Clark, Lois and Jimmy head out to Island Abel, a deserted Pacific isle that's about to be test-shelled to oblivion by the U.S. Navy. Well, supposedly deserted: once they arrive, they're captured by men descended from 17th-century pirates who hid out there generations ago. The men have retained the pirate customs and clothing, though they're increasingly disconnected from what it all means. (Whether it's just a coincidence that Peter Benchley used this premise more seriously in The Island 25 years later shall be left as an exercise for the reader.)
As it turns out, there are also two bank robbers who crash-landed on the island three years earlier, who see our heroes' seaplane as their chance to escape with the pirates' treasure chest. Thus even if the Daily Planeteers can escape, they'll also face an old land mine that the robbers have lying in wait. Superman throws it out to sea and flies off to convince the Navy not to shell the island, but they don't believe his crazy story about pirates. Superman finally convinces them with a photo Jimmy took, and the day is saved again.
This episode contains examples of:
- Buried Treasure: The pirates have an actual treasure chest full of jewels, but they have nothing to do with it except bury and dig it up again, over and over.
- Cassandra Truth: Superman gets this from all sides: the pirates can't believe that the Navy has enough firepower to overcome their old cannon, and the Navy can't believe there are pirates on the island. Then Perry White won't run a story about it all because he assumes that the public won't believe it either.
- Cloud Cuckooland: The islanders exist in their own reality where the only rules are those of 17-century pirates, though they can't engage in real piracy so removed from civilization. So they resort to things like re-burying their treasure so they can dig it up again.
- Off with His Head!: The pirate leader orders the prisoners to be decapitated, not because they've done anything but because he doesn't really know what else to do with them.
- A Pirate 400 Years Too Late: Well, they're trying.
- Shout-Out: The lead pirate is named Captain Blood. This doubles as an Actor Allusion since he's played by Leonard Mudie, who played the evil judge in that movie.
- Talk Like a Pirate: As you might have guessed, there's a lot of this going on.
