Comic Title: Action Comics #590
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: July 1987
On Sale Date: April 21, 1987 Newsstand Date April 21, 1987
Source: DC Releases, #38

Newsstand Date April 23, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #114

Shipping Date March 31, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #114

Copyright Date March 31, 1987
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1987
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Newsstand Date April 23, 1987
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #694, #696

Shipping Date March 31, 1987
Source: Comics Buyers Guide, #694, #696

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Andrew Helfer

Title: "Better Dying Through Chemistry"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Superman (Post-Crisis)
Metal Men (Post-Crisis)

Writer/Penciller: John L. Byrne
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Thomas J. Ziuko

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 4 TPB (2005)
Superman:The Man of Steel Vol. 2 HC (2021)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Adventures of Superman #430; next appearance in Fury of Firestorm #63)
• Metal Men (first post-Crisis appearance; next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Gold (next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Iron (next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Mercury (next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Tin (destroyed in this story; next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Lead (next appearance in Action Comics #599)
• Platinum (next appearance in Action Comics #599)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Superman #7; next appearance in Adventures of Superman #431)
• Doctor Will Magnus (first post-Crisis appearance; next appearance in Action Comics #599)

Villain(s)

• Chemo (first post-Crisis appearance; next appearance in Supergirl #5)

Other Character(s)

• Mr. Lydecker (a chemical plant supervisor; no further appearances)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Chemo (of Earth-1; in flashback)
• Negative Woman (of Earth-1; in flashback)

Comments:
Chemo's destruction during the Crisis on Infinite Earths is depicted here in flashback. His destruction in the post-Crisis universe must have come under slightly different circumstances.

Synopsis:
Clark Kent and Lois Lane take a tour of a chemical treatment plant. Clark falls into a vat of chemicals, but he seems to have suffered no ill effects. However, his dead skin cells react with the chemicals which had once composed Chemo. The giant is reformed, this time with Superman's powers.

Chemo goes after his old adversaries the Metal Men. He snatches Tina and coats her with a plastic polymer which prevents her from changing shape. Against the orders of Doc Magnus, the other Metal Men go after her.

Superman spots Chemo flying away with Tina. He forces the giant to drop her, and the Metal Men catch her. Superman and the robots then fight Chemo, but he is invulnerable. Superman eventually deduces that cutting Chemo off from sunlight will weaken him. The Metal Men create a dome, then Superman destroys Chemo. However, Tin is destroyed during the fight. To the surprise of the other robots, Doc Magnus refuses to rebuild him.