Supermanica - User contributions [en]

File:Smallville Orphanage.png

2015-05-12T16:07:14Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

The Kents leave baby Kal-El at the Smallville Orphanage. From Superman No. 146, 1961. Art by Al Plastino.

Skyboy (Kal-El)

2015-05-11T10:43:44Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see [[Skyboy (disambiguation)]]''

'''Skyboy (Kal-El)'''

[[File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg]]

On a [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel World]], an infant named [[Kal-El]] arrives from the planet [[Krypton]] in 1976. He grows to become the teenaged Skyboy and, in 2001, the adult [[Superman]] (S No. 300, Jun 1976: "Superman, 2001!").

==External Links==

* [http://www.superman-through-the-ages.com/portal/tales2/2001/ Read the story online]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Aliases]]
[[Category:Superman's Aliases]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Skyboy (Kal-El)

2015-05-11T10:40:05Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see [[Skyboy (disambiguation)]]''

'''Skyboy (Kal-El)'''

[[File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg]]

On a [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel World]], an infant named [[Kal-El]] arrives from the planet [[Krypton]] in 1976. He grows to become the teenaged Skyboy and, in 2001, the adult [[Superman]] (S No. 300, Jun 1976: "Superman, 2001!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Aliases]]
[[Category:Superman's Aliases]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Smallville Orphanage

2015-05-11T10:33:48Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Added Image.

'''The Smallville Orphanage''' aka '''Smallville Orphan's Home'''

[[File:Smallville Orphanage.png]]

The orphanage, located in the town of [[Smallville]], to which [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]] brought the infant [[Superman]] after finding him in an open field (Act No. 141, Feb 1950: "Luthor's Secret Weapon") on the outskirts of Smallville (WF No.57, Mar/Apr 1952: "The Artificial Superman!"; and others). While most texts refer to it as the Smallville Orphanage (Act No. 273, Feb 1961: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk!"; and others), at least one text calls it the Smallville Orphan's Home (S No. 161/1, May 1963: "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent!").

All accounts of Superman's origin agree that the Kents turned the infant Superman over to an orphan asylum (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939) or foundling home (S No. 53/1, Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!") immediately after having found him. Accounts differ; however, on the question of whether the Kents decided to adopt the infant Superman immediately or whether they formulated these plans later. According to Superman No. 1/1, the Kents delivered the baby to the orphanage and then returned sometime later to adopt him only after discovering that they were unable to get the "sweet child" out of their minds (Sum 1939), but Superman No. 53 asserts that the Kents applied for adoption immediately and left the infant Superman at the orphanage only temporarily, long enough for their application to be properly investigated. The baby caused such pandemonium at the home with the unrestrained use of his super powers, continues this text, that the authorities rushed through the Kents' adoption in record time just so they could be rid of the problem infant (Jul/Aug 1948: "The Origin of Superman!").

Most texts agree that the Kents decided to adopt the infant Superman the moment they found him (Act No. 158, Jul 1951: "The Kid from Krypton!"; and others). Indeed, the more recent texts state that the Kents, knowing they would be asked to explain the origins of the child if they merely kept him or if they delivered him to the foundling home in person, actually left the baby in a basket at the orphanage doorstep, as though he had been abandoned there, so that they could appear at the orphanage the following day (S No. 130/3, Jul 1959: "The Town That Hated Superman!"), or several days later (S No. 146/1, Jul 1961: "The Story of Superman's Life!"), to adopt him for their own (but see SB No. 133, Oct 1966: "Superbaby's First Foster Parents" for the story of [[Deacon and Millie Dugan]]). Each year, Superman puts on a spectacular performance of super-feats for the orphanage's youngsters (Act No. 273, Feb 1961: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

File:Smallville Orphanage.png

2015-05-11T10:32:50Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: The Kents leave baby Kal-El at the Smallville Orphanage. From Superman No. 1946, 1961. Art by Al Plastino.

The Kents leave baby Kal-El at the Smallville Orphanage. From Superman No. 1946, 1961. Art by Al Plastino.

Orson Welles

2015-05-11T10:22:35Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Orson Welles'''

[[Image:Sman62.jpg|thumb|left|Superman No. 62 Art by Wayne Boring & Stan Kaye]]

Orson Welles, a well known film and radio personality is filming "Black Magic" playing the magician [[Cagliostro]], when he is captured by [[Mars|Martians]]. Welles escapes the Hitler-esque Martian dictator, [[Martler]], but when he attempts to broadcast a warning no one on Earth will believe him because of his famous adaptation of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" broadcast—except [[Superman]]!!! (S No. 62/1, Jan/Feb 1950: "Black Magic on Mars"). (TGSB)

==External Links==

* [http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2013/06/superman-meets-martler.html Read the story online]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles Wikipedia entry on Orson Welles]
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000080/ Internet Movie Database entry on Orson Welles]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041182/ Internet Movie Database entry on the film ''Black Magic'']
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio%29 Wikipedia Entry on the 1938 ''War of the Worlds'' Broadcast]

[[Category:Entries|Welles, Orson]]
[[Category:People|Welles, Orson]]
[[Category:Historical Figures|Welles, Orson]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)|Welles, Orson]]

Martler

2015-05-11T10:22:01Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Martler'''
[[File:Martler.png]]

The evil dictator of [[Mars]] and admirer of [[Adolf Hitler]] whose sinister plot to conquer the Earth and "blitzkrieg the solar system" with a gigantic fleet of Martian spaceships manned by his neo-Nazi followers, the so-called Solazis, is thwarted by [[Superman]] in January-February 1950 with the courageous aid of actor-director [[Orson Welles]]. Left stranded on an uninhabited asteroid by Welles and Superman, Martler will live out his remaining days in loneliness and exile (S No. 62/1: "Black Magic on Mars!"). (TGSB)

==External Links==

* [http://bennypdrinnon.blogspot.com/2013/06/superman-meets-martler.html Read the story online]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Dictators]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]

Tharn

2015-05-11T10:19:50Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Tharn'''

The boy from the planet [[Kormo]] who becomes known as [[Skyboy (Tharn)|Skyboy]] (WF No. 92, Jan/Feb 1958: "The Boy from Outer Space!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Martler

2015-05-11T09:57:25Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Martler'''
[[File:Martler.png]]

The evil dictator of [[Mars]] and admirer of [[Adolf Hitler]] whose sinister plot to conquer the Earth and "blitzkrieg the solar system" with a gigantic fleet of Martian spaceships manned by his neo-Nazi followers, the so-called Solazis, is thwarted by [[Superman]] in January-February 1950 with the courageous aid of actor-director [[Orson Welles]]. Left stranded on an uninhabited asteroid by Welles and Superman, Martler will live out his remaining days in loneliness and exile (S No. 62/1: "Black Magic on Mars!"). (TGSB)

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Dictators]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]

File:Martler.png

2015-05-11T09:56:33Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Martler and Orson on Mars.

Martler and Orson on Mars.

Skyboy (Tharn)

2015-05-11T09:50:13Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see [[Skyboy (disambiguation)]]''
[[Image:Batcar.jpg|right]]

'''Skyboy (Tharn)'''

The name given by [[Superman]] to a teenager from outer space, endowed with superhuman powers similar to Superman's, who arrives on the planet Earth in January-February 1958 afflicted with total amnesia as the result of a collision between his spacecraft and an oncoming meteor. Skyboy, who ultimately recovers his memory with Superman's help, is in reality [[Tharn]], the son of a lawman on the far-distant planet [[Kormo]] who dispatched his son to Earth to alert its inhabitants to the recent arrival on Earth of a band of interplanetary outlaws led by the villainous [[Rawl]]. On Earth, Rawl and his bandits stage a series of spectacular thefts of copper, Kormo's most precious metal, before they are finally apprehended through the heroic efforts of Superman, Skyboy, [[Batman]], and [[Robin]] (WF No. 92: "The Boy from Outer Space!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]

Skyboy

2015-05-11T09:48:30Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Skyboy to Skyboy (disambiguation)

#REDIRECT [[Skyboy (disambiguation)]]

Skyboy (disambiguation)

2015-05-11T09:48:30Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Skyboy to Skyboy (disambiguation)

'''Skyboy''' may refer to

*''[[Skyboy (Tharn)]]'' (alien superhero from [[Kormo]] (1958))
*''[[Skyboy (Kal-El)]]'' ([[Parallel-Worlds|parallel-Earth]] counterpart of [[Superbaby]]/[[Superboy]] (1976))

Skyboy (disambiguation)

2015-05-11T09:48:09Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

Skyboy (disambiguation)

2015-05-11T09:47:39Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Skyboy''' may refer to

*''[[Skyboy (Tharn)]]'' (alien superhero from [[Kormo]] (1958))
*''[[Skyboy (Kal-El)]]'' ([[Parallel-World|parallel-Earth counterpart of [[Superbaby]]/[[Superboy]] (1976))

Skyboy (Kal-El)

2015-05-11T09:47:24Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Created page with "''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see Skyboy (disambiguation)'' '''Skyboy (Kal-El)''' File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg On a Parallel World, ..."

''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see [[Skyboy (disambiguation)]]''

'''Skyboy (Kal-El)'''

[[File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg]]

On a [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel World]], an infant named [[Kal-El]] arrives from the planet [[Krypton]] in 1976. He grows to become the teenaged Skyboy and, in 2001, the adult [[Superman]] (S No. 300, Jun 1976: "Superman, 2001!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Kryptonians]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Skyboy (Tharn)

2015-05-11T09:46:36Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Created page with "''For other uses of the term Skyboy, see Skyboy (disambiguation)'' right '''Skyboy (Tharn)''' The name given by Superman to a teenager from oute..."

Skyboy (disambiguation)

2015-03-15T12:19:56Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Undo revision 20977 by DrJohnnyDiablo (talk)

[[Image:Batcar.jpg|right]]

'''Tharn as Skyboy'''

The name given by [[Superman]] to a teenager from outer space, endowed with superhuman powers similar to Superman's, who arrives on the planet Earth in January-February 1958 afflicted with total amnesia as the result of a collision between his spacecraft and an oncoming meteor. Skyboy, who ultimately recovers his memory with Superman's help, is in reality [[Tharn]], the son of a lawman on the far-distant planet [[Kormo]] who dispatched his son to Earth to alert its inhabitants to the recent arrival on Earth of a band of interplanetary outlaws led by the villainous [[Rawl]]. On Earth, Rawl and his bandits stage a series of spectacular thefts of copper, Kormo's most precious metal, before they are finally apprehended through the heroic efforts of Superman, Skyboy, [[Batman]], and [[Robin]] (WF No. 92: "The Boy from Outer Space!").

'''Superman as Skyboy'''

On a [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel World]], an infant named [[Kal-El]] arrives from the planet [[Krypton]] in 1976. He grows to become the teenaged Skyboy and, in 2001, the adult Superman (S No. 300, Jun 1976: "Superman, 2001!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Skyboy (disambiguation)

2015-03-15T12:19:31Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

[[File:Batcar.jpg|right]]

'''Tharn as Skyboy'''

The name given by [[Superman]] to a teenager from outer space, endowed with superhuman powers similar to Superman's, who arrives on the planet Earth in January-February 1958 afflicted with total amnesia as the result of a collision between his spacecraft and an oncoming meteor. Skyboy, who ultimately recovers his memory with Superman's help, is in reality [[Tharn]], the son of a lawman on the far-distant planet [[Kormo]] who dispatched his son to Earth to alert its inhabitants to the recent arrival on Earth of a band of interplanetary outlaws led by the villainous [[Rawl]]. On Earth, Rawl and his bandits stage a series of spectacular thefts of copper, Kormo's most precious metal, before they are finally apprehended through the heroic efforts of Superman, Skyboy, [[Batman]], and [[Robin]] (WF No. 92: "The Boy from Outer Space!").

'''Superman as Skyboy'''
[[File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg|thumb|left]]
On a [[Parallel-Worlds|Parallel World]], an infant named [[Kal-El]] arrives from the planet [[Krypton]] in 1976. He grows to become the teenaged Skyboy and, in 2001, the adult Superman (S No. 300, Jun 1976: "Superman, 2001!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

File:Skyboy from Superman 300.jpg

2015-03-15T12:17:00Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Kal-El becomes Skyboy in ''Superman'' No. 300 (Jun 1976).

Kal-El becomes Skyboy in ''Superman'' No. 300 (Jun 1976).

Jonathan Ross

2015-03-15T11:48:47Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Jonathan "Jon" Ross'''
[[Image:Jonathan_Ross.jpg|thumb|left|Jon Ross and Superman. Art by Curt Swan and Tex Blaisdell, 1976.]]
The young son of [[Pete Ross]] who, like his father, knows the secret of [[Superman]]'s double life as [[Clark Kent]] (Act No. 457, Mar 1976: "Superman, You're Not Clark Kent -- and I Can Prove It!").

Jon occasionally visits Clark Kent in [[Metropolis]], using his knowledge of Clark's alter ego to help Superman in his adventures. Once, Jon is temporarily given Superman's powers as a result of a plan by the [[Parasite]] (S No. 304, Oct 1976: "The Parasite's Prism of Power!"). On another occasion, Jon helps Superman defeat the super-villain [[Blackrock]] (S No. 315, Sep 1977: "Good Evening Superman --I'm Clark Kent ... and You're Not!").

Some time later, Superman is recruited by Pete to rescue his son from the planet [[Nyrvn]] (DCCP No. 13, Sep 1979: "To Live in Peace--Nevermore!"). When Superman is prevented from rescuing the boy, Pete Ross is driven temporarily insane. This situation is remedied when the [[Man of Steel]] ultimately reunites father and son (DCCP No. 25, Sep 1980: "Judgment Night").

==External Link==

*[http://supermanfan.nu/adventures/notclarkkent.htm ''Superman, You're Not Clark Kent--and I Can Prove It!'' at Confessions of a Superman Fan]

[[Category:Entries|Ross, Jonathan]]
[[Category:People|Ross, Jonathan]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Ross, Jonathan]]

Air Wave (Hal Jordan)

2015-03-09T16:32:54Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Air Wave, see [[Air Wave (disambiguation)]]''

'''Air Wave (Hal Jordan)'''

[[Image:Airwave.jpg|thumb|right|Air Wave and Superman teamed against the Parasite]]

Harold "Hal" Jordan is the son of the original [[Air Wave (Larry Jordan)]] (first appearance: Green Lantern No. 100, Jan 1978: "Rider of the Air Waves"). At a young age, Hal discovers that he is able to transform his body into electromagnetic energy. Teenaged Hal becomes the new Air Wave a number of years after his father is "gunned down in his own home, protecting his family" (DCCP No. 55, Mar 1983: "The Parasite's Power Ploys!"; and others).

After a number of adventures--solo and alongside [[Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)|Green Lantern]] (secretly Air Wave's same-named cousin, Hal Jordan), [[Green Arrow]], [[Black Canary]], the [[The Atom|Atom]] and [[Aquaman]]--the new Air Wave teams with [[Superman]] against the [[Parasite]] and [[Casey Jones]] in Air Wave's hometown of Dallas, Texas (DCCP No. 55, Mar 1983: "The Parasite's Power Ploys!").

