Presenting the transcription feature, Superman! Open the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! Yes, it's Superman, strange visitor from the planet Krypton, who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can leap tall buildings at a single bound, raise a speeding bullet to its target, bend steel in his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth and justice. And now to our story. As you remember, young Jimmy Olsen, believing he was going to Clark Kent's assistance, stumbled on a large seaplane moored in a cove near the hideout shack from which Dr. Deutsch, the espionage agent, is working. A stray, homeless dog Jimmy had picked up on the road, frightened by a clap of thunder, leaped into the cabin of the plane. Jimmy went after him, tripped against the controls, and suddenly found himself roaring up into the storm-slept night, a lone passenger on a mysterious, unpiloted plane. Meanwhile, back in the shack, Clark Kent, in order to gain more information about the espionage ring, is allowing himself to be Dr. Deutsch's prisoner. Deutsch's assistant, Hans, has just completed a call over the elaborate shortwave radio set in the shack. A jagged streak of lightning splits the darkness, and thunder crashes overhead. Thanks. Before the rain comes, we'd better go down and see that the plane is properly moored. There will be a high beam to that. Yeah, Herr Doctor. I'll go. Where is this plane you've been talking about, Deutsch? Moored in the cove. It's a very special seaplane. You asked before about the control board with all the dials. That is for the plane. Oh, radio control. Exactly. More perfect, even, than human hands. But you will see how it works. You will be flying in it shortly. You're being very kind to me, Deutsch. Not so kind, Herr Kent. It will be the last flight you ever take. I don't think so, Deutsch. I have an idea I'll be flying for a long time, and not in plane. I see what you mean. Swing, say. I must say, Kent, you are a man of courage. Facing certain death, you can make jokes. What do you intend doing with me? I'm going to send you to Volcano Island, where you will be well taken care of until I have no further use for you. Oh? And where is Volcano Island? Not too far from here. Is that the headquarters of your ring? I suppose you might call it that. On the island, Kent, the master plan is being worked out carefully. From there will come the final stroke that will bring the world to its knees. Sounds very ambitious. What is the master plan? Now you are becoming too inquisitive. Let it suffice to say that it's a plan of domination that cannot possibly fail. When it's put into effect, my people will rule the universe. It's beginning to rain. You will not have a very pleasant trip, Herr Kent. Herr Doctor, the plane! What is it? The plane is gone! Oh, it's impossible! It is gone, Herr Doctor. The mooring lines are broken. Are you mad? I did not believe it myself! Tune in the radio control! Watch this! How did we set the plane before we left it? South-east by south. Turn to compass-style! South-east by south! Yeah. See where you are, Herr Kent. Remember, I still hold this revolver. I have it here, Doctor. The plane is in the air at 5,000 feet. Bring her back! I have lost it! The storm is in the air! Find it again, you! What's the trouble, Herr? It is hard to control in the storm! Give it for power! Yeah! Yeah! That was it! Now it is leveled! Change the course! Bring her back! I'm afraid, Herr Doctor! Afraid of what? There's not enough gasoline to bring it back! How far is it from the island? Not more than 30 miles! It has gas enough to carry it there, of course! Yeah! We cannot tell who is on the plane! Whoever it is must never reach the island alive! We will have to sacrifice the plane and exit into the mouth of the volcano, Herr Kent! Into the volcano! It will disappear! Precisely! Then there will be no wreckage to place! Nothing floating to shore! And the volcano is a crash! There will be no trace of the plane and no trace of its passengers! Could we not land a plane on an island? No! It can take no chances! Do as I say! Yeah, Herr Doctor! Unaware that Jimmy Olsen is the only passenger aboard the storm-tossed radio-controlled plane, Clark Kent stands by as Dr. Deutsch orders it directed into the cavernous heart of the extinct volcano. Meanwhile, aboard the plane itself, Jimmy awaits what he believes will be certain destruction, his mongrel dog whimpering in his lap. Don't be frightened, old fella. Whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen. Gosh, I wish I knew how to run this plane. To make matters worse, the motors are given out. This thing suddenly decides to take a nose dive. I can't understand how this plane is flying without any pilot. Maybe I'm dreaming. Lightning ever strikes this plane, we're gone, Storm. I guess it doesn't matter much, we're probably gone as anyway. I don't know why you had to jump into the cabin and make me follow you. What were you looking for? Oh, it wasn't your fault, Storm. You didn't know. Here now, you just stay right here on the seat while I go up front and try to play with the controls again. Maybe I can do something. I'll be right back. You're pitching and tossing. I don't know how