Since someone can go 21-40 days without food (but with water; let's assume the little tyke at least found some drinkable water), even 1 hit point loss per 4 days without food would incapacitate most normal people. So would someone who can go 40 days have more than 10 hit points? Or should saving throws be incorporated at some point to begin staving off starvation damage? Another possibility would be to treat starvation as being poisoned instead of taking damage. In this instance, you would take no hit point loss, but might have to make a save vs. science each day after 11 or die.
Somehow, Clark Kent is walking to work when he sees the boy lying on the railroad tracks, unconscious; this is particularly odd because there seem to be very few buildings around. This is during the time Clark still worked in Cleveland, Ohio, for the Daily Star. Could Clark have been a suburbanite, choosing to walk into the city each day?
Superman uses the Quick Change power -- to ensure he can appear as Superman and still beat the train to the boy -- and then the Outrun Train power. He then takes a "giant leap" to clear the train, but since a locomotive can't be taller than 20', this could be Leap I or even just the less capable leaping of the alien race.
Clark/Superman has earned 100 XP for saving the orphan. It is up to the Editor if feeding the orphan is worth additional XP; I would rule that it is not, as it is still the same encounter.
It is worth pointing out that the orphan, Frankie Dennis, had been walking for two days, meaning the orphanage was not in Cleveland. No direct clue is given as to what direction Frankie came from, but he is heading to the right in the panels, which could be interpreted as east. And, in two days on foot, Frankie could have come from as far away as Toledo.
Superman's thought balloons at the Daily Star offices suggest that, at least at this time, he doesn't really feel genuine affection for Lois Lane, but is pretending as part of his act of being Clark Kent. Superman may have a strong sense of justice, but he is not a warm, affectionate person -- he sends Frankie back into the orphanage to "gather evidence," even though Frankie has warned him that he might get beaten.
While questioning the children in the orphanage, Lois is able to see through the children's attempts to deceive her. I would like to avoid using game mechanics for interactions like this; a good Editor can perform as the children (with as many tells as he wants) and allow the players to make their own interpretations.
Superman goes to great lengths to gather evidence of wrongdoing at the orphanage -- not of child neglect, but of mismanagement and graft. It seems another example of callousness on Superman's part, though perhaps he just has his own ideas of what will get the orphanage superintendent in more legal trouble. Lois is actually the one who shows up to rescue the children.
Returning to the orphanage, Superman displays Raise Car and Sleeping Nerve Pinch to stop the superintendent, then wrecks things to get through the bars into the attic.
Lois is unconscious from smoke inhalation, while Frankie is still fine. It seems unlikely that Frankie has more hit points, so it makes me think smoke inhalation should get a save vs. science to resist, and Frankie was just luckier. The fact that Lois was only momentarily stunned also suggests it was not hit point damage.
The second story in the issue is a reprint from Action Comics #5. The third story is a reprint from Action Comics #6.
The last story features Lois slipping a note out of a thug's pocket without him noticing. It seems to prove that even non-Heroes have fairly good chances of performing "thiefly" skills -- though I would not be opposed to statting Lois with at least one level in Mysteryman.
Something the rules don't cover at present is a passive perception skill (like the current version of D&D has), which allows others to witness Lois' sleight of hand (as two of the thug's friends do). I might skip that and leave this to the saving throw mechanic; if there is a chance of Lois being observed, she has to make a save vs. plot to avoid being spotted while performing her skill.
Superman saves Lois with wrecking things (vs. door), Race the Bullet, and Super-Tough Skin. This means Superman is at least a fantastic man (level 5 Superhero) at this point. He also carries a motorboat while leaping, demonstrating that two powers (Raise Car and Leap) could be active at the same time.
(Read in Superman Archives vol. 1)
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