Supergirl, language!

There's probably a Kryptonian alphabet guide somewhere, but let's just assume she's cursing her cousin out; in today's book! From 1981, Superman #365, "When Kryptonians Clash!" Written by Cary Bates, pencils by Curt Swan, inks by Frank Chiaramonte.

Clark Kent is on vacation, but there's no time off for Superman, as a string of "crises and catastrophes!" has kept Superman going around the clock. Still, even though he was beat, Supes was going to keep a promise to meet up with his cousin Supergirl in New York. Good thing too, since he finds her unconscious and covered in green splotches: the unmistakable signs of Virus-X!

Sorry, I mean the Virus-X from Krypton.

It may have been referred to as Kryptonian leprosy when Superman had it; but since he had it before, he couldn't be infected again and knew how to treat it: with white Kryptonite, which kills plant life!

Leaving Supergirl under an automated treatment, Supes consults his super-computer before dozing off, but is then interrupted by a volcano in Chile. Later, waking up in the Fortress, Supergirl isn't miffed her cousin was gone: she knew what his schedule was like. But she notices his computer still on, with a readout that said Superman was only working at 99.91% efficiency...something I'm not sure I could say I ever have in my life, but that isn't good enough for a Superman!

Supergirl trails Superman for the rest of the day, helping out when she can, or checking his work. Superman launches a rocket full of nuclear waste away from earth, that Supergirl thinks is going to fly into a comet, but it had enough navigation to detour around it. Returning to earth, Superman was going to go to an unveiling for the Superman Museum, but gets diverted by a forest fire; so Supergirl shows in his place--then smashes a giant S-logo!

An alien reports to his boss that his "meta-beam" has worked better on Supergirl than he could've hoped; while Superman wonders if he made a mistake in his diagnosis of Virus X. Supergirl starts a fight, leading Supes back to the Fortress, then zaps him with the "micro-wave beamer," a fancy name for the shrink ray! It's the one they had used to visit Kandor, not as good as Brainiac's shrink ray, but Supergirl had taken the safeties off and was going to shrink him to the size of a sub-atomic particle! Now Atom-sized, Superman stays ahead of the ray and lures her into his Interplanetary Zoo, and gets the "Tridyst Beast from the planet Epsolon" to paralyze Supergirl. Then, Superman does what he realizes he should have from the start: done a little more testing on her condition. The ray Supergirl had been hit with was designed to drive her crazy via "dream-deprivation," but the alien that zapped her comes to confess, then is blown up by remote control! Superman has a pretty good idea on this one, and the "Revenge" in the next issue box is a clue as well.

Also this ish: "Where, oh Where has Superboy Gone?" Which we previously saw, reprinted in Superboy #51! And the Thing page up there we've seen before too, from 1981, Marvel Two-In-One #82, "The Fatal Effects of Virus X!" Written by Tom Defalco, pencils by Ron Wilson, inks by Chic Stone.

(EDIT: Oops, doubled up today! So, have a good weekend!)