Issue Description

Powerstone (Superman) story continues in Superman #17. Reprinted in Superman #252 - Superman with the World's Greatest Flying Heroes!The Green Cowled Menace (Vigilante)Busy Bill the Bill CollectorGo to War (Three Aces)GagsThe Skeletons in Armor (Mr. America)Chief Hot FootV... for VengeanceThe Red Khan (Congo Bill)Chief Hot FootNargo, the Ruler of Atlantis (Zatara).

First time Lex Luthor appears on cover. Although the cover date is April 1942, this issue was the first to be published after the USA officially entered World War 2, as it came out in mid-December 1941.

Superman:

Since his last defeat at the hands of Superman, Luthor has been working on a plan of revenge. Using electricity, he has given himself powers almost the equal of Superman, including super-strength and invulnerability. Using his new powers, he goes on a crime spree in Metropolis and confronts Superman. However, the police show up and believe Superman is the criminal, and their intervention allows Luthor to escape.

Luthor now kidnaps wealthy young Brett Calhoun, and shortly afterwards, Calhoun issues a bizarre invitation. He offers to give three million dollars to the man who can prove he is the wealthiest in Metropolis, and invites all contenders to a meeting at his mansion. Lois and Clark attempt to get in to the meeting but are turned away. Lois sneaks in inside a delivery van, while Clark changes to Superman.

Inside the mansion, Luthor reveals that he is holding all the millionaires hostage, and demands that Superman retrieve the Powerstone from Skull Valley as his price for releasing them. Superman overcomes the dangers of the valley and retrieves the stone. Upon giving it to Luthor, of course, Luthor reveals that the stone will make him more powerful than even Superman and refuses to release his hostages.

The last laugh belongs to Superman who tells Luthor that the stone he gave him is only a copy, and without access to a power source, Luthor's powers desert him.

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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Status: Not in Collection