Superman Comics, Rare Superman Comic Books, Action Comics, DC, Adventures of Superman, Unchained, Man of Steel SUPERMAN INC. / Superman Gallery / SUPERMAN SPECIAL / The Legacy of Superman / ALL STAR SUPERMAN Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. Action Comics Vol 1 1 | DC Database | Fandom powered by Wikia Action Comics Vol 1 1 97,730pages on Share "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed": As a distant planet is destroyed by old age, a scientist places his infant son in a space capsule and launches it toward Earth.

The capsule is found by a passing motorist, who brings the baby to an orphanage, wh "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed" Cover ...And nothing less than a burst shell could penetrate his skin! Contents Appearing in "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed" Featured Characters: Washington, D.C. Synopsis for "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed" As a distant planet is destroyed by old age, a scientist places his infant son in a space capsule and launches it toward Earth. The capsule is found by a passing motorist, who brings the baby to an orphanage, where the child astounds the attendants with his superhuman powers. The child, who is named Clark Kent, can jump over buildings, lift enormous weights, and run faster than a freight train. Furthermore, his skin is impenetrable. Realizing that he has powers far beyond normal humans, Clark dedicates himself to serve humanity as Superman , the champion of the oppressed. Superman learns that an innocent woman named Evelyn Curry is to be executed for murder. He captures the real murderess, and delivers her, bound and gagged, to the governor's mansion.

He breaks through the door to confront the governor, and convinces him to call off the execution at the last minute. At the Daily Star , where Clark works as a reporter, he's given the assignment to cover the stories about a man with amazing strength named Superman. He hears a tip about a wife-beating, and rushes off to cover it -- then changes into Superman, and stops the man before he kills his wife. Returning to the Daily Star, Superman asks fellow reporter Lois Lane out on a date; she accepts out of pity. A thug named Butch tries to cut in while Clark and Lois are dancing. To protect his secret identity, Clark pretends to be a cowardly weakling. Convinced that Clark is a spineless worm, Lois slaps Butch and walks out. Enraged, Butch and his friends leave the club and take Lois prisoner. Superman spots them and gives chase, smashing the car with his bare hands. He picks Lois up into his arms and carries her to safety. She's astonished, and the next morning, she tells her editor about her experience with Superman -- although she's even more cold to Clark than before.

Clark is given an assignment to go to San Monte, a war-torn South American republic. First, he goes to Washington, D.C., where he spies a slick lobbyist, Alex Greer, trying to convince Senator Barrows to involve the US in a war with Europe. Superman grabs Greer, and demands to know who he's working for. Greer refuses to talk, so Superman jumps up to the top of the Capitol building, and threatens to smash Greer to the ground. Appearing in Chuck Dawson: "The 4-G Gang (Part 1)" Featured Characters: A-G Ranch Synopsis for Chuck Dawson: "The 4-G Gang (Part 1)" Several years ago, Charles Dawson owned the Circle-D Ranch near Red Gulch, Texas, and was killed in a range war. His son Chuck went to live on his uncle Dan's ranch in Wyoming. Chuck, now a man, decides to take up the fight against his father's killers who fraudulently took the land that was his birthright. Chuck rides his horse, Blacky, into the town of Red Gulch and stops at the local dance hall to ask a few questions.

As he approaches, the door suddenly flies open with a man calling himself Notch Logan running out and firing his pistol inside. Logan picks a fight with Chuck, swearing revenge after the newcomer bests him. After witnessing the brief fight, Red Gulch's sheriff tells Chuck to leave despite Chuck telling him of his business in town. As Chuck eats at a local cafe, John Burwell, owner of the A-G Ranch, orders "Trigger" Holt to take Butch into town with him and kill Chuck. Holt reveals that Burwell's orders are to make the murder look like a fight as he and Butch arrive at the restaurant. As Chuck leaves, he bumps into "Trigger" who then draws his pistol. Chuck shoots the gun out of his would-be assailant's hand and subdues "Trigger" using "jiujitsu," not knowing Butch is lying in wait around the corner. Butch shoots, grazing Chuck's head, and knocking him out. The sheriff arrives and has the unconscious newcomer taken to jail. When Chuck wakes up in his jail cell, he convinces the deputy to come over and a struggle ensues. Chuck takes the deputy's gun and orders him to unlock the cell.

The deputy is then tied up and our hero finds his pistol in a table drawer. Just as he's about to leave, Chuck hears a footstep in the adjacent office. Appearing in Zatara: "The Mystery of the Freight Train Robberies" Featured Characters: Freight Train Synopsis for Zatara: "The Mystery of the Freight Train Robberies" Suspecting the Tigress to be behind a recent crime wave, Zatara and his assistant Tong contact Detective Brady upon learning of another robbery attempt. Late that night, Zatara and Tong silently board the train with Brady and Detective Brown. The train gets underway and soon enters a tunnel. After leaving the tunnel, Brown is shot and nearly falls, but is quickly saved by Tong. Determining the detective is only stunned, Zatara conjures a first aid kit for Tong to use as he continues forward. As the magician advances, he sees a dead Detective Brady being thrown out of a boxcar. The Tigress then sneaks up behind him and shoves him off of the train. Zatara uses his magic to float gently to the ground, landing in some underbrush next to the tracks.

