|
Silver Kryptonite.
The cover blurb for Jimmy Olsen #70 promises that "Nobody --
but nobody -- will guess -- 'The Secret of Silver Kryptonite'!" Well, don't tell Mort Weisinger's
ghost, but -- I did.
This
story is a masterful study in induced paranoia. Jimmy Olsen runs around to the curator of the Superman
Museum, mermaid Lori Lemaris, Supergirl, and Clark Kent, asking the same thing -- is there such a thing as Silver Kryptonite? What about Silver
Kryptonite? After all this,
Superman starts wondering too -- especially since he didn't think there was
such a beast. He trails Jimmy to a
special lead-lined lair staffed solely by Professor Potter. While all those secret things are going
on that he can't observe, the Man of Steel is going crazy with suspense, and
maybe even a little fear. I mean,
sure, Jimmy and Potter are his friends.
But why are they so interested in Kryptonite -- especially this new,
mysterious variety? Finally,
though, all is revealed:
"There is no substance as Silver Kryptonite! This is just a silver box containing
statuettes of your closest friends on Earth!"
But
why? Here's a clue: Jimmy Olsen #70 is the July, 1963 issue. It's the year of this issue that
clinches things: "It's the
25th anniversary of the day you adopted Metropolis as your official home,.
Superman," in June, 1938's Action #1. The only thing is, in those 25 years, nobody has aged much,
have they?
|
