Comic Title: Adventure Comics #186
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: March 1953
Approx. On Sale Date: January 28, 1953 Copyright Date January 26, 1953
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1953
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: "Smallville Becomes a Ghost Town"
Pages: 12

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

Artist: John Sikela

Feature Character(s)

• Superboy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #185; next appearance in Superboy #25)

Supporting Character(s)

• Jonathan Kent (last appearance in Superboy #24; next appearance in Superboy #25)

Villain(s)

• Several unnamed criminals (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Mr. Morse and a geology class (no further appearances)
• Mayor Jones and residents of Smallville (no further appearances)
• Professor Leeds (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Superboy locates a large mass of gold and uses it to salt Sugarloaf Hill a few miles from Smallville. He then arranges for the gold to be found, which sparks a gold rush. The entire town of Smallville races to Sugarloaf Hill and begins staking claims.

When the gold begins to run out, the town learns that Superboy planted it. They begin distrusting him and head back to Smallville. Superboy warns them to stay away. He started the gold rush in order to evacuate the town because of a volcanic eruption that will destroy Smallville. Because of the hoax, no one believes Superboy. The Boy of Steel is then forced to divert the volcanic explosion to save Smallville.

When the eruption occurs, the town is saved. Superboy apologizes for his hoax, and the grateful townspeople have their faith in him restored.