(vol. 1) 906 (#1–904 plus issues numbered0 and1,000,000) and 13Annuals[1] (vol. 2) 57 (#1–52 plus issues numbered 0 and23.1 through 23.4) and 3Annuals[2] (vol. 3) 100 (#957–1056) and 2Annuals (as of August 2023cover date)
Action Comics is anAmerican comic book/magazine series that introducedSuperman, one of the first majorsuperhero characters. The publisher was originally known asDetective Comics Inc., which later merged intoNational Comics Publications (later National Periodical Publications), before taking on its current name ofDC Comics. Its original incarnation ran from 1938 to 2011 and stands as one of the longest-running comic books with consecutively numbered issues. The second volume ofAction Comics beginning with issue #1 ran from 2011 to 2016.Action Comics returned to its original numbering beginning with issue #957 (Aug. 2016).
Jerry Siegel andJoe Shuster saw their creation,Superman (also known as Kal-El, originally Kal-L), launched inAction Comics #1 on April 18, 1938 (cover dated June),[3] an event which began theGolden Age of Comic Books.[4][5] Siegel and Shuster had tried for years to find a publisher for their Superman character—conceived initially as anewspaper strip. Superman was originally a bald madman created by Siegel and Shuster who used his telepathic abilities to wreak havoc on humanity. He appeared in Siegel and Shuster's fanzineScience Fiction.[6] Siegel then commented, "What if this Superman was a force for good instead of evil?" The writer and artist had worked on several features for National Allied Publications' other titles such asSlam Bradley inDetective Comics.[7] They were asked to contribute a feature for National's newest publication. They submitted Superman forconsideration. After re-pasting the sample newspaper strips they had prepared into comic book page format, National decided to make Superman the cover feature of their new magazine.[8] After seeing the published first issue, publisherHarry Donenfeld dismissed the featured strip as ridiculous. He ordered it never to be on the cover of the series. Subsequent reports of the first issue's strong sales and follow up investigations revealed that Superman was the reason. Thus, the character returned to the covers, becoming a permanent presence in issue 19 onward.[9]
Initially,Action Comics was ananthology title featuring several other stories in addition to the Superman story.Zatara, a magician, was one of the other characters who had his own stories in early issues. There was the heroTex Thompson, who eventually became Mr. America and later theAmericommando.Vigilante enjoyed a lengthy run in this series. Sometimes stories of a more humorous nature were included, such as those of Hayfoot Henry, a policeman who talked in rhyme. The series saw the introduction of several characters and themes that would become longstanding elements of the Superman mythos.Lois Lane made her debut in the first issue with Superman.[10] An unnamed "office boy" with a bow tie makes a brief appearance in the story "Superman's Phony Manager" published inAction Comics #6 (November 1938), which is claimed to beJimmy Olsen's first appearance by several reference sources.[11][12][13]
Newsuperpowers depicted for the first time for the character includedX-ray vision and super-hearing in issue #11 (April 1939)[citation needed] and telescopic vision and super-breath in issue #20 (January 1940).[14]
Luthor, a villain who became Superman'sarch-enemy, was introduced in issue #23 (April 1940).[15] The originalToyman was created by writerDon Cameron and artist Ed Dobrotka in issue #64 (September 1943).[16] By 1942, artistWayne Boring, who had previously been one of Shuster's assistants, had become a major artist on Superman.[17]
Under editorMort Weisinger,[18] theAction Comics title saw a further expansion of the Superman mythology. Writer Jerry Coleman and Wayne Boring created theFortress of Solitude in issue #241 (June 1958)[19] andOtto Binder andAl Plastino debuted the villainBrainiac and the Bottle City ofKandor in the next issue the following month.[20]
Gradually, the size of the issues was decreased. The publisher was reluctant to raise the cover price from the original 10 cents and reduced the number of stories. For a while,Congo Bill andTommy Tomorrow were the two features in addition to Superman. WriterRobert Bernstein and artist Howard Sherman revamped the "Congo Bill" backup feature in issue #248 (January 1959) in a story wherein the character gained the ability to swap bodies with a gorilla and his strip was renamedCongorilla.[21] The introduction ofSupergirl by Otto Binder and Al Plastino occurred in issue #252 (May 1959).[22] Following this debut appearance, Supergirl adopted the secret identity of an orphan "Linda Lee" and made Midvale Orphanage her base of operations. InAction Comics #261 (February 1960), her pet catStreaky was introduced[23] by Jerry Siegel andJim Mooney.[24] Supergirl joined theLegion of Super-Heroes in issue #276.[25] She acted for three years as Superman's "secret weapon", until her existence was revealed inAction Comics #285 (January 1962).[26] In the view of comics historianLes Daniels, artistCurt Swan became the definitive artist of Superman in the early 1960s with a "new look" to the character that replaced Wayne Boring's version.[27]Bizarro World first appeared in the story "The World of Bizarros!" in issue #262 (April 1960).[28] WriterJim Shooter created the villain theParasite inAction Comics #340 (Aug. 1966).[29]
