Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #17
Published July-August 1942
Cover Price 0.10
Pages 68
Editing Whitney Ellsworth; [Murray Boltinoff; Mort Weisinger]

Cover Details - "World's Greatest Adventure-Strip Character!"

Characters Superman; Adolf Hitler; Hideki Tojo
Genre superhero
Pencils Fred Ray
Inks Fred Ray
Letters typeset
Reprinted in Superman From the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #nn (1971); in Superman From the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1983 series) #nn; in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #5 (2000)

13 page Superman story "Man Or Superman?"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; The Talon [Albert Caldwell] (intro, villain); Lois Lane; Perry White; Luthor (cameo; villain); Ultra (cameo; villain); Eustace Watson (cameo)
Synopsis Lois first suspects that Clark Kent is Superman, but he quickly convinces her he is not with some razzle dazzle super speed.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils Joe Shuster (signed)
Inks John Sikela [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Notes Pencils credited to John Sikela in Superman Archives 5. This is the only story during the 1940's that Lois thinks Clark is Superman.
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #5 (2000); in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #nn (1971); in Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1983 series) #nn (1983)

12 page Superman story "The Human Bomb"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Sgt. Casey; Perry White; Lois Lane; The Human Bomb [Watkins] (intro; villain)
Synopsis A vicious criminal uses innocent people, trapped by hypnotic power, who are armed with a bomb apparatus which makes it possible for them to rob without opposition from the Police.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils Leo Nowak [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Inks Leo Nowak [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Notes Superman has a yellow "S" on red background on his cape.
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #5 (2000)

2 page G-Man filler "untitled"

Genre humor
Script Ray McGill
Pencils Ray McGill
Inks Ray McGill
Letters Ray McGill
Notes Writer credit added by Craig Delich (Feb. 2006). This filler does NOT appear in the Archive.

13 page Superman story "Muscles For Sale"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Superman's Mountain Retreat (intro; precursor to the Fortress of Solitude); Jake Massey (intro; villain); Lois Lane; George Brant; Mrs. Brant; Mike Mosby (villain); Nat Folsom
Synopsis Superman must solve a series of bold crimes that were pulled by ungainly men who look anything but formidable.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils John Sikela [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Inks John Sikela [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Reprinted in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #5 (2000); in Superman (DC, 1939 series) #187 (June 1966) [two page excerpt]

2 page Rollin' Stone filler "untitled"

Genre gag
Script Ray McGill
Pencils Ray McGill
Inks Ray McGill
Letters Ray McGill
Notes This filler does NOT appear in the Archive.

2 page text story "Killer's Guns"

Genre crime
Script Tex Slade (signed)
Letters typeset
Notes This text story does NOT appear in the Archive.

13 page Superman story "When Titans Clash"

Characters Superman [Clark Kent]; Carlyle Allerton [Lex Luthor] (villain; temporarily gains super-powers); the Powerstone; Lois Lane; Perry White
Synopsis Lex Luthor survives his execution in the electric chair, which only makes him more powerful, but yet he still can't match the strength of Superman......that is, until he discovers a way to fool Superman into handing over the Powerstone to him.
Genre superhero
Script Jerry Siegel (signed)
Pencils John Sikela [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Inks John Sikela [as Joe Shuster] (signed)
Notes Sequel to story in ACTION COMICS #47.
Reprinted in Superman (DC, 1939 series) #252 (June 1972); in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #5 (2000)