Best Cover You've Never Seen--Superman #198 (1967)!!

This has always been one of my favorites...

Some other DC comic I owned as a wee lad has a house ad for this one; and as I read whatever comic that was a zillion times, I saw this picture a zillion times.

And, like a lot of DC Silver Age joints, this was a great set-up on the cover. A great Curt Swan job (inks by George Klein); excellent coloring, as the orange background is attention-getting without being ultimately distracting; The "shabby" Clark, in his tattered suits, with chain (with an X-Ray gun?!); the stunned look on the "real" Clark's face...the go-go checks!! 

The beauty part? This scene actually happens on the inside of the book:

Well, it all turns out to be a pretty silly plot by the Superman Revenge Squad involving alternate dimensions, planets full of androids, artificial earthquakes, and...oh, never mind, it's just silly.

Still, even though Kal-El beats the Revenge Squad, he's left with a dilemma, as the "fake Clark" really did expose his identity in front of everyone. So what happens next?

Wait a minute--they learn his secret identity, and Lois doesn't immediately release it to the world? Perry doesn't slap him, and fire him? This must be an alternate world...

But Clark has replaced the X-Ray gun...

Geez, Perry, you're so stupid...

Oh, Lois...

Manic Monday Double Secret Probation--Tell Us What You Really Think, Kal-El

Superman decides to tell his friends what he really thinks of them:





Oh, don't worry--that's not what Kal-El really thinks (wink, wink). You see, Dixo and Vagu of the Superman Revenge Squad are using a "telepathic signal gun" which is "tuned to Superman's brain" to "bombard his mind with hypnotic commands to do anything" they want.

So why don't they just order him to kill himself??


Sigh...

They also order him to dis on the United Nations:



Yes, you can make Superman do anything that you want him to, and you settle for making him a jerk. I guess for the Superman Revenge Squad, revenge is a dish best served stupid.

In fairness, they later make him nudge the orbit of the moon, causing tidal waves and leaving Atlantis a "watery ruin"--but no actual casualties, apparently. So there's a tiny bit of ambition there. But then again, it just demonstrates how stupid they are--they have a guy who can move freakin' planets under their control, and they're settling for making people hate Superman. Schmucks!

From Action Comics #295 (1962)