| Issue | #1 |
| Published | June 1938 |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Cover Price | 0.10 USD |
| Pages | 68 |
| Editing | Vincent Sullivan |
| Notes | Indicia: ACTION COMICS. published monthly by Detective Comics, Inc., 480 Lexington Ave., New York, N. Y. Second class entry pending at Post Office, New York, N. Y. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates: 12 issues by mail in the United States, its possessions and Mexico, South America and Spain, $1.50; elsewhere $2.60. The Publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material. Entire contents copyright 1938 by Detective Comics, Inc. In the documentation for the Siegel lawsuit against Warner Bros (CASE NO. CV-04-8400-SGL (RZx)) published on March 26, 2008, the on sale date for this issue is listed as being April 18, 1938 (information added by Allen Ross June 2008). |
| Characters | Superman |
| Genre | superhero |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster |
| Inks | Joe Shuster |
| Colors | Jack Adler (see notes) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | In Alter Ego #56 (Feb. 2006), in an interview with Adler, he reports that he painted the colors on the engraving plates for this story. Info added by Craig Delich (Feb. 2006). |
| Reprinted | in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #nn [in B&W]; in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26; in Action Comics (DC, 1978 series) #1; in Action Comics (DC, 1983 series) #1; in Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1983 series) #nn; in Superserien (Semic AS, 1982 series) #9/1984 (August 1984); in Action Comics (DC, 1987 series) #1; in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn; in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #1; in Superman through the Ages (DC, 2007 series) #nn (June 2007); in Supermann (Williams Forlag A/S, 1969 series) #2/1976 |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent] (intro, origin); Krypton (unnamed) |
| Synopsis | A space vehicle from a destroyed world lands on Earth, and its occupant becomes Superman. In addition, a scientific explanation for this being's powers is explained. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel [as Jerome Siegel] (signed) |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster (signed) |
| Inks | Joe Shuster (signed) |
| Letters | Joe Shuster |
| Notes | This strip was originally prepared for newspaper publication, cut up and repaged. Black shading used. Lettering credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | in Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #1; in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26; in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1976 series) #[nn]; in Action Comics (DC, 1978 series) #1; in Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics, A (Smithsonian Institution Press / Harry N. Abrams, 1981 series) #nn; in Action Comics (DC, 1983 series) #1; in Action Comics (DC, 1987 series) #1; in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #1; in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series); in Superman in the Forties (DC, 2005 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Superman [Clark Kent]; George Taylor (unnamed); Lois Lane; Daily Star; Evelyn Curry; Bea Carroll (villain); Butch Matson (villain); Senator Barrows (villain); Alex Greer (villain) |
| Synopsis | Superman delivers a witness to the governor to stop an execution, then stops a wife-beater. Later Superman, as Clark Kent goes out with Lois, but she earns the wrath of Butch Matson and Superman must save her. Finally, Clark is assigned a story on the South American republic of San Monte. He heads to Washington DC to find out who is behind Senator Barrows pushing legislation which will embroil the United States in a war in Europe by grabbing lobbyist Alex Greer and scaring the truth out of him. |
| Genre | superhero |
| Script | Jerry Siegel |
| Pencils | Joe Shuster |
| Inks | Joe Shuster |
| Letters | Joe Shuster ? |
| Notes | Story continues in Action Comics #2. Originally prepared for newspaper publication, cut up and repaged by Joe Shuster, not Harry Lampert as often claimed. Black shading used. Letterer credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Superman wears blue boots. The last 1/3 of page 12 is an illustrated promotional ad for the Superman strip appearing in Action Comics. |
| Reprinted | In Superman (DC, 1939 series) #1; in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1971 series) #nn; in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26; in Action Comics (DC, 1978 series) #1; in Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics, A (Smithsonian Institution Press / Harry N. Abrams, 1981 series) #nn; in Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties (Crown Publishers, Inc., 1983 series) #nn; in Action Comics (DC, 1983 series) #1; in Action Comics (DC, 1987 series) #1; in Superman Archives (DC, 1989 series) #1; in Superman: The Action Comics Archives (DC, 1997 series) #1; in Superman #1 [Masterpiece Edition] (Chronicle Books, 1999 series) #[nn]; in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series); in Superman in the Forties (DC, 2005 series) #nn; in Superman through the Ages (DC, 2007 series) #nn (June 2007). |
