Issue Description

The Ghost Drum (Superman) -- 2. The Sunshine Swindle (Hayfoot Henry) -- 3. Scuffy, the Tramp -- 4. The Underground School (Congo Bill) -- 5. Freedom's Light -- 6. The Fiddler's Jam Session (Vigilante) -- 7. One Man Show (Zatara)

Cover: Superman hits the barrel of an anti aircraft gun so the bullet fires back at the foes. 

Superman: A  number of Great Lakes freighters have been disappearing, and as each is lost, a distant drum beats a number of times equal to the crew on the ship. The beat of a drum sounding the death of a ship is an old Indian legend, so those who make the Great Lakes run are understandably spooked. 
When Clark gets a few days off from the Planet, he decides to investigate as Superman. Landing on one of the freighters about to enter Lake Superior, Superman overhears the radio operator sending a message to "Davey Jones" warning of Superman's involvement. Flying off to scout round the area, Superman discovers a helicopter dropping bombs on the Soo Locks. He disposes of the bombs and captures the helicopter (called an 'autogyro' in the comic, as the word 'helicopter' was not then in common use) crew. 
Back on the freighter, the captain has heard news of the attempting bombing of the locks and wants to abort his journey, but Superman won't hear of it, and carries the freighter into Lake Superior himself. When the criminals spot the freighter they send out another helicopter to drop sleeping gas canisters onto the ship to knock out everyone on board so they can capture the ship. Superman pretends to be affected by the gas so he can find out what the criminals are up to. 
When the criminals board the freighter, their scheme is revealed - they are capturing and sinking freighters in shallow water so they can return later, salvage the ships and make a fortune selling their contents. The "Indian drum" effect is produced by a bank of anti-aircraft cannons hidden in the forest, and is provided to scare the locals. 
The criminals lock Superman in a steel compartment on board and then sink the freighter. When Superman knows the full scheme, he breaks out of the sunken ship, takes care of the criminal gang, then salvages all the ships himself and delivers them to their destinations.

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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