This is one of the rarest punches known to science, Doctor... no antidote has ever been discovered! 
- — Superman
Action Comics #67 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1943.
Synopsis for Superman: "Make Way for Fate
The military would like to place a training school for new officers in Metropolis. Superman is asked to assist in clearing the property, but a problem arises when he learns there are three hold-out residents who refuse to leave.
Neighbors Martha Hoskins and Samuel Rayburn were two elderly lovers. Many years ago Samuel proposed to Martha, wanting to take her away with him to live with him home. She didn't want to leave the house she was raised in, though, and countered that she'd only marry him if he left his ancient old house and live here with her! This angered Samuel, who couldn't imagine giving up his books or his paintings. Over the years, the lovers quarreled, each waiting for the other to change their mind. Samuel had recently lost his fortune, and had to sell his books and pictures. Even still, he refuses to compromise, adamant that Martha will change her mind. It's been going on and on like that ever since, with both of them too stubborn to give in to the other.
Superman leaves the quarreling couple for now and investigates the third house where an ailing old man lays in bed, his doctor and nurse caring for him. The doctor says that Mr. Sykes suffers one of the rarest cases to medical science, and it would take months of peace and quiet to cure him. As he is now, it's too dangerous to move him. Superman departs, and Sykes, the doctor and the nurse start laughing. They had fooled him. Or so it seems, but the man of steel wasn't so convinced by the doctor's tale. There was no medicine in the room, and a bulge under the doctors coat suggested a concealed weapon. He sneaks down to the cellar, where he notices two criminals from the police' Most Wanted list carrying a box of stolen jewels through a hidden passage. They head back up to the "sickroom". Sykes, a well-known fence in the criminal underworld, takes his cut and hides it in the wall of the house with the rest of the cash. Superman crashes through the door, startling the crooks. They try to fight back but, as always, Superman's strength prevails. The police are called in and the gang is arrested. The walls of Sykes hideout are torn apart to reveal millions of dollars in cash. For his help in uncovering the gangs activities, a substantial reward is offered, which Superman uncharacteristically accepts.
Superman pays a visit to Samuel Rayburn's attorney with a proposal. Later that night, an entire library of books is flown across the sky thanks to the last son of Krypton's might, followed by a gallery of paintings. Next, he shoulders the weight of two whole houses, relocating them at the top of a hill. The hardest part is knocking a few walls down without waking the sleeping occupants. Martha and Samuel are quite surprised when, the next morning, they awaken to a few changes in their homes. Superman had placed them next to each other, combining the houses into one! They liked the idea and agreed to get married at last.
Finally, Superman could get to work on the job he was originally asked to do. With ten times the power of a bulldozer, and a hundred times the force of an explosive, the man of steel clears the abandoned buildings out of the way, so that work can begin on constructing the new officers training school. The "Superman School for Officers' Training" is officially open!
Appearing in Superman: "Make Way for Fate
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Reginald Sykes (Single appearance)
- Flossie (Single appearance)
- Soapy Waters (Single appearance)
- Soft-Shoe Sapper (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- General McTurk (Single appearance)
- Martha Hoskins (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance)
- Samuel Rayburn (Flashback and main story) (Single appearance)
- Mr. Writt (Single appearance)
- Reverend Hollyhock (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Vigilante: "The Academy of Musical Crime"
The famous violinist, Professor Schutzendorf, receives a telegram from a concert manager asking to see him. When the Professor has left, his house is broken into by the Fiddler and his gang. It was actually the Fiddler himself who sent the message, so that by using a lifelike mask, he could masquerade as the professor and take his place. Schutzendorf was a violin teacher to the children of rich socialites, and the Fiddler would play the role while he gathered information from the parents about where they kept their most valuable possessions. He and his gang then rob the families while they're out.
One of the students mothers, Mrs. Bullion, invites the "professor" to a party at her home, where she hopes he'll play for her guests. The prairie troubadour, Greg Sanders, was also at the Bullion party that night singing for the guests. When the Fiddler, as Schutzendorf, stand in front of the guests to play, Greg admits he has real talent. The Mrs. Bullion announces her biggest treat of the night; a composition played on a piano once owned by Beethoven. Of course, being about a hundred and fifty years old, the piano is horribly out of tune. Still, the Fiddler marked the priceless instrument as his main target for the next robbery. One of the musicians asks to borrow Greg's guitar for his own performance, and Greg lets him. The party ends and Greg Sanders gets back to his apartment, only to realize he forgot to get his guitar back. He had to go back to retrieve it. His pal, and crime-fighting partner Stuff tags along with him. The mansion is already closed up for the night, but a window has been left open. Peering through, Greg and Stuff see their old foe the Fiddler and his lackeys trying to steal Beethoven's piano. The fiddling fiend knew that Mrs. Bullion would pay thousands of dollars to get it back. But he doesn't expect the Vigilante to come swinging in starting a fight. He and his boys are going down fast, until the Bullion's butler comes over with a flashlight to see what all the noise was. The momentary distraction causes Vigilante and Stuff to let their guard down, causing them to be knocked out in the melee.
