Dick Malverne is among the first in recurring supporting characters for our heroine Supergirl. First appearing in the story The Great Supergirl Mirage from Action Comics #256. This story, by Otto Binder and Jim Mooney, features a young boy who also lives at Midvale orphanage with Linda (Supergirl) Lee named Dick Wilson. Dick, through the course of the story, suspects Linda is Supergirl after seeing a flying girl early on in the story. He tries in many ways to expose Linda as the girl of steel but is constantly thwarted by Linda’s quick thinking and super feats. Dick in this story fills the role that Lana Lang often filled in the Superboy stories set in Smallville. Lana often tried to expose Clark as Superboy and reveal that he has super powers. Linda even refers to Dick as a “Boy “Lana Lang”.”
Although Dick filled a crucial role in helping Linda be more careful with her powers, He would not show up again until Action Comics 282, a story set in the middle of the Lesla-Lar arc (which I may cover at some point). During the events of this arc, Linda is left powerless and since she has no powers and can no longer risk revealing Kal-El’s secret she finally feels comfortable enough to be adopted by the Danvers. On a trip to the beach with her adopted parents, Linda notices a familiar face. None other that Dick Wilson who exclaims “The name is now Dick Malverne! I’ve been adopted too!” The two then go on to have a wonderful time at the beach together both mentioning how attractive one another is and thus begins the romatic stories between the two characters.
Dick Malverne would show up frequently in the next few years in Action Comics and Adventure Comics often serving as a romantic interest for Linda, but Linda would continue to keep her identity secret from him. While being present throughout Linda’s time at Midvale Orphanage, Midvale High School, and even Stanhope College, Dick would eventually stop being a recurring character and wouldn’t show up again until Supergirl 23 from 1984. This was the last issue of Supergirl’s until after the Crisis and only shows up briefly as once last goodbye and a callback to Linda’s long history as Supergirl.
This would not be the end of Dick Malverne though as he would appear, in a slightly different way, during the 1996 Supergirl comic. Once again he would be a frequent love interest for Linda but would be a casualty in Linda’s constant struggle against the demon Buzz.
After this, the story briefly told at the end of Supergirl 23 in 1984 would be picked back up again in the first issue of Solo. This story Young Love written by Diana Schutz with art by Tim Sale and Dave Stewart, would briefly recap some of the highlights of Dick and Linda’s life and expand on the scene from Supergirl 23. Dick in this story promises to see her again later after having a kiss that literally lifted them off their feet. Dick wouldn’t make it back to see Linda however as he was bedridden in a hospital with cancer. Dick, from his hospital, calls for Supergirl. This next interaction reveals that Dick had always known that Linda was Supergirl and wanted one last goodbye. The two share one more goodbye kiss before we see Supergirl, with her faithful cat Streaky, sitting and thinking about how hard it would be to find her inner strength again.
Dick Malverne also showed up briefly in a Season 1 episode of the 2015 Supergirl Series where he is shown as an antagonist and former love interest of Alex Danvers. An interesting new take on the character that would go on to have a few appearances in the series.
With the new Supergil Series coming out this Summer being set in Midvale I would love to see Dick Malverne return and possibly explore the “boy Lana Lang” a bit further.
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