Signal your fleet to destroy itself, or I'll destroy YOU! 
- — Superman
Action Comics #30 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1940.
Synopsis for Superman: "A Summer Snow"
A freak midsummer snowstorm strikes Metropolis. A voice breaks into a commercial radio broadcast, claiming to be Laura Vogel and calling for Superman to meet her at Park Ferry; she has important information about the crazy weather. Superman shows up, just slightly too late to prevent an unidentified young woman from getting killed with some advanced radium weapons wielded by helmeted Arab agents.
In a flashback: Carlton Vogel, an archaeologist in the Sahara, approaches the lost city of Ulonda with his expedition. Helmeted Arabs attack using globe-like weapons, killing Carlton and his men.
In the present, Carlton Vogel's sister Laura Vogel nobly refuses to remain silent after her brother sent her a letter about Zolar's plans (which are to invade Ulonda and obtain a vast supply of radium). Zolar's Arab agents have traveled to the United States and pressured Laura to be silent. She contacted Superman, and Zolar's Arab agents killed her, then they "kidnapped" an impersonator, their own female agent, pretending to be Laura Vogel. This person met with Superman (who had already been contacted by the late Laura). These Arab agents were armed with some globe-like gun-like devices, which disintegrated people and objects, "leaving only their shadows behind." Superman finally catches up to the group that took fake-Laura, but is knocked out by their weapon. He is captured and loaded onto one of the villains' strato-ships, but learns that the man behind everything is a would-be world despot called Zolar. Superman frees himself and fake-Laura, (having quietly regained his full strength), then goes into super action to disrupt Zolar's invasion of Ulonda. He attacks Zolar's fleet of strato-ships and is making quite a bit of headway against them, when Zolar orders his fleet to "Release the meteor death!" They drop a cascade of the blazing globes, engulfing Ulonda in awful destruction. Superman carrying Laura is able to catch his foe's skyship and board it in mid-flight. He gives Zolar an ultimatum, and doesn't seem to be kidding: Zolar must order his fleet to destroy itself; he does and they do. "Obeying Zolar's weird hypnotic powers, hordes of his planes deliberately crash!" But Laura turns out to be an agent of Zolar, as the real Laura was killed some time earlier. Laura uses the globe weapon on Superman, but it backfires, bouncing right off Superman's invulnerable chest, killing her and Zolar, leaving only their shadows behind, and of course crashing the aircraft. The surviving Ulondians are now safe from their deadly nemesis.
Appearing in Superman: "A Summer Snow"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Zolar (Single appearance; dies)
- Zolar's agent (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Laura Vogel (Single appearance; dies)
- Carlton Vogel (Single appearance; dies)
- Bob Calvert (Single appearance)
- Ulondan populace (many die)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Metropolis
- Sahara Desert
- Lost City of Ulonda
Items:
- Zolar's agents' globe-shaped disintegrator rifles
- the "meteor death"
- Zolar's weather-adjusting apparatus (Behind the scenes)
Vehicles:
- Zolar's Strato-Ships
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "The "Fred Norman" Jinx"
Fred Norman has won every race against Pep Morgan. Pep feels like he's been jinxed ever since his high school track run, when he tripped during the last leg, allowing Norman to beat him. to win the conference championship, Pep's going to need to break the mental-jinx he placed on himself.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "The "Fred Norman" Jinx"
Featured Characters:
- Pep Morgan (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Unnamed Coach (Single appearance)
Villains:
Other Characters:
- Fred Norman (Single appearance) (Flashback and main story)
- Molly Norman (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- Midtown
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Black Pirate: "The Attack"
Appearing in Black Pirate: "The Attack"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- The Red-Raiders (Final appearance)
- Captain Treble (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Treble's slaves (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- The Sea Queen (Valor's ship) (Final appearance)
- Treble's ship
Synopsis for Three Aces: "The Headhunters and the Incan Treasure"
A newspaper headline grabs the attention of Fog, Gunner, and Whistler. Bill Decortland's plane went down in the South American jungle, and he has been labeled as "missing". Bill was an old war-buddy of theirs, so the trio agree to go to look for him themselves.
Appearing in Three Aces: "The Headhunters and the Incan Treasure"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Headhunters (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Bill Decortland (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Incan Treasure
Vehicles:
- The Aces' Planes
Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "Dr. Mixxo's Protection Racket"
Appearing in Tex Thomson: "Dr. Mixxo's Protection Racket"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Dr. Mixxo (Single appearance)
- Dr. Mixxo's Henchmen
- Mr. Mapes (Single appearance)
- Tony (Single appearance)
- Mr. Solar (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- D.A. Maloney
- Peggy Maloney (Final appearance as "Miss X")
- Mr. Greene (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Clip Carson: "Death on the Set!"
During a movie shoot which Clip oversees as consultant, the co-starring actress is killed on set. Clip's investigations lead to a plot by a rival studio to stop the production. The rival studio was shooting an identical movie, and wanted to release it first. Luckily, Clip catches the killer before he murders the main actor, and the police shut down the rival film before it can be complete.
Appearing in Clip Carson: "Death on the Set!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Pierre Renoire (Single appearance)
- Rudolf (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Pudge (Single appearance)
- Pat (Single appearance)
- Marie Temperal (Single appearance; dies)
- Allen Lane (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for Zatara: "Mottled Death"
Appearing in Zatara: "Mottled Death"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- The Master (Single appearance)
- The Tigress
- South American natives (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Regan (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- South America
- Kilgor City
- South America
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- Ship
Notes
- A Summer Snow is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 2 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 4.
- George Taylor is still the editor of the Daily Planet in this story indicating it must occur chronologically prior to the first story of Superman #7 where Perry White takes over.
- Zolar's nationality and origin are unknown, as are those of his soldiers, airmen, and agents.
- The origins of his technology are also unknown.
- Zolar had a fleet of radium-powered strato-ships, armed with a W.M.D. called "meteor death."
- His troops were armed with advanced radium-powered globe-shaped disintegrator rifles.
- Zolar also had some way of causing it to snow in Metropolis, in late June.
- Aside from the stories above, this issue of Action Comics contains:
- "Danny Dubb"
- "Tall Timber" by Bert London
See Also