Comic Title: Action Comics #252
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: May 1959
On Sale Date: March 31, 1959 Newsstand Date March 31, 1959
Source: House Ad, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #9, Page 9,
Adventure Comics #260, Page 13

Copyright Date March 31, 1959
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1959

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Mort Weisinger

Title: "The Menace of Metallo"
Pages: 13

Feature(s):
Superman (of Earth-1)

Writer: Robert Bernstein
Artist: Al Plastino

Reprinted In:
Superman Annual #2 (1961)
Superman #217 (1969)
DC Silver Age Classics Action Comics #252 (1992)
Millennium Edition:Action Comics 252 (#32) (2000)
Showcase Presents Superman Vol. 1 TPB (2005)
Superman:The Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 2 HC (2006)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #9; next appearance in Action Comics #252)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #9; next appearance in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37)
• Perry White (last appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #9; next appearance in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37)
• Jimmy Olsen (last appearance in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #9; next appearance in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #37)

Villain(s)

• Metallo (John Corben; dies in this story; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Professor Vale and Edith (no further appearances)

Comments:
John Corben's brother Roger becomes Metallo in Superman #310.

Synopsis:
Reporter John Corben is involved in a near fatal car accident. He is found by Professor Vale who rushes Corben to his lab. In order to save the injured man’s life, Vale gives Corben a metal body powered by uranium. After completing the operation the professor suffers a stroke.

Corben begins a criminal career as Metallo. He begins stealing uranium from secure places with his super strength that the robot body provides him. He also joins the staff at the Daily Planet.

When the professor recovers from his stroke, Corben learns that Kryptonite can also power his body. Corben is given a piece of Kryptonite by the professor, but he uses it on Superman who has been trying to capture him. He replaces his own Kryptonite with a sample from a display. The display Kryptonite was fake, so without power, Corben dies from heart failure.