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Wave Wikipedia Entry on Air Wave]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/shortrun.html Air Wave II Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/features/indexes.php?selection=556 Air Wave II Index by Mike]
*[http://www.dcuwiki.net/w/Air_Wave_(Hal_Jordan) Bio at the DCU Guide Wiki]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/profiles/airwave.html Cosmic Teams: Airwave(s)]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Air Wave (Larry Jordan)

2015-03-09T16:32:27Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Air Wave, see [[Air Wave (disambiguation)]]''

'''Air Wave (Larry Jordan)'''

[[Image:air_wave_larry.jpg|left|Air Wave meets Superboy!]]

A costumed crimebuster based in Brooklyn, New York (first appearance: Detective Comics No. 60, Feb 1942: "The Case of the Missing Evidence"). Air Wave, who is secretly District Attorney Larry Jordan, fights crime with the aid of a belt and an antenna that allows him to listen in on police band transmissions or tap phone wires. Air Wave also utilizes special roller skates with which he can travel on telephone wires.

In Brooklyn to deliver "some important evidence" to D.A. Larry Jordan, [[Superboy]] spots Air Wave skating on the phone lines. Mistaking him for a costumed criminal, Superboy follows Air Wave to the laboratories of [[Scientific Research Associates]]--a forerunner of [[S.T.A.R. Labs]]. There, Air Wave foils a robbery-in-progress while telling Superboy: "Take a hike--this is '''my''' case!"

Years later, [[Superman]] discovers that there was [[Gold Kryptonite]] in that room. Thus, if Air Wave had not brushed Superboy aside, the [[Boy of Steel]] would have lost his superpowers for all time (DCCP No. 55, Mar 1983: "The Parasite's Power Ploys!").

(''see also'' [[Air Wave (Hal Jordan)]])

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Wave Wikipedia Entry on Air Wave]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/features/indexes.php?selection=9 Air Wave I Index by Mike]
*[http://www.dcuwiki.net/w/Air_Wave_(Larry_Jordan) DCU Guide Wiki entry on Air Wave I]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/profiles/airwave.html Cosmic Teams: Airwave(s)]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Superboy Era]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Bizarro-Batman

2015-03-09T16:31:12Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Batman, see [[Batman (disambiguation)]]''

[[Image:Bizarro-Batman.jpg|thumb|WF No. 156, Mar 1966 art by Curt Swan and Sheldon Moldoff]]

'''Bizarro-Batman'''

Bizarro-Batman is the world's worst detective on the planet [[Htrae]]. He is the [[Bizarro]] version of [[Batman]] and a member of the [[Bizarro Justice League]]. His origin traces to March 1966, when Bizarro creates a Bizarro-Batman to form the world's worst team—the opposite of the roles played by the team of Batman and [[Superman]] (WF No. 156: "The Federation of Bizarro Idiots").

== Bizarro-Batman has appeared in the following comics ==

*WF No. 156, Mar 1966: "The Federation of Bizarro Idiots"
*WF No. 181, Dec 1968: "The Hunter and the Hunted!"
*DCCP No. 71, Jul 1984: "The Mark of Bizarro!"

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Aliens]]
[[Category:Bizarros]]
[[Category:Batman]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Batman Jr. of Earth-E

2015-03-09T16:30:46Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Batman, see [[Batman (disambiguation)]]''

[[Image:Supersons.gif]]

'''Batman Jr. of Earth-E'''

Batman Jr., who's secret identity is [[Bruce Wayne Jr. of Earth-E|Bruce Wayne Jr.]], is the son of [[Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]. On [[Earth-1]] however, he is nothing more than a character in a computer program. Just as Batman formed the world's finest team with [[Superman of Earth-E|Superman]], so too did Batman Jr. team up with Superman's son, [[Superman Jr. of Earth-E|Superman Jr.]] to form the team of the [[Super-Sons of Earth-E|Super-Sons]] (WF No. 215, Jan 1972: "Saga of the Super-Sons!").

[[Category:Entries|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]]
[[Category:People|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]]
[[Category:Heroes|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]]
[[Category:Batman|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]][[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]]

Batman of Earth-E

2015-03-09T16:30:17Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Batman, see [[Batman (disambiguation)]]''

'''Batman of Earth-E'''

[[Image:WF_No._216.jpg]]

The [[Earth-E]] counterpart of [[Batman]]. He has one son, [[Bruce Wayne Jr. of Earth-E|Bruce Wayne Jr.]], alias [[Batman Jr. of Earth-E|Batman Jr.]] (WF No. 215, Jan 1972: "Saga of the Super-Sons!"; and others).

Like his [[Earth-1]] counterpart, his sidekick was named Robin.

[[Category:Entries|Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]
[[Category:People|Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]
[[Category:Heroes|Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]
[[Category:Batman|Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds|Batman of Earth-E|Batman]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)|Batman of Earth-E]|Batman]]

Batman of Earth-2

2015-03-09T16:29:51Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Batman, see [[Batman (disambiguation)]]''

'''The Batman (of Earth-2)'''

[[Image:E-2_Batman_and_Catwoman.jpg|thumb|The Earth-2 Batman and Catwoman.]]

The counterpart of [[Batman]] on the [[Parallel-Worlds|parallel world]] of [[Earth-2]] (first appearance: Detective Comics No. 347, Jan 1966: "The Strange Death of Batman"). In 1955, the Earth-2 Batman marries [[Catwoman of Earth-2|Catwoman]] and goes into semi-retirement. This version of the Caped Crusader is a close friend of the [[Superman of Earth-2]] and a member of the [[Justice Society of America of Earth-2|Justice Society of America]] (SF No. 211/2, Oct 1981: "The Kill Kent Contract!"; and others).

Although many sources cite Detective Comics No. 27 (May 1939: "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate") as the first appearance of the Earth-2 Batman, the Batman who debuted in this story may not be precisely the same character as the Batman of Earth-2 (or separate from the [[Earth-1]] Batman). Detective Comics No. 347 is the earliest text to explicitly refer to a Batman living on Earth-2 and can therefore be considered as his first recorded appearance.

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%28Earth-Two%29 Wikipedia Entry on the Earth-2 Batman]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=7 Earth-2 Batman Index by Mike]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/jsa/batman/index.htm Cosmic Teams: The Golden Age Batman Chronology]
*[http://www.comicsarchives.org/JSA%20FAct%20File/BATMAN.html Batman Bio at the JSA Fact File]
*[http://www.goldenagebatman.com The Golden Age Batman Site!]
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/batman/bat-comics/autobiography/ Read ''The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne'' (1983)]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Batman]]
[[Category:Parallel-Worlds]]
[[Category:Earth-2]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Batman

2015-03-09T16:29:21Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Batman, see [[Batman (disambiguation)]]''

[[Image:Batman logo.gif|right]]

'''The Batman'''

==Overview==
[[Image:Batman.jpg |left]]

A costumed crime-fighter and adventurer who has, for decades, waged an unrelenting battle against the forces of crime, brutality, and evil. He is secretly [[Bruce Wayne]], a millionaire socialite and philanthropist based in [[Gotham City]] who, while still a young boy, vows to dedicate his life to "warring on all criminals" after seeing his parents murdered by a hoodlum on a darkened city street. In April 1940, approximately a year after the onset of his crime-fighting career, Batman trains a young boy named [[Dick Grayson]] to be his partner, conferring on him the name [[Robin]], and thus launching the career of a crime-fighting partnership whose feats have become the stuff of legend. Like Wayne, the Boy Wonder is an orphan, his parents killed when a gangster arranges to have his trapeze-expert parents die in a circus accident. The name Robin refers to the legendary [[Robin Hood]] of English yore. As chronicled in the 1980s, Dick outgrows the Robin identity and passes it the young [[Robin (Jason Todd)|Jason Todd]].

Both Superman and Batman are founding members of the [[Justice League of America]], but following a policy dispute in 1983, Batman leaves to found his own super-team—[[The Outsiders]] (DCCP No. 83, Jul 1985: "The Shadow of the Outsider").

==Origin==

Batman's own chronicles gradually reveal his origins as time progresses. In his first appearance, he is already established as a mysterious vigilante and [[Bruce Wayne]] is known to [[Commissioner James W. Gordon|Commissioner Gordon]] as a "socialite", perhaps without the sense of responsiblity and philanthropy that later marked his career as a millionaire businessman (Detective Comics No. 27, May 1939: "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate"). He is later joined by [[Robin]] (Detective Comics No. 38, Apr 1940: "Robin the Boy Wonder") and it is also revealed that butler [[Alfred Pennyworth]]'s family has remained in the service of the Wayne family for generations.

It is not until 1948 that the full details of Batman's origin are made known. Vowing revenge on the murderer who killed his parents (Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne) on a street at night, young Bruce Wayne carefully acquires the skills necessary to fight crime. To do this, he "mastered scientific criminal investigation" and "trained his body to physical and athletic perfection". Wayne takes his crime-fighting name and costume from the bat, a creature of the night that he knows strikes terror in the heart of even hardened criminals. Years later, as Batman, Wayne encounters the hoodlum who shot his parents—Joe Chill—now a criminal boss running a crooked trucking operation. In carrying out his vengeance, Bruce reveals his identity to Chill, but it is Chill's own men who kill him, angry at the revelation that Chill's past homicides actually "created" the Caped Crusader who is persecuting them (Batman No. 47, Jun/Jul 1948: "The Origin of the Batman!").

==The World's Finest==

[[Image:SupeBat.jpg|right]]
Batman is a close friend of [[Superman]] and one of the few persons privy to the closely guarded secret of Supermanâ€™s secret identity. From mid-1954 onward, Batman and Superman regularly participate in certain of their adventures together.

'''===Battles Against Crime and Villainy==='''

In May-June 1952, Superman and Batman meet and team up for the first time ever as they apprehend [[John Smilter]] and learn each other's secret identity while vacationing aboard the coastal cruise ship [[S.S. Varania]] (S No. 76/1: " The Mightiest Team in the World!").

In July-August 1954, Superman joins forces with Batman and [[Robin]] to apprehend a gang of criminals and prevent [[Lois Lane]] from unraveling the secret of his dual identity (WF No. 71: "Batman... Double for Superman!"). Later in 1954, they also bring the [[Heavy Weapons Gang]] to justice (WF No. 72, Sep/Oct 1954: "Fort Crime!") and battle [[The Fang]] (WF No. 73, Nov/Dec 1954: "Batman and Superman, Swamis, Inc!").

In January-February 1955, Batman, Robin and Superman help an extraterrestrial youngster stranded on Earth find his way home again (WF No. 74: "The Contest of Heroes!"). In the same year, they battle the [[Purple Mask Mob]] (WF No. 75, Mar/Apr 1955: "The New Team of Superman and Robin!"), match wits with [[Professor Pender]] (WF No. 77, Jul/Aug 1955: "The Super-Bat-Man!"), and apprehend the [[Varrel Mob]] (WF No. 78, Sep/Oct: "When Supermanâ€™s Identity Is Exposed!").

With the help of [[Professor Carter Nichols]]' time-inducing hypnosis, Batman, Robin, and Superman journey into the past where they encounter the legendary [[Aladdin]] (WF No. 79, Nov/Dec 1955: "The Three Magicians of Baghdad!"). They again go back in time to the era of the [[Three Musketeers]] in a somewhat later adventure (WF No. 82, May/Jun 1956: "The Three Super-Musketeers!"). Other instances where the heroes travel to the past are chronicled in WF No. 107, Feb 1960: "The Secret of the Time Creature!" and WF No. 132, Mar 1963: "Batman and Robin, Medieval Bandits!".

In January-February 1956, Batman, Robin and Superman trap the [[Mole]] (WF No. 80: "The Super-Newspaper of Gotham City!"). Later in 1956, they meet [[Ka Thar]] (WF No. 81, Mar/Apr 1956: "The True History of Superman and Batman!") and are honored guests at [[Gotham City]]â€™s annual policemenâ€™s ball (WF No. 83, Jul/Aug 1956: "The Case of the Mother Goose Mystery!"). When in the midst of a hurricane, Batman loses a bat-cape with his real name, [[Bruce Wayne]], sewn inside it, [[Clark Kent]] finds the lost cape and uses his X-Ray vision to burn away the tell-tale writing to help safeguard the secret of Batmanâ€™s identity (Batman No. 101, Aug 1956: "The Great Bat-Cape Hunt!"). In September-October 1956, Batman, Robin and Superman apprehend the [[Thad Linnis]] gang (WF No. 84: "The Super-Mystery of Metropolis!") and in November-December 1956, Batman, Robin and Superman meet [[Princess Varina]] (WF No. 85: "The Super-Rivals!").

In January-February 1957, Batman, Robin and Superman thwart the unscrupulous machinations of [[Henry Bartle]] (WF No. 86: "The Super-Show of Gotham City!") and in March-April 1957, Superman narrates the story of a past encounter that he and Batman and Robin had with the villainous [[Elton Craig]] (WF No. 87: "The Reversed Heroes!"). The team become embroiled in an adventure involving the amazing [[Lightning-Man]] (WF No. 89, Jul/Aug 1957: "The Club of Heroes!") and find themselves forced to cope with a super-powered [[Batwoman]] (WF No. 90, Sep/Oct 1957: "The Super-Batwoman!"). In November-December, Batman, Robin and Superman apprehend [[Rick Harben]] and match wits with [[Rohtul]] (WF No. 91: "The Three Super-Sleepers!").

[[Image:FineDanger.jpg|left|thumb|From World's Finest Comics No. 96]]

In January-February 1958, Batman, Robin and Superman meet [[Skyboy]] (WF No. 92: "The Boy from Outer Space!"), and later Batman, Robin and Superman thwart the schemes of [[Victor Danning]] (WF No. 93 Mar/Apr 1958: "The Boss of Batman and Superman!"). In September 1958, Batman, Robin and Superman help a band of aliens who have journeyed to the planet Earth (WF No. 96: "The Super-Foes from Planet X!"). They return to the fight against crime when they battle [[The Condor Gang]] (WF No. 97, Oct 1958: "The Day Superman Betrayed Batman!") and the [[Moonman]] (WF No. 98, Nov/Dec 1958: "The Menace of the Moonman!"). In February 1959, Batman, Robin and Superman becomes embroiled in an adventure involving the bizarre last will and testament of eccentric millionaire [[Carl Verril]] (WF No. 99: "Batmanâ€™s Super-Spending Spree!"). In later months, they do battle with [[The Atom-Master]] (WF No. 101, May 1959: "The Menace of the Atom-Master!") and apprehend the [[Jo-Jo Groff]] gang (WF No. 102, Jun 1959: "The Caveman from Krypton!").

In August 1959, Batman, Robin and Superman join forces to outwit [[Atkins and Bork]] (WF No. 103: "The Secret of the Sorcererâ€™s Treasure!"). In November 1959, Batman, Robin and Superman match wits with the evil [[Khalex]] (WF No. 105: "The Alien Superman!!") and in December join forces to defeat the [[Duplicate Man]] (WF No. 106: "The Duplicate Man!"). At the suggestion of Batman and Robin, Superman feeds photographic data concerning life on the planet [[Krypton]] into the [[Super-Univac]] in his [[Fortress of Solitude]] together with the question, â€œWhat would Supermanâ€™s other life have been, if Krypton had not exploded?â€ The answer according to the Super-Univac, is that much about Supermanâ€™s might-have-been life would had paralleled his real one, with Superman eventually acquiring super-powers on his native planet and assuming the role of Kryptonâ€™s super-hero (S No. 132, Oct 1959: "Supermanâ€™s Other Life!" pts I-III).

