Action Comics 3

The Blakely Mine Disaster

The town of Blakely was a small mining community a few hours drive from the bustling city of Metropolis. Aside from the Blakely Coal Mine, the town had very little to offer. When word was spread about a cave-in, however, suddenly the small town became a very busy place.

"How long sheriff?" Louis Lane tapped his pencil against his pad. He and Clara Kent had been among the first reporters to arrive when they got the word off the wire. A team of miners went down into one of the shafts some hours ago when the shaft collapsed around them. A five man rescue team was assembled and sent down, but there had no contact in almost an hour.

"Easy now, I'm sure we'll hear something soon." Jack Lansdale was officially the sheriff of the town, but acted more like a shareholder.

Clara slipped away, officially to powder her nose. Lowering her glasses, she peered intently at the ground. "I've given them enough time. Time for Superwoman to lend a hand." Using her amazing powers she saw past layers of coal, wood, and steel to find the rescue team all collapsed inside a shaft. "Great Scott, those men must have been overcome by gas! I've got to do something."

Moving away from the gathering crowd, she ducked behind a store. Faster than the human eye could follow, she tossed off her shirt and dress, revealing the familiar red and blue costume. As Superwoman, she dashed past the crowd and dove into the mine. Leaping down the shaft, she landed carefully. At her feet were the men, some of them still, others weakly trying to reach for a signal cord.

Racing faster than a motorcar, she scooped up all five members of the team and with one powerful leap returned to the mine entrance. "Hopefully the fresh air will help them. Now I've got to go back for the miners!"

Leaping back down, she smelled the small deadly gas that overcame the rescuers. Superwoman moved through the lethal air unfazed, thanks in part to her body's amazing properties. Coming to the site of the cave-in, she cleared away the rubble. "Those timbers look awfully rotten." She noted the state of disrepair the shaft was in as she found the miners. "Good Lord!"

Most of the miners were dead. One man, weakly moving a mangled limb, weakly clawed at the air. Within seconds, Superwoman pulled her cape free and wrapped it around the man. Carefully picking him up, she dashed back. "No time to worry about the niceties, I've got to get this man to a doctor!" She almost flew up the elevator shaft. Bursting out into the brightness, Superwoman ignored the reporters and surprised onlookers. With a mighty leap, she cleared their heads and headed towards the town's sole hospital, praying she wasn't too late.

~S

She got the man to the hospital just in time. The staff saved his life but not his arm. Clara had changed back and was sitting in the hall when a nurse exited the room. "He can see you now miss, but please, be brief." Clara thanked her and entered the room. She had been waiting at the hospital for several hours while Louis had been trying to score an interview with Thornton Blakely, the mine's owner.

The miner's name was Stanislaw Kober. He had been in charge of the group that went down into the shaft. She took a seat near his bed and reached for her notepad. Stanislaw looked at her. "You…reporter?"

"Yes, Clara Kent for the Daily Star. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"

Stanislaw coughed. "Ok by me."

"Good. Now, Mr. Kober, what happened in that mine?"

"Same thing I knew was going to happen." His accent was thick, but she could make out the words. "I tell boss man that shaft dangerous, needs new supports. He laugh and tell me to stop being lazy."

"But, if you knew the shaft was unsafe, why did you go?"

Anger clouded Stanislaw's face. "I try to tell him, but Mr. Blakely he say, 'No like job? Quit!' My wife" his expression went slack. "My wife? How can I support her like this?"

"Well, surely they'll give you another job."

He laughed. "A cripple? What good can a cripple do? Mr. Blakely say you get hurt, it your own fault, never company."

"What? Surely there must be someone to complain to?" Clara stopped writing.

"Who? If we complain, we get fired. I've lost my job already Ms. Kent." He turned his head the side. "Just leave me alone."

Clara stood up and quietly left. She had only one destination in mind: the office of Thornton Blakely. "And I know just how to get in."

~Later

Louis met her outside. "No go Smallville. The esteemed Mr. Blakely doesn't lower himself to interviews." Louis did a snide impersonation of the secretary. Clara looked over his shoulder and saw the aforementioned Blakely casually smoking inside.

