Zall-Dix

Revision as of 01:55, 6 March 2010

Superboy vs. Zall-Dix, 1959

Zall-Dix

An alien boy possessing the power of mind over matter and employing a variety super-weapons (such as his Invisibility Belt) who encounters Superboy in a 1959 chronicle.

Zall-Dix comes to Earth to switch bodies with Superboy. On his home planet, his father had chosen a boring life of cataloguing meteors with a space telescope. Desperately craving a life of excitement and adventure, Zall-Dix one day sees Superboy in action with his space telescope and decides to run away and use a pair of mental helmets to switch bodies with the Boy of Steel, so that he could become the super-powered hero.

Upon arriving on Earth, Zall-Dix commences his plan by first using his mental abilities to disrupt Superboy's powers and then reveals himself at the Kent home in Smallville. Superboy, however, refuses Zall-Dix's demands, which infuriates the alien youth who vows to "...twist his other super powers until he gives in!"

A series of protracted battles are fought between the two youths and Krypto, until Superboy has been turned into a menace. Realizing that this will go on indefinitely unless he agrees to Zall-Dix's demands, Superboy finally agrees to the mind switch. However, Jonathan Kent steps in at the last minute, taking his adopted son's place just as Zall-Dix throws the switch to exchange minds. Touched by Pa Kent’s sacrifice, and realizing that he is homesick, Zall-Dix promises to leave Earth and return home (Adv No. 264/1, Sep 1959: "The Helpless Hero").