Superman Comics Index (1938-1986)


1979

  • Superman #331 (January)
    "Lockup at 20,000 Feet!" - The Master Jailer - Part 1 of 2.
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Francisco Chiaramonte
    Following the apprehension of Metallo, Superman helps warden Carl Draper levitate his super secure prison. Draper's obsession over Lana Lang leads him to become the Master Jailer, who kidnaps her and imprison Superman.

  • Action Comics #491 (January)
    A Matter of Light and Death! - Krypton Dies Again! - Part 3 of 3.
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Francisco Chiaramonte
    Hawkman deflects Superman's attack on the satellite by using kryptonite. Superman discovers his seizures are caused by flashes of light and uses a super nova to defeat Brainiac with his increased powers and burn off the effect.

  • DC Comics Presents #5 (January)
    The War of the Undersea Cities!
    Len Wein & Paul Levitz; Murphy Anderson
    The Ocean Master uses a monster to cause a war between the undersea cities of Tritonis and Poseidonis as - Part of a plot to control both. Superman and Aquaman stop him.

  • Superman #332 (February)
    "The Eternity Cage!" - The Master Jailer - Part 2 of 2.
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Francisco Chiaramonte
    The Master Jailer reveals he was a schoolmate of Lana's who was always outshown by Superman, who tries to escape the Jailer's deadly maze. Superman rejects Lana's love for him.

  • Action Comics #492 (February)
    "Superman's Secret Afterlife!"
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    The Phantom Zone criminals try to kill Superman by trapping him in an energy draining Spiral Scourge, while causing him visions of a sad future.

  • DC Comics Presents #6 (February)
    "The Fantastic Fall of the Green Lantern!" - The Weaponers of Qward - Part 1 of 2.
    Paul Levitz; Curt Swan & Francisco Chiaramonte
    Superman must help a weakened Green Lantern defeat Star Sapphire and return Carol Ferris. After succeeding, the Weaponers of Qward capture Superman.

  • Superman #333 (March)
    "Happy New Year . . . Rest in Peace!"
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Bizarro comes to Earth to save Superman's friends during a New Year's Eve coast to coast flight. Since everything Bizarro is backwards, Superman must stop Bizarro from killing them by accident.

  • Action Comics #493 (March)
    "The Metropolis-UFO Connection!"
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Clark Kent/Superman discovers that recurring UFOs in the skies over Metropolis are really signals to an invasion fleet from an alien agent, who traps him. With the help of Jimmy Olsen's signal watch he escapes and ends the plot.

  • DC Comics Presents #7 (March)
    The Paralyzed Planet Peril! - The Weaponers of Qward - Part 2 of 2.
    Paul Levitz; Dick Dillin & Francisco Chiaramonte
    The Weaponers of Qward use Superman's body to focus energy that paralyzes Earth's people to allow an invasion. Red Tornado attacks the invaders and frees Superman.

  • Superman #334 (April)
    The Man who Stole Superman's Eyes!
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    With Lois' assistance Superman convinces the Skeleton organization, remains of SKULL, that his eyes have been stolen. When they try to take advantage, he apprehends them.

  • Action Comics #494 (April)
    "The Secret of the Super-S!" - The Ghost Soldiers of Smallville - Part 1 of 2.
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Clark and Lois go to Smallville to investigate a letter sent to the Planet promising to reveal Superman's secrets. There they find ghosts of soldiers haunting them and Superman is attacked by an ancient Kryptonian warrior.

  • DC Comics Presents #8 (April)
    "The Sixty Deaths of Solomon Grundy!"
    Steve Englehart; Murphy Anderson
    Superman tries to stop multiple Solomon Grundys from growing from the city's sewers, while the Swamp Thing hopes to find a cure for himself in Grundy.

  • Superman #335 (May)
    "Mxyzptlk Spelled Backwards is T-R-O-U-B-L-E"
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Superman falls victim to a super-powered creatures bite, while Mr. Mxyzptlk is banished to Earth for poor pranks. Both must help each other.

