CATALOG RECORD

Action Comics #242

DC · Series began 1938 · July 1958

first appearance of Brainiac

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WHY COLLECTORS WANT IT

Brainiac (Silver/Bronze Age DC, Superman villain) — introduction · origin

Dates

Cover date: July 1958
On sale: May 29, 1958
Pages: 36

Editions and covers

Original edition
Source ↗

Facsimile reprints exist

Action Comics 242 (Facsimile Edition) (2026). A facsimile reproduces this issue with a modern cover price and barcode; check before buying.

Creators

pencils: Curt Swan, Henry Boltinoff, Al Plastino, Jim Mooney, Bob Brown, Howard Sherman, Martin Naydelinks: Stan Kaye, Henry Boltinoff, Al Plastino, Jim Mooney, Bob Brown, Howard Sherman, Martin Naydelscript: Jack Schiff, Otto Binder, Henry Boltinoff, Martin Naydelletters: Henry Boltinoff

Stories

The Super-Duel in Space · 13 pages
While on an experimental rocket, Clark & Lois encounter the alien Brainiac, who plans to shrink & bottle great cities of Earth & use them to repopulate his planet. Superman gets inside Brainiac’s ship when the villain takes Metropolis & there finds a bottle with a Kryptonian city (which in later issues will be named Kandor). He enters the bottle and with the help of a scientist restores the cities of Earth while Brainiac lies in suspended animation for his trip home. Because there is not enough power to restore the Kryptonian city, Superman places it in his Fortress, as Brainiac rockets away.
The Traffic Cop of 2058, A.D. · 6 pages
Safari from Space! · 6 pages

Characters

Clark KentSupermanLois LaneSuperboyJonathan KentMartha KentBrainiacColonel Tommy TomorrowCongo BillJanu

Reprinted in

Action Comics 242 (Facsimile Edition) (2026), Superman (1939), Superman (1947), Superman Annual (1960), Super DC (1969), Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (1983), Superman in the Fifties (2002), Superman: The Man of Tomorrow Archives (2004), Showcase Presents: Superman (2005), Superman: The Bottle City of Kandor (2007), Superman vs. Brainiac (2008), Superman: A Celebration of 75 Years (2013), Action Comics 80 Years of Superman: The Deluxe Edition (2018), Superman in the Fifties (2021)