Issue Description

This comic has many features. Most notably among these is the first appearance of Superman. This was the comic that changed the direction of comic books as we know it. It introduced a costumed Super-Hero.

Fun fact: The highest graded copy of Action Comics #1 was sold at an auction, for a record 2.16 million dollars. in the year 2011.

Here are the features for this issue.

Superman - First a one page origin of Superman. Although Krypton isn't mentioned by name, Superman's place of origin is given as a 'distant planet' destroyed by old age, from which a scientist sent his infant son to Earth in a space-ship. There is no mention of Jonathan or Martha Kent, and rather than being adopted by the Kents, the motorist who discovered his space-ship merely turned Clark over to an orphanage. Superman's powers were originally quite limited compared to those in the Golden Age books. He couldn't fly (although he could "leap tall buildings at a single bound"), and was invulnerable only to anything "less than a bursting shell". His powers increased gradually (and without explanation) in succeeding issues of Action Comics. A more complete description of his origin, including mention of Krypton and the Kents, is given in the first issue of Superman in June, 1939. In this issue Superman saves a woman who is going to be executed by finding the real killer. He stops a man who was whipping his wife with a belt and he confronts a lobbyist who is trying to get the United States involved in World War II.Chuck Dawson - Chuck Dawson goes back to the ranch that is rightfully his but was stolen by ranchers who killed his father when he was young. He runs into a slanted sheriff and John Burwell the owner of the 4-G Ranch. Burwell sends his men to kill Chuck and Chuck ends up in jail as a result. Chuck makes his escape but the story ends on a cliff hanger for next issue.Zatara - Zatara and Tong take on Tigress and her gang who are robbing valuables from trains. Zatara and Tong manage to stop and round up the gang with the help of the State Police. Tigress however gets away to torment Zatara another day.South Sea Strategy - In a two page short story Bret Cole and his first mate Cottonball help Samuel Newton out of the water and discover that a native uprising on the island they are near has resulted in the kidnapping of Samuel's daughter Merna. This story is continued in the next issue.Sticky Mitt Stimson - This is a four page comic strip style story about Stimson who steals, or attempts to steal, an apple and is chased by police for the next four pages as he tries all kinds of ways to fool them.The Adventures of Marco Polo - Marco Polo's men are worried for their lives but Marco helps them ambush their would-be assailants.Pep Morgan - Is the Light Heavyweight Champion. With everyone trying to be the new champion, Pep faces a few cheaters who will stop at nothing to bring him down.Scoop Scanlon - Scoop stops an international jewel thief with the help of his partner Rusty James.Tex Thompson - Tex Thompson solves a murder in England with the help of two kids Robert and Betty.Stardust - A one page feature about different actorsOdds 'N' Ends - A one page feature about professional athletes.

Action Comics (1938)

Publisher

DC Comics

Volume Description

In the early days of comics books, it was not the convention to name comics after specific characters. Rather comics bore generic names such as this one. Although this series featured Superman throughout, it thus bore this name, one which it has become famous for (and the name was kept after the launch of The New 52.) It was the fourth DC Comics title, and the first new one produced after Detective Comics spread beyond the one title (this was after it purchased More Fun Comics and New Adventure Comics.)

Starring: Lex Luthor (starting #890) until #900.

Second Feature: Captain Atom (#879-#889), Superboy (#892), Jimmy Olsen (#893-#896)

(Issues #601-642 are filed under Action Comics Weekly)

Collected EditionsSuperman: The Golden Age Omnibus vol. 1 (#1-31)Adventures of Superman: Gil Kane vol. 1 (#539-541, 545, 546 & #551-554)Superman vs. Darkseid (#586)They Saved Luthor's Brain (#600, #668, #670-673, #676-678 )Panic in the Sky (#674-675)Death of Superman (#683-684)World Without Superman (#685-686)Superman: Funeral For A Friend (#685-686)Superman: Reign of the Supermen (#687-688)The Trial of Superman (#716-717)Transformed! (#729 & 732)DC Comics Presents: Superman #4 (#768, #771-773)Superman: Emperor Joker (#769-770)President Lex (#773)Superman: Our Worlds At War, Book One (#780-781)Superman: Our Worlds At War, Book Two (#782)Superman: Ending Battle (#795-796)DC Comics Presents: Superman #2 (#798)Godfall (Action Comics #812- 813, Adventures of Superman #625- 626 and Superman #202- 203)Superman: The Wrath of Gog (#814-819; backups #812-813)Superman: Sacrifice (Action Comics #829, Superman #218-220, Adventures of Superman #642-643 and Wonder Woman #219-220)Superman: Up, Up and Away! (#837-840)Superman: Back In Action (#841-843, plus stories from DC Comics Presents #4, #17 and #24)Superman: Last Son (#844-846, #851 and Action Comics Annual #11)The Third Kryptonian (Superman #668-670, Action Comics #847, Superman Annual #13)Redemption (Superman #659&666, Action Comics #848-849)3-2-1 Action (Superman #665, Action Comics #852-854, Legends of the DC Universe #14)Superman: Escape From Bizarro World (#855-857)Superman And The Legion of Super-Heroes (#858-863)Superman: Brainiac (#866-870)Superman: New Krypton Vol. 1 (#871)Superman: New Krypton Vol. 2 (#872-873)Superman: Nightwing And Flamebird Vol. 1 (#875-879 and Action Comics Annual #12)Superman: Codename Patriot (#880)Superman: Nightwing And Flamebird Vol. 2 (#883-889, Superman #696 and Adventure Comics #8-10)Superman: The Black Ring Vol. 1 (#890-895)Superman: The Black Ring Vol. 2 (#896-900; Action Comics Annual #13; Secret Six #29)Secret Six: Caution To the Wind (#897)Superman: Reign of Doomsday (#900-904)For Post-Flashpoint refer to Action Comics (Vol. 2)

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