# What comic book characters have held public office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061 "2004-03-29T10:41:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/61 "2004-03-31T08:16:27Z")
There are three other main superman books: _Superman_, _Action Comics_, and _Adventures of Superman_. Sometimes a main storyline crosses over to all three (Godfall), sometimes they have separate, ongoing storylines (as in upcoming issues). And I think you’ve got it backwards, at least for now. They seem to be wanting to promote Superman/Batman as a new flagship title, so they’re putting major developments in there: Luthor deposed as President. A Japanese teenager is the new toyman, will be building Bruces big boy toys (Batmobiles and the like) for him. Kara Zor-El comes to Earth (as if having three Supergirls running around isn’t enough). Luthor himself tells you where he got the armor in Superman/Batman #6. Darkseid made if for him. He’s been funneling Apokolips war tech to Luthor. Luthor says this was to give the US an advantage, but I think it’s also clear that it’s supposed to be the source of LexCorps various tech developments. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/62 "2004-03-31T08:18:47Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > But that’s traditional in the “Deal with the devil” genre. You gotta be smarter than th’ average demonic minion. “Heyyyyy, Boo-Boo, how about we ask Mephisto for a nice pick-a-nick basket?” ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/63 "2004-03-31T08:24:12Z")
Fenris: My god, I think “4” is some awful writing. I don’t just mean the premise, which is ludicrous–Reed could whip up a half-dozen inventions capable of making the 4 millionaires before noon on a bad day, and even if the government doesn’t want to subsidize the adventuring, they’d want his tech expertise–but the script has actual cringe worthy moments in it. It’s a shame that they’re wasting such nice artwork on such dreck. I usually give a new title, especially a new 4 book, a complete storyline before I give up, but this one’s just painfully bad. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/64 "2004-03-31T12:03:18Z")
> [@Number Six](#): > > Fenris: My god, I think “4” is some awful writing. I don’t just mean the premise, which is ludicrous–Reed could whip up a half-dozen inventions capable of making the 4 millionaires before noon on a bad day, and even if the government doesn’t want to subsidize the adventuring, they’d want his tech expertise–but the script has actual cringe worthy moments in it. It’s a shame that they’re wasting such nice artwork on such dreck. I usually give a new title, especially a new 4 book, a complete storyline before I give up, but this one’s just painfully bad. I agree that the writing is terrible: I dropped it with the first issue\*. But even if the dialogue was Neil Gaiman level, I _still_ couldn’t get past the stupidity of the plot. I mean, c’mon. The _best_ Mrs. Fantastic can do is getting a job as a teacher? (Not that there’s anything wrong with being a teacher, but since the idea is to get much money fast, teaching ain’t really the best way to go) And where did she get teaching credentials anyway? She’s never had 'em before. And even given the premise “They can’t capitalize on their fame” and let’s say you take away the “Reed can invent something” answer, there’s still hundreds of ways they can get rich fast. Fenris _And I like (well, not “like” as such…appreciate?) bad comics. I have all six issues of “Street Poet Ray” (including the two pre-Marvel issues). I’ve got both "Brother Power: THE GEEK"s. I have the “The Green Team”_ fercryin’ outloud. But “4” isn’t even entertainingly bad. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/65 "2004-03-31T12:24:55Z")
Reuben Flagg was the President for one or two issues. Reb Ralston, one of the Howlin’ Commandos, was a US Senator. Gargoyle (One of the Defenders) was mayor of Christiansboro, VA. The Terminator is now governor of California… ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/66 "2004-03-31T15:49:25Z")
I seem to have a memory of a Batman Elseworld story from the 90’s where the end of it, I THINK he was giving up being Batman and was running for either Senate or POTUS. But I seem to recall he was specifically running as a Democrat. Is this a false memory of my belief that the darned liberal media wants the “good guys” to be Democrats or did this really happen? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/67 "2004-03-31T20:26:49Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > I have all six issues of “Street Poet Ray” (including the two pre-Marvel issues). I’ve got both "Brother Power: THE GEEK"s. I have the “The Green Team”\* fercryin’ outloud. But “4” isn’t even entertainingly bad. I bought the origin of [TigerBoy](http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/tigerboy.htm) last week. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/68 "2013-07-15T19:49:47Z")
