Comic Title: Action Comics #23
Publisher: DC (Detective Comics, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: April 1940
Approx. On Sale Date: February 22, 1940 Copyright Date February 23, 1940
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1940
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: (Europe at War)
Pages: 13

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

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Penciller: Joe Shuster
Inker: Paul Cassidy

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Action Comics Archives Vol. 2 HC (1998)
Superman in the Forties TPB (2005)
Superman Vs. Lex Luthor TPB (2006)
Superman Chronicles Vol. 3 TPB (2007)
Superman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2013)
Lex Luthor:A Celebration of 75 Years HC (2016)
Superman:The Golden Age Vol. 2 TPB (2017)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Action Comics #22; next appearance in Superman #4)

Supporting Character(s)

• Lois Lane (last appearance in Action Comics #22; next appearance in Superman #4)
• George Taylor (last appearance in Action Comics #22; next appearance in Superman #4)

Villain(s)

• Luthor (would-be conqueror; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Superman #4)
• Luthor’s henchmen (some die in this story; no further appearances)
• General Lupo (leader of the Galonia army; no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Several soldiers and national leaders (no further appearances)

Comments:
This is the first chronological appearance of Luthor; he also appears in the first story of Superman #4 which went on sale shorty before this story, but is clearly intended to take place afterward.

Unlike later versions of the character, Luthor has red hair in this story. He appears to die in a dirigible crash, but obviously he survived to later encounter Superman. His first name is not given.

Clark Kent now works for the Daily Planet. No explanation for the name change is given.

This story is continued in part from the first story of Action Comics #22.

This story was originally not titled.

Synopsis:
Continuing to cover the ongoing war between Galonia and Toran, Clark Kent interviews the leader of Galonia, General Lupo. Lupo informs Kent that a temporary truce has been called in order to negotiate. When that truce is broken by the Galonians, Lupo claims it was an accident. Suspecting otherwise, Kent follows Lupo as Superman.

In a hidden cave, Lupo communicates with a unseen leader, Luthor. Superman learns of a plan to attack a neutral country and confronts Lupo. Before the general can expose his unseen boss, green rays strike and kill him. Superman stops the attack on the neutral country, and as Kent, he reveals his information to the warring countries.

Worried by Kent’s knowledge of his involvement, Luthor captures Kent’s partner, Lois Lane. Lois gets a message to Clark bringing Superman to Luthor’s dirigible base to rescue her. Superman is subjected to Luthor’s green ray which weakens Superman. The Man of Steel is able to escape however and destroy the dirigible. Only he and Lois appear to escape when it crashes to Earth.

With Luthor out of the picture, the warring countries declare armistice. Clark delivers the story to the Daily Planet and returns home with Lois.