Professor Ernest Smalley was a mad scientist who specialized in chemistry. Needing test subjects for his experiments, the Professor randomly chose a homeless man named Bill Dunn from a Depression-era bread line, telling him that in exchange for participating in an experiment, Dunn would receive a new suit and a hot meal. The experiment, a potion, granted Dunn telepathic powers. Dunn became power mad and decided to take over the world, first killing Smalley. Unfortunately for Dunn, the potion’s effects were temporary and the secret formula could not be duplicated. Dunn’s powers faded, and he realized he had to return to the breadline once again. Notes: Bill Dunn was inspired by Hugo Danner, the lead of Philip Gordon Wylie’s Gladiator.
Creators/Key ContributorsJerry Siegel, Joe Shuster
First Appearance “The Reign of the Superman” in Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 (1933)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List “The Reign of the Superman” in Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 (1933)
Sample Read “The Reign of the Superman” in Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3 [Web]
Description Professor Ernest Smalley was a mad scientist who specialized in chemistry. Needing test subjects for his experiments, the Professor randomly chose a homeless man named Bill Dunn from a Depression-era bread line, telling him that in exchange for participating in an experiment, Dunn would receive a new suit and a hot meal. The experiment, a potion, granted Dunn telepathic powers. Dunn became power mad and decided to take over the world, first killing Smalley. Unfortunately for Dunn, the potion’s effects were temporary and the secret formula could not be duplicated. Dunn’s powers faded, and he realized he had to return to the breadline once again. Notes: Bill Dunn was inspired by Hugo Danner, the lead of Philip Gordon Wylie’s Gladiator.
