06] Speaker A: Yes. Valley Mall often has a toy show about once a month. I go up there once in a while. [00:25:11] Speaker B: Do they? Yes, they have quite a selection of restaurants and shops. One would think that they actually are a really interesting mall. I mean, they really do have like Mission Barbecues up there, which is cool. Great. [00:25:23] Speaker A: Yes. And some other really good brothers. [00:25:26] Speaker B: And they have a new Meritus Health there and of course the Theatra, the movie theater. [00:25:31] Speaker A: Yes. [00:25:31] Speaker B: And they have some, some. What do they call those stores? Anchor stores. I mean, it's for an indoor mall. [00:25:39] Speaker A: Orange Julius. They've got everything. [00:25:41] Speaker B: It's not dying. [00:25:42] Speaker A: No. [00:25:43] Speaker B: You can get a tattoo there. [00:25:44] Speaker A: You can what? Yeah, well, I'm not in the market for one right now, but it's good to know. So the Krypton exhibit has been ruined. [00:25:56] Speaker B: And after I went to the mall, I went to the liquor store. [00:26:02] Speaker A: Yes. [00:26:03] Speaker B: Which has been moved. So you remember our old liquor store? [00:26:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:06] Speaker B: It's called Barrel Bodega. Bodega. Barrel Bodega. So they've always. They had that old store spot, you know, which was just crammed full of people like you. You would. And they have great prices, Very good prices. Always crammed full of people. [00:26:19] Speaker A: Yes. [00:26:20] Speaker B: So they have a new place and it's actually kind of not easy to get to because they don't have a direct turn off the road. [00:26:25] Speaker A: You have to go through that service Station. [00:26:28] Speaker B: So I went by it twice, drove by it twice, trying to figure out how to get into the Parkathon, and I finally realized, oh, I can only get into it from inside the maze of. You know what I mean, of the parking lot there. So I got in there, and they have a bar inside the liquor store. [00:26:47] Speaker A: It's huge. It's the former site of the Chuck E. Cheese. Yeah. [00:26:51] Speaker B: But it's. I mean, there are people in the [00:26:53] Speaker A: bar just sitting down, having a wife [00:26:56] Speaker B: in there, you know, So I didn't go into the bar, but I did. I was curious. I wanted to buy some Benedictine and, of course, some bourbon. [00:27:04] Speaker A: Sure. [00:27:05] Speaker B: Best prices in town. Honestly, I mean, like. I mean, what. The bottle of bourbon that we buy is $35 there, and it's what, $54 in Shepherdstone. Yeah, yeah. That's how significant. The prices are different in West Virginia versus Virginia. Yeah. I mean, versus Maryland. Versus Maryland. Yeah. Yeah. Significant. So anyway. [00:27:25] Speaker A: Yep. [00:27:26] Speaker B: Then. Then I went to Twig Cycles and bought myself a new helmet. [00:27:31] Speaker A: Okay. [00:27:32] Speaker B: Yes. For my motorcycle, because motorcycle seasons, people were out riding yesterday because it was in the 50s. [00:27:38] Speaker A: So, yes. [00:27:39] Speaker B: I was thinking about getting in a ride, but I couldn't fit it in. Not with my nap and whatnot. [00:27:44] Speaker A: No. You have such a busy schedule. [00:27:46] Speaker B: Plus, I was gonna be up so late last night. Yeah. [00:27:49] Speaker A: So, anyway, the Kryptonian exhibit has been destroyed and the perpetrator, or perp, is still in the Fortress. [00:27:57] Speaker B: He's in the Fortress. [00:27:58] Speaker A: He's a shadowy figure. [00:28:00] Speaker B: He's not a superhero. This perpetual. [00:28:02] Speaker A: How could they. [00:28:02] Speaker B: Or supervillain, rather. He doesn't know these special powers. No, we do know it. How does he get away from them? How? They don't even explain how he vanishes into thin air. Do you see that? Page six, middle panel. [00:28:19] Speaker A: How do you. How. How are you supporting your assertion that we know that he's not super at