How Old Is Jimmy Olsen Supposed To Be?

[bretmaverick2]

Jimmy being in Dick Grayson’s age range makes perfect sense to me.

It’s a shame that the friendship Jimmy and Duck used to have has apparently fallen by the wayside a few reboots ago.

[thwhtGuardian]

Jimmy being in Dick Grayson’s age range makes perfect sense to me.

It’s a shame that the friendship Jimmy and Duck used to have has apparently fallen by the wayside a few reboots ago.

I don't think it does anymore, Dick is still early teens as Robin and there simply aren't people that young working at major newspapers anymore. So to keep them the same age you have to either say that Dick was college age when he first became Robin or that Jimmy was operating some random blog about Superman from his parents basement as a young teen. Or just accept that one is older than the other and that they could still be friends.

[bat39]

Personally, I've always seen him as just a bit younger than Lois and Clark. At the time when Clark decides to operate publicly as Superman I'd say he was just a few years out of college and the same for Lois and at that time I'd put Jimmy as a college intern so 20-21 years old as compared to Lois and Clark's 25ish years old.

Original continuity he could be younger as businesses like newspapers frequently did hire kids in high school...but now that isn't the case which is why I think college intern is the only way to make him younger than Lois and Clark. About the only way I could see making a teenage Jimmy work would be to have his parents own the Daily Planet and that Jimmy is allowed on the payroll at their "request" which would actually make his relationship with Perry fit pretty well.

Yeah, that makes sense. As 'unrealistic' as it is, Dick Grayson can still plausibly become Robin in his early teens, but there's no way Jimmy Olsen could work at the Daily Planet in any capacity that early!

That said, your idea of Jimmy's parents being owners of the Daily Planet is an interesting one. Wasn't Jimmy from a wealthy family in the New 52? That could work. I wouldn't have them be the sole owners, but maybe a major investor who saves the paper from going down and/or being acquired by LexCorp. But a condition of the deal is that a 16-ish year old Jimmy gets to work there as a 'cub reporter' or photographer. And of course, Lois and Clark then take him under their wing.

Even so, Jimmy should logically be in his thirties in the present-day, if Clark and Lois are old enough to be parents to a (chronologically) 10-11 year old son. If Jimmy is still in his twenties, then that means he only joined the Planet around the time Jon was born and that just doesn't work with almost any depiction of Superman's early years.

[thwhtGuardian]

Yeah, that makes sense. As 'unrealistic' as it is, Dick Grayson can still plausibly become Robin in his early teens, but there's no way Jimmy Olsen could work at the Daily Planet in any capacity that early!

That said, your idea of Jimmy's parents being owners of the Daily Planet is an interesting one. Wasn't Jimmy from a wealthy family in the New 52? That could work. I wouldn't have them be the sole owners, but maybe a major investor who saves the paper from going down and/or being acquired by LexCorp. But a condition of the deal is that a 16-ish year old Jimmy gets to work there as a 'cub reporter' or photographer. And of course, Lois and Clark then take him under their wing.

Even so, Jimmy should logically be in his thirties in the present-day, if Clark and Lois are old enough to be parents to a (chronologically) 10-11 year old son. If Jimmy is still in his twenties, then that means he only joined the Planet around the time Jon was born and that just doesn't work with almost any depiction of Superman's early years.

Modern chronology as a whole is like that, it's best not to think too hard about it.

[bat39]

Modern chronology as a whole is like that, it's best not to think too hard about it.

True. And I guess they'll never officially knowledge Jimmy is past 30 the way they'll never officially acknowledge Dick is the same.

But going out of their way to claim that Jimmy's in his 20's would be a stupid move.

Jimmy can still be drawn as a 20-something the way Clark and even Lois are still drawn as 30-somethings. That's okay.

[Jim Kelly]

I prefer that Jimmy comes from humble beginnings. And maybe is an orphan.

