Adventure Comics No. 469 Unpublished Cover by Jim Aparo

Covers get drawn and re-drawn all the time. For Adventure Comics No. 469 from March 1980, Jim Aparo drew both the Plastic Man and Starman scenes. But when it went to press, the Plastic Man scene had been re-drawn by James Sherman. The revised scene was more compelling and better staged by Sherman, with Plas and Woozy cowering in the corner while Alex Pinkus cuts a swath of destruction with his ray gun.

Aparo’s Plas was angry and assertive – maybe not the feeling editor Len Wein wanted for a lighter feature like Plastic Man – but it’s still an interesting take on the character, more in line with Aparo’s Spectre and Batman covers. And how often do we get to see Woozy Winks in glorious full moon?

And so, for the sake of alternate universes and paths not taken, here’s the complete Aparo cover coloured and packaged.

As published, with Plastic Man by James Sherman and Starman by Jim Aparo

A not-great photo of Aparo’s full art found on the web

Art restored with the missing bits drawn in

New trade dress added

Colour version