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Kurt Bowman was a corrupt homicide detective of the Metropolis Police Department.
History[]
Bowman's corruption went deeper than simply refusing to conduct proper investigations. For unknown reasons, he murdered a wealthy woman (possibly for a career boast for being the lead detective on the case and for being the one who caught the supposed killer). He was also aware of the checkered past of Ernest Walker, and planted the woman's necklace near Walker's residence. When Walker attempted to make a fast buck by pawning the necklace, questions arose as to how it came into his possession, and Walker was charged with the woman's murder, receiving the death penalty. Bowman succeeded in this frame-up for five years.[1]
Sometime after his secret crime, Lois Lane wrote an article about police corruption that somehow caused Bowman to lose a promotion. After this, he became deeply embittered with her, and when an attempt was made on her life sometime later, he made little effort to find her attempted killer, Edward Lytener.[2]
When it was almost time for Walker's execution, Clark Kent started an investigation of his own. He first went to see Bowman, who was the lead investigator on the case. Clark received the case files, and Bowman told him there was no question that Walker was guilty. Clark soon discovered that Walker was innocent. Fearful that this evidence could expose him, Bowman tried to assassinate Clark with a car bomb. This almost forced Superman to reveal his secret identity, since there seemed no plausible way for Clark to have survived the car bomb.
However, Bowman underestimated Lois' investigative abilities and she and Superman soon figured out that he was the real murderer. Lois confronted him in a stairwell inside the Metropolis Police Department: He was the detective on the case, he happened to be the one closest to Clark's wreck, and Bowman was spotted near his apartment after the bomb went off. He dismissed her, but Lois held up the phone tap — standard police issue — and said she would have it checked for fingerprints. In response, he tried to kill her by throwing her over the handrail as they were several stories up. At that moment, Superman burst through the wall, grabbed Lois and captured Bowman, before flying to Stryker's Island Prison just in time to prevent Walker's execution.
"He's Superman!"
With Walker cleared, Bowman was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to execution. Before being led to the same gas chamber he tried to have Walker executed in, he bitterly read the story of his own exposure in the Daily Planet, written by Clark Kent. In his final seconds of life, Bowman wondered how Clark could have possibly survived the car bomb. Just before the lever was pulled, Bowman realized that Clark Kent is Superman, a revelation he took with him to the grave.[1]
Years later in the future, Zeta and Ro were discovering who created Zeta, and in the police databases despite his demise, was Bowman.
Appearances[]
Superman: The Animated Series
The Zeta Project
- "The Wrong Morph" (Cameo on picture)
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Berkowitz, Stan (writer) & Hachizaki, Kenji (director) (November 1, 1997). "The Late Mr. Kent". Superman: The Animated Series. Season 2. Episode 22 (airdate). Episode 32 (production). Kids WB!.
- ↑ Bader, Hilary J. (writer) & Geda, Curt (director) (September 19, 1997). "Target". Superman: The Animated Series. Season 2. Episode 7 (airdate). Episode 19 (production). Kids WB!.