Journalism is an incredibly prevalent career in the comic book world – many of the biggest superheroes tangle with reporters and photographers along the way (whereas few, if any, regularly meet with accountants or used car salesmen). It’s not too surprising, of course. It is the journalists of the world who investigate the superheroes and villains who people the pages of our favorite comics. They are the ones researching the villains… and often attempting to unmask the heroes at the same time. Superheroes are big news, after all, and someone has to cover it. But these journalists and media moguls are more than just supporting characters who happen to work in the media – many of them have near-super powers of deduction and investigation, and they can solve crimes and uncover villainous plots with a minimum of effort. They may not have secret identities, but they are still powerful players in the world of comics, and it’s time they get the recognition that they deserve! These are the 15 Most Powerful Journalists In Comic Book History.
15. April O’Neil (IDW Publishing)
Although April was originally a computer programmer, rather than a reporter, she has always been a friend to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on their adventures. In the animated series from the 1980s, April’s origin was changed to make her a plucky reporter in a yellow shellsuit. It was her career that put her in the path of the turtles, reporting on their heroic deeds and eventually discovering their secret. After the massive success of the show, comic book April was revamped to line up with her on-screen counterpart, reimagining her as a plucky (if over-eager) reporter. This version of the character has now carried over to the big screen, as Megan Fox dons a yellow leather jacket to become April the investigative reporter, a much more hard-headed risk-taker than previous versions of the turtles’ friend. Although her backstory has shifted back and forth over the years, April still deserves a spot as one of the most iconic female journalists in comic history.
14. Cat Grant (DC)
A former gossip columnist, Cat Grant moved from LA to New York to join Lois Lane, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen at the Daily Planet. There, she became something of a troublesome character in the office – with a powerfully flirtatious personality and a penchant for revealing clothing, she had a fling with Clark (leaving Lois fuming). Although she enjoys being a flirt and dressing up at the office, she also struggles with her image and wants to be thought of a serious reporter, not just a trashy columnist. She later moved to TV to host her own talk show, before returning to the Daily Planet as the head of the Entertainment and Arts section. Recently, Cat Grant (Calista Flockheart) has been given new life on Supergirl, where she has become the head of her own media empire Catco Worldwide Media. In this new series, her over-sexed nature is played down, and Cat has become a hard-headed businesswoman, determined to become the best news outlet in LA.
13. Sally Floyd (Marvel)
A reporter for radical and niche newspapers (originally The Alternative), Sally Floyd isn’t always the most professional journalist, but she is definitely one of the most passionate. She has struggled with alcoholism in the past, and it has occasionally got in the way of her work, but she has begun to cope with her issues in recent years. Connected to the mutant community (she had a mutant daughter), she usually writes about mutant issues, including a column called The Mutant Diaries. She has interviewed a range of mutants, as well as other superheroes (including an exclusive with Captain America during the events of Civil War). After quitting the Alternative, she joined forces with Ben Urich to launch Frontlines, where she works today. Despite the many issues that have plagued her, Sally is always there on the, well, frontlines of major Marvel events, including Civil War, M Day and World War Hulk.
12. Robbie Robertson (Marvel)
Although he is no-where near as well-known as his friend, J Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson is also one of the higher-ups at the Daily Bugle. The editor-in-chief of the famous paper, Robbie has been dedicated to journalism since high school, when he risked his own safety to write a story about Lonnie Thompson Lincoln (a future hitman). As editor-in-chief, Robbie is JJ’s right hand man, and one of the few staff members at the Bugle who is willing to stand up to Jameson – usually on the way that the paper deals with Spider-Man. Robbie takes a far more balanced approach to superheroes, balancing out his friend’s desire to attack Spider-Man at every turn. With a wife and two sons, Robbie isn’t as reckless in his investigations as some other comic reporters, but he will do what it takes to protect himself against intimidation – something that led to a brief stint in prison before he returned to work at the Bugle. Now, he works for Ben Urich at Frontlines.
11. Vicki Vale (DC)
Vicki Vale is a reporter for the Gotham Gazette, usually assigned to report on Batman (although we have to assume that most Gotham reporters write about Batman most of the time!). Over the years, she has become deeply connected to the Bat-family, and has even learned the secret identities of many members (including Batman himself). Despite her long-held suspicions about the true identity of Bruce Wayne, Vicki has never published her suspicions, waiting to find proof before she put them into print. Exposing him was her original intention, but her connections to Bruce eventually prevent her from revealing his secret. Over the years, Vicki has also had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne which was famously brought to the big screen in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie Batman. Although she is often thought of as a relatively minor character in the Batman universe, she is an incredibly skilled investigator and has been one of Batman’s inner circle at times.
