Introducing Superman!
The Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster character started out a bit differently than what is now accepted lore. His unnamed home planet was destroyed "by old age." The infant who would become Superman was not discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent, but rather was placed in orphanage, where his superior strength astounded the attendants. He could not fly, but was able to leap and eighth of a mile and hurdle a twenty-story building. He was "able to lift tremendous weights" and "run faster than an express train." His body was not impervious, but "nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin." So, yeah, he was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. impressive, but still not the all-powerful Sup we have come to know and love. Also, no mention of X-ray vision, super-hearing, or any of the other qualities we have come to expect.
No mention of who named him Clark Kent, or why. Or how he got his costume, of why he wore his underwear on the outside. Very little detail all, actually. But who needs detail when you've got a superman determined to "turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind" and become the "champion of the oppressed, the physical marvel who had sworn to devote his existence to helping those in need." This early Superman appears to have a quick temper and little ,patience. Also, as Clark Kent, we works as a reporter for the Daily Star, not the Daily Planet, and the newspaper's editor is unnamed. There is a hot chick named Lois who also works there and merely scribbles "sob Stories" all day long; she tends to avoid Clark (thinking him a weakling and a coward) but finally accedes to a date out of pity and nothing better to do. A gangster interrupts their date, humiliates Clark, and later that evening kidnaps Lois. Big mistake.
Earlier, Superman first reveals himself (and his powers) as he manages to save an innocent woman, minutes before she is due to be executed. (the governor is astounded, but grateful that this super being is 'apparently on the side of law and order." Then Superman interrupts a wife beater and gives him what-for. Tales of this Superman begin circulating and Clark is assigned to cover him, but Clark soon is assigned to cover a war in the small South American republic of San Monte. But does Clark go directly to san Monte? No! For unexplained reasons he decides to stop over at Washington, D.C., where he discovers that a senator is being bribed to push through a bill that would "embroil" the country with Europe. (Not that that would be a bad thing, I suppose, but in 1938? The inference being that those who are bribing the senator have nefarious purposes.) Well, something has to be done, and Superman is just the guy to do it! But, alas, we'll have to wait until. next month...
Also in this issue we meet "Chuck' Dawson, a young cowboy with "the build of an athlete and an almost uncanny skill with the rifle and six-gun." Now a man, Chuck is able to return to Texas and take up the fight against the crooked cattleman who had killed Chuck's father. The artwork, by Homer Fleming, is leagues above that of Siegel and Shuster. The story is printed in black and white and readers are urge to tear out the first page, color it, and mail it in for a chance of one of 25 one dollar prizes.
Next up is a story about Fred Gardineer's Zatara, Master Magician, making his first appearance. Although his backstory would change over the years, his main source of magic was through speaking words backwards (gnikaeps sdrow drawkcab). Zatara and his faithful assistant Tong often go against his arch-enemy, the beautiful criminal n onw as "The Tigress." Here, they attempt to solve "the mystery of the freight train robberies." (In 1964, writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson gave Zatara a very sexy and powerful daughter, Zatanna, ohw dluoc kaeps drawkcab and is descended from the royal line of Atlantis.)
"South Sea Strategy" by Captain Frank Thomas is a two-part text story to be concluded in the next issue. ("Will Bret Coleman manage to save Merna Newton from the blood-thirsty South Sea Island natives?")
Sticky-Mitt Stimson is caught red-handed trying to steal apples from a street vendor and is chased by police to a construction site. Not much happens.
We get the first part of "The Adventures of Marco Polo" (by Sven Elven).
Fred Gardineer is back with "Pep" Morgan, a "versatile young athlete" who is fighting Sailor Sorensen for the coveted light heavyweight championship. Sorenson, outclassed by Pepe, is managed by the unscrupulous Doc Lowry. Lowry rubs liniment of Sailor's gloves, which blinds Pep, but Pepe manages to get in the punch that wins the bout. Lowry leaves town for a while, but returns with a new fighter -- a "wild man" from Australia known as Bushman. (There may be a little bit of racial messaging here.) Bushman is winning every fight he has and soon he is matched against Pep. Pep knows Lowry is using underhanded methods to make Bushman win every match, but what?
Scoop Scanlon, Five Star Reporter, is headed to the docks, where U.S. officials are bringing back Arnold, a captured international jewel thief. Awaiting the group are a gang armed with machines guns, who attempt to free Arnold. Scoop goes into action, and disarms one of the men; the police shoot others, but Arnold and one of the gunmen escape, to be pursued by Scoop and the police. Scoop's sidekick and photographer, Rusty James, manages to hang onto the spare tire of the getaway car...
Bernard Baily's Tex Thompson is touring Europe, having struck it rich in the oil fields of Texas. While in rural England, Tex meets a young boy named Bob who is impressed with the American cowboy. soon they stumble across a dead body. Tex sends Bob off to get help and a young woman arrives, accusing Tex of murdering the man -- a charge she repeats to the Sheriff. Not knowing what happened to Bob, and fearing for the boy, Tex knocks the sheriff our and escapes. Following the girl to an isolated cabin, he discovers that she is part of the gang that killed the man and that they are holding Bob captive. Because bob is the only person who can prove Tex's innocence, the gang decides to kill him. That gets Tex's dander up.
Filling out the issue are two one-page fillers: "Stardust" (with tidbits about Fred Astaire, constance Bennett, Charles Boyer, and Wheeler and Woolsey) and "Odds 'n' Ends" (miscellaneous cartoons about the sporting world).
A jam-packed issue for a dime!
(And don't worry about all those stories continued on the next issue. At least the first 139 issues of Action Comics -- through December 1949 -- are available online so you'll be able to catch up.)
Enjoy.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12tChH6AaWVu3FglIknOWFE-AU-QRQTvi/view
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