When Superman Had to Briefly Become a Butler and Then a British DJ

This is “Working for a While,” a feature that spotlights the lesser-known jobs that our favorite superheroes have had over the years (mostly in their secret identities, but sometimes I’ll feature examples of jobs superheroes have had in their costumed identities, as well). Today, we look at when Superman had to find two new jobs after his Clark Kent gig was seemingly ruined.

In the world of superhero comic books, there are few jobs quite as famous as Superman’s job at the Daily Planet in his Clark Kent secret identity. When Superman briefly revealed his secret identity to the world during Brian Michael Bendis’ Superman run, Clark had to give that job up. Interestingly enough, that was precisely the plot of a 1965 issue of Superman, Superman #182 to be precise, in a story by Superman’s co-creator, Jerry Siegel, with art by Curt Swan and George Klein (this was a few years before Klein left DC for Marvel after a distinguished run inking Swan at DC).

As noted, like “Truth,” Superman’s Clark Kent identity became ruined, but here, Superman still wanted to maintain a secret identity, so when Clark Kent was seemingly blinded for life, Superman decided that he had no choice but to retire his Clark Kent identity, and find a new secret identity…or in this case, TWO new secret identities!

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The butler definitely did it when Superman became a butler

First, Superman decides to become William Digby, an English butler, complete with a mustache (and now no longer having to worry about any pesky eyeglasses), but, of course, the first job that Digby goes to try to get hired is, of course, a famous gangster who has gotten plastic surgery, and is now pretending to be a high society guy…

Now, here’s the funniest thing about this story. It is extremely convoluted, and yet it is not even CLOSE to as convoluted as the following part of the story! Superman figures out he is working for a crook, so he decides to fake being a brilliant safecracker, so that the gangster disguised as a rich guy will take him under his wing…but not to work for him, per se, but to be a perfect patsy for his boss!

It’s such a weird concept, because Superman as Digby is clearly a very useful criminal to have on his side, so why, exactly, was he so intent on framing his loyal butler?

Obviously, as you might very well expect, this betrayal led to the bad guy’s downfall, in a truly bizarre little spectacle, where Superman makes perfect fake copies of the jewels that he was being framed for stealing, and puts them into the suitcase of his boss, through the use of a stretched out paper clip that Superman can somehow manipulate at a great distance into a lock pick…

Earlier in the story, at a plot point, Superman brews up a alcohol concoction that gets everyone at a party drunk, after first tricking his boss into thinking the drink wasn’t strong because he is, you know, Superman. Okay, with the butler identity now ruined (it doesn’t even HAVE to be ruined, right? Can’t he just get a new job elsewhere as Digby?), Superman moves on to a new gig. as a DJ…IN ENGLAND?!?!

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When Superman got a hold of Beatle-mania…IN ENGLAND!

Late 1965 was right smack in the heart of Beatlemania in the United States, but obviously it was still a very big deal in England, as well, so Superman decides to become Clark King, a British DJ, who plays all the hip British bands just about to break into the States with the British Invasion (I don’t get why a smallish British town would be the best spot for Superman to hear about news around the world that needs Superman. Metropolis was definitely better attuned to that sort of thing).

An odd bit early on is when Superman uses his superpowers to increase the radio station’s range, so that Clark the K (a reference to the popular American DJ, Murray the K, who was a great New York City early rock DJ) is heard all over England, and thus, when they judge the deejays on who was the most popular, Clark the K wins easily, and becomes a popular DJ (Superman explains that the radio gig will help him so much with his law and order mission that it was okay to cheat. This IS a guy who unethically reports on his own achievements in his articles)….

Clark the K has to pick an act for his big show, and a crooked promoter is trying to get him to pick his band of “Mutations” (rockers with masks that make them look monstrous), but Clark turns to Clive Duncan, who dresses up as Superman for his act (obviously, Superman is interested in that). The crooked promoter then knocks Duncan out, hoping to make Clark pick his group. Clark, though, decides to just dress up as Clive dressing up as him, and doing his act (by the way, 1965 Siegel trying to do then-current music is pretty hilarious)….

Superman then switches Clive back in time so that it looks like he was doing the act the whole time. Clive thanks Clark the K for the big break, and the fans get so excited about Clark the K, that the fans tear off his shirt, and reveal that Clark the K is really Superman! Superman decides that, hey, how about just kissing all the girls and flying away…

Superman then finds out that Clark Kent probably could have been cured of his blindness by now, so he returns to Metropolis to become Clark Kent again (by the way, I’m not sure why Clark Kent couldn’t just be a blind reporter, and still work as a secret identity for Superman).

Thanks to my pal Fraser for the suggestion! Okay, non-Fraser folks (or heck, if Fraser has another one, that’d be cool, too), I’m sure you have plenty of suggestions for this feature, so let me have ’em at [email protected]!