SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE (1938-1939)

This weekend’s light-hearted and escapist superhero post here at Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at the first twelve adventures of Superman. Previously I looked at Batman stories from 1939-1940 HERE, but these early Superman tales are often hilariously weird.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #1 (June 1938)

NOTE: Though many regard this as the start of the Golden Age for superhero comics I personally go with November 1936 when the Clock debuted. Click HERE.

Title: Superman, Champion of the Oppressed

Villains: Assorted criminals 

Synopsis: Just before a far-off planet (not yet called Krypton) is destroyed by “old age” (the story actually says that) an unnamed scientist and his wife send their infant son in a small spaceship to planet Earth. The space vessel lands in an unnamed state, where a passing motorist (no names for Ma and Pa Kent for a while) takes the baby to an orphanage.

As he grows, the alien realizes that he has super-strength, super-speed and invulnerability. He picks up the name Clark Kent and becomes a reporter in Cleveland (yes, Cleveland) working for the Daily Star (yes) newspaper. He begins a double life as Superman, battling the forces of evil.   

Superman takes down a wife-beater, saves Lois Lane from horny gangsters and clears a woman falsely convicted of murder by tying up the real killer – and even smashing his way into the governor’s mansion to make him call off her imminent execution.   

Setting up a cliffhanger ending, Clark Kent is assigned to cover a war in the fictional South American country of San Monte. On his way there, Clark becomes Superman and abducts Alex Greer, a Washington D.C. lobbyist who is trying to get the U.S. into a war. Hilariously, Supes takes Greer to the top of a high building and threatens to throw him to his death unless he reveals the name of his employer. 

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #2 (July 1938)

Title: War in San Monte

Villains: San Monte’s enemy army

Synopsis: Alex Greer appeases the homicidal alien madman called Superman by telling him his secret boss is weapons dealer Emil Norvell. The crazed extraterrestrial then breaks into Norvell’s home and forces him to come with him to San Monte or else he’ll “tear out your cruel heart with my bare hands.”

In San Monte, the absurdity continues as Superman forces Norvell to enlist in the army (just go with it it) and disguises himself in civilian clothes and joins the army to keep an eye on the arms dealer. This odd couple are sent to the front to serve against whoever is fighting San Monte.   

Lois Lane shows up to cover the war and gets sentenced to execution as a spy. Superman saves her and then stops the torture of a political prisoner. Next, Supes stays in uniform to battle some of the opposing army’s troops. Emil Norvell, terrified for his life, begs Superman to take him home, promising he will never sell arms again. 

The power-mad alien agrees, but before returning to America with Norvell he abducts the leaders of both belligerent armies and forces them to fight each other to determine the outcome of the war. Instead, the pair decide to end the war. (Just go with it.)   

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #3 (August 1938)

Title: Superman Battles Death Underground

Villains: Greedy mine owners

Synopsis: Superman shows up at the Blakely Coal Mines to save trapped miners and the rescue team which has been knocked out by subterranean gasses. The next day, Clark Kent interviews a rescued miner about what caused the mine cave-in.

The miner says that everyone knows the mines are unsafe but the owners refuse to improve worker safety. The greedy Thornton Blakely denies this to Clark, however. The next time that Thornton Blakely is hosting a ritzy party at his mansion, Superman intrudes to shame mine owners and corporate bigwigs about putting profits ahead of human lives.

(Why do I get the feeling that Neil Breen has read this Superman story at some point over the decades?)     

Supes moves the partiers to Blakely’s mines (?) where they resume partying. (??) With his new victims right where he wants them, Superman causes a mine cave-in, trapping the partiers and showing how useless Thornton’s current safety measures are. When the partiers are near death, the callous alien uses his super-strength to free them.

During Clark Kent’s next interview with Thornton Blakely, the mine tycoon admits he will start treating his employees better and will improve worker safety. This appeases the Dark God from outer space with the S on his chest.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #4 (September 1938)

Title: Superman, Gridiron Hero

Villains: Gangsters who use ringers and violence to fix football games

Synopsis: A car stalls on train tracks with a train approaching. Superman saves the day. Soon, he learns about how Coach Randall of Dale University is corrupt and works with gangsters to hire ringers to play on his team and/or to menace opposing teams’ players.

