Jimmy Olsen

JIMMY OLSEN

Real Name: Jimmy Olsen

Class: Human

Occupation: Journalist

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Metropolis, Earth-31

First Appearance: The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1 (February, 2002)

Powers: Jimmy Olsen was a skilled investigative journalist.

History: (The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1) - Jimmy Olsen was once one of Superman's closest friends before Superman started working for the government. Jimmy Olsen was a journalist and became more of a crusader as the United States pivoted towards fascism under President Rickard. Jimmy was never afraid to speak his mind, much to the consternation of his network’s sponsors. During a broadcast Jimmy wondered where all the heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, who always fought against tyranny, had gone. Jimmy tested a theory and went after Rickard at a press conference, nearly exposing him as computer hologram. Lex Luthor created Rickard and was the actual power behind the U.S. government, and had systematically imprisoned superheroes that might cause his downfall such as Atom, Flash and Plastic Man. Luthor ordered all charges against Jimmy to be dropped, confident no one would believe his theory. Batman, who’d been living under the radar after faking his death during a fight with Superman three years previous decided to declare war on the U.S. Batman, his sidekick Carrie Kelley aka Catgirl and his loyal army of Batboys freed Atom from Palmer Industries and Flash from the Kanemitsu Power Complex. Luthor held Superman under his sway because he held the bottle city of Kandor hostage, and sent him after Batman. Flash hit Superman with a number of explosive devices, Green Arrow, now sporting a cybernetic arm, shot an arrow filled with kryptonite napalm at him and Atom played havoc with his inner ear after crawling inside it. Batman was wearing his kryptonite gauntlets and battered Superman bloody, demanding he get out of the Batcave.

(The Dark Knight Strikes Again #2) - Black Canary, as one of the Wonderchix had a steamy camshow that was banned from the internet by the Rickard administration. Jimmy appeared on a newsshow to discuss the censorship, and he was starting to convince people that the president was a hologram, but most of the public had unwavering confidence in the president, whether or not he actually existed. Luthor told Superman he was needed to save the world from an alien invasion. Superman confronted the alien ship that had already slaughtered dozens, and Luthor’s ally Brainiac revealed himself as the pilot. He didn’t want Batman’s group of heroes to give the people any hope, so Superman was chosen to be the fall guy. Brainiac said he’d be completely humiliated, defeat and then destroyed as a message to the populace that there was no hope in superheroes. Superman refused to fight back or flee, and Brainiac tried to destroy Superman, but was frustrated by his invulnerability. Brainiac ended up burning Metropolis to the ground, killing all of Superman’s loved ones, including Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane.

Comments: Created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster.