Wayne King

A school social studies teacher at Smallville High School in Smallville who was friends with the young Clark Kent when they were both high school students themselves. Wayne King does not know that Clark Kent and Superboy were one and the same nor that Clark Kent is now secretly Superman.

In June 1986, the King household in Smallville is visited by a returning Clark Kent, now "an ace newspaperman for the Daily Planet in Metropolis" and an "old friend," who visits Mr. King's classroom to speak to the students about journalism. "My buddy Wayne King and his family stayed in Smallville and he teaches social studies at our old high school," reminisces Clark Kent to himself.

Wayne King is disillusioned with his job as teacher and attempts to resign his position in order to pursue a more exiciting career. Superman and Chris Parker Hunt, a student in Wayne King's class, successfully combine forces to make him realize that only he can transform "these little monsters" into "citizens to be proud of." Mr. King remains on as "the best teacher in the school." (S. No. 420: "...and We are the Dreamers of the Dreams!")

Although the texts inconsistently refer to Wayne King as either Wayne King or Wayne Kling, the preponderance of evidence is with the first of the two names and it is the preferred choice among informed Superman scholars.