| Perry White | |
|---|---|
.png) Perry White as depicted inThe World of Metropolis #1 (August 1988). Art byJohn Byrne,Dick Giordano, and Tom Ziuko. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Adventures of Superman "Clark Kent, Reporter (February 14, 1940)" |
| First comic appearance | Superman #7 (November 1940) |
| Created by |
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| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Daily Planet Galaxy Communications |
| Supporting character of | Superman Lois Lane Jimmy Olsen |
Perry White is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. He is theeditor-in-chief of theMetropolis newspaper theDaily Planet.[1] The character maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards and is an archetypal image of the tough, irascible, but fair-minded boss.[2]
In film, the character has been portrayed byPierre Watkin in theSuperman serial,Jackie Cooper inSuperman (1978) andits sequels,Frank Langella inSuperman Returns,Laurence Fishburne in theDC Extended Universe, andWendell Pierce in theDC Universe (DCU) filmSuperman (2025). In television,John Hamilton andLane Smith played the character inAdventures of Superman andLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, respectively,Michael McKean inSmallville, and Paul Jarrett in the seriesSuperman & Lois.
The character Perry White was created for the radio serialThe Adventures of Superman, voiced by actor Julian Noa. He first appeared in the second episode, "Clark Kent, Reporter", which aired on February 14, 1940. The character was introduced into the comic books later that year, appearing inSuperman #7 (November 1940). Since then, the character has continued to appear in Superman and other comic books on a continual basis, and has been a regular supporting character in both live-action and animated films and television programs over eight decades.
He frequently exclaims, "Great Caesar's ghost!" and "Don't call me chief!".
The earliestSuperman comics depictClark Kent andLois Lane working for the newspaper theDaily Star under editorGeorge Taylor. However, after Perry White's introduction in theAdventures of Superman radio series, the character was incorporated into the comic books, appearing as the editor of a newly renamed theDaily Planet.[3] No in-story explanation for this change was given at the time, and Taylor and the Daily Star are not mentioned again for many years.
Following the introduction of themultiverse, Taylor and theDaily Star are retroactively placed onEarth-Two, while White and theDaily Planet are placed on Earth-One. Additionally, White is established as having an Earth-Two counterpart who is a reporter for theDaily Star.
Prior to the continuity changes detailed inCrisis on Infinite Earths,The Man of Steel, and other comics published after 1986, Perry White is depicted as a freelance reporter for various newspapers, including a Chicago newspaper[4] andGotham City'sGotham Gazette.[5] InThe Adventures of Superman, it was also established that White had a law degree but had never practiced law.[6]
White eventually goes to work at theDaily Planet as a reporter and earns his firstPulitzer Prize following an interview withSuperboy.[7]
Later, Perry's reporting skills earn further praise after he is the first to discover that Superboy has moved to Metropolis fromSmallville. (Superboy had intended to keep his move quiet for an undefined period of time, so as not to alert anyone to Superboy and Clark Kent leaving Smallville at the same time.)[8]
Finally, during Clark Kent's junior year of college, White becomes editor-in-chief following George Taylor's retirement.[9]
In the early 1970s,Morgan Edge buys theDaily Planet, taking most of White's position.[10]
With writerJohn Byrne's post-Crisis on Infinite Earths revamp of Superman's origin in theMan of Steel miniseries and his subsequent Superman comics, Perry White's history was altered and fleshed out more fully.
Post-Crisis, White was born inMetropolis'Suicide Slum area, growing up with a father missing in action in an overseas war. White attends school withLex Luthor and begins his career as acopy boy at theDaily Planet.
After Luthor becomes a successful businessman, he diversifies his holdings inLexCorp and temporarily buys theDaily Planet. Turning down an offer from Luthor to become part of Luthor's new television station WLEX, White finds an investor who saves theDaily Planet on the condition that White becomes managing editor. The incident leaves White bitter and angry with Luthor.
White marries Alice Spencer and has a son, Jerry White. Much later, after Jerry is fully grown, Perry learns that Luthor is Jerry's biological father. Although Perry continues to raise Jerry as his own, the knowledge that he is not the boy's true father continues to haunt him.
In subsequent years as managing editor and then editor-in-chief ofThe Daily Planet, White forms a core team of reporters and writers:Lois Lane,Clark Kent,Jimmy Olsen,Cat Grant, Ron Troupe, Steve Lombard, and many others. ThePlanet, meanwhile, is established as a paper of record, breaking such stories as Superman's debut, multiple alien invasions, and the death and subsequent return of Superman. During this time, White becomes increasingly estranged from Jerry, who later dies from a gunshot wound. Perry and Alice grieve for some time, resulting in Perry taking a leave of absence from theDaily Planet.
Later, the Whites adopt an orphaned African-American boy named Keith Parks, who soon has his name changed to Keith White. During this time, Perry takes another leave of absence for cancer treatment, putting Clark Kent in charge as thePlanet's temporary editor.
During a period of financial struggle for thePlanet, its owner,Franklin Stern, sells the paper back to Luthor. Luthor, acting out of malice, shuts the paper down and fires everyone except Lane, Olsen, and two others who are forced to accept new jobs at Lexcom, Luthor's newInternet-based news company. Shortly thereafter, Luthor sells thePlanet toBruce Wayne for one dollar. Wayne rehires White and gives him full control of thePlanet, enabling him to undo Luthor's meddling and resolve the company's financial problems.
When Superman's identity is exposed by Lois to protect Clark from being blackmailed by a secret conspiracy, Perry fires Clark in a fury of anger and perceived betrayal, accusing Clark of only working at thePlanet so that he can profit from his own headlines.
When the Superman of this reality dies, he is replaced by his predecessor from the pre-Flashpoint universe, whileMister Mxyzptlk uses his powers to impersonate Clark Kent and convince everyone that the previous revelation of Superman's identity was an elaborate hoax. This storyline culminates in the displaced Lois and Clark merging with their counterparts in this universe, creating a new timeline where Lois and Clark leave thePlanet to raise their newborn sonJon Kent.
Superman later confesses his secret identity to White, butManchester Black erases this knowledge from him and the public soon after.[11]
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