Superman and the Joker team up when the Clown Prince of Crime says he can help find the Prankster and his hostage, Perry White, in "The Terrible Tinseltown Treasure-Trap Treachery!"
The Terrible Tinseltown Treasure-Trap Treachery!
Flooding Metropolis State Prison with laughing gas, the Joker breaks the Prankster out of prison. News of the breakout reaches reporters Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, at the Daily Planet offices. Kent assumes his guise as Superman, to investigate a potential lead on the Prankster. Superman arrives at the Prankster's last known hideout, immediately coming under fire from the one crook in Metropolis who's never heard of Superman. After futilely emptying his revolver on Superman, the crook attempts to flee. The crook subdued, Superman learns that the Prankster and the Joker are working, together, on a caper in California, specifically, Hollywood. Returning to the Daily Planet, Kent invites himself along on Lane's, and Perry White's, trip to the Journalist's Convention, in Beverly Hills. Before departing, Kent puts in a call to Wayne Manor. Knowing that Batman is recuperating from injuries, Kent asks Wayne's butler, Alfred, to keep Batman in the dark about the Joker's involvement, assuring him that Superman will handle it. Alfred agrees, while in the background, Robin, the Teen Wonder, pleads with Batman to get some bed rest. Arriving in California, a headline, regarding the estate auction of famous movie comedian Jerry Travis, catches Kent's eye. Kent, Lane and White settle in, at a hotel in Burbank. Meanwhile, in an abandoned funhouse in Venice, the Joker and the Prankster plot their revenge on Travis, while each tries to play a joke on the other. Kent travels to the Travis estate, in Bel Air. Soon enough, he spies the Joker copter in the sky.
Kent races around looking for someplace to change into his Superman costume. The first item up for auction is Travis' personal dressing room van. As the auctioneer starts the bidding, he begins laughing uncontrollably. The Prankster gets Travis' van rolling, on a collision course with White, who followed Kent to the auction. The Prankster takes White hostage, threatening to murder him if Superman doesn't back away. Superman is about to melt the barrel of the Prankster's gun, when the Prankster and White are lassoed, and pulled back up to the Joker copter. To prevent any injuries, Superman is forced to go after the runaway van. Once safely aboard the Joker copter, the Prankster double crosses the Joker, kicking him out of the cockpit. Superman rescues the Joker, who offers to help Superman bring in the Prankster, for a good word with the authorities. Arriving at their hideout in Venice, however, the Joker finds the Prankster long gone. Travis fleeced the Joker and the Prankster out of $250,000.00. A missing passbook to one of Travis' bank accounts is the key to getting back the money. Novelties that the Prankster stole from the estate auction comprise a code that reveals the location of the passbook. Working from the auction catalogue, Superman cracks the code. The passbook is underneath Travis' star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. Superman and the Joker watch a pair of workmen dig up the star. When the police question the workers, the Prankster appears, detonating an explosive that sets the police car on fire.
While Superman tends to the burning car, the Joker takes out the Prankster's henchmen, poisons the Prankster, and steals the passbook. With the Prankster on the verge of death, Superman races his old foe to the Fortress of Solitude, allowing the Joker to escape. As the Prankster is the only one who knows where White is, Superman is desperate to save the Prankster's life. Superman places the Prankster in a Kryptonian Blood Filter, then sets a hypersonic alarm to inform him of when the Prankster regains consciousness. Superman returns to California to foil the Joker's scheme. White frees himself from the ropes binding him. The Joker presents the passbook at the proper bank, looking to empty the account. When he is refused, his men pull guns on the tellers and patrons. Superman arrives, melting all the guns with his heat vision. Superman hurls all of the Joker's men into the bank vault, then shuts the vault door. Catching up with the Joker, Superman uses his heat vision to melt the pavement around the Jokermobile. The Joker ejects, landing in a palm tree. Superman grabs the Joker, only to find that the body is really an inflatable dummy, filled with Kryptonite dust. Using his heat vision to cut the tree down, Superman angles his fall, landing on the ejector seat of the Jokermobile, which catapults him into the reservoir, washing off the dust. The alarm goes off, prompting Superman to return to his Fortress of Solitude. The Prankster gives up White's location. Superman arrives just in time to keep White from being crushed to death, underneath a water tower, that has been placed precariously over the only exit door. Once more, Superman catches up with the Joker, shearing off the blades of the Joker copter, and carrying the Joker to the authorities. Back in Metropolis, White is the victim of a prank, when he sits on a whoopee cushion, placed in his chair by Olsen.
New Wonder Woman Preview
Colonel Steve Trevor and Captain Diana Price are en route to deliver a locked briefcase, to General Darnell, when they are accosted by Communist agents. Trevor orders Prince to take the brief case and flee, then turns to battle the spies. Prince races into an alley, then transforms into Wonder Woman. Returning to aid Trevor, Wonder Woman comes under enemy gunfire. After deflecting the bullets with her bracelets, Wonder Woman ties up the gunmen with her magic lasso. The remaining enemy agents attempt to flee, with Trevor. Wonder Woman easily catches up to their car, and disables it. With the last man taken out, Wonder Woman tends to the unconscious Trevor. While emergency services take care of Trevor, Wonder Woman is approached by three members of the Wonder Woman Foundation, a non-profit organization seeking to promote equality for women. The foundation has been offered full financial backing, in return for Wonder Woman allowing them to use her name, while also wearing a bustier emblazoned with the foundation's logo. Wonder Woman takes her invisible jet to Paradise Island, to seek her mother's advice on the matter. There, Wonder Woman finds her mother, Hippolyta, along with all the other Amazons, in chains. Bound by Hercules and Hermes. Wonder Woman challenges the two Olympians to individual contests, to win her people's release. Wonder Woman races Hermes for Hippolyta's magic belt, and wins, proving to be fleeter of foot than the Messenger of the Gods. In disgrace, Hermes returns to Olympus. Wonder Woman returns the belt to Hippolyta, then enters into a test of strength with Hercules. Wonder Woman bests Hercules, who also disappears with his defeat, With the Amazons freed, Wonder Woman explains why she has returned home. Hippolyta supports the costume change. Meanwhile, in a hospital room in Washington, D.C., Trevor lies at death's door.
Notes:
- "The Terrible Tinseltown Treasure-Trap Treachery!" written by Martin Pasko, penciled by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, inked by Frank McLaughlin, colored by Gene D'Angelo and lettered by Ben Oda.
- "New Wonder Woman Preview" written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Gene Colan, inked by Romeo Tanghal, colored by Adrienne Roy and lettered by John Costanza.
Log in to comment