Superman #4

(Spring 1940)

[Superman, America's Greatest Adventure Strip Character!] (Table of Contents)

Superman / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Joe Shuster; Paul Cassidy

Inks:

Joe Shuster; Paul Cassidy

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Frontispiece. Revised art credit [adding Paul Cassidy] by Craig Delich (Jan. 2006).

"Superman versus Luthor" (Table of Contents)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Inks:

Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Professor Martinson (death); Luthor (villain, with red hair, 2nd appearance)

Synopsis:

When Clark Kent begins to investigate a new weapon being tested by the Army that artifically causes earthquakes, little does he know that Lex Luthor is hot on the trail of securing the plans for that invention, one way or the other.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, 1971 series) #[nn] (1971)
• in Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, 1983 series) #[nn] (1983)
• in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (DC, 1987 series) #[nn] ([November] 1987)
• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)
• in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (DC, 1989 series) #1 ([April] 1989)

Indexer Notes

DAILY STAR becomes the DAILY PLANET. One panel ad for the Spectre series in More Fun Comics at the end of the story, with art by Bernard Baily.

Attaining Super-Strength (Table of Contents)

comic story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel

Pencils:

Joe Shuster

Inks:

Joe Shuster

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

non-fiction

Characters:

Tommy Blake

Synopsis:

Author relates how a good breakfast and regular exercise can lead to better strength.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

This Doggone World (Table of Contents)

filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Fred Schwab

Pencils:

Fred Schwab

Inks:

Fred Schwab

Colors:

?

Letters:

Fred Schwab

Content Information

Genre:

anthropomorphic-funny animals

Characters:

Shorty (a dog)

Synopsis:

Shorty is standing outside an artist's studio and sticks his head in the window to watch him paint. When the artist leaves, Shorty goes in and eyes the picture: of a steaming turkey! When the artist returns, the turkey is missing from the picture and Shorty is licking his chops.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

From The 4 Corners (Table of Contents)

filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Pencils:

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Inks:

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

Sheldon Moldoff?

Content Information

Genre:

non-fiction

Characters:

Paul Muni (actor); Bill Dickey (baseball player).

Synopsis:

Some of the facts related in these filler include: 1) New York Yankee catcher Bill Dickey loses about 8 pounds duiring a game; 2) a law in Nebraska states it's illegal to give away a cigar; 3) actor Paul Muni was once fired by a studio because he said he didn't know how to act; and 4) an usher, devoted to the stage, donated his skull after death to be used as the skull of Yorick in the play "Hamlet".

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Lettering credit & info by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

[Luthor's Undersea City] (Table of Contents)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Joe Shuster (signed)

Inks:

Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor (cameo); Lois Lane; Luthor (villain, with red hair)

Synopsis:

Superman faces off once again with the evil Luthor, who first has tapped oil from oil wells all over the world for his purposes, then inundating the western coast of the U.S. when he raises a glass-enclosed city of ancient weird design from the murky depths.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

One panel promo for the Sandman, appearing in Adventure Comics, is found at end of the story, with art by Creig Flessel.

Superman of America (Table of Contents)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Joe Shuster (spot illustration)

Inks:

Joe Shuster (spot illustration)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

Superman

Synopsis:

Editor's page in which the editors tell the readers that the Great DC Comics Contest was now over, and that winners would be announced in a forth-coming issue of Action Comics. There is also a coupon for readers to join the Supermen of America Club.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Sequence, information and credits added by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

Changer of Destiny (Table of Contents)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Hugh Langley (signed)

Pencils:

Fred Guardineer

Inks:

Fred Guardineer

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

crime

Characters:

George Rankin (death); the Crime King [Spurnelli](villain, death); the President of the U.S. [unnamed]

Synopsis:

George Rankin had invented a serum that speeded up his time rate, he living 31,536,000 times faster than the rest of the world: what to everyone was a mere second was actually a year to him! But the effects of the formula would only last one year, and Rankin had something important to accomplish before that year was up.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Information and art credits by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

