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Action Comics #563
January 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - balloons, Bob Oksner - inker, Anthony Tollin - colorist, John Costanza - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
Trying to fix one of his little bug teleportation receivers, Ambush Bug causes an explosion that turns his suit black. Disguising himself as a horse, he runs into Superman and proceeds to reveal his secret origin... Ambush Bug's suit was part of an intergalactic laundry shipment from a doomed planet. The suit crash landed on Earth and was found by Irwin Schwab. Schwab adopts the costume and becomes Ambush Bug.
BUG FACT: The explosion that turns the suit black also infuses the power of the receiver bugs into the costume itself. From here on, Ambush Bug does not require the bugs to teleport.
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Action Comics #565
March 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - balloons, Bob Oksner - inker, Anthony Tollin - colorist, John Costanza - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
Ambush Bug visits Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, trying to convince them to guest-star in the first issue of his upcoming miniseries. All decline.
BUG FACT: This story introduces future Bug co-stars The Uh-Oh Squad, Peabody Dicker and Pending, and the Guardian Angel.
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Who's Who in the DC Universe (first series) #1
March 1985
From his Who's Who bio:
"There is insufficient data available on the background of the man who is known as the Ambush Bug. Though appearing first as a super-villain, he changed his mind and has been actively pursuing a career as a super-hero, operating out of a small storefront office in Metropolis. He fantasizes that he is Superman's partner, but is actually a loner."
BUG FACT: Height: 5'10", Weight: 125 lbs, Eyes: Green, Hair: None.
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DC Comics Presents #81
May 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - dialogue, Bob Oksner - inker, Anthony Tollin - colorist, Bill Pearson - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
Apologizing for his generally poor treatment of Superman, Ambush Bug gives him a gift: a glowing red gem. Unfortunately, the gem is actually Red Kryptonite, a stone that causes unexpected effects on the Man of Steel for 48 hours. This time, the Red K causes Ambush Bug and Superman to switch bodies. Ambush Bug (as Superman) goes out to stop crime, while Superman (as Ambush Bug) gets locked in the Fortress of Solitude because the security robots do not recognize him. Oh yeah, Kobra is in this story too.
BUG FACT: Kobra comes to Ambush Bug's office in an attempt to steal the Bug's teleportation suit. Ambush Bug (in Superman's body) doesn't know who Kobra is, but his bald head makes the Bug believe he's Lex Luthor.
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Ambush Bug #1
June 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - balloons, Bob Oksner - inker, Tony Tollin - colorist, John Costanza - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
To kick off his new miniseries, Ambush Bug looks for any and all ways he can artificially boost sales. Along the way, he finds a castaway baby doll, whom he costumes and dubs Cheeks, the Toy Wonder. Cheeks "dies" at the end of the story, but the Bug is happy, because dead heroes sell.
BUG FACT: The data sheet included in this issue lists Ambush Bug's birthplace as Hoboken, New Jersey. Additionally, he has grown one inch and gained 13 pounds since his entry in Who's Who.
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Ambush Bug #2
July 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - balloons, Bob Oksner - inker, Tony Tollin - colorist, John Costanza - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
A. Bug Enterprises finally gets a case: the mysterious affliction of Dr. Quentin Quantis. Quantis has been trying to distill the essence of cuteness, and has turned himself into a giant lumbering koala bear. The Bug jumps into the case and eventually returns Quantis to his former self.
BUG FACT: This book brings us Ambush Bug's first encounter with Jonni DC, Continuity Cop.
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Ambush Bug #3
August 1985
Keith Giffen - plots and pencils, Robert Loren Fleming - balloons, Bob Oksner - inker, Anthony Tollin - colorist, John Costanza - letterer, Julius Schwartz - editor
Ambush Bug takes time off from his work to discuss DC continuity, particularly the multiple-Earth problems and the hordes of forgotten characters who are about to deleted as a result of Crisis on Infinite Earths. The parade of characters concentrates on the absurd collection of sidekicks and one-notes throughout DC history... including Quisp, the Legion of Super-Pets, the Green Team, Itty, Bat-Mite, Cryll, the Inferior Five and Ace the Bathound.
BUG FACT: Although the Bug has become aware that he is in a comic book, this book brings longtime DC editor Julius Schwartz into the fold as an official Ambush Bug cast member.
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Ambush Bug #4
September 1985
credits unlisted
Ambush Bug fights a genuine menace, Scabbard, until Scabbard realizes he's in the wrong book. This leaves the Bug with nothing to do until the second story starts. The Bug faces off with an inflatable Darkseid, and leaves readers begging for a new series.
BUG FACT: This issue is the first appearance of Ambush Bug nemesis Argh!Yle!... an argyle sock with a Dr. Doom mask.
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Crisis on Infinite Earths #9
December 1985
Marv Wolfman - writer/editor, George Perez - penciller, Jerry Ordway - inker, John Costanza - letterer, Anthony Tollin - colorist
Perhaps the first of the great Bug cameos, Ambush Bug managed to work his way into the granddaddy of all comics crossovers... the Crisis. Ambush Bug is seen in two panels, on a poster behind Jack Ryder, aka the Creeper. Maybe it's a poster for his detective company?
BUG FACT: This issue was reprinted in DC's hardcover archival edition of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 1999.
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Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer #1
December 1985/January 1986
credits unlisted
After abusing Atari Force's Hukka, Ambush Bug faces the return of his sidekick, Cheeks. But Cheeks has returned from the dead as a doll-eating zombie, so Ambush Bug violates continuity by travelling backward in the story. This attracts the attention of Jonni DC, who forces him to start over as a typical holiday-themed book. After that, Ambush Bug's building burns down and Cheeks returns as a normal doll. The Joker appears briefly, anticipating a rematch at the Arkham Asylum Class of '82 Reunion.
BUG FACT: This book contains an ad for the 1986 DC Wall Calendar Poster, which includes Ambush Bug and Cheeks on the month of December.
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