Best Place to Sell Action Comics #42

Publisher: DC, 1941

About Action Comics #42

Origin and first appearance of Vigilante. Black Pirate stories end. First appearance of Fat Man. Superman cover by Fred Ray. Ray, Bernard Baily, Mort Meskin, and Sheldon Moldoff art.

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COVER DETAILS

Characters: Superman [Clark Kent]

Pencils: Fred Ray

Inks: Fred Ray

Notes: Superman has a yellow "S" on blue triangle on his cape. Art credits verified by Fred Ray.

STORY DETAILS

(11 Stories)

Title: The Empire in the Sky

Characters: Superman [Clark Kent]; Perry White; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen [cameo]; Carl Bransom; Nick Flaerty; John Standing; Freeman Chase; Luthor [as Zytal] (villain, bald); Jake Mobray (villain, death) Dirk Chadwick (villain, death)

Synopsis: A series of strange disappearances of prominent men in the city of Metropolis makes Clark Kent believe the kidnappings weren't under ordinary circumstances. When, as Superman, he tries to get information from local mobsters, they are suddenly destroyed by a ray out of the blue. He later discovers that Luthor built a giant city in the sky, and the arch for then hypnotizes Superman into doing his bidding.

Pages: 13.000

Script: Jerry Siegel (signed)

Pencils: Leo Nowak [as Joe Shuster] (signed)

Inks: Shuster Shop

Notes: Art credits by Craig Delich and Bob Hughes. We formerly credited John Sikela (pencils) and Ed Dobrtoka (inks). The Archives credit the art to John Sikela.

Title: The Origin of the Vigilante

Characters: The Vigilante [Greg Sanders] (introduction, origin); Killer Kelly; Betty Stuart; Van Ardsley

Synopsis: At his execution, Killer Kelly tells Vigilante that he will come back from the grave, but he has really just bribed the prison doctor to lower the voltage. Greg Sanders, rodeo man, is met by Betty Stuart, a blues singer, after a rodeo, and he learns that Killer Kelly is loose. At his home, Greg dons the costume of the Vigilante and heads to the costume ball of Van Ardsley. When Killer Kelly bashes the party, the Vigilante has to rope them in.

Pages: 8.000

Script: Mort Weisinger

Pencils: Mort Meskin [as Meskin] (signed)

Inks: Mort Meskin [as Meskin] (signed)

Reprints: Secret Origins (DC, 1973 series) #4 (September-October 1973)

Title: The Ship Spies

Characters: The Black Pirate [Jon Valor]; Bonnie; unnamed cutthroats (villains)

Synopsis: A cutthroat pretends to be an escaped fugitive to get close to Jon Valor. Bonnie is suspicious, however.

Pages: 4.000

Pencils: Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Inks: Sheldon Moldoff (signed)

Notes: Strip is continued in Sensation Comics #1.

Title: Revolution in Central America!

Characters: Three Aces [Fog Fortune; Gunner Bill; Whistler Will]; Miguel Miranda (villain)

Synopsis: On their way back from South America, the Aces find themselves in the middle of a Central American revolution. A man named Miguel Miranda takes their planes for the war, and the Aces have to figure out a way to get them back.

Pages: 6.000

Script: Gardner Fox

Pencils: Chad Grothkopf

Inks: Chad Grothkopf

Notes: Writer credit added by Craig Delich.

Title: The Origin of Fatman

Characters: Mr. America [Tex Thomson]; Fatman [Bob Daley] (origin as Fatman); The Queen Bee (villain)

Synopsis: Mr. America goes out to investigate a strange lack of crime, but Bob is ordered to stay in. Feeling deserted, Bob creates the identity of Fatman. At Tex's headquarters, he develops a way to transform his cape into a magic flying carpet. Fatman stumbles upon the plans of the Queen Bee to steal radium.

Pages: 8.000

Script: Ken Fitch

Pencils: Bernard Baily (signed)

Inks: Bernard Baily (signed)

Notes: 1st uses cape as a flying carpet. Writer credit by Jerry Bails.

Characters: Congo Bill; Sheila Hanlen; Professor James Kent; Hugo Von Eller; Winters; Tomkins (villain)

Synopsis: In the jungle, Congo Bill's safari comes across a white man being buried alive by a native and attempts to stop him, only to be informed that he's just ruined a shot in an adventure film. Talking with the director, Hugo Von Eller, Bill finds out that the production has been plagued with problems. Sheila agrees to stand in for a sick actress, but the problems continue.

Pages: 6.000

Script: Fred Ray

Pencils: Fred Ray [as F Ray] (signed)

Inks: Fred Ray [as F Ray] (signed)

Title: The Man Who Could Control Minds

Characters: Zatara; The Tigress (villain); Frosty Parke (villain)

Synopsis: Zatara spots the Tigress and Frosty Parke and decides to follow them. He catches them trying to rob a bank and quickly stops them, putting Frosty into the hospital. There, Frosty uses an experiment that allows him to control men's minds, and somehow the power is transferred into him. He escapes and meets with Tigress to continue their crime spree. Zatara discovers Frosty's new power and investigates.

Pages: 9.000

Script: Gardner Fox

Pencils: Joseph Sulman (signed)

Inks: Joseph Sulman (signed)

Data Courtesy of Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license

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CGC Census Report* (Sign-in or Join (free & quick) to See Values)

Grade	NG	PG	CVR	0.5	1.0	1.5	1.8	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	4.5	5.0	5.5	6.0	6.5	7.0	7.5	8.0	8.5	9.0	9.2	9.4	9.6	9.8	9.9	10.0	Total
Universal	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Qualified	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Signature Series	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
CGCxJSA	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Restored	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Total	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

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