In February 1960, the team of Batman, Robin and Superman annihilates an awesomely destructive "creature of energy" spawned by the "alien gases" of a "strange fireball" from outer space (WF No. 107: "The Secret of the Time Creature!"). They later meet an alien movie producer from the planet [[Kzotl]] (WF No. 108, Mar 1960: "The Star Creatures!") and become embroiled in a bizarre adventure involving a centuries-old trap set by the sorcerer [[Fangan]] (WF No. 109, May 1960: "The Bewitched Batman!"). In June 1960, Superman and Batman team up to battle and defeat an extraterrestrial alien who has stolen part of Robinâ€™s life force (WF No. 110: "The Alien who Doomed Robin!"). In August 1960, Batman, Robin and Superman join forces to apprehend [[Floyd Frisby]] (WF No. 111, Aug 1960: "Supermanâ€™s Secret Kingdom!"). Next, they journey to the planet [[Zoron]] for an encounter with the evil [[Chorn]] (WF No. 114, Dec 1960: "Captives of the Space Globes!").

In February 1961, Batman, Robin and Superman thwart an elaborate scheme by a gang of criminals to steal $500,000 in contributions earmarked for the [[Childrenâ€™s Charity Fund]] (WF No. 115: "The Curse that Doomed Superman!"), then in March 1961, Batman, Robin and Superman encounter the weirdly transformed [[Vance Collins]] (WF No. 116: "The Creature from Beyond!").

In June 1961, Superman employs the alias of [[The Alchemist|the Alchemist]] (Batman No. 140: "{The Charmed Life of Batman!") and joins forces with Batman and Robin to thwart the dictatorial ambitions of [[Vathgar]] (WF No. 118: "The Creature That Was Exchanged for Superman!") and after a weird mixture of "upper atmosphere" gas samples in a Gotham City laboratory has temporarily transformed Batman into a colossal giant, Superman helps Batman protect the secret of his duel identity by disguising himself as Bruce Wayne, Batmanâ€™s alter ego and standing in for Wayne at a community fund dinner (Detective Comics No. 292: "The Colossus of Gotham City!"). In August 1961, Batman, Robin and Superman thwart the sinister schemes of [[General Grambly]] (WF No. 119: "The Secret of Tigerman!") and in November 1961, Batman, Robin and Superman battle the villainous [[Xanu]] (WF No. 121: "The Mirror Batman!"). In September 1961, Batman, Robin and Superman defeat an unidentified criminal who has managed to bring to life three enchanted beings, all originally created by the ancient alchemist [[Albertus]], who proceed to temporarily steal several of Supermanâ€™s super-powers (WF No. 120: "The Challenge of the Faceless Creatures!").

In March 1962, Batman, Robin and Superman help the young alien hero [[Logi]] defeat his archenemies [[Hroguth]], [[Sklur]], [[Hansh]] (WF No. 124: â€œThe Mystery of the Alien Super-Boy!â€), and then thwart the sinister machinations of [[Jundy]] (WF No. 125, May 1962: â€œThe Hostages On the Island of Doom!â€). At a later date, Batman, Robin and Superman do battle with [[Zerno]], a sorcerer from another planet (WF No. 127, Aug 1962: â€œThe Sorcerer from the Stars!â€). In September 1962, they team up to do battle with [[Moose Morans]], [[Silky Steve]], [[Sparkles Garnet]] and their gangs while Batman undergoes a bizarre transformation as a result of being exposed to [[Red Kryptonite]] (WF No. 128: â€œThe Power That Transformed Batman!â€). Later, in order to stop a strange star-shaped monster from destroying the Earth, Superman must journey to four different planets while Batman and Robin must join a traveling circus in space (WF No. 130, Dec 1962: â€œRiddle of the Four Planets!â€).

In February 1963, Batman, Robin and Superman do battle with the [[Octopus]] (WF No. 131: â€œThe Mystery of the Crimson Avenger!â€) then in March 1963, Batman, Robin and Superman capture [[Denny Kale]] and [[Shorty Biggs]] (WF No. 132: â€œBatman and Robin, Medieval Bandits!â€) later in June 1963, Batman, Robin and Superman do battle with the [[Band of Super-Villains]] (WF No. 134: â€œThe Band of Super-Villains!â€). The heroes meet [[Jon Durr]] during a time traveling journey into the future (WF No. 135, Aug 1963: â€œThe Menace of Future Man!â€).

In December 1963, Batman, Robin and Superman defeat [[General Grote]] (WF No. 138: â€œThe Secret of the Captive Caveman!â€) and later in February 1964, team up to battle the [[Sphinx Gang]] (WF No. 139: â€œThe Ghost of Batman!â€). In November 1964, Batman, Robin and Superman thwart the evil schemes of the masters of the planet [[Vor]] (WF No. 145: â€œPrison for Heroes!â€) and then in December, Batman, Robin and Superman learn the incredible story of [[Dr. Thomas Ellison]] (WF No. 146: â€œBatman, Son of Krypton!â€). In February 1965, Superman and Batman struggle to aid Robin and [[Jimmy Olsen]], whose minds have been taken over and possessed by some weirdly glowing jewels from a distant planet (WF No. 147: â€œThe New Terrific Team!â€ and â€œâ€œThe Doom of Jimmy Olsen and Robin!â€).

In March 1965, Batman and Superman are temporary catapulted into a bizarre â€œParallel-World...a world thatâ€™s almost like Earth in every way, but in which history had a different course than on Earth!â€ On this world, the counterparts of Batman and Superman are master criminals (see below - The Batmen of Parallel-Worlds!).

[[Image:Batwell.jpg|right]]

In March 1966, [[Bizarro]] creates a [[Bizarro-Batman]] to form the worldâ€™s worst team (WF No.156, Mar 1966: â€œThe Federation of Bizarro Idiotsâ€). In September 1966, Batman and Superman and Robin team up to battle [[Dr. Zodiac]] (WF No. 160: â€œThe Fatal Forecasts of Dr. Zodiacâ€ and â€œThe Unholy Horoscopesâ€). In March 1967, Superman, Batman and Robin defeat the gang lord [[King Wolff]] (WF No. 165: â€œThe Crown of Crimeâ€) then in November 1967, they team up again to thwart the evil plans of [[Victor Stark]] (WF No. 171: â€œThe Executionerâ€™s Listâ€). Later in February 1968, Superman and Batman face off against [[Dr. Arron]], a criminal chemist who creates a formula that turns Batman and Superman into [[Two-Face]] and [[Kralik]] the Conqueror (WF No. 173: â€œThe Jekyll-Hyde Heroesâ€). In March 1968, Superman and Batman do battle with robot versions of themselves (WF No. 174: â€œSecret of the Double Death-Wishâ€) and later fend off the [[Superman Revenge Squad]] and [[Batman Revenge Squad]] (WF No. 175, May 1968: â€œThe Superman-Batman Revenge Squadsâ€).

Batman and Superman turn their attention to the nefarious actions of the Mafia and its local leader, [[Karl Lukas]], in an adventure that puts Robin and [[Jimmy Olsen]] in danger (WF No. 194, Jun 1970: "Inside the Mafia Gang!"; WF No. 195, Aug 1970: "Dig Now, Die Later!"). Soon after, [[K.C. Jones]] and his minions attempt to rob a train hauling [[Kryptonite]] (WF No. 196, Sep 1970: "The Kryptonite Express!") and Batman and [[Lois Lane]] help Superman thwart a criminal hoping to raise an ancient power with the help of a rogue [[Superman Robot 15|Superman Robot]] (WF No. 202, May 1971: "Vengeance of the Tomb-Thing!"). Batman uses his detective abilities to spoil a plan of [[Justice League of America]] adversary [[Dr. Light]] to kill Superman (WF No. 207, Nov 1971: "A Matter of Light and Death!").

Supergirl joins Batman and Superman when a group called the [[Krush]] arrive on Earth to hunt down a criminal whose only crime is dissent with the alien's philosophy of war (WF No. 211, May 1972: "Fugitive from the Stars!"). In 1973, Superman and Batman defeat the mentalist [[Capricorn]] (WF No. 218, Jul/Aug 1973: "Who is Capricorn?") and later stop a criminal from acquiring Nazi gold in South America (WF No. 219, Sep/Oct 1973: "The Prisoner of Rogues Rock!"; WF No. 220, Dec 1973: "Let No Man Write My Epitaph!").

The mighty team travels to Scotland and the home of the ancestral Wayne family to investigate paranormal problems (WF No. 225, Sep/Oct 1974: Bow Before Satans's Children!") and in another adventure, attempt a rescue only to be beaten by [[Metamorpho]] - who has already replicated their abilities within himself (WF No. 226, Nov/Dec 1974: "The Freak Who Never Fails!"). Batman and Superman stop a Tibetan mystic (WF No. 232, Sep 1975: "The Dream Bomb!") and have an adventure in orbit above the earth (WF No. 234, Dec 1975: "The Family That Fled Earth!").

In January 1976, the Caped Crusaders and the [[Man of Steel]] stop the magician known as [[Sagittarius]] from revealing Superman's identity (WF No. 235: "Superman's Stolen Birthday!"). Soon after, they are helped by the [[Atom]] when tiny invaders called "germ people" infect human beings (WF No. 236, Mar 1976: "Killers Come in All Sizes!"). The [[Metal Men]] aid them in July of 1976 (WF No. 239: "The UFOs That Stole the USA!"). In a Kandorian adventure, Superman begins to act so strangely that Batman is asked to kill him (WF No. 240, Sep 1976: "How Do You Kill a Superman?"). Superman and Batman travel with citizens aboard a space ship and even live with them on a new planet for a time (WF No. 241, Oct 1976: "Make Way for a New World!") and are joined by Robin to solve a puzzling problem brought to them by the [[Twelve Immortals]] (WF No. 244, Feb 1977: "We Are Not Alone!"). Batman and Superman next foil an evil plot to kill every living person on Earth (WF No. 244, May/Jun 1977: "Three Billion Targets!").

Superman and Batman uncover a plot to replace the world's most important leaders with clones (WF No. 248, Dec/Jan 1978: "The Lurkers!") and team with the [[Phantom Stranger]] in their next adventure (WF No. 249, Feb/Mar 1978: "The Vampire of Steel!"). The heroes stop the disembodied brain of [[Boss Dyke]] after aliens transplant it into a monster (WF No. 251, Jun/Jul 1978: "Invasion of the Deathless Brain!") and help save the reputation of [[Perry White]] (WF No. 252, Sug/Sep 1978: "Will of the Whisperer!"), and Bruce Wayne is called upon to play the role of a prince in a wedding (WF No. 253, Oct/Nov 1978: "The Third Face is Death!). In February/March 1979, Superman and Batman travel to a small town where evil cult members are summoning a strange and ancient spirit of the bat (WF No. 255, "Thou Shall Have No Other Batman Before Me!"). They then grapple with [[Lar-On]], escaped from the [[Phantom Zone]] and possessing qualities that turn him into a raging beast similar to an earth werewolf (WF No. 256, Apr/May 1979: "The Werewolf from Krypton!"). They later discover that Lar-On has passed his tendency on to others, even changing Batman into a "were-bat" (WF No. 258, Aug/Sep 1979: "The Curse of Krypton!").

Batman helps Superman solve the problem of a homeless [[Metropolis]] woman who gains the power of wish fulfillment (WF No. 257, Jul 1979: "The Innocent Who Hated!") and teams with him again to investigate the mystery of why citizens are fleeing Gotham City for Metropolis (WF No. 259, Nov 1979: Gotham City - Ghost City!"). In their next adventure, Batman is helped by Jimmy Olsen and [[Lois Lane]] in tricking aliens to release a hostage Superman (WF No. 260, Dec/Jan 1980: "The Four Billion Supermen of Earth!"). The heroes team with a young blind girl to stop a criminal with radioactive powers (WF No. 262, Apr/May 1980: "The Power of the Pi-Meson Man!") and later, Batman and Superman rescue Robin from [[Simon Magnus]] (WF No. 265, Nov 1980: "Magic Menace This Way Comes!"). In 1981, Superman and Batman must battle [[Lady Lunar]], an astronaut with the same powers as [[Moonman]] (WF No. 266, Dec/Jan 1981: "The Last Laugh of Lady Lunar!"). The heroes accept the assignment of freeing the [[Challengers of the Unknown]] so that a terrorist can be stopped (WF No. 267, Feb/Mar 1981: When Strikes the Gravity Masters!") and foil the thefts of [[Dr. Zodiac]] (WF No. 268, May 1981: "The Twelve Coins of Power!"). Zodiac returns in a plot that involves not only Batman and Superman, but the entire [[Justice League of America]] (WF No. 285- No. 287, Nov 1982 - Jan 1983: "Deliver Us From Evil"; "When Hell Breaks Loose"; "Within My Heart, The Enemy"). In June/July 1981, Superman and Robin race against time to rescue a trapped Batman (WF No. 269: "Buried Alive!"). Superman and Batman battle a powerful enemy bent on killing Superman after learning that the same villain fought their counterparts on [[Earth-2]] (WF No. 271, Sep 1981: "The Secret Origins of the Superman and Batman Team!"). Next, they face the threat of the [[Weapon-Master]] (WF No. 272-274, Oct-Dec 1981: "Assault on the Fortress of Solitude!"; "Citadel of the Weapon-Master!"; "Greater Love Hath No Man").

The super team joins [[Hawkman]] in an adventure on Thanagar (WF No. 278, Apr 1982: "Assault on Thanagar!") and must face a serious threat when military villains form the [[Army of Crime]] (WF No. 279-281, May-Jul 1982: "Kidnapped!"; "General Scarr's Army of Crime!"; "War in the Streets!"). Batman and Superman travel to the beginnings of human evolution in August of 1982 (WF No. 282: "The Joy-Bringers!") and weird probes from outer space puzzle them until they figure out their true meaning (WF No. 289, Mar 1983: "The Kryll Way of Dying!"). In April and May of 1983 the heroes battle a being of solid rock who wants to activate a volcano (WF No. 290-291: "The Man With the Molten Touch!"; "The Strange Saga of Stalagron!"). The Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader foil a plot to release deadly pathogens (WF No. 292, Jun 1983: "The Anthrax Hotline!") and stop the strange threats of [[Null and Void]] - beings with the power to deaden sound and light (WF No. 293, Jul 1983: "Friends").

'''===Confronting the Super-Villains==='''

Superman teams with the Dynamic Duo in many exploits against master criminals that usually only plague himself or Batman and Robin in isolation. They foil the plans of the [[The Joker]] and [[Lex Luthor|Luthor]], who appear to have "reformed" but are instead involved in a villainous plan to create plundering robots (WF No. 88, May/Jun 1957: "Superman's and Batman's Greatest Foes!"). Luthor and the Joker attempt another alliance, with no better results ((WF No. 129, Nov 1962: "Joker-Luthor, Incorporated!").