this point in the story? [00:28:29] Speaker B: I'm just saying, for the only problem. Okay. I like this story. I really do. I have a little bit of problem with. With the. With the continuity of it. [00:28:38] Speaker A: Okay. [00:28:38] Speaker B: Okay. Because he. The person who is doing this, we will come to find out very soon, has no superpowers. [00:28:45] Speaker A: Right. [00:28:46] Speaker B: How he is able to just vanish like that? He is, in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, a mere mortal character. I would say human being, but a mere humanoid. Right. Doing this without any super powers would not just vanish like this. [00:29:05] Speaker A: Well, it's some kind of technology. That seems obvious to me. [00:29:10] Speaker B: All right, all right. [00:29:13] Speaker A: Anyway, while Superman and Supergirl are Surveying the damage of the Kryptonian exhibit. He's stealing the Bottle City of Kandor. [00:29:20] Speaker B: Yes, and he's also stolen things from them, which. [00:29:23] Speaker A: Now the alarm goes off. Supergirl again sees him ducking around the corner. They go around the corner, he's gone. [00:29:33] Speaker B: He vanishes. [00:29:35] Speaker A: He must have. [00:29:35] Speaker B: All that's left is just dust. Dust. [00:29:38] Speaker A: He must have teleported himself away. Supergirl says. [00:29:44] Speaker B: So we're assuming the teleportation is a thing that they can do at this time. I don't remember us seeing teleportation in Superman comics before this. [00:29:53] Speaker A: Well, okay, but clearly Supergirl has seen it at some point along the way because she correctly assumes that he teleported himself away. It's 1967. We have Star Trek on video version [00:30:08] Speaker B: of you eight years ago. Would have appreciated the fact that I am pointing out problems with continuity, but. [00:30:14] Speaker A: Yes, but I don't see it as a problem. Makes perfect sense to me. [00:30:17] Speaker B: I'm sure it does. [00:30:18] Speaker A: Also, all the Kryptonite has been stolen. [00:30:20] Speaker B: Why would he keep green Kryptonite? [00:30:24] Speaker A: For scientific experiments or something. [00:30:27] Speaker B: It literally kills him. Yes, its presence. [00:30:32] Speaker A: Well, it's kept in a lead safe. [00:30:34] Speaker B: Yes, but the moment he opens it up, he's exposed to it. Does he wear a lead suit? [00:30:37] Speaker A: Lead gloves, for sure. [00:30:39] Speaker B: Okay. [00:30:40] Speaker A: Or he has giant tongs that he could pull it out with. Meanwhile, in a secret base disguised as an asteroid, which orbits Earth erratically to avoid detection. I'm not sure that's possible. They are being observed. Superman and Supergirl are being observed on a giant Lex phone. Whoever's watching them is bemused by their mystified faces. Vengeance is sweet. I shall let them suffer a while longer. Then destroy them as I have everything else of Krypton. Who is this fella? [00:31:21] Speaker B: Who is he indeed? [00:31:23] Speaker A: Well, it's our old friend Amalak. [00:31:26] Speaker B: What is it? [00:31:27] Speaker A: Well, no, the shadowy figure is not. But the shadowy figure suddenly is contacted by Amalak, the shadowy figure. [00:31:36] Speaker B: His name is Reynold Jag. [00:31:38] Speaker A: Reynold Jag. Greetings, Reynold Jag. That's Amelek. I see your project goes well. [00:31:50] Speaker B: It does, Amalek. And I thank you for your assistance. [00:31:55] Speaker A: Amalek turns off the view screen and says, no. Fool. I thank you for. For being stupid enough to fall for my scheme. [00:32:03] Speaker B: Can this really be Amalek, the fearsome space pirate who used his element beings against Superman, only to be caught in the blast when the fire creature turned radioactive and reached critical mass? [00:32:13] Speaker A: As told in Superman number 190? If only Superman knew that Amalek had activated a time transporter in his ship and escaped the explosion. Explosion? By going into the