The superhuman visitor from Krypton burst from the minds of two Cleveland teenagers in the summer of 1933. Five years later, after surviving seventeen separate rejection slips, America's mightiest comic-strip hero was placed on the cover of Action Comics. Holding a car in the air on that first cover, the Man of Steel became an overnight sensation. Soon kids all over America were asking for "the comic with Superman in it," and the Man of Tomorrow became a permanent fixture on the Action covers.

The first twenty-five years of Action Comics covers are strikingly reproduced in this tiny volume. A look at the Action covers is a quick look at the history of Superman and his adventures. There we meet all his friends and foes...Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Supergirl. We watch him evolve from the patriotic Nazi-fighter of the '40s to the powerful crime-fighter of Metropolis. It was on these covers that the blue tights, red cape, and famous "S" insignia developed into an emblem recognizable the world over.

These remarkable covers continue to attract a lot of attention; a copy of Action Comics 1 sold for $82,500 in 1992!

Other Details: 300 full-color illustrations 320 pages 4 x 4" Published 1993

Shuster added a heraldic crest to Superman's tunic. Though simple in design, the elegant triangular "S" shield that has become recognized worldwide as Superman's emblem took years to standardize in color and shape. Was it big (cover 29) or small (cover 39)? Scalloped (cover 1) or straight-edged (cover 7)? On the cape (cover 26) or off the cape (cover 21)? Bordered in red (cover 25) or in yellow (cover 36)? Not until the mid-1940s did the trademarked formal red-and-yellow pentangle make its appearance, shown definitively for the first time on the cover of Action Comics 63.

Like many other covers from the war years, Action 63 was illustrated not by Joe Shuster but by Jack Burnley. Burnley, an accomplished sports-cartoon artist, was hired by DC in the early 1940s to serve as one of Shuster's "ghosts." It was not the first time Superman had been drawn by other artists; still working out of his studio in Cleveland, Shuster had begun farming out work to several young illustrators as early as 1938. His reasons were twofold.

First, because of Superman's unprecedented success, DC was committed to purchasing new stories in tremendous volume. Within two years of his Action premiere, the Man of Tomorrow was also starring in a newspaper strip and in his own quarterly comic (Superman), as well as in the oversized World's Finest Comics.

Secondly—and tragically—Shuster's eyesight had begun to fail at an early age, slowing his pace to a crawl. Though barely out of his thirties by the time his brainchild hit its creative stride, Shuster was burdened with thick—lensed eyeglasses and was often forced to work perilously close to his drawing table-often no more than an inch away. In time, this handicap would drive Shuster completely out of the comic-book field.

Fortunately, he had worked hard at teaching the dynamics of Superman to his proteges. Chief among them—and first hired—was Wayne Boring, a student from the Chicago Art Institute who came to Shuster's attention courtesy of the classified ads Shuster had placed in major papers across the East Coast. Along with fellow apprentice Fred Ray and the aforementioned Burnley, Boring—who was to become the definitive '50s Superman artist-contributed the bulk of the wartime Action cover illustrations.

Unquestioned patriotism was the order of the day-and while Superman stories rarely showed the Man of Steel flexing his muscles directly against the Nazi scourge, Action covers were another matter entirely. Beginning as early as issue 35 (April 1941), Superman frequently bared his knuckles against the Axis, bending tank turrets in his bare hands (cover 44), routing saboteurs (cover 37), twisting U-boat periscopes like pretzels (cover 54), and making one-man aerial assaults against the bombers and tailgunners of the Japanese (covers 48 and 63). At the same time, GIs knew that the Metropolis Marvel was watching out for them, protecting them from enemy fire (covers 62 and 66), providing construction assistance (cover 55), ferrying in Red Cross supplies (cover 60), and even hawking war bonds and stamps (cover 58)!

