Comic Title: Adventure Comics #280
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: January 1961
On Sale Date: November 29, 1960 Copyright Date November 29, 1960
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1960

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Mort Weisinger

Title: "Superboy and the Mermaid from Atlantis"
Pages: 12

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

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: Creig Flessel

Reprinted In:
Superboy:The Greatest Team-Up Stories Ever Told TPB (2010)

Feature Character(s)

• Superboy (last appearance in Superboy #86; next appearance in Adventure Comics #281)

Guest Star(s)

• Lori Lemaris (earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Superman:The Secret Years #2)

Supporting Character(s)

• Jonathan Kent (last appearance in Superboy #86; next appearance in Adventure Comics #281)
• Martha Kent (last appearance in Superboy #86; next appearance in Adventure Comics #281)
• Lana Lang (last appearance in Superboy #86; next appearance in Adventure Comics #281)
• Lewis Lang (last appearance in Superboy #86; next appearance in Adventure Comics #282)

Other Character(s)

• Britt and Omra Lemaris (Lori’s parents; no further appearances)
• Jim Saunders (an aquarium owner; no further appearances)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Aquaman (in reference to Aquaman’s childhood)
• Tom Curry (in reference to Aquaman’s childhood)
• Atlanna (in reference to Aquaman’s childhood)

Comments:
The fact that there are two distinct Atlantean cities is first shown in this story. In one city which will later become known as Tritonus, the people were given fish tails by Lori’s ancestor, Nar Lemaris. In another city, to be known as Posidenous, the inhabitants built a dome around the city. Aquaman’s mother, Atlanna, hails from this city, as mentioned in this story.

Synopsis:
Lori Lemaris, an Atlantean girl, has a bad habit of telling lies. When she is scolded for her behavior, she travels to the surface and meets Superboy. She tells Superboy that she is 2000 years old, but Superboy catches on to her fib.

Lori wants to live on land, so Superboy makes a device which Lori believes will allow her to survive out of water. After the device has taken effect, Lori leaves her tank of water but is overcome with pain. She is returned to the water by Lana Lang, and Superboy explains that the device was used to change her thought-patterns which will prevent her from lying.

Worried that the knowledge of Lori will expose Atlantis, Lori’s father Britt uses Kryptonite to hypnotize Superboy into forgetting about Lori. He also hypnotizes Lori herself and Lana Lang, making them forget the entire experience. Superboy will later meet Lori again when he becomes Superman.