Action Comics #18 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1939.
Synopsis for "Superman's Super-Campaign"
Senator Hastings has just finished giving his final speech for re-election. After many congratulations, Senator Hastings is driving home when he comes across a stranded woman in the middle of the road. Saying that she survived a car crash and lucky to be alive, the Senator gives her a lift into town. While Senator Hastings is driving, the woman grabs a vial of sleeping gas and crushes it. With the Senator knocked out, the woman, named Trixie, drives the car to the Wayside Inn, a notorious roadhouse, where she meets with a couple of men to drag the Senator into the inn.
The next day, Clark and Lois go cover a woman suicide attempt. While the woman in question does not want any of this news to appear in the papers, rival journalist Gene Powers from the Morning Harold decides to write and publish the news the next morning. Furious by the lack of journalist integrity from Gene, Clark and Lois confront him. As Gene throws a punch at Clark, Clark ducks and pretends to be clumsy by "accidentally" ramming his elbow into Gene's face, knocking him out.
Later in the day, Clark is sent on assignment to interview Senator Hastings. As Clark begins to introduce himself, Hastings begins to pled for more time to collect $10,000 dollars for him. Confused, Clark tells Hastings that he's from the Daily Star and is soon sent on his way out. As Clark leaves and ponders what that was all about, Clark notices that Gene Powers is now meeting with Hastings. Using his X-Ray vision and super hearing, Clark is able to see and listen into the conversation between Gene and Hastings. Gene shows Hastings photographs of Hastings drugged drinking and smoking with Trixie and is blackmailing him by printing these photos if he isn't paid the $10,000 dollars soon.
Clark changes into Superman that evening and goes to Gene Powers' home and finds the blackmailed photos along with a list of all his blackmail victims. Gene wakes up and threatens Superman with a bow and arrow. Unsuccessfully shooting Superman with an arrow, Superman takes the bow and shoots an electric billboard outside with great accuracy to prove his prowess. As Superman leaves and threatens Gene to leave, Gene phones Hamilton, the publisher of the Morning Harold to warn him of Superman. Hamilton demands Gene to come to the office at once.
Superman follows Gene to the Morning Harold and overhears the conversation between Gene and Hamilton confirming that Hamilton is behind the blackmailing and that Trixie and the photographer of the blackmailed photos are wanting more money or they'll squeal. Superman then follows Gene to the Wayside Inn while Hamilton decides to publish the photos on the front page immediately after Senator Hastings refuses to give him the money.
In the Wayside Inn, Gene shoots the photographer and is about to shoot Trixie when Superman busts through the window and throws Gene against the wall. Superman then heads to the Morning Harold and after finding out that Hamilton has published the papers to go out, Superman destroys the printing presses along with the cars shipping the newspapers. After the wreckage, Superman forces Hamilton to give him the photographic plates of the Senator, destroys them, and threatens Hamilton to leave town at once. A week later, Senator Hastings is re-elected.
Appearing in "Superman's Super-Campaign"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Gene Powers (Single appearance)
- Hamilton (Single appearance)
- Trixie (Single appearance)
- Benny (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Senator Hastings (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Old Elias"
While riding horses with Mary on her father's farm, Pep is introduced to Jake Garrow, owner of the neighboring ranch. An old man the locals call "Old Elias" is scaring people off Jake's land with a shotgun. But when Pep digs a little deeper, he discovers that Elias may not be the crazy troublemaker he at first seems. Mr. Garrow legally sold him the ranch deed, only now he wanted it back.
Garrow tries to frame Elias for the killing of some sheep, but when that doesn't work, he resorts to murdering a ranch-hand and pinning the blame on Elias. Pep uncovers the truth, however, when the bullet used to commit the murder is matched with Garrow's own weapon.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Old Elias"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Mister Smith (Final appearance)
- Mary Smith (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Jake Garrow (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Old Elias Jones (Single appearance)
- Sam (Single appearance)
- Eddie (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- Out West
- Smith Ranch
- Smith Ranch
Synopsis for Chuck Dawson: "The Frame"
Chuck wanders into a town, hitching his horse by the trough while he stops in the local pub. Among the crowd, he hears his name being called. To Chuck's surprise, he's greeted by Bart Jackson, an old friend of his. Before the two hombres could catch up, though, the sheriff comes in and arrests Bart for murder! Bart swears he didn't kill anyone, but no one except Chuck believes him.
