Who Are Your Favorite DC Civilians?

[Air Wave]

I've covered the heroes, villains and teams. Now who are your favorite civilians in all of DC history? I'm talking about the non-costumed, non-powered supporting player-types. I'll turn this into a poll if I get enough responses to do so.

[j9ac9k]

- Lois Lane
- Alfred the Butler
- Commissioner Gordon
- Aristotle Rodor
- Dian Belmont
- Lenny Shapiro (Shade, the Changing Man)
- Dr Gym'll
- Tom Kalmaku (he had powers briefly, but it was a blip)

[The Darknight Detective]

Lois Lane
Alfred Pennyworth
Jimmy Olsen
James Gordon
Sue Dibney
Lucius Fox
Tom Kalmaku
Steve Trevor
Iris Allen
Linda Park
Perry White

That's good enough for now.

[Air Wave]

- Lois Lane
- Alfred the Butler
- Commissioner Gordon
- Aristotle Rodor
- Dian Belmont
- Lenny Shapiro (Shade, the Changing Man)
- Dr Gym'll
- Tom Kalmaku (he had powers briefly, but it was a blip)

A lot of so-called civilians became powered or slipped into costumes for brief periods here and there over the years. But for these purposes we won't count those. Just go by their normal, overall character.

[Multiverse]

BRACE YOURSELF (Looked up my Encyclopedia again)...

Slam Bradley – March 1937
Lois Lane – June 1938
Ma and Pa Kent – June 1938
James Gordon – May 1939
Julie Madison – September 1939
Thomas and Martha Wayne – November 1939
Perry White – November 1940
Steve Trevor – October 1941
Jimmy Olsen – November 1941
Etta Candy – February 1942
Alfred Pennyworth – May 1943
Larry Lance – February 1948
King Faraday – August 1950
Lana Lang – October 1950
Vicki Vale – October 1950
Iris West-Allen – October 1956
Snapper Carr – February 1960
Pete Ross – January 1961
Sue Dibny – March 1961
Jean Loring – September 1961
Thomas Kalmaku – October 1961
Dr. Will Magnus – March 1962
Sarge Steel – December 1964
R. J. Brande – November 1966
Jason Bard – October 1969
Dan Turpin – November 1971
Steve Lombard – June 1973
Harvey Bullock – June 1974
Leslie Thompkins – March 1976
Silver St Cloud – May 1977
Patty Spivot – September 1977
Lucius Fox – January 1979
Silas Stone – October 1980
Helga Jace – August 1983
Felicity Smoak – May 1984
Cat Grant – January 1987
Maggie Sawyer – April 1987
Bibbo Bibbowski – May 1987
Eddie Fyers – October 1987
Linda Park – July 1989
Harold Allnut – December 1989
Jack Drake – October 1990
Renee Montoya – May 1992
Alexandra DeWitt – January 1994
Vesper Fairchild – March 1997
Cameron Chase – January 1998
Crispus Allen – May 2000
Jillian Pearlman – May 2005
David Singh – May 2010
Alysia Yeoh – November 2011
Stephen Shin – December 2011

[Air Wave]

BRACE YOURSELF (Looked up my Encyclopedia again)...

Slam Bradley – March 1937
Lois Lane – June 1938
Ma and Pa Kent – June 1938
James Gordon – May 1939
Julie Madison – September 1939
Thomas and Martha Wayne – November 1939
Perry White – November 1940
Steve Trevor – October 1941
Jimmy Olsen – November 1941
Etta Candy – February 1942
Alfred Pennyworth – May 1943
Larry Lance – February 1948
King Faraday – August 1950
Lana Lang – October 1950
Vicki Vale – October 1950
Iris West-Allen – October 1956
Snapper Carr – February 1960
Pete Ross – January 1961
Sue Dibny – March 1961
Jean Loring – September 1961
Thomas Kalmaku – October 1961
Dr. Will Magnus – March 1962
Sarge Steel – December 1964
R. J. Brande – November 1966
Jason Bard – October 1969
Dan Turpin – November 1971
Steve Lombard – June 1973
Harvey Bullock – June 1974
Leslie Thompkins – March 1976
Silver St Cloud – May 1977
Patty Spivot – September 1977
Lucius Fox – January 1979
Silas Stone – October 1980
Helga Jace – August 1983
Felicity Smoak – May 1984
Cat Grant – January 1987
Maggie Sawyer – April 1987
Bibbo Bibbowski – May 1987
Eddie Fyers – October 1987
Linda Park – July 1989
Harold Allnut – December 1989
Jack Drake – October 1990
Renee Montoya – May 1992
Alexandra DeWitt – January 1994
Vesper Fairchild – March 1997
Cameron Chase – January 1998
Crispus Allen – May 2000
Jillian Pearlman – May 2005
David Singh – May 2010
Alysia Yeoh – November 2011
Stephen Shin – December 2011

I'm not sure how I feel about counting characters like Slam Bradley who, while non-powered and non-costumed, led their own series and didn't start out as supporting characters. But what do other people think? I'll go with the flow.

[The Darknight Detective]

I'm not sure how I feel about counting characters like Slam Bradley who, while non-powered and non-costumed, led their own series and didn't start out as supporting characters. But what do other people think? I'll go with the flow.

I feel civilians for this thread should be considered only if they're part of a character's supporting cast. so no to Slam (but his sidekick Shorty Morgan would be acceptable).

[Air Wave]

I feel civilians for this thread should be considered only if they're part of a character's supporting cast. so no to Slam (but his sidekick Shorty Morgan would be acceptable).

Yeah I tend to agree. But then again, unless people classify him as a (super)hero that creates a whole other category. I'll just leave it to people's own interpretations.

[j9ac9k]

Yeah I tend to agree. But then again, unless people classify him as a (super)hero that creates a whole other category. I'll just leave it to people's own interpretations.

Whether he's super or not, he's the hero in his stories which doesn't make him a "civilian" in my mind.

[Icefan]

Haven't seen her mentioned yet, so a shout out for Catherine Cobert.

[Refrax5]

I'm not even a big Batman guy, but I love Jim Gordon and Alfred.

Iris West-Allen.

I'm not sure if he counts, but I'm going to say Lex Luthor.

[DrNewGod]

I was always a fan of Silver St. Cloud and Doiby Dickles (nobody, BTW, would dare give a character such an easily lampooned name as the latter today).

Ma and Pa Kent for sure.

Steve Trevor, when written well.

I'd love to nominate Jason Bard, but I feel having an intermittent feature in Detective Comics disqualifies him. Even if it was 50 years ago.

[Air Wave]

I'm not even a big Batman guy, but I love Jim Gordon and Alfred.

Iris West-Allen.

I'm not sure if he counts, but I'm going to say Lex Luthor.

Lex definitely isn't a civilian. He's a Villain. I've basically broken it down to Heroes, Villains and Civilians.

[Air Wave]

Lex definitely isn't a civilian. He's a Villain. I've basically broken it down to Heroes, Villains and Civilians.

And I think they should be supporting characters only, at least at the start. Plenty of supporting characters have had their own series at one time or another but they didn't start out that way.

[Psy-lock]

Julia Kapatelis
Myndi Mayer
Etta Candy
Lois Lane
Maggie Sawyer
Alfred
Terry Berg
Damon Matthews