Action Comics #25 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of June, 1940.
Synopsis for Superman: "Amnesiac Robbers"
At the First National Bank, a bank messenger is ordered to give a Mr. Galbraith his money. However, Galbraith never receives it. The police pick up the messenger, but he has completely forgotten where the money went. Meanwhile, the drivers of an armored truck have forgotten not only where the money they were carrying went, but also their names. Later, Clark Kent, on a mission to get a scoop for the Daily Planet, attempts to get into to the police commissioners office, but is rebuffed. Within the office, the police commissioner discusses that a string of robberies have been occurring around Metropolis, which all result in the people entrusted with the money getting amnesia. Clark, who had heard everything with his super-hearing, gets the story printed anyway, to the shock of the police. Within the mayors office, the citizens delegation demands a stop to these robberies, or the mayor will be forced to resign.
At the Daily Planet, Clark attempts to ask Lois Lane out on a date, but she says she is going to see the hypnotist, Medini, in order to discover Supermans secret identity. Within a storeroom, Clark, now in his Superman attire, deduces that Medini must be the one behind the robberies, and goes to his mansion at the same time as Lois. After fighting off the guards, Superman uses his X-Ray vision to peer into the mansion, where Medini prepares to hypnotize Lois. Medini puts Lois into a trance and Supermans voice is heard in the room. However, as the real Superman soon discovers, the 'voice' is simply a speaker playing an imitation by one of Medinis goons. Superman attacks the goon, but Medini hearing this, starts to make Lois forget that the hypnotist exists. Superman destroys the speaker machine, and the goon knocks himself out with his own wrench.
Right as Medini is about to finally hypnotize Lois, Superman bursts in. However, Medini hypnotizes Superman, sapping him of his strength. As Superman struggles on the ground Medini sends a goon to a rival newspaper in order to earn a reward for unmasking Superman. Medini then leaves with Lois, just as Superman, out of sheer will, manages to get up. After Medini leaves the mansion, Superman bursts out, but has no control over his own powers. Medinis guards attempt to capitalize on this, but are met with utter failure and a swift KO. Superman bumbles through the city, moving uncontrollably, until he finally manages to leap to the top of building to get his bearings. Meanwhile, Medini and Lois board a transport plane carrying a huge gold shipment to Kentucky. After hypnotizing the passengers and pilot, he orders the pilot to land near a cave. After transferring the gold into the cave with his other treasure, he orders a goon to fly the plane up 500 feet, then bail.
Meanwhile, Superman leaps into the stratosphere, then allows himself to fall down. The sudden descent and change in atmosphere clears his mind, and he is back at full strength once more. Superman returns to the mansion, and interrogates a goon to learn the location of the plane. After the other goon bails out of the plane, Superman catches it and saves everyone. After making sure Lois is okay, Superman chucks the empty plane at Medini, likely killing him. Afterwards, Superman informs the police, changes back into Clark Kent in order to give the scoop to his editor, and the mayor keeps his job.
Appearing in Superman: "Amnesiac Robbers"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Medini (Single appearance)
- Medini's assistants (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mr. Galbraith (Single appearance)
- Pat (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Pep Morgan: "Enemy Sub"
Taking a job as a war correspondent for a newspaper, Pep is invited to England to spend two weeks aboard a channel-patrol ship.
Appearing in Pep Morgan: "Enemy Sub"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- None
Antagonists:
- Enemy Submarine Crew (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ship Captain (Single appearance)
- Johnson (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Patrol Ship
- Submarine
Synopsis for Black Pirate: "Captured by Captain Ruff"
Before Jon Valor can take command of the ship, Captain Ruff returns with the rest of the crew and overtakes him. Jon is tied to the front of a cannon, and is threatened with a painful death, unless he reveals where he moved Ruff's treasure. But one of the captain's men had quietly cut halfway through the Black Pirate's bindings beforehand, letting Jon free himself. At the sight of another ship in the distance, Jon grabs a torch and sets fire to the sails. While Captain Ruff and his men scurry to try and dowse the flames, Jon runs below deck and creates another fire in the hold, where all the barrels of whale oil are kept. His work done, the Black Pirate plunges into the sea, leaving the burning ship behind.
Appearing in Black Pirate: "Captured by Captain Ruff"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Captain Ruff
- his pirate crew
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Ruff's ship
Synopsis for Three Aces: "The Living Statues"
The Three Aces come across a mad sculptor who found a way to turn humans into fossilized works of "art".
Appearing in Three Aces: "The Living Statues"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Jan Hansen (Single appearance)
- Midge (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Unnamed woman
Locations:
- Arizona
- Grand Canyon
- Taylor City
Vehicles:
- The Aces' Planes
Synopsis for Tex Thomson: "The Kidnapping"
Tex Thomson, Bob Daley, and Gargantua T. Potts take a camping a vacation in the forest of Maine, where they meet an armed robber who has amnesia. He turns out to be a missing millionaire, Henry Van Skaal. A gang of kidnappers is trying to re-abduct Van Skaal, and also end up also capturing Tex, Bob, and Gargantua. They drive for several hours, from the woods into a city. At a shack on the waterfront the gangsters try to confine Tex and his pals below the pier, with high tide approaching, but Tex fights and beats both thugs, takes one of their guns, and heads off in search of Van Skaal. They soon find him, Tex shoots the pistol out of the third kidnapper's hand, then punches him senseless. Amid the commotion Henry Van Skaal gets hit on the head with a falling bottle, which restores his memory.
Appearing in Tex Thomson: "The Kidnapping"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Bob Daley
- Gargantua T. Potts (Final appearance)
Antagonists:
- Unnamed Kidnapper
- Butch
- Third Kidnapper
Other Characters:
- Henry Van Skaal
- Mrs. Van Skaal
Locations:
- Maine
- "Golden Gate", Thomson's Camp
- Portland
Synopsis for Clip Carson: "Calero the Rebel Leader"
Clip and Diaz infiltrate the rebel's base of operations, planning to capture the leader of the revolution, Calero, and bring him back for trial.
Appearing in Clip Carson: "Calero the Rebel Leader"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Revolutionists (Final appearance)
- Calero (Final appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Lt. Diaz (Final appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Carson's Plane
Synopsis for Zatara: "The One Man Crime Wave"
When a criminal mastermind is able to plan each of his crimes with the strategic mind of a chess player, Zatara becomes the only one who can stop him.
Appearing in Zatara: "The One Man Crime Wave"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Asmodeus (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Eben Perkins (Single appearance)
Notes
- Published monthly by Detective Comics, Inc.
- This issue's Black Pirate episode is continued from last issue and continues into next issue.
- Superman: Amnesiac Robbers is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 2 and Superman Chronicles Vol. 3.
- Amnesiac Robbers like most stories of that era, was originally not titled.
- Tex Thomson:
- This issue marks the last on-panel appearance of Gargantua T. Potts. He is mentioned in the opening caption of next issue's story, where it is explained that he has joined the French Foreign Legion, but he is seen no more after this.
- Tex's last name was spelled "Thomson" from Action Comics #1, June 1938, to Action Comics #55, Dec 1942.
- Also appearing in this issue of Action Comics was:
- (text story) "Message to the Major" by Gardner F. Fox
Trivia
- Lois tries to learn Superman's secret identity for the first time.
See Also