In Superman #19 (September 1942), we find what I can only assume is an intentionally-whimsical story in which Clark Kent takes Lois Lane to the movies and Clark has to prevent Lois from seeing key parts of the Superman cartoon to protect his actual secret identity from being discovered. Of course this makes no sense […]
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In the Superman story of World’s Finest Comics #7 (July 1942), Superman is shown spending time in his “mountain retreat”, working out and staying fit. This is the first sort of expanding of the Superman storylines to feature things he would do in his off-hours between adventures.
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In June 1942, Superman gains a new supervillain in his roster: The Prankster. Looking like a creepy human representation of a vaudeville style ventriloquist dummy, complete with half-lidded eyes, he plagues Superman with practical joke-themed crimes.
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By Superman #17 (May 1942), Superman has built a “mountain sanctuary”, not-yet-called a Fortress of Solitude, but looking a hell of a lot like it. Here Superman puts the finishing touches on its construction.
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In All-Star Comics #7 (August 1941), we finally see an in-story meeting of Batman and Superman. The Justice Society of America decides to raise a million dollars for the world’s war children. At the end of the story, Johnny Thunder wishes in the honorary members of the JSA: Superman, Batman and the Flash, who bring […]
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Continuing my streak of hard-hitting investigative comic book journalism, is the elevator boy in Action Comics #38 (May 1941) the first true appearance of Jimmy Olsen? We have red hair, bowtie and green coat! At this point in history, Jimmy Olsen existed as a character in the Superman radio show for about a year and […]
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In Superman #11 (May 1941), it seems that Superman finally has the ability to defy gravity and truly fly. Brian Cronin debunks the myth that the Fleischer Superman cartoons were the first place Superman deliberately flew and he believes that Superman actually first flew in the comics in Superman #10 (March 1941). However, while inspecting […]
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In Superman #10 (March 1941), Luthor appears bald for the first time in a comic book, joining a whole host of other evil bald geniuses who stalk comic book universes: Ultra-Humanite, Hugo Strange, Doctor Sivana. I talked about the history of Luthor’s baldness here.
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The Justice Society of America debuts in All-Star Comics #3 (November 1940). In its first incarnation it consists of a whopping nine characters across Detective Comics Inc and All-American Comics (still separate companies at this point): The Flash, the Atom, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Spectre, Doctor Fate, Sandman and Hourman, with Johnny Thunder thrown in […]
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Lois Lane catches Superman changing into Clark Kent for the first time in Action Comics #32 (November 1940). Fortunately for Superman, Lois is under the influence of a fluid that makes her forget everything. Clark learns she will spend her days in a sanitarium so he tries super-hypnotism for the first time, which of course […]
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