Action Comics #4
Action Comics #4 (cover-dated September 1938) is the fourth chapter in Superman's debut run, arriving just months after the Man of Steel changed the medium forever in issue #1. The Superman story here is a showcase for the raw, still-forming version of the character — one who has not yet developed X-ray vision and who uses ethically dubious tactics (drugging and impersonating an innocent man) to expose crooked college football, illustrating how much the character's moral code would evolve. The issue also marks the final appearance of the 'Inspector Donald and Bobby' backup feature, and the continuing serials — Zatara, Tex Thomson, Chuck Dawson, Marco Polo, Pep Morgan, and Scoop Scanlon — document the full, pulp-anthology DNA of early Action Comics at a moment when the title's circulation was rapidly climbing toward one million copies per month.
In "Superman Plays Football," the Man of Steel takes a surprising turn from saving the world to playing quarterback, infiltrating a college football team to expose a corrupt coach’s scheme. Written by Jerome Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster, this 1938 classic blends sports action with superhero sleuthing, all wrapped in a cover by Leo O'Mealia that captures the game’s high-stakes energy.
In "Superman Plays Football," the Man of Steel steps into the gridiron world when he overhears a corrupt college coach at Dale University planning to cheat his way to victory by smuggling in thugs to dominate rival Cordell University. Disguised as a Cordell player, Superman takes the field to uphold the spirit of fair play—where strength meets integrity, and every snap could change the game.
In the aftermath of a violent desert storm, the caravan stumbles upon a hidden oasis—only to face a new threat when a massive python ambushes a lioness. Her mate intervenes, but the creature soon turns its attention to the Polos, leaving them in peril.
In "The Protection Racket," glazier Evans runs a shadowy operation where merchants pay to keep their windows intact—those who don’t pay find them shattered. When young Bobby tries to turn the tables on Evans and his crew, his bold move spirals into danger with no clear way out.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 20 grades ▾
Find on ebay
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
By the time issue #4 went on sale in September 1938, the publisher (then Detective Comics, Inc., predecessor to DC) was still operating Action Comics as a multi-feature anthology, with Jerry Siegel writing Superman and Joe Shuster handling the art — the same creative team that had struggled for years to sell the character before its sudden success. The rapid circulation growth visible in contemporary GCD data (from 159,000 in August to 190,000 in September 1938) reflects the industry beginning to grasp that Superman was driving unprecedented newsstand demand. Multiple artists used house pseudonyms in this issue: Fred Guardineer is credited as 'Gene Baxter' on his Pep Morgan installment, and Russell Cole appears as 'Edwin Alger' — a common Golden Age practice that complicates modern attribution.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: September 1938; published by Detective Comics, Inc. (predecessor to DC Comics); cover art by Leo O'Mealia.
- Superman story (script by Jerry Siegel, art by Joe Shuster): Superman impersonates college football player Tommy Burke to expose a corrupt Dale University coach who hired thugs to injure rival Cordell University's star players — one of the earliest 'Superman in disguise' plots.
- Superman does NOT possess X-ray vision in this story — his inability to find the correct locker in the football changing room is a direct in-story consequence, providing an early continuity marker for the development of his powers.
- This is the final issue of the 'Inspector Donald and Bobby' backup feature by Leo O'Mealia, which appeared only in Action Comics #2 and #4.
- The Superman story was originally untitled; later collected editions gave it the retronyms 'Superman, Gridiron Hero' (Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1) and 'Superman Plays Football' (DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero). It has been reprinted in Superman #1, Famous First Edition #C-61, Superman Chronicles Vol. 1, Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1, and DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero.
- Zatara story: 'The Night Club Murder,' written and drawn by Fred Guardineer — Zatara's fourth consecutive appearance in the series, continuing the magician's ongoing run that would last through Action Comics #132.
- The Adventures of Marco Polo installment is Part IV of a XVII-part serial; the GCD notes that Marco Polo's uncle is named in this issue for the first time, matching the name from actual historical record.
- Creator pseudonyms in use: Fred Guardineer is credited as 'Gene Baxter' on the Pep Morgan story (scripted by Gardner Fox); Russell Cole is credited as 'Edwin Alger.' Tex Thomson's surname is spelled 'Thomson' (not 'Thompson'), the spelling used from #1 through #55 (December 1942).
Cast · 10 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Superman #[1] (1939), Superman in Action Comics #1 (1993), Superman: The Action Comics Archives #1 (1998), DC Archiv Edition #5 (1999), Clásicos DC #6 (2005), The Superman Chronicles #1 (2006), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1 (2013), Superman: The Golden Age #1 (2016), DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero #[nn] (2025)
Key issues in Action Comics
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.