Mort Weisinger retired from DC in 1970 and his final issue ofAction Comics was issue #392 (September 1970).[18] Murray Boltinoff became the title's editor until issue #418.Metamorpho was the backup feature in issues #413–418 after which the character had a brief run as the backup inWorld's Finest Comics.[30]Julius Schwartz became the editor of the series with issue #419 (December 1972)[31] which also introduced theHuman Target byLen Wein andCarmine Infantino in the backup feature.[32] TheGreen Arrow and theBlack Canary became a backup feature in #421 and ran through #458, initially rotating with the Human Target and theAtom.[33] Between issues #423 (April 1973) and #424 (June 1973), the series jumped ahead by one month due to DC's decision to change thecover dates of its publishing line.[34]
A new version of the Toyman was created byCary Bates and Curt Swan in issue #432 (February 1974).[35] Issues #437 (July 1974) and #443 (Jan. 1975) of the series were in the100 Page Super Spectacular format.[36]Martin Pasko wrote issue #500 (October 1979) which featured a history of the Superman canon as it existed at the time[37] and was published in theDollar Comics format.[38]
The superheroineVixen made her first appearance inAction Comics #521 (July 1981).[39] To mark the 45th anniversary of the series,Lex Luthor andBrainiac were both given an updated appearance in issue #544 (June 1983). Lex Luthor dons his war suit for the first time in the story "Luthor Unleashed!"[40] and Brainiac's appearance changes from the familiar green-skinnedandroid to the metal skeletal-like robot in the story "Rebirth!".[41]Keith Giffen'sAmbush Bug character made appearances in issues #560,[42] #563,[43] and #565.[44]Action Comics #579, written byJean-Marc Lofficier and drawn by Giffen, featured an homage toAsterix where Superman and Jimmy Olsen are drawn back in time to a small village of indomitable Gauls.[45] Schwartz ended his run as editor of the series with issue #583 (September 1986) which featured the second part of the "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" story byAlan Moore and Curt Swan.[46]
From May 24, 1988 – March 14, 1989,[67] the publication frequency was changed to weekly, the title changed toAction Comics Weekly, and the series became an anthology.[68] Prior to its launch, DC cancelled its ongoingGreen Lantern Corps title and madeGreen Lantern and his adventures exclusive toAction Comics Weekly.
The rest of these issues featured rotating serialized stories of other DC heroes, sometimes as try-outs that led to their own limited or ongoing series. Characters with featured stories in the run includedBlack Canary,Blackhawk,Captain Marvel,Catwoman,Deadman,Nightwing,Phantom Lady,Phantom Stranger, theSecret Six,Speedy, andWild Dog. Titles spun off fromAction Comics at this time included a Catwoman miniseries and a Blackhawk ongoing, in both cases by the same creative teams that worked on the weekly serials. During and afterAction Comics Weekly's run, twoGreen Lantern Specials were published in late 1988 and the second in spring 1989, the latter special wrapping up the storylines from the Green Lantern serials inAction Comics Weekly. Each issue featured a two-page Superman serial, a feature that, according to an editorial in the first weekly issue, was intended as a homage to the Superman newspaper strips of the past.
The final issue of the weekly was originally intended to feature a book-length encounter betweenClark Kent andHal Jordan by writerNeil Gaiman.[69] While Gaiman's story primarily teamed up Green Lantern and Superman, it also featured other characters fromAction Comics Weekly, including the Blackhawks (in flashback), Deadman, and the Phantom Stranger. The story ran counter to DC editorial policy at the time as it portrayed Hal Jordan and Clark Kent as old friends who knew each other's secret identities. This was not considered canon in 1989 and Gaiman was unwilling to change this aspect of the story (as each serial inACW was edited by different editors, continuity was not being maintained by DC editorial).[69] The story was pulled and a different story, written byElliot S. Maggin, was run. Gaiman's story was finally published as a one-shot inGreen Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame in November 2000.
