A brief one page review of Superman’s origin–everyone on a distant planet died except for the surviving baby who grew up on Earth to become Superman.
Superman delivers a murderess to the governor, there’s some horseplay but no one dies by Superman’s hand.
Clark Kent and Lois Lane are reporters for the the DAILY STAR newspaper in an unnamed city working for an unnamed editor.
Joe Shuster models the skyscrapers of Superman’s city after the skyline of Toronto from his youth and the name of the newspaper is taken from the TORONTO DAILY STAR, for which Shuster used to work as a paper boy.
Lois is abducted, the Action Ace stops the car and shakes out everyone (apparently Superman saves Lois first), they all dash off except for Butch who is hung from a telephone pole, no one dies.
Superman investigates political corruption and leaps in the air with the slick lobbyist Alex Greer–no one dies.
This first adventure illustrates how Siegel often has Superman follow the links from one bad guy to the next–this has the effect of diminishing the importance of any one villain.
The Man of Steel rescues Lois from a firing squad, Superman throws a torturer into a grove of trees (no indication whether he survives).
This is the one story where a strong case could be made that Superman may have killed people–either in the scenes shown or behind the scenes where he’s a soldier on the battlefield with Norvell. But it’s pure conjecture to say that he kills anyone, since no actual deaths are shown.
Attention all American youth!–a promo ad appears at the bottom of the last page of this adventure for Acquiring Super-Strength in the next issue, although this doesn’t actually appear until ACTION COMICS No. 4.
Superman only appears in costume in one panel. For the bulk of the story Kent is disguised as a miner.
Clark saves the lives of many trapped miners. The owner of the mine, Blakely, and his rich friends are trapped in the mine until Kent finally rescues them.
This is another story where Superman gives a corrupt person a life lesson to make them change their ways–just as he did with Norvell in the previous issue and as he does in the next issue with Burke.
Hey Fellers!–on the bottom of the last page, a teaser (probably created by Vin Sullivan) for the Cartoon Contest on the back inside cover.
Clark disguises himself to look like Tommy Burke, college football player. Most of the story Superman does not appear in costume.
Acquiring Super-Strength–a feature on how to build up your super-powers appears at the bottom of the last page for this adventure.
This the first real classic Superman story as it uses many of the conventional features: teaming Lois and Clark on a newspaper story, but showing their rivalry; requiring the Champion of the Oppressed to battle a disaster that threatens a mass of people; forcing the Man of Steel to rescue Lois which inspires her love for the Man of Tomorrow.
First appearance of a bow-tie wearing office boy who could be Jimmy Olsen–this unnamed office boy shows up in subsequent stories.
The adventure is an early self parody from Siegel and Shuster that predicts Superman’s merchandising which will soon become a deluge, to the benefit of many who had no part in the Man of Steel’s success.
Acquiring Super-Strength–a feature on how to build up your strength appears at the bottom of the last page for this adventure (this one is for super-vision).
Clark is teased by his co-worker Curly. This may have inspired the character of Steve Lombard, who did the same thing in the ‘70s, ‘80s and a few adventures later.
The story gives Siegel and Shuster a chance to show off what their Man of Steel can do. The circus is a frequent theme through Superman’s history and is a metaphor for Superman’s popularity as entertainment.
Acquiring Super-Strength–a feature on how to build up your strength appears at the bottom of the last page for this adventure.
The Action Ace tries out his high-wire act on three juveniles, but they like it. This shows that Superman’s threats to human life should not be taken too seriously.
The Champion of the Oppressed lays waste to the tenements in the slums so the city will be forced to build new housing for the poor.
The first in a number of adventures where Superman attempts urban reform through destructive action.
This story picks up from events in adventure 8: the police put out a warrant for Superman’s arrest after he has destroyed the slums.
famous first words: Krypton, a distant planet so far advanced in evolution that it bears a civilization of super men
The first full telling of Superman’s origins on Krypton–the events in this continuity will provide material for other Superman origin stories to follow.
This adventure highlights the paradoxical nature of the Clark Kent persona: he is both a heroic journalist and a cowardly reporter.
