On April 18th, 1938, (cover date June, 1938), Superman and the contents of Action Comics #1 were copyrighted (with the issue likely going on sale on May 3rd, 1938). Superman, the champion of the oppressed, was released onto an unsuspecting world by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster with 13 pages to lead off the issue (as well as being featured on the cover)....and the world was never the same afterwards, as Superman spawned generations of other heroes and a worldwide revolution!
This story was also the first appearance of Lois Lane (based on the lady Jerry Siegel was infatuated with, Joanne, and Joanne later married Jerry!).
The issue also featured Chuck Dawson, magical hero Zatara, Sticky-Mitt Stimson, Marco Polo, Pep Morgan, Scoop Scanlon and Tex Thomson (who later fell into becoming a mystery man himself, Mr. America).
Remember, at this time, even Batman didn't exist yet (but he was coming with
Detective Comics #27).
While Superman's first tale from the Golden Age has been reprinted in Archives, Chronicles and more, only the oversized
Famous First Edition #C-26 (1974), a promotional version of
Action Comics #1 in 1998, and the
Millennium Edition: Action Comics #1 (February, 2000) feature the whole issue, allowing readers a chance to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and experience the world of 1938 where Superman was the only super-hero for a time!
The Millennium Edition does not feature the whole issue. It doesn't include the inside front cover (which was a house ad for a Color-Page contest, notorious today because it required entrants to tear out the last page of the Superman story), the inside back cover ("Odds 'N Ends," which was a page of sports cartoons by Sheldon Moldoff) or include the original back cover (the only paid ad in the entire issue, for Johnson Smith and Company).
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