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#21
Action Comics , #20

Published: January 1940

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Issue Contents:

Story Featuring Superman

Storyline

Superman pulls the foot-thick metal door from the bank vault, and frees a bound and gagged man inside.

Characters
Other
Credits
Superman and the Screen Siren

Story Featuring Superman

"With an ominous creaking and snapping..."

Storyline

After Clark Kent saves Dolores Winters from harm, he is granted a special interview. When that interview is cancelled and she kidnaps a boatload of wealthy citizens, Superman intervenes and discovers that Ultra has had his mind transplanted into her body.

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Other
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Story Notes

Pencils previously credited to Joe Shuster, but this is clearly a Cassidy solo effort (check, for example, the typical Superman pose in the first panel). He claimed that both he and Wayne Boring were allowed to interpret scripts with no editorial interference. The last panel of the story is an illustrated ad for Sandman in Adventure Comics and Batman in Detective Comics.

"New York strongman Eddie Polo..."

Credits

"Golly - Just missed that tree..."

Credits
At the Air Show

Story Featuring Pep Morgan

"Look at that fellow - he's flying pretty low..."

Storyline

While home on vacation Pep is playing for his home town baseball team, when a plane makes an emergency landing on the field. Pep drags the pilot out and the fire is extinguished. The pilot, Dee, invites Pep to go to the Air Races as his mechanic. Mobsters try to sabotage the display, but Pep saves the day.

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Other
Credits
Story Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Murder in Rattlesnake Canyon

Story Featuring Chuck Dawson

"For two days Chuck has followed the dangerous trail..."

Storyline

Chuck finds Ned Squires dry-gulched on the trail. Two men appear and try to take him in for the crime, but Chuck disarms them and runs.

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Other
Credits
The Ivory Safari, Part 2

"Making friends with those cannibals..."

Storyline

Clip is leading a party of natives carrying an ivory shipment to the coast. Along the way there are various attempts on his life. Eventually they reach the area where "Wolf" Lupo has hijacked previous ivory shipments. As Clip is about to be killed by Lupo's men he asks to play a tune on his harmonica one last time. The tribe of cannibals which he previously gave a bunch of harmonicas to are nearby, hear the music, and save him. Clip chases after Lupo and kills him.

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Other
Credits
Five Star Trap
Credits
Story Notes

Split over two pages, much of them taken up with ads and the Statement of Ownership. About one page of story text in total.

The Zombies [Part 2]

"Having been inoculated with the dread chemical..."

Storyline

Tex, Bob and Gargantua have been injected with the chemical which saps men's will and makes them appear to be zombies. But they have previously been given an antidote and all swallow the salt which they had in their mouths to counteract the effects. The antidote is given to the other "zombies" and they begin to feel and act more normal. After Tex knocks out the native chief the tribe tie him to a stake over a roasting pit. But the now restored "zombies" advance en masse and free him.

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Other
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Story Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Aerial Survey

"In Alaska, the Three Aces are making a preliminary survey..."

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Other
Credits

"Although model trains were first made in France..."

Credits
Story Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich. Four unrelated fact panels.

The Moon Men

Story Featuring Zatara

"During the summer of 1939 a great mist appeared and grew on..."

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Other
Credits
Story Notes

Back cover.

He's Back with Us Again!! Superman
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Algeria Commemorates Fair
Story Notes

A few small ads in the right-hand column of the second page of the text story.

Story Notes

At the bottom of the second page of the text story.

Story Notes

At the bottom of the first page of the text story.

Here It Is!!
Story Notes

Inside front cover.