# Finding an old Superman story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984 "2016-12-31T19:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/1 "2016-12-31T19:13:40Z")
Back in the mid-1970s, I ran across an older relative’s collection of Superman comics (probably from the late 50s or early 60s), and read a few of them. The plot involved a flashback to Clark Kent’s college (or high school) days, when he and a few friends were exposed to a device that channeled the brain power of the others to Clark (permanently?) but also gave them a connection to Clark that could end up controlling him (and also therefore controlling Superman). Anyone know of this one (or of a a source for plot summaries of Silver Age plotlines)? I’d love to know a) what happened, and b) how much I’m misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/2 "2016-12-31T20:20:22Z")
[My Comic Shop](https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=22601073&pgi=1) has an issue by issue summary of every Superman comic. And all the other titles, too, in case it was an an Adventure of World’s Finest or something. It should at least help you to find the comic so you can search out more on that particular one. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/3 "2016-12-31T20:42:24Z")
I don’t know the specific story in the OP but it has some elements in common with Superman 350 and 351 (August and September 1980) in that it involves the long-delayed aftermath of an unauthorized experiment on ten college students, one of whom was Clark Kent. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/4 "2016-12-31T21:34:56Z")
I though the time frame was a little off. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/5 "2016-12-31T23:31:34Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > [My Comic Shop](https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=22601073&pgi=1) has an issue by issue summary of every Superman comic. And all the other titles, too, in case it was an an Adventure of World’s Finest or something. It should at least help you to find the comic so you can search out more on that particular one. Thanks. I’ll have to dig into that site in detail. > [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I don’t know the specific story in the OP but it has some elements in common with Superman 350 and 351 (August and September 1980) in that it involves the long-delayed aftermath of an unauthorized experiment on ten college students, one of whom was Clark Kent. Hmm. That does sound a bit like my story, but if it is, I’m misremembering it a lot, because I’m remembering something that I read well before 1980. I suppose it’s possible I’m confusing a time I browsed the newsstand in 1980 with a time that I looked through some really old comics in 1974 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/6 "2016-12-31T23:53:37Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Hmm. That does sound a bit like my story, but if it is, I’m misremembering it a lot, because I’m remembering something that I read well before 1980. I suppose it’s possible I’m confusing a time I browsed the newsstand in 1980 with a time that I looked through some really old comics in 1974 or so. The same basic story might have appeared several times. Back in the day, the writers tended to re-use plots after a few years, on the theory that only kids read comics so if they waited a few years they’d have a whole new audience who hadn’t seen it before. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/7 "2017-01-01T00:07:43Z")
That is very true. The first story featuring “Sun Boy” had a subplot about an escaped juvenile delinquent who was a dead ringer for Clark Kent. That had been done before as a full story. The first appearance of “Mon-El” had a plot lifted from an earlier Superman story. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/8 "2017-01-01T02:44:04Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The same basic story might have appeared several times. Back in the day, the writers tended to re-use plots after a few years, on the theory that only kids read comics so if they waited a few years they’d have a whole new audience who hadn’t seen it before. Good point - that’s why Jimmy Olsen keeps getting turned into a gorilla, or getting a giant head or something. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/9 "2017-01-01T03:58:17Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > [My Comic Shop](https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=22601073&pgi=1) has an issue by issue summary of every Superman comic. And all the other titles, too, in case it was an an Adventure of World’s Finest or something. It should at least help you to find the comic so you can search out more on that particular one. Wow, what a site, **Exapno**! I’ve just spent ages flicking through the Superman covers for the 50s and early 60s, my formative years and still my favorite Superman era. There is just something that is so innocent and sincere about the stories and art then, something I feel was lost in later years, although I accept that may be nostalgia for my childhood speaking. Back to the comics. “Great guns! … I’m caught in a super-trap by super-villains from the year 2000! Even my Superman powers can’t help me escape!” Love it! How I wish I’d kept all my old Superman, Superboy comics, etc. Not for the value, I just want to read them again! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/10 "2017-01-01T05:24:17Z")
Of course, when a story repeats you could just say that one happened to Earth 1 Superman and the other to Earth 2 Superman!:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/11 "2017-01-01T05:57:41Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Of course, when a story repeats you could just say that one happened to Earth 1 Superman and the other to Earth 2 Superman!:rolleyes: Or, like the numerous times Superman married Lois, or Lana, or the mermaid, they would call it an “imaginary” story. Imaginary compared to what? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-an-old-superman-story/775984/12 "2017-01-04T22:53:27Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > How I wish I’d kept all my old Superman, Superboy comics, etc. Not for the value, I just want to read them again! 🙂 Check your local public library for [these](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Showcase_Presents_publications). Even if they don’t have them, they might be able to get them for you through inter-library loan.