The train continues on as Zatara walks back toward the freight yard where he finds Brady's body. After Tong warns the train's engineer, the train is stopped and the state police soon arrive to investigate. Brady is deemed guilty by State Police Captain Kennedy, but Zatara isn't convinced. Zatara then meets Train Inspector Babcock who accuses Zatara of being an accomplice to the train crimes. The master magician muses that Babcock is the key to solving the mystery. The police arrive and Zatara tells them that he'll capture the robbers and prove Brady's innocence. With the train scheduled to depart at midnight, Zatara arranges for valuables to be distributed all over the train. Tong tells his master that he saw several "evil looking" men enter a shack. Zatara enters the shack and hypnotizes the men only for the Tigress to pistol whip him into unconsciousness, which breaks the hypnotic spell. The Tigress has a henchman douse the shack with kerosene and then leaves with the rest of her men to rob the train. Zatara wakes up and easily unties his bonds, escaping from the burning shack.

Teleporting his assistant to him, Zatara has Tong capture the crooked train inspector Babcock and take him to the police station. Flagging down an oncoming express train, Zatara convinces the engineer to catch up to the freight train. Eventually catching up, Zatara boards and dodges gunfire from the Tigress' henchman. Zatara returns fire using Babcock's pistol and hits the thug. While a truck arrives to collect the boxes of valuables thrown off of the train, Zatara magically closes the boxcar door but is confronted by the Tigress. Quickly, the magician gestures and turns the femme fatale's pistol into a bullet. Enraged, the villainess leaps off of the train and vanishes. Police arrive and arrest the remaining henchmen. Zatara tells Captain Kennedy how Babcock marked boxcars containing valuables for the Tigress. At the police station, Babcock confesses to the crimes. Although the Tigress has escaped, the case is now closed. Zatara is eager to begin the search for his arch-foe but Tong wants to get some sleep before hunting anew.

Appearing in "Sticky-Mitt Stimson" Earth-Two Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "The Light Heavyweight Championship" Pep Morgan is fighting a boxing match against Sailor Sorenson. Sailor's manager, Doc Lowry, is a known cheat, and when it appears Sailor was losing, Doc covers his gloves in liniment. In the next round, Sailor swipes Pep in the eyes, blinding him. But Pep gets lucky on a blind swing and knocks Sailor out. After the fight, the police question Lowry, but the Doc removed the liniment already, so without any evidence, they allow him to walk free. Months later, Pep and his manager, Pop Burkett, hear about Doc Lowry's new rising champion, Boomerang. Pep is suspicious of Doc using illegal methods to win those fights, so he and Pop buy tickets to watch Boomerang's next match. What starts out as a straightforward fight, suddenly turns odd when Boomerang's opponent begins acting groggy, as if he were drugged. One knockout later and Boomerang is the clear winner, though Pep smells a rat. The next fight will be against Pep himself, so Morgan and Pop return to the gym to get ready.

Later, before the big fight, Doc threatens Pep that he's been waiting for a chance to get back at him since he accused him of cheating. The bell rings, and Pep Morgan and Boomerang face each other in the ring. At first, everything is normal, but just a little after Boomerang lands a blow, Pep begins feeling woozy. Despite this, Pep wills himself to fight on. To Doc's surprise, Boomerang is hit with a knockout punch and goes down. Before Doc Lowry can make an escape, Pop intercepts him with two detectives blocking his way. He noticed that Doc had sewn a hypodermic needle into the gloves, which Boomerang would then use to dope his opponents. Lowry is taken away to prison. Appearing in Scoop Scanlon: "The International Jewel Thief" Featured Characters: The Bulletin Synopsis for Scoop Scanlon: "The International Jewel Thief" Scoop Scanlon, ace reporter, wakes up his companion and photographer, Rusty, after receiving word of a scoop. Together, they drive over to the docks, where an international jewel-thief, by the name of Arnold, has been caught by authorities.

Rusty focuses his camera, and then sees some suspicious men hanging out by the cargo crates. He points it out to Scoop, who notices the bulge in the men's coats look an awful lot like machine-guns. He circles around while the police, unsuspecting, escort Arnold to their patrol car. After a quick nod to the suspicious men, Arnold ducks to the ground as they pull out their tommy-guns. But they're taken off guard when Scoop tackles one of them from behind. The police officers spot Arnold's goons and open fire, taking down all but one, who escapes in a getaway car with his boss, Arnold. Of course, Rusty manages to hop onto the back of the car as it breaks away from the scene, clinging to the spare tire to keep himself from falling off. Scoop and the police follow behind in their cars, until the police are blocked off by a truck being driven by more of Arnold's cronies. Scoop manages to get through, however, and continues the pursuit. Swerving to get beside Arnold's car, Scoop opens fire on the vehicle with a tommy-gun he recovered, bringing it to a halt.