The Vigilante and Stuff wake up in an abandoned old building, the Fiddler standing a few feet away. As punishment for their interference, Fiddler plays a record of a song he always found quite annoying. Amusingly, it was the voice of the prairie troubadour that comes out of the player. Of course, the same song being repeated over and over again, even one of Greg's own, can have it's toll on the mind. Vig and Stuff are left alone to the endless crooning of Vigilante's alter-ego. To the Chinatown Kid's bewilderment, Vigilante bursts forth in song, in a seeming duet with himself! The true purpose of his crooning soon has the desired effect when Vig finds the right note and shatters a light bulb. He uses the glass shards to cut through his ties so that he could then free Stuff. He had an idea where to find Fiddler. The violin performance by Professor Schutzendorf matched the style of the Fiddler, and Greg had a feeling they were one and the same. He and Stuff head to the music school, where they learn the "Professor" took all the expensive bass drums and brought them to a warehouse down the street. Vigilante and Stuff meet the disguised Fiddler inside the warehouse, where everything the gang had stolen was being stored. Fiddler sends his thugs at the duo, while he escapes out the back. The gang is beaten up fairly quick, and when Vig chases their boss outside he sees that the Fiddler has stopped in his tracks after coming face-to-face with the real Schutzendorf, whom had been contacted about the ploy.
The Professor returns to his home, where many more telegrams await! It looked like the time the Fiddler spent impersonating him had an unexpected side effect; Professor Schutzendorf was now being asked to perform at every gala and social event the city had.
Appearing in Vigilante: "The Academy of Musical Crime"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Fiddler
- Droop
- Sport
- Sailor
Other Characters:
- Professor Schutzendorf (Single appearance)
- Hortense Bullion (Single appearance)
- Mrs. Bullion (Single appearance)
Locations:
Synopsis for Congo Bill: "Deep Water Detective"
On the waters of the southern gulf after surviving a terrible hurricane, Congo Bill rides his battered and torn skiff hoping to spot any sign of civilization. To his relief, a ship appears on the horizon. But when he waves his arms to signal them, he barely dodges a bullet fired by the crew. Something foul was going on aboard that vessel, and Bill spent the rest of the night following it while bailing water, until he was close enough to climb aboard. He can see diving equipment set up, meaning the crew must be illegal salvagers; men who dive after sunken ships without the governments permission. A lose rope snags his foot and he falls noisily to the deck! The crewmen surround Bill, though he tries fighting his way out he is overpowered and taken to Captain Rudd. Out the starboard-side window Bill spots another ship in the distance. He puts all of his remaining strength in a kick, sending the captain tumbling into his men. He hoists up a distress flag, hoping the ship will see it and come in closer. But Captain Rudd orders his men to raise a flag with the quarantine symbol, signifying there was a contagious disease on board, scaring the other ship off. For the moment, Bill is at the mercy of the crew. Captain Rudd decides to send him down in a diving suit instead of having to risk his own men. A shipment of gold bullion is below them, and Bill was to hook onto it without trying anything funny; they would cut his air hose and strand him at the bottom of the sea if they suspected anything.
The wreck was of a once proud American vessel that met her end by enemy torpedo. The gold-filled chest was resting nearby, just waiting for Bill's hook. As the crew starts to haul the treasure up, a large manta ray comes up from behind and grabs Bill in it's mouth. The unfortunate adventurer is pulled off his feet as the ray swims farther and farther upwards. Then again, it could also be a helpful escape, if he could cut himself out of his suit while they were closer to the surface, where the pressure was less. With a small knife, Congo Bill frees himself and hurriedly swims to the surface before his lungs burst. In a lucky break, he comes out on the abandoned side of the ship; the crew were all busy with the gold bullion on the opposite side. Nobody notices as he sneaks aboard and enters the radio room. He manages to send a distress call over the airwaves before he's spotted. He barricades himself inside, the steel door holding against Captain Rudd and the crews pounding. Son, a government vessel arrives and takes the crew of salvagers prisoner. Congo Bill is once again thanked for his fine work.
Appearing in Congo Bill: "Deep Water Detective"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Captain Rudd (Single appearance)
- Gritter (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- Bill's Skiff
- Rudd's Ship
Synopsis for Americommando: "The Secret of Shanghai Rose"
As dawn breaks over the Pacific, American Marines stationed on an island are startled when a Chinese Junk washes ashore. On board, they find no one but a delirious elderly man, dying from his wounds. He seems to be having flashbacks to an attack by a Japanese fleet. With his last breath, the old man utters the words "Shanghai Rose... She knows their plans".
Tex Thompson, the Americommando, is in Shanghai under orders to locate the mysterious woman known as "Shanghai Rose", and learn the information she has on the Japanese fleet. He makes contact with old man Chu, of the Chinese underground, only to learn that they haven't been able to find any sign of Shanghai Rose. Tex decides on a different plan, then. He would find a way into the Japanese naval base so he could look for the plans for the fleet. Old Chu mentions Shang, a boy who worked in the admiralty's kitchen, that could help him get in. But Shang is being taken by Japanese soldiers to the edge of the river, where he'll be executed for the crime of stealing food. Americommando comes to his rescue, knocking the Japanese into the river. Sadly, a soldiers bullet hits Shang's pet, a small puppy, killing it. Once they're clear of danger, Tex asks Shang about getting into the naval headquarters. Shang would do anything to make the Japanese pay for the murder of his pet, so he's more than happy to help.
That night, a window opens in the base and Shang crawls through. He sneaks down and unlocks the back door so Americommando can get in. Tex finds the Admiral's office, expecting it to be empty for the night. But when he opens the door, Admiral Doburo swiftly turns to face him. He's socked in the face for his trouble. However, the plan hits a snag when it turns out the plans have already been sent back to Tokyo. And the Admiral won't divulge the information no matter how many times he's punched. A voice squawks, "Put up your hands and keep on punching! Ahoy!" A caged parrot on the desk attracts their attention, so Tex and Shang don't notice Doburo pressing a hidden button. Suddenly, an alarm sounds out, and more soldiers soon come running to the Admiral's office! Americommando takes Shang, who grabs the parrot cage as a replacement pet, and fights through the Japanese to the exit. They needed to make it back to Chu's underground hideout. Thankfully, their pursuers are blocked by a crowd of Resistance sympathizers, giving them an easy escape.
Back at Chu's, Tex is distraught to report that he failed the mission, meaning Bluff Huggins' death was in vain. Upon hearing the name of the old sailor, the parrot speaks up; Bluff Huggins was his owner! Did that mean the parrot was the mysterious Shanghai Rose? The bird confirms it. What amazing luck! A broadcast is sent out a few moments later over a secret wave-length, with Shanghai Rose the parrot reporting the details of the Japanese fleet position to the Allies.
Appearing in Americommando: "The Secret of Shanghai Rose"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Japanese Military
- Admiral Dobura (Single appearance)
- many soldiers
- Admiral Dobura (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mike (Single appearance)
- Bluff Huggins (Single appearance; dies)
- Chu (Single appearance)
- Shang (Single appearance)
- many Chinese Resistance fighters
- Shanghai Rose (A parrot) (Single appearance)
Locations:
Vehicles:
- A Chinese Junk
Synopsis for Zatara: "Mardi Gras Marauders"
Big Mike Muggridge, a crime boss, visits the city of New Orleans during the annual Mardi Gras celebration. But unlike the other tourists, he wasn't there for the parade. Rather, he plans on using a float of his own to get near the bank and have his boys rob it while everyone's distracted. What Mike doesn't know is that the great magician Zatara is in the audience that day.
The local exchange bank is currently the target of a robbery by Big Mike's men. They escape with bags full of money, blending back into the crowd outside. One crook pushes past Zatara, catching the magician's attention. He uses his magic to make the bags grow wings and fly back to the bank, but because of the heavy crowd, he is unable to capture the thieves themselves. Big Mike is disappointed about the botched job, but a new idea comes to him. Wealthy Mrs. De Vere was holding a charity lawn party tomorrow afternoon where the guests were invited to show up in costume. They'd split up in case Zatara showed up, one group will keep him distracted, while the other sneaks into the house and steals whatever looks valuable.
Zatara is, in fact, present at the charity party. He'd prefer to be hunting the bank robbers, but he already promised Mrs. De Vere a performance for the party guests. But then he notices two of the bank robbers dressed up as cowboys for the party, and realized he could do both. During his show, Zatara keeps watching the men, but they don't do anything out of the ordinary. Something was up... An illusion of himself is created for the guests, while the real Zatara turns invisible so he can go off and investigate. Inside the De Vere home, Zatara finds a third crook trying to crack a wall safe. He brings the safe to life and orders it to fight back. That's when the other two crooks come up behind Zatara and smack him down!
Almost all of the guests have handed over their money and jewels by the time Zatara awakens. Well, if Big Mike and his gang wanted to dress up and play cowboy, then Zatara figured it was only fair that he made a proper game of it. A tribe of horse riding and bow-and-arrow wielding indians are conjured out of thin air and chase the crooks down. The crooks are quickly roped and dragged down to the police station. Mrs. De Vere's guests, meanwhile, had just been witness to the best show of their lives!
Appearing in Zatara: "Mardi Gras Marauders"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
- Mike Muggridge (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Mrs. Vere de vere (Single appearance)
Locations:
Notes
- Published by Detective Comics, Inc.
- Make Way for Fate is reprinted in Superman: The Action Comics Archives Vol. 4.
- This issue also features a 4-page humor story "Super-Sleuth McFooey" by Jack Farr.
See Also