Action Comics #20 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1940.
Synopsis for Superman: "Superman And The Screen Siren"
The Ultra-Humanite has his brain transplanted from his old decrepit body into that of hot young movie starlet Delores Winters. She attempts to kidnap and ransom a yacht full of Hollywood celebrities, but Superman puts the kibosh on this scheme. While Superman is rescuing all the hostages, Ultra-Humanite escapes undetected.
Appearing in Superman: "Superman And The Screen Siren"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Ultra-Humanite
- Delores Winters (First appearance) (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Jim (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- The "Sea-Serpent" Yacht
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "At the Air Show"
After saving his life from an airborne fire, Pep is invited by pilot Jimmy Dee to be his official mechanic for the next plane racing tournament. When a gambler spikes Jimmy's drink, Pep has to fly the plane, win the race, and land the plane, with no instruction or other help.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "At the Air Show"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jimmy Dee (Single appearance)
Villains:
- Gambler (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Ardale
Vehicles:
- civilian racing airplanes
Synopsis for Chuck Dawson: "Murder in Rattlesnake Canyon"
Chuck comes across a murdered man, and the killers are still nearby. A shoot-out breaks out, but everybody emerges from it alive. Chuck vows to deal with these murderers later.
Appearing in Chuck Dawson: "Murder in Rattlesnake Canyon"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Blacky (Chuck's horse)
Villains:
- Bearded man (Single appearance)
- Red (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ned Squires (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
Synopsis for Clip Carson: "The Ivory Safari (Part 2)"
Clip Carson is still making his way through the African jungle, with his hired porters carrying the crates of ivory. But the villainous Wolf Lupo eventually catches up to them.
Lupo and his men tie up Clip and the natives, and Wolf grants Clip a last request, to let him play his harmonica one final time. The music travels through the jungle, and before the bad guys know it, flying spears arc out of the brush, hitting Wolf's men square in the chest and knocking them dead! The Wanangi tribe have come to help their friend Clip! Wolf tries to shoot Clip, but a spear impales him, and he falls flat, dead.
The Wanangi chief offers to help carry the ivory to the shore, it being the least they can do for one the tribe calls "friend".
Appearing in Clip Carson: "The Ivory Safari (Part 2)"
Featured Characters:
Villains:
- "Wolf" Lupo (Single appearance; dies)
- Mike (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Wanangi Tribe (Final appearance)
- Zambi (Final appearance)
- Warriors (Final appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- crates of ivory
Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "The Zombies (Part 2)"
Tex Thomson, Bob Daley, and Gargantua T. Potts were administered the zombie serum, though fortunately, the salt they swallowed saved them from the effects. Now it was time to plot their escape, as they were thrown in a hut with the zombified expedition team. They have extra salt with them, to give to the other men, and once restored to their senses they all escape.
Appearing in Tex Thomson: "The Zombies (Part 2)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob Daley
- Gargantua T. Potts
Villains:
- Fuzzy-Wuzzy Tribe (Final appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bart Barryless (Final appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Zombie Formula
Synopsis for Three Aces: "Aerial Survey"
During a survey of the river in the Alaskan mountains, the Three Aces spot the word "Help" written in the snow. Gunner parachutes down to investigate. He find finds an old man and a girl, and they've been shot by fur trappers. Finding them solves half the problem, but they're still beyond the reach of any medical help or rescue effort, and the Aces' planes can't land in this blizzard. Gunner and the girl survive for a harrowing week, fighting off wolves at close quarters, but eventually get help and a ride back home.
Appearing in Three Aces: "Aerial Survey"
Featured Characters:
Villains:
- Fur Robbers (Mentioned only)
Other Characters:
- Tony M'Crea (First appearance)
- Mack M'Crea (First appearance; unnamed)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- The Three Aces' airplanes
Synopsis for Zatara: "The Moon Men"
Moon-Men, entrenched in an underground, under-ocean cavern, pump iradium gas into several population centers, killing thousands of Europeans and Africans in coastal cities on both continents. Zatara is assisted by Nala of the Wingrace, a strange young woman with fairy-like wings. They infiltrate the Moon Men's city and turn their own gas against them, neutralizing the threat to humanity, by killing all of the Moon Men.
Appearing in Zatara: "The Moon Men"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Nala of the Wingrace (First appearance)
Villains:
- Moon Men (Single appearance) (Destroyed)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- Superman:
- This story introduces Superman's Telescopic Vision and his Super-Breath.
- This is the Ultra-Humanite's fifth appearance.
- Ultra-Humanite is the fourth mad medical scientist to transplant a human brain into another live body, in a DC comic book. The first was Roskoffin, in New York City,[1] the second was Doctor Kichung, in coastal China,[2][3] and the third was Herbert Handers, in Mexico. The Ultra-Humanite was the first to use a live human receptacle for the transplanted brain; his three predecessors all moved human brains into live apes.
- Superman and the Screen Siren is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 2.
- Zatara:
- Thousands of people in Africa and Europe are killed by the Moon Men with their iradium gas. It is never mentioned again.
- Zatara's response was by definition genocidal.
- Also appearing in this issue of Action Comics was:
- 'Five Star Trap' (text story), by Frank Thomas
Trivia
- Fred Guardineer signed his Pep Morgan art as "Gene Baxter", and signed his Zatara art as himself.
See Also