The police catch up and arrest Arnold and his man, while Scoop helps Rusty off the vehicles rear. Rusty takes a few good photos of Arnold being led away, while Scoop phones in the story he was just a part of. Rusty mentions that he hopes the credit goes where it's due. After all, they never would have caught the car at all if he hadn't been poking holes in the fuel tank while he was hanging on... Appearing in Tex Thomson: "Murder in England" Featured Characters: England Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "Murder in England" Tex Thomson visits England and takes a stroll through the lush green country. He meets a young boy, Robert, who is fascinated by the cowboy life, and invites him along as a traveling companion. The two of them stumble upon a murdered man in the road. Robert goes to find the police while Tex stays behind. Sonja, a nearby woman, encounters the scene and accuses Tex of the murder, forcing the cowboy to run from the sheriff. Secretly, he trails the girl, learning that Sonja is working with the killer and his gang. They have captured young Robert, the only witness to Tex’s innocence! Tex frees the boy and sends him for help.

In the meantime, Tex finds himself captured. Robert returns in time to free Tex, but both men are still in danger from the gang, until the sheriff arrives to round them up. Notes This book was first published on May 3, 1938.The first "Superman" character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster was not a hero, but a villain. Their short story "The Reign of the Superman" concerned a bald-headed villain bent on dominating the world. The story did not sell, forcing the two to reposition their character on the right side of the law. In 1935, their Superman story was again rejected by newspaper syndicates wanting to avoid lawsuits, who recognized the character as being similar to a lead character from Philip Wylie's 1930 novel. DC decided to take a chance with Superman, figuring if any lawsuits were filed, they would just drop the feature. The revised Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, June 1938. Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to the company for $130 and a contract to supply the publisher with material.

The Saturday Evening Post reported in 1941 that the pair was being paid still a fraction of DC's Superman profits. In 1946, when Siegel and Shuster sued for more money, DC fired them, prompting a legal battle that ended in 1948, when they signed away any further claim to Superman or any character created from him. DC soon took their names off the byline. Following the huge financial success of Superman: The Movie in 1978 and news reports of their pauper-like existences, Warner Communications gave Siegel and Shuster lifetime pensions of $35,000 per year and health care benefits. In addition, any media production which includes the Superman character must include the credit, "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster". During a multimedia career spanning over sixty years, Superman has starred in nearly every imaginable situation, and his powers have increased to the point that he is nearly omnipotent.

This poses a challenge for writers: "How does one write about a character who is nearly as powerful as God?" (Superman's Kryptonian name, Kal-El, resembles the Hebrew words for "voice of God") This problem contributed to a decline in Superman's popularity, especially during the 1960s and 1970s under the editorship of Mort Weisinger and then Julius Schwartz, when Marvel Comics brought a new level of character development to mainstream comic books. By the early 1980s, DC Comics had decided that a major change was needed to make Superman more appealing to current audiences. Writer-artist John Byrne joined Superman and re-started with his The Man of Steel retelling of his origin. This 1986 reboot brought substantial changes to the character and met huge success at the time, being one of the top-selling books. The re-launch of Superman comic books returned the character to the mainstream, again in the forefront of DC's titles. The entire issue was reprinted in Famous First Edition #C-26 and Millennium Edition: Action Comics #1 . Lois Lane is kidnapped for the first time in the first Superman story.

Although the Chuck Dawson story in this issue has been designated "The A-G Gang" by several sources (most notably the Grand Comic Book Database ), the name of the gang is the 4-G Gang according to the second part of this story in Action Comics #2 . "The 4-G Gang" is presented entirely in black and white. The inside cover of this issue directs the reader to use crayons to color the first page of this story, tear out the page, and send it into a contest where the best 25 submissions would win $1. The entry deadline was midnight, June 6, 1938. Also appearing in this issue of Action Comics was: "South Sea Strategy, Part I" (text story), by Frank Thomas Trivia Original price for $0.10, in 2010, this issue sold for $1,500,000 online. [1] Russell Cole is credited as Edwin Alger in this issue. How to Find Vintage Superman Comics: 11 Steps (with Pictures) What to Look For 1 Determine your reason(s) for collecting Superman comics.