There's no rule that he has to work at the Daily Planet when he first enters the stories. He could just be a kid that Lane and Kent meet when they're covering a story. And then after that they keep stumbling across him. He gets the bug for news and does his own investigations and brings his leads to Lois and Clark. They develop an interest in his welfare, set him up with foster care and a good school. He works on the school paper. He's an unpaid stringer, with hopes of getting on the Daily Planet when he graduates. So by the time he's hired, he's still considered green, while Lane and Kent are "old pros" with their own bylines.

[seismic-2]

I prefer that Jimmy comes from humble beginnings. And maybe is an orphan.

On the other hand, the background that has him as a member of maybe the wealthiest family in Metropolis makes it more probable that The Daily Planet would hire him straight out of school. Connections!

[Lightning Rider]

I prefer that Jimmy comes from humble beginnings. And maybe is an orphan.

There's no rule that he has to work at the Daily Planet when he first enters the stories. He could just be a kid that Lane and Kent meet when they're covering a story. And then after that they keep stumbling across him. He gets the bug for news and does his own investigations and brings his leads to Lois and Clark. They develop an interest in his welfare, set him up with foster care and a good school. He works on the school paper. He's an unpaid stringer, with hopes of getting on the Daily Planet when he graduates. So by the time he's hired, he's still considered green, while Lane and Kent are "old pros" with their own bylines.

He could also just be an intern or part-timer.

[phonogram12]

In the state of New York, the legal working age is 14, so I guess it's plausible he could be working p/t at the Planet at that age (in fact, I would prefer it if he did). I have a hard time, though, figuring out what he could possibly do in a news room at 14. Any ideas? The only thing I could possibly think of is working the coffee cart or newsstand down in the lobby. I guess he could be an intern, too, but having been an intern at a local magazine, I couldn't imagine Perry giving a byline to a kid that age, even if it is just for work experience.

[Rac7d*]

I assume he was the same age as kara

[Lightning Rider]

In the state of New York, the legal working age is 14, so I guess it's plausible he could be working p/t at the Planet at that age (in fact, I would prefer it if he did). I have a hard time, though, figuring out what he could possibly do in a news room at 14. Any ideas? The only thing I could possibly think of is working the coffee cart or newsstand down in the lobby. I guess he could be an intern, too, but having been an intern at a local magazine, I couldn't imagine Perry giving a byline to a kid that age, even if it is just for work experience.

Photography for smaller stories?

[phonogram12]

Photography for smaller stories?

*shrugs* Works for me.

[seismic-2]

Jimmy would be assigned to pop culture stories, writing about what "kids these days" do that's "trending". The older reporters wouldn't have a clue what any of that is all about.

[bat39]

In the state of New York, the legal working age is 14, so I guess it's plausible he could be working p/t at the Planet at that age (in fact, I would prefer it if he did). I have a hard time, though, figuring out what he could possibly do in a news room at 14. Any ideas? The only thing I could possibly think of is working the coffee cart or newsstand down in the lobby. I guess he could be an intern, too, but having been an intern at a local magazine, I couldn't imagine Perry giving a byline to a kid that age, even if it is just for work experience.

I think that works...though I'd have him start out as a 15 or 16 year old.

I guess maybe he's an intern at the office who has a passion for photography and wants to be out there. So Lois, and later Clark, start taking him along. And of course, getting the first good photos of Superman kickstarts his career pretty early.

One thing we haven't discussed so much here is what the age gap between Jimmy and Lois/Clark should be. Should he be a decade (or more) younger - comparable to the age gap between Bruce and Dick? Should he be just a few years younger? Are Jimmy and Lois/Clark peers or is he more like their protegee and much younger friend? Do they seem him as a 'kid'?

In current continuity, Jimmy being a decade younger helps keep him under 40. But in general I lean towards him being maybe 5 years younger. Old enough to be Superman's 'pal' but young enough to be more of a 'sidekick' and the 'kid' around the office.

[Lightning Rider]

Jimmy would be assigned to pop culture stories, writing about what "kids these days" do that's "trending". The older reporters wouldn't have a clue what any of that is all about.

I could see him handling the teen news social media account, lol.