Comic Title: World's Finest Comics #223
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Cover Date: May/Jun 1974
On Sale Date: February 19, 1974 Newsstand Date February 19, 1974
Source: Comic Reader, #103

Copyright Date February 19, 1974
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1974


Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.60
Page Count: 96
Circulation: 246871
Editor: Julius Schwartz

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "The Composite Superman"
Pages: 18

Feature(s):
Superman (of Earth-1)
Batman (of Earth-1)

Writer: Edmond Hamilton
Penciller: Curt Swan
Inker: George Klein

Reprinted From:
World's Finest Comics #142 (1964)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Justice League of America #28; next appearance in Superman #170)
• Batman (last appearance in Justice League of America #28; next appearance in Action Comics #314)

Supporting Character(s)

• Robin (last appearance in Detective Comics #328; next appearance in Detective Comics #329)
• Commissioner Gordon (last appearance in Detective Comics #328; next appearance in Detective Comics #329)
• Lois Lane (last appearance in Action Comics #313; next appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #50)
• Jimmy Olsen (last appearance in Action Comics #313; next appearance in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #78)

Villain(s)

• Composite Superman (Joe Meach; custodian at the Superman Museum; next appearance in World's Finest Comics #168)
• Two international crooks (no further appearances)

Guest Appearance(s)

• Legion of Super-Heroes (appear in flashback; last appearance in Adventure Comics #321; next appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #50)
• Saturn Girl (appear in flashback; last appearance in Adventure Comics #321; next appearance in Adventure Comics #322)
• Brainiac 5 (appear in flashback; last appearance in Adventure Comics #321; next appearance in Adventure Comics #322)
• Sun Boy (appear in flashback; last appearance in Adventure Comics #321; next appearance in Adventure Comics #322)
• Mon-El (appears in flashback; last appearance in Adventure Comics #321; next appearance in Adventure Comics #322)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Joker (as a statue)
• Chameleon Boy (as a statue)
• Colossal Boy (as a statue)
• Cosmic Boy (as a statue)
• Shrinking Violet (as a statue)
• Lightning Lad (as a statue)
• Triplicate Girl (as a statue)
• Bouncing Boy (as a statue)
• Phantom Girl (as a statue)
• Matter-Eater Lad (as a statue)
• Element Lad (as a statue)
• Star Boy (as a statue)
• Ultra Boy (as a statue)
• Lightning Lass (as a statue)
• Invisible Kid (as a statue)
• Supergirl (as a statue)

Comments:
Part 2: "The Battle Between Titans"

Synopsis:
Down on his luck, Joe Meach receives a job from the Man of Steel working at the Superman Museum. Joe is angry that he is only a janitor. When lightning strikes a display of Legion statues with Joe standing in front of it, he receives all the powers of the Legion.

Motivated by jealousy, Joe takes the identity of the Composite Superman and pretend to join Superman and Batman as their partner. The heroes are distrustful of him, but allow him to join them because he threatens to reveal their secret identites.

The Composite Superman secretly undermines the deeds of his partners, eventually ordering them to abandon their costumed identities. Though the heroes agree for a time, they plot against the villain and eventually confront him. Batman and Superman are beaten, but suddenly Joe's powers begin to wear off.

As the powers disappear, Joe tries to recreate the accident that gave him his powers. He fails. When they are completely gone, his memory of events as the Composite Superman are also gone. He resumes his job at the museum. Batman and Superman do not learn who he really was.