| Characters | Chuck Dawson; Notch Logan (villain); John Burwell (villain); "Trigger" Holt (villain); Butch (villain) |
| Synopsis | Church begins a vendetta aginst the crooked ranch owners who have, by fraud, acquired the range lands he inherited after his father's death. |
| Genre | western; adventure |
| Script | Homer Fleming ? |
| Pencils | Homer Fleming [as H. Fleming] (signed) |
| Inks | Homer Fleming [as H. Fleming] (signed) |
| Notes | Writer credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Zatara (intro); Tong (intro); Brady (death); Captain Kennedy; The Tigress (intro, villain); Babcock (villain) |
| Synopsis | Zatara and Tong investigate the murders of several railroad detectives and the theft of over $200,000 in loot. |
| Genre | occult |
| Script | Fred Guardineer (signed) |
| Pencils | Fred Guardineer (signed) |
| Inks | Fred Guardineer (signed) |
| Letters | Fred Guardineer ? |
| Notes | Lettering credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn |
| Characters | Bret Coleman; Cottonball; Merna Newton; Samuel Newton; South Seas natives (villains) |
| Synopsis | Bret and Cottonball seek to rescue one Samuel Newton, whose daughter was carried off into the jungle by a pack of savage natives. |
| Genre | adventure |
| Script | Captain Frank Thomas (signed) |
| Pencils | ? (spot illustrations) |
| Inks | ? (spot illustrations) |
| Letters | typeset |
| Notes | Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Sticky-Mitt Stimson |
| Synopsis | Sticky swipes some apples and is pursued by the Police and gets a lucky break to make good his escape. |
| Genre | crime |
| Script | Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed) |
| Pencils | Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed) |
| Inks | Russell Cole [as Alger] (signed) |
| Letters | Russell Cole |
| Notes | Lettering credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Marco Polo; Niku |
| Synopsis | Marco, his father and uncle are given an audience with the new Pope, who gives them the mission to seek out the Khan of Tartary, and bring with them priests and men of learning in order to impart that knowledge to his people. |
| Genre | period |
| Pencils | Sven Elven (signed) |
| Inks | Sven Elven (signed) |
| Letters | Sven Elven |
| Notes | Lettering credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Pep Morgan; Pop Burkett; Sailor Sorenson; Boomerang; O'Rourke; Doc Lowery (villain) |
| Synopsis | When the Boxing Commission runs a dirty fight trainer out of town, he swears his revenge....against Pep. |
| Genre | adventure |
| Script | Gardner F. Fox |
| Pencils | Fred Guardineer (signed) |
| Inks | Fred Guardineer (signed) |
| Letters | Fred Guardineer ? |
| Notes | Letterer credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Writer credit added by Craig Delich 8-9-08. Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Scoop Scanlon; Rusty James; Arnold (villain) |
| Synopsis | An international jewel thief arrives in America as a prisoner, but Scoop and Rusty are on hand to witness his escape with the help of his gang lying in wait. |
| Genre | adventure |
| Pencils | Will Ely (signed) |
| Inks | Will Ely (signed) |
| Notes | Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Characters | Tex Thomson (intro, see notes); Bob; Betty; unnamed gangster chief (intro, villain, death); Monk (villain); Sonja (villain) |
| Synopsis | Ken is framed for the murder of a man, and, with the help of Betty and Bobby, sets out to prove his innocence. |
| Genre | adventure |
| Script | Ken Fitch ? |
| Pencils | Bernard Baily (signed) |
| Inks | Bernard Baily (signed) |
| Letters | Bernard Baily |
| Notes | Letterer credit added by Craig Delich (July 16, 2006). Tex Thomson later becomes Mr. America in Action Comics #33 and then Americommando in Action Comics #54. |
| Reprinted | in Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn |
| Characters | Fred Astaire; Constance Bennett; Charles Boyer; Wheeler & Woolsey |
| Synopsis | Interesting facts about celebrities Fred Astaire, Constance Bennett, Charles Boyer and the comedy team of Wheeler and Woolsey are provided in this illustrated filler. |
| Genre | celebrity |
| Pencils | ? [as the Star Gazer] |
| Inks | ? [as the Star Gazer] |
| Notes | Art MIGHT be by Sheldon Moldoff (per Craig Delich, July 16, 2006). Synopsis added by Craig Delich 8-2-08. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974); in Millennium Edition: Action Comics 1 (DC, 2000 series) #nn. |
| Genre | fact |
| Pencils | Sheldon Moldoff |
| Inks | Sheldon Moldoff |
| Notes | Inside back cover. |
| Reprinted | In Famous First Edition (DC, 1974 series) #C-26 (1974). |