Comic Title: Adventures of Superman #442
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: July 1988
On Sale Date: March 29, 1988 Shipping Date March 29, 1988
Source: Direct Currents, #2

Shipping Date March 29, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #137

Newsstand Date April 21, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #137

Copyright Date March 29, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Shipping Date March 29, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #752

Newsstand Date April 12, 1988
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #752

Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Mike Carlin

Title: "Power Play"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Superman (Post-Crisis)

Writer: John L. Byrne
Plotter/Penciller: Jerry Ordway
Inker: Andy Kubert
Letterer: Albert Tobias De Guzman
Colorist: Anthony Tollin

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 9 TPB (2017)
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 4 HC (2022)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Superman #20)

Guest Star(s)

• Aquaman (last appearance in Aquaman Special #1; next appearance in Doom Patrol #17)
• Captain Marvel (last appearance in Justice League International #7; next appearance in Action Comics Weekly #623)
• Elongated Man (last appearance in Detective Comics #572; next appearance in Secret Origins #30)
• Martian Manhunter (last appearance in Justice League International #15; next appearance in Justice League International #16)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Superman #20)
• Jimmy Olsen (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Superman #20)
• Lana Lang (last appearance in World of Smallville #4; next appearance in Superman #20)
• Emil Hamilton (last appearance in Adventures of Superman #440; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #450)
• Jose Delgado (last appearance in Adventures of Superman #440; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #445)
• Supergirl (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Superman #20)

Villain(s)

• Psi-Phon (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #469)
• Dreadnaught (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #469)
• Three street punks (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Sarah Olsen (last appearance in Superman #19; next appearance in Superman #40)
• Elsa (a homeless woman; no further appearances)
• Sheymo (a whale; no further appearances)
• Sandy Klienerman (a radio reporter; mostly behind-the-scenes; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story is continued from Superman #19.

Synopsis:
Superman battles Dreadnaught without his full powers which have been stolen by Psi-Phon. He is forced to flee after losing the last of his major powers. He then calls several other heroes for help. Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, and the Elongated Man all respond to Superman's call for assistance. They also battle Dreadnaught and one-by-one lose their powers.

Meanwhile, Superman resumes his Clark Kent identity and visits the lab of Professor Hamilton. He borrows a force field projector from the professor and returns to the scene of the battle. Psi-Phon appears to be overloading from all the powers he has transferred to Dreadnaught. Clark uses the force shield to protect himself as he engages and ultimately defeats Dreadnaught.

When the battle is over, Psi-Phon reveals that they were sent to Earth as forerunners to a possible alien invasion. However, the heroes were able to deduce the method to stop them by overloading Psi-Phon. As a result, the invasion force will not attack. Superman also has deduced that their powers were not actually lost, but Psi-Phon was able to shut them off by affecting the area of the brain which controlled the powers.