Unofficial Action Comics Index

ACTION COMICS #48

Cover Date: May 1942
Cover Price: $.10
Publication Date: 1942-03-14

< PREV

TITLE INDEX

NEXT >

Cover Credits:
Art: Fred Ray

Story: "The Adventure of the Merchant of Murder!" (13 Pages)

Credits:

Story	Jerry Siegel
Art	Joe Sikela
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Superman (next in Superman Vol. 1 #17/4

Supporting Character(s):

Perry White

Lois Lane

Villain(s):

Top (Jefferson Smith; first appearance; mastermind behind faulty used car sales; dies)

Sid Speed (first appearance; works for Top at Speed Motors)

Location(s):

Metropolis

Story Reprinted in:

Superman: The Action Comics Archives #3 (2001)

The Superman Chronicles #9 (2011)

Superman: Golden Age Omnibus #3 (2016)

Superman: The Golden Age #4 (2018)

2

Second Story: "Crime's Caravan!" (12 Pages)

Credits:

Art	Mort Meskin
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Vigilante (last in Leading Comics #2)

Supporting Character(s):

Stuff

Villain(s):

The Lash (first appearance; runs a car theft ring; poses as an invalid and uses a whip treated with poison)

The Lash's gang (first appearance for all)

Augie

Shakes (next in issue #53#2)

other unnamed gang members (one dies)

Location(s):

New York City, NY

3

Third Story: "The Adventure of the Secret Submarine!" (6 Pages)

Credits:

Story	Gardner Fox
Art	Louis Cazenueve
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Three Aces (now part of the USAAF):

Fog Fortune

Gunner Bill

Whistler Will

Villain(s):

Japanese Navy

Location(s):

South Pacific Ocean

4

Fourth Story: "The Pied Piper of Doom!!!" (8 Pages)

Credits:

Story	Ken Fitch
Art	Bernard Baily
Lettering	Bernard Baily
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Mister America

Supporting Character(s):

Fatman

Villain(s):

Queen Bee and her gang (use gasses in flowers to cause people to follow her orders)

Location(s):

New York City, NY

5

Fifth Story: [No Title] (6 Pages)

Credits:

Art	Fred Ray
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Congo Bill

Villain(s):

Japanese Army

Location(s):

East Indies

Comment(s):

This story probably occurs very soon after America's entry into World War II.

6

Sixth Story: "The Case of the Maddening Music!" (9 Pages)

Credits:

Story	Gardner Fox
Art	Joseph Sulman
Assistant editing	Murray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
Editing	Whitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Zatara the Magician (last in World's Finest Comics #5/2)

Villain(s):

Jan Harrl (first appearance; a musician whose music drives certain people to murder or follow his instructions; dies)

Comment(s):

This story begins in December.

7