In May-June 1958, Batman, Robin and Superman battle [[Lex Luthor]] (WF No. 94: â€œThe Origin of the Superman-Batman Team!â€). The Caped Crusaders help Superman when Luthor subjugates the people of [[Kandor]] (WF No. 100, Mar 1959: "The Dictator of Krypton City!") and are able to defeat a super-powered [[Batwoman]] empowered during another gambit by Lex Luthor (WF No. 117, May 1961: "The Super-Batwoman and the Super-Creature!"). In September 1959, Batwoman teams with Batman to help derail another plot by [[Lex Luthor]] to destroy Superman (WF No. 104, Sep 1959: â€œThe Plot to Destroy Superman!â€). Luthor also creates a very dangerous enemy, the [[Negative Superman]], that tests the abilities of Superman, Batman, and Robin (WF No. 126, Jun 1962: "The Negative Superman!"). Luthor confounds Batman when he attempts to auction the apparently dead Superman's organs to crime bosses (WF No. 189, Nov 1969: "The Man with Superman's Heart!"). Batman later aids Superman when Luthor tries a strange twist and uses [[Red Kryptonite]] to morph the Man of Steel into a duplicate of himself (SA No. 9, 1983: "Villain, Villain, Who's Got the Villain?").

The heroic team stifles [[Clayface]] (WF No. 140, Mar 1964: "The Clayface Superman!") and is aided by Jimmy Olsen when battling the combination of Clayface and [[Brainiac]] (WF No. 144, Sep 1964: "The 1,001 Tricks of Clayface and Brainiac!"). Clayface menaces the heoes again at a much later date ( WF No. 264, Aug/Sep 1980: "Vengeance of the Altered Man!"). In February 1967, Brainiac creates a female computer-being, [[Genia]], to help him steal five cities of Earth for his collection and to battle Superman, Batman and Robin (WF No. 164: â€œBrainiacâ€™s Super Brain-Childâ€).

Examples of other villains that decide to challenge the combined power of Superman and Batman are [[Parasite]] (WF No. 247, Oct/Nov 1977: "Last Hurrah for a Superman!"), Sinestro (WF No. 254, Dec 1978: "Whom Gods Would Destroy!"), the team of the [[Penguin]] and [[Terra-Man]] (WF No. 261, Feb/Mar 1980: "Showdown at Gotham City!"), [[Metallo (Roger Corben)|Metallo]] (WF No. 270, Aug 1981: "A Hole for Killing!"), and [[Mr. Freeze]] (WF No. 275, Jan 1982: "Summer Nights, Winter Days"). In February of 1982, [[Dr. X]] strikes in an adventure that also involves the [[The Joker| Joker]] and [[Two-Face]] (WF No. 276: "Double X Means Double Death!").

[[Image:Supe-Bat.jpg|left|thumb|At the mercy of the Composite Superman]]

Probably the most fearsome opponent to engage the World's Mightiest Team is the [[Composite Superman]], a transformed mortal with the powers of the entire 30th century [[Legion of Super-Heroes]] at his disposal. Superman and Batman are lucky to defeat this enemy, one of the most powerful known in the chronicles of either hero (WF No. 142, Jun 1964: The Origin of the Composite Superman!â€ and WF No. 168, Aug 1967: "The Return of the Composite Superman!"). Years later, a second Composite Superman, calling himself [[Xan|Amalgamax]], returns and it takes the combination of Superman, Batman, and the Legion of Super Heroes to stop him (WF No. 283, Sep 1982: "Prologue"; WF No. 284, Oct 1982: "I - Amalgamax").

'''===The Competitive Spirit Between the Heroes==='''

In addition to crushing criminal plans, Superman and Batman also show signs of occasional competitiveness, for example, challenging each other to determine the other's secret identity after being subject to an [[Amnesia Machine]] (WF No. 149, May 1965: "The Game of Super Identities") and an adventure in which Superman dares Batman to discover the true identity of "Nightman" - a fictional character The Man of Steel creates in Batman's mind by using mind-control (WF No. 155, Feb 1966: "Exit Batman - Enter Nightman!"). The partners get in the game when Superman and Jimmy Olsen square off against Batman and Robin in an annual duel of wits competition (WF No. 175, May 1968: â€œThe Superman-Batman Revenge Squadsâ€).

Earlier, Superman engages in a contest with Batman to determine who can do the most super-heroic deeds in a given amount of time (WF No. 76, May/Jun 1955: â€œWhen Gotham City Challenged Metropolis!â€ - see: [[Professor Vohr]]). Once, aliens interested in the relative merits of the two, manipulate Superman and Batman into squaring-off after granting Batman super powers (WF No. 95, Jul/Aug 1958: "The Battle of the Super-Heroes!").

Often, the heroes tease each other with mysteries, for example, in June 1958, Superman begins receiving taunting messages from an anonymous adversary who can enter and leave his [[Fortress of Solitude]] at will and who has clearly penetrated the secret of his duel identity. The mysterious intruder, however, turns out to be none other than Batman, who had decided to present his friend Superman with the enigma of an anonymous adversary as his good-humored way of helping the [[Man of Steel]] celebrate â€œthe anniversary of Supermanâ€™s arrival on Earth from the planet [[Krypton]]!â€ (Act No. 241: â€œThe Super-Key to Fort Superman!â€).

Batman copes with an inferiority complex at one time - to alleviate this, Superman and Jimmy Olsen take Batman and Robin to Kandor, to fight crime in a place where no one has super powers (WF No. 143, Aug 1964: "The Feud Between Superman and Batman!"). In one instance, Batman and Superman take different sides in an "alien" conflict--with Batman requesting [[Supergirl]]'s help and Superman being aided by [[Batgirl]]--but the entire situation is actually a charade set-up by dying actor [[Ronald Jason]] hoping to engineer his greatest performance (WF No. 176, Jun 1968: "The Superman-Batman Split!").

'''===The Magical Trouble Makers==='''

Superman and Batman are sometimes beset by the mischief of [[Mr. Mxyzptlk]] and [[Bat-Mite]], such as when the bothersome imps combine forces and impersonate Supergirl and Batgirl (WF No. 169, Sep 1967: "The Supergirl-Batgirl Plot!").

The magical pests also cause nuisance in earlier adventures (WF No. 113, Nov 1960: "Bat-Mite Meets Mr. Mxyzptlk!"; WF No. 123: Feb 1962: "The Incredible Team of Bat-Mite and Mr. Mxyzptlk!"; and WF No. 152: Sep 1965: "The Colossal Kids!").

==The Batmen of Parallel-Worlds!==

In September 1963, Batman encounters an extra dimensional Superman during an unplanned visit to a [[Parallel-Worlds|parallel world]] (WF No. 136: â€œThe Batman that Nobody Remembered!â€). (See [[Red Raven]])

In March 1965, Batman and Superman are temporary catapulted into a bizarre â€œParallel-worldâ€¦ a world thatâ€™s almost like Earth in every way, but in which history had a different course than on Earth!â€ On this parallel world, the counterparts of Batman and Superman are master criminals; Robin is Batman partner in crime; [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]] were notorious criminals in their day, as was [[Thomas Wayne]], the father of Batman; Lex Luthor and Clayface are renowned champions of law and justice; Jimmy Olsen is Lex Luthorâ€™s Pal and [[Perry White]] is a prosecuting attorney. During their stay in this parallel world, Batman and Superman help their fellow lawmen, Lex Luthor and Clayface, apprehend the evil Batman and Superman before departing home (WF No. 148: â€œSuperman and Batmanâ€¦ Outlaws!â€).

In December 1965, in an [[Imaginary Stories|imaginary tale]], [[Lois Lane]] appears as the wife of [[Clark Kent]] and [[Kathy Kane]] appears as the wife of [[Bruce Wayne]] (WF No. 154: â€œThe Sons of Superman and Batman!â€ and â€œThe Junior Super-team!â€).

In November 1966, [[The Jousting Master]] tricks Superman and Batman into coming into the past in an alternate time line and parallel Earth to battle so-called alien duplicates of [[King Arthur]] and his [[Knights of the Round Table]]. As it turns out, Superman and Batman instead defeats the originals, which on this Earth, have amazing super-powers. Ultimately, Superman and Batman bring The Jousting Master to justice and restore peace on this Earth (WF No. 162: â€œPawns of the Jousting Masterâ€ & â€œThe Capture of Camelotâ€).

(See Also: [[Batman of Earth-2]]; [[Batman of Earth-E]])

==The Bat-Family==

[[Image:Batfamily.jpg|left]]

The Batman Family includes the following heroes: the original [[Robin]] ([[Nightwing]]), the next [[Robin (Jason Todd)|Robin]], [[Batwoman]] and her side-kick Bat-Girl (Betty Kane), [[Ace, the Bat-Hound]], and [[Batgirl]]. [[Alfred Pennyworth|Alfred]] is also a valued member of the team.

Often, the Superman Family, especially [[Jimmy Olsen]] and occasionally [[Supergirl]] participate in the same missions and cases with Batman and those closest to him. Supergirl often teams with Batgirl and Jimmy Olsen and Robin form the [[Olsen-Robin Team]] on many occasions.

==[[Batcave|The Batcave]]==

The subterranean cavern, situated beneath the mansion of millionaire [[Bruce Wayne]], which serves as the secret crime fighting headquarters of Batman and [[Robin]]. The [[Batplane]] and the [[Batmobile]] are housed there, along with trophies of the [[Dynamic Duo]]â€™s past cases and a vast array of specialized equipment. (TGSB)

==The Equipment==

'''===Batplane==='''

The unique airplane, specially designed and equipped, which is the principal aircraft employed by Batman and Robin. (TGSB)

'''===Batmobile==='''

The unique automobile, specially designed and equipped, which is the principal land vehicle employed by Batman and Robin. (TGSB)

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman Wikipedia: Batman]
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/batman/ Batman Through the Ages]
*[https://www.supermanthroughtheages.com/batfan/ Bronze Age Batfan]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=147 Earth-1 Batman Index by Mike]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/batmanind1.html Batman Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/Batman/Batwho.htm Who Drew Batman?]
*[http://nothingbutbatman.blogspot.com/ Nothing But Batman--A Blog]
*[http://thedailybatman.com/ The Daily Batman Blog]
*[http://batmancompletion.blogspot.com/ Batman Completion]
*[http://www.tomztoyz.blogspot.com/ The Bat-Blog]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/jla/_docs/awdc_members.html#batman Cosmic Teams: Batman (Pre-Crisis)]
*[http://dccomics.com/dcu/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/batman&p=1 Batman's Origin at dccomics.com]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Batman]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Johnny Adonis

2015-03-09T16:27:52Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Adonis, see [[Adonis (disambiguation)]]''

'''Johnny Adonis'''

[[Image:LoisLane105.jpg|thumb|right|Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane No. 105, Lois and Johnny Adonis]]

A criminal with a heart for fair play, he once saves [[Lois Lane]]'s life. In order to show her respect for Adonis, who is convicted of murder and sentenced to die in the electric chair, Lois agrees to marry him just before his execution. Johnny Adonis manages to escape with the help of fellow gang members and the marriage is prolonged. However, he dies defending Lois from the murderous intent of his cronies in crime (SGLL No. 105, Oct 1970: "Death House Honeymoon!").

[[Category:Entries|Adonis, Johnny]]
[[Category:People|Adonis, Johnny]]
[[Category:Criminals|Adonis, Johnny]]
[[Category:Lois Lane|Adonis, Johnny]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)|Adonis, Johnny]]

Adonis

2015-03-09T16:27:24Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

''For other uses of the term Adonis, see [[Adonis (disambiguation)]]''

'''Adonis'''

A terrifying but tragic villain with a sickeningly "loathsome countenance" who matches wits with [[Superman]] in March 1942. The text describes him as "a loathsome being intent on robbery and pillage...a creature whose face is as horrible as his acts--a face born of hideous nightmare--a visage once seen, never forgotten." He is in reality James Trevor, a movie and matinee idol adored by millions until his flawless features began to fall prey to the deteriorating effects of advanced age, who has been transformed into a gruesome caricature of his former self and forced into a life of crime through the sinister machinations of a villainous plastic surgeon known as Dr. Menace.

Despondent and out of work since advancing age began "sabotaging [his] magnificent profile" as "women film fans [began] turning to newer and younger screen heroes," Trevor responds with enthusiasm in March 1943 when Dr.Menace visits his home and promises to restore "the face that caused millions of feminine hearts to beat quicker" through the miracle of plastic surgery.

The all-important operation is performed soon afterwards, and Trevor exults when he finally removes the bandages and views the handsome, youthful face beneath them. Trevor's joy is short-lived, however, for the handsome face he sees before him is only a lifelike rubber mask, and when "the mask drops off--and...the vain actor sights the features beneath the mask reflected in the mirror, a scream like the shriek of an animal in pain leaves his startled lips...." Recoiling in abject horror, Trevor sees that the evil Dr. Menace rubs his hands gloatingly:

As you can guess, my real vocation is crime. I have placed a substance of my
own discovery upon your face that transforms it hideously. Only I can remove it
without injuring your features permanently.
Wearing the rubber mask, you will continue your everyday existence, gaining
access to the homes of your wealthy friends. But whenever I command, off comes the
mask and you do my bidding as ''ADONIS''. Obey me for one month, and at the close of your servitude I will actually give you the handsome features you desire.

And so, in the days that follow, Trevor--his "terrible face" concealed beneath his rubber mask--attends a series of lavish social gathering at the homes of his wealthy movie-colony friends and, at an opportune moment, taking care not to be observed, doffs his mask and civilian clothing so that he can plunder the homes of his hosts as the hideous, loincloth-clad Adonis.

Overtaken finally by Superman while fleeing the scene of a robbery with a priceless Rembrandt painting, Adonis is shot from a place of concealment be Dr. Menace, who is determined to prevent Trevor from revealing their involvement in the recent wave of crimes. Adonis, however, now mortally wounded, sneaks up behind the unsuspecting Dr. Menace and, with his last remaining vestige of strength, strangles the surgeon who destroyed him before collapsing, dead, atop the surgeon's corpse (Act No. 58: "The Face of Adonis!"). (TGSB)

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]

Adonis (dismbiguation)

2015-03-09T16:15:49Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Blanked the page

Adonis (dismbiguation)

2015-03-09T16:14:43Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Adonis (dismbiguation) to Adonis (disambiguation)

#REDIRECT [[Adonis (disambiguation)]]

Adonis (disambiguation)

2015-03-09T16:14:43Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Adonis (dismbiguation) to Adonis (disambiguation)

'''''Adonis''''' may refer to:

* ''[[Adonis]]'', a Golden Age villain
* ''[[Johnny Adonis]]'', a Silver Age criminal

Adonis (disambiguation)

2015-03-09T16:13:10Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Created page with "'''''Adonis''''' may refer to: * ''Adonis'', a Golden Age villain * ''Johnny Adonis'', a Silver Age criminal"

'''''Adonis''''' may refer to:

* ''[[Adonis]]'', a Golden Age villain
* ''[[Johnny Adonis]]'', a Silver Age criminal

Mr. Frank Ster

2015-01-31T05:00:56Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Redirected page to Frank Ster

#REDIRECT[[Frank Ster]]

Toyman (Jack Nimball)

2014-12-21T17:25:29Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''The Toyman (Jack Nimball)'''

The second villain to plague [[Superman]] using the name "Toyman" (Act No. 432, Feb 1974: "Target of the Toymen!"; and others).

