Adventure Comics #476

Aquaman battles Poseidon! Then, the adventures of Starman and Plastic Man continue.

The Poseidon Adventure

With Mera suffering from a mysterious malady, Aquaman had set off for Atlantis, to garner medical aid, only to run afoul of the Scavenger. Returning to their home, Aquaman discovers that Mera has vanished. Aquaman rails against the God of The Seas, Poseidon, for the ills that continue to befall his family. To Aquaman's astonishment, Poseidon actually appears before him. Mistaking the Olympian God for some poser, Aquaman attacks, but is quickly overwhelmed by Poseidon's power. With Poseidon telekinetically dragging him through the ocean, Aquaman summons a quartet of hammerhead sharks to assail his captor. Poseidon turns the sharks back on him. Aquaman ceases his resistance,quietly allowing Poseidon to take him to their destination. Poseidon has amassed a great armada of marine life with which he intends to attack the surface. With the realization that it was not Poseidon who abducted Mera, Aquaman again rises to challenge the Sea God. Poseidon mentally dominates Aquaman, forcing the Sea King to dance for Poseidon's amusement. With Aquaman under his control, Poseidon forces Aquaman to lead his army in an attack on New Venice. Aquaman is torn between saving the innocent civilians under Poseidon's attack, and protecting the marine life being slaughtered in the conflict. Mustering every last iota of his telepathic might, Aquaman wrests control of a single dolphin from Poseidon, and commands it to steal away with Poseidon's trident. Without his trident to focus his powers, Poseidon easily falls to Aquaman. The psychic strain on the dolphin, however, proved to be too much, and the gentle marine creature dies in Aquaman's arms. Overcome with remorse, Aquaman contemplates his use of the creatures of the sea, wondering if he has made them his puppets, as he was Poseidon's. His thoughts are disrupted by a parade of thousands of marine creatures, all of which pass the Sea King in honored tribute. Their loyal service to the Sea KIng has always been borne of their love for him, and always will.

Crown or Coffin?

Lord Protector Oswin, now in possession of Mn'Torr's powerful staff, finally defeats his foe, Starman. Oswin turns from his fallen adversary to deal with Empress Clryssa, the Lady Merria, and Jediah Rikane. Straman mounts one last desperate attack on Oswin, to buy his companions time to escape. Oswin puts Starman down for the count, but only Rikane takes the opportunity to flee. Empress Clryssa offers her throne for Starman's life. Oswin's response is to use the power of Mn'Torr's staff to lay the two ladies low. With Starman, Empress Clryssa, and Lady Merria his prisoners, Lord Protector Oswin sets about claiming the throne, and the very planet, for himself. Trapped within a refractive crystal dome, Starman is just able to focus enough of his power on one tiny spot to get a signal through to Rikane. Oswin prepares to broadcast Starman's execution, throughout the Imperium, via hyperwave. Rikane, and his associates, commandeer the hyperwave control room and broadcast the correct frequency necessary to shatter Starman's crystal prison. Starman, once more, battles against Lord Protector Oswin. This time, however, Starman targets Mn'Torr's staff, as opposed to the man wielding it. The subsequent explosion seemingly disintegrates both men. Empress Clryssa reclaims her throne, never once having suspected that Starman was, in fact, her brother. Starman leaves a message behind for Rikane and Merria, letting only the two of them know that he still lives.

The National Bureau of Investigation in called upon to investigate the explosive deaths of two corporate board members. The explosions occurred in the early morning hours, in the victim's respective kitchens. Plastic Man and his associate, Woozy Winks, are put on the case. Too late, however, to save a third victim. Evidence at the scene of the crime indicates that the explosive was carried in a milk bottle, from the Acme Dairy Company. It's quickly confirmed that all of the victims were on Acme's delivery route. Plastic Man and Woozy Winks travel to the Acme Dairy plant, where they encounter the criminal mastermind behind the bombings, Cheeseface.

The criminal known as Cheeseface was a former chemist, working for Acme, when an explosion left him horribly deformed. The upside of the accident is that Cheeseface discovered the chemical formula for Lactoglycerine, a powerful milk based explosive. Plastic Man puts down Cheeseface, but not before his henchman, Edam O'Grottin, throws a vial of Lactoglycerine at Wozzy Winks. In saving Winks' life, Plastic Man is forced to allow Cheeseface to escape. Cheeseface races to the home of Fong Woo, the owner of the Fong Woo Soybean Company. Fong Woo's company put the Acme Dary Company out of business. Having done away with all the members of the board of directors, Cheeseface has come to kill Fong Woo personally. Plastic Man arrives in the nick of time, first disabling Cheeseface's explosive trap,then collaring Cheeseface himself, along with Edam O'Grottin.