Daily Planet

This article is about the fictional newspaper. For the DC Comics promotional paper, see Daily Planet (DC Comics house advertisement).

For other uses, see Daily Planet (disambiguation).

Daily Planet
The Daily Planet building under attack from Titano. Art by Curt Swan and George Klein.
Publication information
First appearance	Action Comics #23 (April 1940)
In-story information
Type of business	Newspaper
Owner(s)	Franklin Stern (former) Lex Luthor (former) Bruce Wayne
Employee(s)	Perry White (publisher/editor) Clark Kent Lois Lane Jimmy Olsen Cat Grant Ron Troupe Steve Lombard Lana Lang

The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the DC Comics Universe, appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building (formerly the Ohio Bell Building) in Cleveland, Ohio. The Daily Planet is based in Metropolis and employs Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen; its Editor In Chief is Perry White.

In the comics, the newspaper is located in the heart of Metropolis, at the corner of Fifth Street and Concord Lane.^{[citation needed]} The Planet began publication in 1775; George Washington wrote a guest editorial for the first daily edition.^{[citation needed]} The Daily Planet building's most distinguishing and famous feature is the enormous globe that sits on top of the building.

Fictional history

Pre-crisis

When Superman first appeared in comics (in 1938's Action Comics #1), his alter ego Clark Kent worked for a newspaper named the Daily Star, under editor George Taylor. Superman co-creator Joe Shuster named the Daily Star after the Toronto Daily Star newspaper in Toronto, Ontario, which had been the newspaper that Shuster's parents received and for which Shuster had worked as a newsboy. (Called the Evening Star prior to 1899, the Toronto Daily Star is now known as the Toronto Star.)^[1] During the course of choosing a name for the comic strip, a combination of the national Globe and Mail and the Daily Star was considered with a name of The Daily Globe before finally settling on the final version. When the Superman newspaper comic strip appeared, the fictional newspaper's name was permanently changed to the Daily Planet to avoid a name conflict with real newspapers. In Superman #5 the Publisher is shown to be Burt Mason, a man who is determined to print the truth even when corrupt politician Alex Evell threatens him.

When DC made use of its multiverse means of continuity tracking between the early 1960s and mid-1980s, it was declared that the Daily Star was the workplace of the Golden Age or "Earth-Two" versions of Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, while the Daily Planet was unique to their Silver Age or "Earth-One" versions. The Clark Kent of Earth-Two eventually became the editor-in-chief of the Daily Star, something his Earth-One counterpart didn't achieve at his newspaper.

In both the Silver Age and Bronze Age continuities, Clark's first contact with the Daily Planet came when reporter (and future editor) Perry White came to Smallville to write a story about Superboy, and wound up getting an interview where the Boy of Steel first revealed his extraterrestrial origins (the story wound up winning Perry a Pulitzer prize). During Clark Kent's years in college, Perry White was promoted to editor-in-chief upon the retirement of the Daily Planet's previous editor, the Earth-One version of George Taylor.

After graduating from Metropolis University with a degree in journalism, Clark Kent went to work at the Planet, and quickly met Lois Lane (who had been working there for some time already). Some time after Clark was hired, Jimmy Olsen joined the paper's staff.

In 1971, the Daily Planet was purchased by Morgan Edge, president of the Galaxy Broadcasting System. Edge proceeded to integrate Metropolis television station WGBS-TV's studios into the Daily Planet building, and named Clark Kent as the anchor for the WGBS evening news. Eventually, Clark's former schoolmate from Smallville Lana Lang joined Clark as a co-anchor.

After the 1985–1986 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths, many of these elements, including Morgan Edge buying the Daily Planet, were retroactively changed or eliminated from Superman canon.

Post-Crisis

In the modern comics' canon, years before Clark or Lois began working for the paper, Lex Luthor owned the Daily Planet. When Luthor, deciding to sell the paper, began taking bids for the Planet, Perry White convinced an international conglomerate, TransNational Enterprises, to buy the paper. They agreed to this venture with only one stipulation: that Perry White would become editor-in-chief. White has served as the Planet editor-in-chief ever since, barring the few times he was absent. During those times people such as Sam Foswell and Clark Kent have looked after the paper. Franklin Stern, an old friend of White's, became the Daily Planet's publisher.

