Type Comic
Date 1938-10-04
Tags fiction

Action Comics #6

Action Comics #6 (1938-11)

Superman

Superman's exploits have become pretty well-known thanks to Clark Kent, who has been specially assigned to deal with all Superman-related news. Imagine how surprised he is when he's introduced by his editor to... Superman's personal manager!

As it turns out, the charlatan has been selling Superman's name for commercial use, and making a pretty penny doing so. There's a Superman radio show, Superman brand gasoline, the Superman Streamline Special ("America's Favorite Automobile"--a variation of this will appear in the Slam Bradley comic in Detective Comics #28), and he's licensed "Superman bathing suits, costumes, physical development exercises, and movie rights." In fact, he has "even made provisions for him to appear in the comics!" Imagine that.

Well, Clark is pretty stunned by all this, so he jumps at the chance for an interview with this supposed Superman. When Lois hears of it, she isn't about to let Clark be the only one to meet Superman face to face. She approaches him, much to his surprise. When he asks why she's had a change of heart, she declares: "It's really quite simple! I've come to my senses and appreciate you at last, that's all!--will you take me out tonight, Clark, to celebrate it?" Clark agrees, of course, but tells Lois that she'll have to accompany him on his assignment, too.

Aren't they both just snakes? They deserve each other. Honestly, I'm not sure if Clark actually likes Lois or just enjoys toying with her.

Anyway, they go to a club, where a singer performs a new song, "You're a Superman!", which wastes a whole page and convinces me Siegel should never write song lyrics. Afterward, Lois drugs Clark so that she can take his place interviewing Superman.

When Lois arrives, she encounters a phony Superman who tries to impress her with fake feats of strength. She's not taken in, given that she's met Superman previously. They decide to throw her out a window to preserve their secret, and Superman arrives just in time to catch her as she falls. He apprehends the would-be murderers and sees them safely behind bars.

Zatara

In this one, the Tigress, Zatara's mortal enemy (supposedly), is after the emerald of Cheops, which Zatara wants to deny her, for some reason. I mean, yeah, she's going to steal it, but Zatara doesn't seem to have anything against raiding tombs and stealing things, himself, so I don't know what the big deal is.

He transforms himself and Tong into clouds to follow the Tigress, because there's no way she'd suspect two creepy talking clouds with faces on them that are following her through the desert of being in some way related to her mortal enemy Zatara the magician who she knows is after her and has a penchant for turning people into weird things. Whew. Anyway, yeah, foolproof plan from Zatara.

Eventually, he saves the emerald from the Tigress, but then the emerald stolen and the Tigress kidnapped to be sold into slavery by someone, so he has to rescue both the lady and the jewel. By the end of the story, Zatara doesn't seem to be on too bad terms with the Tigress, but I guess they've been through a lot together, today.

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