Superman #14 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1942. It was published on November 1, 1941.
Synopsis for "Concerts of Doom"
Krasinski, a concert pianist, uses his music to hypnotize audiences to sleep while his gang robs them of their possessions. Superman learns of a scheme by Krasinski to broadcast his hypnotic tune over the airwaves of Metropolis, to commit a large-scale crime spree while the city sleeps. Each of the robbers is stopped by Superman, and then he locates the broadcast controls and destroys them! But rather than let the man of steel take him, Krasinski plays a final tune that causes his own death.
Appearing in "Concerts of Doom"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Rudolph Krazinski (Single appearance; dies)
- James Noonan (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Invention Thief"
Chet Farnsworth, a young inventor, discovers a new type of fire quenching powder that can extinguish flames faster and easier than a fireman's water hose. Superman steps in to help when a crooked promoter tries to con him out of the money his invention makes. He hires thugs to kill Chet, but Superman thwarts their every attempt, then makes their boss sign over all the rights to the fire powder back to Chet.
Appearing in "The Invention Thief"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Jim Baldwin (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Chet Farnsworth (Single appearance)
Locations:
Items:
- Chet's Fire Powder
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Undersea City"
Clark and Lois are sent out to interview a fisher who claims he saw a mermaid. Lois quickly dismisses the man's story as hogwash, but Clark decides to investigate further as Superman. To his surprise, the mermaid turns out to be real as he sees her rise to the water's surface trying to make contact. The fisherman gets angry, however, and attacks her! Superman swoops down to rescue her, carrying her to some rocks sitting just above the water. She introduces herself as a princess, Kuella, who is taking a great risk as it's forbidden for her people to make contact with land dwellers under penalty of death. But because she overheard a plan by Akthar, her father's advisor, to invade the surface world, she felt she must risk it.
When a strange vessel appears out of the water, and she is taken away by Akthar's men Superman follows her down through the depths until he reaches an undersea city. There, Kuella's father, King Saffro and the wicked advisor sentence the princess to death in the "pit of horror", so Superman goes in after her and saves her from the grip of a large octopus. Because the law says any who survive he pit are pardoned, Kuella is safe much to her father's relief. But because Superman is an outsider, he must undertake a set of trials. A race against the city's fastest swimmer proves no challenge to the man of steel, nor does retrieving a stone from the lair of a giant monster fish. After he passes these trials, the King Saffro welcomes Superman. In a rage, Akthar takes Kuella hostage and puts Superman under a paralyzing hypnotic trance while he takes her with him to his warship.
A tower pops out of the sea, directing beams that cause the water to rise and flood Metropolis. Superman snaps out of his trance and stops the plot by first destroying the tower, which brings the water level back down. Then he breaks into Akthar's vessel and rescues the princess. But Akthar, in a last-ditch maneuver, sends his vessel crashing into the underwater city and makes it self-destructs it. Kuella frees herself from Superman's grip and swims down, insisting on dying with her people... Soon, nothing remains of the city but rubble.
Appearing in "The Undersea City"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Perry White
- Lois Lane
- Princess Kuella (Single appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Chet Furnall (Single appearance)
- Akthar (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- King Saffro (Single appearance; dies)
Locations:
- Metropolis
- A fantastic undersea city (Destroyed)
Items:
Vehicles:
- Akthar's vessels (Destroyed)
Synopsis for "The Lightning Master"
A new threat appears; the Lightning Master, with his machine he can control where lightning will strike! He uses this power to blackmail Metropolis into paying him to prevent destruction. Superman tracks the villain to his lair after absorbing the energy from one of the lightning bolts. During their fight, the energy is transferred into the Lightning Master's body. electrocuting him.
Appearing in "The Lightning Master"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Lightning Master (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- The Lightning Master's machine (Destroyed)
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in The Superman Archives Vol. 4.
- According to Roy Thomas, in All-Star Squadron Annual #3, 1984, Ian Karkull's elaborate attack on eight future U.S. presidents took place on 28 & 29 June, 1941. At that time, according to Superman's thought-balloon on page 13, his earlier battle with the Lightning Master had taken place "a few weeks back." This encounter was depicted in the 4th story of Superman v.1 #14 Jan-Feb 1942. Therefore an undetermined number of preceding Superman stories, as published in Action Comics, Superman, and World's Finest Comics, would seem to be "compressed forward" on the Earth-Two timeline, possibly taking place at an average rate of at least four adventures per month, or one per week, possibly starting as early as October 1939.