Action Comics Vol 1 4
Talk0this wiki
Appearing in "Superman Plays Football"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Unknown
Villains:
- Coach Randall, of Dale University
Other Characters:
- Mary, Tommy Burke's girlfriend
- Oliver Stanley, coach of the Cordell University team
- Wallace Dodd, Cordell University tennis champion
- Ray Martin, a player on the Cordell University team
- Tommy Burke, a backup on the Cordell University team
Locations:
- Cordell University
Items:
- None
Vehicles:
- None
Synopsis for "Superman Plays Football"
Superman chases after a car that had committed a hit-and-run. The car stalls on some train tracks. Superman is barely able to get the driver out of the car in time. Unfortunately, the driver has suffered a heart attack. He sneaks into the car, where he hears Coach Randall, the football coach of Dale University is hiring two ringers to play in a game against Cordell University and rough up the star player, thereby giving Dale University the win, and allowing the coach to keep his job.
Superman decides to pose as Tommy Burke, a perennial backup on Cordell University's team. Tommy Burke's girlfriend, meanwhile, tells Burke that she's broken up with him, and is dating the tennis champion, Wallace Dodd, instead. As Burke is taking a walk to cool down, he comes across Superman, who has made himself to look like Burke. He stabs Burke with a hypodermic needle that makes him lose consciousness. When Burke wakes up, Superman explains that he's going to steal his identity for a few days.
Superman heads to the football locker room, but doesn't know which locker is his. He opens a locker at random, and ends up wearing the uniform of Ray Martin, another player. Martin challenges him to a fight, and Superman knocks him out cold. Coach Oliver Stanley hears the noise, and kicks Superman (posing as Burke) off the team.
Superman decides to come out onto the practice field anyway, immediately making an interception. When the coach notices him, he tells the other players to grab him and throw him off the field. The entire team piles onto him, as he drags them all into the touchdown. The coach changes his mind, and decides to start Burke in the big game against Dale.
Coach Randall hears that Burke has become Cordell's star player, so he tells the thugs to kidnap him the night before the big game. They come across the real Tommy Burke, who is tied up and under the influence of a sleep-inducing drug that Superman gave him.
The next day, Superman quickly scores several touchdowns in succession. The real Tommy Burke escapes out of where the thugs were holding him prisoner and makes his way to the football field. He enters the bleachers to discover that his Doppelgänger is scoring repeatedly. He plans to tell the police, until he hears his ex-girlfriend tell Wallace Dodd that she wants to date Burke again.
The thugs attempt to stab Superman with a knife, but he quickly dispatches them. Coach Randall resigns. At half time, Superman switches places with Tommy Burke, allowing him to play the second half. Burke grabs hold of the ball, and is quickly knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, his girlfriend is kissing him, but she tells him that she wants him to quit football, because it's too dangerous. He quickly agrees.
Appearing in "Chuck Dawson"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Blacky
Villains:
- John Burwell (Behind the scenes)
- Steve
- Trigger Holt
- Butch
Other Characters:
- Sheriff of Red Gulch
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Chuck Dawson"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The All-Star Athlete"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Unknown
Villains:
- Unknown
Other Characters:
- Charley (Single appearance)
- Bobby (Single appearance)
- Jimmy (Single appearance)
- Harry (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "The All-Star Athlete"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Bad Bill and the Menace of the Hills"
Featured Characters:
- Bad Bill (Single appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Unknown
Villains:
- Unknown
Other Characters:
- Unknown
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Bad Bill and the Menace of the Hills"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Adventures of Marco Polo"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Niku
- Marco Polo's father (Niccolò)
- Uncle Maffeo (Marco Polo's uncle)
Villains:
- Unknown
Other Characters:
- Unknown
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Adventures of Marco Polo"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Legion Loyalty"
Featured Characters:
- Unknown
Supporting Characters:
- Unknown
Villains:
- Unknown
Other Characters:
- Unknown
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Legion Loyalty"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Sealed City (Part III)"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Rabb Khazan (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- The Gorrah of the Sealed City (Final appearance)
- Hawntem (Final appearance)
- Scharem (Final appearance)
Locations:
- The Sealed City
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Sealed City (Part III)"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Brady's Revenge"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Rusty James
Villains:
- Brady (Behind the scenes)
- "Big Fist" Logan (Single appearance)
- "Tate" (Single appearance)
- "Dopey" (Single appearance)
- "Finger" (Single appearance)
- "Squeaky" (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Sal Di Marco (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "Brady's Revenge"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The Protection Racket"
Featured Characters:
- Inspector Donald (Final appearance)
- Bobby (Final appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Unknown
Villains:
- Snappy (Single appearance)
- Evans (Only appearance; dies)
- Frank (Only appearance; dies)
- Mike (Only appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Tim Riley (Final appearance)
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "The Protection Racket"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The Night Club Murder"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
- Big Bill (Only appearance; dies)
- Butch (Single appearance)
- Ike (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Joan (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Unknown
Items:
- Unknown
Vehicles:
- Unknown
Synopsis for "The Night Club Murder"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Notes
- The Superman story in this issue is reprinted in Superman Archives, Volume 1, Superman (Volume 1) #1, Famouse First Edition C-61, Millennium Edition: Superman #1, and Superman Chronicles, Volume 1.
- "Superman Plays Football" is not the original title for this story. The Superman vignette in this issue was not originally titled, but was later re-named as "Superman, Gridiron Hero" in Action Comics Archives, Volume 1. The title used in this article is taken from the index page at the Grand Comics Database.
- "Legion Loyalty" is an illustrated text story.
Trivia
- Fred Guardineer is also credited as Gene Baxter in this issue.
- Russell Cole is credited as Edwin Alger in this issue.
Related Articles
- Superman image gallery
- Superman appearances list
- Superman quotes page
- Lois Lane image gallery
- Lois Lane appearances list
- Lois Lane quotes page
- Tex Thompson image gallery
- Tex Thompson appearances list
- Tex Thompson quotes page
- Zatara image gallery
- Zatara appearances list
- Zatara quotes page
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Action Comics Vol 1 4 on the forums
- Cover gallery for the Action Comics series
Recommended Reading
Links and References
- Grand Comics Database
- Mike's Amazing World of DC
- Superman article at Wikipedia
- Zatara article at Wikipedia
Start a Discussion Discussions about Action Comics Vol 1 4
You can find discussions about everything related to this wiki on DC Database Forum!
