The World's Greatest Superheroes Part 9: The Weaponer

The city of Metropolis is shaken when an alien warrior from another dimension shows up to scrap with Superman! 

Wielding highly destructive anti-matter energy bolts, the mighty Weaponer causes terrific damage across Metropolis. But when the Man of Steel beats the baddie in battle, the villain begs for mercy -- and asylum! All in all, it's a very different story from the usual World's Greatest Superheroes fare, where the conflict is only a lead-in to the consequences.

The Weaponers of Qward were first introduced way back in Green Lantern #2 (Sep 1960), a race of other-dimensional weaponsmiths with access to incredible technologies. The evil equivalents of the Guardians of Oa -- the near omnipotent patrons who provide power and guidance to the heroic Green Lantern Corps -- the Weaponers are committed to the creation of weapons which serve the purposes of evil, including the yellow power ring used by the villainous Sinestro. 

Since the Weaponers of Qward are Green Lantern villains, it's only natural that the superheroic guest star of this arc would be -- of course, the Flash! It's time for another super-fast foot race between the Fastest Man Alive and the Man of Tomorrow, while Jimmy is racing to file his story at the Planet ahead of newly-enshrined rival Clark Kent.

At one point in the story, Jimmy makes passing mention of the Bolshoi Defections. An enormous public relations defeat for the Soviet Union, several members of the Soviet Union's Bolshoi Ballet sought asylum during a 1979 tour of the United States. Among the defectors was the Bolshoi's premier dancer Alexander Godunov, whose name may not resonate with you as a dancer, but believe me when I say that Die Hard wouldn't be the same movie without him.

09. The Weaponer
(1980-06-16 to 1980-08-31)
Starring: Superman, Jimmy Olsen, The Flash
Villains: The Weaponer
Creative Team: Levitz, Tuska/Colletta 

*** To be continued ***