Golden Age Superman week: The First Year part one

I love the The Superman Chronicles. It's a series put out by DC collecting Superman's earliest appearances in chronological order. They're affordable, in full color, and the material they reprint is solid gold.

For your lazy Sunday afternoon reading, I give you an overview of the major events of Superman's first year (and change). Superman and Lois' first kiss, the first mention of his x-ray vision, his first recurring villain, and even his first kill. Seriously.

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Action Comics 1, June 1938

The plot-
It starts right in the middle of it. Superman's rushing through through the night with a beautiful woman bound up in tow, crashing through the governor's mansion in an attempt to save a wrongfully accused prisoner about to be executed. It's an exciting start. After that episode we see Superman save Lois from a few tough customers, then onto the investigation of a war brewing in South America we'll see continued in the next issue.

Some thoughts-
His first appearance. So much to talk about. We'll start with the familiar. The blue suit, the cape, the strength. It's all there. We're with him as he first gets a job at a newspaper and meets a beautiful reporter by the name of Lois Lane. We see her appalled by the meekness of poor Clark Kent and wowed by Superman. All things we know as belonging to the classic Superman mythology.

But what's not there! Man, oh, man. No vision powers, no super senses, no flight! No Jonathan and Martha, either. This Superman was found by a 'passing motorist' and brought to an orphanage. The editor that hires him both go unnamed, and there's not a single red haired cub reporter in sight. We don't even know what city he's in.

The villains aren't giant robots or mad scientists, but a failure in the court system, some brutish bullies and corrupt politicians. This Superman really was a champion of the oppressed, and not afraid to confront wrongs inside or outside the law.

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Action Comics 2, July 1938
The plot-
Picking up where the last issue left off, Clark's been assigned to investigate a war brewing in South America, but first he detours to Washington where he discovers a conspiracy to inflame the region by a crooked politician and a munitions manufacturer. How does he resolve the issue? By forcing the munitions manufacturer to enlist as a soldier in the conflict so he can learn fist hand what his bombs and bullets are doing.

That's not enough for this Superman, though. He sees men dying for no reason so what does he do? Takes the heads of both nations and tells them to settle it, man to man.

Some thoughts-
A random continuity note, when it comes time to file his story, Clark has it wired to "The Evening News" in Cleveland, Ohio. This is the first and last mention of either of those things.

This Superman here? He doesn't leave us to settle our own differences. He sees a petty, meaningless fight and he says 'End this or I will end it for you.' He's not afraid to scare people into doing the right thing.

This Superman also quite possibly intentionally killed a man. Seeing an officer torture prisoners, Superman does not stand for it.

His fate is ambiguous, but death is a reasonable interpretation. Strange to see, huh?

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Action Comics 3, August 1938
The plot -
The rich owner refuses to bring a local mining operation up to even minimal safe conditions, so Superman (posing as an immigrant worker) shows him and some other members of the idle upper class what it's like to risk their lives in the mine.

Some thoughts-
Superman only appears in costume for a single panel. The rest he's in disguise. Like the last issue, we see his approach to bringing about change in those that would harm others is to give them a taste of their own medicine. I'd like to see a Superman who fights for the rights of the work force again.

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Action Comics 4, September 1938
The plot-
The pursuit of a hit and run driver leads Superman to discover a plot by a crooked football coach to rig games by hiring thugs to take out players on the oppositions team. Superman takes the place of one of the players to put a stop to it.

Some thoughts-
Play fair or don't play at all, crooked football guy. A couple of interesting things in this one. One, the hit and run driver at the beginning comes to a stop in front of a speeding train and struggles with Superman, delaying their escape. This prompts from Superman, "Stop you fool, you'll kill us both!" It's not often you see a Superman worried about physical injury. This was a time when Superman was not yet invulnerable, his abilities 'only' going so far as "Nothing short of bursting shell can penetrate his skin!"

Also of note, Superman's method of making his way onto the team. He doesn't ask to take the player's place, but drugs and kidnaps him long enough to bring the racket down. It ultimately ends well for the player, but still. It would have been nice if you had at least tried to ask, Supes.

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Action Comics 5, October 1938
The plot-
Clark is asked to cover a dam that is expected to burst and destroy a town, while Lois plots to steal the story from him.

Some thoughts-
This is the first story that really spotlights the Clark/Lois/Superman dynamic. Absent for the last two issues, Lois returns and for the first time meets Superman with more than fear or curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, the moment Lois fell for Superman.

Awwww.

Superman appears to be getting stronger. In this issue he performs his mightiest feat yet, the first beyond the already amazing lifting cars and knocking down steel doors. Here he topples an entire mountain peak to divert the flood.

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Action Comics 6, November 1938
The plot-
A shyster shows up claiming to have gained the legal rights to Superman from the man himself and begins selling the name for a fortune. Believing Superman to be a myth, he thinks there will be no repercussions. Heh.

Some thoughts-
So yeah, there are obvious parallels to what's happening with the Superman rights at this very moment.

This issue is also the first appearance of my main man Jimmy O. Sort of. We see for the first time around the offices of the paper Clark works at an office boy in a bow tie. He goes unnamed and has blond hair instead of red, but what the hell. Let's say it's our pal Mr Olsen any way.

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Action Comics 7, December 1938
The plot-
Superman helps a failing circus that is being harassed by a protection racket by lending his name and abilities the show.

I love the elephant's shock at what's happening.


Some thoughts-
This is a pretty basic story. It lets kids see Superman perform at a circus, and has a simple theme; "Superman hates bullies." Beyond the extortion, we see this in a short framing sequence that takes place back at the office-


The proto-Steve Lombard, jerkass Curly.

He gets his, though.

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I really can't recommend this enough. It's a really interesting slice of pop culture history, and it's fascinating, well for me at least, to see how much the character had developed and evolved by the end of his first year alone.

This evening or tomorrow, part 2. X-Ray eyes, the unambiguous kill and the World's Fair!