Sergeant Casey

Sergeant Casey aka Detective Sergeant Casey aka Casey

A courageous, stubborn, Irish police sergeant on the Metropolis police force. Although he has a policeman’s instinctive distrust of journalists, tending to regard them as troublemakers or pests, he is on a first-name basis with Clark Kent and Lois Lane and occasionally provides them with useful news tips. World’s Finest Comics No. 2 describes him as Kent’s “good friend” in the Metropolis Police Department (Sum 1941). When Superman, still in the early stage of his career, is being sought by the police for working outside the law, Sergeant Casey makes a number of courageous, albeit unsuccessful, attempts to apprehend him (Ad No. 37, Jun 1941; and others), but by October 1941 the good-hearted Irish policeman has clearly come to regard Superman as a friend of law and order (Act No. 41). Action Comics No. 51 refers to Sergeant Casey as Detective Sergeant Casey (Aug 1942: “The Case of the Crimeless Crimes”), but this would appear to be the result of a chronicler’s error.

Sergeant Casey appears in more than a score of early texts, but the majority of his appearances are inconsequential. In June 1941 Sergeant Casey turns his gun on Superman and attempts to take him into custody, but the Man of Steel easily escapes from the exasperated policeman (Act No. 37).

In July 1941 Sergeant Casey, suspicious that Superman may be somehow implicated in the recent wave of mysterious robberies (see Harold Morton), attempts to place him under arrest, but the Man of Steel easily shatters his handcuffs and escapes, and by the conclusion of the adventure his innocence has been clearly established (Act No. 38).

In August 1941, after a dying watchman, mortally wounded by a mysterious bandit, has muttered something about his assailant’s having been invulnerable to bullets, Sergeant Casey attempts to arrest Superman for the crime. The Man of Steel escapes, however, and ultimately succeeds in proving his innocence (Act No. 39). (See Brerr Bryson )

In October 1941, while investigating an act of attempted sabotage at a U.S. defense plant, Sergeant Casey is hit over the head with a vase by one of Ralph Cowan's saboteurs and hurled unconscious out of an upper-story window. Casey’s life is saved, however, by Superman, who catches the sergeant in midair before he can hit the ground (Act No. 41).

In January-February 1942, while attending a concert by famed pianist Rudolph Kranzinski in the hope of apprehending the criminals responsible for robbing the concert goers at Krazinski’s previous concert, Sergeant Casey is rendered unconscious — along with all the other members of the audience, by Krazinski’s “lulling, hypnotic piano playing,” and is carried unconscious to Krazinski’s hideout by a Krazinski henchman with a longtime grudge against Casey, Krazinski intervenes to prevent his hench man from murdering the sergeant, but a short while later, after Krazinski and his other cohorts have departed, leaving Sergeant Casey and the vengeful henchman alone, Casey is rescued from seemingly certain death only by the timely arrival of Superman, who crashes through the wall of the hideout, moves Casey safely out of the path of an oncoming bullet, and rescues him from his abductor’s clutches. “Once again you’ve saved my life!” exclaims Sergeant Casey gratefully.

Later, after Rudolph Krazinski has committed suicide by “striking a certain combination of bizarre notes” on the piano, Superman telephones Sergeant Casey and informs him where he can find Krazinski’s corpse.

“Thanks, Superman!” replies the sergeant. “The way I fumbled the investigation got me in trouble with my superiors, but discovering Krazinski should put me back in their good graces!” (S No. 14/1).

In May-June 1942, when Sergeant Casey attempts to arrest Clark Kent for the theft of a cash box containing charitable contributions, Kent flees from Casey, successfully eluding arrest long enough to enable Superman to recover the stolen money, exonerate his mild-mannered alter ego of any wrong doing, and apprehend the real villain, ex-convict Charlie Grayson. “What would the police force do without you?” asks Casey admiringly, after Superman has turned Grayson over to the police. ‘No doubt get along very nicely!” replies the Man of Steel gallantly (S No. 16/1: “The World’s Meanest Man”).

In March-April 1943, when Lois Lane is found in possession of a stolen mink coat, Sergeant Casey is forced to hold Lois briefly on a charge of theft even though he personally has faith in her innocence. Lois is freed when it is established that she bought the coat from a friend unaware that the coat had been stolen and given to her friend as a gift by the villain Sir Gauntlet (S No. 21/3: “The Robber Knight”).

In July-August 1943, Sergeant Casey provides Superman with information that leads ultimately to the apprehension of gambler Sammy Brink (S No. 23/4: “Danger on the Diamond!”). (See Tom Marin)

By March 1948, Sergeant Casey has arrested Clark Kent for the murder of gangster Slugger Maull after finding Kent standing over Maull’s body with the murder weapon in his hand (Act No. 118: “The Execution of Clark Kent!”).