Only once in theGolden Age of Comics did Superman appear alongside his Action costars on the cover and even then, patriotism was the keynote. Issue 52 showcases not only the Man of Steel, but the Americommando, the Vigilante, Zatara, and Congo Bill—all marching straight toward the reader, presumably on their way to kick some Axis tail.

Not long after the war's end, DC and the Siegel/Shuster team parted company. Wayne Boring, who by now had taken over the Superman newspaper strip, split the Action cover assignments with Al Plastino, who joined the Superman team in 1948. Unlike Boring, Plastino was hired directly by editor Mort Weisinger-the man who, outside of Siegel and Shuster themselves, was to have the greatest impact on Superman and his continuing development.

Though he had been on staff at DC in the early 1940s before being drafted, Mort Weisinger's involvement with the Man of Steel was peripheral until he was handed the editorial reins of Action and Superman comics upon his return to civilian life. From that point on, Weisinger enrolled Superman in a wholesale reconstruction.

First to go were the humorous, whimsical covers that dominated the postwar years. They too often characterized Superman not as a champion of the weak and oppressed, but rather as a muscled buffoon who, stumped by the sudden defeat of the Nazis, had no idea how better to use his great strength than to annoy hardworking window washers (cover 98), jump barrels in his roller skates (cover 84), or engage himself in one too many falling-safe gags (covers 87 and 103).

Not that readers weren't invited to enjoy some sensational illustrations during this period. In particular, covers 89, 108, and 116 use color to spectacular effect, while the striking cover of Action 101—a shot of Superman filming an atom bomb explosion makes that issue highly prized among comic book collectors today. Still, it was obvious to Weisinger that Superman's great powers were in danger of being trivialized, even lampooned. It was time, he decreed, to show the readers more of what Superman was all about.

He began by tying the covers more directly to the stories inside, blurbing them with burning questions in order to draw interest from the readers. Why does Superman help "The Mad Artist of Metropolis" (cover 170)? Has the Man of Steel put a price on his super powers (cover 176)? Can you solve the riddle of "The Anti-Superman Weapon" (cover 177)?

Menaces became less mundane and more fantastic. No more was Superman content simply to lift cars and bounce bullets off his chest. Could he instead stop the Machines of Crime (cover 167)? What about the It that was terrifying Metropolis (cover 162) or the peril awaiting him on Planet Z (cover 168)? And what of the mighty foe in the alien spacesuit who actually conquered Superman (cover 165)?

In 1938, at the beginning of his career, Superman's unrivaled presence had given him an edge in the comic book market. In due time, however, his success spawned hundreds of caped imitators. By the 1950s, he was forced to compete amid a growing sea of super- second-stringers for the precious dimes of America's comic-buying public. Faced with the problem of beefing up Superman's newsstand profile, Weisinger took special care to call attention to those elements of the Superman mythos that made him unique. Two themes in particular became recurrent hallmarks of Weisinger's editorial reign, interwoven heavily through the stories and reflected on the covers.

The first was the growing emphasis on Superman's disguise as Clark Kent. Between issues 150 and 300, Superman was shown trapped in no less than a dozen situations that threatened to compromise the secret of his dual identity (most notably on the covers of issues 153, 164, 171, 250, 269, 282, 288, and . . . whew! . . . 297).

The other innovation Weisinger pioneered was an ongoing emphasis on Superman's Kryptonian heritage. Beginning with the cover of Action 149, which portrays the ever-marriage-minded Lois Lane studying the ways of Krypton courtship (to Superman's horror), readers were introduced to the splendor of Kryptonian cities (182), the evil of Kryptonian criminals (194), the terror of Kryptonian weapons (216), and were even shown home movies of Superman's father, Jor-El, who himself had been "The First Superman of Krypton!" (223).

