World's Finest #187 is an issue of the series World's Finest (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1969.
Synopsis for Superman and Batman: "The Demon Superman!"
Superman continues his campaign to get Batman burned at the stake for witchcraft. Before being executed, Batman asks one last request and he wants the people of the town to try to get Superman to cut his hair. When the people realize that it is impossible to cut Superman's hair, they recoil as the Man of Steel is suddenly enraged and flies away to join the British forces.
Batman is freed and he joins Sylvia on a quest to locate Anthony Wayne, who might have some answers about the mystery of the present day. Meanwhile, Superman arrives at the British camp and he as he joins the military, he is asked to bring in Anthony Wayne for treason. Superman manages to locate Anthony Wayne's tent and he takes it to the British camp site, not knowing that Batman was also inside.
Anthony Wayne is brought forward to a shooting range and he is about to be executed when Batman intervenes. Superman gets the idea to make Batman and Wayne fight to death, but at that moment, Robbyn Douglas, Wayne's junior partner arrives with renforcements and tilt the scales on their favor. Batman gives the young Robbyn, who looks exactly like Robin, a chunk of Green Kryptonite from his Utility Belt to use against Superman. The Man of Steel is subsequently weakened by the meteorite rock and when he recovers, he helps the American Forces to defeat the enemy.
Afterwards, Superman explains that the reason he accused Batman of witchcraft was because he noticed a demon presence in possession of Batman's body and he needed to scare it away from him. Unfortunately, the demon possessed him instead and he turned evil until the Kryptonite weakened him and caused the demons to vanish.
Finally, Batman and Superman learn that Sylvia was the person responsible for creating the bust of Anthony Wayne, but she had intended to make it for Batman and once the mystery is cleared, the heroes return to the present.
Appearing in Superman and Batman: "The Demon Superman!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Benjamin Franklin
- "Mad" Anthony Wayne (Flashback and main story)
- Robby Douglas
- Sylvia Ward (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- Afreet
- British Military
- General Henley
- Major Nichols (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- Robin (Mentioned only)
- Adams (Mentioned only)
- Andrew (Flashback only)
- Jefferson (Mentioned only)
- John Hancock (Mentioned only)
- Leonardo da Vinci (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- 18th Century (Flashback and main story)
- British Encampment
- Salem (Flashback and main story)
- Tad's Tavern (Flashback and main story)
- 1969 (Flashback only)
- Gotham City (Flashback only)
- Gotham City Museum (Flashback only)
- Gotham City (Flashback only)
- Time-Barrier
Items:
- Declaration of Independence (Mentioned only)
- Green Kryptonite
Synopsis for Green Arrow: "The Green Arrow's First Case"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #256.
When an expedition of Starfish Island is reported to begin, Green Arrow is concerned that it will lead to the revelation that he is the Green Arrow. Oliver explains to Speedy that Starfish Island was where the Green Arrow was born, explaining that one night years when he was "Just Oliver Queen, wealthy playboy, world traveler" he fell overboard from a ship while on a voyage in the South Seas. Oliver managed to swim to Starfish Island, off of regular shipping lanes and surrounded by rocky shoals. He took up residence in a nearby cavern and, after finding a water spring, began to devise arrows with which to catch fish.
After days of practice, Queen became a crack shot with the bow. When he shot his first fish with an arrow, though, he learned that he couldn't keep it from swimming away with the shaft. Thus, he designed a rope arrow by tying a vine onto the end of his shaft, and landed the fish he shot with it. Later, he designed a net arrow with which to catch many fish, and a drill arrow to knock down and pierce coconuts. He also designed a green outfit for himself from tree leaves, and began chiseling a diary on the cave wall.
One evening, Oliver saw a ship in the distance, swam out to it, and learned that the crew was in mutiny. He masked himself by rubbing anchor-chain grease around his eyes, then nabbed the mutineers with his trick arrows. When the captain asked his name, Queen replied, "The Green Arrow! Yes, that's it--just call me the Green Arrow!"
Roy realizes that the diary Oliver carved on the cavern wall can betray his mentor's identity. When Green Arrow sees an expedition member holding a Geiger counter, he fires a "Fake Uranium Arrow" at the ground, and the resulting clicks on the Geiger counter convince the explorers that the island is radioactive from H-bomb fallout. They leave, enabling the archers to destroy the cave-diary and safeguard Green Arrow's secret.
Appearing in Green Arrow: "The Green Arrow's First Case"
- Green Arrow (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mutineers (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Captain Carter (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also