Action Comics Vol 1 3

Action Comics Vol 1 #3 Published Released August, 1938 July 5, 1938 Issue Details Pages 68 Original Price $0.10 Cover Artists Leo O'Mealia Publisher DC Comics Indicia Publisher Detective Comics, Inc. "Superman Battles Death Underground" Writers Jerry Siegel Pencilers Joe Shuster Inkers Joe Shuster Editors Vincent Sullivan "Scoop Scanlon: "Murder at the Blue Bird Dance Palace"" Writers Will Ely Pencilers Will Ely Inkers Will Ely Editors Vincent Sullivan "Pep Morgan: "Win a Doubleheader"" Pencilers Fred Guardineer Inkers Fred Guardineer Editors Vincent Sullivan ""Shifty Simpson"" Writers Russell Cole Pencilers Russell Cole Inkers Russell Cole Editors Vincent Sullivan ""Adventures of Marco Polo (Part III)"" Pencilers Sven Elven Inkers Sven Elven Editors Vincent Sullivan ""Sports at Sea"" Writers Dick Lawlor Editors Vincent Sullivan "Tex Thomson: "The Sealed City (Part II)"" Writers Bernard Baily Pencilers Bernard Baily Inkers Bernard Baily Editors Vincent Sullivan "Chuck Dawson: The 4-G Gang (Part 3)"" Writers Homer Fleming Pencilers Homer Fleming Inkers Homer Fleming Editors Vincent Sullivan "Zatara: "Death from the Air"" Writers Fred Guardineer Pencilers Fred Guardineer Inkers Fred Guardineer Editors Vincent Sullivan Previous Issue Next Issue Action Comics #2 Action Comics #4

Appearing in "Superman Battles Death Underground"

Featured Characters:

•  Superman 

Supporting Characters:

•  George Taylor 

Adversaries:

• Thornton Blakely

Other Characters:

• Stanislaw Kober

Locations:

• Earth-Two
  • Ohio
    • Cleveland
  • Blakelytown
    • Blakely Coal Mine

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for "Superman Battles Death Underground"

There is a cave-in in the Blakely coal mines, and a miner is trapped. Superman makes his way to the mine, and discovers that the rescue crew has been stopped by poison gas (by which he is unaffected). He rescues them, as well as the trapped miner.

The next day, he asks the miner, Stanislaw Kober, what he thinks caused the mine collapse. Kober says that everyone knew the mine was unsafe, but management did nothing to prevent the collapse. Thornton Blakely, the mine owner, says otherwise, claiming that Kober's own carelessness caused the collapse.

Superman decides to sneak into the Blakely estate dressed as a miner. He finds a party going on and gets captured. Blakely lets him stay at the party because he's coming up with an idea: Superman will lead them all down into the mine, where they will continue their party.

Once they are all in the mine, Superman attacks the tunnel-supports, causing the entire party to be trapped under a cave-in. Blakely remembers the safety devices. He sets them off only to discover that they've rusted over. They attempt to dig their way out, but they soon get winded. Blakely curses himself for treating the miners so badly. With everyone else in the party collapsed, Superman tears down the barriers so that the rescue workers can save everyone. Several days later, Clark Kent once again interviews Thornton Blakely, who now reveals that he is going to start treating his workers better.

Appearing in Scoop Scanlon: "Murder at the Blue Bird Dance Palace"

Featured Characters:

• Scoop Scanlon

Supporting Characters:

• Rusty James

Adversaries:

• Female Crook (Single appearance)
• Butch (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

• Scoop's boss

Locations:

• Earth-Two
  • Connecticut
    • Blue Bird Dance Palace
    • The Bulletin Offices

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for Scoop Scanlon: "Murder at the Blue Bird Dance Palace"

The murder of Bat Wilson, a rich socialite, sends Scoop and Rusty out to the Blue Bird Dance Palace, a place Wilson often frequented, to investigate. Once there, Rusty stands by to keep an eye out for suspicious characters, while Scoop plays the part of a young millionaire looking for a good time. Scoop eventually meets a woman who seems very interested in him, or more accurately, interested in the fortune he's claiming to have. Suspecting she may know something about Bat Wilson's death, he invites her for a romantic ride out on the town. Before leaving, Scoop tells Rusty he may have found a lead in the case. Scoop takes the girl to his car, and then she guides him to a spot that she says is good for moon-gazing.

A little after the car comes to a stop, a masked burglar approaches them holding a gun. He demands everything Scoop has on him. Quickly, Scoop leaps out of the car, rushing the crook and knocking his gun away. The struggle, but the crook gains the upper-hand and holds Scoop while the woman, who was in working in cahoots, retrieves the gun and points it at his chest. Fortunately, Rusty appears behind her, grabbing her and making her drop the weapon. Scoop delivers a hard punch to the crook, then he grabs the gun and uses it to force them back to Police HQ.

The woman and her partner would lure unsuspecting folk who looked like they were doing well for themselves out to a secluded spot where they'd proceed to rob them. It turns out that Bat Wilson fought back, and they were forced to kill him. Rusty tells Scoop he got enough pictures for the story.

Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Win a Doubleheader"

Featured Characters:

• Pep Morgan

Supporting Characters:

• None

Adversaries:

• Blackie (a mob thug) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

• Davis (a rival race car driver) (Single appearance)

Locations:

• Earth-Two

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• Pep's Red Racer
  
  

Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Win a Doubleheader"

On the night before his big race, Pep Morgan is visited by two rough looking gentlemen. They try to persuade him to throw the race tomorrow for a percentage of the gamblers winnings. In anger, Pep throws them out, saying he intends to win the race. The roughnecks warn him that he'll be sorry.

