Clark Kent's dozen-plus year career as a TV reporter for WGBS

[Buried Alien]

When people think of Clark Kent's professional career, what comes to mind immediately is his being a reporter for Metropolis' DAILY PLANET newspaper...a job that Clark has held for decades not only in the comics, but in just about every media adaptation of the SUPERMAN mythos.

During the Bronze Age of DC Comics, however, Clark spent about a dozen years as a TV newscaster for WGBS. Clark's switch from DAILY PLANET news writer to WGBS TV reporter started near the beginning of the Bronze Age and didn't end until COIE rebooted continuity and sent Post-COIE Clark back to his more traditional job of DAILY PLANET reporter.

Curiously, however, no media adaptation has ever chosen to run with this aspect of the comics, not even in the 1970s and 1980s when it would have helped to update Clark's image and make him more current with those times.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[RedWhiteAndBlueSupes]

When people think of Clark Kent's professional career, what comes to mind immediately is his being a reporter for Metropolis' DAILY PLANET newspaper...a job that Clark has held for decades not only in the comics, but in just about every media adaptation of the SUPERMAN mythos.

During the Bronze Age of DC Comics, however, Clark spent about a dozen years as a TV newscaster for WGBS. Clark's switch from DAILY PLANET news writer to WGBS TV reporter started near the beginning of the Bronze Age and didn't end until COIE rebooted continuity and sent Post-COIE Clark back to his more traditional job of DAILY PLANET reporter.

Curiously, however, no media adaptation has ever chosen to run with this aspect of the comics, not even in the 1970s and 1980s when it would have helped to update Clark's image and make him more current with those times.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I've always liked this time is Superman's history it would be cool if they would at least put in a wgbs throwaway line in the upcoming Comics or something.

[Who The Shock?]

I've been reading some from this Era lately. Anyone know which issue Clark first got the TV gig in?

[manofsteel1979]

I've been reading some from this Era lately. Anyone know which issue Clark first got the TV gig in?

I think it was the " Kryptonite nevermore!" Issue of SUPERMAN. Issue #233.

[Spiderboy12]

I think it was the " Kryptonite nevermore!" Issue of SUPERMAN. Issue #233.

It was. And since that had a cover date of January 1971, it was nearly sixteen years (to September 1986, again by cover date), not twelve, that he was a broadcast journalist at least part of the time. There were a lot a fun stories from the 1970s and 1980s with Superman...

[manofsteel1979]

I kind of wish , given the New 52 briefly brought Morgan Edge and Galaxy taking over the Daily Planet back into continiuity that they could have had Clark resume his anchor job for WGBS, or have him work as a reporter grunt behind the scenes with Jimmy under Lois' supervision for the on air personalities Cat Grant, Ron Troupe and Steve Lombard. I could see Lombard like the DCU's answer to Ron Burgundy​. He has the cheesy porn stache already lol.

[JAK]

When people think of Clark Kent's professional career, what comes to mind immediately is his being a reporter for Metropolis' DAILY PLANET newspaper...a job that Clark has held for decades not only in the comics, but in just about every media adaptation of the SUPERMAN mythos.

During the Bronze Age of DC Comics, however, Clark spent about a dozen years as a TV newscaster for WGBS. Clark's switch from DAILY PLANET news writer to WGBS TV reporter started near the beginning of the Bronze Age and didn't end until COIE rebooted continuity and sent Post-COIE Clark back to his more traditional job of DAILY PLANET reporter.

Curiously, however, no media adaptation has ever chosen to run with this aspect of the comics, not even in the 1970s and 1980s when it would have helped to update Clark's image and make him more current with those times.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Hey, Buried!

I think we haven't seen it adapted because they may think that seeing Clark on TV would make more people think he looks like Superman and put two and two together.

It would be cool if they could find a way to make it work, as it would make for interesting story conflicts in this day and age.