There are 2 main reasons for collecting comics: for extrinsic value (money, profit) or for intrinsic value (the stories and art). If you collect comic books with the hope of making money, you will want to find the earliest issues from the Golden Age (1933 to 1955) and Silver Age (1956 to 1969) that you can afford. If you collect comics out of love for the medium, you have a broader selection of issues to choose from, including those from the Bronze Age (1970 to 1985) and early parts of the Iron Age (or Modern Age, 1986 to present) that have significance to fans in general or to you in particular. To determine what you can afford, consult resources such as the Over Street Price Guide or websites such as <a href=" "> or to find out the going prices of issues you may be interested in. 2 Know the titles Superman has appeared in. Over the course of his comic book career, Superman has appeared in a number of DC Comics titles, either as the star or as a supporting character. Following is a list of titles where you can find the Man of Steel: Action Comics.

Superman first appeared in Issue #1 of this comic in June, 1938, 5 years after his creators, Jerry Sigel and Joe Shuster, first tried to publish him. He has appeared in each issue since and on the covers of most, except for a few early issues and for a brief period in the mid-to-late 1980s, when it was published weekly instead of monthly. Action Comics ran for 904 issues, until August 2011, when DC rebooted its continuity and gave Superman a new costume. Action started again with Issue #1 in September 2011. (This comic title may be what gave rise to one of Superman's nicknames, the Action Ace.) Superman. Premiering in June 1939, this was the first comic book title to be named for the superhero character it starred. Issue #1 reprinted the Superman story in Action #1; subsequent issues led with original stories. Unlike Action Comics, Superman was renumbered twice.

The first renumbering happened when Superman was retitled "The Adventures of Superman" in January 1987 and a new Superman title was created to showcase the changes made to the character following the Crisis on Infinite Earths. That new Superman ended with Issue #226 in 2006, as "The Adventures of Superman" reverted to the title "Superman." In August 2011, it ended with Issue #714 and was renumbered to Issue 1 the following month. Superman: The Man of Steel. This title, using Superman's most famous nickname, was first a 6-issue miniseries covering Superman's revised origin following the Crisis on Infinite Earths. It returned in 1991 as a monthly comic and ran for 134 issues before cancellation in 2003. Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. This comic, using Superman's original nickname, started on a quarterly basis in 1995 but began to be published less frequently before being canceled in 1999 after 15 issues. More Fun Comics/Adventure Comics.

Technically, it was not Superman who appeared here, but Super boy, who was the juvenile form of Superman. (The modern Super Boy, introduced in 1992, was a genetically engineered being, half of whose DNA was Superman's.) Super boy premiered in More Fun #101, January 1945, which was later renamed Adventure Comics. A Super Boy title followed in 1950; the Boy of Steel appeared in both titles until the late 1960s and in his own title with the Legion of Super-Heroes thereafter. Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen. The first of 2 titles to focus on 1 of Superman's friends, this title premiered in October 1954 and ran for 163 issues, ending in March 1974. It centered on the escapades of Daily Planet cub (and later full-fledged) reporter Jimmy Olsen, who could, when things got hairy (or in some stories, he did), summon the Man of Might with his signal watch. Early stories in this series often took a humorous bent, while later stories became more serious.

Jack Kirby's "Fourth World," including the Forever People, the New Gods, and the villainous Darkseid, were first introduced in this comic book. Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane. Following a tryout in Showcase, this title, premiering in March 1958, gave Lois Lane her own comic book. Stories varied from humorous to serious; a number of stories had Superman as the object of a love triangle between Lois and his childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang, who had grown up to become a TV reporter. The title ran for 137 issues, ending in October 1974, after which Lois' adventures were folded into Superman Family. There were also 2 annuals. Superman Family. This title featured various members of the Superman myths who had either had their own titles or appeared as backup features in Action or Superman. There were Superman stories, as well as stories featuring Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Super girl, Krypto, the Earth-2 Superman, and Kandorian superheroes Night wing and Flame Bird. Some issues featured a single story that incorporated all members of the Superman family then featured in the book.

This title ran for 59 issues from May 1974 to September 1982, with its first issue numbered at 164, following the numbering of Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen. It became a giant-sized Dollar Comic in April 1977. World's Finest Comics. Introduced as World's Best Comics in the spring of 1941, this title originally featured Superman and Batman in separate stories, even though both were featured on the cover. In Issue #71 in 1954, Superman and Batman started working together. This partnership was interrupted in the early 1970s to let the Metropolis Marvel partner with other superheroes, then the team-ups with Batman resumed until the title's cancellation in 1986 after 323 issues. The two heroes would pair again in Superman/Batman, although their post-Crisis partnership was often rougher than in their earlier years. DC Comics Presents. Introduced in July 1978, this title paired Superman with superheroes other than Batman, paralleling the successful teaming of the Caped Crusader with other superheroes in "The Brave and the Bold".

