In this mind-bending episode of The Superman Super Show, Ed and Steeven dive into Luthor's Incense Menace from Superman #5 (1940), where the Man of Steel faces one of Lex Luthor’s most diabolical plots yet. A wave of sudden unemployment is sweeping Metropolis, and the answer seems to lie in an unusual narcotic-laced incense that’s controlling the city’s business elite.

As Clark Kent investigates, the stakes skyrocket—literally—with an air raid on the Daily Planet and a trail of sabotage leading straight to Luthor. Superman punches through every obstacle, from elevator shafts to electrified traps, dismantling Luthor’s labyrinthine lair piece by piece. But this isn’t just about brute strength; Luthor’s cunning forces Superman to dig deeper, disguise himself, and think faster than ever.

With drugged executives, daring rescues, and even a few moments of Golden Age weirdness (Superman’s indestructible, self-invented costume, anyone?), this story delivers on every front. Tune in for Ed and Steeven’s breakdown of the action, the laughs, and the sheer chaos of one of Superman’s most frenetic early adventures!

Superman #5 was published by DC Comics in May, 1940.

Enjoy!

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