Superman #1, reprinting Action Comics #1-4 and some new pages

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, a promotional project containing the first Submariner appearance

Timely's Marvel Comics #1, the first appearance of The Human Torch.

The first appearance of Fawcett's Captain Marvel, Whiz Comics #2

More Fun Comics #52, considered the first appearance of the Spectre

Wonder Man #1, comic's first rip-off character

Harvey Comics, run by brothers Leon and Alfred Harvey, started with Speed Comics No. 1 in October 1939 starring Shock Gibson-- The Human Dynamo. Archie Comics, then known as MLJ Magazines, published Blue Ribbon Comics No. 1 in November 1939. Top-Notch No. 1 followed in December 1939.

Timely Comics, which would later become Marvel Comics, began in Fall 1939 with Marvel Comics No. 1 featuring the first appearances of Prince Namor the Submariner and The Human Torch, created by Bill Everett and Carl Burgos respectively. The first eight pages of the Submariner story had appeared earlier in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly, a promotional project, earlier however. In January 1940 Fiction House published the first science-fiction comic, Planet Comics No. 1.

Archie followed with Pep Comics No. 1, featuring the first patriotic hero, The Shield-- G-Man Extraordinary. Fawcett Comics published Whiz Comics No. 2 in February, featuring the first appearace

The Shield's first appearance in Pep Comics #1

of C.C. Beck's and Bill Parker's Captain Marvel.

Young Billy Batson was transformed into "The Big Red Cheese" by shouting the word "SHAZAM!" After taking a driverless subway car to a secret underground hall, Billy the orphan meets the ancient wizard Shazam. After making Billy his successor, Billy is able to become Captain Marvel, the strongest and mightiest man in the world.

The anagram Shazam represents Soloman's wisdom, Hercules' strength, Atlas' stamina, Zeus' power, Achilles' courage, and Mercury's speed. With his more "cuddly" stories than Superman, featuring less violence and more lightheartedness, Captain Marvel quickly became the most popular hero of the 1940's. This combined with the similiarities with Superman, prompted DC Comics to, once again, file suit against another publisher.

On November 20, 1939, Max Gaines, now at DC Comics, published Flash Comics No. 1 featuring first appearances of The Flash, "the fastest man alive," and Hawkman.

DC's Flash Comics #1, the first appearance of The Flash, the fastest man alive!

Will Eisner's The Spirit began weekly newspaper distribution in February 1940. The strip continued until 1952, though Eisner passed the strip to others upon entering the Army in 1942. The Spirit was different from normal heroes. To begin with, he had a sense of humor. He also didn't wear a cape or tights like other superheroes, he wore a business suit, a wide-brimmed hat, and a eye-mask. To reach a wider audience, Eisner made The Spirit's world more mature and violent than that of other superheroes.

Street and Smith took two of their most popular pulp characters and put them in comics. Shadow Comics No. 1 premeired in March 1940, following in May by Doc Savage Comics No. 1. Both characters continue to be published in comics from time to time and The Shadow recently was the star of a major motion picture.

Adventure Comics #40, the first appearance of The Sandman

The powerful and ghostly The Spectre first appeared in February 1940 in More Fun Comics No. 52, though he had appeared in one panel of More Fun Comics No. 51. Hourman, a hero who swallowed pills giving him superpowers for exactly 60 minutes, premeired in March 1940 in Adventure Comics No. 48, the same title in which The Sandman had earlier appeared in issue #40. Spring 1940 brought New York World's Fair which featured Batman and Superman together on a cover for the first time. It featured all of their main characters, was 100 pages with cardstock covers, and retailed for fifteen cents. Interestingly, the 1939 edition retailed for twenty-five cents and sold poorly. DC repriced the returns with a fifteen cent sticker and gave a free Superman No. 1 or No 2 to all those who had paid twenty-five cents.