10. Jane Arden (Newspaper)
Jane Arden was the first girl reporter to grace the pages of comics, first appearing in the funny pages in the 1920s. Arden is a crime reporter, the first to go out and do her own investigating, rather than simply re-printing the news as it is delivered to a safe office desk. Due to her original appearance in newpaper comics rather than her own title, Arden would usually investigate unrelated crimes and villains one week at a time, rather than deal with protracted storylines or long-term nemesis. Although Arden’s stories are relatively straightforward, she deserves recognition for being the inspiration for many of the female investigative reporters that came after her, including Lois Lane. Often described as “spunky”, “pesky” or “plucky”, she was an impressively hard-headed journalist for her time period, and her high heels and pretty dresses shouldn’t detract from her serious skills as an investigative reporter. Fearless and determined, Jane Arden was so popular that she has since been adapted for film and radio.
9. Iris West-Allen (DC)
The wife of DC’s favorite speedster, The Flash, Iris is also a talented reporter in Central City. She has a somewhat complex backstory with Barry Allen (and a romantic history involving time travel!), but her career has always been deeply important to Iris, although her love for the Flash often takes precedence. A staunch defender of the Flash in print (for obvious reasons), she cannot use any information that she learns for her husband for her stories, courtesy of an ongoing “off the record” deal that the two have – it may not help her work, but it certainly helps their relationship. In the hit CW series The Flash, Iris (Candice Patton) is a central character. She remains a journalist in the show, working for Central City Picture News and struggling to ensure that the Flash is always portrayed in a positive light. She also briefly ran a blog in the series, using her investigative skills to track the Flash before he was a well-known figure (and before she learned who he really is).
8. Tintin (Le Lombard)
The youngest journalist on this list, Tintin is still a teen, yet he manages to travel all around the world as a reporter (along with his little dog Snowy). It’s never quite explained why a boy as young as 14 would be working as a journalist, let alone a journalist sent to cover stories all over the world, but Tintin’s adventures aren’t known for their intense realism. Although he carries a notebook, Tintin also seems to do little actual reporting, and spends more of his time on the investigation side of things. Later on in the comics, he seems to abandon his work entirely to become a full-time explorer. Somewhere in between a traditional journalist and a detective, Tintin is still incredibly talented at ferreting out the truth, and he always manages to solve the mystery and save the day. Deeply caring, Tintin is a diplomat and a compassionate friend, always looking out for the underdog – qualities that we want in every great reporter.
7. Jimmy Olsen (DC)
Like Peter Parker, Jimmy Olsen works in images rather than words, as a photojournalist alongside Lois Lane and Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. Usually considered Superman’s best friend, he has a close relationship with the big Boy Scout as well as with Clark Kent and Lois Lane, although for much of his history he did not know that the two were one and the same. (He did eventually find out, and the reveal caused a rift between them.) He often works with Lois and Clark, providing the images for their incredible stories, although various versions have emphasized his work as either a simple photographer or as an accomplished photojournalist whose work stands on its own. Recently, fans were outraged to discover that Olsen won’t be appearing in the DCEU in future, as he was killed off after only a brief cameo in Batman V Superman. Still, Superman’s sidekick can still be found in live-action, on the CW series Supergirl.
6. Ben Urich (Marvel)
A gifted investigative reporter, Ben Urich is one of the many Marvel journalists to work at the Daily Bugle, where he maintains friendships with several of the other reporters on this list. Urich’s first big brush with a superhero was when he managed to discover Daredevil’s secret identity – originally, Urich intended to expose Dardevil, but when Matt Murdock told him his story Urich decided to keep his secret. This started a long friendship with the Man Without Fear, and Urich is intensely loyal to the defender of Hell’s Kitchen. He now investigates the criminal element of New York, and publishes stories that expose some of the villains that his superhero friends face off against. He has investigated Kingpin, the Green Goblin, and Red Hulk (among others), and although his superhero friends help him at times, most of his work is done solo – relying only on his own abilities as a reporter. Now, Urich has left the Bugle, and runs his own paper – Frontlines.