Comic Title: Superboy #4
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Sep/Oct 1949
On Sale Date: July 22, 1949 Copyright Date July 20, 1949
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1949
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.


Newsstand Date July 22, 1949
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V4 #5

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 48
Editor: Jack Schiff

Title: "The Oracle of Smallville"
Pages: 12

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

Penciller: John Sikela
Inker: Ed Dobrotka

Feature Character(s)

• Superboy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #143; next appearance in Superboy #4)

Villain(s)

• Big Brain Bates and his men (gangsters; no further appearances)
• Finger Phelps and Snatch Hogan (a blackmailer and a kidnapper; no further appearances)
• An unnamed car thief (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Dick Saunders (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
To raise money for a Greek exhibit in the local museum, Superboy answers questions as the Oracle of Smallville. For a one dollar donation the Oracle answers questions. The customers don't know that the Oracle is Superboy or that he is using his powers to learn the answers. When crooks try to use the Oracle, Superboy answers their questions, then apprehends them.

Finallly a gang of mobsters ask the Oracle for the secret identity of Superboy. Superboy tells them that he is Clark Kent, but he also creates background noise to drown out the answer. The crooks are unable to hear the secret, so they rob the box office. Superboy then apprehends them and reveals to everyone that he was the Oracle.