"Well, let me have a go at him. Maybe I can find something you couldn't."

"And what do you have that I haven't?" Louis raised an eyebrow.

"Oh Louis," she patted his arm; "if I have to explain then you wouldn't understand." She strolled past the secretary and on into the main office. "Ok, time to turn up the old charm."

A minute later she was sitting down in front of Mr. Blakely. Her small town charm (and quick flash of stocking), impressed the old miser more than Louis's attitude. "So, little lady," he took a drag on his cigar, "what can I do for your paper?"

"Well sir, I was wondering what your plans were regarding the cave-in?"

"Ah yes. Tragic business that." He shook his head. "Blasted thing will put us a week behind at least."

"I understand that sir, but couldn't have this been prevented?" Clara scribbled down in her notepad.

"Are you implying my mine was unsafe?" The room suddenly seemed colder.

"Not at all, but one man was maimed…" Blakely put his cigar out.

"By his own carelessness. The Blakely Mine doesn't need such uselessness."

"You mean you're going to fire him? But he's crippled!" She stopped writing.

"What of it? Company policy makes it clear that fifty dollars is to be paid for the hospital. If Kober wants to retire, he can take a monogrammed watch." Blakely stood up and gazed out the window. "I'm a businessman Miss Kent, not a humanitarian." The presence of two armed men at the door told her the interview was over.

"I see. Good day Mr. Blakely, I can see myself out." Clara left her chair and marched out of the building. Louis was waiting outside.

"Any luck?"

"Better, but I can't believe the nerve of that creep!" Clara fumed. Louis shook his head.

"I'd watch my temper around here. They saw whenever the Wayne's need a handout they come to Blakely." He gestured towards the car. Once inside, he whispered. "I got a tip. A group of miners are going to be meeting tonight, talking about organizing. Could be a hot scoop, you want in?"

Clara paused. After seeing the treatment the miners suffered, she wanted to cram that cheap cigar down Blakely's throat, but if she were with Louis; "No, I can't ignore this. Superwoman is just going to have to take a back seat." She nodded in agreement. "Just drive and I'll be there."

The meeting didn't start until nightfall. The miners and their families were meeting in a small store at the edge of town. Louis and Clara were both patted down and ushered inside. "Glad you could make it." A white haired woman sat on an old produce box. "With the press, we can get our message out." May Shuster looked up with tired eyes, but there was still power in the drawn lines on her face.

"We'll tell the truth." Louis looked around the room. The miners were filthy, many of them having come straight from their shifts.

"That's all we ask." Clara wanted to question the old woman when a commotion outside made everyone freeze.

"Alright, we know you got those reporters in there! Bring them out!" A burly male voice shouted outside. When some of the group came out, a volley of gunfire shattered the mood. Mass panic set in; in the confusion, Louis was knocked to the floor.

Clara was pushed to the back. Concentrating, she used her amazing x-ray vision to see past the panicking group and what was taking place outside. She saw a group of men, many of them holding shotguns and torches. The leader, a portly sort with sideburns and a straw hat, snatched a torch and moved forward. "Alright," he shouted, "we told you to stop this union talk. Now we'll smoke you out!" With that he tossed the burning brand inside.

"There are children inside!" Clara heard one of the miners beg. With a controlled fury, she slipped outside and vanished into the night. Quickly shucking her clothes, she bounded over the building in one jump and landed in the midst of the arsonists.

Before their shocked eyes, she yanked off her cape and smothered the flames. Leaving it on the ground, she turned her full attention to the men. Her knuckles cracked like gunshots as she tightened her fists. "Which one of you cowards wants to end up next to Mr. Kober?"

The group nervously moved back, all save the leader. He spat and stepped forward. "Aw heck fellas, you guys are running scared because of some circus reject?" He swung a meaty paw at her jaw. She didn't flinch when it connected.

He did, however, when he broke four knuckles. With a howl, he clutched his hand and staggered back. "Shoot her!"