Superman prevents the suicide of ex-heavy-weight champion Larry Trent and then assumes Larry’s identity.
Another story where the Champion of the Oppressed makes it his responsibilty to teach a life lesson to an individual.
Superman poses as Homer Ramsey and sets up a scheme to bankrupt two shysters who are running an oil well scam.
The million dollars that Clark amasses in this story will be put to good use in adventure 17 (ACTION COMICS No. 15).
An oil worker places a call to the con men, Meek and Bronson, in Cleveland, which suggests that Superman’s city is supposed to be Cleveland.
A short sequence that embellishes on elements from adventure 1 (ACTION COMICS No. 1) and 1A (SUPERMAN No. 1).
Lois is sent back to working on the lovelorn desk, after Clark scores his exclusive on the comeback of Larry Trent, which fuels Lane’s anger with Kent; her efforts to get off the lovelorn column and back to the front page is a running theme in the continuities.
Superman really goes wild in this one as he goes after speeding, reckless, hit-and-skip and drunk drivers–as well as auto dealers, auto factories, the police and the city.
The Man of Steel destroys many motor vehicles and harasses citizens, to impose his will and force his ethic on all.
The last panel at the end of this adventure promotes the first appearance of the Bat-Man in DETECTIVE COMICS No. 27.
*Note: This was an ashcan comic produced to secure the trademark; interior contents unknown at this time.
A watchman shoots at Superman but loses his balance and falls from the construction site–the Man of Steel catches the falling man, but his heart gives out from the stress of the fall.
Lois and Clark take several hours by train to travel to New York for the opening of the World’s Fair.
This comic was available at the New York World’s Fair in 1939 and its popularity inspired a second issue for 1940. Superman Day was held at the fair on July 3rd, 1940, with a public appearance by Superman (an unknown actor in costume).
The Champion of the Oppressed loses his grip on the racketeer in mid-leap when the racketeer attacks him with a knife, the racketeer falls to his death but Superman manages to save himself.
The first appearance of the Ultra-Humanite–later simply styled as Ultra–apparently unable to walk, he’s alway in a chair. He is balding but has some hair at the back.
A flunky dies when his throat is pierced by a piece of a sawblade that broke on the Man of Steel’s head.
The Action Ace crashes into the propeller of the plane carrying Ultra and two of his flunkies, sending the plane crashing to Earth.
This is the clearest case of Superman committing murder–however, as Ultra survives (see adventure 16 in ACTION COMICS No. 14), it can’t really be murder. Don’t know about the other flunkies as their fate is never made clear–so it’s possible that the Champion of the Oppressed didn’t really kill anyone in this adventure.
With the emergence of Ultra, Siegel establishes one main villain as the architect of all the evils in an adventure. This gets away from Siegel’s tendency to line up several bad guys like dominoes in a story, with no central intelligence behind all of the wrong-doing.
cover art: Joe Shuster, with additional design work from Lee O’Meallia–adapted from the splash panel for ACTION COMICS No. 10 (adventure 10)
*This issue was not numbered nor cover-dated and may have been intended as a one-shot. There were two other print runs which came out in ’39 after the original May 18th release–the only difference being in the house ad at the back of the book. While Vin Sullivan was credited as editor, M. C. Gaines also worked as an editor on this book asking Siegel and Shuster for additional new material.
The bulk of this adventure is the same as that in ACTION COMICS No. 1, which itself had been cut down from the original comic strip that Shuster had illustrated.
Additional panels: the elderly Kents find the rocket, adopt the baby, raise Clark–Mrs. Kent’s first name is given as Mary.
Additional panels: the grown Clark, now with his full powers, at the Kents’grave–missing is the original sequence that gives an explanation for his powers (an expanded explanation appears elsewhere in the issue).
adventure 2 (reprint): when reprinted, an ad for the newspaper strip appears at the bottom of the last page for this adventure, taking the place of the promo for Acquiring Super-Strength.
The Opportunity of a Life Time!–two page promotional ad with application coupon for readers to become charter members of the Supermen of America.