DC Comics Presents ran for 97 issues, ending in 1986. Justice League of America. The Silver Age counterpart to the Justice Society of America, the Justice League of America started as a feature in "The Brave and the Bold" (Issue #28, March 1960), before becoming its own title in 1960. While Superman had been a reserve member of the Justice Society, he took part in only one JSA adventure and made a token appearance in another. However, he was a charter member of the JLA, appearing in most of the issues of Justice League of America until that title's cancellation in 1986. He did not appear in the first reconstitution of the Justice League after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, but he has appeared in most of the JLA membership rosters since. Super Friends. DC Comics' adaptation of the Hanna-Barbra cartoon series that featured Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aqua Man, and their junior partners (originally Wendy and Marvin, then later Wonder twins Zayn and Jayna).

The comic was better grounded in the DC universe than the TV series and also introduced international superheroes such as the Jack O' lantern, the Seraph, and the Green Fury. (A more recent Super Friends title features chibi-style renderings of Justice League Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aqua man, Flash, and the John Stewart version of Green Lantern. Superman Adventures. Aimed at a younger audience, this title follows the continuity of the 1996 to 2000 "Superman: The Animated Series" and features art drawn in the style of that series. Superman also appears regularly in the DC animated titles "Justice League Adventures" and "Justice League Unlimited," based on the animated series with the same titles. Superman has also appeared in a number of special issue comics over the years. The earliest were the 1939 and 1940 New York World's Fair Comics, produced in conjunction with the 1939 World's Fair; there was also a 1953 3-D edition, complete with special glasses.

A number of annuals or 80-page giant issues were released to mark milestone anniversaries for the character, although some featured original stories, such as a 1977 special issue where the Man of Steel encountered an alien race who regarded him as a God after he had unknowingly bestowed the gift of eternal life on them as the result of saving Earth from destruction when time traveling into the primordial past. 3 Look for early appearances of major characters in the Superman myths. If you collect comics for profit, first appearance issues are among those prized by collectors. First appearance stories are also popular stories for reprint collections aimed at those collectors who want to have the story without having to shell out big bucks to own the original comic book. Major characters in the Superman mythos are listed below, along with the comic issues in which they first appeared: Some of the major characters have appeared since the early days of Superman's adventures. Lois Lane first appeared with Superman in Action Comics #1, while his arch-enemy, Luthor, first appeared in Action #23, April 1940, albeit with a shock of red hair instead of the bald pate he would sport from his third appearance onward.

Jimmy Olsen and Perry White were introduced on "The Adventures of Superman" radio show, but made their way into Superman comics by 1940. Superman's parents, Jor-El and Lara, first appeared in the Superman newspaper strip in 1939 as "Jor-L" and "Lora," but did not appear in the comics until 1945, when they appeared in the first Super boy story in More Fun Comics #101 that January. More Fun/Adventure also established the first names of Superman's foster parents, the Kents, as Jonathan and Martha. The fifth dimension imp, Mr. Mxyzptlk (then spelled "Mxyztplk"), made his first appearance in Superman #30, September 1944. The 1950s expanded the Superman cast of characters and also began to flesh out the history of his home planet, Krypton. A trio of Kryptonian villains appeared in Superman #65, August 1950, and again in Action #194, July 1954, followed by Krypto the Super dog in Adventure #210, March 1955.

Two super-gorillas from Krypton followed in the next few years. Then the bottle city of Kandor made its first appearance in Action #242, July 1958, when Superman first fought Brainiac, the evil android who had shrunk it. Ten months later, Superman's cousin Super Girl premiered in Action #252. Other characters added to the Superman myths were his childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang, who appeared as a teenager in Super boy #10 in 1950 and as an adult several years later, and his imperfect clone, Bizarro, who appeared as a juvenile in Super boy #68, October 1958, and as an adult a year later in a 2-part story in Action #254 and #255. The Arctic Fortress of Solitude was also introduced during this decade, as were the Legion of Super-Heroes, who premiered in Adventure Comics #247, April 1958. The 1960s further expanded and refined the Superman myths.

Luthor acquired a first name, Lex, in Adventure Comics #271, April 1960, and his reason for hating Superman became a desire of revenge over the accidental destruction of his lab, the life form he created, and the loss of his hair. The Phantom Zone appeared the following April in Adventure Comics #283, giving Superman a ready source of villains from his home world to battle and re-imprison. Luthor would get a planet of his own to defend, Lexor; Bizarro also got his own planet, the Bizarro World (Htrae), in a 2-part story in Action #263 and #264. The Kandorian version of Batman and Robin, Nightwing and Flame bird, were also introduced in this decade, as was the Superman Emergency Squad, also based in Kandor. The 1970s and early 1980s added few new characters to the Superman family. When Clark Kent moved from print to TV journalism, he acquired a new boss in the person of Morgan Edge of Galaxy Communications and a minor nemesis in the person of practical joking sportscaster Steve Lombard.