TheAction Comics Weekly experiment lasted only until the beginning of March 1989 and after a short break, issue #643 (July 1989) brought the title back onto a monthly schedule.[68] Writer/artistGeorge Pérez took over the title[70] and was joined by scripterRoger Stern the following month.[71]
As writer of the series, Stern contributed to such storylines as "Panic in the Sky"[72] and "The Death of Superman". He created theEradicator inAction Comics Annual #2[73][74] and later incorporated the character into the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc beginning inThe Adventures of Superman #500.[75] The Eradicator then took overAction Comics as "the Last Son of Krypton" in issue #687 (June 1993).[76]
Stern wrote the 1991 story wherein Clark Kent finally revealed his identity as Superman toLois Lane.[77][78]
Cover ofAction Comics #800 (April 2003), a modern take on the cover ofAction Comics #1, art byDrew Struzan
Several major Superman storylines crossed over withAction Comics including "Emperor Joker" in 2000[79] and "Our Worlds at War" in 2001.[80] John Byrne returned toAction Comics for issues #827–835 working with writerGail Simone in 2005–2006.
After the "One Year Later" company-wide storyline,Action Comics had a crossover arc with theSuperman series, entitled "Up, Up and Away!" which told of Clark Kent attempting to protect Metropolis without his powers until eventually regaining them.
Starting with issue #875 (May 2009), written byGreg Rucka and drawn byEddy Barrows,[83]Thara Ak-Var and Chris Kent, took Superman's place as the main protagonists of the comic, while Superman left Earth to live on New Krypton. ACaptain Atom backup feature began in issue #879 (September 2009).
On February 22, 2010, a copy ofAction Comics #1 (June 1938) sold atauction for $3 million, besting the $317,000 record for a comic book set by a different copy, in lesser condition, the previous year. The sale, by an anonymous seller to an anonymous buyer, was through the Manhattan-based auction company ComicConnect.com.[84]
Although DC had initially announcedMarc Guggenheim as writer of the title following theWar of the Supermen limited series,[85] he was replaced byPaul Cornell.[86] Cornell featuredLex Luthor as the main character inAction Comics from issues #890–900[87] andDeath appeared in issue #894, with the agreement of the character's creator,Neil Gaiman.[88] In April 2011, the 900th issue ofAction Comics was released. It served as a conclusion for Luthor's "Black Ring" storyline and a continuation for the "Reign of Doomsday" storyline. The final issue of the original series wasAction Comics #904.
The title was relaunched from issue #1, as part of 2011'sThe New 52 by the creative team of writerGrant Morrison and artistRags Morales.[89][90] As with all of the books associated with the relaunch, Clark Kent appears younger than the previous incarnation of the character.Action Comics focus on the early days of Superman's career, while theSuperman series focus on Superman's present. Superheroes at large have appeared only in the past five years, and are viewed with at best, suspicion, and at worst, outright hostility. The storyline inAction Comics takes place about a year before the events ofJustice League #1, and was referred to by DC co-publisherDan DiDio as "DC Universe Year Zero" whileJL operates as "Year One."[91] The Man of Steel is not yet trusted by Metropolis citizens and wears a basic costume consisting of a caped T-shirt, jeans and work boots. The first issue has had five printings as of March 2012.[92]
The first story arc of the relaunched series, entitledSuperman and the Men of Steel for the collected edition, begins very early in Superman's career as he starts making a name for himself as a champion of the oppressed in Metropolis. He captures the attention of the military and scientist Lex Luthor, who are both interested in testing his capabilities as well as discovering what kind of threat he represents.
Following the completion of Morrison's storyline, writerAndy Diggle and artistTony Daniel became the new creative team on the title with issue #19. Unlike the previous issues, the setting for theAction Comics series would now take place in the present. Diggle announced his resignation as the writer of the series shortly before his first issue went on sale.[93] Diggle left the title with only one issue completed (he was co-writer for #20 and co-plotted issue #21), with Daniel taking on full scripting and art duties for the two following issues completing the three-part story arc "Hybrid".Scott Lobdell wrote the series after Diggle and Daniel's departure.[94] WriterGreg Pak and artistAaron Kuder became the new creative team on the series with issue #25 (Jan. 2014).[95] This series concluded with issue #52 (July 2016), which was part of the "Final Days of Superman" storyline which depicted the death of the "New 52" version of Superman.[96]
As part of DC Comics'DC Rebirth relaunch in June 2016,Action Comics reverted to its original numbering beginning withAction Comics #957. Written byDan Jurgens, the series ships twice-monthly[97] and serves as a continuation of the comic book seriesSuperman: Lois and Clark, which featured the pre-Flashpoint Superman alongside his wife, Lois Lane, and their son,Jon Kent.[98][99]
For the series'1000th issue—released on April 18, 2018, the 80th anniversary of the premiere issue—DC returned Superman to his traditional costume with the red trunks and yellow belt.[100]Action Comics #1000 collects the regular cover, blank variant cover, eight covers spanning eight decades from the 1930s-2000s, nineteen other variant covers from variant artists, and a hardcoverAction Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition.