Resurrecting a zombie… In Mark Millar’s intriguing, alt-history Cold War story _Superman: Red Son_, Superman, raised from infancy in the USSR, becomes the Soviet head of state after Stalin’s death, while Lex Luthor becomes POTUS (with Jimmy Olsen his VP), and the two square off for world domination. Good stuff, including a clever predestination paradox ending. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/69 "2013-07-15T19:53:59Z")
Last year Captain America was elected President of the United States in Marvel’s Ultimate storyverse. ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/70 "2013-07-15T23:34:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And let’s not forget, Principle Cranston was a U. S. senator, before… something… happened, and he took over as principle of PS 238. Remember, the principal is your PAL. And Cranston was actually President of the United States before quietly resigning and taking the post at PS238, the School for Meta-Human Prodigies. Others not mentioned, as far as I can see… Oliver (Green Arrow) Queen was Mayor of Star City in his secret ID. Rafael (El Diablo) Sandoval was a City Councilman in Dos Rios, TX ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/71 "2013-07-16T00:18:11Z")
In _X-Men: The Last Stand_, Hank McCoy/Beast was appointed ambassador to the U.N., after serving as Secretary of Mutant Affairs. I have no idea if that was a movie-only thing or not. I’m just surprised that I was able to contribute something new to a 9-yr old comic thread (I suppose it helps that the movie came out after this thread, but the thread’s been undead for more than 4 hours now). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/72 "2013-07-16T01:23:25Z")
The [original](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Condor#Richard_Grey_Jr.) 1940s Black Condor was raised by birds as a feral child but in adulthood stepped in to replace a U.S. Senator whom he resembled. Both comic books and politics back then must have been really weird. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/73 "2013-07-16T02:17:24Z")
Dick Grayson – the WWII-era Robin – got his law degree and became the ambassador to South Africa, ending apartheid faster in the comics than in real life. (At that, WATCHMEN had Ed Blake – the Comedian – eventually become a diplomat, the better to get into position for masked-man covert ops.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/74 "2013-07-16T03:03:36Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > …(At that, WATCHMEN had Ed Blake – the Comedian – eventually become a diplomat, the better to get into position for masked-man covert ops.) Hmm. He became more sedentary in later life, I suppose, but I remember no reference to Blake becoming a diplomat. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/75 "2013-07-16T03:57:07Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Hmm. He became more sedentary in later life, I suppose, but I remember no reference to Blake becoming a diplomat. What line of work do you think he was in? As the story opens with NYPD detectives investigating Blake’s crime-scene apartment, we hear that _“he’s been doing some sort of overseas diplomatic work for years … lotta classy expense-account living.”_ I’ve got other cites, but near as I can tell they’d be redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/76 "2013-07-16T15:30:27Z")
Well, kinda. “Some sort” - he was obviously a spy and an assassin. Does _Watchmen_ ever actually say he was designated by the U.S. as a diplomat? ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/77 "2013-07-16T16:05:53Z")
[Cerebus the Aardvark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebus_the_Aardvark#.22Church_.26_State_I.22) became Prime Minister In [Ex Machina](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_Machina_(comics)), the mayor of New York is a super hero. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/78 "2013-07-16T16:17:26Z")
[Bruce Wayne, Mayor of Gotham City.](http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Detective_Comics_Vol_1_179). First comic I ever owned- found it, coverless, in the attic, discarded by some yesterkid. I was probably 4 or 5, and it took a while to decipher it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061/79 "2013-07-16T17:04:15Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Well, kinda. “Some sort” - he was obviously a spy and an assassin. Does _Watchmen_ ever actually say he was designated by the U.S. as a diplomat? Well, surely you don’t think they’d send in America’s most famous spy and assassin without giving his secret identity an innocuous cover story? And surely there’s a reason the folks in that panel accept the “overseas diplomatic work” bit at face value – even before they spot the framed photograph from that banquet thrown in the big guy’s honor, where Blake’s shaking hands with the Vice President? (For what it’s worth, though, remember what Detective Fine says when chatting with Dan Dreiberg: “Big guy, that Blake. For a diplomat. Quite a heroic figure.”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-comic-book-characters-have-held-public-office/237061.md?page=3)