"As much fun as it would be to see a ricochet tear through your fat gut, I'm taking you to the proper authorities." She snatched a shotgun from one of the men and wrapped it around his body, pinning his arms. "Everyone, come out!"

The miners carefully stepped outside. Hoisting the larger man over her shoulder, Superwoman pointed to the men. "Take care of the wounded, then take their weapons and meet me at the sheriff's office." Without waiting, she leapt away, the man now screaming.

As Superwoman, Clara had seen the full gauntlet of emotions. Gratitude, anger, and fear; she had been the cause of all those and more. When she dropped her unwitting passenger off and told the story to the sheriff, she expected some sign of disbelief. Maybe even some terror, but surely the man would do his duty and arrest the would-be killer.

Much to her shock, he helped the man to his feet. "You ok Boris?" Jack asked in a concerned manner.

"Sheriff, maybe you don't understand. This man and several others shot several unarmed men and tried to burn down a store."

He looked at her with a hard eye. "I understand that one of my deputies was assaulted by some kind of freak." He drew his gun. She didn't even flinch. "And I'm giving you to the count of three to throw down any weapons you have and march right into that jail cell."

"You're making a mistake." The miners arrived with the men in tow. "Tell him what they did!"

The sheriff looked at the crowd. "Well, what happened?" His tone suggested more annoyance than anything else.

The old woman from the meeting stepped forward. "I'd like to register a complaint sheriff. That man and these others tried to kill me and several others tonight."

He sneered. "Oh? And I suppose you have the sixty dollar processing fee? Or witnesses?"

Superwoman snapped. "What?" Her voice made the sheriff wince. With a smooth motion, she snatched the gun from his hand and tore the badge from his shirt. She slammed the two together and crumpled them into a small metal ball. The sheriff lost his attitude. "It's your job to protect these people, and you would do this?" Her voice shook with fury.

Everyone moved back if they were able. With one motion she clamped her hand around the sheriff's neck and dragged him inside the jail. Outside, the assembled crowd heard the sickening sound of metal being torn and man's screams. When one miner screwed up enough courage to step forward, Superwoman exited the building, the sheriff in tow.

She had ripped the jail bars free from the wall and used each one to bind the man's arms and legs. Throwing him down next to Boris, she looked over the crowd. "Where is Blakely?"

"Go to blazes!" Boris spat. Jack cussed his deputy.

"Shut up Boris!" Looking at Superwoman, he jerked his head towards the North. "He's in his mansion, entertaining his guests. Good luck getting past his guards!" he laughed nastily. "That place is a fortress! There's no way you can get in!"

Superwoman turned and prepared to leap, but a hand on her shoulder made her stop. Louis, sporting a bandage over his forehead, stepped back. "Glad to see you could make it." Louis jerked a thumb at the bound men. "Not that I'm against roughing up those bums, but what about Blakely?"

Superwoman looked over the crowd. She could see the pain, the thin-faced despair etched on everyone's face. "I'm going to stop him." Putting up her hands, she quieted Louis's protest and turned towards the crowd. "The man responsible for this will pay, I promise you."

"How?" someone in the back shouted.

"I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine."

~S

May and Superwoman stared at the Blakely estate. It stuck out like a sore thumb when compared to the simple stores and shacks of the town. "So, all we have to do is get them into the mine?"

Superwoman nodded. "Just stand ready at the entrance. When they come out of there, they are going to need some help." May shook her head and left, heading back towards the mine. Once she was gone, Superwoman opened up a small bundle.

She removed a stained set of overalls, a miner's hat, and a small handful of coal dust. Switching her clothes at a blinding speed, she smeared herself with the coal. Hunched over, she made her way to one of the large windows in the dinning room.

She waited there for a few minutes before she heard one of the estate's guards coming her way. Stepping back, she made sure to be seen in the light. "Hey you!" She inwardly smiled as the burly guard rushed over. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I just wanted to see the big party sir." She wheezed.

"Oh, the little boy wants to see the big party, eh?" She was thankful for the darkness. The guard pushed her down and slapped a pair of handcuffs on her wrists. "Wait right here." He strolled off, leaving her planning.

