Billy Cramer

Billy Cramer

(full name: William F. Cramer)

According to later chronicles, Billy Cramer was Superboy's roommate during his junior year in college. Though they never met previously, Billy Cramer was from Smallville and was told to look up Clark Kent when he got to school. After becoming friends, Clark eventually reveals his secret identity to Billy and gives him a supersonic whistle in case he ever finds himself in trouble (SSY No. 1, Feb 1985: "Dreams and Schemes and Feeling Proud", SSY No. 2, Mar 1985: "Reach Out and Touch").

Billy Cramer knows Lori Lemaris during Clark's courtship with her, and also has the opportunity to meet Pete Ross. Both Pete and Billy cover for Clark's sudden disappearances, and each suspects that the other knows his secret identity. When Clark and Lori have relationship troubles prior to the discovery that she is from Atlantis, Billy uses his supersonic whistle to summon Clark and force him to talk about it. This angers Clark and they part ways. The fact that Clark Kent has roommates, that one ever met Lori Lemaris, or what year Clark met Lori are contradicted in other chronicles (for example, S No. 129, May 1959: "The Girl in Superman's Past!").

Tragically, Billy dies while trying to save a baby from a burning building. Superboy, while saving an entire island nation from a tsunami, hears Billy's whistle and sees that he is in trouble, but is unable to help. Billy dies thinking that Superboy ignored his whistle because he had misused it earlier.

Following Billy Cramer's death, Superboy is plagued by guilt and goes into a self-imposed exile for nearly three months on a secret island paradise he had earlier discovered in the Bermuda Triangle (SSY No. 3, Apr 1985: "Terminus", SSY No. 4, May 1985: "Beyond Terminus").