Action Comics #4

(September 1938)

They're the Tops (Table of Contents: 1)

New Adventure Comics; More Fun Comics; Detective Comics / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

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Letters

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Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

[Superman Plays Football] (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman / comic story / 12.75 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (signed as Jerome Siegel)

Pencils

Joe Shuster (signed as Joe Shuster)

Inks

Joe Shuster (signed as Joe Shuster)

Colors

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Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Exhilarated by the demon speed, a drunken, irresponsible driver races faster--faster still!

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; Tommy Burke; Mary; Coach Randall (villain); Ray Martin; Oliver Stanley; Wallace Dodd

Synopsis

Overhearing a crooked college football coach at Dale University plotting to populate his team with thugs to defeat rival Cordell University, Superman impersonates a football player from Cordell to straighten the situation out.

Reprints

• in Superman (DC, 1939 series) #[1] ([Summer 1939])
which is reprinted
• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-61 ([March] 1979)
• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in Superman #1 [Masterpiece Edition] (Chronicle Books, 1999 series) (1999)
• in Millennium Edition: Superman 1 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000), #[Chromium Edition] (December 2000)
• in Superman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2022 series) (1939 [December 2022])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([April] 2006)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([May] 2016)

Indexer Notes

Superman wears blue boots (as in the previous 3 issues). In frame 77 only, the yellow crest shows a simple red "S." A black "S" previously appeared in the second issue, on page 10 of the story.

Modified synopsis added by Craig Delich.

Acquiring Super-Strength (Table of Contents: 3)

Acquiring Super-Strength / activity / 0.25 page (report information)

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Reprints

• in Superman (DC, 1939 series) #[1] ([Summer 1939])
which is reprinted
• in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-61 ([March] 1979)
• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in Millennium Edition: Superman 1 (DC, 2000 series) #[nn] (December 2000), #[Chromium Edition] (December 2000)
• in Superman 1 (Facsimile Edition) (DC, 2022 series) (1939 [December 2022])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([April] 2006)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #1 ([May] 2016)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

"Chuck" Dawson / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

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Pencils

Homer Fleming (signed as H. FLEMING [currved H])

Inks

Homer Fleming (signed as H. FLEMING [currved H])

Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

From the shelter of a tree-top...

Genre

adventure; western-frontier

Characters

Chuck Dawson; Steve; Sheriff; Trigger Holt; Butch

Synopsis

Chuck rescues his horse from Steve and is chased into the mountains by the Sheriff, Trigger, and Butch.

Indexer Notes

Feature is printed in black and white.

Story continues from previous issue and continues in next.

The All-Star Athlete (Table of Contents: 5)

Pep Morgan / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Gardner Fox

Pencils

Fred Guardineer (signed as Gene Baxter)

Inks

Fred Guardineer (signed as Gene Baxter)

Colors

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Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Pep has been invited to compete in a swimming meet on the closing day of...

Genre

adventure

Characters

Pep Morgan; Charley; Bobby; Jimmy; Harry

Synopsis

Pep is leading in the Camp Indian Head swimming competition until some campers lives are endangered.

Indexer Notes

Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Bad Bill and The Menace of the Hills (Table of Contents: 6)

comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

Russell Cole (signed as Alger)

Pencils

Russell Cole (signed as Alger)

Inks

Russell Cole (signed as Alger)

Colors

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Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Whoa, now!

Genre

adventure

Characters

Bad Bill

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7)

The Adventures of Marco Polo / comic story / 4 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Sven Elven (credited)

Inks

Sven Elven (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Sven Elven

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Marco and Niku out hunting are caught...

Genre

historical; adventure

Characters

Marco Polo; Niku; Nicolo Polo; Uncle Maffeo

Synopsis

After the desert storm passes, the caravan finds fresh water. A giant python attacks a lioness, who is saved by her mate. Then the snake turns on the Polos!

Indexer Notes

Story continues from previous issue and continues in next.

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

Legion Loyalty (Table of Contents: 8)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Vin Sullivan (credited as Captain Frank Thomas)

Pencils

Fred Guardineer

Inks

Fred Guardineer

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The withering rays of the African sun beat fiercely down on him as he lay there.

Genre

adventure

Characters

Cliff Bedford; Ali Kasha; Sandy Logan

Synopsis

Corporal Cliff of the French Legion infiltrates an Arab stronghold in Morocco to free three prisoners.

Keywords

French Legion; Morocco

[Sealed City, Part 3] (Table of Contents: 9)

Tex Thomson / comic story / 12 pages (report information)

Script

Ken Fitch ?

Pencils

Bernard Baily (credited)

Inks

Bernard Baily (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

Bernard Baily

First Line of Dialogue or Text

After inviting Tex Thompson and his friend...

Genre

adventure; detective-mystery

Characters

Tex Thomson; Bob Daley; Gorrah; Rabb Khazan; Scharem; Hawntem

Synopsis

Rabb Khazan attempts to overthrow the Gorrah of the Sealed City.

Indexer Notes

Letterer credit added by Craig Delich.

[Brady's Revenge] (Table of Contents: 10)

Scoop Scanlon, Five Star Reporter / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)

Inks

Bill Ely (credited as Will Ely)

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Holy smokes! Duck everybody!! It's a bomb!!!

Genre

adventure

Characters

Scoop Scanlon; Rusty James; Sal di Marco; Big Fist Logan; Tate; Dopey; Finger; Squeaky

Synopsis

After the Bulletin is bombed, Scoop tracks down the culprits.

Indexer Notes

This feature is printed in black and white.

[The Protection Racket] (Table of Contents: 11)

Inspector Donald and Bobby / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

Leo O'Mealia (signed as LEO E. O'MEALIA)

Inks

Leo O'Mealia (signed as LEO E. O'MEALIA)

Colors

?

Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

All th' business men around here...

Genre

crime; detective-mystery

Characters

Inspector Bob Donald; Bobby Donald; T.A. Evans; Sid; Joe; Snappy; Tim; Frank; Mike

Synopsis

Evans, a glazier, operates a protection racket for local merchants: those who don't pay, get their windows broken. Bobby attempts to blackmail the blackmailers, with deadly results.

Indexer Notes

O'Mealia signs on the last page.

The Night Club Murder (Table of Contents: 12)

Zatara, Master Magician / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Fred Guardineer

Pencils

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Inks

Fred Guardineer (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Tong, I'm tired of this easy life I've been leading lately.

Genre

adventure; fantasy-supernatural

Characters

Zatara [Giovanni "John" Zatara]; Tong; Joan; Big Bill; Butch

Synopsis

Zatara defends the lovely dancer, Joan, from the advances of Big Bill. With a single punch, the brute falls to the ground - dead!

Get Acquainted with Aviation! (Table of Contents: 13)

Model Airplane News / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

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typeset

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

Thrills! / cartoon / 0.67 page (report information)

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First Line of Dialogue or Text

Sporthrill! Battling Nelson knocked out William Rosser in two seconds!

Genre

non-fiction

Characters

Oscar Nelson [Battling Nelson]; William Rosser

$25 Cash Prizes for the Best Letters!! (Table of Contents: 15)

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

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Letters

typeset

Indexer Notes

Inside back cover.

This ad includes the names of winners of the Color-Page contest from Action Comics #1, thus documenting the fact that these individuals bought Action #1 as a current issue.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 16)

Johnson Smith & Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

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Indexer Notes

Back cover.