Blakely sipped the champagne slowly as his guests amused themselves. His parties were the talk of both coasts, but he was very careful in who he invited. Food, drink, and more would be shipped in, but he was careful never to indulge in front of his guests. His calmness was shattered when one of his estate guards entered the room.

"What's the meaning of this interruption?" His voice was level, but the threat was there. The guard, a man twice Blakely's size, approached with his hat in his hand.

"Ah, sir, I thought it was wise to inform you I caught a prowler."

"So what do you want, a medal?" Blakely reached over his knife and speared a hunk of meat. He threw at the guard's feet. "Eat it, since you want to act like a guard dog."

The man blanched, but carefully picked up the offering. "It's a miner sir, he said he wanted to see a big party."

Blakely held up his hand. Everyone, from the musicians to the guard, froze. A slow smile spread across his features. "A party? He wanted to see a party?" He chuckled. "Well then, why don't we give him one?" Standing up, he threw down his drink. "Bring that fellow in here. If he wants to see a party, then by Jove he'll get one!"

Clara was pushed inside. Keeping her hat low and her voice gravely, she stammered as she spoke. "I just wanted to see what it was like up here."

Blakely roared with laughter. "Yes, yes, I can see that!" he turned to his guests. "Too often I've had to come up with ideas to entertain all of you. You, the rich and pampered," he swept his arms wide as he spoke, "and every time you hail me as genius for my parties. Well, how about something I bet none of you have ever experienced before?"

The group was silent. As one, they leaned in and waited with baited breath. Blakely tossed his glass to the ground. "Why don't we continue this party in the mine?"

A murmur rippled through the group. "Is it safe?" A be-furred socialite asked.

"Is it safe? Why, I run the safest mine in all the Americas! Come, let us descend from this stuffy old mansion into the depths of the underworld!" his laughter echoed off the walls as he rushed outside, his friends and hangers-on following him.

Clara was swept up in the crowd. "This isn't quite what I had intended, but if I can get him inside that shaft, then maybe this blowhard will finally learn his lesson."

~S

The group arrived at the mine within minutes. The guards were dismissed with a single glare with Blakely. Once inside, the group piled into the elevator and descended. Flasks were broken out and shared among the revelers. Someone smuggled sandwiches and passed them around. Clara stood at the back, silently taking the scene in.

Once the elevator stopped, the group (some of them stumbling), made their way into the shaft proper. Clara moved away from the group and leaned against the cavern wall. One of the men, his top hat tilted on his head, drunkenly picked up a pickaxe and swung it around. "Look at me, I'm a miner!"

"Oh Thornton, this is too much!" One of the women giggled. Clara was tempted to bring the whole mine shaft down on their heads when one of the support beams suddenly gave way. A chain reaction was triggered. Rotten beams snapped one by one as dirt and rock fell, destroying the elevator and burying the group alive.

Once the mine settled, Clara looked around. Without her amazing powers, she would have been suffocating in the enclosed area. As it was, she was merely dirty. Listening carefully, she could hear the group, separated from her by hundreds of pounds of rock.

Many of them screamed for help. Others just screamed. Putting her ear close to the rock, she could hear everything that was happening. "You cheapskate! If you had a better safety system, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

The group yelled as one. "Yeah!" More than a few threatened Blakely directly. To his credit, Blakely walked towards them and took something out of his pocket. Clara could hear the clicking of a lighter.

"And like I said before, I run the safest mine in all the Americas!" he pointed towards a junction box that had escaped the destruction. "Sure, a cave-in is to be expected, but I was smart enough to install the proper safety measures." He walked over to the box and opened it.

The group breathed a sigh of relief as he flipped the switch. "Once this hits, an alarm goes out, telling the men up top of a cave-in. We'll be out of here in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

He flipped the switch, but Clara only heard the empty sound of metal hitting metal. Gazing through the rock, Clara could see the inner wires. They had frayed and broke apart, thus there was no connection. Blakely was panicking now, as he endlessly hit the switch again and again. The cool veneer broke, reducing the man to a quivering panic. "We're all going to die!"

