Comic Genius

5. Jimmy Olsen

Strictly speaking, Jimmy isn’t a superhero. But there was a time, within the last year, when he worked as Mr. Action and had the ability to manifest different super powers as was needed. It was also during this time that Jimmy finally learned that Clark Kent was Superman. The scene was very anti-climatic, especially since Jimmy has been known to be a good friend to not only Superman, but to Clark Kent as well.

Jimmy first appeared as an unnamed intern at the Daily Planet shortly after the debut of Action Comics in 1938. He was first named in the Superman radio show in 1940, and first debuted as James Bartholemew Olsen in the comics in 1941. He has held many jobs at the Daily Planet over the years, starting as a copy boy and moving onto photographer and now working toward becoming a full-fledged reporter like his role models, Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

My favorite aspect of Jimmy is his tenacious personality and his fierce loyalty to his friends. Often in Superman comics, you see Perry White constantly giving Jimmy a hard time about developing the mind of a newspaper man. And while Jimmy almost always ducks his head in shame, he hardly ever lets down the Chief. He wants more than anything to fit in with these people and be seen by the public as they are, and he works hard to become that person that everyone will trust and talk about after reading the Sunday edition.

I came in extremely late to Countdown to Final Crisis, but I’m very enthusiastic to read his whole storyline from the year that Countdown took place. At the end of this storyline, Jimmy steps up and shows everyone what exactly he’s made of and how all the years of being Superman’s Pal have prepared him for being in danger. He lays the smackdown to Darkseid, and in my opinion, solidifies his place as a hero in the DC Universe.

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