Comic Title: Secret Origins #1
Publisher: DC (DC Comics Inc.)
Address: 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: April 1986
On Sale Date: January 9, 1986 Newsstand Date January 10, 1986
Source: DC Releases, #23

Newsstand Date January 9, 1986
Source: House Ad, Elvira's House of Mystery #2, Page 22

Newsstand Date January 9, 1986
Source: Amazing Heroes, #84

Shipping Date December 18, 1985
Source: DC Releases, #23

Shipping Date January 7, 1986
Source: Comics Journal, #103

Copyright Date December 17, 1985
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1985
DC publication dates beyond April 1981 listed by the LoC
represent shipping dates NOT newsstand sale dates

Shipping Date December 17, 1985
Source: Amazing Heroes, #84

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.75
Page Count: 32
Editor: Roy Thomas

Title: "The Secret Origin of the Golden-Age Superman"
Pages: 22

Feature(s):
Superman (of Earth-2)

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: Wayne Boring
Inker: Jerry Ordway
Letterer: David Cody Weiss
Colorist: Eugene D'Angelo

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)
• George Taylor (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)
• Jor-L (last appearance in Superman #53; next appearance in Superman #53)
• Lara (last appearance in Superman #53; next appearance in Superman #53)
• John Kent (last appearance in Superman #53; next appearance in Superman #53)
• Mary Kent (last appearance in Superman #53; next appearance in Superman #53)

Villain(s)

• Bea Carroll (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)
• Butch Matson and his boys (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)
• A lynch mob (last appearance in Superman #1; next appearance in Superman #1)

Other Character(s)

• Sims (last appearance in Superman #1; next appearance in Superman #1)
• The Governor, his assistant, and Evelyn Curry (last appearance in Action Comics #1; next appearance in Action Comics #1)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Kal-L (as a baby; last appearance in Superman #53; next appearance in Superman #53)

Comments:
This story is a retelling of Superman's origin and first adventure. Pages 2-7 retell the origin from the first story of Superman #53. Pages 8-22 retell the story from the first story of Action Comics #1 with added material from the first story of Superman #1.

Synopsis:
Jor-L returns home after a meeting with the Science Council in which he failed to convince them of Krypton's impending doom. A quake rocks the planet. Sensing that this is the end, Jor-L and his wife Lara place their infant son Kal-L in a rocket ship. As the planet explodes, Kal-L is launched into space.

After only a few days in space, the rocket, powered by a warp drive, lands on Earth. Passing motorists, John and Mary Kent find the baby inside the rocket which burns into ashes shortly thereafter. The baby is taken to an orphanage. After a short stay, Kal-L is adopted by the Kents and named Clark.

As years pass, Clark discovers that he possesses amazing strength and speed. His skin is nearly impenetrable. After the death of his adoptive parents, Clark moves to Metropolis to find a job as a reporter. He is turned down. Clark then become Superman and stops a lynch mob from hanging a suspected murderer. He reports the story to the Daily Star editor George Taylor and earns a job.

Superman then finds Bea Carroll, the real murderer. After getting her to confess, he brings the signed letter to the governor in time to prevent the execution of Evelyn Curry with a pardon.

Clark then reports to the office and gets a date with columnist Lois Lane. At a nightclub, Butch Mason cuts in on the reporters. Lois slaps him, so the gangster retaliates by kidnapping her. Superman comes to the rescue by chasing the gangster's car and smashing it. After leaving Mason for the police and checking on Lois, Superman departs. Lois is left smitten with the Man of Steel, unaware that he is secretly Clark Kent. Years later, she would marry Clark and learn his secret.