Superman #26
In "The Super Stunt Man!", Superman steps in to help a young man reconnect with his father's legacy, pretending to be the legendary daredevil—only to find that old grudges from the carnival days are far from forgotten. Written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Joe Shuster, with inks by George Roussos, this 1944 classic blends heart and suspense, all framed by Wayne Boring’s dynamic cover art and Roussos’s sharp inks.
When the son of a legendary daredevil arrives in town seeking his father’s glory, Superman steps in to help — pretending to be the famed Daredevil Dolan so the boy can witness the stunts he’s always dreamed of. But as the illusion unfolds, a vengeful former carnival worker with a dark past sees a chance to turn the spotlight into revenge.
In "Comedians' Holiday!", Superman steps in when Clark Kent and Lois Lane learn that a beloved movie company—once a haven for struggling vaudeville comedians—is on the brink of collapse, not from poor business, but from theft. With the company’s owner, J. Wilbur Wolfingham, secretly siphoning funds, Superman must protect the performers and uncover the truth before the holiday season is ruined.
In "Superman's Master!", a young man named Andy Hoops, newly introduced to the world of Metropolis, stumbles upon a secret that could unravel Superman’s public image—when he overhears the Man of Steel confiding in a former criminal now living a reformed life. As Andy attempts to exploit the truth for his own gain, his actions spiral into tragedy, leaving behind a grieving mother and a city shaken by the consequences of one reckless lie.
In this 1944 adventure, Superman juggles a gang of crooks masquerading as police officers while fending off the chaotic antics of Mercury, the winged messenger of the old gods and a mischievous new patron of thieves, who’s just woken from a thousand-year slumber. With Lois Lane caught in the crossfire and the city on edge, the Man of Steel must outwit both criminals and a mythic prankster who’s never been more alive.
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We Buy Collections ▸Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover date: January–February 1944; on-sale date: October 30, 1943 (DC Volume 1, #26).
- The cover — pencilled by Wayne Boring and inked by George Roussos — depicts Superman confronting real Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels at Radio Berlin while holding the Liberty Bell, making it one of the most politically explicit Superman covers of World War II.
- First appearance of J. Wilbur Wolfingham, a confidence-man character created by writer Don Cameron and artist Ira Yarbrough, debuting in the interior story 'Comedians' Holiday!'
- Wolfingham became a recurring Superman antagonist through the Golden Age and into the Silver Age, distinguished by a non-violent, comedic dynamic in which his cons routinely enriched his intended victims instead of himself.
- The issue contains four main stories: 'The Super Stunt Man!', 'Comedians' Holiday!', 'Superman's Master!', and 'The Quicksilver Kid!', written by a rotating team including Jerry Siegel, Don Cameron, Bill Finger, and Henry Boltinoff.
- Bill Finger — later celebrated as Batman's co-creator — scripted 'The Super Stunt Man!' under the Jerry Siegel house pseudonym.
- Editor Whitney Ellsworth oversaw production; the creative roster also included artists Joe Shuster, Ira Yarbrough, Dick Sprang, and Jack Farr across the issue's stories and humor pages.
- The issue has been reprinted in Superman Archives Vol. 7 and Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 4, and the cover image was selected for reproduction in the reference anthology Superman: The War Years 1938–1945 (Chartwell Books, 2015).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Superman from the Thirties to the Seventies #[nn] (1971), Superman from the Thirties to the Eighties #[nn] (1983), The Superman Archives #7 (2006), Superman: The War Years 1938-1945 #[nn] (2015), Take That, Adolf!: The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War #[nn] (2017), Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus #4 (2017)
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