Comic Title: Action Comics #52
Publisher: DC (Detective Comics, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: September 1942
On Sale Date: July 17, 1942 Newsstand Date July 17, 1942
Source: House Ad, Superman #18, Page 30

Copyright Date July 14, 1942
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1942
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 64
Editor: Fredric Whitney Ellsworth

Title: "The Emperor of America"
Pages: 13

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

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: John Sikela

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Action Comics Archives Vol. 3 HC (2001)
Superman Chronicles Vol. 9 TPB (2011)
Superman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 3 HC (2017)
Superman:The Golden Age Vol. 5 TPB (2020)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Superman #18; next appearance in World's Finest Comics #7)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Superman #18; next appearance in Action Comics #53)
• Perry White (last appearance in Superman #18; next appearance in Action Comics #53)
• Jimmy Olsen (last appearance in World's Finest Comics #6; next appearance in Action Comics #57)

Villain(s)

• The Emperor and his men (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Clark Kent is amazed when people around him lose their initiative and become apathetic. The epidemic stretches all across America, as a man walks into the White House and declares himself Emperor. No one objects and the man soon gains control of the nation.

Superman seems to be the only one who is not affected, and as Clark Kent he writes a defamatory article about the new emperor. He is brought up on charges of treason, but soon discovers that the emperor and his men are all wearing helmets designed to protect them from invisible rays responsible for the apathy. He smashes the machine creating the rays, restoring the population to normal. Then helps bring the Emperor to justice.