The next morning, Pep is at the track in his racing duds. He spots a suspicious stranger messing around near his racecar. When Pep approaches the man gets spooked and runs off. There isn't enough time to deal with him right now, so Pep gets into his car and drives up to the starting line. The flag is wove, and Pep speeds down the track! But something goes wrong quick, as his front tire blows out, forcing him into the pit stop. Luckily, it doesn't take very long for the tire to be replaced, so Pep is soon able to reclaim his lead. In another attempt to make Pep lose, one of the thugs fires a shot from the side of the track, trying to hit the car's fuel tank, but the bullet hits Morgan in the arm instead. Even still, Pep is able to drive his car past the finish line and win the race.

Pep offers assistance to a policeman chasing down the two thugs, giving him a lift in his winning racer. The thugs getaway car eventually crashes off the road, knocking them unconscious. They are taken into police custody, and Pep gets to enjoy his newest prize trophy.

Appearing in "Shifty Simpson"

Featured Characters:

• Shifty Simpson

Supporting Characters:

• Policemen

Locations:

• Earth-Two

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for "Shifty Simpson"

This is a humor strip featuring the unlucky escapades of a purse-snatcher.

Appearing in "Adventures of Marco Polo (Part III)"

Featured Characters:

• Marco Polo

Supporting Characters:

• Niccolò Polo (Marco's father)
• Maffeo Polo (Marco's uncle)
• Niku

Adversaries:

• a tiger (Death)

Other Characters:

• Ming-Ling

Locations:

• 13th Century
  • Iran

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for "Adventures of Marco Polo (Part III)"

The Polos make their way into the land of Iran. While out hunting game, Marco and Niku get caught in the path of a deadly cyclone.

Appearing in "Sports at Sea"

Featured Characters:

• Captain Blake (captain of the Harbor City)
• Ted Farrell (second mate of the Harbor City)

Supporting Characters:

Adversaries:

Other Characters:

Locations:

• Unknown

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• The Harbor City
  
  

Synopsis for "Sports at Sea"

This is a two-paged text story with illustrations.

Appearing in Tex Thomson: "The Sealed City (Part II)"

Featured Characters:

• Tex Thompson

Supporting Characters:

• Bob Daley

Adversaries:

• One-Eyed Gorrah (Apparent Death)
• Daroka (Gorrah's servant)
• Scharem (Gorrah's servant) (First appearance)
• Hawntem (Gorrah's servant) (First appearance)

Other Characters:

• The True Gorrah of the Sealed City (First appearance)

Locations:

• Earth-Two
  • The Sealed City

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "The Sealed City (Part II)"

• Synopsis not yet written.
  
  

Appearing in Chuck Dawson: The 4-G Gang (Part 3)"

Featured Characters:

• Chuck Dawson

Supporting Characters:

Adversaries:

• John Burwell
• Steve (Burwell's hired gun) (First appearance)
• Trigger Holt
• Butch

Other Characters:

• Sheriff of Red Gulch

Locations:

• Earth-Two (19th Century)
  • Texas
    • Red Gulch

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for Chuck Dawson: The 4-G Gang (Part 3)"

Continued from last issue...

Butch and Trigger have Chuck Dawson at gunpoint. They move in to search him, which is just what Chuck has been waiting for. He moves fast and grabs the gun from Trigger, then delivers a haymaker punch to Butch behind him. He runs off down the alley, climbing up a nearby roof where he won't be seen. Watching from above, Chuck spies the town sheriff put up a poster with his face on it: Wanted For Murder, an obvious frame-up. Now he'll have to clear his name before he can move on out. Looking down on the other side of the roof, Chuck spots Butch lurking around looking for him. He dives on Butch and, after a brief scuffle, Chuck guides him into the barn at gunpoint. Tying up the gun-toting thug with a lasso, Chuck questions him about his horse's whereabouts. Butch responds that his boss had the horse hidden by a creek behind the dance hall. Right when Chuck is about to leave, Butch's partner Trigger enters. Chuck quickly delivers a jab to the jaw before Trigger can fire his pistol. Leaving the two men hog-tied, Chuck exits the barn.

Hearing the approaching sound of footsteps, Chuck climbs up a nearby tree where he overhears two ne'er-do-wells talking. They plan on using Chuck's horse to frame him for a job. Chuck intends to stop them...

Appearing in Zatara: "Death from the Air"

Featured Characters:

• Zatara (John Zatara)

Supporting Characters:

• Tong

Adversaries:

• Tigress
• Bill (a member of The Tigress' gang) (Single appearance)
• Mike (a member of The Tigress' gang) (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

• Police Commissioner

Locations:

• Earth-Two

Items:

• None

Vehicles:

• None
  
  

Synopsis for Zatara: "Death from the Air"

• Synopsis not yet written.

Notes

• "Superman Battles Death Underground" was reprinted in Superman #1, Famous First Edition #C-61, Superman Archives, Volume 1, Action Comics Archives, Volume 1, Millennium Edition: Superman #1, Superman Chronicles, Volume 1 and Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus, Volume 1.

• Fred Guardineer is also credited as Gene Baxter in this issue.

• Russell Cole is credited as Edwin Alger in this issue.

• "The A-Gang (Part III)" is presented entirely in black and white.
• Although the first part of "The A-Gang (Part III)" (in Action Comics 1) has been designated "The A-G Gang" by several sources (most notably the Grand Comic Book Database), the name of the gang is the 4-G Gang according to this story.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss Action Comics Vol 1 3 on the forums
• Images from Action Comics Vol 1 3

Recommended Reading

• Action Comics
• All-Star Comics
• All-Star Squadron
• Superman (Volume 1)

  Links and References

• Action Comics #3 index entry
• Grand Comics Database
• Superman article at Wikipedia
• Zatara article at Wikipedia

Footnotes

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