Type Comic
Date 1939-04
Tags polio, fiction

New York World's Fair Comics

New York World's Fair Comics (1939-04)

This one is a collection of World's Fair-themed comics, which was sold at the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair, featuring characters from several DC publications.

Superman at the World's Fair

Clark waits with a group of other reporters to find out who a committee will select as candidate for governor. He's not satisfied with just standing around, though, so he changes into his Superman costume, leaps up eleven stories, and eavesdrops on the committee. He stays long enough to be sure who they'll eventually nominate, then heads back to the newspaper office so as to scoop the other papers.

Clark wasn't just bored with waiting, though. He hoped to parlay this success into a chance for a vacation. No luck, though, the editor has a big assignment for him: to cover the New York World's Fair. That works out pretty well, since it's what Clark was planning to do with his vacation, anyway. He convinces the editor to send Lois with him, "to cover the--er--feminine viewpoint" (smooth, Clark), so the two set out.

The trip to the fair will not be without excitement, though. The train carrying Clark and Lois is in danger of colliding head-on with another train, so Clark acts quickly to stop the train manually, finally holding them apart with one hand and foot on each of the trains. When they arrive, Clark hears that an exhibit that was intended to raise money for infantile paralysis has not been completed, so he personally builds the entire exhibit, going so far as to uproot trees and move them to more flattering positions.

Afterward, Clark rejoins Lois, who spots a man in the crowd that she recognizes as Nick Stone, a wanted criminal. Stone grabs Lois and punches Clark, who pretends to be knocked out. He takes Lois back to his hideout, where he explains that he and his cohorts are planning to steal some valuable jewels at the fair. He grabbed her so that she couldn't give him away, and now he plans to silence her permanently. Just in time, Superman bursts in through a window and catches Stone's bullet two inches from Lois's face.

Superman returns with Lois to the fair. The crooks have already stolen the jewels, but Superman doesn't let them get away with it. He catches up to them while they're making their getaway, and deposits them right in front of some stunned police. Scarcely has he finished this, when he hears the screams of a crowd, and realizes that a jumper's parachute has failed to open. Acting quickly, he catches the man, cushioning his fall.

Just then, as Superman leaps away, Lois grabs him from behind, declaring that "you'd be surprised how hard it is to get rid of me". Superman performs some acrobatics in an attempt to frighten Lois off, but "succeeds only in amusing her". Lois demands that Superman admits that he likes her, "if only a trifle". With no real way out of the situation, Superman just claims that he has to go, since someone is coming, and returns right away as Clark. Lois is incensed that Clark has, once again, spoiled her time with Superman.

Zatara and the World's Fair Exhibit

Zatara is sent to retrieve the necklace of Princess Ti-Lo of the Ming dynasty, to be put on display at the World's Fair. Zatara's not the only one that wants the necklace, so he experiences the usual sort of opposition: acts of sabotage, attempted murder, groups of thugs attacking. Zatara displays his usual casual disregard for the lives of his hired help. Eventually, he successfully retrieves the necklace, and brings it back just in time for the opening of the New York World's Fair.