Nimball adopts the Toyman identity when the original Toyman, [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Winslow Schott]], briefly reforms (Act No. 432, Feb 1974: "Target of the Toymen!").

When Schott returns to villainy, he reclaims the Toyman name by murdering Jack Nimball (S No. 305, Nov 1976: "The Man Who Toyed with Death!").

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Santa Claus

2014-12-21T17:21:16Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

[[Image:Santa1940.jpg|thumb|"Superman's Christmas Adventure," a free 1940 giveaway of the Superman chronicles. Story by Jerry Siegel and Jack Burnley|left]]
[[Image:Santa-Claus.jpg|thumb|Act No. 105 cover art by Wayne Boring & Stan Kaye]]

'''Santa Claus'''

The patron saint of children and bearer of gifts at Christmas, a big, fat, jolly old man who lives in the [[North Pole]] and, on Christmas Eve, soars through the skies in a sleigh drawn by magic reindeer, climbing down chimneys to fill stockings hung at fireplaces with Christmas gifts.

When the unscrupulous [[Jasper Rasper]] concocts a heinous scheme to drug Santa Claus and sabotage Christmas, [[Superman]] intervenes to thwart the plot and rescue Christmas for the children of the world (Act No. 105, Feb 1947: "The Man Who Hated Christmas!"). (TGSB)

Years later, Santa helps Superman defeat the nefarious [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] (DCCP No. 67, Mar 1984: "'Twas the Fright Before Christmas!").

== External Links ==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus Santa Claus entry at the Wikipedia]
*[http://www.saint-nick.com/santa/ Santa Claus Through the Ages]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Magic]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Batman (disambiguation)

2014-12-21T17:13:08Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Created page with "'''Batman''' may refer to *''Batman'' *''Batman of Earth-2'' *''Batman of Earth-E'' *''Batman Jr. of Earth-E'' *''Bizarro-Batman''"

'''Batman''' may refer to

*''[[Batman]]''
*''[[Batman of Earth-2]]''
*''[[Batman of Earth-E]]''
*''[[Batman Jr. of Earth-E]]''
*''[[Bizarro-Batman]]''

Air Wave (disambiguation)

2014-12-21T17:07:35Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: Created page with "'''Air Wave''' may refer to *''Air Wave (Larry Jordan)'' *''Air Wave (Hal Jordan)''"

'''Air Wave''' may refer to

*''[[Air Wave (Larry Jordan)]]''
*''[[Air Wave (Hal Jordan)]]''

Talk:Toyman

2014-12-21T17:03:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Talk:Toyman to Talk:Toyman (disambiguation)

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Toyman (disambiguation)]]

Toyman

2014-12-21T17:03:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Toyman to Toyman (disambiguation)

#REDIRECT [[Toyman (disambiguation)]]

Talk:Toyman (disambiguation)

2014-12-21T17:03:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Talk:Toyman to Talk:Toyman (disambiguation)

#REDIRECT [[Talk:Toyman (Winslow Schott)]]

Toyman (disambiguation)

2014-12-21T17:03:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: moved Toyman to Toyman (disambiguation)

'''Toyman''' may refer to

*''[[Toyman (Winslow Schott)]]'' (original [1940s-1980s])
*''[[Toyman (Jack Nimball)]]'' (second [1974-1976])

Toyman (disambiguation)

2014-12-21T17:02:45Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Toyman''' may refer to

*''[[Toyman (Winslow Schott)]]'' (original [1940s-1980s])
*''[[Toyman (Jack Nimball)]]'' (second [1974-1976])

Amos Chuckle

2014-12-21T16:57:47Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Amos Chuckle'''

An alias employed by the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] in November-December 1947 when, at the instigation of [[Arnold Langs]], he opens a toy and novelty shop in [[Metropolis]] (S No. 49/1: "Toyman and the Gadgets of Greed!"). (TGSB)

[[Category:Entries|Chuckle, Amos]]
[[Category:Aliases|Chuckle, Amos]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)|Chuckle, Amos]]

Professor Vining

2014-12-21T16:55:48Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''Professor Vining'''

The inventor of an ingenius device which "can be tuned to the personal wavelength of any individual --and detect the presence of that individual a mile away!" Professor Vining's invention is stolen by the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] in Winter 1945 (WF No. 20: "The Toyman: Super-Scientist!").

[[Category:Entries|Vining (Professor)]]
[[Category:People|Vining (Professor)]]
[[Category:Scientists|Vining (Professor)]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)|Vining (Professor)]]

Superman Toy-O-Mat

2014-12-21T16:54:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

'''The Superman Toy-O-Mat'''

A unique toy emporium, where skillfully crafted wind-up [[Superman]] toys are dispensed from coin-operated vending machines, which is founded by the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] in March-April 1950 as part of his elaborate scheme to loot the cashierâ€™s cage at the [[Daily Planet]] and steal a priceless diamond collection from the vault of the Strongbilt Construction Company (S No. 63/2: â€œThe Wind-Up Toys of Peril!â€).

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]
[[Category:Groups and Organizations]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]

Plastic Man

2014-12-21T16:53:19Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

[[Image:DCCP39.jpg|thumb|left|DC Comics Presents No. 39 artwork by Ross Andru & Dick Giordano]]

'''Plastic Man'''

The longest arm of the law!

Renowned for his unique sense of humor and the shape-shifting/stretching powers to match his name, Plastic Man has a long record of superheroic activity (first appearance: Police Comics No. 1, Aug 1941).

Put up for adoption and traveling from orphanages to foster homes, the boy who would grow up to be Plastic Man turns toward a life of crime, quickly working his way into the underworld. He becomes known as "Eel" O'Brian because of his abilities as a pickpocket and a thief. Sometime in 1941, while he and his gang rob the Crawford Chemical Works, "Eel" is shot in the shoulder by a security guard while he and his crew are making their escape. Falling against a vat of experimental acid, his life and molecular structure are forever altered. Awakening in a monastery, a monk tells him that he "sensed the potential for good" and gives him refuge. As pliable as plastic, "Eel" decides to use his powers to fight crime and take down his former gang. He fashions himself a costume from a circus acrobat suit and a pair of white goggles. He is able to defeat the gang and turn in the stolen money to the police, earning a front page headline as "The Plastic Man."

He has become an excellent actor to go along with his disguises. He has also assisted [[Batman]] on many cases when "Eel"'s connections and ductile powers are needed.

In November 1981, Plastic Man and his sidekick [[Woozy Winks]] team-up with [[Superman]] to take on the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] (DCCP No. 39, Nov 1981: "The Thing That Goes Woof in the Night!").

==External Links==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_Man Wikipedia entry on Plastic Man]
*[http://www.dcindexes.com/indexes/indexes.php?character=356 Plastic Man Index by Mike]
*[http://darkmark6.tripod.com/plastic_man_index.html Plastic Man Index by Dark Mark]
*[http://plasticmanplatitudes.blogspot.com/ Plastic Man Platitudes]
*[http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/p/plastman.htm Plastic Man Page at the International Catalogue of Superheroes]
*[http://dccomics.com/dcu/heroes_and_villains/?hv=origin_stories/plastic_man&p=1 Plastic Man's Origin at dccomics.com]
*[http://www.cosmicteams.com/quality/profiles/plasticman.htm Cosmic Teams: Plastic Man]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Heroes]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

The Terrible Two

2014-12-21T16:52:22Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

The evil criminal duo of the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] and the [[Prankster]] who have joined forces on several occasions to destroy [[Superman]].

[[Category:Entries|Terrible Two, The]]
[[Category:Villains|Terrible Two, The]]
[[Category:Groups and Organizations|Terrible Two, The]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)|Terrible Two, The]]

Prankster

2014-12-21T16:50:56Z

DrJohnnyDiablo:

[[Image:Prank.jpg|left|thumb|The Prankster, by Wayne Boring, from Superman #88]]

'''The Prankster'''

The so-called "clown king of the underworld" (S No. 69/1, Mar/Apr 1951: "The Prankster's Apprentice!"), a "cunning" and "ruthless" criminal with "a dangerous sense of humor" (S No. 50/2, Jan/Feb 1948: "The Slogans that Came Too True!") who is forever playing pranks on people, including his own henchmen (Act No. 104, Jan 1947: "Candytown, USA"; and others), and who likes nothing better than to pull an uproarious prank-filled crime while at the same time making a monkey out of [[Superman]] (S No. 55/1, Nov/Dec 1948: "Prankster's Second Childhood"; and others).

[[Lois Lane]] has described the Prankster as â€œthe most dangerous of all practical jokersâ€ (S No. 37/2, Nov/Dec â€˜45: â€œPranks for Profit!â€), while Superman has referred to him as an â€œaddle-brained foul ballâ€ (S No. 50/2, Jan/Feb 1948: â€œThe Slogans That Came Too True!â€) and [[Clark Kent]] has called him an â€œovergrown juvenile delinquentâ€ (S No. 61/1, Nov/Dec 1949: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Radio Program!â€). Even the underworld is wary of the Prankster, for in the words of gangster â€œBugsâ€ Halloway, â€œHeâ€™s got a reputation for making saps outa smart guysâ€ (S No. 22/3, May/Jun 1943: â€œThe Great ABC Panic!â€).

By his own, somewhat less modest account, however, the Prankster is â€œthe funniest man in the worldâ€ (Act No. 95, Apr 1946: â€œThe Laughing Stock of Metropolis!â€) and the greatest criminal of all (S No. 52/1, May/Jun 1948: â€œPreview of Plunderâ€; and others). â€œWhat makes me so world-famous?â€ asks the Prankster rhetorically in March-April 1952. â€œItâ€™s my sense of humor! Larceny with laughs has been my motto!â€ (S No. 75/1: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Star Pupil!â€).

Described as â€œSupermanâ€™s most fiendish foeâ€ (Act No. 109, Jun 1947: â€œThe Man Who Robbed the Mint!â€), the Prankster is a man in his middle 30s, five feet tall, weighing approximately 125 pounds (S No. 41/1, Jul/Aug 1946: â€œToo Many Pranksters!â€). He has slicked-down red hair and a narrow moustache, a pointy nose, and large â€œcup-shaped ears [that] begin wiggling like madâ€ whenever he is struck by an evil inspiration (S No. 22/3, May/Jun 1943: â€œThe Great ABC Panic!â€). He speaks in a bombastic, highfalutin manner, often saying â€œAye and verily,â€ for example, instead of â€œyesâ€ (Act No. 51, Aug 1942: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€; and others). His laughter has been described as â€œsinisterâ€ (Act No. 109, Jun 1947: â€œThe Man Who Robbed the Mint!â€), and he is often portrayed as having wide gaps between several of his front teeth, giving him the appearance of a fiendish jack-oâ€™-lantern (Act No, 51, Aug 1942: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€; and many others). On one occasion, the Prankster joins forces with the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] and [[Lex Luthor]] after a chance encounter of the three at an amusement park (S No. 88/3, Mar 1954: "The Terrible Trio!").

The Prankster is immensely egotistical. In May- June 1948, for example, after reading press accounts of Supermanâ€™s recent capture of the Toyman and thwarting of Lex Luthor's latest â€œgigantic scientific hoax,â€ the Prankster reacts contemptuously. â€œBah!â€ he exclaims. â€œIf that fool Luthor could think up something gigantic, swiping a library book would be a sensation! And whatâ€™s clever about the Toyman? Whyâ€”compared to me, heâ€™s just a third-rate petty- larceny punk who made the big time on lucky breaks!â€

â€œWhatâ€™s eatinâ€™ ya, Prankster?â€ interjects one of the Pranksterâ€™s henchmen. â€œWith them guys in jail, you got less competition!â€

â€œThatâ€™s not the point!â€ retorts the Prankster. â€œThose punks are getting all the publicity! â€”While my great criminal talents are being forgotten!â€ (S No. 52/1: â€œPreview of Plunderâ€).

The Prankster is the â€œprince of practical jokersâ€ (Act No. 151, Dec 1950: â€œSupermanâ€™s Super-Magic Show!â€), and his penchant for prankishness is exhibited repeatedly in the chronicles. On one occasion, he frightens the wits out of a [[Metropolis]] policeman with a gun that fires little toy parachutes instead of bullets, and on another he and his henchmen invade a bank armed with pistols and machine guns that shoot fireworks, corks, and streams of water (Act No. 51, Aug 1942: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€).

Particularly in his early appearances, however, the Prankster is fiendish as well as mirthfulâ€” carrying a deadly â€œminiature gunâ€ concealed inside a playful-looking flute, attempting to annihilate his own henchmen with poison gas so that he can keep their share of the loot for himself (Act No.51, Aug 1942: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€; and others).

In the course of more than twenty separate encounters with Superman, the Prankster has employed a number of ingenious aliases and alternate identities to help him carry out his nefarious schemes, including [[P.R. Ankster]] and [[Ajax Wilde]] (S No. 37/2, Nov/Dec 1945: â€œPranks for Profit!â€); [[Mr. Van Prank]], [[Colonel P.R. Ankster]], [[Mr. Frank Ster]], and [[Professor Smythe]] (S No. 61/1, Nov/Dec 1949: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Radio Program!â€); and Dr. Dawson (S No. 70/3, May/Jun 1951: â€œThe Pied Piper Prankster!â€).

In the texts, the Prankster is alternatively referred to as the Chuckling Charlatan, the Clown King of Crime, the Comedy Crook, the Mirthful Miscreant, and the Rollicking Rogue.

In addition, he has been described as â€œthat cherubic, clowning comedy king of crime,â€ a â€œmastermind of malignant mirth,â€ and the â€œmirthful marauderâ€ (Act No. 51, Aug 1942: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€); â€œthat whimsical wizard of whacky crimesâ€ (Act No. 69, Feb 1944: â€œThe Lost-and- Found Mystery!â€); â€œthat ribald rogue of mirthful menaceâ€ (S No. 29/1, Jul/Aug 1944: â€œThe Wizard of Wishes!â€); the â€œmocking mountebank of mischiefâ€ and â€œclowning crime-kingâ€ (S No. 37/2, Nov/Dec 1945: â€œPranks for Profit!â€); â€œthe waggish wizard of clownish crimesâ€ (S No. 41/1, Jul/Aug 1946: â€œToo Many Pranksters!â€); â€œthat grinning engineer of evilâ€ (Act No. 109, Jun 1947: â€œThe Man Who Robbed the Mint!â€); â€œthat rollicking rajah of roguesâ€ and â€œSupermanâ€™s madcap enemyâ€ (S No. 61/1, Nov/Dec 1949: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Radio Program!â€); â€œthat clownish character with a crooked streakâ€ and â€œSupermanâ€™s old enemy, who blends his larceny with laughsâ€ (S No. 66/1, Sep/Oct 1950: â€œThe Babe of Steel!â€); â€œthat crook with a yen for clownish crimes,â€â€œone of Supermanâ€™s arch-enemies,â€ the â€œcrime clown,â€ and the â€œmaster of mad mischiefâ€ (S No. 69/1, Mar/Apr 1951: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Apprentice!â€); â€œthat pixie crookâ€ and â€œthat pixie practical jokerâ€ (S No. 70/3, May/Jun 1951: â€œThe Pied Piper Prankster!â€) the â€œmenacing jokester of crimeâ€ and a â€œgrinning clown of crime and Supermanâ€™s most annoying foeâ€ (S No. 72/1, Sep/Oct 1951: â€œThe Unfunny Prankster!â€); and the â€œarch-clown of crimeâ€ and â€œone of Supermanâ€™s trickiest foesâ€ (S No. 87/3, Feb 1954: â€œThe Pranksterâ€™s Greatest Role!â€).

