The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was a kiddie, about 40 years ago.
In article <1155393844.724977.79...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>,
<glynn.step...@gmail.com> wrote: > I wonder if anyone can help me with this.
> The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle > explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that > become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a > vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick > when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he > rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was a > kiddie, about 40 years ago.
> Does it ring any bells with collectors?
It's "Superman's Fortresses of Solitude," Action 261 (Feb 1960). (The cover calls the story "Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude.") Superman has flown his entire Fortress to Metropolis so people can tour it; the admission charges go to charity. (Seems like a lot of effort to make for the handful of people we see on the tour.) Two disguised crooks from the Anti-Superman Gang take the tour along with everybody else, and they use a binary formula (ink from a pen and coffee from a Thermos) to create a gas that will result in an "atomic explosion" an hour after mixture, after Superman has returned the Fortress to the Arctic. While the hour ticks by, Superman dreamily recalls his other, former Fortresses.
Odd bit: While Kandor plays a part in this story, it looks to me like the word Kandor has been patched in after the pages were finished, as if the word had been substituted for some other, longer word -- like Kryptonopolis, say. I've seen another early Kandor story where the name Kandor isn't used at all; it's simply called the Krypton Bottle City. Since the name Kandor was used in the debut story (Action 242, Jul 1958), I wonder what was going on?
BTW, Action 261 also introduces Streaky the Supercat in the Supergirl backup story.
Super-Menace wrote: > In article <1155393844.724977.79...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>, > <glynn.step...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I wonder if anyone can help me with this.
>> The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle >> explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that >> become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a >> vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick >> when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he >> rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was >> a kiddie, about 40 years ago.
>> Does it ring any bells with collectors?
> It's "Superman's Fortresses of Solitude," Action 261 (Feb 1960). (The > cover calls the story "Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude.") > Superman has flown his entire Fortress to Metropolis so people can > tour it; the admission charges go to charity. (Seems like a lot of > effort to make for the handful of people we see on the tour.) Two > disguised crooks from the Anti-Superman Gang take the tour along with > everybody else, and they use a binary formula (ink from a pen and > coffee from a Thermos) to create a gas that will result in an "atomic > explosion" an hour after mixture, after Superman has returned the > Fortress to the Arctic. While the hour ticks by, Superman dreamily > recalls his other, former Fortresses.
It's included in the b/w 'Showcase' collection Superman (Volume 2). -- Gordon Davie Edinburgh, Scotland
"Slipped the surly bonds of Earth...to touch the face of God"
> Super-Menace wrote: >> In article <1155393844.724977.79...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com>, >> <glynn.step...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I wonder if anyone can help me with this.
>>> The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle >>> explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that >>> become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a >>> vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick >>> when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he >>> rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was >>> a kiddie, about 40 years ago.
>>> Does it ring any bells with collectors?
>> It's "Superman's Fortresses of Solitude," Action 261 (Feb 1960). (The >> cover calls the story "Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude.") >> Superman has flown his entire Fortress to Metropolis so people can >> tour it; the admission charges go to charity. (Seems like a lot of >> effort to make for the handful of people we see on the tour.) Two >> disguised crooks from the Anti-Superman Gang take the tour along with >> everybody else, and they use a binary formula (ink from a pen and >> coffee from a Thermos) to create a gas that will result in an "atomic >> explosion" an hour after mixture, after Superman has returned the >> Fortress to the Arctic. While the hour ticks by, Superman dreamily >> recalls his other, former Fortresses.
> It's included in the b/w 'Showcase' collection Superman (Volume 2). > -- > Gordon Davie > Edinburgh, Scotland
> "Slipped the surly bonds of Earth...to touch the face of God"
Yeah, I know that one. I can remember that it was a lovely swan / klein job, but I'm blowed if I can recall the title. Hey ho, off to the files... 'sigh' Was it in a Jimmy Olsen?
> The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle > explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that > become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a > vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick > when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he > rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was a > kiddie, about 40 years ago.
<john.sincla...@ntlworld.com> wrote: > Yeah, I know that one. I can remember that it was a lovely swan / klein job, > but I'm blowed if I can recall the title. > Hey ho, off to the files... > 'sigh' > Was it in a Jimmy Olsen?
> > The current scare about would-be terrorists trying to smuggle > > explosives onto planes in the form of apparently inert liquids that > > become explosive when mixed has -- for some reason -- triggered off a > > vague recollection in my mind of some baddies trying the same trick > > when Superman was offering tours of his Fortress of Solitude (he > > rumbled it, needless to say). This would have been back when I was a > > kiddie, about 40 years ago.
> It's "Superman's Fortresses of Solitude," Action 261 (Feb 1960). (The > cover calls the story "Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude.") Superman > has flown his entire Fortress to Metropolis so people can tour it; the > admission charges go to charity. (Seems like a lot of effort to make > for the handful of people we see on the tour.) Two disguised crooks > from the Anti-Superman Gang take the tour along with everybody else, > and they use a binary formula (ink from a pen and coffee from a > Thermos) to create a gas that will result in an "atomic explosion" an > hour after mixture, after Superman has returned the Fortress to the > Arctic. While the hour ticks by, Superman dreamily recalls his other, > former Fortresses.
> Odd bit: While Kandor plays a part in this story, it looks to me like > the word Kandor has been patched in after the pages were finished, as > if the word had been substituted for some other, longer word -- like > Kryptonopolis, say. I've seen another early Kandor story where the > name Kandor isn't used at all; it's simply called the Krypton Bottle > City. Since the name Kandor was used in the debut story (Action 242, > Jul 1958), I wonder what was going on?
> BTW, Action 261 also introduces Streaky the Supercat in the Supergirl > backup story.
