The Man of Steel has been the subject of several famous trading card sets over the years including 1940 Gum Inc. and the 1978 Topps movie release. But it’s the lesser-known 1966 Topps Superman in the Jungle that’s the most elusive.
Consisting of 66 cards, it’s a comic-style set that tells a story of Clark and Lois heading to Africa where they not only encounter a variety of animals but some of Superman’s closer-to-home enemies like Lex Luthor and Mister Mxyzptlk. It’s a self-contained story that has panel style fronts and longer plot descriptions on the back.
The artwork features a couple of big hobby names. Pencils were done by Al Plastino, one of Superman’s most prolific artists with a career that spanned decades. Norman Saunders added the inks and color separations. Saunders is one of the hobby’s most famous artists, with credits that include 1962 Mars Attacks and several 1966 Batman sets, among many others.
Each pack also has one of 16 different puzzle pieces. These go together to form a piece showing Superman facing off against a line. Saunders did this detailed pulp piece as well, which also appears as the box art.
1966 Topps Superman in the Jungle was a test issue and not a broad release. This explains its rarity today as only small amounts were made in the first place. When those didn’t sell good enough, Topps canned the product. The result has made even single cards scarce on the open market today.
A couple of years later, Superman in the Jungle was rereleased in Europe by A&BC. Slightly smaller in dimension, these are actually more plentiful now.
1966 Topps Superman in the Jungle Checklist
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Set size: 66 cards
Cards per pack: ?
Packs per box: 24
Shop for 1966 Topps Superman in the Jungle cards on eBay.
Base Set Checklist
66 cards.
1 Assignment – Africa
2 Luthor Escapes
3 A Job for Superman
4 A Jungle Inferno
5 Superman to the Rescue
6 Snuffing Out the Flames
7 Steel on Steel
8 A Grateful People
9 A Leopard Lurks
10 The Leopard Leaps
11 Luthor’s Laboratory
12 The Ghastly Gorilla
13 Jimmy in Jeopardy
14 Rocking the Rhino
15 The Perilous Panther
16 Fangs of Death
17 Escape by X-Ray
18 Crisis on the Congo
19 In the Nick of Time
20 Jungle Ambush
21 Blasting the Python
22 The Evil Luthor Lurks
23 The Lost City
24 Kidnapping Congo Style
25 Into the Lost City
26 Jimmy on the Spot
27 Before Mighty Kryptonia
28 A Blade in the Back
29 Head On Collision
30 The Sinister Plotters
31 Surprise! Surprise!
32 Useless Attack
33 Demolishing the Gun
34 Zoruk the Terrible
35 Round One to Superman
36 Kryptonite Kayo
37 The Unconscious Superman
38 Luthor Triumphant
39 Powerless before Kryptonia
40 Superman Nears Death
41 Miraculous Madness
42 Superman Unchained
43 Lois Poses a Puzzle
44 One Down – One to Go
45 Luthor’s Last Trick
46 The Awesome Android
47 Stunned Superman
48 Prehistoric Peril
49 Out of Harm’s Way
50 A Trap Is Sprung
51 An Awesome Apparition
52 The Dragon Disappears
53 Duel of Titans
54 Superman Strikes
55 The Arms of Death
56 Clouted by Kryptonius
57 The Chilling Climax
58 And Now – Attack
59 Snatched from the Sky
60 The Secret Is Spilled
61 Victory at Last
62 Verdict for a Villain
63 A Final Vow
64 Taking Precautions
65 A Puzzling Mystery
66 The Astonishing Answer
Puzzle Pieces Checklist
16 pieces.
1 per pack.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