past. [00:32:27] Speaker B: I have no memory of the previous Superman 190. [00:32:31] Speaker A: I remember the COVID of Superman surrounded by elemental, like a fire, earth, water, air, creatures. [00:32:43] Speaker B: Okay, [00:32:46] Speaker A: I kind of remember Amalak just because the comics database that I do my research on says that this issue is his final appearance. But I have a very clear memory of him appearing at least on the COVID of a Superman comic in the 70s, presented as one of Superman's most famous foes. So I didn't have time to research that today, but someone's gonna let us know, right? [00:33:12] Speaker B: And Amlak. I would have remembered that name. That's a very unusual name. Sounds like something like a suppository or insurance. Car insurance. Yes. [00:33:23] Speaker A: All right. Once in the past, Amalak landed on a backward planet to get his weapons repaired, enslaved the population and made them overhaul his machines. Next, he heads for Krypton of the past, which has not exploded yet. [00:33:41] Speaker B: Except he's. His ticker wasn't quite right. [00:33:44] Speaker A: No. [00:33:44] Speaker B: He arrived right as it was exploding. [00:33:46] Speaker A: Yeah. His intention was to change history by destroying Superman and his entire family while the man of might was still a baby. But he miscalculated. It's too late. He arrives at Krypton just as it's exploding. He watches the exploding fragments get changed into green Kryptonite. He thinks to collect some, but then he notices one large piece of planetary proportions being flung out from the exploding planet. [00:34:21] Speaker B: Amarak calculated the fragment's course, then returned to the present where, as he had figured, the wandering piece of Krypton was now hurtling toward Solitar, a planet just its size. The monstrous chunk crashed into the small planet, entirely demolishing and killing its whole. Whole population. Oh, my God. Except for one man, that world had been developing space travel and a single astronaut was in space at the moment of impact and was saved from the cataclysm. Oh, my gosh. Seeing his world turn to dust beneath him, he had no choice but to continue his mission to Solitar's moon, which had water, air and fruit enough to keep him alive until Amalek rescued him. Pretending to be a kindly space explorer, the Raider gave him food and shelter. Once he was convinced that Amalek was his friend the young man was subject to a subtle brand of brainwashing. [00:35:18] Speaker A: Now, I don't want to be a science nerd, but I'm going to be. If a planet is destroyed by a projectile the same size as the planet, [00:35:35] Speaker B: the moon would also. [00:35:35] Speaker A: That's going to destroy the moon. [00:35:37] Speaker B: Also, that's assuming that the moon is orbiting close enough to. I mean. [00:35:44] Speaker A: Well, that's the very. [00:35:46] Speaker B: A moon is a smaller object that orbits a larger object. Right. So you would think that it would somehow be affected by this. Yeah. Yes. Now, this is 1966 or 7, right? [00:35:57] Speaker A: Yes. [00:35:57] Speaker B: We've been to the moon. [00:36:00] Speaker A: Yes. [00:36:01] Speaker B: In real Earth 1 real time. [00:36:03] Speaker A: Sent probes to several moons. [00:36:06] Speaker B: Right. So we know this science to be somewhat inconsistent. Well, as is the continuity of this entire freaking story. [00:36:17] Speaker A: It was written by a teen, you know. [00:36:19] Speaker B: Oh, Jim Shooter, he's taking some. Quite some liberties with this. [00:36:23] Speaker A: Which brings me to my next nerdy point. I can't exactly remember what happens to Amalek at the end of this story. [00:36:32] Speaker B: He just goes to jail. He just goes to prison. [00:36:36] Speaker A: This story, written by Jim Shooter, who's a teen, shows a planet and its entire population being destroyed. [00:36:50] Speaker B: Right. [00:36:53] Speaker A: Now, when Jim Shooter's the editor in chief of Marvel Comics and