Superman #14
In "Concerts of Doom," Superman #14 (1942) delivers a chilling mystery from the early days of the Man of Steel, with Jerry Siegel’s script and Leo Nowak’s art bringing a suspenseful twist to a seemingly innocent night at Plymouth Hall. When a series of mysterious robberies plague concertgoers, Clark Kent and Lois Lane investigate the next performance—only to uncover a sinister plot involving mass hypnosis, culminating in a nationwide broadcast that puts listeners to sleep while thieves strike. Fred Ray’s cover captures the eerie allure of the story, perfectly framing the danger lurking in the music itself.
In "Concerts of Doom," Superman investigates a string of mysterious robberies at a concert hall, where attendees claim they never noticed anything stolen—until the next performance, when the same thing happens again. With Lois Lane and Perry White by his side, Superman uncovers a sinister scheme involving mass hypnotism, escalating when the concert is broadcast on the radio, lulling listeners into sleep while criminals strike. The danger grows as the hypnotic broadcast reaches further, turning the city’s airwaves into a weapon.
When young Chet Farnsworth's fire extinguishing powder saves a tenement building, he's eager to share his success—only to realize too late that his quick signature has handed over all rights and profits to a shady stranger. With Lois Lane and Perry White on the scene, and Superman watching from the shadows, the race is on to uncover the truth behind the inventor's sudden downfall.
In "The Undersea City," Superman investigates a fisherman's claim of seeing a mermaid, leading him to an underwater realm where Princess Kuella reveals her father, King Saffro, is being manipulated by the treacherous Akthar. With Lois Lane and Perry White in the mix, Clark Kent must race against time to stop the mer-people’s deadly plot before it reaches the surface world.
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We Buy Collections ▸Trivia · 7 facts
- Cover date January–February 1942; actual on-sale date November 1, 1941, per multiple sources.
- All four interior Superman stories scripted by Jerry Siegel, with pencils and inks by Leo Nowak (published under the Joe Shuster studio byline); John Sikela inked the mermaid story.
- First appearance (and death) of the Lightning Master, a mad-scientist villain whose Earth-Two history was later referenced in All-Star Squadron Annual #2.
- First mermaid story in the Superman feature, introducing undersea princess Kuella — a narrative precedent noted by comics historians as a conceptual forerunner to Lori Lemaris.
- Superman #14 is the second comics appearance of the newly-named 'Jimmy' (first named in Superman #13); his full surname 'Jimmy Olsen' would not appear in print until Superman #15.
- The issue contains an interior advertisement for Sensation Comics #1, the debut issue of Wonder Woman.
- Reprinted in Limited Collectors' Edition C-47 (DC, August–September 1976), Superman Archives Vol. 4 (DC hardcover), and Superman: The Golden Age Vol. 4 omnibus (DC, 2018).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies #[nn] (1971), Limited Collectors' Edition #C-47 (1976), Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn] (1983), The Superman Gallery #1 (1993), The Superman Archives #4 (1994), Superman: Cover to Cover #[nn] (2006), The Superman Chronicles #8 (2010), Superman: The War Years 1938-1945 #[nn] (2015), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #2 (2016), Take That, Adolf!: The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War #[nn] (2017), Superman: The Golden Age #4 (2018)
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