Comic Title: Adventure Comics #499
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May 1983
On Sale Date: February 3, 1983 Newsstand Date February 3, 1983
Source: House Ad, Fury of Firestorm #12, Page 31

Newsstand Date February 3, 1983
Source: Comic Reader, #209

Newsstand Date February 3, 1983
Source: DC Coming Attractions, #75

Newsstand Date February 3, 1983
Source: Comics Journal, #79

Shipping Date January 11, 1983
Source: Comic Reader, #209

Newsstand Date February 3, 1983
Source: Amazing Heroes, #19

Shipping Date January 11, 1983
Source: DC Coming Attractions, #75

Copyright Date January 11, 1983
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1983
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $1.25
Page Count: 96
Editor: Nicola Cuti

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "The Fantastic Spy"
Pages: 12

Feature(s):
Legion of Super-Heroes (of Earth-1)

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: John Forte

Reprinted From:
Adventure Comics #303 (1962)

Feature Character(s)

• Legion of Super-Heroes (last appearance in Superboy #101; next appearance in Action Comics #298)
• Cosmic Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #302; next appearance in Action Comics #298)
• Saturn Girl (last appearance in Adventure Comics #302; next appearance in Action Comics #298)
• Lightning Lad (last appearance in Superman #157; next appearance in Action Comics #298)
• Superboy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #303; next appearance in Superboy #102)
• Chameleon Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #302; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Triplicate Girl (last appearance in Superboy #101; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Shrinking Violet (last appearance in Adventure Comics #302; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Sun Boy (last appearance in Superboy #101; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Bouncing Boy (last appearance in Adventure Comics #302; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Brainiac 5 (last appearance in Superman #156; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)
• Matter-Eater Lad (codename and origin revealed in this story; joins the Legion of Super-Heroes in this story; last appearance in Adventure Comics #301; next appearance in Adventure Comics #304)

Villain(s)

• Dr. Landro and his gang and a band of space pirates (no further appearances)
• Meglaro (an evil alien being; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• An unnamed Science Police officer (no further appearances)
• An unnamed nurse, doctor, police officer, and Earth-Tube passengers (no further appearances)
• Microscopic zoo creatures (no further appearances)

Comments:
The Legion of Super-Heroes is mistakenly said to exist in the 21st century in this story.

Sun Boy’s name is misspelled "Sun-Boy" in this story.

Following this story, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad try – and fail – to travel to Supergirl’s time to help her battle a band of Phantom Zone criminals in the second story of Action Comics #298.

Synopsis:
While visiting Sun Boy and Lightning Lad in the hospital, Cosmic Boy and Brainiac 5 meet Dr. Landro, and witness his demonstration of "curative capsules" implanted directly into injured limbs. A week later, the bedridden Legionnaires are released, and are present at the induction of Matter-Eater Lad, and the assignment of several top-secret missions by the Science Police.

Unfortunately, each mission fails, leading the Legion to suspect a traitor in their midst. Matter-Eater Lad is accused and flees. However, Brainiac 5 had deduced that the "traitor" is actually a microscopic man, reduced by the shrinking-ray invented by the original Brainiac and encased in the curative capsule in Sun Boy’s ankle. He and Matter-Eater Lad had staged the latter’s accusation to mislead the true culprit. Once the tiny spy leads Dr. Landro and his allies to a planet where Superboy is waiting to apprehend them, the Legion had him restored to normal and taken into custody.