1940 Gum Inc Superman trading cards are the first to feature the Man of Steel, coming just two years after the character’s debut in Action Comics #1.
The front of each card features an action shot of Superman while the reverse has a description of the action from the front. Cards 49 through 72 of the 72 count checklist are considered short prints and command a higher value on the secondary market, not that any of the cards are going to come cheap in high quality.
The complete set was reprinted in the 1980s so collectors should take care not to get fooled by a pristine, low-cost card on eBay. Clicking a link within this checklist will direct you to an affiliate retailer or to relevant eBay listings
1940 Gum Inc Superman Checklist
Base Set – 72 Cards
| 1 | Superman |
| 2 | The Spy Trail |
| 3 | From the Jaws of Death |
| 4 | Peril in the Jungle |
| 5 | The Girl Reporter\’s Danger |
| 6 | Superman vs. Bank Robbers |
| 7 | The Averted Train Wreck |
| 8 | Rescue at the Bank |
| 9 | Superman at the Circus |
| 10 | Fury of the Sea |
| 11 | Capture of the Kidnapers |
| 12 | Superman\’s Arch Enemy |
| 13 | Teeth of Steel |
| 14 | Maniac at Large |
| 15 | Panic in the Subway |
| 16 | Mountain Tragedy |
| 17 | Death on the Speedway |
| 18 | Prison Break |
| 19 | Wings of Mercy |
| 20 | Peril at Sea |
| 21 | The Runaway Horse |
| 22 | Wolves at Bay |
| 23 | Hurtling to Destruction |
| 24 | Attacked by Sharks |
| 25 | Trapped in the Air |
| 26 | Log Jam Peril |
| 27 | Rescue from a Rocky Reef |
| 28 | The Flames of Doom |
| 29 | Death Dive |
| 30 | Trapped in the Glacier |
| 31 | Rescue Beneath the Sea |
| 32 | Danger on High |
| 33 | The Avalanche |
| 34 | Peril in the Oil Fields |
| 35 | Hurricane Horror |
| 36 | Facing the Firing Squad |
| 37 | Distress at Sea |
| 38 | Marooned in the Clouds |
| 39 | Disaster at the Mine |
| 40 | Racing the Shells |
| 41 | Roller Coaster Rescue |
| 42 | Danger in the Jungle |
| 43 | Fight in Mid-Air |
| 44 | Disaster at the Circus |
| 45 | The Runaway Ship |
| 46 | To the Rescue |
| 47 | Horror Beneath the Sea |
| 48 | Death in the Air |
| 49 | Danger at the Carnival |
| 50 | At the Bottom of the Sea |
| 51 | Superman vs. the Spies |
| 52 | Saving the Destroyer |
| 53 | The Girl Reporter |
| 54 | Rescue from the Flames |
| 55 | Superman Wins Again |
| 56 | Superman and the Killer-Whale |
| 57 | Battling the Hurricane |
| 58 | A Near-Tragedy |
| 59 | The Dive of Death |
| 60 | Menace in the Mine |
| 61 | Through the Mine Field |
| 62 | Peril in the Presses |
| 63 | Terror in the Tower |
| 64 | Adventure on an Iceberg |
| 65 | The Runaway Trolley Car |
| 66 | Danger at the Dam |
| 67 | Explosion in an Oil Field |
| 68 | Saved by Superman |
| 69 | Saved from Burial Alive |
| 70 | Danger in the North Woods |
| 71 | Trapped in Quicksand |
| 72 | Superman vs. Torpedo |