The Unexpected
Space Ranger's final episode appeared in Mystery in Space #103 the issue that introduced Ultra the Multi-Alien, the bizarre superhero that displaced both of the title's features. There, he continued as before, tho instead of having the covers all to himself, he alternated with the other guy who had come out of that 1957 editorial conference, Adam Strange. So it went until several DC editors swapped titles, and Space Ranger was transferred to Mystery in Space. He maintained a secret headquarters, managed by his alien friend, Cryll, inside a remote asteroid. He concealed his identity with a transparent blue helmet which seems to have distorted his features enough to prevent recognition, while somehow not interfering with his ability to see. In everyday life, Space Ranger was Rick Starr, son of the wealthy Thaddeus Starr, owner of a vast and amorphous business called Allied Solar Enterprises. He became that title's cover feature with its 40th issue. Returns on the Space Ranger issues weren't quite as encouraging as those of some earlier Showcase occupants, but were deemed strong enough to warrant giving him a slot in an ongoing fantasy comic, the hitherto series-less Tales of the Unexpected.
Successful characters that had already started there included The Flash and Challengers of the Unknown. Showcase was also where Superman's girlfriend, Lois Lane, had first appeared under her own cover logo. Space Ranger debuted in the 15th issue of Showcase, where DC tested new concepts before committing to full-fledged series. Bob Brown illustrated their script. Editor Jack Schiff took charge of the character, and handed him over to writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox for development. In a 1957 editorial conference, DC Comics decided to try out a couple of sci-fi heroes Adam Strange and Space Ranger.
The Shadow folded after 12 issues. With characters that DC owned, sales were supplemented by revenue from cartoons, toys, and other merchandise, lending added financial support. However, being licensed characters, the company had to rely on sales alone to support the books. Over the next couple of years, licensed titles such as Tarzan and The Shadow titles were introduced. In 1971, Carmine Infantino was officially named publisher. Later the collectors editions would feature significant stories centered around a theme, such as Batmans Greatest Villains or Christmas With the Super-Heroes. It also began publishing tabloid editions, first of classic first issues such as Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #1. To price compete with Marvel, DC initiated the 100-Page Super-Spectacular, an occassional issue which would feature a brand new story, as well as a collection of reprints from years past, for 60.
His original intent was to take over Superman, but the powers that be at the time balked at handing over their most popular character to him. Among the many new names featured in credit boxes were: artist Neal Adams, who in the years since had been regarded as one of the most significant contributors to comics, both as a business and art form in the industry; Denny ONeil, whose landmark Batman and Green Lantern stories redefined super-heroes fora generation; and Bernie Wrightson, who moody illustrations raised the level of DCs horror and mystery titles. Super-heroes had come to dominate the market, and other genres, such as romance, humor and Westerns began to lose ground. Ethnic characters emerged from the background, and hot topics such as the war in Southeast Asia and drug abuse made their way into stories. It was a time when comics struggled to be hipper and more topical. He took Clark Kent out of the Daily Planet newsroom and put him in front of TV news cameras, hoping an updated version would appeal to readers in a more modern time.
In 1970, following the retirement of Mort Weisinger, Julie Schwartz became editor of arguably the most popular character in comic books. As more artists such as Joe Kubert, Joe Orlando, and Dick Giordano were named to editorial positions, DC Comics began to follow a more visual approach to creating comics. By the late 1960s, Carmine Infantino was overseeing the entire line of comics, holding court in matters ranging from animated cartoons to toy production. What was originally planned as an article for Amazing Heroes finally appeared in Overstreet's Gold and Silver #3 in January 1994.