Presenting the transcription feature, Superman! Up in the sky! Look! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! And now, Superman. When we last saw him, Superman, as Clark Kent, stood amazed in the office of the city commissioner of Direville with Lois Lane as the radio blared the threat of the yellow mask. Unless the sum of one million dollars was paid within 36 hours, Direville would be wiped into oblivion. As our story continues, 24 of the precious 36 hours have already passed. Once again, Kent and Lois Lane are in the office of the commissioner, while a dark cloud hangs ever lower over the city's heart. Listen. What's that? Half past 12? Half past 12. Don't keep thinking of the time, commissioner. You're confounded, Kent. What else can I think of? You say yourself, this fellow, this yellow mask means what he says? Yes, I'm afraid that's true enough. Commissioner, suppose you were going to destroy Direville. How would you do it? I can't. You're out of your mind. Now, I see what he means, commissioner. Is there any way you can think of any sudden disaster that would destroy the city at once? Why, fire, I imagine, or flood. Flood? Yeah. You mean a flood from the river? No, not exactly. Flood from the hills. Flood from the hills? How do you mean? Well, here. Look here. Take a look at this map on the wall. It shows Direville and its suburbs. Hmm. Right up in the fold of the hills. Yes, that's it, Kent. Right under the mountains. And you see that black line just above? Huh? What's there? Well, that's the Harley Dam with the lake up above. Say, come to think of it, if I were bent on wiping Direville off the map, I'd blow out the Harley Dam, if I could. Commissioner. Yes? If the dam did go out, what would happen? The end of the world, Kent. So far as Direville's concerned, there's a lake behind it that's ten miles long. Billions of gallons of water. And it would all come down on Direville? Every drop of it. And wipe out the town? It could actually do that? Yes, it could. Excuse me. City Commissioner's office. This is your friend, the yellow mask, Commissioner. The yellow mask? Kent, the mask again. I'm calling to remind you that you have only 24 hours to go. 24 hours before every man, woman, and child in Dyersville will drown like a rat. Unless I get one million dollars in cash. Tell your committee that. Goodbye. Oh, wait. Wait. Wait. My heavens, I've got something to go on now. I'll have that call traced. Save yourself the trouble, Commissioner. What? You won't find anything. We've dealt with the yellow mask before. Yes, but where was he? What did he mean? I don't know where he was, but it's plain enough what he meant. I heard what he said about drowning every man, woman, and child like a rat. He means to destroy the dam. The dam? Commissioner. Yes? We've got till midnight. Now, I've met the mask before and didn't come off second best. This isn't the time for boasting, Mr. Kent. Oh, sorry, Miss Lane. Call it confidence if you like. Ann, don't stop to split hairs. What are you going to do? You stay here, Commissioner, in case the mask sends in another message. All right. And meanwhile, Miss Lane and I will have a look at that dam. Oh, yes, and put in a call to the police and the National Guard. Have every available man on duty from now till midnight. Come along, Miss Lane. Well, keep in touch with me by phone, Kent, and lots of luck. We'll need it, Commissioner. So long. Borrowing a car, Kent and Lois Lane start at once on the lonely mountain drive to the top of the Harley Dam. And meanwhile, safe in his secret hideout near the dam, the yellow mask gives quick instructions to his henchman, Keno. Are you there, Keno? Come inside. Okay, boss. What's doing? There'll be a lot doing, Keno. Quite a lot. Promptly at midnight, we destroy 30,000 people. Within the next half hour, we destroy two. Which two? That news reporter, Clark Kent, and his friend, Miss Lois Lane. Where are they? I have been informed they are driving toward the dam in a car. You will meet that car, Keno, and carry on from there. Well, how do I stop them, boss? Very simply. Look here. You see that dynamo in the corner? Yeah. I will start it going. I know how it runs. But you don't know how it stops, Keno. Except in the usual way. But now, see here. Hey, what's that little box? A very useful invention, Keno. One of my own. Hardly bigger than a camera. But I point it at the dynamo. Watch carefully, Keno. And press this button. Hey! The dynamo, it stopped. Naturally. Anyone can do it. Even you, Keno. With my little box. How's it work? Never mind that, Keno. The point is that it does work, and that you can work it. Do you know the abandoned cabin where the road makes a right-angled turn? Oh, yeah, sure. Good. You will go there and be ready when Mr. Clark Kent comes by in his car. What do I do, boss? Hide inside the cabin. When you see the car approaching, point the box through the window, directly across the road. And what'll happen? The car will stop instantly, Keno. No fooling. Why? Ignition trouble, Keno. Oh. The engine will stop running. And if you do your part thereafter, so will Mr. Kent. Okay, boss. I guess I catch on. That's all. Now go. Don't make any mistakes either. I'm coming back. And