WHEN SUPERMAN WAS ALFRED....

[alschroeder3]

...Or at least, an English butler in a millionaire's home, in a 2-part sixties' story by Jerry Siegel, Superman's creator, and Curt Swan, called "The New Lives of Superman" from January 1966, Superman #182.

Clark Kent attended the unveiling of an "ultimate weapon" that Superman had captured from a dictator. Even the core element glowed so fiercely that everyone had to wear goggles for fear of being blinded. The element was unveiled--just as the elastic in Clark's goggles snapped.

Since all the test animals were blinded, Clark had to pretend to be blinded too. Since they weren't sure if the animals were permanently blinded, Clark had to pretend to be as blind as long as they were.

So Clark gave a bitter speech when Lois, Jimmy, and Perry went to see him, while being trained with a seeing-eye dog, so he could sever ties with them. Afterwards, he disappeared, as Superman tried another identity.

But his employer was anything BUT Bruce Wayne...

Was it Jules Fieffer who wondered if Superman was a secret masochist? He always seemed to pick identities for the most humiliation he could endure in them.

Of course, "Digby" may not be the ideal servant, either...

Superman freed the intelligence chief from a frozen train, due to a experimental device accidentally activated. Afterwards...

Is it just me, or did a lot of women at the party like flirting with the hired help? Maybe the gray in the temples made him look distinguished...

Well...the second part of the story had Superman assume the identity of "Clark the K", a British disc jockey who had the most stereotypical English accent this side of Percy Pinkerton, in a painfully cliched story. Eventually, the test animals regained their sight, so Clark Kent could return, as we all knew he would. Typical sixties silliness, but I like how Siegel showed Superman having fun with his double identity. I always thought that Superman pulled off the butler bit pretty well...and wonder if he modeled some of his mannerisms on Alfred's.

Comments

[drtechnobabel]

So, wait. He goes through all that trouble to get "Raffles" caught, but he never bothers to recover the REAL diamonds from the fake buoy?

God, I love the Silver Age.

[zapbiffpow]

"No one can buttle better than I can buttle!"

Heh. phrasing.

Also, I love how Digby the butler looks more of a handsome elderly gentleman than literally every other yacht guest in the entire comic book. If they cut Superman off from sunlight, will he eventually turn ugly?

[icon_uk]

Strange how Superman never thinks to take Clark away privately to the Fortress for a special treatment which heals his eyes, but then we wouldn't get crack like this! :)

[his_spiffynesss]

I always wondered if half the Silver Age writers were just stealing ideas from their kids.

[silverhammerman]

A Silver Age Superman series written in the style of Axe Cop sounds delightful.

[icon_uk]

Except that, as his_spiffyness noted, that really IS pretty much the Silver Age.

[imitorar]

Supposedly Mort Weisinger (the editor of the Silver Age Superman) used to walk the streets of New York and ask 10 year olds what kind of things they'd want to see in Superman comics. I can't speak for the reliability of this story, but there it is.