[beetee]

Funny thing... That move went a long way to "modernize" the character. I think it would still work today, but yeah... The Secret Identity Thing.... The very features that would make Clark photogenic would be a dead giveaway for people to recognize Superman under the glasses.

[FishyZombie]

Has Clark ever done any radio work?

[Patrick Gerard]

Funny thing... That move went a long way to "modernize" the character. I think it would still work today, but yeah... The Secret Identity Thing.... The very features that would make Clark photogenic would be a dead giveaway for people to recognize Superman under the glasses.

I always had this idea that, to protect his son, Jor-El included a gene modifying virus in the rocket that caused, say, 10,000 human males to have identical features to Kal-El as a "cover". Part of my master pitch file. :-)

[gwangung]

Funny thing... That move went a long way to "modernize" the character. I think it would still work today, but yeah... The Secret Identity Thing.... The very features that would make Clark photogenic would be a dead giveaway for people to recognize Superman under the glasses.

Oh, quite possibly, but I was thinking more along the lines as consultant, or guest panelist on cable news shows...still visible, but not nearly as central as an anchor......

[The World]

It's always weird going back to this era but with a modern day mindset and expecting it to last for a hot second before reverting back but it's like 'nope this happened and it was that was for a while'.

[Ascended]

I think it was a cool idea at the time, but I dont think I'd want to see Clark in that role again.

But that's more about how I see Clark Kent than it is anything else.

I would however, fully support Clark exploring a different kind of journalism. I loved the idea of him running a news blog (even if Lobdell and editorial dropped the ball) and wouldn't mind seeing something like that again.

I have always thought that Lois should be a tv reporter; out in the thick of it, dodging fireballs and hurricanes and whatever to live-stream the story to the Planet app. Jimmy would be her cameraman of course. Seems like a good way to put Lois in the middle of the action without changing her character or career very much. And she can still write exclusives and articles when not in front of the camera.

[Kevin Street]

During the Bronze Age of DC Comics, however, Clark spent about a dozen years as a TV newscaster for WGBS. Clark's switch from DAILY PLANET news writer to WGBS TV reporter started near the beginning of the Bronze Age and didn't end until COIE rebooted continuity and sent Post-COIE Clark back to his more traditional job of DAILY PLANET reporter.

I remember it well! That was "my Superman" more than any other version, because it was the first one I read. Clark was the anchorman for WGBS, and in-continuity they sometimes compared him with Walter Cronkite because he was supposed to be extremely calm and reassuring on air. And he only wore blue suits, because they needed to be treated with some sort of chemical so he could crunch them down small and fit them in his cape pocket. Those were the days!

I think we haven't seen it adapted because they may think that seeing Clark on TV would make more people think he looks like Superman and put two and two together.

The official explanation (revealed in Superman #330) was super hypnosis! He'd been accidentally hypnotizing people for years into thinking that Clark Kent was frailer and uglier than Superman, and apparently that even worked through the medium of television.

[stephtanner]

I remember it well! That was "my Superman" more than any other version, because it was the first one I read. Clark was the anchorman for WGBS, and in-continuity they sometimes compared him with Walter Cronkite because he was supposed to be extremely calm and reassuring on air. And he only wore blue suits, because they needed to be treated with some sort of chemical so he could crunch them down small and fit them in his cape pocket. Those were the days!



The official explanation (revealed in Superman #330) was super hypnosis! He'd been accidentally hypnotizing people for years into thinking that Clark Kent was frailer and uglier than Superman, and apparently that even worked through the medium of television.

Fascinating! I always wondered why Bronze Age Clark only wore blue suits, and now I know. Lol

I read some Bronze Age Supes a while ago and really enjoyed a lot of the stories. If I recall correctly, he didn't just stay in studio to anchor. He went out in the field from time to time in his special news van. It was fun to read but I have to admit that as a Post-Crisis fan, I couldn't help but want him to quit TV and go back to the Daily Planet.