Did you know that Pete Ross' original name was Billy Todd? He popped up in Superboy #47 (March 1956). When we meet him, Billy is helping Clark deal with some bullying:
He offers to be Clark's pal, but the Boy of Steel is too worried about protecting his secret identity. Fortunately, Ma and Pa Kent intervene, inviting the new chum to dinner. After the meal, Clark shows off his hobby:
Billy later shows off his own hobby, which is creating miniature replicas of famous structures, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Pete has different pastimes: acting and detective work.
Now that they are friends, Clark finds himself (as Superboy) often saving Billy from perilous situations:
Which leads inevitably to some awkward moments:
Clark is disturbed to learn that his new pal is checking Superboy's measurements:
Which leads him inevitably to the conclusion that his supposed buddy is plotting to betray him. But fortunately there is an innocent explanation:
Update: Kirk House pointed out in the comments that in Action #457, Pete Ross's son apparently lost his will to live. Only one thing could save him; if Superman divulged his secret identity to the young lad. The story is pretty good; ironically the many times that people have suspected Clark Kent as Supes works against the disclosure, as Jon Ross cites those incidents for his skepticism. Fortunately he has figured out another way to prove it that Clark had not protected himself against:
The concept of someone making a deathbed request to learn a superhero's secret ID had been used several times already, including at least two Batman tales and one in Jimmy Olsen:
9 comments:
WELL REMEMBER the Pete Ross story from when it first came out... and also when Pete discovered that Clark was Superboy... but NEVER HEARD of Billy Todd! Thank you!
Didn't Superman in later years have to convince Pete's skeptical son that Clark Kent was his secret identity? And then the boy convinced himself by examining Clark's medicine cabinet, revealing a major flaw in Clark's camouflage?
Sounds like it would make a very good story if it hasn't been done, Kirk. I haven't read much of Superman after about 1975.
Good estimating, Pat. I just checked it on the Grand Comics Database. It's in the March 1976 issue of Action Comics (#457), a story entitled, "Superman, You're Not Clark Kent, and I Can Prove It!" It would actually make a pretty good Silver Age story. Jonathan Ross, who adores Superman, is sick unto death. Pete begs his old friend to reveal his identity privately to the boy, so the thrill will inspire him to go on living. But the kid is disgusted when Superman insists that he's Clark -- because that's been conclusively DISproved so many times! After many pages of Superman vainly trying to demonstrate that is in fact Clark, Jonathan demands a look at Clark's medicine cabinet. Here he finds NO iodine, Band-Aids, aspirin, etc. -- demonstrating that Clark clearly is the invulnerable Superman. The boy recovers, Pete (still keeping his own knowledge secret) is grateful, and Superman is stunned that he's overlooked such an obvious tipoff to his secret identity.
"The concept of someone making a deathbed request to learn a superhero's secret ID had been used several times already, including at least two Batman tales and one in Jimmy Olsen:"
I seem to recall it also happened in a Superman story from around about 1950 or so, unfortunately I don't remember where. It may have been reprinted in one of the 1970s Limited Collectors' Editions oversized comics.
"The concept of someone making a deathbed request to learn a superhero's secret ID had been used several times already, including at least two Batman tales and one in Jimmy Olsen."
"I seem to recall it also happened in a Superman story from around about 1950 or so, unfortunately I don't remember where."
The old Get-Superman-to-Reveal-His-Secret-Identity-to-a-Dying-Man trick has been pulled on the Man of Steel on at least two other occasions (one of which may be the one you're recalling, Lee).
In "Superman's Exposed Identity", from Action Comics # 237 (Feb., 1958), newspaper publisher Henry Furst wants to bolster his paper's circulation by revealing Superman's secret identity. In order to learn it, Furst pretends to be dying and coaxes the information out of the Man of Steel as a "deathbed request".
In "The War Between Supergirl and the Superman Emergency Squad", from Action Comics # 276 (May, 1961), a fellow by the name of John Kiley pulls the same stunt---and Superman falls for it, again. Only this time, the potential consequences are much more insidious. Kiley is secretly the boss of the criminal Anti-Superman Gang, and he intends to use the knowledge of the Man of Steel's civilian identity to lure him into a death trap.
Nice detective work Pat!
MR
Another story in which someone tried the "deathbed request" was when Jimmy Olsen really thought he was dying of radiation sickness in the cover story of "Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen" #17, December '56, a tale so convoluted I'm ashamed to have enjoyed it. When "Superman" tells him that his secret identity is Clark Kent, JO turns so skeptical that he notices that Supes is wearing a rubber mask.
Oddly, I don't recall ever reading any Pete Ross stories in the 1960's, although I did read both Superboy and Adventure Comics fairly regularly. I do remember the story with Pete's son from a reprint (Best of DC #25) in the early 1980's.
IIRC, Jimmy Olsen tried the "deathbed request" in an animated TV cartoon; probably Batman: The Brave and the Bold in 2011. Superman saw through it, because his super-powers told him that Jimmy's vital signs were normal.
Anonymous, Pete appeared sporadically during the Silver Age and beyond, but the problem was that DC's writers tended to think of characters only in terms of how they could be used on a plot point. Pete's knowledge of Superboy/Superman's secret ID turned out to have limited utility in that regard.
Think about it; there are only a few things he can do. He can help Clark get away to do his super-deeds, or he can help Clark cover up his super identity. But even in that latter role, he is limited because he (apparently) can't reveal to Clark that he knows he is Superboy.
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