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#2
Superman, #1

Published: [Summer 1939]

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Issue Contents:
The Complete Story of the Daring Exploits of the One and Only Superman

Story Featuring Superman

"64 pages of action! All in full color"

Storyline

Superman leaps over a city skyline.

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Story Notes

This cover is from the opening Shuster panel in the Superman story in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #10 (March 1939). Per Comic Book Marketplace (Gary Carter, 1990 series) # ?, Leo O'Mealia's son Leo Jr. uncovered evidence of his father's work on this cover from his records. Per Alter Ego (Twomorrows, 1999 series) #27 (August, 2003), Ken Gale and Rich Morrissey interview Vin Sullivan who remembered O'Mealia. Rich then states that O'Mealia photostatted and cut out the Shuster work from the first panel from Action #10 for the cover and drew the ornate detailing surrounding it. O'Mealia may have retraced the photostat or done some retouching of the figure and building backgrounds. Sullivan did not seem to recall the events of the cover. We previously credited Shuster alone, then O'Mealia alone.

The Coming of Superman

Story Featuring Superman

"A tireless figure races thru the night."

Storyline

Superman breaks into the Governor's mansion to stop the execution of Evelyn Curry, and Lois is kidnapped by gangsters, no thanks to that spineless milksop, Clark Kent, but is rescued by Superman! In his next assignment, Superman tackles a corrupt Senator in Washington.

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Continued in next story. Clark Kent is hired as a reporter for the Daily Star newspaper in this sequence. Superman wears blue boots in this reprinted story. A scene from the cover of Action (DC, 1938 series) #1 (June 1938) appears in panel 67.

Revolution in San Monte

Story Featuring Superman

"As they topple like a plummet to the street below, eighty stories distant, Greer shrieks insanely the entire length of the building!"

Storyline

Clark Kent and Lois Lane board the steamship Baronta, bound for San Monte in South America to cover the war brewing. He and Norvell join the San Monte Army so that the Man of Tomorrow can prove the war is being fomented by munitions manufacturers.

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Clark apparently works for the (Cleveland, Ohio) Evening News, as he sends pictures there, although panel 15 of the story has Lois stating "our editor decided to have me accompany you to the warzone..." and Lois works for the Daily Star. Since Siegel and Shuster both came from Cleveland, it's possible Siegel put this in as a plug for their hometown newspaper! Superman wears blue boots.

Scientific Explanation of Superman's Amazing Strength--!

Story Featuring Superman

"Superman came to Earth from the planet Krypton, whose inhabitants had evolved, after millions of years, to physical perfection!"

Storyline

Superman's strength is attributed to the lighter gravity found on Earth, and is compared to the ant and the grasshopper, both insects whose strength and jumping ability, by comparsion, would be considered super strength.

Credits
Story Notes

Adapted (not reprinted) from page 1 in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #1 (June 1938). According to Superman: The Complete History, the idea, and title for this sequence came from M. C. Gaines in a letter to Siegel and Shuster dated March 27, 1939.

The Blakely Mine Disaster

Story Featuring Superman

"A creaking of timber - an ominous rumble - and then, with a terrific crash, the Blakely coal mine caves in, entrapping a lone miner within its terrible confines!"

Storyline

Clark asks editor Taylor for the assignment at a cave-in the Blakely Mine, a mine notorious for its unsafe working conditions. However, when he disguises himself as a miner, he is caught and taken to Blakely, who is entertaining guests at a party. Blakely decides to move the party into the mine, showing to all present that conditions and fail safe measures are more than adequate for the worker's safety.

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Story Notes

Superman appears in only one panel in this story. Wears blue boots.

Superman Plays Football

Story Featuring Superman

"Exhilarated by the demon speed, a drunken, irresponsible driver races faster -- faster still!"

Storyline

Learning that the football coach of Dale University, who is desperately trying to save his job, has hired professional thugs to play against Cordell University, Superman kidnaps Cordell's bench warmer-player, Tommy Burke, and takes his place in the big game, foiling the plot and allowing Cordell to win the game.

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Story Notes

Clark works for the Evening News in this story. Superman wears blue boots.

"Boys and Girls: Meet the creators of the one and only Superman - America's Greatest Adventure Strip!"

Storyline

Features photos and biographies of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman.

