1938 - July

 Action Comics #2, July 1938

Cover: 

• A man is falling through the sky, apparently with a parachute on (we only see the chords). The man is wearing a suit and tie with a pistol in his right hand, while his left arm is holding a woman in a red dress. A yellow bi-plane is flying their way while another, smoking bi-plane is falling.
• The cover is signed by Leo E. O’Mealia.
• The cover image has no apparent connection to any stories within the book.
• There is no mention of Superman on the cover.

Story: 

• “Untitled” - 13 pages, credited to “Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster”
• First story in the anthology-style book

Fabulous Firsts: 

• First appearance of the Evening News, Cleveland, Ohio
• First use of Lois’ last name of Lane
• “First time in all history, a man battles an airplane single-handed!”
• First advertisement for “Superman’s own course in: ‘Acquiring Super-Strength!’”, beginning next issue

Origin:

• This story contains no mention of Superman’s origins.

Costume:

• The costume is essentially the same as it was in the previous story (blue suit, blue boots, red shorts, red cape, yellow belt, triangular yellow emblem with yellow “S” on the chest)
• In some panels, the belt is either not visible or colored red
• In some panels, the chest emblem is missing
• In at least one panel, the “S” on the emblem is all black.
• In at least one panel, the cape is missing.

Powers:

• 
  Superman leaps (apparently enough to get to the top of the Washington Monument
• Machine gun bullets bounce off of Superman
• Superman bends an iron bar
  
• Superman outswims a steamship (first appearance of super-speed?)
• Superman runs “faster than the eye can follow”
• Superman tosses a man like he would a javelin
• An airplane’s propeller shatters on Superman’s skin

Characterization:

• Superman is very brash in this story, often threatening his opponents with violence. For example, Superman tells Emil Norvell that if Norvell is not heading to San Monte the next morning, he will "tear out your cruel heart with my bare hands!"
• Lois begins asking questions of Superman, to which Superman remains very aloof, abruptly telling Lois to save her questions and that she may never see him again.
• However, Superman does take time on the ocean trip to enjoy the moonlight. Perhaps he is a romantic after all!

Supporting Cast:

• Alex Greer, slick lobbyist from previous story
• Emil Norvell, munitions magnate
• Emil Norvell’s “Boys”
• Lois Lane
• Unnamed “Sullen-Faced Toughs”
• Lola Cortez, woman of mystery
• Unnamed Puzzled Sentries
• Unnamed Enemy General & Soldiers
• Unnamed Postal Clerk
• Unnamed Hotel Manager
• Unnamed Judge
• Unnamed Torturer
• Unnamed Torturer’s Captives
• Unnamed Blood-Thirsty Aviator
• Unnamed Army Commander
• Unnamed Editor

Synopsis:

Picking up from where the story in Action Comics #1 left off, Superman safely lands with a terrified Alex Greer, a warmongering Washington lobbyist. Greer gives Superman the name of one munitions magnate, Emil Norvell, allegedly behind “the threatening war.” Superman finds Norvell and convinces him to take the steamship Baronta to San Monte in order to experience war first hand. While boarding the ship, Clark finds Lois as their editor has decided that coverage of the war needs her “distinctive feminine touch.”

That evening on the ship, Superman surprises Norvell, but Superman is soon cornered by a group of “toughs” who force Superman to fall overboard. Superman outswims the boat to San Monte and promptly takes care of the “toughs” upon the ship’s arrival at port.

Both Norvell and Superman enlist in the San Monte army as Superman wants to both teach Norvell a lesson and get photographs of the war. He achieves the latter first and promptly sends the photographs to the Evening News in Cleveland, Ohio.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel where everyone is staying, a mysterious woman plants an incriminating document in Lois’s room. After the document is found by the military, Lois is arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to immediate execution by firing squad. Superman shows up just in time to save Lois.

Superman then breaks up a tortuous inquisition, sends Lois home, downs an airplane and its pilot, convinces Norvell to stop manufacturing weapons, rounds up the leaders of both sides of the war, and convinces them that they should stop their fighting, especially since neither knows exactly why they are fighting.

Back home, Clark and his editor discuss the likelihood of Superman making another appearance.

Favorite Quotes:

• “You see how effortlessly I crush this bar of iron in my hand? – That bar could just as easily be your neck!”
• “Who knows? Perhaps tomorrow – perhaps never!’
• “We’re not angry at each other!”

Oddities and Analyses:

• This story was originally conceived as a daily newspaper strip, as evidenced by the numbers in the lower corners of the panels. I believe because of that, these early Superman stories do not show the full talent of Joe Shuster. Some of his layouts in his earlier comics work like Spy and Federal Men (both also with Jerry Siegel), are really creative, showing some perspective and fluidity that a daily sequential strip would not allow for. I believe that if circumstances had been different, Joe Shuster would be considered on par with other great innovators of the Golden Age of comics such as Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, and Jack Cole.
• Superman appears quite confident that a barrage of bullets will not harm him as he stands confidently against the thugs with machine guns. I wonder how he learned this?
• Superman’s costume also seems to be bulletproof since there is no indication of any damage to it, including no holes in the cape (which was in the direct line of fire when he saves Lois from the firing squad!)
• I cannot ever imagine the Superman I grew up with threatening to snap anyone’s neck.
• There is no indication from which port the steamship Baronta departs. I would assume that it is close to Washington, DC, where all the action of the story has taken place thus far, but why would Lois be taking this boat? How and when did she get to DC?
• A disproportionate amount of time is spent on Lola Cortez, based upon her overall impact on the story. I feel we should have gotten to know more about her. Who is she really? Is she a spy? Why does she frame Lois? None of these questions are answered.
• It is clear in this story that Superman possesses super-speed. On at least three occasions he appears to be moving with superhuman quickness.
• There is never any explanation as to what connection the previous story’s discussion of a war in Europe has to do with the war in San Monte, unless Greer and Norvell and the rest were involved in several wars around the globe.
• It is also not made clear as to who the two different sides of the war are, or which side was going to execute Lois, or who was doing the torturing.
• Instead of sending the war pictures to the Daily Star, Clark sends them to the Evening News, a newspaper in Cleveland. Obviously, the creators had yet to solidify where Superman was from and for whom Clark Kent worked. Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel first met in high school in Cleveland.
• Clark’s discussion with his editor at the end of the story seems odd. Did Clark not report on Superman’s activities in San Monte? Did no other media outlets? It would seem that way since the editor talks about no recent Superman activity.
• The announcement of the “Acquiring Super-Strength” course that is supposedly coming next issue is very interesting. It appears in the bottom ⅓ of the last page of the story and shows a shirtless Superman flexing his arm muscles. There is also an image of an issue of Action Comics that appears to have a Superman cover. Superman will next appear on the cover of Action Comics with issue #7, still several months away.

Apropos of Nothing:

• Zatara gets a mustache in his feature!

All comic-related images are the copyright of DC Entertainment.