Comic Title: Adventure Comics #181
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: October 1952
Approx. On Sale Date: August 29, 1952 Copyright Date August 27, 1952
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1952
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 40
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "A Mask for a Hero"
Pages: 12

Feature(s):
Superboy (of Earth-1)

Artist: John Sikela

Feature Character(s)

• Superboy (last appearance in Superboy #22; next appearance in Adventure Comics #182)

Villain(s)

• Jack C. Reavis and his men (Spots named; no further appearances)
• Owley Manners and his gang (Gaff Drake named; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Henry Darwin (aka the Masked Hero; no further appearances)
• The mayor of Smallville (no further appearances)
• Mr. Aldo, Bill Wilder, Jim Carlton, and Alice (a sculptor, a reporter, an archaeologist, and his wife; no further appearances)

Synopsis:
While Superboy is occupied making a rescue, a mystery man stops a dangerous gasoline fire. The man flees when firefighters try to find out who he is. They catch him, but not before the man covers his face. Smallville wants to honor the mystery hero, but the man refuses to reveal his identity. Superboy helps construct a mask for the man, so that he can attend keep his identity secret.

At a celebration in honor of the masked hero, Alice Carlton approaches believing that the mystery man is her missing husband. Superboy helps find her real husband and continues to protect the masked hero.

Crime boss Owley Manners believes that the masked man is Gaff Drake, a man from his gang who escaped with valuable loot. Superboy again protects the masked hero and tracks down the real Gaff Drake.

Another crime boss, Jack Reavis believes that the masked man is a murder witness. His gang tries to frame the mystery hero, but Superboy exposes their scheme. Reavis's theory is correct though as the masked man is Henry Darwin, the witness. Only Superboy learns his secret, and Darwin successfully testifies against Reavis.