Starting with issue #1029, the title became a part of theInfinite Frontier relaunch in March 2021. Phillip Kennedy Johnson became the lead writer on the series, as well as its companion seriesSuperman.[103][104]
Action Comics is the longest-running DC Comics series by number of issues, followed byDetective Comics. A departure from a strict monthly schedule was four giant-size Supergirl reprint issues published as a 13th issue annually: issues #334 (March 1966), #347 (March–April 1967), #360 (March–April 1968), and #373 (March–April 1969).Action Comics has not had an uninterrupted run, having been on a three-month hiatus on two separate occasions. The first of these occurred during the summer of 1986, with issue #583 bearing a cover date of September, and issue #584 listing January 1987. The regular Superman titles were suspended during this period to allow for the publication of John Byrne's six-issueThe Man of Steel limited series.[68] Publication was again suspended between issues #686 and #687 (February and June 1993) following the "Death of Superman" and "Funeral for a Friend" storylines, beforeAction Comics returned in June 1993 with the "Reign of the Supermen" arc.[68]
The series was published weekly from May 24, 1988, to March 14, 1989.[67] (See detail inThe Modern Age section above.) The temporarily increased frequency of issues allowedAction Comics to further surpass the olderDetective Comics in the number of individual issues published. It surpassedDetective Comics in the 1970s when that series was bimonthly for a number of years. This change lasted from issue #601 to issue #642. During this time, Superman appeared only in a two-page story per issue; he was still the only character to appear in every issue of the series.
An issue #0 (October 1994) was published between issues #703 and #704 as part of theZero Month after the "Zero Hour: Crisis in Time" crossover event. There was an issue #1,000,000 (November 1998) during the "DC One Million" crossover event in October 1998 between issues #748 and #749.
On June 1, 2011, it was announced that all series taking place within the sharedDC Universe would be either canceled or relaunched with new #1 issues, after a new continuity was created in the wake of theFlashpoint event. Although being DC's longest running series, having reached issue #904 at the end of its initial run,Action Comics was no exception, and the first issue of the new series was released on September 7, 2011.[2]
In February 2016, it was announced that as part of theDC Rebirth relaunch,Action Comics would resume its original numbering system, starting with issue #957 (Aug. 2016) and ship on a twice-monthly schedule.[97]
Adventures of Superman:Gil Kane collectsAction Comics #539–541, 544–546 and 551–554;Superman #367, 372, 375;Superman Special #1–2; andDC Comics Presents Annual #3, 392 pages, January 2013,ISBN978-1-4012-3674-8
Superman: Action Comics (DC Rebirth until#1000, simply being called Action Comics)
Action Comics #684 was part of "The Death of Superman" storyline which won theComics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for "Favorite Comic Book Story" for 1992.Action Comics #687–691 were part of "The Reign of the Supermen" storyline, which won the same award for 1993.[113]
InThe Simpsons episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" (1993),Homer scavenges through a box of priceless artifacts, one of the items being the very first copy ofAction Comics, which he dismisses all as junk and worthless.
InThe Iron Giant (1999), Hogarth shows the titular robot a collection of comic books, including an issue ofAction Comics featuring Superman, and notes the Giant's comparison between him.
Superman Returns (2006) features a scene in which Superman holds a car over his head in the same pose.
InBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016),Lex Luthor's inmate number is AC-23-19-40, a reference to Luthor's first appearance inAction Comics as well as a newspaper clipping of Superman holding a car over his head in the same pose.
The series premiere ofSuperman & Lois (2021) features a scene in which Superman saves a child from an uncontrolled green car, homaging the iconic #1 cover.
^Wallace, Daniel; Dolan, Hannah, eds. (2010). "1930s".DC Comics Year By Year: A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 20.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.With the launch ofAction Comics, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster finally saw their brainchild in print, and readers responded with rave reviews. Superman became the first comic book mega-star and proved that comics were more than a fad. The Golden Age of Comics was born.
