Superman #18 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1942. It was published on June 30, 1942.
Synopsis for "The Conquest of a City"
Carl Bland, attorney, pitches the idea of a mock invasion to the municipal officials of Metropolis, and persuades the Daily Planet to cover the story. It turns out to be a real invasion, with Nazi soldiers and live ammunition. Superman intervenes. Afterward, the public is more alert.
Appearing in "The Conquest of a City"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Carl Bland
- Nazi sympathizers
Other Characters:
- Mayor of Metropolis
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Heat Horror"
Luthor uses giant magnifying lenses, from his base on an artificial meteor in space, to cause a heat wave in Metropolis. Also he has Lois Lane kidnapped, in order to lure Superman into a death trap. Superman survives the trap, rescues Lois, tracks down Luthor, and confronts him in outer space. Luthor uses a cold ray against Superman, but Superman soon destroys his equipment and Luthor escapes in a small rocket ship.
Appearing in "The Heat Horror"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Luthor
- his gang
Other Characters:
- Professor Glenn Calloway
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Luthor's base, on a meteor in space
Items:
- Luthor's Outer Space Heat Ray
Vehicles:
- Luthor's Space Ship
Synopsis for "The Man With the Cane"
Perry White goes on vacation and leaves Lois Lane in charge of the Daily Planet, so she assigns Clark Kent to the "Lovelorn" column. This leads to Superman finding out about an attempted abduction, and disrupting it, rescuing Rita Allen from an attacker, and learning that a man with a cane is behind the attempted crime. The criminals try again, and this time they abduct Rita, Lois, and Clark, plus they've already got Rita's fiance, John Fleming, a military scientist. Superman soon rescues everybody and exposes the man with the cane as an Axis agent.
Appearing in "The Man With the Cane"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Jim Mason, with a cane
- Axis Agents
Other Characters:
- John Fleming. military scientist
- Rita Allen, fiancee
- Count Armaund
Locations:
Synopsis for "The Snake"
Superman investigates events in a mine owned by Bill Chantey. The miner 'Big Luke' is attacked in the mines by someone using a two-pronged pitchfork, Clark Kent sees he seems to have fang marks in his back. Later in the hospital a criminal dressed as a Snake tries to murder Big Luke. Superman stops him but he holds a nurse hostage, forcing Superman to leave. Later Superman sees the nurse bound and gagged in an elevator car. He breaks into the elevator and frees her, but finds the Snake escaped. Superman disguises himself with his muscular control and gets a job in the mine, where he earns the enmity of another miner, who tries attacking him from behind. However the Snake tries to kill Superman, but accidentally kills the other miner.
Lois Lane investigates and accidentally finds a secret room filed with poisons, activated by pushing the wall. However she is captured by the Snake. He ties her to a mine cart, gags her, and pushes her off to die. However Superman sees and rescues Lois. They make a plan to capture the Snake. Lois accuses the disguised Superman of murdering the miner as he argued with him. He seemingly tries to escape the Police, but in the process rips Bill's shirt, revealing a snake tattoo. However Bill is able to take Lois hostage and escape in a car. He later changes cars, but Superman finds out the new number plate and sees the car near a zoo. Lois has been placed in a cage of snakes, however just before they reach her Superman intervenes. One of the snakes thrown from the cage bites Bill, who is taken to hospital. Superman finishes the tunnel, meaning the miners will be paid.
Appearing in "The Snake"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Bill "the Snake" Chanty (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Big Luke (Dies)
- Matt Hickey (Dies)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- Chantey's Mine
Notes
- Published by Superman, Inc.
- This issue is reprinted in The Superman Archives Vol. 5.
- In "The Heat Horror", Lois Lane is kidnapped for the 21st time.
- This is Luthor's eleventh big and evil scheme. His prior appearance was in Superman #17 and his next appearance is in Superman #20.
- In "The Snake", Lois Lane is kidnapped for the 22nd time.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20],[21][22]
- In this story, Superman demonstrates "super muscular control" which allows him to contort his face into any form of disguise that he wishes. This is an ability that the Earth-Two Superman demonstrated only once before, in Superman #5. Therefore this is a power of the Earth-Two-A Superman.
Trivia
- Superman's cape is colored yellow in one panel on the last page.
- On Earth-Two Clark Kent worked at the Daily Star under George Taylor while Perry White remained a reporter and Superman fought a red haired Luthor. However, there was a close hypertime reality (Earth-Two-A) which regularly interacted with Earth-Two resulting in distortions such as (but not limited to) Clark Kent working for the Daily Planet under editor Perry White and/or Superman fighting a bald Luthor.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Links and References
- ↑ Action Comics #1
- ↑ Action Comics #7
- ↑ Superman #3
- ↑ Action Comics #23
- ↑ Action Comics #26
- ↑ Superman #5
- ↑ Action Comics #29
- ↑ Superman #7
- ↑ Action Comics #32
- ↑ Superman #8
- ↑ Superman #9
- ↑ World's Best Comics #1
- ↑ Superman #11
- ↑ Action Comics #42
- ↑ Action Comics #43
- ↑ World's Finest #4
- ↑ Superman #16
- ↑ Action Comics #49
- ↑ World's Finest #6
- ↑ Action Comics #51
- ↑ Superman #18, 2nd story
- ↑ Superman #18, 3rd story
