A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
crm/ow pages
Joe Shuster cover/art; 1st app. of Lex Luthor; 1st mention of Daily Planet
Just as Sherlock had Moriarty, so does Superman have his Alexei "Lex" Luthor, the template for all super-nemeses to follow, and arguably one of the best-known literary creations of the 20th Century in his own right. Initially, a standard evil-genius-with-a-death-ray stereotype developed by Siegel and Shuster for one of the anti-war potboilers for which the series was first known, Luthor quickly gained a style all his own, with a subsequent fan following, and flourished into one of the all-time great baddies. This comic features the first appearance of the character and is among the rarest of Golden Age keys.

Lois and Clark are sent to cover a war between two fictitious European countries; a truce is broken, much treachery and deceit. The megalomaniac behind it all? Yes, you guessed it—it’s “Mighty Luthor,” only here, he dresses in red robes, commands a legion of lackeys who fear him, and projects his face and booming voice like the Wizard of Oz. He plans for the two warring nations to destroy each other so that he can march in and take over them both.

Upon Luthor’s defeat at the hands of Superman, an armistice is declared. It’s an appropriate fantasy for the period; if only a super man could come to Earth and end the real war raging across the globe.

Throw in a Pep Morgan story by Gene Baxter, “The Black Pirate” and “Clip Carson“ by Sheldon Moldoff, “Tex Thompson” by Bernard Baily, and Zatara the Master Magician by Fred Guardineer. Collectors have been coveting this comic for years.

Overstreet Guide 2022 VG- (3.5) value = $9,450