This issue of Superman is cover-dated February 1962, and includes three stories featuring the Man of Steel.
First up is "The Three Tough Teen-Agers," with art by Al Plastino, in which a trio of toughies are shown that they aren't really hot snot after all.
The second story, with fine Curt Swan art, is "The Man Who Trained Supermen!," in which Supes (undercover of course) investigates a gym which claims to be able to make its clients into (physical) supermen, through a snake-oil-type Magic Elixir.
The third story, also with fine art by Curt Swan, is all about that bad ol' Flame-Dragon shown on the cover. However, in the book, the story is called, "Superman's Greatest Secret!"
Because, you see, the story isn't as much about the havoc wreaked by this potentially world-wrecking beast. No, the "real" drama and suspense are all in another ride around the "Lois-tries-to-prove-Clark-is-Superman" merry-go-round. Hey, Lois, go watch a Looney Toon! That merry-go-round broke down a loooong time ago.
Y'see, as shown on the cover, the Flame-Dragon takes a li'l ol' nip out of Superman's hand. So Lois spends several pages in maneuvering Clark's hand into her own, to check it for Flame-Dragon bites. Sheesh!
Then after Lois gives up and hasn't found aforementioned punctured Super-extremity, we find out how Superman pulled it off. It wasn't a Kryptonian imposter's hand Lois scoped out, nor that of a robot. It wasn't a dummy hand or some such.
No, Superman had taken advantage of a little ol' healing ray invented by a Kandorian scientist named -- are you ready? -- Re-Gen! As in Tissue Regeneration!
Oh, by the way, Superman just flew the Flame-Dragon into the past and dropped him off with Titano.
Another interesting thing about this issue is the full-page notice inside the front cover. (I've played with the contrast here because my copy has some water damage.) In this notice, DC basically apologizes for raising their cover price from a dime to 12 cents. Well, read it yourself.
See ya in the funny papers!
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