The enduring villain to come from this era came in 1980 in the person of the hulking, cruel Mongul, introduced in November of that year in DC Comics Presents #27, a villain powerful enough that Superman never faced him without the assistance of other superheroes. The mid-1980s saw the revision of many characters in the Superman myths, such as Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Super girl, and the elimination of others, such as Krypto, Nightwing and Flame bird, and the Superman Emergency Squad. It was not until November 1992, however, that a major new villain was introduced, that being Doomsday, who premiered in Superman: The Man of Steel #18. Doomsday did what no other foe before had done � kill Superman, who was actually in a death-like coma during which a number of pretenders to the Superman mantle arose. 4 Look for classic Superman stories. In his over 7 decades, Superman has been featured in a number of memorable stories that have proved popular with fans who seek out either the original comic book or one of many reprints that include those stories.

Stories from the late 1930s and early 1940s often showed a social bent reflecting Sigel and Shuster's vision of Superman as "champion of the oppressed." A story in Action Comics #3 shows the Man of Steel going undercover in a mining camp to expose a corrupt operation. Another story from the 1940s shows him halting a war by abducting the leaders of the combatant countries and forcing them to fight it out with each other. Social issues would return periodically over the years, including Superman's 1986 appearance in the "Heroes vs. Hunger" special comic and a story from the 1990s where he dismantles the military of Middle Eastern country Qurac for their sponsoring of terror. Stories from the 1950s and 1960s had Superman dealing with more powerful foes and bigger stories with science fiction elements such as radiation, time travel, and other dimensions. Major stories from this era included Superman's time travel back to Krypton before its explosion, as well as the imaginary stories where Luthor kills Superman and where Superman solves all the world's problems by splitting into Superman Red and Superman Blue.

Superman #76, August 1952, featured the first comic book adventure Superman shared with Batman, and Superman #199, August 1967, featured his first race with the Flash. This was also the period when Superman was first plagued by Red Kryptonite, which had bizarre physical and mental effects on him for limited periods of time. Story forms included 3-part "novels" and "Imaginary Tales" that diverged from the regular continuity. Stories from the early 1970s saw a return to social relevance, such as the story in Superman #247 from 1972 where the Guardians of the Universe implant the notion in Superman's mind that he may be doing too much for mankind, a notion renewed several years later by the being Destiny in Superman #352. This was also the era when Clark Kent went from being a newspaper reporter to a TV anchorman; by the end of the decade, he was working for both the Daily Planet and station WGBS.

Multi-issue story arcs became more commonplace during this era, such as a 4-part series in Superman #296 to 299 where an alien causes Superman to lose his powers when dressed as Clark Kent, forcing the Man of Steel to re-examine his dual identity. The late 1970s-to-mid 1980s saw the introduction of limited-run series such as the 3-issue "World of Krypton" in 1979 and "The Krypton Chronicles" in 1981, which wove stories first told in the backup feature "The Fabulous World of Krypton" into stories of Jor-El's life and career and of Superman's family history. The 4-issue Phantom Zone miniseries, published in 1982, featured a bold attempt by the Phantom Zone criminals to escape the Zone and also revealed the Zone's nature as an interface between 2 dimensions.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986, storylines and story arcs became, if not grander in fact, grander by being given names, such as "World Without a Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen," the results of Superman's apparent death after battling Doomsday. Another major story arc hearkened back to the Superman Red and Blue imaginary story from the 1960s by having Superman changed from being a physical powerhouse to an energy being given form by his containment suit and eventually being split into a Superman Red and a Superman Blue. Most of these story arcs were reprinted as graphic anthologies shortly after their original publication, and the entire saga with Doomsday and its aftermath were also published in novel form. 5 Find a favorite Superman artist. Superman has been drawn by a number of comic artists over the years. Several of these artists have become associated with the character; a partial list is given below. Joe Shuster, who co-created Superman, was the first artist to draw Superman, which he did from the character's premiere into the early 1940s.

His Superman lacked the detail associated with later artists, although he did show the Man of Tomorrow's enjoyment of his super-abilities through subtle facial detail and depicted Superman's cape billowing behind him as he soared through the air. Shuster initially showed the "S" shield as a triangle (with an indistinct "S"), gradually evolving it into the more-familiar pentagon shape. Wayne Boring first drew Superman as an assistant to Joe Shuster for the Superman newspaper strip, which he took over in 1940. His first comic book work appeared in 1942, and by the end of the decade, he was the principal artist for Action Comics and Superman. He was again the principal artist for Action during the mid-1960s and returned to draw one of the last of the Red Kryptonite stories in the early 1980s. He established the towering, muscular look associated with the Man of Steel, although with a thicker waist than drawn by other artists, and also defined the futuristic appearance of the planet Krypton.

