Superman #4

(Spring 1940)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

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

[Superman, America's Greatest Adventure Strip Character!] (Table of Contents: 2)

Superman / illustration / 1 page (report information)

Pencils

Joe Shuster; Paul Cassidy

Inks

Joe Shuster; Paul Cassidy

Colors

?

Letters

?

Feature Logo

Superman [over-lapping P, fat letters]

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman

Reprints

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

Indexer Notes

Frontispiece. Paul Cassidy art credits added by Craig Delich.

[Superman versus Luthor] (Table of Contents: 3)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (credited, signed)

Pencils

Paul Cassidy (ghosted for Joe Shuster) (signed as Joe Shuster); Bernard Baily (see notes)

Inks

Paul Cassidy (ghosted for Joe Shuster) (signed as Joe Shuster); Bernard Baily (see notes)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

For the first time in its history, the City of Metropolis is ravaged by a terrible earthquake!

Feature Logo

Superman [over-lapping P, skinny letters]

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Professor Martinson; phony Professor Martinson (villain, death); Luthor (villain, with red hair, second 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

• in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, 1971 series) (1971) [black and white]
• in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (DC, 1987 series) (1987 [March 1988])
• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told (DC, 1987 series) (1987 [May 1989])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in Superman Mannen av stål [Alle Tiders Superhelter] (Hjemmet / Egmont, 2005 series) ([desember] 2005)
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #3 ([October] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Lex Luthor: A Celebration of 75 Years (DC, 2015 series) (2015 [February 2016])
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

Keywords

Daily Planet

Indexer Notes

The first story with Luthor was in Action Comics #23 (cover date April 1940). Superman asks "Who is Luthor?"
This is the second Luthor story. Luthor says "We encounter each other once more".
However this issue may have gone on sale before Action Comics #23. In their copyright registration, Detective Comics, Inc. said Action Comics #23 was published Feb 23, 1940. An in-house ad said Superman #4 would go on sale Feb 15; the copyright registration said that it was published Jan 23. Officially, per DC Comics web site, Luthor's first appearance is in Action Comics #23.

One panel promotional advertisement for the Spectre series in More Fun Comics (DC, 1936 series) at the end of the story, with art by Bernard Baily.

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

Attaining Super-Strength / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel

Pencils

Joe Shuster

Inks

Joe Shuster

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Tommy Blake, because of his frail physique...

Genre

non-fiction

Characters

Tommy Blake

Synopsis

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

Reprints

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

This Doggone World / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Fred Schwab

Pencils

Fred Schwab

Inks

Fred Schwab

Colors

?

Letters

Fred Schwab

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Oil Paintings for Sale!

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1

[Bill Dickey] (Table of Contents: 6)

From the 4 Corners / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Pencils

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Inks

Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Sheldon Moldoff ?

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1

Indexer Notes

Lettering credit and information by Craig Delich.

[Luthor's Undersea City] (Table of Contents: 7)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (credited, signed)

Pencils

Joe Shuster (credited, signed); Creig Flessel (see notes)

Inks

Paul Cassidy (ghosted for Joe Shuster) (signed as Joe Shuster); Creig Flessel (see notes)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Bedlam reigns in the editorial office of the Daily Planet as a startling news flash comes over the wires....

Feature Logo

Superman [over-lapping P, skinny letters]

Genre

superhero

Characters

Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor (cameo); Lois Lane; Luthor (villain, with red hair); Luthor's henchmen (villains, some die)

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #3 ([October] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

Keywords

Daily Planet

Indexer Notes

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

Supermen of America (Table of Contents: 8) (Expand) /

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

Changer of Destiny (Table of Contents: 9)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (credited as Hugh Langley)

Pencils

Fred Guardineer

Inks

Fred Guardineer

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

crime

Characters

George Rankin (death); the Crime King [Spurnelli] (villain, death); the President of the United States (unnamed)

Synopsis

George Rankin had invented a serum that speeded up his time rate, 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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1

Indexer Notes

At the bottom of the first column on page one is an advertisement for "The Genuine Junior Guitar for You!" and at the bottom of the last column on page two is an advertisement for "Real Live Canary for You" both from selling seeds for the Lancaster County Seed Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Information and art credits by Craig Delich.

[The Economic Enemy] (Table of Contents: 10)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (credited, signed)

Pencils

Joe Shuster (credited, signed); Bob Kane (see notes)

Inks

Paul Cassidy (ghosted for Joe Shuster) (signed as Joe Shuster); Bob Kane (see notes)

Colors

?

Letters

Joe Shuster (logo design, see notes); ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Paul Dorgan eminent Soci-ologist is completing a book manuscript entitled 'Prosperity's Foe'.

Genre

superhero

Characters

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #3 ([October] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

Keywords

Daily Planet

Indexer Notes

One panel ad for Batman appearing in Detective Comics appears at the end of the story, with art by Bob Kane.
Superman logo is a one-off hand-drawn version by Joe Shuster, though now very close in design to the one on the cover of Superman #1.

Superman Says (Table of Contents: 11) (Expand) /

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

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12)

Fantastic Facts / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

George Papp (signed as Geo. Papp)

Pencils

George Papp (signed as Geo. Papp)

Inks

George Papp (signed as Geo. Papp)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

The original 'Popeye'

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1

Indexer Notes

Some information added by Craig Delich.

Six Big Headline Features for the 'Big Six' Comic Magazines! (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

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

Pioneer Into the Unknown (Table of Contents: 14)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Bert Lexington (credited)

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

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 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, 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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990])
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1

[Terror in the Trucker's Union] (Table of Contents: 15)

Superman / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script

Jerry Siegel (credited, signed)

Pencils

Joe Shuster (credited, signed)

Inks

Paul Cassidy (ghosted for Joe Shuster) (signed as Joe Shuster)

Colors

?

Letters

?

First Line of Dialogue or Text

I've a tip that there may be some excitement tonight at the truck driver's union meeting!

Feature Logo

Superman [over-lapping P, skinny letters]

Genre

superhero

Characters

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

• in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1 (1989 [February 1990]) [in this form]
• in DC Archiv Edition (Dino Verlag, 1998 series) #5 - Superman 1
• in The Superman Chronicles (DC, 2006 series) #3 ([October] 2007)
• in Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013 series) #1 ([August] 2013)
• in Superman: The Golden Age (DC, 2016 series) #2 (2016 [January 2017])

Keywords

Daily Planet

Superman Appears in Action Comics! (Table of Contents: 16) (Expand) /

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

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

Wilson Chem. Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[Boys! I'll Help You Get a Daisy for Your Birthday] (Table of Contents: 18) (Expand) /

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