A physical marvel, a mental wonder.

May 7, 2006 6:34 AM

And so begins the startling adventures of the most sensational strip character of all time : SUPERMAN!
posted by crunchland (24 comments total)

If it were in perfect condition, this comic could be worth figures up to $3.2 million. Even as stained as it is, it's still worth hundreds of thousands. (source)
posted by crunchland at 6:38 AM on May 7, 2006

So what? If he gets nasty I'll push his face in.

AND HE DID!!!!
posted by beerbajay at 6:49 AM on May 7, 2006

Does anybody else think that Hungarians actually speak English or French or something when no one else is around and the "Hungarian Language" is an elaborate joke?

képregények világából kilépve Superman a mozi rajongóit is megnyerte magának.

They're laughing at us. Laughing!
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:52 AM on May 7, 2006

Coincidence? I think not. (I still saved every last page.)
posted by Isabeau Sahen at 6:57 AM on May 7, 2006

"I'm cuttin in!"
"But this is not a robbers dance"
"Fight!"
"Really - I have no desire to do so"

Surely Clark could be passive without sounding like a total tool. I suppose the point is Clark's meant to be a bit of a gimp.
posted by 6am at 7:21 AM on May 7, 2006

A képregény első száma 1938-ban jelent meg. Hihetetlen sikert hozott az Action Comics szerkesztőinek. A képregények világából kilépve Superman a mozi rajongóit is megnyerte magának. Idén mutatják be a Superman visszatér című filmet. Ennek örömére, megosztom veletek a képregénysiker első számát :) (nyagyításhoz klikk a képekre)
The first issue of the comic appeared in 1938. It brought unbelieveable success to the editors of Action Comics. Outside the world of comics, Superman won over a lot of movie fans. This year will see the introduction of Superman Returns, and to celebrate I'm sharing the first issue of the comic with you. Click to enlarge the pictures. My hovercraft is full of eels.)
posted by Wolfdog at 7:38 AM on May 7, 2006

Hehehe. "Outskirts."
posted by selfnoise at 7:42 AM on May 7, 2006

"The Many Faces of the Man of Steel." Lots of good, old Superman stuff. (Probably hosted the original images, as well.)
posted by steef at 7:58 AM on May 7, 2006

Ooh, good translations and links! Thanks!
posted by Isabeau Sahen at 8:10 AM on May 7, 2006

In contrast...
posted by 235w103 at 8:40 AM on May 7, 2006

"I want these motherfuckin' eels off the motherfuckin' hovercraft!"
posted by EarBucket at 9:10 AM on May 7, 2006

Am I the only one reading more than a little Neitchze in that early issue?
posted by InnocentBystander at 9:19 AM on May 7, 2006

My favorite thing about this first issue is that Superman is heroically stopping the evil villains from getting America involved in WWII.
posted by EarBucket at 9:23 AM on May 7, 2006

And so begins the startling adventures...

Begin, dammit, begin!! Plural subject requires a plural verb! If only they'd known that comic would become so famous and sought-after, they'd have proofread it more carefully...
posted by languagehat at 10:44 AM on May 7, 2006

So where's #2?
posted by brain_drain at 11:13 AM on May 7, 2006

For those who are interested in early Superman, it's worth noting that DC has an Archives line that reprints digitally restored pages from these early comics in hardcover--they're really nice volumes, though a little on the expensive side. For starters, Superman in Action Comics Volume 1 has the stories from Action 1 and 7-20; Superman Archives Volume 1 has the stories from Action 2-6, which were reprinted as issue 1 of the Superman quarterly. (The latter volume has issues 1-4 of the Superman quarterly reprinted in their entirely--ads and everything.)
posted by Prospero at 11:31 AM on May 7, 2006

So, Superman's first villains were a murderess, a wifebeater, a masher, and a corrupt Senator and lobbyist working for foreign powers.

Supe, we need you again.
posted by darkstar at 1:39 PM on May 7, 2006

Oh, and an overzealous Governor's butler. Those guys are ruining polite society, I tell you.

I wonder when the explanation of Kal-el's strength shifted from being due to advanced biology to being related to the Kryptonian sun, etc...

Do I detect midichlorian-esque pseudoscience?
posted by darkstar at 1:42 PM on May 7, 2006

Great link - it's especially poignant since, film aside, Kal-L (the original Superman featured in comics until the mid-1950s and latterly as the Superman of Earth-2) has been involved in huge events in the DC Universe lately and actually appeared alongside Kal-El, his alternate-universe counterpart and the modern, post-50s Superman most people are familiar with. Whatever you think of Infinite Crisis as a whole, I think the scenes with the two Supermen living snatches of each others' lives while they fought, and the way their innate goodness, honesty and basic Superman-ness shone through, were pretty damned meaningful if you've been reading about these characters your whole life.

darkstar, the official line on that is that the 40s-50s Superman's abilities took longer to develop properly than the modern Superman's, so while Kal-El was flying around and lifting tractors as a kid, Kal-L was only super-leaping and so on until well after he'd started his career as Superman. Similarly, I guess it took a lot longer for anyone to understand his powers and their origin, particularly since he landed on an Earth in a much earlier time, technologically and socially - it even seems fairly likely that his abilities mightn't have been powered by the sun until he reached a certain age and things like true flight put more of a drain on his system. I mean, yeah, it's a blatant retcon, but sci-fi and superheroes without pseudoscience would be no fun :)
posted by terpsichoria at 3:08 PM on May 7, 2006

A nerdly quibble, but that comic is nowhere near worth hundreds of thousands in that condition. It's in fair at best. Cool link, though.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:36 PM on May 7, 2006

When I was a kid I had a reprint of Action 1, and convinced my friend that it was an original.
Good times.
posted by banishedimmortal at 10:14 PM on May 7, 2006

I bow to your quibbling nerdliness, megosteve. You never struck me as Comicbook Guy.
posted by crunchland at 11:22 PM on May 7, 2006

Wolfdog willfully mistranslated the line "My hovercraft is full of eels." It actually says "Ah. You have beautiful thighs."
posted by Finder at 7:47 AM on May 8, 2006

"Am I the only one reading more than a little Neitchze in that early issue?"

Nietzsche and Superman. In other words, no, you're not, and yes, it was deliberate. Süperman = Ubermensch.
posted by Eideteker at 10:33 AM on May 9, 2006