  • Action Comics #495 (May)
    Attack of the Ultimate warrior! - The Ghost Soldiers of Smallville - Part 2 of 2.
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    The Smallville ghosts are being generated by the indestructible astral essence of an alien destroyed by an outside force during a battle with Superboy many years ago. When Superman wins, it is free to evolve.

  • DC Comics Presents #9 (May)
    Invasion of the Ice People!
    Martin Pasko; Joe Staton & Jack Abel
    The Skrynians, aliens on a frozen planet that is dying by warming up, force a sculptor to create an ice monster form for them to use to conquer Earth. Superman and Wonder Woman team up to stop them.

  • Superman #336 (June)
    A Rose by any Other Name!
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    In a attempt to cure Rose Forrest of her Thorn alter ego, her doctor devises an amulet with a cybernetic mechanism that inadvertently affects Superman as well. When he removes it the Thorn goes on a rampage against him.

  • Action Comics #496 (June)
    "Death out of a Bottle!"
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    A failure of Kandor's purification chamber causes Superman to bring a deadly super disease to Earth, which will kill everyone in a day. While Kandor's scientists look for a cure, Superman faces an alien scavenger, who wants Earth.

  • DC Comics Presents #10 (June)
    "The Miricle Man of Easy Company" - The Paris Bomb - Part 1 of 2.
    Cary Bates; Joe Staton & Jack Abel
    A bomb placed in an award to Superman blows him into the past. Superman finds himself with amnesia and in the middle of World War II. He teams up with Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, eventually regaining his memory.

  • Superman #337 (July)
    Too Many Crooks!
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    A Kandorian member of the Superman Emergency Squad must be convinced that he is not Superman.

  • Action Comics #497 (July)
    "Superman's Command Performance" - Touching Story
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Three boys are suddenly able to control Superman.

  • DC Comics Presents #11 (July)
    "Murder by Starlight!" - The Paris Bomb - Part 2 of 2.
    Cary Bates; Joe Staton & Frank Chiaramonte
    Superman returns from the past to find Hawkman responsible for the bomb and trying to kill him. An enemy of Hawkman has charges Hawkman with Polaris energy, controlling him, and intends to use it to destroy Hawkman and Superman.

  • Superman #338 (August)
    Let my People Grow!
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Superman and Supergirl enlarge Kandor on a planet that will shift to another dimension. In the process, the people are enlarged, but the city is destroyed. Brainiac attacks Superman and shrinks to nothingness by his own device.

  • Action Comics #498 (August)
    "The Catastrophic Man!" - The Death of Valeron - Part 1 of 2)
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Vartox arrives on Earth after planet Valeron has exploded. Superman helps intergrate him into Earth life, where he and Lana become interested in each other. Study of Valeron's remains leaves Vartox to believe he caused was responsible and earth is next.

  • DC Comics Presents #12 (August)
    "Winner Take Metropolis"
    Steve Englehart; Richard F. Buckler & Dick Giordano
    Mister Miracle discovers a plot by Intergang to use a device that can kill Superman, but the device has also blocked his ability to relay the story. Miracle challenges Superman to a battle as a diversion to stop Intergang.

  • Superman #339 (September)
    Nuclear Nightmare! - Man of Steel v. Man of steel - Part 1 of 2)
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    An explosion transforms a scientist into a living robot, whose actions are perceived as hostile. While attempting to escape, he accidentally turns Superman into steel.

  • Action Comics #499 (September)
    "As the World Turns . . . For the Last Time!" - The Death of Valeron - Part 2 of 2)
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Vince Colletta
    Vartox discovers the cause of Valeron's destruction and convinces Superman that Earth is also threatened. Superman discovers the cure is Valeron's remains. Vartox reveals himself to Lana and leaves Earth.

  • DC Comics Presents #13 (September)
    To Live in Peace - Nevermore!
    Paul Levitz; Dick Dillin & Dick Giordano
    Pete Ross reveals his knowledge of Superman's identity as he seeks his help to save his son from aliens. Superman stops a thousand year war, but at the Legion's revelation fails to recover Jon Ross.

