Caligro the Great seeks revenge against Superman and Zatanna.
Superman stops a careening van from going over a bridge. Unbeknownst to the Man of Steel, Zatanna assisted with the rescue, by slowing time down around the van. Zatanna, traveling with her father, Zatara, was fortunately also on the scene. Witnessing the entire affair, Caligro the Great sulks in the rain. Caligro, a has-been illusionist, holds nothing but contempt in his heart for real sorcerers, like Zatara, and super-heroes, like Superman. Caligro blames their real abilities for the diminished interest in his own feats of legerdemain. Caligro offers to perform at a local bar, but is summarily dismissed by both bartender and patrons. At his Fortress Of Solitude, Superman begins an investigation into the reason for his high vulnerability to magic. Scanning a copy of the necronomicon, Superman determines that magic is, in fact, a physical energy form. One Superman believes a defense against can be found. Meanwhile, Zatanna and Zatarra are also on a quest for knowledge. Consulting with Madame Van Jung, Zatanna seeks the origin of magic use on Earth. Zatanna believes that all magic stems from one source, possibly another dimension. The ability for humans to wield magic comes from an offshoot of humanity, known as "Homo Magus". Wielding magic came naturally to Homo Magus. Interbreeding with Homo Sapiens allowed some humans to develop the ability to access magic, through various rituals. Zatana further postulates that the reason Superman has no defense against magic, nor is able to wield it, is because he is an alien, and therefore has no Homo Magus genes in his DNA. Van Jung provides Zatanna with an old mystic tome, one from which she hopes a spell can be found to make contact with her theoretical magic dimension.
At the exact moment that Zatanna is trying to contact the other dimension, Superman is running an experiment to try to immunize himself against the energy wavelength that manifests as magic. Unknowingly tampering with the same forces simultaneously, Superman and Zatanna unwittingly open a giant rift between Earth and the dimension of magic. Earth is flooded with mystic energy, giving every man and woman on the planet the ability to control magic, though previous magic wielders, like Zatanna, find they've lost that ability. At the same time, the beings who inhabit the dimension of magic find that they know longer possess the ability to wield magic. At a bar in Metropolis, a gleeful Caligro the Great revels in his newborn magic powers. After taking spiteful vengeance on the bartender, and the rude bar patrons, Caligro the Great mystically conjures forth Superman and Zatanna. Caligro the Great conjures up enormous raptors and sets them upon Zatanna. Superman leaps to her defense. To his surprise, instead of using his normal flight ability, a flying carpet appears beneath his feet, carrying him to Zatanna's rescue. Zatana surmises that Superman's normal powers will no longer function, but his ability to wield magic will compensate for the loss. With Zatanna guiding him, Superman is able to use his newfound magic abilities to overcome Caligro the Great. Still heeding Zatanna's advice, Superman is able to close the rift between Earth and the dimension of magic, restoring everything to normal.
Note: This issue contains the Hostess Superhero Ad, Hawkman in "Hawkman Makes a Safe Landing".
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