The Planet saw its share of rough times during White's tenure. It has had violent worker strikes. The building itself, along with most of the city, is destroyed during the "Fall of Metropolis" storyline; it is only much later it is restored by the efforts of various superheroes. The Planet building sustained heavy damages after the villain Doomsday's rampage. Later, Franklin Stern decided to put the paper up for sale. Lex Luthor, disliking the heavy criticism of himself and his company that the Planet became noted for, purchased the Daily Planet and subsequently closed the paper down. Luthor fired every employee of the newspaper save for four people: Simone D'Neige, Dirk Armstrong, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane. As a final insult, Luthor saw to it that the Planet globe was unceremoniously dumped in the Metropolis landfill. In the Planet's place emerged "LexCom," a news-oriented Internet website that primarily catered to Luthor's views of "quality journalism."

Eventually, after Lois Lane made a deal with Luthor- where, in exchange for him returning the Planet to Perry, she would kill one-story of his choosing at some future date with no questions asked-, Luthor sold the Daily Planet to Perry White for the minuscule sum of one dollar. The paper was quickly reinstated, rehiring all of its old staff. Some time later, ownership of the Planet fell into the hands of Bruce Wayne, where it has remained ever since.

During the "Y2K" storyline (involving the city of Metropolis being infused with futuristic technology thanks to a descendant of the villain Brainiac), the Daily Planet building was "upgraded" along with the rest of Metropolis, and a holographic globe replaced the physical one. Eventually due to temporal instabilities caused by the B13 Virus, Metropolis and the Daily Planet building, globe and all, were restored to their former states.

In the current comics and media spinoffs, the Daily Planet is presented as a thoroughly modern news operation, including operating an Internet web site much like most large newspapers. The Planet's reporters also have access to the best modern equipment to aid their work, though Perry White has often been shown as still favoring his manual typewriter. Recently it was revealed that Clark uses a typewriter as well due to his powers causing minor interference in regular desktop computers.^[2]

The Planet's major competitors in Metropolis include the tabloid newspaper the Daily Star, WGBS-TV (which also employed Jimmy Olsen and Cat Grant for a time), and Lex Luthor's various media operations.

Superman: Birthright

In the Superman: Birthright limited series, the Daily Planet's publisher is Quentin Galloway, an abrasive overbearing loudmouth who bullies Jimmy Olsen, and later Clark Kent, before being told off by Lois Lane, whom Galloway cannot fire because of her star status.^[3]

Post-Infinite Crisis

The Daily Planet building is damaged in Final Crisis #2 by an explosion triggered by Clayface. Lois Lane is severely injured in the explosion. Several other staffers are injured and maimed; at least one dies. The newspaper comes out through the following world-shaking events via printing press in Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

In Final Crisis #7, it is shown functioning once again.

Furthermore, the Superman: Secret Origin miniseries redefine the earlier history of the Planet: while Lex Luthor, in the revised history, owned every media in Metropolis and used it to enforce his public image as a wealthy benefactor, the Planet had always stood free, even condemning his actions with an outrageous editorial signed by Perry White himself. As a result, when Clark Kent is first inducted into the Planet, the newspaper is almost bankrupt, dilapidated and unable to afford new reporters.^[4]

Thanks to Superman granting exclusive interviews and photographs to Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen when he debuts, the paper's circulation increases 700%. However, the paper's refurbishment is interrupted when the US Army, led by Lois' father, forcibly shuts down the business while attempting to force her to tell them everything she knows about the now fugitive superhero after he fled a military interrogation. Eventually, Superman is able to clear his name and turn the public to his favor, especially after Lois Lane's military boyfriend indiscriminately attacked him as Metallo before lashing out on civilians. Furthermore, this turn of events enable The Daily Planet to become the top selling paper in Metropolis and a dominate player in the city's media scene.

30th and 31st Centuries

In virtually every incarnation of the era inhabited by the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Daily Planet is depicted as a fixture in Metropolis, and one of Earth's major media sources. Frequently, the Flash's wife Iris West Allen (a native of the era) is depicted as a member of its staff or editorial board.

Fictional staff

The Staff of the Daily Planet (from Action Comics Annual #11, 2008).

