| Issue | #5 |
| Published | Summer 1940 |
| Cover Price | 0.10 |
| Pages | 68 |
| Editing | Whitney Ellsworth; [Murray Boltinoff] |
| Characters | Superman |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Wayne Boring |
| Inks | Paul Lauretta? |
| Letters | typeset |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Wayne Boring |
| Inks | Wayne Boring |
| Notes | Frontispiece. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; George Taylor; Slug Kelly (villain, intro) |
| Synopsis | Lois and Clark are very concerned when they see business owners trying to induce children into their stores to play slot machines, placed there by the goons of "Slug" Kelly. When the duo are held captive by Kelly and threatened with death, Superman takes over to clean house of the machines and the mugs responsible for them. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel (signed) |
| Pencils | Paul Cassidy (pages 1-8); Wayne Boring (pages 9-13) [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Inks | Paul Cassidy(pages 1-8); Paul Lauretta (pages 9-13) [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Notes | The Planet's rival paper, The Morning Pictorial, is introduced. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman |
| Synopsis | Superman reminds his readers to get plenty of rest, eat right, gets lots of exercise and drink plenty of milk. |
| Genre | superhero; fact |
| Script | Jerry Siegel |
| Pencils | Dennis Neville? |
| Inks | Dennis Neville? |
| Notes | The page features an inset picture of Superman, illustrated by Joe Shuster, plus an illustrated plug for Jowett Books on physical strength at the bottom. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman |
| Synopsis | Editor's page in which Superman discusses the Supermen of America Club and its motto: Strength, Courage and Justice. A coupon is provided for readers to join if they wish. |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster (spot illustration) |
| Inks | Paul Cassidy (spot illustration) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Sequence, info and credits added by Craig Delich (January, 2006). |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent]; Zachary Collum (introduction, publisher of the Morning Pictorial); Lois Lane; Burt Mason (introduction, publisher of the Daily Planet); George Taylor; Representative Barnes; Alex Evell (villain, introduction) |
| Synopsis | Punk politician Alex Evell, because of his growing political power, is out to buy the Planet's competitor, so that he will have a newspaper to back up his political dealings. But Evell doesn't like Clark Kent and his scathing articles about him, so the crook sets out to buy out the Planet as well....or else! |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel (signed) |
| Pencils | Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Inks | Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Bill Harkness; The Great Gordon (ventriloquist) |
| Synopsis | Bill Harkness, a reporter for just two days, swelled with pride at the dedication of the new State Hospital, the top story of that time. Afterwards, he entered the building to look around, and bumped into one of the patients, the Great Gordon, the best ventriloquist of his day. Bill learned that this man had a son named Johnny, but then was interrupted by the Superintendent who wished that Harkness had never talked to the man. When he asked why, Harkness was finally told the secret of Gordon's son....he was the dummy he had used in his act! |
| Script | George Shute (signed) |
| Pencils | Bernard Baily |
| Inks | Bernard Baily |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | The text story is surrounded by a variety of ads for such things as Baby Ruth candy bars, roller skates and more. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor; Mr. Gregory (villain, death); Borden Mosely (villain); Lex Luthor (villain, with grey hair) |
| Synopsis | Clark Kent smells a rat when he enters several offices of financial wizards, hoping to find out why they are profiting during a time of extreme depression, and noting a sickening sweet smell of incense in the air. Superman discovers that it involves a plot by Luthor, who uses the narcotic incense to inslave the men and thus profit off their ventures. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel (signed) |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster (signed) |
| Inks | Wayne Boring [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Notes | Superman uses his powers to reshape his features for the first time. Inker revision by Craig Delich (January, 2006). Inker previously listed as Paul Cassidy? |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman; The Sandman; The Batman; Ultraman; The Spectre; The Flash |
| Synopsis | House ad promoting the characters starring in DC's top six magazines: Action, Adventure, Detective, All-American, More Fun and Flash Comics, with inset pictures of each. |
| Genre | superhero; ad |
| Pencils | various |
| Inks | various |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Sequence added by Craig Delich (January, 2006). |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Pert Blair; Jared Greene (villain); Clare Sanders; Doc Chalmers; Tom Larkin (death) |
| Synopsis | People were very surprised when young Pert Blair was elected Sheriff, and more surprised, after the first murder in the county's history occured, when Pert nailed the town's banker for the murder! |
| Genre | crime |
| Script | Jack Wallis (signed) |
| Pencils | ? (spot illustrations) |
| Inks | ? (spot illustrations) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Both pages are surrounded by a series of promotional ads including for fireworks by the Baltimore Fireworks Company and making your own records at home by the Home Recording Company. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Shorty (a dog) |
| Synopsis | Shorty is chased home by a smaller dog....then re-emerges in a tiger skin and chases the other dog off. |
| Genre | funny animal |
| Script | Fred Schwab |
| Pencils | Fred Schwab |
| Inks | Fred Schwab |
| Letters | Fred Schwab |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Synopsis | The filler consists of four unrelated gag cartoons. |
| Genre | gags |
| Script | Whitney Ellsworth? |
| Pencils | Whitney Ellsworth? |
| Inks | Whitney Ellsworth? |
| Notes | The last half page is an ad for Superman on the radio, and has a listing of the stations broadcasting it. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Batman; Robin; Sandman; Ultra-Man; Flash; Spectre |
| Synopsis | Two half-page ads for All-Star Comics #1 and Batman #1, with covers and illustrations. |
| Genre | superhero; science fiction |
| Pencils | various |
| Inks | various |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Sequence added by Craig Delich (January, 2006). |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent]; Lois Lane; George Taylor; Morton Craig; Professor Carl Grinstead; Dr. Bren (villain); Carlin (villain, introduction); Nick Blake (villain); Butch (villain); Jimmy (villain) |
| Synopsis | Superman investigates why a noted chemist's serum, parabiolene, financed by a noted gangster named Carlin, is being used on noted people, making them virtual slaves to do the bidding of Carlin. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel (signed) |
| Pencils | Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Inks | Paul Cassidy [as Joe Shuster] (signed) |
| Notes | Superman uses x-ray vision and super hearing. |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |
| Characters | Superman |
| Synopsis | Promotional ad for Action Comics, starring Superman. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster (spot illustration) |
| Inks | Paul Cassidy (spot illustration) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Sequence added by Craig Delich (January, 2006). |
| Reprinted | in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #2 (1990) |