Jean Grey, as Dark Phoenix destroys a planet and its entire population, and the writers allowed her to live at the end of the story, Jim Shooter said, no, she cannot live. She must die for her crimes. [00:37:17] Speaker B: But as a teenager, he destroyed his story. Yeah, well, I guess he developed some sort of sense of a moral conscience as he got older. [00:37:26] Speaker A: Well, as it turns out, it wasn't even really Jean Grey that did it in the first place. She was comatose at the bottom of the ocean. [00:37:33] Speaker B: Who was it? [00:37:34] Speaker A: It was the Phoenix Force, which had taken over her body. Crafted its own body or something. I don't know. It's been 40 years since I read that story. [00:37:44] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:37:46] Speaker A: So, yadda yadda, yadda. Amalak rescued R. Jag. What's his name? [00:37:54] Speaker B: Rinol Jag. [00:37:54] Speaker A: Rinal Jag. And showed him a tape recording of his planet being destroyed by a chunk of Krypton. [00:38:04] Speaker B: The vcr. [00:38:05] Speaker A: And now he hates Krypton and everything. Kryptonian, Probably Betamax. Yeah. Within days, the cunning Amalek had completely instilled in young Renal Jag a burning hatred of all things Kryptonian. And Renal Jag vows to wipe the memory of Krypton from the universe as Krypton wiped out Salatar. I will kill Superman and Supergirl and any other survivors. [00:38:31] Speaker B: Amalek armed Renol and briefed him on the things he had to know to accomplish his revenge. Farewell, Amalek. I shall be eternally grateful to you. [00:38:40] Speaker A: And I to you. For by unleashing you on Superman, I'll create a diversion while I plant a bomb on Earth. And by blowing it up, I shall be avenged on. Superman, for my last defeat. Even if you fail, Rinal Jag. [00:38:57] Speaker B: Now back to the present. [00:38:59] Speaker A: Yes, now back to the present. Renald's next target is Supergirl, who is finishing her daily patrol when she receives a telepathic message. Supergirl, I have your foster parents, the Danvers captive. Unless you come to the Point Peak outside Mintvale alone in two minutes, I'll kill them. [00:39:25] Speaker B: She uses her X ray vision and to look into the house and sees he's not lying. Mom and dad aren't home as they should be. I better do as he says. Whoever he is, he knows my secret identity. [00:39:37] Speaker A: But wait a minute. He didn't superstaff that girl. Voice made me cough. He didn't say how I should come. Maybe I could surprise him. [00:39:49] Speaker B: And so, on top of mount of Point Peak, there's like a armored gentleman standing there. [00:39:56] Speaker A: And Supergirl does surprise him by coming up from underneath the Earth. [00:40:00] Speaker B: Now that's a good drawing. [00:40:01] Speaker A: That's a great drawing. Unfortunately, the armor's made of lead. She can't see who's inside. [00:40:09] Speaker B: She punches him. [00:40:10] Speaker A: But she can punch him against the [00:40:12] Speaker B: rock and blast off the armor. Unfortunately, he's wearing a Kryptonian long johns. Yes, long johns. Underneath that. Krypton. Excuse me? I said Kryptonian Kryptonite. [00:40:25] Speaker A: Long Kryptonite, Green Kryptonite. Later. Far away. Metropolis. [00:40:31] Speaker B: There's a word for that. What is that called? [00:40:34] Speaker A: What? [00:40:34] Speaker B: Not souplice. What's it called when you wear something? Jerkin. A jerkin underneath the suit of armor? [00:40:42] Speaker A: Yes. [00:40:42] Speaker B: Okay. [00:40:44] Speaker A: I'm just saying. Yes. I have no idea, but it sounds good. You have a mark on your forehead. [00:40:50] Speaker B: I do? [00:40:50] Speaker A: A red mark. Is it the mark of the devil? [00:40:53] Speaker B: I do? [00:40:54] Speaker A: Don't. [00:40:54] Speaker B: I see it. I see it. I see it. Look at that. It's clear as day. [00:41:00] Speaker A: I see. [00:41:02] Speaker B: Feels like a. Well, I don't know, maybe it's a. I don't