Credits | Characters | Plot Summary | Comments | Reprinted In Supergirl Chronology | Legion Chronology Editor: Mort Weisinger Writer: Jerry Siegel Artist: Jim Mooney Feature Character: Supergirl Supporting Characters: Fred Danvers, Edna Danvers, Krypto (as a hallucintation) Villains: Jet-propelled monsters Other Characters: Citizens of Midvale, the manager of the freak show at the Midvale Fair, a worker at a food counter at the Midvale Fair, two pilots on a jet-bomber, the Danvers' postman (as a hallucination), a goldfish, a TV newsman, citizens of Atlantis (in flashback), Lenora Lemaris, Jerro, Lori Lemaris "The Strange Bodies of Supergirl" (12 pages)
This story continues from the last issue. Posters advertising the Bearded Lady, Human Needle, and Jo-Jo the Dogfaced Boy can be seen at the Midvale Fair. When Supergirl grows a second head, the one still disguised as Linda is the "real" Supergirl, as the new head, called "Supergirl Head No. 2", doesn't know anything herself, red kryptonite, or watermelon. It is interesting to note that, when Supergirl grows a second head, she is disguised as Linda, but the second head is of her real self with blond hair. So, in a way, she was both Linda Lee and Supergirl at the same time. Even though it was part of a red kryptonite hallucination, Supergirl willfully uses her fatal power to destroy the jet-propelled monsters who prey on the inhabitants of other worlds. Because she had just killed those dear to her, using her "fatal vision" to kill, for the purpose of saving life, is a perfectly understandable reaction. An editor's note states that hallucinations of the type Supergirl experiences in this story occur quite frequently, and references Superboy No. 74's "Superboy's Voyage to New Krypton" and Superman No. 144's "The Orphans of Space". In "The Orphans of Space," Supergirl was one of those affected in such a way by red kryptonite. This issue offers up yet another explanation for the origin of Atlantis. Supergirl recounts: "When the scientists of ancient Atlantis learned the island was sinking into the sea, they constructed a huge glass dome... Years later, their scientists found a way to change the Atlantides into mermen and mermaids..."
Superman returns from his trip to the future to visit the teen-aged Legion of Super-Heroes; we saw him departing for the future last issue. Immediately after he returns, he tells Supergirl that he will announce her presence to the world, indicating that it is possible that he specifically went to the future to ask the Legion's advice on the matter. The caption at the end of the story says that the announcement of Supergirl's existence to the world was due to popular demand. This story is continued in the next issue. This issue went on sale Thursday November 30, 1961. Action Comics No. 360 (G-45) (Mar.-Apr. 1968) Supergirl Archives Vol. 2 |
Supergirl remembers how she
encountered six red kryptonite meteors and how only three
have so far affected her; she wonders what the remaining
three will do to her. She visits the Midvale Fair to try
to help her forget her problems and passes by the freak
show. Soon afterward, another red kryptonite affect hits
her and she grows a second head. The first head wants to
hide, but the second wants a chance to see the fair,
where luckily everyone believes the second head is a
fake. The manager of the freak show approaches and asks
her to work for him, but she refuses. Later, she
demonstrates their super-powers to "Supergirl Head
No. 2", then switches to her Supergirl costume to
catch a falling H-Bomb, taking it out into a distant
desert and letting it explode harmlessly there.
Afterwards, her seond head disappears, and she returns
home to find her parents have come back from their
emergency trip to Europe. Later, as she sits in her
living room, Linda turns her eyes on a flower, and it
suddenly dies. She then looks at a goldfish and it, too,
dies. She wonders if red kryptonite has given her fatal
vision when, suddenly, her parents enter the room and as
she turns to look at them, they, too perish. Supergirl
decides to flee to space where she can't harm anyone
else, but as she leaves she sees the postman, dooming
him. In space, she encounters Krypto, who also dies.
Brokenhearted, Supergirl decides to use her fatal vision
for good by destroying hordes of jet-propelled monsters
that menace other worlds. Suddenly, she is back at home
and her parents are alive, and she realizes she has just
been having a red kryptonite hallucination. Linda hears
on the news that the area is suffering a drought, and she
changes to Supergirl and blows rain-clouds into the area.
However, as she gets wet from the rain, she is hit by the
final red kryptonite affect and turns into a mermaid. She
decides to go visit her boyfriend Jerro, the young
merman, in Atlantis. Supergirl finds him with Lenora, the
sister of Lori Lemaris, who welcomes her to Atlantis but
secretly loves Jerro. She follows Jerro and Supergirl,
wishing for him to love her instead of Supergirl, and
witnesses him ask Supergirl to marry him. The Girl of
Steel asks for time to think it over. Lenora turns to her
sister for comfort, but then decides to run away, leaving
a note telling Jerro how he feels and beg him not to
follow. Supergirl searches for her with her telescopic
vision and spots her in trouble, menaced by giant hands
reaching out of the ocean floor, which are all that is
visible of giants from outer space who menaced Atlantis
centuries ago. Supergirl rescues Lenora, and afterwards,
the effects of the red-k wear off and she changes back to
normal. She leaves Atlantis, telling Jerro she will
decide about his proposal later. As she leaves the ocean,
she encounters a green kryptonite meteor and feels pain,
though she thought she was now invulnerable to green
kryptonite. Superman materializes from out of the
time-barrier, and tells her that, while returning to the
present, he overshot his mark and arrived a few days in
the past, just in time to observe Mr. Mxyzptlk magically
giving her super-powers. He figures that now the magical
effects have worn off and her own, original powers have
now returned, which is why she is now once again
vulnerable to green kryptonite. He then informs her he
has decided to announce her existence to the world,
without delay, because she deserves recognition.
Jerro comments that he
has been telepathically aware of her attraction for Dick
Malverne, and calls him a "fine chap".