Action Comics #16 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1939. It was published on August 8, 1939.
Synopsis for "Superman and the Numbers Racket"
Appearing in "Superman and the Numbers Racket"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
- Template:Apn
Villains:
- Jack O'Leary (Single appearance)
- Marty Kaye (Single appearance)
- Butch (Single appearance)
- Nick (Single appearance)
- Pete (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Commissioner Watson (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Metropolis (First appearance)
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Bodyguard"
Because he had helped to save his warehouse business, Mr. Smith trusted Pep Morgan with another job, one that was much more personal to him. He had received several letters threatening harm to his daughter, Mary, unless he came up with 200,000 dollars to pay in protection. He wanted Pep to guard her, but without alerting her to any danger. Smith didn't want her to worry, after all. So Morgan spent the next week as a guest at the Smith home, showing Mary how to swan dive, after which they shared a meal together. A few nights later, the house servant opened the door for a bunch of crooks, leading them to Mary's room. They kidnapped the poor young lady, dragging her back to their car. Pep woke up and gave chase to their vehicle, following it all the way to the city cemetery. The thugs grabbed Mary and pulled her out of the car. Pep was on top of them almost immediately! He stole one of the thugs' guns and held up the others until the police arrived. The next day, Pep and Mary celebrated aboard one of Mr. Smith's boats.
Appearing in "Bodyguard"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Mr. Smith
Villains:
- Slug (Single appearance)
- Antone (Single appearance)
- Slim (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mary Smith (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- a small yacht
Synopsis for "Adventures of Marco Polo (Part XVI)"
Marco clears the gate before the portcullis comes crashing down. Abu el Khaf offers one hundred gold coins to whoever captures Marco and brings him back. Marco is chased into a swamp, where he hides under the water, breathing through a hollow reed. While his pursuers search the area on foot, Marco swims back to the bank and steals a horse, herding the others along as he rides. But further up ahead, an ambush is laid out for him by the ford. Bandits appear and start pelting him with stones and arrows. His horse is killed, forcing Marco to climb up a nearby ravine in a desperate attempt to escape! Climbing up to a narrow pass, Marco follows it. Unfortunately, it stops at a dead end, and with the slavers and bandits at his back, it looked like he was done for! Suddenly, the men start falling left and right, hit by large rocks being thrown from above by Marco's mysterious rescuers... (To be continued.)
Appearing in "Adventures of Marco Polo (Part XVI)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- None
Villains:
- Abu El-Kaf of Siddrah
- Slavers & Bandits
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "The Pharaoh's Treasure (Part III)"
Clip Carson and Jim Blake have found the entrance to the treasure room blocked by a casket and a mummy that spoke!
The skeptical Carson fires a shot at the mummy, exposing it as a robot that spoke with the help of a record player. Further in, they come upon a large door, behind which was the chamber for which they've been searching. The fabled Treasure Room of Cheops! The excited duo are then greeted by a swarm of angry bandits with sharp swords. From the entryway comes a man dressed in regal clothing. Calling him their master, the Pharaoh Cheops, the Arabs all bow down before him. Clip breaks up the charade by revealing the Pharaoh is actually Sergeant Beatty, trying to fool the bandits into giving him all the treasure. Instead, they angrily attack the Sergeant, giving Clip and Jim a chance to escape in a plane that was being used to transport the gold. As they fly off, Clip mentions that he should pay Jim for showing him such a great time.
Appearing in "The Pharaoh's Treasure (Part III)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jim Blake (Final appearance)
Villains:
- Sergeant Beatty (Final appearance)
- Arab Bandits (Final appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mummy (robot dummy) (Final appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Egypt
- Sahara Desert
- The Great Pyramid of Kheoks
- Sahara Desert
- Egypt
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Biplane
Synopsis for "Tex Thomson, Double Agent"
Appearing in "Tex Thomson, Double Agent"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob Daley
- Gargantua T. Potts
Villains:
- Spies (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- None
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Trouble at the Box-M"
Chuck Dawson rides down a rocky trail on his horse, Blacky, when two men attack him and knock him out! When he comes to, he's in the sheriff's office being accused of murder. The two goons that brought him there seem to have told the sheriff that Chuck had killed old Jim Mason, owner of the Box-M ranch. Before the sheriff can lock him up, Chuck pushes him to the ground, then makes for the exit! He hops back on Blacky and heads for the Box-M to make sense of this murder, for which he's being framed. And old man carrying a shotgun and wearing a bandage on his head comes running out, thinking that Chuck was part of the group that tried to kill him. After explanations are made, Chuck joins Mason in his cabin just as the sheriff and the two thugs show up. They are surprised to find old Mason still alive. Mason tells the sheriff he's made a mistake, and it was actually the men with him who tried to kill him. Chuck's name is cleared and the men are arrested.
Appearing in "Trouble at the Box-M"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Blacky (Chuck's horse)
Villains:
- Killers from Bar-U (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jim Mason (Single appearance)
- Sheriff (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "The Terror from Saturn"
Appearing in "The Terror from Saturn"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Saturnians (First appearance)
- Ool (Single appearance)
- Gorla (Single appearance)
- Porra (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Djersinsky (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Saturn (First appearance)
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Notes
- Superman and the Numbers Racket is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1.
- At the end of the 1930s and the beginning of the “golden age” of superheroes, as shown in several early Superman stories and at least one Green Lantern story, the municipal and state governments of Metropolis were riddled with corruption.
- Superman appeared last in Action Comics #15. He appears next in Superman #2.
- George Taylor appeared last in Action Comics #15. He appears next in Superman #2.
- Writer/artist Fred Guardineer is also credited as Gene Baxter in this issue.
- Zatara once again uses backwards speech to cast his spells, which he hasn't done since issue #3.
Trivia
- First named appearance of the city of Metropolis.
- Gargantua T. Potts mentions buying Action Comics in the Tex Thomson story.
- Zatara mentions Action Comics in his story.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
- Action Comics series index at the Grand Comics Database
- Action Comics series index at Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics
Look at how sad this is making Batman. You did this.