Doc Savage vs. Superman? You can blame Will Murray for this one. In his piece called simply “Intermission” in the Sanctum reprints of Murder Mirage/The Other World (2013) he tell us:
In 1940, Murder Mirage was literally “adapted” for an episode of Superman by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Jack Burnley. The untitled story appeared in Action Comics #30, November 1940. Both open with identical situation–an inexplicable July snowstorm overshadowing the murder of a woman by Arabs wielding a deadly, glowing globe, whose emanations dissolve her completely, leaving only her frozen shadow.
I have admit my jaw dropped when I saw that. I mean, I always knew that Jerry liked Doc Savage. It was obvious when both Clark Savage Jr. and Clark Kent share the first name. And then there was that Fortress of Solitude. Both guys had one, though Doc’s was a scientific haven away from the crowds of New York and Sup’s was a giant crystal fortress.
Well, I had to go look. I was sure Will knew what he was talking about. The other cool thing I learned was that Jerry Siegel seemed to prefer the Docs written by Laurence Donovan. As you already know, not all the Doc sagas were written by Lester Dent. The pace was too frantic for any writer to not rely on a few ghosts to keep Street & Smith and the fans happy.
Murder Mirage (Doc Savage Magazine, January 1936) by Laurence Donovan. Here’s the paperback blurb:
A blizzard in July and a woman’s image is frozen in glass — how could these bizarre events possibly be connected? To find the answer and save the life of Ranyon Cartheris, the Man of Bronze and his dauntless allies journey to hot desert sands halfway round the world, where they are trapped — perhaps never to emerge — in the ancient underground tombs of Tasunan.
Murder Melody (Doc Savage Magazine, November 1935) by Laurence Donovan. Again, the blurb:
It began with a series of quakes which tore huge, gaping holes in the surface of the earth. Soon the sky over the Northwest was filled with the bodies of strange floating men playing a weird melody of death. Was the world doomed? Could Doc Savage and his Fabulous five save it from almost certain destruction? Join them as they race to the center of the earth for a titanic battle with the power-crazed leaders of a fantastic super-civilization.
“The Summer Snowstorm” (Action Comics #30, November 1940) was written by Jerry Siegel.
Doc Savage’s adventures were never this Space Operatic (oh, I think I just coined a new expression!) Doc went to several lost cities but Superman’s version feels way more Pulp SF. Zolar is a typical Pulp villain made to look the comic book version of someone of Asian descent. Ming the Merciless inspired many bald super-genius madmen.
Laurence Donovan wrote a total of nine Doc Savage adventures. Jerry Siegel liked this one, too. He Could Stop the World (Doc Savage Magazine, July 1937). One more blurb:
The world was imperiled by a terrifying, malevolent force that had the power to change men’s minds. Even Doc Savage’s own men willingly deserted him when struck by the waves of the Mind Changing Monster. High in the Sierras, he lived in an incredible fortress — ruthless, omnipotent, preparing to rule the world. But he hadn’t reckoned on the superhuman powers of the Man of Bronze.
“The Giants of Professor Zee” (Superman #8, January-February 1941) written by Jerry Siegel
This makes me laugh when I think of all the giants in Pulps, like “John Carter and the Giant of Mars” (Amazing Stories, January 1941), that appeared the same month! This story was a Big Little Book earlier in 1940.
Conclusion
I think what strikes me as funny is that Street & Smith never sued DC Comics over this. But later DC took Fawcett to court over the pilfering done by the Captain Marvel comics. I suppose a story here or there could be overlooked but Fawcett’s entire line was based on Superman. Or maybe the comics business had just gained enough steam by 1951 to bother. Back in the 1930s comics were the lowest-of-the-low and much went unnoticed.
Doc Savage vs. Superman, well, not really. I think Doc Savage would come out the worse for a direct confrontation. They were both such good guys that I doubt they would fight in the first place. Still, I’d buy that. (Hey, there’s your next book, Will!)