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Biff Dugan

Story Featuring Superman

"Smashed desks, overturned filing cabinets, strewn plaster, gaping holes in the walls, shining steel fixtures drooping in sad caricature of their former modernistic splendor, greeted the startled Detective Sergeant's eyes..."

Storyline

After Superman eludes Sergeant Blake by changing to Clark Kent, Clark blackmails the detective into allowing him a jailhouse interview with Biff Dugan. When Dugan escapes, Clark switches to Superman and returns Dugan to his cell.

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Story Notes

In this story, Clark works for the Daily Star.

Story Featuring Superman

Storyline

Superman is breaking out of chains across his chest.

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Back cover. This illustration was originally used for The Supermen of America club. This original back cover appearance has a dashed line to the right where this pinup could be cut out. The dashed line does not appear on any of the comics this back cover was reprinted. This image also appears on Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) covers as a masthead image from issues 16 (September 1939) to 127 (December 1948). This image was trademarked and has been redrawn and homaged numerous times as both a call-back to the original image but to help maintain the trademark. Trademark application from Detective Comics, Inc., New York, N.Y. Application on June 3, 1941. Trademark Serial No. 444,138. The statement to the U.S. Patent Office by treasurer Jacob S. Liebowitz stated that the trademark had been in use since September 3, 1937. As to what this date might be referring to is unknown.

Two Page Origin of Superman

Story Featuring Superman

"Just before the doomed planet, Krypton, exploded to fragments, a scientist placed his infant son within an experimental rocket-ship, launching it toward Earth!"

Storyline

A rocketship, carrying an infant, rockets from the planet Krypton as it blows up, and lands on the Earth where a couple named the Kents find the baby inside the rocket and eventually adopt him. This infant boy grows up to be Superman.

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Story Notes

This is the first version of the Superman origin that mentions Krypton and his foster parents.

Clark Kent Gets a Job

Story Featuring Superman

"Outer waiting-room of the Daily Star... You may see the editor now."

Storyline

Clark Kent applies for a job at the Daily Star, but is turned down until Superman stops a lynching and Clark phones in the story. Then Superman gets singer Bea Carroll to confess to the murder of Jack Kennedy.

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New material, newly drawn for this issue. Superman wears red boots. The story has no masthead or by-line. The story continues in the next sequence.

Superman & Action Comics Invite You to Become a Charter Member of the Supermen of America

"The opportunity of a lifetime!"

Storyline

Supermen of America fan club application (initial launch).

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Story Notes

The illustration accompanying this promotional house advertisement was also used as the pinup on the back cover.

Story Featuring Superman , Story Featuring Zatara

"Follow the adventures of the one and only Superman..."

Storyline

Promotional house advertisement for Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #14, for July of 1939, on sale July 2, 1939 (see notes).

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Story Notes

This house advertisement contains clues to which printing of the issue this is: the on-sale date of "June 2nd" (at least first printing) or just "Now on Sale" (at least third printing, the second printing is undetermined).

Ad Featuring Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog

Story Notes

Inside back cover. Ads for new 576 page catalog of novelties from Johnson Smith & Co., with full pages of novelties available.

Acquiring Super-Strength

Story Featuring Acquiring Super-Strength

"Warning: when exercising it is always well to remember that overstrain is dangerous"

Storyline

This sequence provides advice on how to improve your strength.

Credits

"Hey fellers!"

Credits
Story Notes

Replaces a promotional advertisement for a cartoon contest in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #3 (August 1938) with a promotional advertisement for membership in The Supermen of America, re-using some of the artwork and the banner headline.

Story Featuring Superman

"Attention all American youth!"

Storyline

House advertisement asking readers who would like to see the Superman newspaper strip in their local paper to fill out the coupon and mail it to the publisher "and we will try to get your paper to run it as a daily strip."

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This house advertisement replaced the house advertisement which appeared on the last page of "Revolution In San Monte" in its original publication in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series) #2 (July 1938). Only the "Attention All American Youth" headline and the image of Superman were retained from the original house advertisement.

Story Featuring Superman

"And so begins the startling adventures..."

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Illustrated promotional house advertisement for the Superman strip appearing in Action Comics (DC, 1938 series).

Ad Featuring Johnson Smith & Co. Catalog

Story Notes

Inside front cover.