^Goulart, Ron (2000).Comic Book Culture. Tigard, Oregon: Collectors Press. p. 43.ISBN978-1-888054-38-5.
^Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 20: "Lois Lane was established early...but she rejected Clark [Kent] as a 'spineless, unbearable coward.'"
^Beatty, Scott (2006). "Superman's Career".Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 126.ISBN978-0-7566-2067-7.
^Wallace "1930s" in Dolan, p. 21: "Action Comics #6 (November 1938) The Man of Steels's future pal Jimmy Olsen made his first appearance within this issue ofAction Comics, although he was identified only as an 'inquisitive office-boy'"
^Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 33: "Superman's telescopic vision and super-breath were introduced in January'sAction Comics #20."
^Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 31: "The debut of the brilliant scientist known as Luthor was a sign of things to come."
^Wallace "1940s" in Dolan, p. 45: "In writer Don Cameron and artist Ed Dobrotka's 'The Terrible Toyman', a quirky toy maker used his bizarre playthings to commit crimes."
^Daniels, Les (1995). "The Superman Style Refining the Man of Steel".DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes. New York, New York:Bulfinch Press. p. 28.ISBN0-8212-2076-4.The image of Superman that eventually became preeminent was Wayne Boring's. By 1942 the former assistant to Joe Shuster was working on his own for DC, turning out pencilled and inked pages forAction Comics andSuperman.
^Irvine, Alex "1950s" in Dolan, p. 91: "Superman's Fortress of Solitude was seen for the first time. The story 'The Super-Key to Fort Superman', by writer Jerry Coleman and artist Wayne Boring, revealed the secrets of the Fortress."
^Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 90: "The mythology of Krypton expanded dramatically with the introduction of the evil Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor in theAction Comics #242 story 'The Super-Duel in Space', written by Otto Binder and [drawn by] artist Al Plastino"
^Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 92: "Writer Robert Bernstein and artist Howard Sherman gave Congo Bill a new direction inAction Comics #248."
^Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 94: "Action Comics #252 revealed there was another survivor [of Krypton]—Supergirl. Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) crashed to Earth, having been sent there by her parents."
^Siegel, Jerry (w), Mooney, Jim (p), Mooney, Jim (i). "Supergirl's Super Pet!" Action Comics, no. 261 (February 1960).
^Eury, Michael (2006)."Jim Mooney Interview".The Krypton Companion. Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 44.ISBN1-893905-61-6.Streaky the Supercat was my design. I think the writer came up with the initial idea, but I designed him so he looked a little bit more like an animated cat.
^Siegel, Jerry (w), Mooney, Jim (p), Mooney, Jim (i). "Supergirl's Three Super Girl-Friends!" Action Comics, no. 276 (May 1961).
^McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 105: "In January'sAction Comics #285 written by Jerry Siegel, with art by Jim Mooney, Superman's Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El was finally revealed as Supergirl to a very receptive Earth."
^Daniels "The Superman Family Strength in Numbers", p. 118: "By 1961, Swan's new look would replace Wayne Boring's patriarchal version. Swan's Superman became definitive, and ultimately he would draw, as he says, 'more Superman stories than anybody else.'"
^McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 100: "When Superman visited the dead planet inhabited by Bizarro...writer Otto Binder and artist Wayne Boring introduced an entire world filled with the backward beings."
^McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 118: "With a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by Al Plastino, the Parasite entered Superman's life."
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 153: "Starting as a back-up feature in the pages ofAction Comics, scribe Len Wein and artist Carmine Infantino introduced Christopher Chance, a master of disguise who would turn himself into a human target—provided you could meet his price."
^Kingman, Jim (May 2013). "The Ballad of Ollie and Dinah".Back Issue! (64). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:10–21.
^Levitz, Paul (2010).75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking. Cologne, Germany:Taschen. p. 516.ISBN978-3-8365-1981-6.Cover dates on comics didn't match magazine dating norms, and by 1973 Marvel's cover dates made them appear newer than DC's, so DC decided to skip using May 1973 and go straight to June.
^McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 158: "Writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan gave Superman all the 'fun' he could handle with the savvy new Toyman inAction Comics #432."
^Eury, Michael (July 2015). "A Look at DC's Super Specs".Back Issue! (81). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 22.
^Romero, Max (July 2012). "I'll Buy That For a Dollar! DC Comics' Dollar Comics".Back Issue! (57). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:39–41.
^Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 194: "[Superman] encountered the new mystery woman known as Vixen for the first time. In a story written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Curt Swan, supermodel activist Mari McCabe leapt into the Man of Steel's life."
^Giffen, Keith, Fleming, Robert Loren (w), Giffen, Keith (p), Oksner, Bob (i). "Black Beauty" Action Comics, no. 563 (January 1985).
^Giffen, Keith, Fleming, Robert Loren (w), Giffen, Keith (p), Oksner, Bob (i). "$ellout or Manna from Mando" Action Comics, no. 565 (March 1985).
^Lofficier, Jean-Marc, Lofficier, Randy (w), Giffen, Keith (p), Oksner, Bob (i). "Prisoners of Time! (1986 A.D. to CCLIII A.D.)" Action Comics, no. 579 (May 1986).
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 220: "In 'Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?', a two-part story written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Curt Swan, the adventures of the Silver Age Superman came to a dramatic close."
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 221: "In the six-issue miniseries entitled [The] Man of Steel, the mammoth task of remaking Superman fell to popular writer/artist John Byrne...The result was an overwhelming success, popular with fans both old and new."
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "And the Graves Give up Their Dead ..." Action Comics, no. 585 (February 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "The Champion" Action Comics, no. 586 (March 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "Cityscape!" Action Comics, no. 587 (April 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "All Wars Must End Part Two" Action Comics, no. 588 (May 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "Green on Green" Action Comics, no. 589 (June 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Giordano, Dick (i). "Better Dying Through Chemistry" Action Comics, no. 590 (July 1987). and Byrne, John (w), Andru, Ross (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "Element 126" Action Comics, no. 599 (April 1988).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "Past Imperfect" Action Comics, no. 591 (August 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "...A Walk on the Darkside" Action Comics, no. 592 (September 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "The Suicide Snare" Action Comics, no. 593 (October 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "All that Glisters" Action Comics, no. 594 (November 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "The Ghost of Superman" Action Comics, no. 595 (December 1987).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Byrne, John; Williams, Keith (i). "Hell is Where the Heart Is..." Action Comics, no. 596 (January 1988).
^Byrne, John (w), Byrne, John (p), Starr, Leonard; Williams, Keith (i). "Visitor" Action Comics, no. 597 (February 1988).
^Stern, Roger (w), Pérez, George (p), Breeding, Brett (i). "Doppelganger" Action Comics, no. 644 (August 1989).
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 253: "In this seven-part adventure...writers Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, and Louise Simonson, with artists Brett Breeding, Tom Grummett, Jon Bogdanove, and Bob McLeod assembled many of DC's favorite characters to defend the world."
^Wallace, Dan (2008). "Eradicator". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).The DC Comics Encyclopedia. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 116.ISBN978-0-7566-4119-1.
^Stern, Roger (w), Swan, Curt (p), Breeding, Brett (i). "Memories of Krypton's Past" Action Comics Annual, no. 2 ([May] 1989). DC Comics.
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 259: " The issue also featured four teaser comics that introduced a group of contenders all vying for the Superman name...The Eradicator returned in a preview tale by writer Roger Stern and artist Jackson Guice."
^Stern, Roger (w), McLeod, Bob (p), McLeod, Bob (i). "Secrets in the Night" Action Comics, no. 662 (February 1991). DC Comics.
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 249: "With their nuptials looming, Clark thought it was time to reveal his dual identity to the love of his life, in this landmark issue by writer Roger Stern and artist Bob McLeod."
^Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 296: "A nine-part saga that stretched over all the Superman titles."
^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 300: "The multi-part story 'Our Worlds at War' dominated the Superman books for the August and September [2001] cover dates."
^Phegley, Kiel (July 8, 2010)."Lex Luthor Faces Death".Comic Book Resources.Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. RetrievedJuly 10, 2010.
^Hyde, David (June 10, 2011)."History Happens Now".DC Universe. DC Comics.Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. RetrievedApril 19, 2012.Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman) joins with sensational artist Rags Morales to bring you tales of The Man of Tomorrow unlike any you've ever read before inAction Comics #1.
^Ore, Jonathan (August 27, 2011)."Fan Expo '11: DC Comics – The New 52 Panel (JSA Returns!)".Newsarama. Archived fromthe original on October 2, 2012. RetrievedAugust 19, 2012.'So much of the DCU is built around Superman,' explains DiDio. 'IfJustice League is Year One,Action Comics is almost Year Zero.'