Curt Swan first drew Superman in Superman #51, April 1948, and Super boy in Issue 5 of that comic the following year, as well as doing some of Superman's early team-ups with Batman in World's Finest. He was the primary artist for Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen and ended up drawing the Man of Steel in most of his non-team appearances from the 1950s through the mid-1980s. Swan added a dimension of realism to Superman's facial expression even as he exaggerated the Man of Steel's musculature. John Byrne wrote and drew Superman for the first few years after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, starting with the 6-issue revision of the character's origin, Superman: The Man of Steel. He revised the look as well as the origin of Lex Luthor and the appearances of Jor-El and Lara, among others, made Clark Kent more outgoing, and also did away with Super boy. Method Where to Find Vintage Superman Comics 1 Visit your local comic shop. In addition to having racks of current issues, many comics shops also display issues of Superman comics from the Silver and Bronze Ages.

These issues are usually bagged and backed and may also be kept behind glass. Newer used issues than these are kept in bins and may be organized by title. Comic shops also carry various DC reprint collections, which may be soft-covers in black and white (Showcase Presents) or hard-covers in color (DC Archive Editions). Other reprint collections are in the format of graphic anthologies, which are color soft-covers. 2 Seek out newspaper and trade publication ads. Comics collectors looking to part with comics they no longer want may advertise them for sale in either local newspapers or comic book industry publications. Most ads will mention the comic publisher or comic titles available, but usually not specific issues of specific comics. 3 Check out second-hand marketplaces. Thrift stores, second-hand bookstores, and flea markets may all have Superman comics in their inventory. Most issues will be more recent issues, but you may find some Silver or Bronze Age titles if you're lucky. You may also find some of the smaller Blue Ribbon Digests, which reprint Superman adventures around a theme, or larger Treasury-sized Famous First Editions, which reproduce the stories from first issues of various DC titles. 4 Look in a science fiction convention dealers' room.

Most science fiction conventions feature a dealers' room that may include comic book dealers. There are also conventions devoted solely to comic books, ranging from small, 1-day events to national, multi-day conventions such as Comic-Con, which feature representatives of major comic book companies as well as the opportunity to buy and sell. At smaller conventions, the oldest Superman comics available will likely be those from the late Silver or early Bronze Ages, although you may find a few late Golden Age and early Silver Age issues. Larger conventions are more likely to feature dealers who have Superman comics from the early Silver or late Golden Ages. As with comic shops, dealers at conventions often feature older and costlier titles on display separate from the boxes of newer, used comics. 5 Search online. Many comics dealers have Internet storefronts. Usually, these are oriented toward current comics, but some dealers may deal in older issues.

You may also find vintage Superman comics available through online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon.com, or through comics auction sites such as <a href=" "> or <a href=" "> In addition to major Internet search engines such as Google, there are also specialized search engines for comics such as <a href=" "> You can also network with other Superman fans through online communities and forums. 6 Deal with an auction house. Because the oldest Superman comics are the rarest Superman comics, if you want to get something from the early Golden Age, you're most likely to get it by dealing with an auction house. Keep in mind that the oldest comics now command prices well over $100,000, however. Community Q&A If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know. Tips Besides collecting Superman comics, you can also collect bound editions of his newspaper strip adventures. Sterling Publishing offers hardcover collections of both the black-and-white daily strips and the color Sunday strips.

In September 1961, DC Comics organized its characters into a multiverse, starting with the story in Flash #123 "The Flash of Two Worlds." Characters created or active in the Silver Age were placed on Earth-1, and characters whose runs had ended during the Golden Age were placed on Earth-2. Other Earths were created to represent the home worlds of villainous versions of its heroes (the Crime Syndicate of America) or of characters it had acquired from other publishers. The Crisis on Infinite Earths was DC's 1986 attempt to restructure this multiverse into a single universe with a consistent, multi-generational continuity. This universe was modified several times before being replaced with a new multiverse of 52 universes (equal to the number of titles DC publishes), each with its own defined continuity. This multiverse was rebooted in September 2011 when DC restarted all its existing titles with Issue #1 and redid the origins and costumes of many of its characters. In his earliest appearances, Superman did not have any vision powers or the ability to fly; instead, he could leap only 1⁄8 mile (0.2 km) and could be harmed by shrapnel.

("Nothing less than a bursting shell can pierce his skin.") By his 1940 battle with Luthor in Superman #4, he was able to soar into the stratosphere and withstand grenades and cannon fire, although some gases could knock him out. By the following year, he was displaying X-ray, telescopic, and microscopic visions; heat vision was defined as a side-function of his X-ray vision until the late 1950s, when it was defined as its own power. Warnings Be aware that reprinted stories do not have a monetary value anywhere near that of the first-run comic, with the sole exception of Superman #1 of 1939 � which still does not command the same price as Action Comics #1 of June 1938. "Famous First Editions" and other reprint collections are still worthwhile to expand your knowledge of the comics medium and the characters within them and if you have a particular love for the stories themselves. DC Comics does not carry back issues of its titles for sale to comics collectors. It does keep 2 copies of each issue it has produced in its library, but this library is maintained as a historical archive and is usually accessible only to researchers and writers.

