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    Action Comics #101

    Action Comics » Action Comics #101 - Crime Paradise released by DC Comics on October 1946.

    Short summary describing this issue.

    Crime Paradise last edited by Raines on 12/17/21 05:11AM View full history

    “CRIME PARADISE!” Something is wrong with Superman! Instead of saving and helping the citizens of Metropolis, the Man of Steel unleashes a reign of terror!

    Superman: The story opens with Superman seemingly having taken leave of his senses, as he refuses to save a drowning man, dismantles a car instead of fixing it, and turns a skyscraper upside-down. For an explanation, the story flashes back a few days, and we visit the headquarters of Specs Dour, a criminal boss, who is reading up on ancient drugs. Specs has discovered a drug which causes insanity, and his plan is to drug wealthy men and then make their families pay for the antidote. Specs's first victim is politician Craig Dennison, who goes berserk at a banquet and tries to kill the other guests until Superman intervenes. When Clark visits Dennison in the hospital later, he passes Specs who is just leaving. Clark is surprised to discover that Dennison is now sane again immediately after Specs's visit.

    Specs's next victim is Bruce Doyle, a famous stage actor. During a sword-duelling scene in a play that night, Doyle tries to kill the other actor. Fortunately, Lois and Clark are in the audience and Clark slips away, changes to Superman, and prevents the murder. While Superman is dealing with Doyle on stage, Lois overhears a couple of Specs's gang talking about the plot to blackmail the victims' families and decides to trail them when they leave the theatre. Needless to say, Lois is captured by the gang and held hostage.

    Meanwhile, Clark decides to talk to Doyle's wife, but as he approaches her house, he sees Specs calling on her, so he eavesdrops using super-hearing and x-ray vision, and discovers Specs's plot.

    When Specs leaves Doyle's house, Superman trails him back to his headquarters, where he discovers that Specs has given Lois the drug and refuses to give her the antidote unless Superman also takes the drug. Oddly enough, this drug *does* affect Superman, who becomes deranged and performs the bizarre acts that opened the story.

    Confused, Superman drifts out over the Pacific and runs into an atomic bomb test, where the huge blast clears his mind. He rushes back to Metropolis and captures Specs and his gang, and repairs the damage he did while deranged.

    Contents

    1. Crime Paradise (Superman) (An atom bomb is the cure for Superman's insanity!?!)
    2. Devilfish's Domain (Congo Bill)
    3. The Perfect Hideaway (Hayfoot Henry)
    4. When East Goes West (Vigilante)
    5. Little Morton
    6. Quiet Beat (2-page text story by Stan Carter)
    7. The Man Who Didn't Dare (Zatara)
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