Strange Visitor
In the final guest month of Act II, writers Rand and Ron Frenz and artist Sal Buscema wrap up the story arc of Kismet and also re-purpose Superman's unpopular electric powers and costume.
Superman #149
Strange Visitor part 1 of 4
A plane crashes but strangely nobody dies. Shortly after, a mysterious new electric-powered woman appears in Metropolis and starts fighting villains and saving people. Superman tries to follow her trail, hoping to meet and learn more about her, but she's always gone by the time he arrives. He's so distracted in his pursuit of her that he ignores a message from Professor Hamilton asking. With no luck finding the new hero, Superman drops in on the professor in his lab, only to discover the reason he's been calling him was to meet this girl the press has now dubbed Strange Visitor. Meanwhile in Smallville, a man frantically searches for his fiance who's been missing for two weeks, but he suddenly recognizes her when he sees Strange Visitor on TV. Aside from mentioning Clark being unemployed in this issue, this story arc could have been published at any time.
Adventures of Superman #572
Strange Visitor part 1 of 4Before Professor Hamilton can explain anything, Strange Visitor abruptly leaves her meeting with Superman to stop a mother from committing suicide by jumping off a building. Strange Visitor decides to help the mother get her son back, but the father just happens to be a rising gang lord who calls himself War. When they confront War, he unexpectedly starts a fight with Superman and Strange Visitor, and it also turns out he has super powers too. While War takes on the Man of Steel, Strange Visitor finds the kidnapped child and returns it to its mother. She returns and ends the fight between War and Superman by herself. They stand around talking as War is taken into custody, when suddenly a man claiming to be Strange Visitor's fiance dramatically breaks through the crowd and kisses her.
Action Comics #759
Strange Visitor part 1 of 4Strange Visitor's fiance tells her the story of their lives together in Smallville, but she doesn't remember any of it. With the missing details filled in, Superman realizes that this was his childhood friend from Smallville who became the vessel for Kismet. Confused, Strange Visitor doesn't want to hear anymore and flies away in an angry burst of lightning. Professor Hamilton realizes that her energy surge must be contained before she reaches critical mass, so they take her to S.T.A.R. Labs. Dr. Kitty Faulkner uses the Parasite to siphon the excess energy from Strange Visitor. Dr. Faulkner's machine is designed so that the Parasite is supposed to be a mere conduit that won't be able to keep the power he steals, but of course that plan backfires and the Parasite escapes more powerful than ever.
Superman: The Man of Steel #94
Strange Visitor part 1 of 4
The Parasite breaks free from S.T.A.R. Labs and rampages through Metropolis. Though she didn't remember who she was, the Parasite seems to have Strange Visitor's memories now. She stops the Parasite simply by siphoning her powers back from him, and in the process she regains her memory and we finally get her origin. She had been on that plane when it was struck by lightning and crashed, but the lightning somehow transformed her into a being of energy that was drawn to a lightning rod in one of Professor Hamilton's experiments. The Professor put her in one of Superman's old containment suits, which is how she came to be in his costume. Now aware of her past existence as Kismet, she sorrowfully tells her fiance that she's not the woman he knew, and she probably never was.Strange Visitor wouldn't be seen again until her death in the 2001 crossover, Our Worlds at War.
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