know. [00:41:07] Speaker A: I'd say you got burned by the ashes on Ash Wednesday. But you didn't go get ashes on Ash Wednesday. [00:41:12] Speaker B: No, I didn't. I was too busy. [00:41:14] Speaker A: Huh. All right. Superman and Krypto are a patrol of Metropolis. Superman has scanned Mid veil with his super senses, but he can't cannot find a trace of Supergirl. Could that Krypton hating menace be responsible? Come on, Krypto, let's start looking. But suddenly. Yip. A Kryptonite grappling. Hook shoots down from the clouds, grabs Krypto and yanks him up into space. [00:41:41] Speaker B: You know how upset I get when poor Krypto gets. [00:41:43] Speaker A: I know. He is dragged up into outer space into this asteroid that we saw earlier orbiting Errat around the Earth. [00:41:55] Speaker B: And Superman follows him in. [00:41:56] Speaker A: Superman follows him in. Even though it's clearly a trap. The airlock has been left open. [00:42:00] Speaker B: It's been open for Superman to get in. [00:42:02] Speaker A: Yes. Superman's so full of himself he thinks the enemy saw him coming and fled. No, it is a trap. Superman. Green kryptonite gas jets up from the floor. Superman is overcome. And that's when he sees our cover scene of Supergirl, Krypto and Kandor. [00:42:21] Speaker B: Now, here's the thing I know about kryptonite gas. [00:42:24] Speaker A: Yes. [00:42:25] Speaker B: It gets into his system. It takes a long time for him to get that out of his system. [00:42:31] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:42:34] Speaker B: Okay, go ahead. [00:42:36] Speaker A: Supergirl, Krypto and Kandor are imprisoned in kryptonite glass jars bathed by green kryptonite rays. We are all trapped. And here comes Rinol Jag. No one left to save you. I have captured every surviving Kryptonian. All except the Phantom's own villains. Superman thinks. And they would never help us. There is one member of the Superman family from Krypton that Renald Jag has forgotten about. Do you know the answer? [00:43:09] Speaker B: Wait, let me. I don't know. [00:43:23] Speaker A: Beppo the Super Monkey. That's right. You're right. [00:43:27] Speaker B: Yes, of course. What about Super Cat Streaky, the Super Cat? [00:43:30] Speaker A: He's not Kryptonian, okay? Nor is Comet Super Horse. [00:43:33] Speaker B: Okay. [00:43:36] Speaker A: Streaky's an ordinary Earth cat. And Supergirl invented X Kryptonite. Where. Which she was experimenting with green Kryptonite. So you see, that's why they keep Kryptonites to do their experiments. [00:43:48] Speaker B: Okay. Fair enough. [00:43:50] Speaker A: All right. I suppose Superman deserves an explanation. So young Rinald Jag tells his story. [00:43:59] Speaker B: I'd still be stranded on that moon if a kindly space wanderer hadn't discovered my plight and rescued me. He showed me that Krypton wiped out my world. A space wanderer? [00:44:08] Speaker A: Gasp. Who? Tell me. [00:44:10] Speaker B: You probably wouldn't recognize his name. I'll project his picture on the wall [00:44:14] Speaker A: for you great quasars. Amalak, that guy's the most notorious space pirate in the universe. He's brainwashed you. Got you to do his dirty work for him. [00:44:26] Speaker B: No, you're wrong. [00:44:29] Speaker A: He's good and kind. He saved my life. [00:44:31] Speaker B: Can't you see? You're upsetting the boy. Superman. [00:44:34] Speaker A: Here comes Amalek. Yes. [00:44:36] Speaker B: He says at last we meet face to face. Superman. I'm glad to see Reno did such a good job. But I have my own little touch to add. I'm going to blow up the Earth. [00:44:46] Speaker A: Waa. Wait. What is Earth? This is Rinnall. Now, what is Earth to do with my revenge on Krypton? [00:44:53] Speaker B: Oh, fool. Haven't you guessed it yet? Superman was right. You were merely a pawn in my revenge against him. And now I destroy Earth by pushing down this plunger here on the asteroid. Apparently there's a plunger attached to some wires that are run all the