Action Comics
A long-running American superhero comic-book series that introduced Superman and helped establish the modern superhero genre.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Action Comics is an American comic-book series published by DC Comics and its predecessor companies. Its debut issue, cover dated June 1938 and released in April of that year, introduced Superman, the character created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Superman's arrival made the title a landmark in popular culture and is widely associated with the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books and the emergence of the modern superhero as a dominant publishing format. The series began as an anthology rather than a Superman-only title. Early issues combined Superman stories with features such as Zatara, Tex Thompson, Vigilante, and humorous short strips. Superman rapidly became the commercial and editorial center of the magazine, however, and was restored to the cover as a permanent feature after the character's strong reception. Action Comics also became a major development platform for Superman's supporting cast, abilities, villains, and mythology. Lois Lane appeared from the first issue, while later issues introduced or developed elements including expanded vision powers, Lex Luthor, Toyman, Supergirl, Brainiac, the Bottle City of Kandor, Bizarro, the Parasite, and the Fortress of Solitude. Across the 1940s through the 1970s, Action Comics served as one of DC's principal Superman publications. Under editor Mort Weisinger, the title participated heavily in the expansion of Superman's science-fiction setting and supporting characters. It also carried rotating backup features, including Congorilla, Tommy Tomorrow, the Human Target, Green Arrow and Black Canary, the Atom, and Metamorpho. This anthology structure allowed the series to function both as a Superman title and as a showcase for other DC properties. The series changed substantially during the late 1980s. Following DC's post-Crisis restructuring of Superman continuity, Action Comics became a team-up title for a period, pairing Superman with characters such as the New Teen Titans, the New Gods, Etrigan, Hawkman, the Green Lantern Corps, Wonder Woman, and the Martian Manhunter. From 1988 to 1989 it was published weekly as Action Comics Weekly, using serialized stories about several DC characters while retaining a short Superman feature. The experiment ended in 1989, when the title returned to a monthly schedule. Action Comics continued to serve as a central venue for major Superman stories and crossovers, including storylines connected with the Superman titles, the Superman mythology, and broad DC events. Its later history included work by creators such as George Pérez, Roger Stern, John Byrne, Gail Simone, Geoff Johns, Richard Donner, Grant Morrison, and Paul Cornell. The original consecutively numbered run ended with issue #904 in 2011. DC then relaunched the title as part of The New 52, beginning again with issue #1 and presenting an earlier stage of Superman's career. In 2016, the series restored its original numbering with issue #957. The title remains an important DC publication and a continuing carrier of Superman stories, anniversary issues, anthology material, and connections to wider DC continuity.
History
Action Comics was created for National Allied Publications, an early company in the corporate lineage that later became DC Comics. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had developed Superman over several years, initially imagining the character in a form closer to a newspaper-strip feature. After earlier attempts to place the character with publishers, they adapted sample material for comic-book pages and submitted it to National. Superman was selected as the lead feature for the new anthology magazine, whose first issue was cover dated June 1938. The first issue established the basic public identity of the series. Superman was presented alongside other stories, including the debut of Lois Lane. Although publisher Harry Donenfeld reportedly doubted the prominence of the Superman feature before publication, readers responded strongly to it, and Superman soon became the title's permanent cover attraction. The character's success helped transform Action Comics from a mixed anthology into one of the most influential superhero publications in the world. During the Golden Age, the series expanded the Superman concept through new powers, recurring characters, villains, and supporting settings. X-ray vision and super-hearing appeared in the early run, followed by telescopic vision and super-breath. Lex Luthor debuted in issue #23, and Toyman followed during the wartime period. The title also retained non-Superman features, illustrating the anthology conventions of early comic-book publishing. The Silver Age brought a more elaborate and science-fiction-oriented Superman mythology. Mort Weisinger's editorial period was particularly influential. The Fortress of Solitude and Brainiac, including the Bottle City of Kandor, were introduced in successive issues. Supergirl debuted in 1959 and initially operated under the identity Linda Lee, later becoming a major part of Superman's wider cast. Other important developments included Streaky, Supergirl's association with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Bizarro World, and the Parasite. Curt Swan's art became strongly identified with the character during the 1960s. After Weisinger's departure in 1970, Action Comics continued under other editors and maintained its mixture of Superman material and backup