In August 1942, with the aid of funds they have acquired by robbing a bowling alley and other strictly penny-ante crimes, the Prankster and his henchmen set in motion an elaborate scheme designed to enable them to loot one of Metropolisâ€™s wealthiest banks. On two separate occasions, the villains barge into a bank during business hours, line the patrons and employees up against the wall at gunpoint, and force them to endure a series of infuriating but harmless pranksâ€” as when the Prankster tricks a bank president into blackening his entire face by lending the unsuspecting banker a gimmicked handkerchief with which to wipe his browâ€”and then peacefully depart, leaving behind, to the amazement of bank officials and onlookers alike, a satchel filled with money as a gift for the bank.

â€œWhy did you forcibly enter those banks and leave money there?â€ asks a bewildered judge, after Superman has taken the criminals into custody following their second bizarre robbery-in-reverse. â€œJust a childish whim, judge,â€ replies the Prankster coyly. â€œPlaying cops and robbers has always intrigued me. Iâ€™m a wealthy man, and if I desire to give money away to banks, who is there to say nay?â€

Indeed, when the Prankster and his cohorts barge into their third, and last, bank, the bankâ€™s president is only too eager to accommodate them, certain that he is about to become the next recipient of the Pranksterâ€™s well-publicized largesse. Only too late, after the villains have laughingly looted the vault of millions of dollarsâ€™ worth of jewelry, currency, and bonds does the bank official realize that he has just been the victim of an actual robbery.

When Superman attempts to intervene, the Prankster takes Lois Lane hostage, forcing Superman to retreat, but the Man of Steel manages to infiltrate the villainâ€™s hideout disguised as one of his henchmen, and before long he has rescued Lois, apprehended the Pranksterâ€™s henchmen, and set out in pursuit of the escaping Prankster. However, as the villain flees into the darkness of a subterranean cavern, Superman sees â€œavalanching boulders topple down upon the mirthful marauder,â€ and he assumes that he has just witnessed â€œthe end of the Prankster!â€

But Superman is mistaken, for the wily criminal has miraculously escaped death by â€œtaking refuge on a ledge.â€ When he gloatingly examines his bag full of bank loot, however, he discovers that the hoard of money and jewelry has been replaced by worthless â€œblank paper.â€â€œHe [Superman] must have substituted it for the swag at super-speed while I was off- guard!â€ mutters the Prankster. â€œSo Superman has the last laugh- -this time! But we will clash again- - soon! And perhaps next time it will be the Prankster who will laugh loudest- -and the longest!â€ (Act No. 51: â€œThe Case of the Crimeless Crimesâ€).

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]

Daily Planet

2014-12-21T16:49:11Z

DrJohnnyDiablo: /* The Texts */

'''Daily Planet'''
[[Image:Planet_Bldg.jpg|left|thumb|Max Fleischer Daily Planet Building]] [[Image:Clark_Kent.jpg|right|]]

==Overview==

A crusading metropolitan newspaper located in the city of [[Metropolis]]. Editor-in-Chief [[Perry White]] keeps newshounds [[Clark Kent]] ([[Superman]]), [[Lois Lane]] and [[Jimmy Olsen]] hard at work to find "scoops" (exclusive stories) for the paper. The architecture of the building itself is rather unique as it has a huge globe with the letters "Daily Planet" spanning its circumference. There are also two landing pads for the "[[The Flying Newsroom|Flying Newsroom]]", a helicopter located on the Planet's roof. Another unique feature to the Planet building is its surplus of empty storerooms wherein Kent can change to Superman.

The ''Daily Planet'' is the metropolitan daily newspaper which employs Clark Kent as a reporter for more than three decades, until January 1971, at which time Kent departs the ''Daily Planet'' to become a fulltime newscaster for Metropolis television station [[WGBS-TV]] (S No. 233: "Superman Breaks Loose"). Described as "the biggest paper in Metropolis" (S No. 73/3, Nov/Dec 1951: "Perry White vs. Clark Kent!") and as Metropolisâ€™s "leading newspaper" (S No. 6/1, Sep/Oct 1940; and others), the ''Daily Planet'' has an unparalleled reputation for fairness and accuracy (S No. 41/3, Jul/Aug 1946: "A Modern Alice in Wonderland!"; and others) and has "millions of...readersâ€ (S No. 83/3, Jul/Aug 1953: "Clark Kent—Convict!"). The newspaperâ€™s precise circulation has never been stated, but in April 1961 the ''Daily Planet'' celebrates the sale of its five-billionth copy (S No. 144/1: "The Super-Weapon!").

The ''Daily Planet'' is headquartered in the Daily Planet Building (Act No. 36, May 1941; and others), a large skyscraper situated in downtown Metropolis at the center of Planet Square, the so-called "crossroads of the world" (Act No. 77, Oct 1944: "The Headline Hoax!"; and others). Owned at least for a time by Metropolis millionaire [[Ebeneezer Walker]] (Act No. 214, Mar 1956: "Superman, Super-Destroyer"), the building features an electric news-sign that encircles the topmost story (Act No. 229, Jun 1957: "The Superman Satellite") and a "giant globe of the world"—encircled by a [[Saturn]]-like ring and by giant block letters spelling out the name Daily Planet—mounted on the roof (Act No. 272, Jan 1961: "Supermanâ€™s Rival, Mental Man!"; and others). Extending skyward from the Daily Planet Tower, at the summit of the building, is the broadcast antenna of WPLT, a radio station owned and operated by the ''Daily Planet'' (S No. 39/1, Mar/Apr 1946: "The Big Superman Broadcast!"). Across the street from the Daily Planet Building is a small park, where a marble statue of Superman is unveiled in January-February 1946 (S No. 38/3: "The Man of Stone!"; and others).

A plaque near the front entrance of the building indicates that the ''Daily Planet'' is published by The Daily Planet Publishing Co., Inc. (WF No. 29, Jul/Aug 1947: "The Books That Couldnâ€™t Be Bound!"; and others), but at least one text asserts that the ''Daily Planet'' is owned by an unnamed company that operates a chain of newspapers, including the ''Gotham Gazette'' (WF No. 75, Mar/Apr 1955: "The New Team of Superman and Robin!"). By the early 1970s, the ''Daily Planet'' has been acquired by the [[Galaxy Broadcasting System]] (S No. 233, Jan 1971: "Superman Breaks Loose"; and others).

==History==

The date of the ''Daily Planet''â€™s founding is treated inconsistently in the chronicles. The Daily Planet Publishing Co., Inc., is described as having been established in 1870 in one text (Act No. 194, Jul 1954: "The Outlaws from Krypton!") and as having been established in 1887 in another (WF No. 68, Jan/Feb 1954: "The Menace from the Stars!"). In January-February 1943, editor Perry White refers to the ''Daily Planet'' as being 150 years old (S No. 20/1: "Supermanâ€™s Secret Revealed!"), but ''Daily Planet'' staffers celebrate the centennial of the newspaper twice in the chronicles, once in Spring 1944 (WF No. 13: "The Freedom of the Press!") and again in April 1961 (S No. 144/2: "Superboyâ€™s First Public Appearance!").

Whatever the newspaperâ€™s true age, it apparently originated in the city of San Francisco, as the San Francisco ''Daily Planet'', sometime prior to 1906 (S No. 168, Apr 1964: pts. I-II—"Luthor--Super-Hero!"; "Lex Luthor, Daily Planet Editor!"). In January 1954, an English edition of the ''Daily Planet'' is established in London (S No. 86/1: "The Dragon from King Arthurâ€™s Court!"), and in April 1955 other international editions are launched in Paris and Bombay (Act No. 203: "The International Daily Planet!"). By December 1955, editions of the ''Daily Planet'' are also well under way in Greece, Italy, Holland, and Japan (Act No. 211: "The Superman Spectaculars"). Other editions of the ''Daily Planet'' include ''Ye Daily Planet'', the "worldâ€™s first daily newspaper," established by Clark Kent and Lois Lane during a time-journey to the city of London in the year 1606 (S No. 44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeareâ€™s Ghost Writer!"), and the ''[[Daily Solar System]]'', a futuristic descendant of the ''Daily Planet'' in the thirtieth century A.D. (Act No. 215, Apr 1956: "The Superman of Tomorrow").

==Radio and Television==

In addition to its chain of newspapers, the ''Daily Planet'' has its own radio stations (S No. 39/1, Mar/Apr 1946: "The Big Superman Broadcast!"), its own television studios (WF No. 52, Jun/Jul 1951: "The Man Who Swindled Superman!"; Act No. 295, Dec 1962: Superman Goes Wild!") and its own mobile television unit for covering fast-breaking news events (S No. 57/1, Mar/Apr 1949: "The Menace of the Machine Men!"). The radio stationâ€™s offerings have included an "Adventures of Superman" program (S No. 39/1 Mar/Apr 1946: "The Big Superman Broadcast!"), while the television facilities have been used to air a TV quiz show (WF No. 52, Jun/Jul 1951: "The Man Who Swindled Superman!") and a news program called the "Daily Planet News Flash TV Show" (S No. 145/1, May 1961: "The Secret Identity of Superman!").

==The Flying Newsroom==

Another item of news-gathering equipment indispensable to the ''Daily Planet'''s operations is the newspaper's privately owned helicopter (S No. 111/1, Feb 1957: "The Non-Super Superman"), the Flying Newsroom (S No. 115/2, Aug 1957: "Jimmy Olsenâ€™s Lost Pal"; and others), which makes its initial appearance in the chronicles in the late 1950s (Act No. 236, Jan 1958: "Supermanâ€™s New Uniform!"; and others). Rendered in various colors, including green (Act No. 236, Jan 1958: "Supermanâ€™s New Uniform!"), purple (Act No. 244, Sep 1958: "The Super-Merman of the Sea"), and red (Act No. 249, Feb 1959: "The Kryptonite Man!"; and others), the Flying Newsroom is sometimes portrayed as having one rotor (S No. 111/1, Feb 1957: "The Non-Super Superman"; and others) and sometimes as having two (Act No. 249, Feb 1959: "The Kryptonite Man!"; and others), is occasionally outfitted with pontoons to enable it to land on water (Act No. 244, Sep 1958: "The Super-Merman of the Sea") and, in one text, is described as returning from "foreign shores," implying that it is capable of making a transatlantic flight (S No. 124/2, Sep 1958: "Mrs. Superman").

==Superman and the Daily Planet==

Almost from the onset of his super-hero career Superman has been identified with the ''Daily Planet'', not only as Clark Kent, but as Superman as well: helping its reporters achieve sensational scoops, participating in its charity drives, zealously endeavoring to protect its reputation for accuracy (S No. 102/3, Jan 1956: "The Million-Dollar Mistake"; and others). The ''Daily Planet'' has long been the place where strangers attempt to contact Superman (S No. 25/4, Nov/Dec 1943: "Hi-Jack--Jackal of Crime!"; and others), the place where the [[Man of Steel]] picks up his mail and receives his messages (Act No. 161, Oct 1951: "Exitâ€”Superman!"; and others). Indeed, according to Superman No. 117/1, the majority of the Daily Planet's mail is addressed to Superman (Nov 1957: "Clark Kent, Man of Mystery"). "People are always sending his mail here," explains Clark Kent in February 1964, "because they know Clark Kent is his friend!" (Act No. 309: "The Superman Super-Spectacular!"). The Man of Steel's long-term involvement with the ''Daily Planet'' is probably the main reason why the newspapers' photographic files contain "the most complete collection of Superman's feats ever recorded on film..." (S No. 91/1, Aug 1954: "The Superman Stamp!").

==The Daily Planet and Philanthropy==

One reason for Superman's special affection for the ''Daily Planet'', apart from the fact that he is employed there as reporter Clark Kent, is the newspaper's extensive commitment to philanthropic activities, which includes donating "a good percentage" of its profits to charity (WF No. 52, Jun/Jul 1951: "The Man Who Swindled Superman!"). In May-June 1942, the ''Daily Planet'' launches a campaign to build a free vacation resort for underprivileged children (S No. 16/1: 'The Worldâ€™s Meanest Man"), and in July-August 1945 it holds a drive to raise money for the Metropolis Aid Fund (S No. 35/3: "The Genie of the Lamp!"). By July-August 1946, the Planet Aid Fund has been established to serve as an umbrella for the ''Daily Planet''â€™s charitable enterprises (S No. 41/2: "Clark Kent's Bodyguard!"; and others), such as the drive to collect money for an orphan asylum conducted in March-April 1948 (S No. 51/3: "The Man Who Bossed Superman!"). Superman gives a demonstration of his awesome super-strength at a benefit performance for the Planet Aid Fund in November 1952 (Act No. 174: "The Man Who Shackled Superman!").

Later texts make reference to a Daily Planet Charity Fund, which may or may not be the same as the Planet Aid Fund. Once a year, with Superman's help, the employees of the ''Daily Planet'' put on a gala circus extravaganza—the so-called Daily Planet Charity Show—to raise money for the Fund (Act No. 212, Jan 1956: "The Superman Calendar"; and others). Superman performs at a benefit for the Daily Planet Charity Fund, held at Metropolis's Ajax Theater, in April 1963 (S No. 160/1: pts I-II—"The Mortal Superman!"; "The Cage of Doom!"). In February 1957, the Man of Steel excavates a new man-made lake for the Lake Cosmo Children's Camp, a project sponsored by the Daily Planet Aid Branch for the Underprivileged (Act No. 225: "The Death of Superman"). Action Comics No. 226 contains a reference to a Daily Planet Fresh Air Fund (Mar 1957: "The Invulnerable Enemy").