way down to a bomb on Earth. [00:45:13] Speaker A: No, stop. I won't let you. [00:45:17] Speaker B: Pew, pew, pew. Well, he gets shot by Amelek, doesn't he? [00:45:20] Speaker A: He gets shot, but in falling, he shoots his gun and seals off the source of the kryptonite gas with his ray gun. And Superman's strength starts to return. You're free, Superman, but too late to save Earth. [00:45:41] Speaker B: This is why I say okay. Because then Superman stands up and rips up the floor and tosses Amalek against the wall. Yeah, this I think, really. I mean, from what I know about Superman and green kryptonite gas, this takes a little bit more time than that for Superman to gain some sort of superpowers. He should be. I mean, it's in his bloodstream. [00:46:01] Speaker A: But if he's still within the sphere of the sun's radiation. Which he would be because he's in orbit around Earth. [00:46:10] Speaker B: Earth? [00:46:10] Speaker A: Yes. And this is not. He's not moving the moon out of orbit. He's just ripping up a piece of flooring. I think that's possible. [00:46:20] Speaker B: Okay, I shall conceive. [00:46:24] Speaker A: He flings Amalak back against the wall where Amalak is able to reach a gun which just happens to be a machine gun full of kryptonite bullets. [00:46:35] Speaker B: Yes. And Superman is unable to dodge all of them and gets hit by one of the bullets. [00:46:41] Speaker A: Yes. Now Superman does say, even these kryptonite bullets can't pierce my invulnerable skin. [00:46:49] Speaker B: But the exploding shells are full of kryptonite gas. Green kryptonite gas. [00:46:54] Speaker A: Yes. And it does injure his shoulder. Superman is stunned. Amalek races back to the plunger and bloat so he can blow up Earth and then kill Superman. [00:47:09] Speaker B: Superman is able to crawl over to. He sees an exposed wire, crawls over to the wire and touches the metal table upon which the explosive device is held, thus electrifying the table. And the explosive device and rendering Amalak unconscious. [00:47:30] Speaker A: Luckily for Superman, Amalak did a dramatically slow five number countdown. [00:47:37] Speaker B: Yes. [00:47:38] Speaker A: Before plunging the plunger down. [00:47:40] Speaker B: Right. And the pl. This is the plunger. Like you'd think there would be a timer. [00:47:44] Speaker A: Actually six digits. Because he used 0. 5, 4, 3, 2. [00:47:53] Speaker B: That's it, Superman. Crawl. Try to reach me in time. Better yet, beg. Beg for your adopted planet. One, zero. Now. [00:48:06] Speaker A: All right. After Supergirl, Crypto and the Danverses have been freed and Amalak delivered to a space prison, Superman. Thanks Renal Jag for his assistance. That's generous of you, Superman, since I'm the one who endangered you. [00:48:24] Speaker B: There's a ship waiting for you, Reynal. Good luck wherever you settle. [00:48:29] Speaker A: And meanwhile, in Amalek's cell, Renl double crossed me. [00:48:34] Speaker B: But I'll be revenged on him and Supman. I swear it. And apparently, according to your database, this is the last time Riddle appears. [00:48:44] Speaker A: Amalak. Yeah. The end. There is another story in here, but it's a Hall of Fame classic reprint of Superman joining the army. And honestly, with everything that's happening in the world, I didn't want to read about the army right now. [00:48:59] Speaker B: I hear you. [00:49:01] Speaker A: We do have, however, some interesting letters in the letter column. [00:49:06] Speaker B: Do we? [00:49:06] Speaker A: Yes. [00:49:07] Speaker B: Where's that? [00:49:09] Speaker A: It's after that reprint story. [00:49:10] Speaker B: Okay. [00:49:11] Speaker A: Dear Editor, Last week I bought the January Superman. The COVID was excellent, but it didn't give me much of an indication of what was inside. But when I saw the splash page, there it all was pure swan artwork in all its splendor, illustrating a superb and startling splash page for a magnificent imaginary novel. As I began reading