In retrospect, it's a wonder that Mort Weisinger had the energy to shepherd Superman's fate in the late 1940s and early '50s. Forever the celebrity gadfly, he spent much of his time on the West Coast, helping to oversee the silver-screen productions of such DC heroes as Congo Bill (another Action alumnus) and Superman, both stars of the Saturday afternoon serials. Weisinger, a gregarious man, apparently established many contacts among the stars of Hollywood, and often arranged for celebrities to guest star in DC publications. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Superman encountered a host of luminaries in the pages of Superman comics, including Orson Welles, Perry Como, and even President Kennedy, while Action Comics showcased his adventures with screen star Ann Blyth (Action 130) and "Truth or Consequences" game-show host Ralph Edwards (Action 127).

Not entirely coincidentally, by 1951, the Man of Tomorrow had found a new venue—television. The syndicated Adventures of Superman TV show served to introduce the Man of Steel to an entirely new generation of children. Consequently, a subtle attempt was made to mirror the tone of the program with the Superman stories and covers of the period. Of particular note are the tales from issues 188 ("The Spectral Superman"), 200 ("The Test of a Warrior"), and 201 ("The Challenge of Stoneman"), all of which were later adapted into episodes of the TV series ("Stoneman" as "Through the Time Barrier," and "Spectral Superman" as "Superman in Exile"). Like the television show, the Action covers of the early '50s emphasized standard crime exploits over science-fiction perils—another trend that, like the TV show, would eventually wind down.

Two more artists were important cover contributors during this period, and both deserve special mention. Winslow Mortimer, a Canadian illustrator who had been working on sister publication Batman, turned his attentions to Superman in the late '40s. Though Mortimer's work on the character was at first sporadic, he eventually became one of DC's two most prolific cover artists of the '50s and '60s.

Curt Swan, whose string of Action covers began with issue 232, ran unbroken through issue 300 and beyond. A more realistic draftsman than any of his predecessors, Swan brought a quiet strength and power to Superman. Weisinger was so impressed by Swan's artwork that, upon Wayne Boring's retirement, Swan was tapped to become DC's chief Superman artist, a position he would hold for nearly thirty years. During that time, Swan helped to introduce a great number of landmark characters, none more significant than Supergirl, Superman's young Kryptonian cousin, who burst from her rocketship on the cover of Action 252 (and, inside its pages, quickly answered the question "Is she friend or foe?"). In short order, the Maid from Krypton became so popular that, from time to time, she actually managed to oust her mentor from the magazine's cover (Action 299).

That first appearance of Supergirl in Action, in like-new condition, is today worth over $500—and while that may sound like a staggering sum of money to the uninitiated, true comic—book aficionados know that that half-thousand is a mere drop in the bucket. A full run of the Action Comics represented in this volume, in near-mint condition, would cost a collector over $150,000. Nearly half of that expense would come from netting a premium Action Comics 1: one sold in 1991 for $65,000 and, believe it or not, that was a bargain. Other key issues sought after by Action devotees include 23, which features the first appearance of Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor (worth a cool $1100); issue 80, the second appearance of Mr. Mxyztplk, the magical, mischievous imp from the Fifth Dimension; Action 100, one of comics' earliest centennial issues; and Action 242, which introduced Brainiac, the Computer Tyrant from the planet Colu.

But perhaps it is a mistake to assess a dollar figure for Superman. After all, he is, in a sense, priceless—a unique heroic icon, without doubt the most powerful and wondrous myth American pop culture has yet produced. Preposterous? Outlandish? Perhaps. But beyond belief? Not really. Not to those who treasure truth and justice and, every once in a while, find themselves slyly looking up in the sky beyond all the birds and planes, wondering what it would be like to catch a brief glimpse of red and blue.

Of Superman . . . in action

Author Biography: DC Comics is the pioneer of the comic-book industry, and inventor of the Super-hero genre. The oldest publisher of comics in America, DC has published more than 500 series titles, and its Detective Comics, originating in March 1937, and Action Comics, published since June 1938, are the two longest-running magazines in the history of the medium.

Mark Waid is a comics historian and freelance writer whose current credits include Flash and Justice League Quarterly for DC Comics.