==The Daily Planet and Contests==

Both to help it raise money for charity and to boost its circulation, the ''Daily Planet'' frequently conducts imaginative contests. Examples of the contents abound in the chronicles, including the contest for the city's newsboys, held in Summer 1945, with a job as a cub reporter being offered as a prize to the newsboy who brings in the day's best news story (WF No. 18: "The Junior Reporters!"); the contest to locate "the ideal average American", held in January 1946 (Act No. 92: "The Average American!"); the contest between Superman and [[Nelson Swayne]], held in March-April 1947 (WF No. 27: "The Man Who Out-Supered Superman!"); the contest to locate the owner of the best autograph collection, held in September-October 1947 (S No. 48/2: "Autograph, Please!"); the contest to determine the writer of the most interesting letter accompanying a contribution to the Daily Planet's orphan-asylum fund, held in March-April 1948, with the winner to receive Superman's services, gratis, for a day (S No. 51/3: "The Man Who Bossed Superman!"); the contest among the Daily Planet's own reporters, held in November-December 1948, to determine which of them can write the best story about Superman (WF No. 37: "The Superman Story!"); the contest to select Miss Metropolis of 1950, held in March-April 1950, which offers a prize of $10,000 to the winner and is open only to beautiful girls engaged in perilous occupations (S No. 63/3: "Miss Metropolis of 1950"); the contest, held in July-August 1953, to select the bravest woman in America (S No. 83/2: "The Search for the Bravest Woman!"); the annual contest to select the most "Lovely Child," with the winner to receive a prize of $1,000 and a free sightseeing trip around the world with Superman (S No. 96/1, Mar 1955: "The Girl Who Didn't Believe in Superman!"); the contest to select the five best letters submitted by ''Daily Planet'' readers in response to the question, "What five feats by Superman would most benefit Metropolis?" with Superman agreeing to perform the five best suggested feats (S No. 104/3, Mar 1956: "The Super-Family from Outer Space"); the contest, held in July 1956, to see which ''Daily Planet'' reader recalls Superman's earliest super-feat (S No. 106/1: "Supermanâ€™s First Exploit"); the contest, held in March 1958, to select the best photograph taken by an amateur photographer of Superman in action (S No. 120/2: "The Super-Feats Superman Forgot"); and the "three coins in the fountain" charity contest, held in August 1965, in which Superman picks three coins from a fountain tossed there by charity contributors and grants one wish each to the three persons whose coins he has selected (S No. 179/1: "The Outlaw Fort Knox!").

==The Daily Planet's Publishers==

The questions of who published the ''Daily Planet'' is treated inconsistently in the chronicles. Two texts call Perry White the publisher (S No. 18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"; S No. 117/1, Nov 1957: "Clark Kent, Man of Mystery"), but these references are almost certainly erroneous. Other individuals referred to as the Daily Planet's publisher include Burt Mason (S No. 5/2, Sum 1940; ''see also'' S No. 6/2, Sep/Oct 1940); [[J. Wimmer]] (Act No. 139, Dec 1949: "Clark Kent...Daredevil!"); Maxwell Leeds (S No. 73/3, Nov/Dec 1951: "Perry White vs. Clark Kent!"); [[John Wilton]], although his custodianship of the ''Daily Planet'' is only temporary (S No. 79/2, Nov/Dec 1952: "The End of the Planet!"); Harvey Gray, the brother of [[Griselda Gray]] (S No. 85/2, Nov/Dec 1953: "Clark Kent, Gentleman Journalist!"); and Frank Wells, the uncle of [[Pointdexter Wells]] (S No. 95/2, Feb 1955: "The Practical Joker!"). A Mr. Amesby is referred to as Perry Whiteâ€™s "boss" in Superman No. 105/2, but this need not necessarily be taken as an indication that Amesby is the Daily Planet's publisher (May 1956: "Mr. Mxyztplkâ€™s Secret Identity"). [[Dexter Willis]]'s uncle, Mr. Willis, is described as "a big shot publisher" and one of the Daily Planet's "biggest stockholders" (Act No. 289, Jun 1962: "The Super-Practical Joker!"), and [[Morna Vine]]'s uncle, wealthy Mark Vine, is the newspaper's "chief stockholder" (S No. 181/1, Nov 1965: pts. I-II—"The Super-Scoops of Morna Vine!"; "The Secrets of the New Supergirl!").

==Perry White and the Daily Planet==

From the time the name ''Daily Planet'' first appears in the chronicles (S No. 4/1-4, Spr 1940; Act No. 23, Apr 1940) through November 1940 (Act No. 30), [[George Taylor]] is explicitly referred to as the Daily Planet's editor (Act No. 25, Jun 1940; and others). Then, in November-December 1940, an editor named White appears (S No. 7/1), and in May-June Whiteâ€™s full name—Perry White—is given for the first time in the chronicles (S No. 10/2). Despite the fact that Perry White has now functioned as the ''Daily Planet'' editor for nearly four full decades, however, the chroniclers have not been consistent regarding his precise professional title: he has been referred to as the "editor" in numerous texts (S No. 27/1, Mar/Apr 1944: "The Palace of Perilous Play!"; and others), but he has also been described as the newspaper's "managing editor" (WF No. 13, Spr 1944: "The Freedom of the Press!"; and others), its "city editor" (Act No. 133, Jun 1949: "The World's Most Perfect Girl"; Act No. 136, Sep 1949: "Superman, Show-Off!"), its "chief editor" (S No. 121/3, May 1958: "The Unknown Super-Deeds!"), and its "editor-in-chief" (Act No. 243, Aug 1958: "The Lady and the Lion"). Perry White has also been referred to as the Daily Planet's "editor-publisher" (S No. 18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane") and "publisher" (S No. 117/1, Nov 1957: "Clark Kent, Man of Mystery"), but these designations are contradicted by numerous texts (S No. 54/1, Sep/Oct 1948: "The Wrecker"; and others ) and are certainly not accurate.

==Clark Kent and the Daily Planet==

The Daily Planet's "star reporter" (Act No. 25, Jun 1940; and others) is indisputably Clark Kent. Renowned for his ability to root out local news (S No. 44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeareâ€™s Ghost Writer!"; and others), particularly stories dealing with crime and corruption (S No. 83/3, Jul/Aug 1953: "Clark Kent---Convict!"; and others), Kent has performed in numerous other capacities for the ''Daily Planet'' including that of war correspondent (Act No. 23, Apr 1940), lovelorn editor (S No. 18/3, Sep/Oct 1942: "The Man with the Cane"; and others), and editor of the entire newspaper in the absence of Perry White (Act No. 297, Feb 1963: "The Man Who Betrayed Supermanâ€™s Identity!"). He is described as the Daily Planet's "foremost reporter" in Superman No. 12/2 (Sep/Oct 1941), and as its "ace reporter" in Action Comics No. 105 (Feb 1947: "The Man Who Hated Christmas!") and in numerous other texts. "To '''Daily Planet''' readers," explains Superman No. 98/2: "the name of Clark Kent signed over a story has always meant integrity and honesty! His newspaper reporting on crime has won him countless awards!" (Jul 1955: "Clark Kent Outlaw!").

Two separate texts have appeared purporting to tell the true story of how Clark Kent came to acquire his reporter's job on the ''Daily Planet'', and they contain widely disparate accounts. According to Action Comics No. 144, Clark Kent first decided to become a reporter while still a youngster, after hearing ''Daily Planet'' editor Perry White give a lecture at [[Smallville High School]]. Arriving in Metropolis "years later" in hopes of pursuing a journalist's career, Kent was rejected by White when he applied for a post at the ''Daily Planet'' and was forced to take a series of odd jobs—from taxi driver to vacuum-cleaner salesman—until finally, after he had rescued Perry White from death at the hands of syndicate gangsters on several occasions, both as Clark Kent and as Superman, and after he had turned in an exclusive account of Superman's crusade against the syndicate, White finally granted him a job as a reporter (May 1950: "Clark Kentâ€™s Career!"). According to a conflicting account presented in Superman No. 133/2, however, Kent applied for a reporter's job at the ''Daily Planet'', was given a series of trivial "test" assignments—such as visiting the Metropolis Zoo for a story of an aging gorilla—by editor Perry White in lieu of an outright brush-off, and finally won his post on the ''Daily Planet'' by using his Superman powers to transform each dull, routing assignment into an electrifying news event and then handing in exclusive accounts of these events as would-be reporter Kent (Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!"). Both these accounts may be safely be regarded as spurious, for Clark Kent really begin his journalistic career on the [[Daily Star]], the forerunner in the chronicles of the ''Daily Planet'', by thwarting a lynching at the county jail in his Superman identity and then phoning in an exclusive account of the events as would-be reporter Clark Kent (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939).

Working as a reporter for a major newspaper enables Clark Kent to "investigate criminals without their suspecting [he's] really '''Superman'''" (S No. 133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!") and provides him with "the best opportunity for being free to help people as '''Superman'''" without having to explain his frequent absences from his place of employment (Act No. 144, May 1950: "Clark Kentâ€™s Career!"; and others). Kent frequently changes to Superman inside an empty "storage closet" (Act No. 181, Jun 1953: "The New Superman") or "store-room" (S No. 145/1, May 1961: "The Secret Identity of Superman!") at the ''Daily Planet'', and by May 1958 he has begin hiding a sophisticated Clark Kent robot behind a secret panel in the Daily Planet's supply room, capable of carrying on his journalistic duties whenever he is needed elsewhere as Superman (Act No. 240: "Secret of the Superman Sphinx").

==Lois Lane and the Daily Planet==

Ranking alongside Kent in the Daily Planet's reportorial hierarchy is Lois Lane, "the Daily Planet's star woman reporter" (WF No. 47, Aug/Sep 1950: "The Girl Who Hated Reporters!") and "Clark Kent's rival reporter at the '''Daily Planet'''..." (Act No. 176, Jan 1953: "Muscles for Money"). Described as the newspaper's "sob sister" (S No. 7/1, Nov/Dec 1940; and others) and as its lovelorn columnist (Act No. 44, Jan 1942; and others) in many early texts, Lois Lane has risen through the journalistic ranks to become one of the Daily Planet's "star reporters" (S No. 27/1, Mar/Apr 1944: "The Palace of Perilous Play!"; and others) and, with Clark Kent, one of the newspaper's "two brightest satellites" (S No. 26/2 Jan/Feb 1944: "Comedians' Holiday!"). Particularly adept at covering local news (S No. 44/3, Jan/Feb 1947: "Shakespeare's Ghost Writer!"), she has performed the full range of journalistic duties, including stints as war correspondent (Act No. 23, Apr 1940); weather editor, described as "one of the lowliest jobs on any newspaper" (WF No. 26, Nov/Dec 1946: "Mad Weather in Metropolis!"; ''see also'' WF No. 51, Apr/May 1951: "The Amazing Talents of Lois Lane!"); and "acting editor" in the absence of Perry White (S No. 124/1, Sep 1958: "The Super-Sword").

According to Worldâ€™s Finest Comics No. 47, Lois Lane began her journalistic career on the ''Daily Planet'' sometime after Clark Kent had already obtained employment there (Aug/Sep 1950: "The Girl Who Hated Reporters!"). This account is undoubtedly erroneous, however, for Lois Lane is portrayed as employed by the ''Daily Star'' in the premiere text of the Superman chronicles (Act No. 1, Jun 1938), and her hiring seems clearly to have preceded Kent's (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939). In addition, numerous other texts support the contention that Lois Lane was already plying here trade as a reporter at the time Clark Kent first began his journalistic career (S No. 133/2, Nov 1959: "How Perry White Hired Clark Kent!"; and others).

==Jimmy Olsen and the Daily Planet==

After Perry White, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane, the most enduring member of the ''Daily Planet'' staff is Jimmy Olsen, the newspaper's "star cub reporter" (Act No. 238, Mar 1958: "The Super-Gorilla from Krypton"). First introduced in November-December 1941 only as Jimmy, an office boy at the ''Daily Planet'' with a heartfelt longing to become "a real reporter" like his idol, Clark Kent (S No. 13/2), Jimmy is finally referred to by his full name, Jimmy Olsen, in March-April 1942 (S No. 15/1) and continues to be referred to as the ''Daily Planet'''s "office boy" for a number of years (Act No. 71, Apr 1944: "Valentine Villainy!"; and others) until he is finally accorded the status of cub reporter in January 1954 (S No. 86/2: "Jimmy Olsen...Editor!").

==The Staff of the Daily Planet==

Other ''Daily Planet'' staffers over the years have included reporter [[Charles Clayton]] (S No. 21/2, Mar/Apr 1943: "The Four Gangleaders"); janitor [[Charlie Frost]] (WF No. 11, Fall 1943: "The City of Hate!"); composing-room foreman Sam Greene, boss pressman Matt Worth, delivery-fleet head Peat Gluyas, ace cameraman Happy, copy-desk chief Sanford, and reporter Honey Dale, the publisher's niece (WF No. 13, Spr 1944: "The Freedom of the Press!"); cub reporter [[Tommy Blake]] (WF No. 18, Sum 1945: "The Junior Reporters!"); columnist Olga Olmstead (WF No. 24, Sep/Oct 1946: "Impossible but True!"); sports editor Jack Donovan, shipping-news reporter Mart Lane, photographer Joey Crane, and political reporter Horace Mills (WF No. 37, Nov/Dec 1948: "The Superman Story!"); a linotyper named Barstow (S No. 57/3, Mar/Apr 1949: "The Son of Superman!"); sports photographer Tom Dodds (S No. 58/2, May/Jun 1949: "Lois Lane Loves Clark Kent!"); business manager Mr. Weems (S No. 63/2, Mar/Apr 1950: "The Wind-Up Toys of Peril!"); Chuck, "the Planetâ€™s star photographer" (S No. 66/2, Sep/Oct 1950: "The Last Days of Superman!"); cub reporter [[Will White]], a son of Perry White (S No. 72/2, Sep/Oct 1951: "The Private Life of Perry White!"); switchboard operator [[Susan Semple]] (Act No. 163, Dec 1951: "The Girl of Tomorrow"); reporter [[Jack Wilde]] (Act No. 171, Aug 1952: "The Secrets of Superman!"); drama reporter [[Great Caesar's Ghost!|Waldo Pippin]] (S No. 91/3, Aug 1954: "Great Caesarâ€™s Ghost!"); staff artist Al Fallon, who draws the comic-strip feature [[Mental-Man]] (Act No. 196, Sep 1954: "The Adventures of Mental-Man!"); editor George Earns (S No. 92/1, Sep 1954: "The Impossible Headlines!"); lovelorn editor Dora Dell (S No. 92/2, Sep 1954: "Supermanâ€™s Sweetheart!"); copy boy Tommy Brown (S No. 95/3, Feb 1955: 'Jimmy Olsen, Super-Reporter!"); reporter [[Perry White, Jr.]], a son of Perry White (S No. 108/2, Sep 1956: "Perry White, Jr., Demon Reporter!"); and reporter Morna Vine (S No. 181/1, Nov 1965: pts I-II—"The Super-Scoops of Morna Vine!"; "The Secret of the New Supergirl!").