it, it soon became evident that this was the greatest imaginary epic of all. If the second installment is even half as good as the first, the two of them together should comprise the finest Superman story ever published. Yours sincerely, Carrie Bates. Dayton, Ohio. [00:49:54] Speaker B: What was that story? That was one of the finest Superman stories ever? [00:50:00] Speaker A: I don't know. [00:50:00] Speaker B: I have no memory of that. [00:50:02] Speaker A: I don't either. I mean, we can go back. The point is, Carrie Bates would go on just not long after he wrote this letter to become a top writer at DC Comics. You don't say. I do say. Particularly known for his work on Superman. In fact, to date, he is the longest serving writer of Superman comics at about 20 years. [00:50:31] Speaker B: Wow. [00:50:32] Speaker A: Yeah. Wrote lots of influential stories of the 70s. Wrote for Supergirl, Superboy, Superman. He wrote for the Flash. He did lots and lots of work for dc. [00:50:46] Speaker B: Okay. [00:50:47] Speaker A: Also at this time, as we read here on the letter column, readers will Be interested to know that Carrie Bates, a young college student, dreamed up the COVID we used on this issue, which provided the springboard for Jim Shooter's story, Fury of the Kryptonian Killer. In fact, Carrie had been designing covers already at this point for DC Comics. [00:51:10] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. Yeah. [00:51:12] Speaker A: So bully for Carrie Bates. Next letter. Well, not the next one, but down the line. Dear Editor, now that the Elle jokes have passed for the seventh time, for example, the editor who's only human, Mort L. It's a little joke there. I wish to suggest a new craze. Villain jokes. Number one, what did Lex Luthor say when he got a comb for his birthday? Two, why did Brainiac blow up the drugstore? Three, where does Titano the super ape sleep? In case you can't live without the answers, they are. Number one, what did Luther say when he got a comb for his birthday? I'll never part with it. Cause you see, Luther's bald. Number two, why did Brainiac blow up the drugstore? Because they didn't have green flesh colored band aids. They probably do nowadays. Number three, where does Titano the super ape sleep? [00:52:18] Speaker B: Any place he wants to. [00:52:20] Speaker A: Tatano is a giant ape, Rob, in [00:52:22] Speaker B: case you saw that super ape. [00:52:23] Speaker A: Yes, he has kryptonite vision also. [00:52:26] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:52:28] Speaker A: Yours sincerely, Mark Evanier. Los Angeles, California. Mark Evanier. We've already had a letter from him on this podcast, and I don't remember what comic it was, but we briefly discussed that he also became a comics professional. [00:52:44] Speaker B: He [00:52:47] Speaker A: wrote among the big two. He wrote primarily for Marvel Comics, but he also created Gru the Wanderer with Sergio Aragones. He wrote for television. Welcome back. Cotter comes to mind. He also wrote for many, many animated television shows. And he's the author of the recent fantastic book, the Essential Peanuts. The World's Great. Oh, no. The greatest comic strip of all time, which I'm currently reading. It's fantastic. Nice. Everyone's run out and buy it. So that's notable that we have two future comics professionals writing letters in the very same issue of Superman. And last but not least, we have a piece of fan mail addressed to us. We do. From the desk of Ira Vartanoff to the editors of the Checkered Past podcast. Well, there's where you're wrong, writer. Cause we don't edit. [00:53:55] Speaker B: We don't edit. [00:53:56] Speaker A: It is with a mixture of disgust and profound disappointment that I, Ira Vartanoff, must address the recent and frankly, slovenly production choices infecting your supposedly scholarly podcast. I am, as it were, the grandson of Irene Vartanoff, whose own correspondence with the editors of your source material, DC