Later, a man takes Chuck aside and tells him that he also believes Bart is innocent. If Chuck would only go to the sheriff's office and hold off the lynch mob that will inevitably gather there. Chuck agrees this is a good idea and runs to the office. But when he gets there, he finds the Sheriff's been murdered, and Bart was missing! A posse is heard outside, and Chuck sees them being led by the man he just spoke to. Suddenly, it all became clear. It was a set-up by that man to get Chuck framed for the sheriff's death, getting him out of the way. Well, Dawson wouldn't have it! He escaped out the door and leapt across rooftops to his horse, Blacky. Together, they rode on out of town!
Appearing in Chuck Dawson: "The Frame"
Featured Characters:
Animals:
- Blacky
Antagonists:
- Speck Gill (Single appearance)
- Jim Lackey (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bart Jackson (Single appearance)
- Sheriff (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
Synopsis for Clip Carson: "The Cult of the Tiger (Part II)"
Stepping stealthily to the door, Clip Carson meets Nakir, the Chunda family's servant, on the other side of the door. He was just bringing his master and Clip some cool drinks for the warm night. A bloodcurdling cry is heard coming from Japur's room! Clip and Jaffeer race to see what was wrong. Another member of the Tiger Cult has attacked Japur! Clip shoots the fiend dead with his pistol! Japur is bleeding out and doesn't move. Moments later, as Jaffeer and Panjore wait in the hall, Clip comes out and reports that Japur is dead.
The next night, Clip notices someone moving about in the shadows. The figure creeps off the grounds and into the jungle. Clip keeps hidden as he follows behind. But a man wearing a tiger skin knocks him out from behind with a blunt object.
Clip regains consciousness inside a cavern with a large, old statue, depicting a man with the head of a tiger. At the base of the statue is a throne on which sits Panjore, with Jaffeer at his side. The two of them have revived the long dead Cult of the Tiger, paying the natives to pretend to be from the old tribe, all so they could kill off the inheritors of the Chunda riches. Then, right in front of Clip's eyes, Panjore turns on Jaffeer and has his followers kill him, so that now won't have to split the inheritance. He sics his natives on Clip, who begins to fight them off with the skills he's picked up in his adventures. Suddenly, a pair of elephants charge into the cave, carrying Nakir and a very alive Japur! In the face of this elephant cavalry charge, the Tiger-men flee, abandoning their leader as they run back into the jungle. In his panic, Panjore accidentally steps in one great animal's path, and is crushed to death by its mighty foot!
The next day, Clip says his goodbyes to Japur and Nakir as he leaves to find new adventures.
Appearing in Clip Carson: "The Cult of the Tiger (Part II)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Japur Chunda (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Cult of the Tiger (Final appearance)
- Panjore (Final appearance; dies)
- Jaffeer (Final appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Nakir (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for "Flying Fool"
After the Northern Clipper, the newest and largest passenger plane of the Oceanic Skyway Company, had landed in the Atlantic after losing altitude due to a leak in its fuel line, daredevil pilot Pete Maloney flew into the ocean to rescue the passenger plane's pilots, Smith and Crowley, and the passengers, one by one before being proclaimed a hero.
Appearing in "Flying Fool"
Featured Characters:
- Oceanic Skyway Company
- Smith
- Crowley
- Pete Maloney
- Manager Burke
- Radio operator
Other Characters:
Locations:
Vehicles:
- The Northern Clipper
Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "The Return of the Gorrah (Part II)"
After the One-Eyed Gorrah captured Tex and Ali, he seemingly hypnotized them and had Tex retrieve the layout of the Navy and plant explosives in the propellers of the ships. When Gorrah captured Bob and Gargantua, Tex revealed that he was only pretending to be hypnotized and that he had evidence against the villain, only for him to commit suicide, afterwards.
