Comic Title: Action Comics #17
Publisher: DC (Detective Comics, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: October 1939
Approx. On Sale Date: August 31, 1939 Copyright Date August 24, 1939
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1939
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: Vincent A. Sullivan

Title: (The Return of the Ultra-Humanite)
Pages: 13

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

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: Joe Shuster

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 HC (1998)
Superman Chronicles Vol. 2 TPB (2007)
Superman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2013)
Superman:The Golden Age Vol. 1 TPB (2016)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Superman #2; next appearance in Action Comics #18)

Supporting Character(s)

• George Taylor (last appearance in Superman #2; next appearance in Action Comics #18)

Villain(s)

• Ultra-Humanite (last appearance in Action Comics #14; next appearance in Action Comics #19)
• Ultra’s thugs (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• A rescue crew, an investigation team, and passengers of the Clarion (no further appearances)
• The manager of the Deering Shipping lines (no further appearances)

Comments:
This story originally was not titled; the title shown here was given on the contents page of Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 in which this story is reprinted.

Synopsis:
A crippled steamship sends an SOS that draws the attention of Superman. Using his mighty powers, Superman puts out a fire aboard the ship and tows it ashore. Later, he investigates as Clark Kent and learns the ship was sabotaged. Clark visits the manager of the shipping line and learns of an extortion plot against them.

Clark is hassled by the racketeers when he leaves the manager’s office, but he deals with them as Superman. The leader of the racketeers is his old foe, Ultra, who steps up his threats against the company.

The owner brings a payoff to Ultra’s men, followed by Superman. Superman breaks into Ultra’s hideout and recovers the money. He is unable to capture Ultra because the mastermind has already left, leaving behind only a projected image of himself.