Ugly Superman
The Ugly Superman
A dim-witted small-time wrestler at the Metropolis Arena who tries unsuccessfully to win the affections of Lois Lane. On an assignment from the Daily Planet, Lois Lane attends a series of wrestling matches one night at the Metropolis Arena to give "the women's angle" on the sport. During one act, Lois is intrigued by a match involving a wrestler known as the Ugly Superman. Dressed in a Superman costume, the Ugly Superman displays considerable strength against his opponents, yet Lois feels pity for the wrestler when he is booed and jeered by the crowd for his rugged looks.
She then decides to write a feature for the Planet on the wrestler, in the hope it will change people's opinion of him. However, Lois is then surprised when the Ugly Superman shows up at the Planet's offices the day after the article's publication, completely misinterpreting her sympathy for romantic feelings. Lois flatly rejects the wrestler's advances, yet relents and agrees to a series of embarrassing dates after he threatens Clark Kent.
Lois is appalled by the wrestler, ("A pig at the trough has more manners!"), yet receives help in the form of Superman, who decides to come to Lois' aid. Dressing up as an old bearded wrestler known as Methuselah, Superman confronts the Ugly Superman at the Metropolis Gym and challenges him to a series of feats-of-strength—until finally revealing who he is. No match for the super-powered Kryptonian, the humiliated Ugly Superman still vows to someday win Lois' affections.
Two months later, Lois and Clark return to the Metropolis Arena to find a considerably different Ugly Superman has received some plastic surgery. Now known as the Gorgeous Superman, the wrestler is once again turned down by Lois, who says her heart belongs to the real Superman (SGLL No. 8/2, Apr 1959: "The Ugly Superman!").
At some point prior to receiving his plastic surgery, the Ugly Superman wrestles Jimmy Olsen when Jimmy uses his Elastic Lad powers to become a wrestler (SPJO No. 54/1, Jul 1961: "Elastic Lad's Wrestling Match!"; reprinted in SPJO No. 111/2, Jun 1968 with four additional pages).