Cordell University is the next opponent for Dale U. so Superman impersonates Tommy Burke, a player for Cordell University. First, he ties up Burke, explains what he is doing, and then administers a drug to render him unconscious for several days. I’m not joking.

Disguised as Tommy Burke, Superman uses his powers to kick butt on the practice field at Cordell. Word gets to Coach Randall about how incredible Burke is, so Dale has his gangster associates abduct what turns out to be the real Tommy – still tied up and drugged up. (Don’t ask.)

At the big game, Superman scores touchdown after touchdown for Cordell, under Burke’s name. Supes also defeats the gangsters, exposes Coach Randall and lets his victim Tommy Burke take credit for all the gridiron heroics. 

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #5 (October 1938)

Title: The Big Scoop

Villain: A collapsing dam

Synopsis: Daily Star editor George Taylor (Perry White had not yet been introduced) wants news coverage of a collapsing dam and the impending flood the collapse would produce. Lois Lane vies with Clark Kent to get the scoop.

Clark becomes Superman, holds back the dam until evacuation can be completed, then must save nosey Lois from being swept away in the flood waters when the dam collapses. Lois kisses Superman,  who leaves, becomes Clark Kent and gets the news scoop.

The next day, Clark asks Lois for a date but she says she’s hung up on “a real man” – Supes.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #6 (November 1938)

Title: The Man Who Sold Superman

Villains: Nick Williams and his fake Superman

Synopsis: At the Daily Star offices, Jimmy Olsen (here called simply “the office boy”) is on hand when Clark Kent decides to investigate up and coming talent agent Nick Williams, who claims to represent Superman. The office boy tips off Lois Lane, who tries to scoop Clark on the story.

Nick Williams has been getting fraudulent deals in exchange for his phony Superman’s endorsement. Lois Lane exposes the faked feats of strength performed by Williams’ accomplice, so the pair try to kill her.

The real Superman shows up to save Lois and corral the two bad guys.   

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #7 (December 1938)

Title: Superman Joins the Circus

Villains: Gangster Derek Niles

Synopsis: Mousy Clark Kent is being bullied by fellow Daily Star employee Curly (Steve Lombard had not come along yet.) when editor George Taylor assigns Clark to interview the owner of the Jordan Circus.

During the interview, Clark learns that gangster Derek Niles is trying to muscle in on the Jordan Circus. With the owner refusing to let him, Niles has his thugs start sabotaging the circus and endangering lives.

Superman thwarts all the sabotage attempts and rounds up Niles and his gang for the police. Back at the Daily Star, Clark Kent secretly strips off most of Curly’s clothes in the men’s room to get back at him for the bullying.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #8 (January 1939)

Title: Superman in the Slums

Villains: Criminals, the National Guard and the Army

Synopsis: After Superman saves some teen boys from a life of crime by bringing down the gangster exploiting them, he moves on to a deeper investigation of life in the slums. Recalling how the federal government replaced houses out west that were destroyed by a tornado, the deranged alien gets a crackpot idea.

Superman orders all the inhabitants of the ghetto to evacuate their homes, then he begins destroying the neighborhood. (I’m not joking.) National Guard troops are called in to stop the alien’s orgy of destruction but Supes foils them.

Literal BOMBERS are sent in next and the former ghetto neighborhood is reduced to rubble (!) as the bombers try to destroy Superman. The federal government then replaces the run-down buildings with brand new ones, but our “hero” is now a wanted man. 

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #9 (February 1939)

Title: Wanted: Superman

Villains: “Hundred Percent” Riley 

Synopsis: Famous Chicago Detective “Hundred Percent” Riley is loaned to the Cleveland police to help arrest Superman. Meanwhile, at the Daily Star, Clark Kent again asks Lois on a date but she scornfully refuses, reminding Clark she is in love with Superman who is “… everything you’re NOT! Brave, bold, handsome, superb!” 

