Action Comics #174

On stage at an "All Star Charity Show Featuring the Strongest Man in the World," Superman stands visibly baffled, straining against what appears to be nothing more than a piece of ordinary twine while a woman in a showgirl costume looks on — his speech bubble capturing the disbelief perfectly: "It's — it's impossible! Only an ordinary piece of twine — and I can't break it!" Win Mortimer's cover sets up the featured story, "The Man Who Shackled Superman!", with a wonderfully absurd tension that makes it impossible not to want to know how a simple string could humble the Man of Steel. This November 1952 issue also promises backup feature Tommy Tomorrow, Space Planeteer, making it a satisfying read from cover to back.