| Slot: |
Action Comics 340 |
| Item: |
Action Comics 340 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1032477009
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Owner Comments
I originally purchased this book raw on ebay for about $25. Features first appearance of Parasite!
Rudy Jones was a worker for S.T.A.R. labs and believed that the managers held the paychecks in one of the crates. While Rudy was looking for the money, he stumbled across a strange rock found by the Action Ace ( Superman) himself long ago. Rudy was then blasted with intense radiation making him a green skinned bald humanoid (Parasite 1.0).
Jones now had the ability to absorb the life energy of other people, leaving smoldering skeletons. This power was necessary for his survival as his own body is in a constant state of hunger for energy that it can't sustain on its own. During this time, Martin Stein, one half of the Firestorm matrix (Ronnie Raymond being the other half) learned he was dying and decided to destroy all the nuclear weapons in the world. This did not sit well with Earth's governments, particularly the United States, who sent the Suicide Squad to Times Square, where Firestorm was holding a press conference. Things quickly got out of control as the Squad and the Justice League were both intent on subduing Firestorm fought one another, and the Parasite (who was brought on the mission against the protestations of both Amanda Waller and Colonel Rick Flag Jr.) is released. He goes on a rampage and apparently kills Multiplex, only being brought under control by the cooperation of both teams. Later, he attacked the new Firestorm who easily subdued him and left him near death.
After a number of years, the Parasite became involved in the plot to save Superman from overloading on solar energy. Rudy and Superman battled on the moon where Superman uncontrollably unleashed an immense blast of heatvision that the Parasite absorbed, causing him to mutate even further into a huge, hulking monster with teeth resembling a leech's. This mutation (Parasite 2.0) again increased Rudy's draining abilities, allowing him to absorb fast-moving objects' inertia as well as making him impervious to telepathic attack to an unknown extent since he could now drain energy through a mental link as he displayed when Dubbilex telepathically attacked him. His extra size and power did have a downside, however; he needed to absorb more energy more frequently in order to stay alive. Synopsis courtesy of comicvine.com!
I originally encountered this character in the Superman series from the 90's. I liked his powers and his unusual look. The cover of this issue depicts that classic "Boy Scout" looking Superman drawn by Curt Swan.
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