Superboy #10
Superboy #10 holds a permanent place in Superman history as the debut of Lana Lang, the red-haired girl next door who would become one of the most enduring figures in the entire Superman mythology. Her introduction immediately gave the Superboy series its own analogue to the secret-identity tension that Lois Lane provided in the adult Superman books — a persistent, clever adversary-turned-romantic-interest whose driving mission was proving Clark Kent and Superboy were one and the same. That dynamic, introduced in this single issue, carried Lana through decades of comics, multiple Silver Age titles, and a string of television portrayals that culminated in Kristin Kreuk's seven-season run on Smallville and Emmanuelle Chriqui's role in Superman & Lois. The issue is also a notable brick in the broader construction of Smallville as a fully realized fictional world, populating the Boy of Steel's childhood with the kind of recurring, personal relationships that would eventually support the Legion of Super-Heroes era and beyond.
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The lead story, 'The Girl in Superboy's Life!', was written by Bill Finger — co-creator of Batman — and both penciled and inked by John Sikela, a workhorse of the early Superman line. Whitney Ellsworth was the credited editor on the indicia, though Grand Comics Database records indicate that Jack Schiff functioned as the actual hands-on editor for the Superboy title during this period, a division of responsibility common in DC's editorial structure of the era. The issue went on sale July 24, 1950, and carried a September–October 1950 cover date, arriving just ten issues into the Superboy solo series that DC had launched in early 1949 after the character's popularity in More Fun Comics and Adventure Comics made him one of the few heroes deemed strong enough to anchor his own book.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Lana Lang, created by writer Bill Finger and artist/inker John Sikela, in the story titled 'The Girl in Superboy's Life!'
- First appearance of Professor Lewis Lang, Lana's father, who moves his family next door to the Kents at the story's outset.
- The lead story establishes Lana's core dramatic function from the very start: she suspects Clark is Superboy and immediately begins trying to prove it — a pursuit that defined her character for decades.
- In her debut, Lana is depicted as a newcomer to Smallville; later stories retroactively portrayed her as a lifelong neighbor of the Kents, a continuity shift noted by multiple sources.
- The issue features an anthology format with additional stories, including 'The Toughest School in the World!' (script: Alvin Schwartz, art: John Sikela) and 'Superboy Meets Centuryman!' (pencils: Curt Swan), plus a public-service filler strip.
- The cover was drawn by Al Plastino; the issue was published by National Comics Publications Inc. (DC Comics) at a cover price of ten cents and ran 52 pages.
- Whitney Ellsworth was the credited editor; Jack Schiff served as the actual working editor according to Grand Comics Database records.
- The lead story from this issue was selected for reprinting in the hardcover anthology Superboy: A Celebration of 75 Years, confirming its status as one of the most historically significant stories from the Superboy solo series.
Cast · 6 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Gangsters try to force cartoonist Will Ferris to include secret messages in his comic strip Century Man.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).