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Superman 170

SUPERMAN #170

Cover Date: July 1964
Cover Price: $0.12
Publication Date: 1964-05-07

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Cover Credits:
Pencils: Curt Swan
Inks: Sheldon Moldoff


Story: "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy!" (10 Pages)

Credits:

StoryBill Finger, E. Nelson Bridwell
ArtAl Plastino
EditingMort Weisinger

Feature Character(s):

Superman (last in issue #168; next in Action Comics #309)

Supporting Character(s):

Jimmy Olsen (in between Action Comics #310 and #309)
Lana Lang (in between Action Comics #308 and #309)
Lois Lane (last in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #47/3; next in Action Comics #309)
Perry White (in between Action Comics #310 and #309)

Guest Appearance(s):

Supergirl (in between Action Comics #309/2 and #309)

Other Character(s):

President John F. Kennedy (see Comments)
Jimmy Olsen Fan Club
Supergirl Fan Club
a group of Alpine bicyclists
various kids in physical education classes

Cameo Appearance(s):

John Glenn (in a photograph)

Location(s):

United States of America
Metropolis
Daily Planet
Washington, DC
Switzerland

Comment(s):

This story was scheduled for issue #168 but was pulled from publication when news of President Kennedy's assassintation broke on November 22, 1963. White House officials later reached out, advising President Lyndon B. Johnson wanted it published as a tribute to his predecessor.

Story Reprinted in:

The Amazing World of Superman, Metropolis Edition (1973) [selected scenes]
Superman in the Sixties ([November] 1999)


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Second Story: Part I: "If Lex Luthor Were Superman's Father!" (10 Pages)
Part II: "The Wedding of Lara and Luthor!"

Credits:

StoryJerry Siegel
ArtAl Plastino
EditingMort Weisinger

Feature Character(s):

Superman (last in World's Finest Comics #142; next in Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #50)

Supporting Character(s):

Jor-El (see Comments)
Lara Lor-Van (see Comments)

Villain(s):

Lex Luthor (last in Action Comics #313/2; next in issue #172)
Brainiac (see Comments)

Other Character(s):

Warden of the Metropolis Prison
Dr. Arnold (first appearance)
Zypto (Krypto's father; see Comments)
Kryptonians (see Comments)
Science Council of Krypton (see Comments)
Lon Gorg (created "supra-psyche" treatments to greatly increase intelligence)
Raf Arlo (created a "retro-light viewer" proving most crimes were perpetrated by an unknown race of invisible people, see second Comments)

Location(s):

Space Sector 2813
Krypton of the Universe containing Earth-170 (first appearance; see Comments)
Great Krypton Sea
Jewel Mountains
Kandor
Kryptonopolis
Space Sector 2814
Earth
Luthor's Lair (an abandoned coal mine)
Metropolis Prison
Unidentified Space Sector
Planet of a Hundred Moons
The Timestream

Comment(s):

Though the cover of the issue denotes this as an "Imaginary" Story, it is not so noted in the story itself. The events having occurred on Krypton do not follow with previous or later established history, such as Brainiac's taking of Kandor prior to the marriage of Jor-El and Lara and Luthor's appearance on Krypton is never mentioned again. Therefore, it's likely Luthor shifted into another universe while traveling to the past.
In Crisis on Infinite Earths: Absolute Edition (November 2005), this was determined to have occured in the universe of "Earth-170." 
A race of unseen aliens responsible for most of the crime on Krypton was also presented in Action Comics #332/2 (January 1966): "How Superwoman Trained Superboy!" an "Imaginary Story" later retconned to have occurred on Earth-332. Appropriately named "The Invisibles" these aliens hailed from a dimension bordering that universe's Krypton.


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