Template:GalleryButton
- "I see a city full of people who need help. Who need a hero."
- —James Olsen to Kara Danvers[src]
James "Jimmy" Olsen is the art director for CatCo Worldwide Media.
Biography
A nervous kid starting out, James took the first real photo of Superman,[1] soon gaining public recognition for being friends with him.[2]
Moving to National City
Seeking to broaden his own horizons, James was asked by Superman to move to National City to keep an eye on his cousin, also accepting a job as CatCo Worldwide Media's art director. First meeting Kara when she came to get the layouts on request from Cat Grant, he told her that Grant could wait, as it'd be her loss if she fired him right after hiring him. Introducing himself as the new guy, James was recognized by Kara after she saw a framed print of the first photo ever taken of Superman. James offered the copy to her, on the condition that she first tell him who she was, as he hadn't caught her name. After introducing herself and attempting to leave, he reminded her of the layouts she had originally come to get. He was later asked to lunch by Kara, though he told her to meet him on the roof instead as he entered the elevator. On the roof, he presented her with the blanket Kal-El had been wrapped in as a baby when he arrived to Earth, revealing to her that he came to National City as a personal favor to her cousin.[1]A week later, James went to the content meeting called by Cat, who firstly made sure everyone knew about Supergirl's recent heroic failure. James pointed out that even Superman had made mistakes starting out. He was then asked by Cat whether he could get her an interview with Supergirl by approaching the subject to Superman the next time they met, though James was reluctant to do so. After the meeting, James later tried to convince Kara that Cat wouldn't recognize her if she did the interview, giving her a pep-talk when she contemplated whether she had become a hero too soon, telling her that if anyone could fill Superman's boots, it was her. The next day, James encountered Winn Schott in the alleyway outside of CatCo. After the two made several attempts to get each other to leave, they were soon surprised to learned that one another were both confidants of Kara, after she landed in front of them. She then told both James and Winn that needed to practice if she was going to be a hero, and that she needed their help, with James agreeing to do so. Using Kara's apartment as a base of operations, James and Winn alerted her to several emergencies occurring in National City, also simultaneously advising her how to handle the situations as well. Later at Kara's apartment, James and Winn were both thanked by Kara for their assistance as people were finally starting to believe in Supergirl. The following day at CatCo, James was given the dilemma of getting Cat an interview with Supergirl within 24 hours, or being fired. Outside of CatCo, Kara offered to do the interview so James wouldn't be fired, with James telling her that he thought moving to National City he could be his own man, and escape the fame of being friends with Superman. James was then told by Kara that on Krypton no one was their own man, and that apart of being his own man meant knowing when to accept help from others. James was later called by Cat about the interview with Supergirl, with him telling her to look out of her car window as the interview had already started, with Supergirl carrying her car into the air.[2]
Appearances
Season 1
- "Pilot"
- "Stronger Together"
- "Fight or Flight"
- "Livewire"
- "How Does She Do It?"
- "Red Faced"
- "Human For a Day"
- "Hostile Takeover"
- "Blood Bonds"
- "Strange Visitor From Another Planet"
- "Bizarro"
- "For the Girl Who Has Everything"
- "Truth, Justice and the American Way"
Notes
- James "Jimmy" Olsen debuted in Action Comics #6 (November, 1938) as an unnamed reporter, though later became recognizable as the best friend of Superman, and a photographer for the Daily Planet. He was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
- Supergirl marks Jimmy Olsen's fourth live action television appearance; previously appearing in Adventures of Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Smallville.
- Cat Grant mentions that James is famously known as Superman's "pal".[2] In the comics, Jimmy Olsen is also recognized as such, as well as having a comic book series in which he starred titled, Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen vol.1 (1954-1974) and vol. 2 (2008-2009).
Trivia
- James won a Pulitzer for taking the 1st photo of Superman.[1]
- In the DC comics, Jimmy Olsen is Caucasian.