(July 1980)

DC, 1980 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
0.00 FREE
Pages
36
On-sale Date
1980-03-26 ?
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
DC Comics Inc.
Brand
DC [bullet]
Editing
Joe Orlando (managing editor); Julius Schwartz (editor); William M Palmer (editor)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Modern Age US
Binding
saddle-stitched

Issue Notes

Compliments of Radio Shack. This comic also appeared as an insert in several comics in July 1980, including Action Comics (1938 series) #509, New Adventures of Superboy (1980 series) #7, Legion of Super-Heroes (1980 series) #265, and House of Mystery (1951 series) #282.

There are three known printings of this comic. The order of the printings is not explicitly stated, but assumptions are made based on the advertisements. The differences between the three printings are noted in the Indexer Notes below. The cover and indicia are identical in all three printings.

Indicia: SUPERMAN IN "THE COMPUTERS THAT SAVED METROPOLIS" (July 1980) is published by DC COMICS INC., 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10019 for Radio Shack, a division of Tandy Corporation, One Tandy Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, U.S.A. Copyright © 1980 DC Comics Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Superman and Lana Lang are trademarks of and copyrighted by DC Comics Inc.; Radio Shack, The Biggest Name In Little Computers, and TRS-80 are trademarks of Radio Shack, a division of the Tandy Corporation. The stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this magazine are entirely fictional. No actual persons, living or dead, are intended or should be inferred. Printed in U.S.A.

On sale date of March 26, 1980 from the 1980 Library of Congress copyright records (cocatalog.loc.gov). Registered on April 8, 1980 (registration number TX449786). A second registration was made in the 1984 copyright records indicating a publication date of July 1, 1980. This was registered on October 29, 1984 (registration number TX1444182). The reason for the two different publication dates is unclear.
This issue has variants:

The Computers That Saved Metropolis! (Table of Contents)

Superman / cover / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ross Andru
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
?
Letters
Gaspar Saladino

First Line of Dialogue or Text
This is Superman's last heroic act!
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Major Disaster [Paul Booker]; Shanna; Alec
Reprints

Radio Shack TRS-80 Network I (Table of Contents: 1)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
It's the magic way to bring your class together

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

First and second printing: Black and white advertisement, $499 price, woman at computer as others look on, title is "Radio Shack TRS-80 Network I", with the subtitle "It's the magic way to bring your class together".
Third printing: Black and white advertisement with blue and red highlights, $499 price, same drawing as first and second printings with windows and flag added, title is "More TRS-80 magic - Radio Shack's Network I brings your class together".

Prologue (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Ross Andru
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
A cry for help... a rush of wind...
Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Shanna; Alec
Reprints

Indexer Notes

The "prologue" page is not a true prologue, and is not included in the page numbering of the main story. It is also not used as a prologue, but rather as a "back cover" illustration, in the reprints inserted into some July 1980 DC comics.

There are three printings of this comic. The third printing removes the word "prologue" and the introductory narative text (the first line in the third printing is "Our TRS-80 computer answers check!").

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
? (photo)
Inks
? (photo)
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
When a computer costs less than a bicycle or camera then it's time to think about owning one!

Indexer Notes

The advertisement on this page is identical in all three printings.

The Computers That Saved Metropolis! (Table of Contents: 4)

Superman / comic story / 28 pages (report information)

Script
Cary Bates
Pencils
Jim Starlin
Inks
Dick Giordano
Colors
?
Letters
Ben Oda

Genre
superhero
Characters
Superman [Clark Kent]; Major Disaster [Paul Booker]; Shanna; Alec; Margaret Wilson; John Bardeen (Nobel scientist, cameo); William Schockley (Nobel scientist, cameo); Walter Brattain (Nobel scientist, cameo); Lana Lang
Synopsis
Alec and Shanna use a pair of TRS-80 computers to help Superman stop Major Disaster after Superman's powers become difficult for him to control.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
? (photo)
Inks
? (photo)
Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

First printing: The advertisement in this printing has not yet been visually verfied.
Second and third printing: Black and white advertisement, photo of boy in chair, says "Last year this boy got into computing with a Radio Shack TRS-80".

The Funway to learn about Science! (Table of Contents: 6)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
?; typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Get additional copies of our famous new Science Fair Story of Electronics free for your club, class or group
Characters
teacher; students; Superman [Clark Kent]; Major Disaster [Paul Booker]; Shanna; Alec

Indexer Notes

First printing: Shows teacher and students, says "The Funway to learn about Science!". Thumbnails of "Science Fair Story of Electronics: The U.S. NASA Space Telescope" and "Superman in The Computers That Saved Metropolis".
Second and third printing: Thumbnail of "Science Fair Story of Electronics: U.S. Voyager I", coupons for "More copies Story of Electronics", "Get free batteries", and "$1 gift certificate".

Science Fair 50-in-1 Electronic Project Kit (Table of Contents: 7)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
? (photo)
Inks
? (photo)
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Discover the exciting world of electronics!

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

First printing: Black and white advertisement, says "Science Fair 50-in-1 Electronic Project Kit", batteries, multitester, solar cell.
Second and third printing: Says "150-in-1 Electronic Project Kit", orange background.

Free exciting new teaching aids! (Table of Contents: 8)

advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
?
Inks
?
Colors
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The Computers That Saved Metropolis introduces young people to...
Characters
teacher; young girl; Superman [Clark Kent]; Major Disaster [Paul Booker]; Shanna; Alec

Indexer Notes

Back cover.

First and second printing: Says "Free exciting new teaching aids!" in red and black text, purple and orange background, picture of teacher and young girl. Thumbnails of "Superman in The Computers That Saved Metropolis", "TRS-80 Microcomputer Source-Book for Educators", and "My TRS-80 Likes Me".
Third printing: Says "Free exciting new teaching aids" in blue text. Black and white text adverstisement, yellow background. Black and white thumbnails of "Superman in The Computers That Saved Metropolis", "TRS-80 Microcomputer Sourcebook for Educators", and "My TRS-80 Likes Me".

Editing
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. The Computers That Saved Metropolis!
    Superman
  2. 1. Radio Shack TRS-80 Network I
  3. 2. Prologue
    Superman
  4. 3. ["When a computer costs less than a bicycle or camera then it's time to think about owning one!"]
  5. 4. The Computers That Saved Metropolis!
    Superman
  6. 5. [no title indexed]
  7. 6. The Funway to learn about Science!
  8. 7. Science Fair 50-in-1 Electronic Project Kit
  9. 8. Free exciting new teaching aids!
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Nick Caputo
  • John Censullo
  • Dan Kocher
  • Donald Dale Milne
  • Mike Nielsen
  • Martin Olsen
  • Allen Ross
  • Jim Van Dore