do you mind telling me, Mr. Kent, just what you propose to do when we get to the dam? Oh, just look around, Miss Lane. See what we can see. Do you think you'll be likely to see anything that's escaped the police? Oh, I might. Surprises do happen. Hey, here's a crossroad or a turn or something. I wonder which way we go now. Oh, don't you know the way? That fellow at the garage didn't say anything about a crossroad. Why don't you stop and ask? Maybe there's somebody in that old cabin over there. It doesn't look like it. Oh, we're all right. There's a sign. Harley Dam, turn right. What's the matter? That's funny. The motor stopped dead just like that. I'm not blind, Mr. Kent, nor deaf. I can see it stopped. You think if you brought your mind to bear, you could find out why? Can't be we're out of gas. I filled up before we left. Oh, well. What are you going to do? Bring my mind to bear. Just sit where you are while I do it. Maybe there's something wrong with the wiring. I'll take a look. Mr. Kent, look out. Okay, boys, let them have it. Hey, what's the big idea? What are you doing? Come on, folks. We've got a date with the yellow mask. Come on, here. Come on. Come on, Lourdes. The yellow mask wants to see you. Overpowered, Kent and Lois Lehner dragged away from the car and carried into the abandoned cabin by the side of the road. Kent, realizing at once from Kino's words that the mask is behind the attack, pretends weakness in the desperate hope of learning the mask's plans. Tossed in a room by himself, tied hand and foot, he watches with interest as Kino enters and arranges a mechanism on the floor with wires. What are you doing there? And what have you done with Miss Lane? Miss Lane? Oh, she's okay, pal. Right in the next room. Kent! Kent, let me go! Kent! Kind of restless, ain't she? Well, that won't last long, not more than five minutes after I get this fixed. What are you doing with that battery? What do you think? I'm fixing up a nice little one-way ticket to Dreamland for you and the gal both. There. Now, I reckon she's set. What is that thing? Don't worry, pal. You'll find out. You're not figuring by any chance on blowing us up, are you? Smart guy catches right on. That's murder, Kino. Only if they catch you. I'd think twice if I were you. So it's lucky you ain't me. Well, so long, pal. Me and the rest of the boys have a date up above, near the dam, and we gotta keep it. So long. And pleasant dreams. Oh, the devil's planning to blow us up. Well, there are several ways of playing that game, my friend. Help! Help! Kent! Ah, I can't stand it. Gotta get going. I don't see any reason for just lying here and watching that bomb go off. Here's where Clark Kent takes time out. But it's Superman's turn. I'll just snap these ropes. And take that battery thing apart. Ah. Now I think it's time to leave. We've got a date at the damn toque, Kino. I'm coming, Miss Lane. Locked the door, have they? Well, I need a little light exercise. Oh. Oh, she's fainted. That's lucky. So much the better. When she comes to, she'll never know what happened. Ah, got to pick her up and get out of here. I'd like to follow Kino to where the mask is hiding out. But I'm afraid to leave Lois here alone. It wouldn't do to take her with me. I'll go back to the dam. Up. Up. And away. Carrying the unconscious form of Lois Lane in his arms, Superman leaps into the sky and heads toward a patch of woodland near the dam, where he can arrive without being seen. And meanwhile, on the dam itself, troops patrol and police keep watch. Suddenly, a car roars up and stops with a wild scream of brakes. Commissioner! We didn't expect you up here. Well, never mind that, Sergeant. Quick, have you found anything? No, sir, not a thing. Has there been a reporter up here, a fellow named Kent? Kent? Yeah. No, sir, nobody by that name. Oh, here he comes now, and the girl with him. Oh, Kent! Kent! Coming, Commissioner? Well, how did you get up here so fast? I followed you. Just after you left my office, I got a message. But great heavens, what's the matter with Miss Lane? I'm all right. I don't remember. Oh, we, uh, we had a little accident driving up. Accident? Nothing serious, though, Commissioner. Oh, is she hurt? Oh, no, no. Miss Lane will be all right. Tell me now, you say you got a message? Yeah, come out here, Kent. Out on top of the dam, where we won't be overheard. All right. Oh, you come too, Miss Lane. Commissioner? Yes? What is it? Another message from the mask? Now, wait a minute. I'll show it to you. What the? What? What's up? Oh, the dam. What's happening? Kent, Kent, do you hear that? Do you feel it? It's the dam. Yes. It's beginning to shake. Get out of here. Run for the shore. Quick. Come on. Get out of here. Quick. Sudden crisis at the Harley Dam. What is the meaning of the ominous rumbling? And has it anything to do with the mysterious message the Commissioner got? The message that brought him racing to the dam? Tune in next time and follow the story. And remember, be sure to tune in the next thrilling installment of the amazing transcription feature, Superman. Up in the sky. Look. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman. Superman is a copyrighted feature appearing in Action Comics Magazine.