The Daily Planet has many notable employees, including:

• Clark Kent
• Lois Lane
• Jimmy Olsen
• Perry White
• Lana Lang
• Cat Grant
• Ron Troupe
• Steve Lombard

In other media

The Daily Planet as depicted on Smallville, a CGI enhanced Marine Building (seen in its real form below.)

The Marine Building in Vancouver, which stands in as the Daily Planet building in Smallville.

The Daily Planet has been featured in all adaptations of Superman to other media.

• From 1976-1981, the Daily Planet was a promotional page appearing in regular DC publications, featuring previews of upcoming stories set in the format of a page from the titular newspaper. Notable features of the page were "The Answer Man", where DC writer/editor Bob Rozakis would answer questions sent in by readers, and a comic strip by cartoonist Fred Hembeck poking fun at DC characters.^[5]

• A 16-page "Special Invasion Edition" of The Daily Planet was published by DC in November 1988 as a tie-in to the Invasion! crossover event,^[6] ostensibly the same edition of the paper shown on the final page of Invasion! #1.^[7]

Live-action television

• During most of the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman, the Daily Planet exterior was Los Angeles City Hall.

• Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman introduced the idea of a smaller globe above the building's entrance (the rooftop was never shown). At the end of the first season the paper was bought and closed down by Luthor (as would later happen in the comics). Its relaunch was funded by Metropolis businessman Franklin Stern.

• In the 2000s live-action television series Smallville, the Daily Planet building is located across the street from the LuthorCorp building. One of the main characters of Smallville, Chloe Sullivan, worked in the basement of the Planet (seasons 5-7). Her cousin Lois Lane continues to work there, as did Chloe's on again/off again love interest (and eventual husband) Jimmy Olsen until his death at the end of season 8. Clark Kent started to work in Daily Planet as a reporter in the show's eighth season. In episode 10 of the 6th season a street sign is shown as Chloe (Allison Mack) runs out of the Daily Planet from Linda Lake (Tori Spelling) and shows that the Planet is located at 355 Burrard St. Smallville also features the Daily Star, as a separate newspaper, that was first seen in "Icarus".

Film

• In 1978's Superman and its sequels, the Daily Planet exterior was the New York Daily News Building. The globe, which used to be on the top of the building, was apparently replaced with one in the front of the house while giving head in the lobby as to make room for a helipad on the roof. In fact, The News Building in New York has featured a globe in its lobby for almost all of its history. The real-life Daily News was headquartered in The News Building until the mid 1990s.

• The 2006 Superman Returns movie has redesigned the Daily Planet as a completely computer generated image of a fictional building inserted into the Empire State Building skyline.

Animation

• In Superman: The Animated Series, in the episode "World's Finest Part 2", it is mentioned that the Daily Planet has offices in Gotham City, as well when Lois Lane says she is transferring "to the Planet's Gotham City bureau."

Video games

• The Daily Planet appears as a stage in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.

References

1. ^ "Superman Co-Creator has Humble Canadian Roots," CTV (Jan. 28, 2006).. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
2. ^ "Untitled," backup story, Action Comics Annual #11 (2008).
3. ^ Bailey, Neal. "Birthright"! AKA Article 250: Let's Start Over Again..." Superman Home Page (Aug. 3, 2004). Accessed May 5, 2009.
4. ^ Superman: Secret Origin #3 (2009)
5. ^ Voiles, Mike. "Daily Planet Remembered," Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics, DCIndexes.com.
6. ^ Kimball, Kirk. "Present at the Creation," Dial B for Blog (Oct. 10, 2006).
7. ^ "The DC Canon: Invasion!", Sequart Research & Literacy Organization^{[dead link]}

External links

• Daily Planet An Italian newspaper
• Daily Planet The Superman Website from Switzerland
• DAILY PLANET A Brazilian site devoted to the Superman Universe
• "Superman at the Star": An interview with Superman co-creator Joe Shuster from the Toronto Star, April 26, 1992, about Shuster's memories of Toronto and the Evening Star newspaper.
• The Superman Homepage's entry for the Daily Planet
• Supermanica: Daily Planet Supermanica entry on the Pre-Crisis Daily Planet