Bart Benson (1963)

Bart Benson (1963)

A lumberjack and foreman of the Selwyn Lumber Co., which is owned by the immensely wealthy farm owner Digby Selwyn and his daughter Sally Selwyn, by whom Benson is employed. It is unknown if he is of any relation to Bart Benson, the owner of the Bart Benson Construction Co. (S No. 124/3: "The Steeplejack of Steel"). Benson is a chief rival for Sally's affections, along with Jim White, who unknown to anyone, is Superman amnesiac and powerless due to the effects of Red Kryptonite and dressed in the clothes of his Clark Kent identity.

Benson is requested by the Selwyns to employ 'Jim' to help him with the work on the timberland. Benson takes an instant dislike to 'Jim', especially since Sally clearly begins developing romantic feelings for 'Jim', ("She's sweet on him! But he's not kiddin' me! He's as much after her dough as I am!"). Benson then began embarking on several jealous-driven schemes to get rid of 'Jim' permanently, which includes drugging a horse at a rodeo to get violent which results in 'Jim' being paralyzed. Then while 'Jim' is alone by a river in a wheelchair several days later, Benson pushes a boulder that knocks 'Jim' into the river and out to sea, where he is presumed drowned. It is never discovered by anyone that Benson commits these foul deeds, and it is assumed that 'Jim' commits suicide when in actuality Superman is found by the the mermaid Lori Lemaris and her people in the sea, where he subsequently recovers and all the effects of the Red Kryptonite wear off. Yet by then Superman has no memory of his time with the Selwyns, and certainly not of Benson's crime (S No. 165, Nov 1963: "The Sweetheart Superman Forgot").