Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #443
Published January 1975
Cover Price 0.60 USD
Pages 100
Editing Julius Schwartz; E. Nelson Bridwell
Notes Additional sequences, synopses, and character appearances from Donald Dale Milne, 1/7/2006. Credits for pencils and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. [August 2007]

Cover Details - "Superman Unleashes The World's Greatest Action Heroes!"

Characters Superman; Adam Strange; Hawkman; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Batman; the Atom [Ray Palmer]; the Black Pirate
Genre Super-hero
Pencils Nick Cardy (signed)
Inks Nick Cardy (signed)
Notes Additional sequences, synopses, and character appearances from Donald Dale Milne, 1/7/2006. Credits for pencils and inks confirmed from Julius Schwartz's editorial records, provided by DC Comics. [August 2007]

1 page Action Comics foreword, introduction, preface, afterword

Characters Superman
Genre Super-hero
Notes Contents page.

20 page Superman story "At Last! Clark Kent--Superhero!"

Characters Superman; Lois Lane; Jimmy Olsen; Steve Lombard; Josh Coyle; Oscar Asherman; Queen Bee [Zazzala](villain); Brainiac (villain); Clayface (villain); The Harpy (villain); Merlyn (villain); Ocean Master (villain); Sinestro (villain); Chronos (villain); Gorilla Grodd (villain); Green Arrow; Black Canary; The Flash [Barry Allen]; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Batman; Aquaman; Red Tornado; Elongated Man; The Atom (all as the Justice League of America); a Guardian of OA; Warden Marwell; Fortress of Solitude
Synopsis Queen Bee captures all of the Justice League except superman, who uses Kryptonian technology to reverse earth residents' perceptions of Clark Kent and Superman. This confuses Brainiac so that Superman can trace Queen Bee's Bee-Men back to her liar and free the Justice League, who then capture her and the other villains.
Genre Super-hero
Script Elliot S! Maggin
Pencils Curt Swan
Inks Tex Blaisdell
Notes References Action Comics 424.

2 page The Sea Devils recap "7 Threats in the 7 Seas!"

Characters The Sea Devils (Dane Dorrance; Biff; Judy; Nicky); Mr. Neptune; Undersea Nero; Water Alien; Sea-Sorcerer; Coral Giant; Magnetic Monster
Synopsis One-panel recaps of stories from Sea Devils #2-3, 6-9, and 12.
Genre Adventure
Notes References Sea Devils #2-3, 6-9, and 12.

12 page Sea Devils, The story "The Ghost of the Deep!"

Characters The Sea Devils (Dane Dorrance; Judy; Biff; Nicky); Circe Smith; Circe (from mytholgy)
Synopsis After watching a singer named Circe Smith at a nightclub, the Sea Devils appear to meat the mythological Circe during their next dive. She puts the male members into a contest and Dane abandons his oxygen tank, and when Judy tries to save him by sacrificing herself it jolts the boys out of their spell to save her.
Genre Adventure
Script Bob Kanigher
Pencils Russ Heath
Inks Russ Heath
Editing Robert Kanigher
Notes This story could be explained as a nitrogen narcosis-induced dream of Judy's instead of a real adventure, as the male members have no memory of the adventure at the end of the story.
Reprinted from Sea Devils #3 (January-February 1962)

Half page The Quiet Man filler

Characters The Quiet Man; boy
Synopsis A boy is fishing is what appears to be shallow water, so The Quiet Man wades in. He is immediately submerged in deep water because the boy was standing on stilts.
Genre gag
Pencils Mort Drucker?

1 page Super-Puzzle activity

Script Bob Rozakis
Letters typeset
Notes Answers on page 71, between sequences 9 and 10.

11 page Matt Savage story "Revolt in Painted Canyon!"

Characters Matt Savage; Red; Clay; Mary Beth Hale; Luther Jones; Arizona Bill Pinto; Jed Crogan; Hank Blaine; Grant; Dixon; Biscuits Baker
Synopsis Matt concocts a ruse with his men to capture Jed Crogan and his men, who have been menacing a town and its ranchers.
Genre western
Script Gardner Fox
Pencils Gil Kane
Inks Joe Giella
Letters Morris Waldinger
Editing Whitney Ellsworth (editor); Julius Schwartz (assistant)
Reprinted from Western Comics #78 (November-December 1959)

Half page What's The Difference Between... filler

Synopsis definition of a mesa and a butte
Genre fact

12 page Adam Strange story "The Super-brain of Adam Strange!"

Characters Adam Strange; Alanna; Sardath
Synopsis Sardath attempts to control Adams Zeta-Beam visits to Rann but a side-effect gives Adam a super-evolved brain which also creates a brain-wave menace for the planet. When Alanna shuts down Sardath's machine all returns to normal but some of the brain-wave energy becomes frozen into a rock which Adam takes back to Earth.
Genre Science Fiction; Super-hero
Script Gardner Fox
Pencils Carmine Infantino
Inks Sid Greene
Notes References Strange Adventures 235 and Action Comics 437. Continued in sequence 11: "Amazing Thefts of The I.Q. Gang!"
Reprinted from Mystery In Space #87 (November 1963)

14 page Hawkman story "Amazing Thefts of the I.Q. Gang!"

Characters Hawkman [Katar Hol]; Hawkgirl [Shayera Hol]; Ira Quimby [I.Q.]; I.Q. Gang (villains, intro)
Synopsis Ira Quimby' thinking is enhanced whenever he is near the rock that Adam Strange brought back to earth containing his super brain-waves. Ira constructs several super-science devices and executes crimes until defeated by Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and the rock eventually stops emitting the brain-waves.
Genre Super-hero
Script Gardner Fox
Pencils Murphy Anderson
Inks Murphy Anderson
Letters Joe Letterese
Notes Continued from sequence 9 "The Super-Brain of Adam Strange!"
Reprinted from Mystery In Space #87 (November 1963)

Half page filler "Bird-Wings"

Synopsis examples of the varying structure of bird wings
Genre fact

8 page The Black Pirate story "The Man in the Iron Mask"

Characters The Black Pirate [Jon Valor]; King Philip of Spain; Don Carlos (dies); Count Valdez; jester
Synopsis Count Valdez and Don Carlos (the king's son) plot to place Don Carlos on the throne by imprisoning the king. But the jester tips off The Black Pirate, who rescues the king, imprisons Count Valdez and helps to kill Don Carlos.
Genre Period
Script Sheldon Moldoff
Pencils Sheldon Moldoff
Inks Sheldon Moldoff
Editing M.C. Gaines (managing); Sheldon Mayer (editor)
Notes Writer revision by Craig Delich (Dec. 2005) and verified by Moldoff in interview with Roy Thomas. Previously credited to Ted Udall and/or Gardner Fox.
Reprinted from Sensation Comics #4 (April 1942)

2 page Superman in Action letters page

Characters Superman (in logo)
Letters typeset
Editing E. Nelson Bridwell
Notes Includes the reprint credits for the stories in this issue.