  • Superman #340 (October)
    The Night of the Walking Bomb! - Man of Steel v. Man of steel - Part 2 of 2)
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Superman frees himself from the steel encasing him, while N.R.G.-X pursues Ryker. Superman deduces who he is and ries to help but N.R.G.-X destroys itself leaving Haskill in a coma.

  • Action Comics #500 (October)
    The Life Story of Superman - No Advertisements
    Martin Pasko; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Luthor tries to kill Superman and replace him with a clone, while Superman reflects on his life story. Superman escapes Luthor's trap and uses gold kryptonite to remove its powers.

  • DC Comics Presents #14 (October)
    Judge, Jury . . . And No Justice!
    Paul Levitz; Dick Dillin & Dick Giordano
    Pete Ross manages to bring Superboy to the present and switch minds with him, intent on using his super-abilities to kill Superman for his son. Superboy manages to escape and summon Krypto, who saves the day.

  • Superman #341 (November)
    The Man who could cause Catastrophe! - Backup story: The Man who could Cancel Catastrophe!
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    Major Disaster attempts to filter his powers through Superman's body, killing him in the process. Superman stops J. Wilbur Wolfingham from selling bogus pendants that will protect the wearers from danger.

  • Action Comics #501 (November)
    The Mystery of the Mild-Mannered Superman
    Cary Bates; Kurt Schaffenberger & Joe Giella
    The Superman Revenge Squad tries to defeat Superman by causing him to switch personalities with his Clark Kent persona. Superman uses basic psychology and a camera crew to defeat them.

  • DC Comics Presents #15 (November)
    "Plight of the Giant Atom!"
    Cary Bates; Joe Staton & Frank Chiaramonte
    While Superman is attempting to help the Atom cure his phobia of changing size, they are attacked by aliens intent on destroying Superman's fortress.

  • Superman #342 (December)
    Hero Under Glass!
    Len Wein; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    An environmental condition results in Superman contacting a condition that makes air turn him into a brute, but in defeating Chemo he is cured.

  • Action Comics #502 (December)
    "Fall and Rise of the Star-Child!"
    Cary Bates; Curt Swan & Frank Chiaramonte
    At the request of the Dyrlians, Superman and Supergirl agree to raise Rovos, a genetically synthesized bio-spawn, who will be the savior of his people.

  • DC Comics Presents #16 (December)
    "The De-Volver!"
    Denny O'Neil; Joe Staton & Frank Chiaramonte
    An alien, living on Earth for millions of years evolved to match the dominate species. Now human. he begins to de-volve following a girl's death and he wants to kill Black Lightening, who he blames and Superman, who is in the way.

  • Notable Issue: Green Lantern #123 (December)
    Mission of No Return!
    Denny O'Neil; Joe Staton & Dick Giordano
    Superman helps Green Lantern enter the Phantom Zone, where Guy Gardner is held by General Zod. Lantern defeats Zod, but Sinestro abducts Gardner to Qward. Lantern finds and frees Gardner but Sinestro escapes.


Superman Comics Index (1938-1986)

Introduction

Ultimately we would like to be able to list for you the entire run of Superman comics from 1938 through to 1986, an era of comics encompassing the Golden Age, through the Silver Age and up to the 1986 revamp. At this point in time we only have a list of the Superman and related comics from 1976 through to 1986. A listing of the regular Superman titles before the John Byrne 1986 mini-series The Man of Steel that revamped the storyline used in the comics. For accuracy almost every entry is based upon actually looking in the issue, and not memory or another source.

This listing is done in the order for when a comicbook issue was published. Remember, the month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic was on sale.

Where possible, the Writer, Penciller and Inker for each issue is listed under the Comic's Title and Date.

We also suggest DarkMark's excellent Comic Index lists.

CONTENTS:

1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980
1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986

Back to Comic Index Contents Page.

You can read reviews of various Superman related comics (from 1938-1986) in the Mild Mannered Reviews section of this website.