Showcase #17

(November-December 1958)

Secret of the Eternal City! (Table of Contents)

Adam Strange / comic story / 14.33 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Gardner Fox

Pencils:

Mike Sekowsky

Inks:

Bernard Sachs

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure; science fiction

Characters:

Adam Strange (introduction, origin); Alanna [aka Allana] (introduction); Sardath (Alanna's father scientist, introduction); inhabitants of Samakand; The Eternals (villains, introduction for all)

Synopsis:

An Earth archaeologist is caught by a "zeta-beam" and teleported to Rann near Alpha Centauri where he meets Alanna and Sardath. Alien invaders, called The Eternals, attack the planet while Adam and Alanna journey to the Brigadoon-like city of Samakand to locate a life-metal called "vitatron". Adam tricks the aliens so they're stuck in Samakand, but then he fades away, returning to Earth, awaiting the next zeta-beam.

Reprints:

• in All Favourites, The 100-Page Comic (K. G. Murray, 1957 series) #12 ([April 1959] ?)
• in Secret Origins (DC, 1961 series) #1 (Summer 1961)
• in Strange Adventures (DC, 1950 series) #217 (March-April 1969)
• in Mysteries in Space: The Best of DC Science Fiction Comics (Simon and Schuster, 1980 series) #[nn] (October 1980)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) #[nn] (1992)
• in Secret Origins Replica Edition (DC, 1998 series) #1 (1998)
• in The Adam Strange Archives (DC, 2004 series) #1 ([February] 2004)
• in Showcase Presents: Adam Strange (DC, 2007 series) #1 ([August] 2007)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([July] 2012)

Reprint Note before Migration:

• in Secret Origins (DC, 1961 series) #1 (Summer 1961)
• in Strange Adventures (DC, 1950 series) #217 (March-April 1969)
• in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn
• in Mysteries in Space: The Best of DC Science Fiction Comics (Simon and Schuster, 1980 series) #nn (October 1980)
• in Secret Origins Replica Edition (DC, 1998 series) #1
• in Adam Strange Archives, The (DC, 2004 series) #1 (February 2004)
• in Showcase Presents: Adam Strange (DC, 2007 series) #1
• in All Favourites, the 100-Page Comic (K. G. Murray, 1957 series) #12

Keywords:

Alpha Centauri; Caramanga (an Incan city); Menticizer; Ranagar; Rann (a planet introduction); Vitatron; Zeta-Beam

Indexer Notes

Adam wear his civilian work clothes throughout. The story length revised from 15 pages to 14.33 pages, as two pages of the story are only 2/3 of a page long with ad below each of them.

[Guarantee of the Best in Comics Reading] (Table of Contents)

science fiction / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Synopsis:

House advertisement for Strange Adventures #98 and House of Secrets #14, with covers reproduced.

Look to the Stars! (Table of Contents)

public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Characters:

Bob; Ted

Synopsis:

Bob and Ted are "never lost" in the woods, because Bob can navigate by the stars, same as sailors, cowboys, and plane navigators.

Indexer Notes

PSA from The National Social Welfare Assembly.

Our Strange Universe! (Table of Contents)

science / filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Synopsis:

Educational facts about space, the sun, and stars.

Curious Comets (Table of Contents)

science / filler / 0.5 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

?

Inks:

?

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Synopsis:

Educational info on Tebutt's Comet, Halley's Comet, and the Pons-Winnecke Comet.

The Three-In-One Star (Table of Contents)

science / text article / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Synopsis:

Educational information on Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system.

Indexer Notes

An editor's note on page 5 of "Secret of the Eternal City" refers the reader to this text article.

The Planet and the Pendulum! (Table of Contents)

Adam Strange / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Gardner Fox

Pencils:

Mike Sekowsky

Inks:

Bernard Sachs

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

adventure; science fiction

Characters:

Adam Strange; Alanna; Sardath; citizens of New Ranagar; barbarians of the tribe of Zoora from the city Yardana (villains); invaders from Morleen (villains)

Synopsis:

Zapped by the zeta-beam, Adam is teleported, not to Rann, but to Anthorann, a neighboring planet. Escaping barbarians and their "Rainbow Doom" (a teleporter), he meets Alanna and Sardath, who had used knowledge from Samakand scientists to journey to Anthorann, but crashed. Adam dons a Rann spacesuit from the wreckage and faces invaders from Morleen, who swing a "diamondium" pendulum to cut open the dome of New Ranagar. Adam ray-blasts the shaft, then fades away to Earth.

Reprints:

• in The Hundred Comic Monthly (K. G. Murray, 1956 series) #32 ([May 1959])
• in Strange Adventures (DC, 1950 series) #218 (May-June 1969)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) #[nn] (1992)
• in The Adam Strange Archives (DC, 2004 series) #1 ([February] 2004)
• in Showcase Presents: Adam Strange (DC, 2007 series) #1 ([August] 2007)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([July] 2012)

Reprint Note before Migration:

• in Strange Adventures (DC, 1950 series) #218 (May-June 1969)
• in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn
• in Adam Strange Archives, The (DC, 2004 series) #1 (February 2004)
• in Showcase Presents: Adam Strange (DC, 2007 series) #1

Keywords:

Anthorann; Rainbow Doom; Zeta-beam

Indexer Notes

The ending promises more in the next issue of "Showcase's Adventures on Other Worlds!"