Clara shook her head. "I suppose they have suffered enough." Picking up a fallen pick, she clutched it in one hand and punched a hole in the wall with the other. Blowing slightly to dispel the dust, she leaned into the hole. "Is everyone alright?"

"Oh thank heavens, we can get out!" A large matron exclaimed. Clara shook her head and jerked a thumb.

"Nope, that way is blocked off too. I was lucky to be buried in a small area."

"Then we're doomed!" Someone wailed.

Clara dropped her pick and pointed to a group of shovels. "Not if we work. The miners here have to work in these conditions for twelve hours at a time. I think you lot can manage for half that."

"No we can't!" A man whined. Clara shook her head and sat down.

"What are you doing? You have to help us dig!" Blakely shrieked.

"No I don't. If all of you are just going to give up and die, why shouldn't I?" Clara crossed her arms and refused to budge. "If none of you want to live, I'm not going to waste my time." She knew her words were harsh, but hopefully the shock would be enough to motivate them to work. Hopefully Blakely would come around. If he didn't, then Superwoman would have to lend a hand…

~Some time later

The digging went slowly. For every one member of the party who hacked and dug, at least two could be counted to throw down their tools and scream about their impending deaths. Clara stood by Blakely, as the group started to focus their blame onto him. As for the man himself, he simply worked away. "How can they do it?" he wheezed under his breath. His silk shirt was stained with grime and sweat.

"Not so easy, eh?" Clara listened to the outside. She could hear men and equipment being assembled topside. "I suppose they have learned their lesson." Leaning against the wall, she pushed gently. The wall gave way as the rescuers struck. Moving fast enough not to be seen, Clara dashed past the crews and miners.

Stopping in the woods, Clara doffed her disguise and changed back. Guised once again as a mild mannered reporter, Clara stayed at the back of the crowd as Blakely and his guests were hauled to safety. Nudging Louis's elbow, she gestured for quiet as Blakely motioned with his hands. "Friends, stop."

He dropped his coat and staggered towards the crowd. His face was flushed and dripping with sweat. "I was wrong. I was so wrong about so many things." He pointed to the mine. "I swear, before each and everyone one of you, I will make this mine the safest in the world!" A small cheer went up from the crowd. Blakely motioned for quiet again. "And better wages for the workers, and proper equipment! I'll never scrimp on anything ever again!" he cast a glance upward as he was loaded into an ambulance.

May was in the crowd and shot a glance at Clara. To her credit, Clara simply winked.

~S

The write up had taken the most time. Blakely was as good as his word. Kober was rehired to an office position. Relying on the miner's experience, Blakely went about making the mine safe. Once Louis had fired off the article to the Daily Star offices, he stepped outside the telegram office. "Well, I thought this was going to be a big article, but I never thought it would be this big."

"Well, I'm just glad the whole thing was resolved." Clara looked around at the town before getting into Louis's car.

"Of course, it helped that Superwoman showed up." Louis started the engine. Clara played it cool.

"Oh, she did? I must have missed her."

Louis continued. "I have to admit Clara, I was impressed. If that had been me? I might have tossed Blakely and his crew down that mine and buried them." He shook his head as they drove back towards Metropolis. Clara said nothing, but she did smile all the way back.

The end

This story was based on the untitled work first appearing in Action Comics#3 (August 1938), with credits to Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster (script and pencils). All rights reserved by DC-Time Warner.

Be here next time when Superwoman plays…football?

Letters to the Editor:

They Call Me Bruce

Great story. Good to see an update for this.

Yeah. At the rate I'm going it might 2064 before the numbering gets into the double digits.

Wolvmbm

Once again, another great tale of Superwoman coming from you. That was a great adaptation to the original number 2 of Action Comics. I must say I'm very pleased with this series so far and I can't wait to read more of you within the future. Although I have to ask, how do you get the information on all those old comics?

Well, I'd like to say my extensive private collection, but in truth reprints (ask DC for more Chronicles!), comic historians, and the like.

Tiffani

Excellent work Cambot. I like the introspection at the end. That was cool.

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