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CGC records 65 graded copies for Action Comics #46 (1942). Population is the number recorded by this grading source, not the total print run or all surviving copies.
Superman: "The Devil's Playground"
Jim Gantry, owner of Gantry Amusement Park, is confronted by a patron complaining about getting tricked out of his money by some gamblers at one of the park's stands. Jim gathers some of his employees and they tell the gamblers to get out and give back the money they connived from his customers. They refuse to leave so Gentry and his roustabouts beat the gamblers senseless until they leave, but they offer up a warning that The Domino) will get even with Gentry for running them off. Jim doesn't know what they mean by 'The Domino', but later that evening, the park owner enters his office only to have a noose slipped around his neck. As he is being strangled, the attacker asks Jim if he is going to allow his gamblers to work in the park. Jim, tells him that he will not allow them in. As he begins to slip into unconsciousness, he sees a pair of evil eyes staring at him through a domino mask. Gentry comes to later on and exits his trailer office and declares that he won't let the Domino or anyone to gamble in his park.
Clark) and Lois) are walking by and hear Gentry make the declaration, but they just think it is someone acting strangely. Lois tells Clark to ignore it and to try to have some fun. They get into an airplane swing ride and as the ride speeds along, Clark notices with his telescopic vision that the cable holding their plane to the machinery is coming apart. He fakes an accidental fall out of the small plane ride, scaring Lois, but using the opportunity to change to his Superman costume and hurtles himself upwards to catch the plane as the cable snaps. After getting out of the plane ride, Lois runs to find Clark and sees him hanging upside down in a tree, appearing scared, but no worse for the wear. They find Jim Gantry and complain about the ride almost killing them and Clark is curious about Jim's comment he makes about it being the work of Domino.
Soon after, Lois drags Clark into the park's Fun House. Clark is eager to go inside as he realizes he would easily be able to ditch Lois, change to Superman and speak to Gantry about this Domino. When Superman finds Jim, he is being attacked by more of Domino's men. Superman tosses the henchmen around and tosses them into a water barrel. He asks Gantry about who Domino was. Jim tells him what Domino was up to. Superman asks the soaking thugs where Domino could be found and one of them tells him to look up behind him. He turns and sees Domino, on top of a building, who shouts out a warning that if Gantry didn't allow his gamblers to use his park, then future disasters would continue to happen. Superman jumps to the top of the building but Domino has escaped through a door and a chute that leads down into the park's Fun House, which Superman follows. Being among all the happy park-goers Superman decides he had better change back to his Clark identity and find Lois. He does find her, but also her new male companion, Jeff Farnham, a well known society playboy. They both ditch Clark, who has no time to respond as he overhears two of Domino's men up to no good. He grabs both of the men and demands to know what they have done and he discovers that they have planted a bomb at the bottom of the water slide to the mill chute ride. Superman runs up the chute and stops the oncoming ride car and sends it back up the slide.
Meanwhile, Lois and Jeff are sitting in a meandering river car and Lois is telling Jeff what a charmed life she has, as whenever she is trouble Superman appears and rescues her. A voice is heard to command someone to get her out of the car and Lois is immediately captured by some of Dominos hoods as presented to Domino. She asks about what happened to Jeff and she is told he is tied up with a bomb and at the proper moment he would be sent into eternity. They all make their way back to the top of a building where Domino lights a stick of dynamite and blows up a section of the nearby roller coaster, that has a series of linked cars barreling down toward the damaged track. Superman arrives and springs up to catch the entire series of cars and leaps them down to safety before returning to take care of Domino and his men. Domino uses Lois as a shield and tells Superman he will kill her if he doesn't back off. Superman somersaults back and we find him next at one of the gaming booths that has a bowling ball and Superman asks to borrow it. As the Domino and his lackeys are running away, Superman picks up a 7-10 split on the Domino's men. He snatches up Lois and puts her somewhere safe before returning to deal with the remaining crooks.
The Domino and the rest of his men, have robbed, what would probably be the ticket gate box receipts, though it is not specified, and attempt to make their escape, but Gantry had previously called the police and as they show up, they begin a shootout with the criminals, who have taken cover among the various animal statues of the nearby Merry-go-round. Superman spins the Merry-go-round so fast that the men go sailing out and are all captured, except Domino, who is not anywhere to be found. Lois tells Superman that Jeff has been tied up with a bomb and needs rescuing. Jeff shows up at that moment and says he managed to get away. Superman, using his X-ray vision, sees the Domino's mask in his coat pocket and exposes him as the wanted criminal. Domino pulls out a stick of dynamite and a lit lighter and threatens to set off the TNT if he isn't allowed to leave. Superman blows out the lighter with ease and challenges Domino to fisticuffs. Domino throws the first punch but, predictably, injures his hand on Superman's jaw. Superman then takes his turn and punches the Domino shockingly far away.
Clark later finds Lois and asks if she is aware of all the action that has been going on and she tells him that he will be able to read all about it in the Daily Planet beneath her byline.
Creative credits
Writers: Jerry Siegel, Mort Weisinger, Gardner Fox, Ken Fitch, Fred Ray, Gardner Fox
Interior art: Paul Cassidy, Mort Meskin, Chad Grothkopf, Bernard Baily, Fred Ray, Joseph Sulman
Source records & attribution
Panel Profits keeps each source identity attached to its edition record.
COMICBASE: comicbase:11754
GCD: 2034