In the days ahead, Superman frustrates Hundred Percent Riley’s attempts to bring him down, ending with Riley’s public humiliation. He goes back to Chicago with his tail between his legs.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #10 (March 1939)

Title: Superman Goes to Prison

Villain: Prison Superintendent Wyman

Synopsis: Clark Kent runs a story exposing Prison Superintendent Wyman for excessive abuse of prisoners – as in whippings, sweat boxes and overcrowding! Governor Bixby leans on Clark for his sources, and to keep up his image as a wimp, Clark reveals one source was escaped prisoner Walter Crane.

Crane is rounded up and sent back to the abusive prison he escaped from – the one run by Wyman. (Nice one Clark!) Other reporters regard Clark Kent with disgust for betraying a source.

As Superman, our hero impersonates a crook who winds up sent to Wyman’s prison (just go with it). From the inside, Supes gathers more evidence against Wyman’s methods. One night, Walter Crane escapes again, but as Superman, our main character recaptures him and brings him back! (This poor guy!)

Wyman had already been dishing out excessive abuse to Crane for being Clark Kent’s source, and now he subjects the recaptured con to more whippings (while Clark surreptitiously takes pictures) and is then tossed into the sweat box AGAIN.

Clark decides it’s time to take action, probably figuring that that wimp Crane might die soon and spoil his news story. As Superman, he takes down Wyman and his underlings, exposes “Clark’s” new evidence and puts Wyman in the sweat box. The abusive superintendent then confesses and is replaced.     

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #11 (April 1939)

Title: The Black Gold Oil Well

Villains: Crooked stock brokers Bronson and Meek

Synopsis: At Cleveland’s Daily Star newspaper, Clark Kent covers a suicide which leads him to an ongoing stock scam involving the Black Gold Oil corporation. Clark gets all stockholders in the now worthless oil company to sell him their shares, which they are glad to do. 

As Superman, he digs a winding subterranean hole to cause Black Gold Oil’s well to hit a gusher. Bronson and Meek now want back in on the now-valuable stock but learn that our hero owns it all. Using hired thugs they try to become partners in the business but Superman deals with them. 

To end his reign of terror against Bronson and Meek, Superman forces them to buy back Black Gold Oil stock for a million dollars (which I hope Supes gave to charity). Then, he makes them watch while he destroys all of the company’s equipment AND SETS THE LONE OIL WELL ON FIRE, causing the usual destructive petroleum fire that can blaze for months.

ACTION COMICS Vol 1 #12 (May 1939)

NOTE: This same month, Batman debuted over at Detective Comics.

Title: Superman Declares War on Reckless Drivers (And may God have mercy on their souls.)

Villains: Reckless drivers

Synopsis: With Superman’s law-breaking apparently forgiven and forgotten by now, even the ecological disaster he unleashed with last issue’s oilfield fire is ignored. One day Clark Kent’s friend Charles Martin is killed in a hit and run accident by a reckless driver.

Clark becomes Superman and forces his way onto the airwaves at radio station WVUX in Cleveland to declare war on reckless drivers and warn them that they will all answer to him. In the days ahead, Superman goes medieval on the asses of his newest targets.

The Space Fascist destroys every car currently in impound for reckless driving on the part of the owner! He also destroys all used vehicles that he personally deems to be no longer safe and then goes on to destroy THE FACTORIES OF THE AUTOMAKERS WHO PRODUCE VEHICLES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS! (How come Ralph Nader never took this common sense approach?)

His luddite urges sated for now, Superman decides to clamp down on police officers who accept bribes to not give tickets to speeders. Next, he uses his massive strength to straighten the curves in a winding road through his own terraforming.

Finally, Supes accuses the mayor (the mayor?) of causing all the deaths from reckless driving. Like he’s enacting the Driver’s Ed Safety Short from Hell, the madman forces the mayor to look at the gruesome remains of victims of grisly car accidents. (Might as well ask the mayor what he’s doing about that Hitler guy in Europe.)

This story ends with Clark Kent getting a parking ticket on his car. He good-naturedly laughs it off instead of going on a campaign of terror against cops who give parking tickets.

*** Well, that is the first year of Superman stories! In Action Comics #s 13 and 14 Supes clashed with his first supervillain – the Ultra-Humanite. 

FOR MY LOOK AT SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES CLICK HERE.