Other individuals who, at one time or another, have worked on the ''Daily Planet'' include boy genius Euclid Smith, who becomes a reporter on the newspaper in May-June 1952 as part of Superman's plan for getting the goods on the unscrupulous [[Mr. Fenton]] (WF No. 58: "'Scoop' Smith, Boy Reporter!"); [[Lana Lang]], who is employed by the ''Daily Planet'' during September-October 1952 (S No. 78/3: "The Girls in Superman's Life!"); swindler [[Soapy Martin]], who, under the alias Don Kelton, is employed as the Daily Planet's sports editor during January 1956 (S No. 102/3: "The Million-Dollar Mistake"); [[Mr. Mxyzptlk]], who obtains a reporter's job on the paper under a secret identity in May 1956 (S No. 105/2: "Mr. Mxyztplkâ€™s Secret Identity"); John Corben, alias [[Metallo (John Corben)|Metallo]], who becomes a reporter on the ''Daily Planet'' in May 1959 (Act No. 252: "The Menace of Metallo!"); and [[Hercules]], who, under the pseudonym [[Roger Tate]], obtains employment as a ''Daily Planet'' reporter during a visit to the twentieth century in August 1960 (Act No. 267: "Hercules in the 20th Century!"). Nostradamus, an old hermit who becomes, for a time, the dupe of the archvillainous [[Lex Luthor]], is given a job with the ''Daily Planet'' as a weather forecaster in October 1948 (Act No. 125: "The Modern Nostradamus!"), and [[Quex-Ul]], formerly an inmate of the [[Phantom Zone]], is given a job in the Daily Planet's production department in November 1962 (S No. 157/1: "The Super-Revenge of the Phantom Zone Prisoner!").

According to Worldâ€™s Finest Comics No. 47, "the favorite eating place for Metropolis reporters," including those of the ''Daily Planet'', is [[Harryâ€™s Dog House]], a diner specializing in hot dogs located across the street from the Daily Planet Building (Aug/Sep 1950: "The Girl Who Hated Reporters!"). For haircuts, most of the ''Planet'' staffers rely on Tony's barbershop (Act No. 237, Feb 1958: "Superman's Exposed Identity").

==The Daily Planet's Rival Newspapers==

Despite the preeminence of the ''Daily Planet'' among Metropolis's newspapers, the ''Planet'' has not been without its competition. Over the years, rival newspapers have included the ''Morning Pictorial'' and the ''Evening Standard'' (Act No. 37, Jun 1941; and others); the ''Metropolis Star'' (S No. 39/1, Mar/Apr 1946: "The Big Superman Broadcast!"; S No. 63/2, Mar/Apr 1950: "The Wind-Up Toys of Peril!"); The ''Evening Gazette'' (S No. 42/3, Sep/Oct 1946: "The Death of Clark Kent!"; S No. 108/2, Sep 1956: "Perry White, Jr., Demon Reporter!"); the ''Eagle'' (S No. 49/2, Nov/Dec 1947: "Clark Kent's Most Dangerous Assignment!"); the ''Examiner'' (S No. 49/3, Nov/Dec 1947: "Lois Lane, Globe-Trotter!"); the ''World'' and the ''Globe'' (WF No. 33, Mar/Apr 1948: "Superman Press, Inc.!"); the ''Metropolis Herald'' (S No. 52/1, May/Jun 1948: "Preview of Plunder"); the ''Daily Dispatch'' (S No. 73/3, Nov/Dec 1951: "Perry White vs. Clark Kent!"); the ''Daily Tatler'' (WF No. 58, May/Jun 1952: "'Scoop' Smith, Boy Reporter!"); the ''Evening Compass'' (S No. 89/1, May 1954: "Captain Kent the Terrible!"); and the ''Morning Globe'' (Act No. 237, Feb 1958: "Superman's Exposed Identity").

==The Texts==

In June 1938, the date of the premiere text of the Superman chronicles, Clark Kent is portrayed as a reporter for the ''Daily Star'' (Act No. 1), although an expanded version of the same events, published a year later, shows that Kent had obtained employment on the ''Star'' only a short while earlier (S No. 1/1, Sum 1939). For almost two full years, through March 1940, Kent's newspaper is referred to as the ''Daily Star'' (Act No. 22). Thereafter, whoever, without any explanation having been given for the changeover, the paper is referred to as the ''Daily Planet'' (S No. 4/1-4, Spr 1940; Act No. 23, Apr 1940), the name it has now retained for nearly four full decades.

Following its last appearance in November 1940 (Act No. 30), the name of George Taylor—who had served as editor of the ''Daily Star'' and then of the ''Daily Planet''—disappears from the chronicles entirely, to be replaced soon afterward by that of editor Perry White (Act No. 35, Apr 1941; and others).

In Summer 1940, [[Alex Evell]]'s attempt to seize control of the ''Daily Planet'' is thwarted by Superman (S No. 5/2).

In October 1941, saboteur [[Ralph Cowan]] plants a time bomb at the ''Daily Planet'' while posing as a telephone repairman, but Superman finds and defuses the bomb before it has had time to go off (Act No. 41).

In May-June 1942, the Daily Planet Building and all its occupants are transported to the fourth dimension by the evil [[Mister Sinister]], but Superman ultimately defeats the villain and restores the "kidnapped" building to the earthly dimension (S No. 16/3: "Case of the Runaway Skyscrapers").

In September-October 1942, after being duped by Nazi agent [[Carl Bland]] into participating in his so-called "mock invasion" of Metropolis, Lois Lane almost succeeds in blowing up the ''Daily Planet'' when she carries a bomb-laden suitcase into the Daily Planet Building unaware that it contains a live bomb. Alerted in the nick of time by Superman, however, Lois drops the suitcase into a nearby river, where it explodes harmlessly (S No. 18/1: "The Conquest of a City").

In November-December 1942, villains from the ''Daily Planet'''s comic strips are brought to life by [[Funnyface]], who puts them to work committing spectacular crimes. Superman ultimately apprehends Funnyface, however, with some timely assistance from Lois Lane (S No. 19/1: "Case of the Funny Paper Crimes").

In December 1942, the ''Daily Planet'' announces its plans to publish a comic-strip series by cartoonist [[Al Hatt]] based on the adventures of Superman (Act No. 55: "A Goof Named Tiny Rufe").

In May-June 1943, after the [[Prankster]] has copyrighted the English alphabet, Perry White finds himself compelled to pay the villain $2,000 per week for permission to publish the ''Daily Planet'' (S No. 22/3: "The Great ABC Panic!").

In Fall 1943, the [[Skeptic]] attempts to discredit the ''Daily Planet'', only to be thwarted and apprehended by Superman (WF No. 11: "The City of Hate!").

In Spring 1944, three Metropolis rackets czars (''see'' [[Delmar Dice Dimant|Delmar "Dice" Dimant]]) embark on a campaign of sabotage and terror against the ''Daily Planet'' as part of his elaborate scheme to bilk wealthy "stock manipulator" Amos Amster (Act No. 77: "The Headline Hoax!").

In January-February 1946, Lex Luthor wreaks havoc at the Daily Planet Building when he makes it the target of his diabolical "molecular impulsion beam" (S No. 38/1: "The Battle of the Atoms!").

In November-December 1948, five ''Daily Planet'' reporters spend a hectic day with Superman as part of a contest, proposed by Perry White, to see which of them can produce the best story of the day's events. All five reporters turn in excellent stories, but the winner of the contest—although the named of the winner is never explicitly stated—is apparently young news photographer Joey Crane, whose "story" consists of pictures of all the happy people Superman helped in the course of his super-heroic day (WF No. 37: "The Superman Story!").

In September-October 1949, rackets czar [[Hollis Shore]] has his henchmen bomb the ''Daily Planet'''s printing presses in retaliation for a series of exposÃ©s written by editor Perry White, but Superman keeps the ''Daily Planet'' in business in spite of the damage by printing the newspaper on a hand press at eye-blurring super-speed (S No. 60/1: "The Two Identities of Superman!").

In March-April 1950, the [[Toyman (Winslow Schott)|Toyman]] steals a payroll from the ''Daily Planet'' with the aid of an ingenious flying Superman doll, but Superman ultimately outwits the Toyman and takes him into custody (S No. 63/2: "The Wind-Up Toys of Peril!").

In July-August 1950, when the space capsule carrying [[Mala]], [[Kizo]], and [[U-Ban]] crash-lands in Metropolis, the impact of the landing threatens to topple the Daily Planet Building and numerous other downtown skyscrapers, but, "with a speed that seems to burn up space," Superman repairs the damage before any of the buildings collapse (S No. 65/3: "Three Supermen from Krypton!").

In June 1951, [[Joe "The Elephant" Striker]] and his henchmen are apprehended by Superman while attempting to stage a payroll robbery at the ''Daily Planet'' (Act No. 157: "The Superman Who Couldnâ€™t Fly!").

In November-December 1951, the ''Daily Planet'' merges with its former rival, the ''Daily Dispatch'', after the ''Dispatch'''s stockholders have hastily decided to dispose of their interest in the paper in the wake of the embarrassing revelation that ''Dispatch'' publisher [[Ray Curtis]] is actually [[The Insider|â€The Insider.â€]] The text asserts that the newspaper resulting from the merger is to be called the ''Planet-Dispatch'' (S No. 73/3: "Perry White vs. Clark Kent!"), but the name ''Planet-Dispatch'' never reappears in any subsequent text.

In November-December 1952, the ''Daily Planet'' is deliberately closed down by publisher John Wilton as part of his scheme to stifle competition among Metropolis's newspapers. Before long, however, the ''Daily Planet'' is back in business, thanks to the perseverance of ''Planet'' staffers and the heroic intervention of Superman (S No. 79/2: "The End of the Planet!").

In February 1953, the Daily Planet Building is smashed in two by a diabolical "flying wrecking crane" employed by the [[The General|"General,"]] but Superman evacuates the building before anyone is injured, transporting its equipment and personnel to a safe location until he has had time to repair the damage (Act No. 177: "The Anti-Superman Weapon").

In January 1954, an English edition of the ''Daily Planet'' is established in London (S No. 86/1: "The Dragon from King Arthur's Court!").

In May 1954, life at the ''Daily Planet'' is made miserable by the relentless insistence on "split-second efficiency" imposed on the staff by efficiency expert [[Jasper Coldstone]] (Act No. 192: "The Man Who Sped Up Superman!"). During this same period, Superman erects a protective metal shield around the Daily Planet Building to protect its occupants from a powerful bomb planted in Metropolis by Lex Luthor (S No. 89/3: "One Hour to Doom!").

In September 1954, gangster [[Jigger Benson]] concocts a scheme to destroy the ''Daily Planet'''s credibility in order to discredit a series of exposÃ©s written by reporter Clark Kent. Benson and his henchmen, however, are ultimately apprehended by Superman (S No. 92/1: "The Impossible Headlines!").

In April 1955, foreign editions of the ''Daily Planet'' are launched in Paris and Bombay. According to the text, a third international edition is established in London (Act No. 203: "The International Daily Planet!"), but this is inconsistent with the previous establishment of a London edition fifteen months earlier (S No. 86/1, Jan 1954: "The Dragon from King Arthur's Court!").

In December 1955, ''Daily Planet'' offices around the world celebrate what is described as "the anniversary of the first '''international editions''' of the '''Daily Planet'''--in France, Greece, Italy, Holland, and Japan!" To help mark the occasion, Superman visits the five countries in turn to pose for a series of front-page anniversary-edition photographs of himself performing to "glorify something [the host] country is famous for," as when the Man of Steel poses on a Paris street while balancing the [[Eiffel Tower]] upside down in one hand. Several days later, when Superman returns to [[Smallville]] for a testimonial dinner in his honor commemorating the anniversary of his arrival on Earth as an infant from the planet [[Krypton]], Perry White is on hand to present the Man of Steel with a special anniversary gift: copies of the editions, each with photographs of Superman's super-feats splashed across its front page, and each with a headline wishing Superman a happy anniversary in its own native language (Act No. 211: "The Superman Spectaculars").

In March 1956, the Daily Planet Building is one of the buildings destroyed by Superman in order to thwart the interplanetary invasion plot unearthed by [[Ebeneezer Walker]]. Later, with the alien invasion threat safely disposed of, Superman single-handedly constructs a new Daily Planet Building on the site of the old one (Act No. 214: "Superman, Super-Destroyer").

In July 1960, the giant "Earth-globe" atop the Daily Planet Building is destroyed by [[Titano]], who rips it from its moorings and hurls it into the sea. A new globe fashioned by Superman is later installed in its place (S No. 138/1: "Titano the Super-Ape!").

In April 1961, Superman poses for a commemorative photograph outside the Daily Planet Building as he purchases, from a newsboy, the five billionth copy of the ''Daily Planet'' (S No. 144/1: "The Super-Weapon!").

In July 1962, in the pressroom of the ''Daily Planet'', Perry White presents Superman with an honorary plaque in gratitude for his ongoing role in "helping the Planet get many great scoops!" Suddenly, however, Superman goes berserk, "leering malevolently" and smashing apart the ''Daily Planet'''s giant presses "with powerful blows of his mighty fists..." Then, just as abruptly, the bizarre "wrecking spree" ends, and Superman, who is as yet completely unaware of the reason for his insane outburst (''see'' [[Mag-En]]), contritely repairs the damage (S No. 154/2: "Kryptonâ€™s First Superman!").

In December 1962, Superman destroys every single typewriter at the ''Daily Planet'', demolishes the globe atop the Daily Planet Building, and commits other intemperate, often violent, acts after being driven temporarily berserk by a diabolical "telepathic-hypnotic weapon" fired at him by members of the [[Superman Revenge Squad]]. After the villains have been defeated, however, Superman pledges to repair the damage (Act No. 295: "Superman Goes Wild!").

In July 1963, the roof of the Daily Planet Building collapses into its topmost floor of offices after it has been deliberately sabotaged by a ring of swindlers who have been the target of a series of exposÃ©s authored by editor Perry White. Lois Lane is on the verge of being crushed to death by the heavy ''Daily Planet'' globe falling through the caved-in roof when Superman intervenes to catch the globe and rescue Lois from seemingly certain doom (Act No. 302: "The Amazing Confession of Super-Perry White!").

In May 1964, the mischievous Mr. Mxyzptlk uses his extradimensional magical powers to temporarily transform the large block letters encircling the globe atop the Daily Planet Building so that instead of spelling out the words Daily Planet they spell out the words Daily Liar (S No. 169/1: "The Infernal Imp!"). Soon afterwards, the globe is demolished by [[Bizarro]] and his followers from the planet [[Htrae]]. The destruction of the globe has its beneficial side, however, because, as luck would have it, two of the globe's giant block letters, hurtling toward the sidewalk, knock out two gunmen attempting to seal a ''Daily Planet'' payroll en route from the bank (S No. 169/3, May 1964: "The Bizarro Invasion of Earth!").

By January 1971, the ''Daily Planet'' has been acquired by the Galaxy Broadcasting System. It is during this period that [[Morgan Edge]], Galaxy's president, removes Clark Kent from the staff of the ''Planet'' and installs him as a full-time newscaster on another Galaxy property, Metropolis television station WGBS-TV, a post Kent holds until the late 1980s (S No. 233: "Superman Breaks Loose"; and others). (TGSB)

==External Link==

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Planet Wikipedia Entry on the Daily Planet]

[[Category:Entries]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]
[[Category:Groups and Organizations]]
[[Category:Golden Age (1938-1955)]]
[[Category:Silver Age (1956-1970)]]
[[Category:Bronze Age (1971-1986)]]