With the passage if time, it has become less probable that one will just happen to uncover a treasure of vintage comics in a parent's or grandparent's attic or even at a thrift store or garage sale. Comics were not regularly kept as collectibles until the very late 60s/early 70s at the earliest. Before that, they were considered disposable entertainment. Kids typically never had complete collections as they would trade with other kids for issues they couldn't afford. There was no incentive to buy each issue due to the self contained standalone nature of the stories at the time. This is in sharp contrast to the serialized nature that would be introduced in 1961 with Marvel. Also, many older comics when found are in less than mint condition (the most desirable condition for collectable comics). They had various mail order coupons (for thing such as X-ray glasses and Sea Monkeys) that could be cut out and mailed. The potential value of these comics has become mainstream knowledge and every second hand dealer is likely to have already searched his inventory for them.

So the lucky days of scoring a vintage comic for fifty cents from an unsuspecting garage sale or flea market dealer only to find that it's actually worth thousands is probably over.Prevailing wisdom tends to lean toward the notion that all of the mint condition vintage Superman comics have already been accounted for and you are unlikely to happen upon them accidentally. Issue One of Action Comics | Warehouse 13 Artifact Database Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Issue One of Action Comics 3,932pages on Issue One of Action Comics Origin Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster and DC Comics Type Comic Book Effects It is suppose to grant the reader the ability and skills of Superman for a brief amount of time. Downsides If close enough to a something green, more importantly a green gemstone, the person begins to feel weak, as they had also inherited Superman's weakness and if exposed they could die. Activation Edit Superman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc.

(later DC Comics) in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. The character's appearance is distinctive and iconic: a blue, red and yellow costume, complete with cape, with a stylized "S" shield on his chest. This shield is now typically used across media to symbolize the character. The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity. Superman has fascinated scholars, with cultural theorists, commentators, and critics alike exploring the character's impact and role in the United States and the rest of the world.

Umberto Eco discussed the mythic qualities of the character in the early 1960s, and Larry Niven has pondered the implications of a sexual relationship involving the character. The character's ownership has often been the subject of dispute, with Siegel and Shuster twice suing for the return of legal ownership. Superman placed first on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes in May 2011. Today Edit Agent Kipling and Lattimer were sent on a biding run to snag this artifact and a few others that had cropped up in random, but private, auction houses. Luckily they did not draw attention to themselves as they were giggling like a bunch of fan-boys as they bought the issues. Artie was worried about sending the two agents to gather the artifacts, but no one else was into the comics as much as they were, so he had no choice. Still, at least nothing bad happened, like Pete reading one of them and activating the ability of the comic. The artifacts are now stored safely in the Schuster-Lee sector.

(Just to note, I tried to title the comic book artifacts as Fantastic Four #1 or Action Comics #1 etc, but they will not let me create a page with an # in the title, so I went with the next best title I could think of. Also with the way the page on the comic book sector is set up, lets try to keep all artifacts on the same aisles and shelves; so the Marvel side has a particular code, so does the DC side and so on and so forth.) Action Comics #1 - Cover Action Comics #1 Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster June 1938 What can you say about this book?! It is the Holy Grail of all super-hero comic books! This copy (which looks to be in "Good" at best) runs about $38,000 today! A "Near Mint" copy (if one even exists) would set you back well over $400,000.00!!! This is the first appearance of Superman and represents the very first super-hero comic story! In 1939 comics mainly appeared in newspapers and you can see this influence in this story (no splash page and no page numbers - but every panel is numbered)!

Enjoy this landmark story! If you're a Superman fan, you're about to see a very different character than the one you're used to!! Superman Comics Vol. 2 (1987-2006) DC Comics Top Of Page Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. Run your mouse over the links below to see a pop up image of the comic. Click on the link to see the comic at full size.

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joseph "Joe" Shuster Superman Books Genres > Dc Comics > Superman Superman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is considered an American cultural icon.The Superman character described on this page was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933; the character was sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938. Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create Superman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is considered an American cultural icon.The Superman character described on this page was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, high school students living in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1933; the character was sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938.

Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. ...more New Releases Tagged "Superman" Superman | hobbyDB Superman DC Comics Superman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character is widely considered an American cultural icon. The Superman character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster in 1933; the character was sold to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938. Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, newspaper strips, television programs, films, and video games. With the character's success, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. Superman's appearance is distinctive and iconic. He usually wears a blue costume, red cape, and stylized red-and-yellow "S" shield on his chest.

This shield is used in a myriad of media to symbolize the character. The origin story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early on he started to display superhuman abilities, which, upon reaching maturity, he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity. Superman resides and operates in the fictional American city of Metropolis. As Clark Kent, Superman's secret identity, he is a journalist for the Daily Planet, a Metropolis newspaper. Superman's primary love interest is Lois Lane, and his archenemy is supervillain Lex Luthor. Related Audiovisual Recordings (VHS, DVD, Film Reels, etc.)

Question: Which comic character first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June 1938?
Answer: Superman