Action Comics #7
Action Comics #7 (cover-dated December 1938) marks the second time Superman appeared on the cover of any comic book — and, crucially, the first time the name 'Superman' was ever printed on a comic book cover — cementing the character's commercial identity in a way issue #1's cover had not explicitly done. Sales data from the early run of Action Comics showed a dramatic jump when Superman returned to the cover with this issue, confirming to the publisher that the character — not the anthology format — was driving reader demand. The story inside, 'Superman Joins the Circus,' scripted by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster, also contains Lois Lane's second kidnapping in the series, an early sign of the recurring story engine that would define the Superman mythology for decades. Taken together, the cover milestone and the narrative patterns established here made issue #7 a pivotal inflection point in the commercial and creative consolidation of the superhero genre.
In "Superman Joins the Circus," a daring pilot named Tex finds himself mistaken for the notorious Captain Diablo—his identical twin—after a mid-air collision forces his plane down. With his reputation on the line and fingerprints damning him, Tex takes a bold step: he joins the government forces to clear his name and bring the real Diablo to justice. Written by Ken Fitch and brought to life with dynamic art by Bernard Baily, this early Superman tale blends espionage and identity with a touch of circus flair, all rendered in the iconic style of Joe Shuster on the cover.
In a whimsical twist from Action Comics #7, Superman trades the skies for the big top, stepping into the Jordan Circus to help its struggling performers meet their debts. With his strength and heart, he brings a rare kind of magic to the tent—though not the kind that comes from acrobatics or tricks.
In "The County Football Championship," Pep faces a desperate race against time when he’s kidnapped to ensure his team’s defeat—only to break free, storm onto the field with minutes left, and deliver a last-second touchdown and extra point that clinch a thrilling 14-10 win. This pulse-pounding sports tale from Action Comics #7 (1938) captures the raw intensity of a game where courage and grit matter more than the scoreboard.
In "Episode 7" of Action Comics #7 (1938), Marco stages a daring rescue when he intervenes to save a girl from bandits who oppose her father. Disguising himself as one of the outlaws, he makes his way to her castle to gather help, weaving through danger with cunning and courage.
In this 1938 slice of domestic humor from Action Comics #7, Jo takes on the role of family planner, promising a ride for Jimmy and Grandpa—only to find herself outmaneuvered by their antics. While Jimmy stalls, Grandpa quietly paints the rear window of George's roadster black, then slips into the trunk with Jimmy, setting up their own version of the promised trip.
In "Double Trouble [Part 2]," Tex finds himself in a perilous twist when his plane is forced down by an identical twin—Captain Diablo—leading to a frantic escape in the impostor’s aircraft. Arriving at Governmental Headquarters, Tex is arrested on sight, his fingerprints damning him as the very criminal he’s trying to expose. To clear his name and bring Diablo to justice, Tex must now work undercover with the very forces that suspect him.
In "The Zulu Diamond Mine," Zatara and his companion Tong journey to South Africa, where their magical prowess helps the local police crack a mysterious diamond smuggling ring—uncovering a shocking link to Zatara’s long-lost adversary, The Tigress. With illusion and ancient sorcery at their side, they navigate hidden mines and dangerous traps in a race to expose the truth before the gems vanish forever.
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Action Comics was published by Detective Comics, Inc. (the corporate predecessor of DC Comics) under editor Vincent Sullivan, who is also credited on this issue's GoCollect listing as editor. The Superman story was written by Jerry Siegel under his full name 'Jerome Siegel' and drawn by Joe Shuster, the same creative partnership responsible for the character's debut six issues earlier. Fred Guardineer, who both wrote and drew the Zatara feature, was so prolific in this anthology that he simultaneously contributed the Pep Morgan story under the house pseudonym 'Gene Baxter' — a production reality that illustrates how thinly staffed early Golden Age anthologies were. According to ComicConnect's historical notes, copies of Action #7 were later distributed internally by DC editorial in late 1938 as a template to inspire the creation of a new superhero, a process that reportedly contributed to the development of Batman within months.
Trivia · 9 facts
- Second cover appearance of Superman in any comic book, and the first time the name 'Superman' appeared in text on any comic book cover.
- Cover art and interior Superman story art by Joe Shuster; Superman story scripted by Jerry Siegel (credited as 'Jerome Siegel').
- The Superman story is titled 'Superman Joins the Circus' — Clark Kent is sent to cover the Jordan Circus and secretly becomes its strongman to save it from financial ruin, with Lois Lane suffering her second kidnapping in the series.
- The Zatara story, 'Zulu Diamond Mine,' scripted and drawn by Fred Guardineer, features the Tigress in what the DC Database identifies as her fourth in-continuity appearance within Action Comics; she is apprehended by Zatara for the first time at the story's end.
- The original Golden Age Tigress — a crime boss and recurring Zatara antagonist created by Fred Guardineer — debuted in Action Comics #1 and went on to appear across twelve issues of the title through #42.
- Fred Guardineer also wrote and drew the Pep Morgan story in this issue under the pseudonym 'Gene Baxter,' reflecting the small, overlapping talent pool of the early Action Comics anthology.
- The Tex Thomson serial ('Double Trouble,' Part 2), scripted by Ken Fitch and drawn by Bernard Baily, continues Tex's mistaken-identity confrontation with Captain Diablo; Bob Daley (Tex's companion) plays an active supporting role securing Tex's release.
- The Superman story from this issue has been reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 1, as well as in the Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus (DC, 2013) and DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero (DC, 2024).
- The issue was published by Detective Comics, Inc., on a cover date of December 1938, with an on-sale date recorded by the U.S. Copyright Office as November 30, 1938; it ran 68 pages and carried a ten-cent cover price.
Cast · 15 characters
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Reprinted in Superman Comics [ashcan] #[nn] (1939), The Golden Age of Comic Books #[nn] (1977), Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn] (1983), Superman in Action Comics #1 (1993), Superman: The Action Comics Archives #1 (1998), Clásicos DC #6 (2005), The Superman Chronicles #1 (2006), Action! Mystery! Thrills! Comic Book Covers of the Golden Age: 1933-45 #[nn] (2011), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #1 (2013), Superman: The Golden Age #1 (2016), DC Finest: Superman: The First Superhero #[nn] (2025)
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