[The Economic Enemy] (Table of Contents)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Joe Shuster (signed)

Inks:

Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Paul Dorgan (cameo, death); Barney Calhoun (intro, death); J. F. Curtis (villain, intro, death, killed by Superman); Louie (villain, death)

Synopsis:

The suicide of the author of a manuscript, which states that sinister forces seek to retard this nation's return to prosperity, prods Superman to dart from place to place, averting the disasters that have been planned by these forces to disrupt vital aspects of national industries.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

One panel ad for Batman appearing in Detective Comics appears at the end of the story, with art by Bob Kane.

Superman Says (Table of Contents)

Superman / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Joe Shuster (spot illustration)

Inks:

Joe Shuster (spot illustration)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Characters:

Superman

Synopsis:

Editor's page in which Superman recommends a reading list of many great reading books to the readers, and tells them which books will be reviewed in up-coming DC comic magazines.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Sequence, information and credits added by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

Fantastic Facts (Table of Contents)

filler / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

George Papp [as Geo. Papp] (signed)

Pencils:

George Papp [as Geo. Papp] (signed)

Inks:

George Papp [as Geo. Papp] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

non-fiction

Characters:

Ed Barnett (one-armed football player); Mrs. D. Beach

Synopsis:

Some of the facts covered in this filler include: 1) a Santa Barbara grapevine, the largest in the world, which yields ten tons of grapes per year; 2) the common slug has 30,000 teeth; 3) a Mrs. Beach walked from New York to Chicago in 42 1/2 days back in 1912; 4) the "popeyed chameleon" is capable of looking in different directions at the same time; and 5) in 1930, one-armed football player Ed Barnett caught four forward passes and intercepted three others in a game.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Some information added by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

[Six Big Headline Features for the 'Big Six' Comic Magazines!] (Table of Contents)

promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

various

Inks:

various

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman; The Sandman; The Batman; Ultraman; The Spectre; The Flash (spot illustrations w/covers)

Synopsis:

House promotional ad touting the Big Six comics published by DC: Action, Adventure, Detective, All-American, More Fun and Flash Comics.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Sequence and information added by Craig Delich (January, 2006).

Pioneer Into the Unknown (Table of Contents)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Script:

Bert Lexington (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

science fiction

Characters:

James Rolland (death); Professor Greystroke (scientist-inventor); Bixby (press agent)

Synopsis:

Actor James Rolland, upon leaving Mammoth Studios, is approached by an inventor, who tells him (and an assembled audience) that he owes everything to the actor for his invention of a giant crystal-like globe he calls the space-folder! He furthers states that Rolland will be the first person to use that invention to travel to a distant spot in the universe. Rolland steps into the globe and disappears in a puff of smoke, but, unfortunately, re-appears in the center of the sun....and perishes! As a footnote, in the future of 1982, in the Museum of Interstellar History, Rolland is honored for paving the way for interplanetary space travel.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

[Terror In the Trucker's Union] (Table of Contents)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Credits

Script:

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils:

Joe Shuster (signed)

Inks:

Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Colors:

?

Letters:

?

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Carlson; Amy Carlson; Gus Snide (villain, intro); Nick (villain); Pete (villain)

Synopsis:

Superman pretends to join a group of racketeers who want to control the city's truck drivers' union so that they can paralyze food distribution and demand blackmail.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989) [in this form]
• from McClure Syndicate newspaper daily strip circa 1939-40

["Superman Appears in Action Comics!"] (Table of Contents)

Superman / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Credits

Pencils:

Joe Shuster

Inks:

Paul Cassidy

Colors:

?

Letters:

typeset

Content Information

Genre:

superhero

Characters:

Superman

Synopsis:

House promotional ad for Superman appearing in Action Comics.

Reprints: show reprint note before migration

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989)

Indexer Notes

Sequence, information and credits by Craig Delich (January, 2006). Superman figure traced or pasted up from the cover of Superman #2.