Action Comics #494

1. Cover by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez.
2. "The Secret of the Super-S!" written by Cary Bates, penciled by Curt Swan, inked by Frank Chiaramonte, colored by Gene D'Angelo and lettered by Ben Oda.
3. "Daily Planet" Volume 79 Issue 4 the week of January 22, 1979 edited by Bob Rozakis, production by Anthony Tollin and lettered by Typeset. Featuring the hunt for Batman's killer in the upcoming issue of Adventure Comics #463. Plus, "Ask the Answer Man".
4. "Hembeck" written, penciled and inked by Fred Hembeck.

Notes:

• This issue contains the Hostess Superhero Ad, Wonder Woman in "The Golden Treasure".

Perry White, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane are inviting Clark Kent back to his office at the Daily Planet. They are busy when suddenly an anonymous letter arrives from Smallville. It is addressed to Perry White. The letter carries an alternate S-symbol other than the one worn by Superman. It also carries a note from the sender, where he is excited to reveal other secrets of Superman. Perry assigns Lois and Clark to cover the story.

A passenger train is traveling along the Majestic Mountains, west of Metropolis, when a landslide occurs only meters away on the track. Superman arrives in the nick of the time and carves out a tunnel with his Heat Vision. The train goes through safely. Superman then clears away the whole mass of boulders from the track. He gets into the train, dresses up as Clark and sits down beside Lois.

41 minutes later, they arrive at Smallville station and wait for Chief Parker to greet them. When he does not show up, they make their way towards the Kent House.

Back in the house, Parker is attacked by a ghostly apparition in the form of a minuteman. He cries out for help. Clark and Lois come in but see nothing. Parker is out cold, but is revived by Lois. He shows them his photographic apparatus and tells them that he intends to photograph the ghost. Then they go for dinner.

Clark sneaks into his underground storage room and revives childhood memories as Superboy. He scans the wall with X-ray vision to reveal alien trophies and the alternate S-emblem. Lois asks him to come for dinner.

Later that night, patrols the streets as Superman and finds a gang of hooligans painting the houses. He takes care of them but suddenly spots the S-symbol painted on a wall. He asks them about it and is told that the band had stumbled upon the idea when they were in front of the Kent house. Superman picks up a scream from Lois with his super-hearing and goes to investigate.

Lois is visited by a World War II general’s ghost and is shot. Parker and Kent come in and console her. Clark matches the fingerprints on the door knob with those on the letter, and finds that they are identical and point to Chief Parker. He understands that there must be a para-psychic force gripping the house.

Next morning, Kent doesn’t feel well and goes out as Superman to a nearby waterfall. There he is suddenly attacked by a Dwalu, one of the seven foot tall warriors who once patrolled Krypton. The Dwalu renders him unconscious with a mighty blow.

Continued in Action Comics #495.