Sergeant Blake with the riot squad waits outside the elevator, on the bottom floor of an office building, for Superman to emerge; but the sergeant is made a fool when Clark Kent steps out of the elevator instead.
house ad for ACTION COMICS No. 14–first printing reads: On sale June 2nd; second and third printing reads: Now on sale.
The Ultra-Humanite appears to have been killed though Superman’s efforts; however, adventure 20 (ACTION COMICS No. 20) shows that he survived by using a parachute (no word about his flunkies).
This is the first yarn that illustrates how well Lane and Kent work together as an investigative team.
Siegel’s script is genuinely emotional given the abuse suffered by the children, which we unfortunately know to be all too common in real life.
Superman raises two million dollars to save Kidstown–he has one million from ACTIONS COMICS NO. 11 (adventure 11), so he only needs another mill, which eventually leads Clark Kent on a high seas adventure.
Jerry Siegel is in top form with yet another memorable classic from the early days. This continuity provides many wonderful scenes.
At the start of this epic yarn, Lois Lane makes an effort with Clark Kent, inviting him to her place, but he steps out on her–later when he returns, she kicks him out!
The Man of Steel tosses two subariners in the sea, but their possible death is made irrelevant when the captain blows up the whole sub and everyone on it, including our hero.
Princess Tania falls in love with Superman and attempts to seduce him, but he rejects her for the sake of his mission.
The first use of Metropolis for Superman’s city in the comic book–previously used in the daily strip.
The Ultra-Humanite is called “Ultra” throughout this story and this is the name used in all following adventures.
Clark uses his x-ray eyes and super-sensitive ears to spy on reporter Gene Powers and Senator Hastings.
The Man of Tomorrow sends an air-ship plunging to Earth–presumably with the pilot still on board (although he could have parachuted to safety).
Ultra threatens to kill Superman with a giant gun but it explodes in Ultra’s face, presumably killing him.
1A is a special intro Sunday that appeared in different papers as they picked up the feature–famous first words: Far from Earth rotated the planet Krypton.
The DAILY PLANET name is used in the Sunday for December 3rd–it was already in use in the dailies as of November 13th.
This continuity uses the same initial set up as in the text story for SUPERMAN No. 2 (adventure 19).
The Man of Steel states that he doesn’t know where he comes from when questioned by Lois Lane–or is he just being coy with Lois?
Lois is stil trying to get off the lovelorn column and back on the front page–yet her exposé is pushed off the front page by War in Europe.
Some art on this continuity (and the next) looks distinctly different from work that’s been identified as Paul Cassidy or Dennis Neville embellsihing Joe Shuster. I am guessing it’s Wayne Boring assisting Joe Shuster.
Whitney Ellsworth is editor of record for this issue, taking over from Vincent Sullivan on this title; however, all the stories are reprints so Ellsworth’s influence is in little evidence here.
adventure 5 (reprint): Extra–the teaser at the end of this adventure has been altered to promote membership in and prizes from the Supermen of America.
The penultimate Ultra yarn, this is by far the best. With most of the Ultra stories, Jerry Siegel delays the revelation of the mastermind, but readers could not possibly have been prepared for this turn events, which is still shocking.
This is a short continuity that sets up events for the next continuity which falls outside the mandate of this checklist.
Whitney Ellsworth takes over as editor from Vincent Sullivan; however as this story builds on events from the previous issue, it’s likely the adventure was already in the pipeline before Ellsworth came on board as editor.
Ultra abducts the scientist and holds him captive in her volcano lair, attended by her robot servants.
It’s a pity that Ultra was retired after this appearance (although an Ultra-Luthor mash-up subsequently appears in the newspaper strip); the villain was becoming quite the singular nemesis for the Man of Steel. It may be that new editor Ellsworth didn’t like the rogue and her peculiar gender issues, as Siegel introduces a similar mastermind in the following issues of ACTION–namely Luthor, who becomes even more like Ultra once he loses his hair, but without the gender confusion.
Researched using information provided on Mike’s Amazing World of Comics, the Grand Comics Database and Who’s Whose in the DC Universe, as well as other resources.
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