|
In the Superman comics, television series and movies, Perry White is Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet newspaper.
Modern History
Perry was born in Metropolis's Suicide Slum area, growing up with a father missing after going to fight overseas. He became a copy boy at the Daily Planet, beginning a lifetime career that would take him up the ladder of the Daily Planet. Perry met Lex Luthor when they were kids since Luthor also grew up in Suicide Slum.
Luthor later began diversifying his holdings in the new LexCorp company, he bought the newspaper. Luthor soon sold it after deciding to pursue technology and television investments. Turning down an offer from Luthor to become part of Luthor's new tv station WLEX, Perry found an investor who saved the Daily Planet on condition Perry became editor instead of being a reporter. The entire episode left Perry bitter and angry with Luthor.
Perry married Alice Spencer and had a son Jerry White, Jr. Much later, after Jerry was fully grown, Perry would learn that Lex Luthor was Jerry's biological father. Luthor had briefly seduced Alice while Perry was overseas reporting on a war and thought to be killed. Perry White's two greatest moves as editor would be to hire Lois Lane and later Clark Kent. Lois had impressed him at the age of 15 by trying to get hired there (faking her age). After Jerry White Jr died following being shot, Perry and Alice grieved for some time, including having Perry take a leave of absence from the Daily Planet.
Later, Perry and Alice adopted an orphaned boy (Keith Robert) who became Keith Robert White. This caused brief controversy since Keith was a young African American. At about this time, Perry took another leave of absence, putting Clark Kent in charge as editor, this time because he had lung cancer to contend with. After many grueling months of chemotherapy, the cancer went into remmission. One of Perry's proudest moments was to attend the wedding of Lois and Clark. He sat in the front row beside Lois's parents (him being as much of a father to Lois in recent years as her own father).
As the paper continued to struggle, Franklin Stern sold the paper to Lex Luthor. Luthor, acting out of pure malice, dismantled the paper. He fired everyone except Lois, Jimmy Olsen, and two others who were relocated to Lexcom, Lex's new Internet-based reporting corporation. Fortunately, shortly thereafter, Lex sold the Planet to Bruce Wayne for $1 (thanks to a secret deal with Lois Lane). White was hired back as editor-in-chief and all the old crew was hired back as well. Perry kept the Daily Planet as one of the few newspapers that was strongly against Luthor (even after his successful election as President of the United States).
Perry has not been seen much in the last couple of years. Because of much of the changes in continuity in recent years, much is not certain about Perry's history. The history of Jerry and Keith is more or less up in the air.
Perry is famous for being boisterous and loud. Also, he hates being called "chief," so naturally he is frequently called that as a recurring gag. He is also known for shouting "Great Caesar's Ghost!" when angry, exasperated or surprised.
In other media
| 