this plane stays up the way it does in all this wind. Let's see, the controls are over here. That's right. I'll see if I can... budge them. No, they're all locked. Except the one I bumped against when we took off and I can't get that back either. It doesn't look too good. I wonder where we are. Over the ocean, I guess. Can't see a thing through the window. The motors are missing worse than ever. We're dropping lower. Storm! Storm! Well, Hans, how is it coming? Good, Herr Doctor. The course of the radio plane is set into the volcano. Yeah. You don't care? How you kill, as long as you kill. Isn't that so, Deutsch? Your comments do not interest me at the moment, Herr Kent. They'll interest you sooner or later. They'll interest a court of law, too. The Grayson murder, the murder of the old caretaker. No doubt Lewis's murder, and now this. You know too much, my young friend. Far too much. And because of that knowledge, you will give up your life. On Volcano Island? On Volcano Island. I can think of no pleasanter place to die. You will change your mind, I can promise you. You still have control, Hans? Yeah, good control. The plane near the island in a few minutes. I cannot understand who could have taken it. Herr Doctor, there was something I forgot. What is it? This I found on the shore near the mooring. Eh? Oh, a cap. Let me see that cap. Possibly you know the owner, Herr Kent. I said let me see it. Why not? Here. Eh? Whose cap is it? Deutsch, you'd better bring that plane down to a safe landing. Are you out of your mind? You heard what I said. Bring that plane down safely. Stop this nonsense. This isn't nonsense. Stay away from that door. Sorry, Deutsch, but you forced me to leave. There's something I've got to do. Stand back, Kent, or I shoot you down. I warn you. So long. I'll be seeing you. You wasted bullets, Deutsch. Clark Kent has given way to Superman. That cap belonged to Jimmy Olsen, and if he's in that plane, I've got to save him before it dives into the volcano. Up, up, and away! I don't see how any plane could stay aloft in weather like this. I hope I'm wrong about that being Jimmy's cap, but I don't think so. It was the same color, and it had that British Air Corps insignia on it, the one I gave Jimmy last week. Southeast by south is the course the plane is on. It should be overtaking at any moment now. Oh, I wish it wasn't so dark. Even my eyes can't pierce this curtain of rain for any distance. If I can only spot the island and all this ocean, I could get there before the plane was that dark patch below. That's the island, and there's the plane diving straight for that dead volcano. Down! Down! I can't get in front of it. There isn't time. I'll have to grab the tail and pull it into the sea. Faster! Faster! Into the ocean with it! I'll have to smash the side in to get Jimmy out. He's unconscious. Best thing to do, I guess, is get him ashore. You'll be all right, Jim. As good as new. Up! And away! Storm seems to have died. That's a help. Jimmy's coming, too. I'm going to be awfully surprised to see Clark Kent, but I think I can explain it. Jim. Oh. Where am I? You're okay, Jim. Mr. Kent. How? What happened? Now, just take it easy for a minute. You had a tough time with it. The plane started to fall. Yes, I know. But how did you get here, Mr. Kent? Why, I was tied up in the rear compartment of the plane. When it crashed into the sea, I got loose. I pulled you out and swam to this island. Where's Storm? Who? Storm, my dog. Your dog? Yes, sir. I picked him up on the road. He was in the plane with me. What happened to him? I didn't see any dog, Jimmy. Gosh, he must have drowned. Gee, Mr. Kent. He was such a swell dog. I don't know what I'm going to... Storm! You're all right, Mr. Kent. He swam to shore. Oh, good old Storm. You found me, didn't you? Oh, boy. Isn't he swell, Mr. Kent? He's awful funny looking. That's why I like him. Lie down, Storm. Attafella. Reminds me perfectly. Say, where are we, Mr. Kent? On an island. I think it's called Volcano Island. But tell me, how did you happen to get into that plane? Well, you won't bawl me out, will you? Bawl you out? Why should I? Because I did something I maybe shouldn't have. What? Well, we got a message at the office. Wait a minute, Jimmy. I hear a plane. So do I. It's coming nearer. There it is. Over to the left. Circling and coming down. Do you think it'll land? I don't see where it can land. Look, Jimmy. It's heading straight for that cliff. It's going to crash. I can't look. Jimmy! The cliff's opening up like a huge door. Listen to it rumble. Well, Jimmy, did you see that? No, I wasn't looking. I had my eyes covered. Where's the plane? Well, you won't believe this because I can hardly believe it myself. The cliff opened up and the plane flew inside. See? It's closing now. Mystery piled on mystery. What is the secret of Volcano Island and who on it is working on the master plan that Dr. Deutsch mentioned? Both Kent and Jimmy are in for some dangerously exciting moments. How dangerous neither of them realizes. Listen again for more thrill. Don't forget, tune in again for the next thrilling episode with Superman. Bird, it's a plane. It's Superman. Superman is a copyrighted feature appearing in Action Comics magazine.
