DC Comics has superheroes battling worldwide threats, and it seems that people like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest have little time to do anything outside of constantly saving the world. That said, there are a few exceptions to the rule, and one of the biggest is Superman himself. Unlike many DC Comics heroes, his day job is almost as important in his stories as his superhero life, as he works as a reporter for the Daily Planet, and that is where he met his wife, Lois Lane, and one of his closest friends, Jimmy Olsen. While not many DC Comics heroes have day jobs that matter to their stories, Superman isn’t the only one who has a job that plays into his life and storylines.
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Here is a look at the best DC Comics heroes who work day jobs that are just as important as their lives as defenders of the world.
7) Clark Kent, Reporter
Easily, the most important day job for a superhero in DC Comics is Clark Kent as a reporter for the Daily Planet. As Superman, he is the most powerful hero in comics and saves the world on a regular basis. However, as one of the best heroes in comics, Superman also uses his day job to help the world as an honest and reliable journalist who wants to work to open the public’s eyes to the problems surrounding them without ever having to take to the skies. On top of having more power to spread the news, the Daily Planet is also where Clark Kent met Lois Lane, whom he ended up marrying and starting a family with, and where his best pal Jimmy Olsen works as well.
6) Zatanna, Stage Magician
Zatanna is a powerful magic user in DC Comics, and that also ties into her day job, where she works as an entertainer. She is a stage magician, and this isn’t just a small-time gig. She has had shows in major casinos in Las Vegas and around the world, making her a worldwide name in the magic world. Not only did she build up her reputation as a stage magician, but she also capitalized on it with branding, including toys, clothing, magic sets, and more. What is really impressive is that there is at least one comic book (Superman #679) that shows her contracts for her shows that guarantee she won’t use real magic, and it is only smoke and mirrors like a real stage magician’s show, proving her immense talent.
5) Vic Sage – Investigative Journalist
Vic Sage is The Question in DC Comics, and his entire schtick is that he sees conspiracy theories in everything in the world. That makes his day job as an investigative journalist on TV make a lot of sense. As someone who spent his working hours investigating crime stories, he likely found plenty of bread crumbs that led him to discover the truth was a lot more deplorable than the general public knows. This led Vic to use his new masked identity as The Question to look into stories while covering his own identity, and then reporting on his findings on his TV show, seamlessly blending his superhero role and day job.
4) Barry Allen, Forensic Scientist
Long before television shows like CSI made forensic scientists heroes for police departments, Barry Allen did it for a living in the comics. It was a nice twist to see the superhero who helped stop crime in Central City also working for the police department to help solve crimes in an entirely different manner by breaking down the evidence of various cases. This was a massive part of his storyline in the Golden and Silver ages, and it was something the Flash TV show on The CW borrowed from when bringing him to the small screen. This is an excellent way for Barry to combine his day job with his role as a hero, because working as a forensic scientist for the police gives him access to the evidence he needs to catch the criminals as The Flash.
3) Vixen – Fashion Designer
Vixen, over the years, became similar to The Wasp in Marvel Comics. Both worked as fashion designers, and both became successful enough that this job became almost as important to them as their crime-fighting skills. As Vixen, Mari McCabe is very powerful as she has a connection to the Tantu Totem, which allows her to view the world through the animal kingdom. However, in her day job, she started as a fashion model, which made her wealthy. Then she created her own fashion business and became one of DC Comics’ most successful businesswomen. She used her fashion creations to become a millionaire and now can use her wealth to help the animal world while also dabbling as a superhero when needed.
2) Kyle Rayner – Artist
If there was one complaint about Green Lantern members like Hal Jordan and John Stewart, it was that they were military-trained fighters, and the constructs from their power rings were almost exclusively blunt force objects. However, that changed when Kyle Rayner took on the role of Green Lantern and brought a new, young, fresh outlook to the hero. The most significant difference is that Rayner was not a military soldier when he took on the role, but an artist. Rayner brought his creativity as an artist to his role as Green Lantern, creating some spectacular constructs with his power ring and making his battles as a hero more exciting than most previous Green Lantern stories.
1) Dick Grayson, Police Officer
Bruce Wayne had a “job,” but it was one he didn’t care about, as he was the head of Wayne Enterprises. He mostly let the people he hired do the job for him. This also allowed his adopted sons not to need to work either, as he expected them to always be on call as Robin. However, when Dick Grayson moved on from Batman, he decided to get a real job, and he chose to become a police officer in Blüdhaven. His goal was to help clean up the streets from within the police department, which was just as corrupt as Gotham City’s. However, it didn’t take long for Dick to realize he held no power in this role and had to work more as Nightwing to make a difference in the city.
Did we forget someone you think works an important day job in DC Comics as well? Do you think that superheroes working real jobs make them better characters? Let us know in the comments below.
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