Appearing in Tex Thomson: "The Return of the Gorrah (Part II)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob Daley
- Gargantua T. Potts
- Ali-Baba (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- One-Eyed Gorrah (Apparent Death)
- his many servants
- Zloga (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Prime Minister of Turkey
- Turkish Navy (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Synopsis for Three Aces: "The Captured Planes"
"Fog" Fortune, "Gunner" Bill, and "Whistler" Will were former army pilots who grew sick of the futility of war and the tragedy it brought, so they decided to team up and use their skills to help restore peace and sanity to the world. This earned them the title "The Three Aces", bestowed by the people they helped.
While staying in Baghdad, the Three Aces meet a young woman and a doctor who need to cross the desert where the young woman's father lies ill. But the journey would take days by camel, and she fears her father hasn't that long to wait. Whistler Will, never one to shy away from a lady's plea, agrees that he and the others will be happy to fly them across, their planes will be quicker than any ground transport.
But it's a trick! The young woman and the doctor are actually running a dirty operation that sells stolen planes to the highest bidder. The Aces (except for the suspicious Gunner Bill) land near a camp of men that seem to be in trouble. The men then take out machine guns and force Fog and Whistler out of the cockpits. Gunner swoops around and tries firing on the hijackers, but with his friends as hostages, he dares not endanger them. So he continues circling around the camp, waiting. But his fuel eventually runs out, so he is forced to land. The bandits follow his plane on horseback. What they don't notice until it is too late, is the squadron of British fighter planes coming straight at them! Gunner had been on his radio the whole time, to summon the reinforcements.
Soon, the plane hijacking operation has been quashed, the doctor and his cohorts are all arrested, and the Three Aces fly off to find more people in need.
Appearing in Three Aces: "The Captured Planes"
Featured Characters:
- The Three Aces (First appearance)
- Fog Fortune (First appearance)
- Gunner Bill (First appearance)
- Whistler Will (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Dr. Tussin (Single appearance)
- Hamud (Single appearance)
- Miss Higgins (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- British Royal Airforce
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Three Aces' Airplanes
- RAF Aircraft
Synopsis for Zatara: "The Atlantis Mystery"
Zatara, Setap, and Barnacle Will visited Atlantis, although the lattermost came for gold and was killed by Roor the Octopus, who in turn was killed by the magician.
Appearing in Zatara: "The Atlantis Mystery"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Setap of Ophir (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Barnacle Will (Single appearance; dies)
- his mutineers
Monsters:
- Roor the Octopus (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Atlanteans (First appearance)
- Gath (Single appearance)
- Loalla (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Atlantic Ocean
- Sargasso Sea
- Atlantis (First appearance)
- Greece (Mentioned only)
- Egypt (Mentioned only)
- Atlantic Ocean
Vehicles:
- Setap's Yacht
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- First recorded blunt-instrument head trauma for Clip Carson.
- Superman: "Superman's Super-Campaign" is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 2.
- First issue for Three Aces.
- Zatara:
- This is the first full appearance of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, although the city had been mentioned in the previous issue's Zatara story.
- Zatara's magic powers were ineffective against the giant octopus Roor, requiring him to rely on cunning to defeat the monster.
Trivia
- This is the last issue of Action Comics to not feature anything related to Superman on the front cover for many years. It doesn't happen again until Action Comics #602 in 1988.
- Fred Guardineer signs his Pep Morgan stories as "Gene Baxter" and his Zatara stories as himself.
- Fantastic Facts
- Nature's Bowling Green: Father Time and the elements have fashioned these gigantic bowling balls - to be seen near the town of Minneapolis, Kansas.
- No Joy in Victory: After taking the Confederate Fort Tanner in 1862, General Grant met its commander-General Mills. "This is embarrassing", said Grant, "I remember I owe you $20 from West Point Days."
- The Fish With A Gun!: The beaked chaetodon uses its trunk-like spout to shoot a drop of water.
- Strange as it seems the savage shark hunts its prey chiefly by its acute sense of smell.
- Iceland's highest trees are only 10 feet high!
See Also