Action Comics #405 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1971.
Synopsis for Superman: "Bodyguard or Assassin?"
Future based story in which Superman is summoned to the white house by the President of the United States. The President asks for Superman’s protection against a would be assassin by the name of Marsepun who is threatening to kill the President. A trusted member of the Presidents inner circle by the name of General Trevis recommends that the President be transported to a secure secret base called Tonacom located in the Southwest. Superman flies the President to Tonacom where he locks himself in a vault with the President to protect him from Marsepun. While they are in the shelter they observe that an intruder has penetrated the complex. As they look at the monitors, Superman observes a handprint imbedded on a rock that was made by himself. He does not recall making the handprint. The intruder continues to close in. They receive a voice message from Marsepun stating that the President will be assassinated by 9pm. Superman recognizes the voice as his own and confirms it by comparing voice prints. He also realizes that Marsepun is an Anagram spelling out Superman. Superman panics as he realizes that he may be the assassin. In the meantime we see General Trevis monitoring the President and Superman on his monitor. The general reveals that he is one of two gemini agents assigned to assassinate the President and start world war III. He is using a thought scrambler on Superman to drive him mad in hopes that he will harm the President. The President assures Superman that he is not the killer and reminds him of his past good deeds. During this time Trevis is secretly standing behind a special glass panel which conceals his presence. He is bombarding Superman with rays from his thought scrambler. Superman seems to lose his mind and takes threating steps towards the President. The President pulls out a Gamma gun to kill Superman but it backfires. He realizes too late that the gun was not designed to kill Superman but rather it was designed to assassinate the President himself. Trevis is filming the event with delight as the President supposedly falls dead. Suddenly Superman explodes and it is revealed that he is a robot. The robot lays on the ground as it explains that the real Superman had to leave on a mission to space and was never in the shelter. The President lays dead on the floor and Trevis begins to use a bomb to destroy the shelter. He finishes his task and leaves on a jet as he reports to his superiors. He is informed that his mission is a failure and he is executed. We then see that the President was Superman in disguise all along. He goes after the leaders of Gemini but he is too late to capture them. Superman wonders if there is another killer agent out there since the name Gemini means two. The story ends with the President safely in the white house as a pretty secretary hands him some documents. We then see that her fingernail has a gemini design on it.
Appearing in Superman: "Bodyguard or Assassin?"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- General Trevis
Other Characters:
- The President of the United States
Locations:
Synopsis for Vigilante: "The Red Dust Bandit!"
This story is reprinted from Action Comics #192.
The Vigilante and his sidekick Stuff encounter a criminal that closely resembles Greg Saunders (aka The Vigilante). The criminal is even able to perform at a local carnival playing the guitar and impersonating Greg Saunders. The Vigilante has to be careful to apprehend the outlaw without compromising his own secret identity. He challenges the imposter to guitar playing contest but the townspeople are unable to tell who the real Greg Saunders is until someone dressed up as the Vigilante shows up and fingers the imposter. It turns out that Stuff had used a dummy to fool everyone from afar. The criminal is apprehended and the Vigilantes secret identity remains safe.
Appearing in Vigilante: "The Red Dust Bandit!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- "Greg Sanders" (Single appearance) (a criminal masquerading as Greg Sanders)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Johnson (Single appearance) (a leading banker)
Locations:
- Red Dust Country
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Aquaman: "The Haunted Island"
This story is reprinted from Adventure Comics #206.
An excursion boat filled with young boys heads to Fun Island. The boat strikes a submerged reef and becomes stuck. The boys are devastated to learn that it will take too long to repair the damage and resume their trip. Aquaman listens to their plight and decides to use his abilities to help the boys have a good time even without reaching Fun Island. He cleverly arranges for them to play a game of baseball in the ocean with the assistance of marine creatures. As the boys enjoy their fun, they spot a mysterious sea monster spying on them from afar. They report it to Aquaman but he dismisses their story and tells them that sea monsters do not exist. The boys continue to have fun in the water when they spot the sea monster a second time. This time the monster is spotted by Aquaman and he follows the monster to its hideout. The monster turns out to be a criminal in disguise. He had hoped to scare off the boys so he and his accomplices could be picked up from a nearby island. Aquaman and the boys surround the group of criminals and scare them by dressing up as spooky eyed creatures. They are apprehended and turned over to authorities. The boys thank Aquaman for a wonderful experience.
Appearing in Aquaman: "The Haunted Island"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Big Mike (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Picnikers (Single appearance)
Synopsis for Superman: "The Most Dangerous Bug in the World?"
As Clark Kent walks down the sidewalk he Is unknowingly planted with a bugging device. He becomes an unwilling subject in the testing of a new bugging technology which a scientist hopes to sell off for a profit to investors. It isn’t long before the device transmits sounds of Superman performing his super feats. The listeners soon figure out that Clark Kent is indeed Superman. The young boy who planted the device on Kent meets with him at the Daily Planet to apologize and to tell Clark that they never meant any harm. Kent instructs the boy to watch his TV broadcast later on that evening. During the broadcast, Kent announces that he was previewing a film of Superman performing a number of super feats. The film was to be included in a time capsule for future generations. The bugging team watches the broadcast and concludes that their bugging device had picked up the sounds of Clark previewing the film therefore he could not possibly be Superman.
Appearing in Superman: "The Most Dangerous Bug in the World?"
Featured Characters:
Other Characters:
- Bobby Hobbs
- Professor Hobbs
Notes
- Published by National Periodical Publications, Inc.
- Bodyguard or Assassin is an imaginary story and does not take place within standard Earth-One continuity.