Rupert Brand

Revision as of 18:17, 13 October 2006

A well-meaning but overzealous agent for the Internal Revenue Service who, having discovered that Superman has never file a tax return, promptly dubs the Man of Steel a “tax-evader,” declares him delinquent in the amount of $1,000,000,000—in spite of the fact that Superman has contributed countless billions to charitable causes—and demands that he pay the amount in full within twenty-four hours. Brand’s somewhat more open-minded I.R.S. superior ultimately revokes the tax judgment, however, declaring that Superman is exempt from taxes under the terms of the “tax dependency clause.” In the superior’s words:

Our records show that Superman has for years
supported billions of needy people with clothing, housing, 
food and protective service! Indeed, the whole
world is dependent on him!
According to law, every tax-payer is allowed to deduct
$600 for each dependent! Well, Superman has over two
billion dependents!

“If anything, the U.S. is indebted to Superman!” adds the superior soon afterward. “Only there isn’t enough money in the world to pay him for what he does!” (S No. 148/3, Oct 1961: “Superman Owes a Billion dollars!”). The story is in many respects similar to Superman No. 114/3 (Jul 1957: “Superman’s Billion-Dollar Debt!”) (See Jason Hawker.)