Actions
 Unofficial Action Comics Index

Action Comics 51

ACTION COMICS #51

Cover Date: August 1942
Cover Price: $.10
Publication Date: 1942-06-16

< PREV
TITLE INDEX
NEXT >

Cover Credits:
Art: Fred Ray


Story: "The Case of the Crimeless Crimes!" (13 Pages)

Credits:

StoryJerry Siegel
ArtJohn Sikela
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Superman

Supporting Character(s):

Perry White
Lois Lane
Sgt. Casey

Villain(s):

Prankster (first appearance; a villain who uses pranks to help him commit crimes; kills one of his questioning henchmen; next in Superman #20)

Location(s):

Metropolis

Story Reprinted in:

Superman: The Action Comics Archives #3 (2001)
The Superman Chronicles #9 (2011)
Superman: Golden Age Omnibus #3 (2016)
Superman: The Golden Age #5 (2020)


2

Second Story: "Guns, Gold and Glory!" (12 Pages)

Credits:

PencilsMort Meskin
InksCliff Young
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Vigilante (last in Leading Comics #3/flashback in All-Star Squadron #29; next in All-Star Squadron #31)

Supporting Character(s):

Stuff
"Brain" Storms (Greg's agent)

Villain(s):

King and his gang (first appearance of all; attempt to rob gold shipment out of Avalanche Junction)

Other Character(s):

Vigilantes (first appearance of all; three elderly cowboys who helped keep law before Greg's birth; Tornado Tumkins, Hugleg Hutchkiss and Wildcat Willis named)

Location(s):

New York City, NY
Avalanche Junction, WY (first appearance; Greg Sanders' home town)


3

Third Story: "The Valley of the Vultures!" (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryGardner Fox
ArtLouis Cazenueve
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Three Aces
Fog Fortune
Gunner Bill
Whistler Will

Villain(s):

Japanese soldiers (first appearance of all; capture American planes to use in a bombing raid; all probably dies)

Location(s):

American Southwest


4

Fourth Story: [No Title] (8 Pages)

Credits:

StoryKen Fitch
ArtBernard Baily
LetteringBernard Baily
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Mister America (next in All-Star Squadron #31)

Supporting Character(s):

Fatman

Villain(s):

The Framer (first appearance; frames important people for crimes to blackmail them)


5

Fifth Story: "The Man of a Thousand Lives!" (6 Pages)

Credits:

StoryFred Ray
ArtFred Ray
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Congo Bill (briefly joins the Flying Tigers)

Villain(s):

A Nazi spy (first appearance; poses as a member of the Flying Tigers to inform Japanese Air Force of their plans)

Location(s):

China


6

Sixth Story: "The Case of the Coconut Crimes!" (9 Pages)

Credits:

StoryGardner Fox
ArtJoseph Sulman
Assistant editingMurray Boltinoff, Mort Weisinger
EditingWhitney Ellsworth

Feature Character(s):

Zatara the Magician (last in World's Finest Comics #6/2; next in All-Star Squadron #31)

Villain(s):

Peter Porl (first appearance; a young mousy bank clerk who becomes a "Colossus of Crime" by using coconuts to commit crimes)

Location(s):

New York City, NY


7