When Ambush Bug hitches a ride on a time-traveling Superman, the two are transported to 2983 A.D. Then Superman and the Legion of Substitute Heroes must track him down, in "Ambush Bug II."
Ambush Bug leaps on Superman, just as the Man of Steel is traveling forward through time. Superman stops in the 30th century, to leave the Ambush Bug in the care of the Legion Of Super-Heroes. Discovering that the team is off world, Superman, reluctantly, turns the Ambush Bug over to the Legion of Substitute Heroes. After Polar Boy has incarcerated the Ambush Bug within a large dome, Superman flies onward to the 40th century. The Ambush Bug quickly escapes, and beats Polar Boy near to death. The arrival of Porcupine Pete and Infectious Lass allows the Ambush Bug to exit their headquarters. Ambush Bug immediately floods Metropolis with his matter warping "bugs" allowing him to instantaneously teleport all across the city. Returning from the 40th century, Superman is quick to discover the Ambush Bug's escape. Superman is in hot pursuit of the Ambush Bug, when he is stopped dead by an enormous tree, rapidly grown courtesy of Chlorophyll Kid. Superman confers with Fire Lad and Chlorophyll Kid, learning that Polar Boy was too embarrassed to reveal that their security cells were offline. Ambush Bug had actually been placed inside a giant fish bowl, which he promptly escaped from. Stone Boy tries to tackle Ambush Bug, but the villain teleports out of his grasp. Transforming to stone to survive the impact with the ground, Stone Boy lands head first in the street.
Chlorophyll Kid and Fire Lad spend the rest of the adventure trying to determine a safe way to extricate Stone Boy from the street, without snapping his head off. Superman wraps up the Ambush Bug with his cape, only to see the villain teleport away again, taking the cape with him. Before Superman can get after the Ambush Bug, he is ordered to report to Science Police Headquarters. Encountering a strange cyclopean alien, the Ambush Bug ties Superman's cape around it's neck, and drops it from a towering height. Color Kid and Antennae Lad swoop in to rescue the alien. Antennae Lad, though, is attacked by the Ambush Bug, who violently attempts to tear of Antennae Lad's ears. Color Kid is able to get Ambush Bug to break off his attack on Antennae Lad. Throwing Antannae Lad into Color Kid, the Ambush Bug reclaims Superman's cape from the alien, before teleporting away. Spotting the Superman Museum, the Ambush Bug teleports inside to continue making mayhem. Superman, Porcupine Pete and Infectious Lass are in conference with Science Police Chief Zendak, when word comes through that the Ambush Bug is in the museum. Fearing the Ambush Bug will learn his secret identity, Superman races to the museum. En route, he crisscrosses the skies of Metropolis , gathering and destroying all of the Ambush Bug's "bugs".
Antennae Lad, Color Kid, Double-Header, and the Science Police corner the Ambush Bug, but the elusive villain still manages to escape them. Superman is rapidly closing on the Ambush Bug, when Porcupine Pete leaps out in front of them, and unleashes his quills. The Ambush Bug merely teleports at the last second, causing Superman to crash into Porcupine Pete, as Porcupine Pete fills Superman with his quills. The Ambush Bug makes the mistake of teleporting back behind Superman and Porcupine Pete, proving to slow to keep the Man of Steel from hitting him. Knocked into another section of the museum, the Ambush Bug attacks Double-Header. However, the Ambush Bug is horrified to discover that the Double-Header actually does have two heads, and teleports away in disgust. Color Kid sends Infectious Lass in to work her feminine wiles on the Ambush Bug. The Ambush Bug, though, teleports away from Infectious Lass, reappears next to Color Kid, and beats him into unconsciousness. Spying a "Do Not Enter" sign, the Ambush Bug feels compelled to go into the room. A single artifact sits on display in the room, with a sign pointing to a button that reads" Do Not Push". Of course, the Ambush Bug pushes the button, immediately projecting himself into the phantom zone. Superman takes a few moments out for refreshments with the Legion of Substitute Heroes, before returning to the 20th century with the Ambush Bug.
Notes: Dedicated to the premiere Superman artist: Joe Shuster.
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