Action Comics #1 · 1938
The car that started it.
97 interpretations.
Trace Joe Shuster’s Superman debut composition across superheroes, monsters, indie comics, humor, and convention exclusives.
The origin pointAction Comics #1 · Joe Shuster
The original cover
A superhero changes the scene.
A caped figure raises a green car. Frightened onlookers scatter. Superman’s debut turns an ordinary street into a demonstration of impossible strength.
Joe Shuster’s June 1938 cover establishes the angled automobile, rocky foreground, yellow field, and fleeing spectators that later artists quote, parody, and reinvent.
Distinct drawings get their own entries. Foil, virgin, sketch, and reprint treatments using the same drawing stay together as related editions. Published inset quotations are identified separately from complete restagings.
The Action #1 collection
Browse the lineage
- Descendant artworks
- 97
- Related editions
- 16
- Upcoming
- 1
Search by title, artist, publisher, or character. Open a cover for its editions, evidence, and research status.
Complete the Lineage · Beta
Make this lineage yours.
Track one distinct drawing per card. Any edition counts.
See your Wants across all catalogs and share your list.
Loading your saved list…
Published covers count toward progress. Upcoming and unconfirmed releases can be Wanted.
Beta: your list is saved on this device/browser only. Accounts coming soon.
CSV and TXT include every cover, artist, known edition, and your Have/Want/Missing status, regardless of filters. Use JSON to restore your list.
As an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.
Open research · 24 starter records
Records awaiting a cover scan.
These checklist leads remain available for research. They are excluded from the image-documented artwork count above.
Review unresolved records
- Shaloman #6 — Regular cover; artist unconfirmed. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Justice Society of America #8 — 1:10 Dale Eaglesham Variant; Dale Eaglesham. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Eclectic Comics #1 — Regular cover; Andrew Wales. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Captain America & Namor #635.1 — Regular cover; Stuart Immonen; Wade von Grawbadger (inks); Matthew Wilson (colors). Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Itty Bitty Bunnies in Rainbow Pixie Candy Land #1 — Action Lab Variant; Dean Rankine. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Team Fortress #3 — Regular cover; Maren “rennerei” Marmulla. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- God Hates Astronauts #5 — Regular cover; Ryan Browne. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- M.U.D. #1 — Murdock Undead Detective, 2nd Printing; artist unconfirmed. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Майор Гром #49 — Roman Titov Variant; Roman Titov. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Action Comics #1000 — "1938" Decade-Themed Variant Cover; artist unconfirmed. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Cavewoman: Riptide #1 — Cover E Budd Root Nude Variant; Budd Root. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Covid: A Global Pandemic Saga Unfolds #1 — Regular cover; Kyle Willis. Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Action Covid / Samplerman #1 — Regular cover; Samplerman (Yvan Guillo). Starter checklist record; bibliographic details researched; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Ant #1 — Carnivore Comics John Gallagher Variant; John Gallagher. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Catch the Crazees #3 — Homage Variant; artist unconfirmed. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Glamorella's Daughter #3 — Jerry Bennett Homage Variant; Jerry Bennett. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Apama: The Undiscovered Animal #12 — Cover C 1:5 Benito Gallego Variant; Benito Gallego. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- The Relentless Tin Soldier #1 — Shelby Robertson Homage Variant; Shelby Robertson. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Tom the Dancing Bug: All-Mighty Comics TP — Regular cover; Ruben Bolling. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- МИР Том 7: Сыновья TP (Anton Savinov Variant) — Regular cover; Anton Savinov. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Kaptain Kush #1 — Cover C; artist unconfirmed. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Something Epic #1 — 2nd Printing Szymon Kudranski Action Comics #1 Homage; Szymon Kudranski. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Superman '78: The Metal Curtain #1 — McFarlane Toys Action Figure Variant; N/A (photo variant). Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
- Fame: Eiichiro Oda #1 — Jonathan Uribe Superman Homage Embossed Virgin Variant; Jonathan Uribe. Starter checklist record; exact image/edition verification incomplete
Upcoming releases
The next car lift.
POSTAL #1: Alex Riegel’s Kickstarter variant restages Action Comics #1. The full comic campaign targets early 2027; the exact publication date remains unconfirmed. Its SDCC 2026 promotional material is distinct from the forthcoming full issue.
See the campaign cover →Research & scope · October 9, 2026
A growing lineage, with a source trail.
The starter checklist has been reviewed against publisher announcements, creator pages, Grand Comics Database, collector indexes, and exact cover scans. The collection includes published comic and magazine covers, parody covers, and clearly labeled inset quotations. Original-cover reprints share one artwork entry.
Research gaps: 24 records still need an exact cover scan or edition confirmation. These are labeled in their records rather than treated as fully verified. Unconfirmed artist credits remain open; edition counts are documented minimums. The spreadsheet’s ambiguous Action #1000 “1938” variant is under review.
The Lineage Dispatch
New discoveries,
straight from the archive.
