Throwback Thursday: Cat Grant, Reporting with Style
Jan 27, 2022
Introduced in The Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987) by the creative team of writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat had built up a gossip column in Los Angeles. Needing a fresh start because of her divorce and recovery from alcoholism, she relocated to Metropolis with her son for a job with the Daily Planet.
Cat immediately stirred things up in the Daily Planet office. She was interested in Clark Kent right off the bat, and they dated briefly, but it wasn’t meant to be. While Cat was attracted to Clark, Jimmy Olsen was crushing on her, though she didn’t return his attention. When she wasn’t entangled in romantic drama, Cat ruffled Lois Lane and Perry White’s feathers.
Once she had built up some credit as a reporter, not just a gossip columnist, Cat got a job as an on-air reporter for WGBS hosting The Cat Grant Show. One of her big broadcasts happened when she scored an interview with Superman that turned into a Doomsday fight that she covered live. She worked simultaneously on her show and for the Daily Planet, and eventually Cat and Lois became friends.
When Cat became the station manager at WGBS, rumors circulated that she got the job because she was dating her boss, Vinnie Edge. The truth of the situation was that Vinnie was sexually harassing her, and the fed-up Cat reported him. Vinnie lost his position with the WGBS board and Cat gained the seat.
Tragedy struck Cat’s life when her son Adam was kidnapped by Toyman and he was killed while trying to escape. To cope with her grief, Cat buried herself in work. When Lex Luthor became president, Cat earned the position of White House Press Secretary. Once he was impeached, Cat returned to LA to work on the Los Angeles Tattler.
Eventually, Cat returned to Metropolis where she became editor of the entertainment and arts section of the Daily Planet. Her career trajectory continued upward when she was reintroduced in DC Rebirth as CEO of CatCo Worldwide Media in National City.
Cover by John Byrne
Don't miss this collection of tales from the '80s, reprinted from ACTION COMICS #507-508, 554, 595, 600 (select stories), 644, SUPERMAN #408, DC COMICS PRESENTS #29, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #430! Artist/writer Jerry Ordway provides the introduction and context for this latest addition to DC's "Decades" library.
A stunning tale of heroics and history, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL VOL. 1 magnificently retells and reinvents the origin and early adventures of the Man of Steel. In this fastpaced, revelatory book, Superman begins his ascension to iconic hero as he leaves Smallville and becomes Metropolis's revered protector and guardian. Featuring the Man of Steel's legendary first encounters with Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Batman, this amazing book also includes a deadly battle with Bizarro, a fateful encounter with Lana Lang, and Superman's astonishing discovery of his Kryptonian heritage.
A chronological reprinting of a new era for Superman begins! SUPERMAN #1-3, ACTION COMICS #585-587 and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #424-426 are collected, reintroducing readers to the likes of Lex Luthor, Metallo, Darkseid, and more!
Art by Byrne, Jerry Ordway, Terry Austin, Dick Giordano, Karl Kesel and Mike Machlan
Cover by Ordway
The third collection of Superman stories from the '80s reprints SUPERMAN #4-6, ACTION COMICS #587-589, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #427-429, and features a new cover and introduction by artist Jerry Ordway!
208 pg, FC
Art by Byrne, Jerry Ordway, Terry Austin, Dick Giordano and others
Cover by Ordway
The fourth collection featuring Superman tales from the 1980s, featuring SUPERMAN #7-8, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #430-431, ACTION COMICS #590, 591, and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #37-38! Superman encounters Rampage for the first time, has a rematch with Mammoth, contends with a mysterious Superboy, and more!
This article originally appeared in Gemstone Publishing’s e-newsletter Scoop.
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Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone Publishing’s Associate Editor, serving as the writer/editor of the e-newsletter, Scoop. She is the author of The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Movie Posters, The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Concert Posters, and The Overstreet Guide to Collecting Horror, and co-author of The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectibles and The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman.