Comics, was, if nothing else, honest and uncompromising. It seems the apple of critical acumen has not fallen far from the tree, and thus I must take up the pen against your present editorial decline. [00:54:36] Speaker B: My goodness. [00:54:37] Speaker A: When Checkered Pass launched, it promised a meticulous issue by issue, page by page accounting of the Gogo Check era, a commitment to scholarship that was, for a fleeting moment, admirable. Yet what do we witness now? The inexcusable, indeed lazy merging of multiple issues into a single diluted installment. You promised us a devoted examination of each issue, and now you are cutting corners with the enthusiasm of a publisher lopping pages to save on paper costs. This cheap time saving maneuver is nothing less than a betrayal of your loyal, detail oriented listenership. Furthermore, your reliance upon the rambling, self indulgent Tangents of QUOTE Dr. Husband has reached the point of utter absurdity. While his insights might occasionally shine a dim light upon the proceedings, do we truly require a detailed minute by minute accounting of his motorcycle repairs, afternoon naps, or the quality of his evening strolls? This is not a diary of domestic minutiae. It is meant to be a podcast devoted to comic book history that's bolded in all caps. Where, I ask you, are the inventive creative segments that once distinguished your program? The public service announcement players provided a necessary theatrical flourish, a witty counterpoint to the often stultifying panels. Now we are subjected to nothing but unnecessary filler and the auditory equivalent of thumb twiddling as you clearly struggle to stretch thin material across a gaping runtime. I suggest with all the fervor I inherited, that you immediately cease this downward spiral of mediocrity. Recommit to the original issue per episode promise, rein in the domestic distractions and restore the creative energy that you have so casually cast aside. Otherwise, you risk becoming just another piece of ephemeral noise unworthy of the glorious checkered past you claim to commemorate. Disapprovingly yours, Ira Vardenoff, Bethesda, Maryland. [00:56:47] Speaker B: My goodness, what a strongly worded letter. [00:56:50] Speaker A: I'll say. It's in his jeans. I mean, you got a point with the we haven't been very creative lately. [00:56:59] Speaker B: No, I suppose not. We haven't done any dramatic readings. [00:57:02] Speaker A: No, we have not. [00:57:03] Speaker B: And some PSAs. [00:57:04] Speaker A: No, right. [00:57:05] Speaker B: But I refuse to give up my ramblings. [00:57:08] Speaker A: As to the combining several issues, the truth is, Ira, I'm afraid I'm not going to live long enough to finish all of these issues. We've already been at eight years. I'm trying to, you know, hurry it up so we can enjoy our retirement someday. Should it ever happen. [00:57:26] Speaker B: Should it ever happen. [00:57:28] Speaker A: But nonetheless, thank you for your thoughtful, if emphatic letter. Don't forget, you can find us on our sister podcast, Nerd Orchestra. You can find us this week and the surrounding Weeks on the Earth 2 podcast as special guest stars with a galaxy of other podcast celebrities. [00:57:55] Speaker B: Yes. [00:57:56] Speaker A: Quote, unquote. You can find us on social media, ogochekpod. And you can find us right here next week. Next week with Wonder Woman. [00:58:09] Speaker B: Oh, good, good. [00:58:10] Speaker A: Well, wait until you've read the story to say okay. Okay. All right. Anything to add? [00:58:15] Speaker B: Good God, no. [00:58:20] Speaker A: Byee. You don't have to be a politician? You can change it all with a sin and dispositions of a heavy? And spread it all around? If you find yourself a frowning? Just turn it upside down? When you wear a smile? The world will shout hooray. You gotta turn on the sunshine? You gotta give in one time? You gotta turn on the sunshine? Push those blues away, Man, this dialectic's too much.