Credits | Characters | Plot Summary | Comments | Reprinted In Superman Chronology | Legion-Relevant Stories Editor: Mort Weisinger Writer: Cary Bates Penciller: Curt Swan Inker: George Roussos Feature Character: Superman Supporting Characters: None Guest Legionnaires: None (but we see the insane duplicate-Earth versions of Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Lightning Lad) Villain: None Other Characters: On the real Earth: Three Apollo astronauts on the Moon (one named Mike and another named Steve), Professor Farlow Nurd; On the insane duplicate-Earth: Superman, Lois Lane, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro, Wonder Woman, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Batman, Supergirl, Sgt. Rock, Little Half Shot, Ice Bag Soldier and various other soldiers, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, a synthetic animal called a Gnorgog, various citizens of Metropolis, Krypto (who has the coloration of the real Streaky), Batgirl (in Lois Lane's reflection) "Puzzle of the Wild World" (14 pages)
Insane duplicate-Earth versions of Aquaman (with Alfred E. Newman's head), Flash (with Hawkman's helmet), and Jimmy Olsen (as Green Lantern) appear on the splash page. The three astronauts seen (one named Mike, one Steve, the other unnamed) are not any real NASA astronauts in particular. The insane duplicate-Earth has white oceans and each continent is a different color, like tutti-frutti, or, as Superman says "a giant, multi-flavored lollipop". The "Wild World" duplicate-Legionnaires used their "time square" to come from the 30th century to warn Superman not to marry Lois Lane because she is "stupid" and "has all the brains of a cucumber". They show him a newspaper that says she will misplace his super-uniform, forcing him into hiding.
The duplicate-Saturn Girl has a crescent moon as an insignia. The duplicate-Cosmic Boy wears the glove of Colossal Boy on his left hand. The duplicate-Lightning Lad wears the Flash's lightning bolt insignia.
Clark Kent's identity of Superman is known on this duplicate-Earth, and the duplicate-Kent/Superman is actually the President of the United States. While there is no real "villain" in this story, Professor Nurd certainly applies for the position. His insane experiement of trying to create a second Earth in orbit around the sun would have threatened all life in the solar system by upsetting the gravitational balance. Professor Nurd looks to be based on writer Cary Bates. The real Superman is miscolored in panel 5 of page 13, where all the red on his costume is pale yellow. The duplicate-Superman mentions that Uranus is being overrun by a giant green mold, which he eats. Since this is the real planet Uranus, one must assume that this wacky threat must have originated on the duplicate-Earth and spread to Uranus shortly after it appeared in the real universe. The duplicate-Superman has backwards "S" symbols on his costume, wears the Flash's glove on his left hand, wears his Clark Kent glasses, and sports longer hair. No reprints as of this writing. |
Apollo astronauts on a
Moon mission witness the Earth replaced by a strange
version of it. On that duplicate Earth, a wacky version
of Superman flies off to perform an urgent mission on
Uranus. When the real Superman returns from space to
discover this absurb world, he encounters various
familiar yet oddball versions of people he knows.
Eventually, a meek looking man named Professor Nurd
appears on a flying jet-bike and tells Superman that he
is responsible for all this. He hoped to create a second
Earth that would materialize in a different orbit around
the sun but he miscalculated and the real Earth vanished
- replaced by this insane duplicate-world. Superman uses
the professor's duplicator, firing the beam into a mirror
to make a duplicate version of the duplicator. Then
Superman uses the duplicate duplicator on the wacky Earth
(just as the duplicate-Superman is returning from
Uranus), and sends it back to its rightful place, while
bringing the real Earth back from limbo. Meanwhile, on
the insane duplicate-Earth, its Superman and Lois Lane
get married.
For trying to stop Superman
from marrying her, Lois Lane uses a super dart-gun,
invented by Jimmy Olsen, to make the Legion's time square
vanish for one hour. She also says she will no longer
give to the Legionnaire cookie-drive.