features. Julius Schwartz assumed editorial responsibility in the early 1970s. The title carried stories involving the Human Target, Green Arrow and Black Canary, the Atom, and other DC characters. Milestone issues used expanded formats, historical retrospectives, and special presentation styles, including a 3-D issue in the 2000s. The restructuring of DC continuity following Crisis on Infinite Earths changed the function of the title. Beginning with issue #584 in 1987, Action Comics became a Superman team-up book, featuring changing partners from across the DC Universe. Between 1988 and 1989 it was temporarily retitled Action Comics Weekly and published weekly as an anthology. Its serials included Green Lantern, Black Canary, Blackhawk, Catwoman, Deadman, Nightwing, Phantom Stranger, Secret Six, and other characters, while Superman appeared in a short continuing strip. Stories from this period sometimes served as trials for later spin-off projects. The weekly format was discontinued in 1989, and the series returned to monthly publication. In the 1990s and 2000s, Action Comics participated in major Superman and DC crossover stories. Roger Stern's work contributed to the development of the Eradicator and the wider Reign of the Supermen storyline. The title also connected with Superman events such as Emperor Joker, Our Worlds at War, Up, Up and Away!, Last Son, and the New Krypton period. In 2010, a copy of Action Comics #1 sold for $3 million at auction, reflecting the cultural and collector value attached to the series. The original run concluded with issue #904 in 2011. As part of The New 52 initiative, DC relaunched the title from issue #1, with Grant Morrison and Rags Morales focusing on an earlier point in Superman's career and depicting a less established, less trusted hero. The experiment ended after a second volume, and the legacy sequence resumed with issue #957 in 2016. Since then, Action Comics has continued as a major Superman title, preserving its historical numbering while adapting its stories and formats to changing DC continuity and publishing strategies.
- 2016
Legacy numbering returns
[1]The series resumed with issue #957, restoring the original numbering sequence.
- 2011
Original numbering ends
[1]The first volume concluded with issue #904 before the New 52 relaunch.
- 2011
New 52 relaunch
[1]Action Comics restarted at issue #1 with a story focused on Superman's early career.
- 1989
Monthly publication resumes
[1]After the weekly experiment, the title returned to a monthly schedule with issue #643.
- 1988
Action Comics Weekly launches
[1]The series shifted to weekly publication and an anthology format from May 1988 through March 1989.
- 1987
The title becomes a team-up series
[1]Following DC's post-Crisis Superman changes, Action Comics began featuring Superman alongside other DC heroes.
- 1972
Julius Schwartz begins an editorial period
[1]Julius Schwartz became editor with issue #419, during a period that expanded the title's team-up and backup-feature structure.
- 1959
Supergirl debuts
[1]Supergirl first appeared in Action Comics #252 and initially used the secret identity Linda Lee.
- 1958
The Fortress of Solitude is introduced
[1]Action Comics #241 introduced the Fortress of Solitude as a major element of Superman's mythology.
- 1958
Brainiac and Kandor enter Superman continuity
[1]Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor debuted in the issue following the Fortress of Solitude story.
Products and positioning
Flagship superhero-comics series and foundational Superman publishing property
Monthly superhero comic series · 1938
Action Comics
The core comic-book series published by DC Comics. It began as an anthology but became closely associated with Superman, while periodically featuring backup strips, guest heroes, team-ups, and stories that expanded the DC Universe.
Weekly anthology comic series · 1988
Action Comics Weekly
A temporary weekly incarnation published from 1988 to 1989. It carried serialized stories involving Green Lantern, Black Canary, Blackhawk, Catwoman, Deadman, Nightwing, Phantom Stranger, and other DC characters, alongside a short Superman feature.
Annual comic special · 1987
Action Comics Annual
Periodic larger-format specials associated with the series. The first annual appeared in 1987 and featured a Superman and Batman team-up.
Brand decisions
2016
Restoration of legacy numberingGeneration changeBackground
After the New 52 period, DC implemented a broader publishing approach that restored legacy numbering for selected long-running titles.
Action taken
Action Comics resumed its original sequence with issue #957.
Aftermath
The title continued as a flagship Superman publication under its historical numbering.
2011
New 52 relaunch from issue #1Generation changeBackground
DC's New 52 publishing initiative revised continuity and relaunched many of its ongoing titles.
Action taken
Action Comics restarted with a younger Superman and stories set near the beginning of his public career.
Aftermath
The second volume ran until 2016, after which the title returned to its legacy numbering.
1988
Temporary conversion to a weekly anthologyStrategyBackground
DC sought to broaden the title beyond its traditional monthly Superman format and use it as a venue for serialized stories featuring multiple characters.
Action taken
The series was retitled Action Comics Weekly and shifted to weekly publication from May 1988 to March 1989.
Aftermath
The experiment lasted less than a year before the title returned to monthly publication and its conventional numbering.
Sources1 sources
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