Comic Title: Action Comics #19
Publisher: DC (Detective Comics, Inc.)
Address: 480 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: December 1939
Approx. On Sale Date: October 31, 1939 Copyright Date October 24, 1939
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1939
Until 1958 DC did not report actual on sale dates to the copyright office
The publication dates listed in LoC records are NOT release dates.

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 64
Editor: Vincent A. Sullivan

Title: (Superman and the Purple Plague)
Pages: 13

Feature(s):
Superman (of Earth-2)

Writer: Jerry Siegel
Artist: Joe Shuster

Reprinted In:
Superman:The Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 HC (1998)
Superman Chronicles Vol. 2 TPB (2007)
Superman:The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2013)
Superman:The Golden Age Vol. 1 TPB (2016)

Feature Character(s)

• Superman (last appearance in Action Comics #18; next appearance in Action Comics #76)

Villain(s)

• Ultra-Humanite (last appearance in Action Comics #17; next appearance in Action Comics #20)
• Ultra’s henchmen (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Henry Travers (a research professor; no further appearances)
• Several doctors and victims of the Purple Plague (no further appearances)

Comments:
As revealed in his next appearance, Ultra does not die in this story.

Ultra is drawn with some hair in a few panels in this story.

This story originally was not titled; the title shown here was given on the contents page of Action Comics Archives Vol. 1 in which this story is reprinted.

Synopsis:
A strange plague which causes purple blotches menaces Metropolis. A science professor, Henry Travers believes he knows of a similar disease known as the Purple Plague which struck mankind during the Middle Ages. Discovering this link, Travers works on an antidote for the malady.

Ultra keeps a close eye on Travers, and kidnaps him when the scientist believes he has discovered the cure. Superman rescues Travers from Ultra’s men. Travers then unveils his cure to the medical community, but it doesn’t work.

Superman convinces him to continue his work, but Superman falls victim to Ultra’s electric-gun. Ultra then attempts to mind control Superman into unleashing more of the plague. The Man of Steel only faked his control in order to smash the stockpile of plague serum. Travers discovers a working cure, and Superman confronts Ultra which leads to the villain’s death.