You see, it's all good, clean magic after all! 
- — Zatara
Action Comics #24 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of May, 1940.
Synopsis for Superman: "Carnahan's Heir"
Dying wealthy industrialist Rufus Carnahan enlists Superman's aid in curing the life-ruining gambling habit of his son Peter Carnahan. Superman learns that Peter is in debt to loan shark Jake Brent, who is also blackmailing him. Then Brent gets murdered with a handgun, and Peter gets found with that gun in his hand.
Some time later, Peter is put on trial for murder, and convicted. But in that time, Superman has been gathering evidence that Brent was rubbed out by his underworld rival, Benny Farrel. Superman prevents young Carnahan's execution, and coerces a confession out of Farrel.
Appearing in Superman: "Carnahan's Heir"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Jake Brent (Single appearance; dies)
- Benny Farrel and his gang (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Rufus Carnahan (Single appearance; dies)
- Jenkins (Carnahan's Butler) (Single appearance)
- Peter Carnahan (Single appearance)
- Judge Denton (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Spring Training"
While playing as a backup pitcher for a major league baseball team, Pep stumbles across an attempt to kill "Fog" Wallace, the team's number one right-hand pitcher. As he investigates deeper, Pep finds out that an old rival of Jim Shaw, the team's coach, wants to ruin his career, whether it be through sabotaging the team's chances at the pennant, or Shaw's own death. Pep, with the help of his teammate Joe Donlin, makes tracks to stop the wicked plot.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Spring Training"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Joe Donlin (Single appearance)
- Fog Wallace (Single appearance)
Antagonists:
- Hank Hodges(Single appearance)
- "Bullyboy" Jones (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Jim Shaw (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Black Pirate: "Escape from the Island"
In his exploration of the island, Jon Valor discovers the cave where Captain Ruff has hidden more of his treasure. He moves it to a new location. When Ruff's ship returns to the island, Valor climbs aboard while the captain is away, and announces to the remaining crew that he is their new captain.
Meanwhile, Captain Ruff discovers his treasure is missing. He growls that the Black Pirate is still alive, and orders his men back to the ship.
Appearing in Black Pirate: "Escape from the Island"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Captain Ruff
- his pirate crew
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Captain Ruff's ship
Synopsis for Three Aces: "The Stolen Gold"
The Aces land their planes in a sleepy Arizona town, where they are soon arrested on framed-up charges of bank robbery! Gunner Bill escapes incarceration, to seek proof of their innocence.
Appearing in Three Aces: "The Stolen Gold"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Judge Doakes (Single appearance)
- Sheriff Green (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- The Aces' Planes
Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "The Invisible Steam"
Tex and his friends head to a small island off the coast of Africa, to investigate the disappearance of three reporters. A mad scientist lives there, and has command of a large number of native spearmen, who capture Tex and company. This scientist has invented an "invisibility steam". He has Tex and Bob and Gargantua thrown into a dungeon. There they meet Inspector Burke, an earlier victim of this Invisibility Steam. Tex helps Burke escape, but doesn't himself get loose. The inspector busts the scientist, and forces him to reveal the antidote for the invisibility, then frees Tex from the dungeon. Insanely, the scientist kills himself, and the secret formula for his Invisibility Steam is lost forever.
Appearing in Tex Thomson: "The Invisible Steam"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- unnamed Doctor (Single appearance; dies)
- his spearmen
Other Characters:
- Dick Angello (Single appearance)
- Inspector Burke (Single appearance)
Locations:
- Earth-Two
- New York City
- Africa
- Akra
Items:
Synopsis for Clip Carson: "Revolution in Verdania (Part 2)"
When Clip, and his friend Lieutenant Diaz, are captured by the rebels of South America, they find they share a cell with the president of the Republic of Verdania. Together the three men get the better of their captors and steal a plane, flying back to President Valdez's home. Clip starts to form a plan to stop the rebels once and for all.
Appearing in Clip Carson: "Revolution in Verdania (Part 2)"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Revolutionists
- Calero (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Lt. Diaz
- President Valdez (First appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Plane
- Tank
Synopsis for Zatara: "The Magician Murder"
Zatara is relaxing at his apartment one evening when the door bursts open and a frightened young lady in an evening gown dashes into the room, pursued by a knife-wielding assassin, and Zatara shrinks him to a tiny size, sets him aside, changes into his tuxedo, and steps out with his attractive visitor on an impromptu date. She is Etta Nolan and has learned that the Gypsy magician, Chalo, has rediscovered the Black Arts of the Old Chaldees, and has murdered his own brother in the process. Chalo wants to silence Etta.
Zatara and Etta go out, to a popular night club. The warm-up act is a Chinese girl magician, Lotus Blossom, who performs some standard tricks, and Zatara whispers to Miss Nolan how they're done. But when a large menacing toad appears from thin air, and Lotus Blossom shrieks and faints, Zatara attempts to banish the toad, to no avail. He quickly ensorcels the audience, averting a panic, causing the diners to believe the toad has vanished, even though it is still visible to him. It is a three-dimensional projection, but from where?
As Zatara is hurrying Etta out of the nightclub, they encounter another magician, John Dokar, who invites them to attend a séance he's holding, that night, at his house on Long Island. Zatara has recently been debunking a series of fake psychic mediums, and expresses his skepticism, but they go along. As they approach Dokar's house, Etta spots Chalo inside, with two other well-dressed magicians, and Zatara confirms this by magically opening the wall. He then puts a spell on Etta, so that Chalo won't recognize her, and introductions are made. Zatara declares that there's no such thing as Black Magic, and that he can duplicate any feat the Chalo can perform.
In the séance room, Chalo again conjures the illusory toad, but Zatara directs his own magic power against Chalo, not the toad, to stymie his projection ability, then Zatara conjures a giant illusory fish to gobble up the toad. He speaks dismissively of "Black Magic" and challenges Chalo to do better. Chalo mixes some chemicals in a big glass bowl, and conjures up the three Witches of Endor. Zatara discerns that this is another projected illusion, and magically takes it over, compelling the "Witches" to boast of Zatanna's skills and knowledge, but Chalo regains control of his own illusion, and uses it to conceal his next move: he steps on a lever that activates an armature that injects a needle into the back of Dokar's leg. Dokar dies. Zatanna drops himself out of the room, into the cellar, and magically examines the house, figures out the trick with the needle, and conceals it with a pall of invisibility. Zatara then integrates himself into the electrical system of the house, and observes everyone inside. Etta is reading and seems safe for the moment; Chalo and the other two men are getting ready to loot Dokor's house. Zatara gets all of Dokar's collected gems out of the house, and gets Etta safely home, then returns to confront the villain.
Chalo, Arko, and the third magician have a brief, losing, magical battle with Zatara, who then forcibly exacts written confessions from them, after which they are conducted to jail.
Appearing in Zatara: "The Magician Murder"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Chalo (Single appearance)
- Arko (Single appearance) Arko wears a monocle.
- Third Magician (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Etta Nolan (Single appearance)
- Lotus Blossom (Single appearance)
- John Dokar (Dies)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Zatara's sedan
Notes
- Published monthly by Detective Comics, Inc.
- This issue's Black Pirate episode is continued from last issue and continues into next issue.
- Superman: Carnahan's Heir is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 2 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 3.
- Zatara:
- We never do learn what becomes of the knife-wielding assassin, after he gets shrunk to the size of a doll.
- Zatara's apartment number is 1006.
- Zatara's elegant black dressing gown has brightly colored stars and moons embroidered all over it.
- Also appearing in this issue of Action Comics was:
- "Eleven Minutes" (text story) by Guy Monroe
See Also