Action Comics #42

(November 1941)

Another Message to Our Readers (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

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

[City in the Stratosphere] (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils

Leo Nowak (signed as Joe Shuster)

Inks

Siegel and Shuster Studio

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Always on the alert to help someone in need is...

Feature Logo

Superman [classic design, angled u bottom]

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Perry White; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen [cameo]; Carl Bransom; Nick Flaerty; John Standing; Freeman Chase; Luthor [as Zytal] (villain, bald); Jake Mobray (villain, death) Dirk Chadwick (villain, death)

Synopsis

A series of strange disappearances of prominent men in the city of Metropolis makes Clark Kent believe the kidnappings weren't under ordinary circumstances. When, as Superman, he tries to get information from local mobsters, they are suddenly destroyed by a ray out of the blue. He later discovers that Luthor built a giant city in the sky, and the arch for then hypnotizes Superman into doing his bidding.

Reprints

• in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #3 ([October] 2001)
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #7 ([September] 2009)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #2 ([September] 2016)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #4 ([July] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Art credits by Craig Delich and Bob Hughes. We formerly credited John Sikela (pencils) and Ed Dobrtoka (inks). The Archives credit the art to John Sikela.

Supermen of America (Table of Contents: 3) (Expand) /

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

Superman Krypto-Raygun (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Superman Krypto-Raygun / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[The Origin of the Vigilante] (Table of Contents: 5)

Vigilante / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Mort Weisinger

Pencils

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)

Inks

Mort Meskin (signed as Meskin)

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

superhero; western-frontier

Characters

The Vigilante [Greg Sanders] (introduction, origin); Killer Kelly; Betty Stuart; Van Ardsley

Synopsis

At his execution, Killer Kelly tells Vigilante that he will come back from the grave, but he has really just bribed the prison doctor to lower the voltage. Greg Sanders, rodeo man, is met by Betty Stuart, a blues singer, after a rodeo, and he learns that Killer Kelly is loose. At his home, Greg dons the costume of the Vigilante and heads to the costume ball of Van Ardsley. When Killer Kelly bashes the party, the Vigilante has to rope them in.

Reprints

• in Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #4 (September-October 1973)
• in Action Comics 80 Years of Superman: The Deluxe Edition (DC, 2018 series) ([June] 2018)

[The Ship Spies] (Table of Contents: 6)

The Black Pirate / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Inks

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Somewhere in the Mediterranean, two swarthy pirates plot...

Genre

historical

Characters

The Black Pirate [Jon Valor]; Bonnie; unnamed cutthroats (villains)

Synopsis

A cutthroat pretends to be an escaped fugitive to get close to Jon Valor. Bonnie is suspicious, however.

Indexer Notes

Strip is continued in Sensation Comics #1.

Still at the Top! (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Superman; Star Spangled Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

[Revolution in Central America!] (Table of Contents: 8)

Three Aces / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Chad Grothkopf

Inks

Chad Grothkopf

Colors

?

Letters

?

Genre

adventure; aviation

Characters

Three Aces [Fog Fortune; Gunner Bill; Whistler Will]; Miguel Miranda (villain)

Synopsis

On their way back from South America, the Aces find themselves in the middle of a Central American revolution. A man named Miguel Miranda takes their planes for the war, and the Aces have to figure out a way to get them back.

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Superman Is in the Movies! (Table of Contents: 9) (Expand) /

The Adventures of Superman / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[The Origin of Fatman] (Table of Contents: 10)

Mr. America / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script

Ken Fitch

Pencils

Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks

Bernard Baily (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

No fury like a woman scorned?

Genre

superhero

Characters

Mr. America [Tex Thomson]; Fatman [Bob Daley] (origin as Fatman); The Queen Bee (villain)

Synopsis

Mr. America goes out to investigate a strange lack of crime, but Bob is ordered to stay in. Feeling deserted, Bob creates the identity of Fatman. At Tex's headquarters, he develops a way to transform his cape into a magic flying carpet. Fatman stumbles upon the plans of the Queen Bee to steal radium.

Indexer Notes

1st uses cape as a flying carpet. Writer credit by Jerry Bails.

Missing Masterpiece (Table of Contents: 11)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Sidney Drew (credited) (house name)

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

That night the guns of the invader...

Genre

war

Characters

Peter Projak; Frau Projak

Dead or Alive (Table of Contents: 12)

text story / 0.67 page (report information)

Script

Wilton Weston (credited)

Pencils

Stan Kaye (signed as S K) (spot illustration)

Inks

Stan Kaye (signed as S K) (spot illustration)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Killer Manon's body was lying, face down, near the big oak tree.

Genre

adventure

Characters

Killer Manon

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14)

Jokes / cartoon / 0.5 page (report information)

Script

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

He won't drop them...

Genre

humor

Characters

John; McGurk

Indexer Notes

3 gags. Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

What a Cast! (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

More Fun Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.25 page (report information)

Newcomer! (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

Prize Comics / advertisement / 0.25 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 17)

Congo Bill / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Fred Ray

Pencils

Fred Ray (signed as F Ray)

Inks

Fred Ray (signed as F Ray)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Blazing a path through miles of treacherous jungle-land on his way to the coast, Congo Bill signals his safari to halt.

Genre

jungle; adventure

Characters

Congo Bill; Sheila Hanlen; Professor James Kent; Hugo Von Eller; Winters; Tomkins (villain)

Synopsis

In the jungle, Congo Bill's safari comes across a white man being buried alive by a native and attempts to stop him, only to be informed that he's just ruined a shot in an adventure film. Talking with the director, Hugo Von Eller, Bill finds out that the production has been plagued with problems. Sheila agrees to stand in for a sick actress, but the problems continue.

Keywords

caves; dynamite; ivory; lions; motion picture cameras; motion picture projectors; motion pictures; shovels

Black Fire by Corvelle Newcomb (Table of Contents: 18)

Good Books Worth Reading / text article / 0.33 page (report information)

Script

Josette Frank (credited)

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

From slave boy to king!

Characters

Henri Christophe

New Films for Your Superman Krypto-Raygun (Table of Contents: 19) (Expand) /

Daisy Mfg. Co. / advertisement / 0.17 page (report information)

Different! (Table of Contents: 20) (Expand) /

Adventure Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.5 page (report information)

Action! Thrills! (Table of Contents: 21) (Expand) /

promo (ad from the publisher) / 0.67 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 22) (Expand) /

Lionel / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

[The Man Who Could Control Minds] (Table of Contents: 23)

Zatara / comic story / 9 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Joe Sulman (signed)

Inks

Joe Sulman (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The master magician wages a war of wills against...

Feature Logo

Zatara the Master Magician

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural; superhero

Characters

Zatara; The Tigress (villain); Frosty Parke (villain)

Synopsis

Zatara spots the Tigress and Frosty Parke and decides to follow them. He catches them trying to rob a bank and quickly stops them, putting Frosty into the hospital. There, Frosty uses an experiment that allows him to control men's minds, and somehow the power is transferred into him. He escapes and meets with Tigress to continue their crime spree. Zatara discovers Frosty's new power and investigates.

Choose Your Prize (Table of Contents: 24) (Expand) /

American Specialty Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 25) (Expand) /

Daisy Air Rifles / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Plenty of Energy (Table of Contents: 26) (Expand) /

Baby Ruth / advertisement / 1 page (report information)