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We mentioned (probably more than once!) that the Walt Simonson Superman Special was a speedrun through "Kryptonite Nevermore!" but without I-Ching: I didn't realize it also omits Wonder Woman! Or Diana Prince, I guess. You'll see: from 1971, Superman #241, "The Shape of Fear!" Written by Denny O'Neil, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Murphy Anderson.

Hey, we saw the previous issue a few years back as well! The powerless Superman had just defeated some killers, but instead of inspiring him to go on, he was throwing in the towel. He wanted to live, as an ordinary man, "without the responsibilities...the loneliness...of Superman!" I-Ching doesn't really sugarcoat it for him: that's rough, but the world needs Superman, and copping out would be below rank cowardice. Superman despairingly agrees, and I-Ching performs a ritual that looks like releasing Superman's astral form, to recover his powers from the sand creature that had stolen them. His powers restored, Supes then speeds out to test them, first by flying into space and punching a meteor, then by building a concrete jail at super-speed around a purse-snatcher, in the middle of a rush hour street! He plays it off as "over-enthusiastic," but a couple days later, Diana Prince reads the news to the blind I-Ching, of another super-blunder: Superman had wrecked a water system, while fixing a leaky pipe. (Aside: it wouldn't stick long, but giving the powerless Wonder Woman a 'mentor' doesn't feel right: powers or no, she still had the juice.)

I-Ching asks Clark for a meeting with Superman, who obliges, after dumping a speeder, and his car, on the top of the Empire State Building to teach him a lesson. I-Ching thought, Superman's brain was probably injured in that last powerless fight, and getting his powers back had made the injury permanent. Superman, getting more and more arrogant, disagrees; so I-Ching and Diana have to perform another mystic ritual, to find the sand creature, which I-Ching says is from "the realm of Quarrm" and I'm pretty sure he's just making stuff up at this point. Quarrm, probably not called that by its inhabitants, is described as a land of possibility, and shapeless, unformed beings. The creature had been brought here in the same incident that destroyed the Kryptonite on earth and accidentally absorbed most of Superman's powers; I-Ching hopes it can do so again. Meanwhile, another shapeless entity enters earth, which is doubtless a problem for next month.

The trio break into Morgan Edge's apartment, to summon Clark Kent, and to re-establish the simmering subplot of who was locked in a soundproof room there. Then, things start popping: the other Quarrm entity possesses a giant "Oriental war-demon" statue at a parade in Chinatown and starts rampaging. Superman smashes through a wall at Edge's--I don't know why they had to bring him there, if he was going to show up as Superman, but he's also decided doors and windows weren't good enough for him. To distract him, Diana gives him a kiss on the cheek, which admittedly, would do it; but Superman then sees the creature and flees, which I believe smashes another hole in Edge's apartment! The creature explains, he couldn't just grab Superman: because of their psychic link, to do so would cause a massive explosion, killing them both. That feels like information they could've used earlier...Superman doubles back, trying to outsmart the pursuing creature, but then sees the disturbance in Chinatown, and stops to help, showing he wasn't completely bad yet. But, after saving a kid, Superman's powers conk out and he crashes, to be dragged away by the 'war-demon.' To be continued!

OK, so it feels like a lot of what could charitably be described as "Orientalism," but this issue also features a reprint from 1957's Superman #112, "Superman's Neighbors" (Written by Bill Finger, pencils by Wayne Boring, inks by Stan Kaye.) Taking a rare evening in, Superman still has to pitch in to help out his neighbors, which does include a bit of Super-dickery, as to keep a young girl from wasting her life pining for Superman, he takes her on a date to show her it wouldn't be everything it's cracked up to be. Not like that, you pervs! He takes her to a dance, but keeps ditching her for emergencies. Probably sticks her with the check at dinner, too; but the evening drives her to manage her expectations, as in, settle. There's also a guy watching Clark Kent, but not for the reasons you'd expect--again, not like that!  A slight bit of fun, but a far cry from the 'modern' take O'Neil was trying to bring the book to.