Steve Lombard

Steve Lombard is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

The character made his cinematic debut in the DC Extended Universe in the 2013 film Man of Steel, played by Michael Kelly. Lombard appears in the DC Universe in the 2025 film Superman, played by Beck Bennett.

Steve Lombard first appeared in Superman #264 (June 1973) in a story written by Cary Bates and penciled by Curt Swan. When editor Julius Schwartz suggested adding a sportscaster to Clark Kent's news reporter, Bates decided to create a workplace adversary for Kent to contrast with Kent's friendly relationship with the other characters, drawing partial inspiration from the character Ted Baxter of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Lombard's physical model was real-life football star Joe Namath.

For several years after Steve Lombard's debut, he appeared in nearly every published Superman story. Action Comics writer Martin Pasko later attempted to explain the character's popularity:

"... Lombard is one of the few examples of a character that all of us Superman scripters at that time wrote in more or less the same way - as opposed to, say, the way Lana Lang seemed to be a totally different character when she'd show up in Action on occasion. I think that's because Lombard was one of the most sharply drawn and purposefully designed (though not particularly complex) characters I've ever handled - the most clearly communicated idea I've ever heard from an editor and the writer who co-created it: the jock doofus unwittingly trying to bust Superman's cajónes. The audience waits for it, knowing that a hotfoot with a match won't trump a hotfoot from heat vision, or whatever. And I gather the other Superman writers thought so, too. That's why Lombard became, for me, at least, one of the best examples of what, in sitcoms, we call the 'run-through character'. That's certainly what Ted Baxter was on TV: the character you knew you could 'run through' a scene and get laughs just from his showing up. ... The audience starts laughing when they show up because they're laughing at what they're imagining is gonna happen. They're 'waiting for it'".

Bates wrote Steve Lombard out of the comic in Superman #384, though his final pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths appearance was not until Superman #413.

In pre-Crisis continuity, Steve Lombard is a quarterback for the fictional football team the Metropolis Meteors. The day before his team is to play in the Super Bowl, Steve exacerbates existing injuries to his knees while saving a baby falling from a building. An experimental radiation treatment cures his knees, but also produces an energy clone of him. Initially taking credit for the energy being's performance, Lombard publicly confesses the truth after the being goes on a rampage and is defeated by Superman. Steve resigns from the Meteors and retires from football over his actions, leading Morgan Edge to hire him as a sportscaster for Galaxy Broadcasting, working alongside anchor Clark Kent on the Six O'Clock News.

Steve is portrayed as brash and arrogant, and often plays childish pranks on Clark. However, Steve also considers Clark one of his few real friends, since he takes Steve's behavior in stride and never bears him a grudge. Steve has a brother named Vernon, who is a doctor, and a nephew named Jaime. Steve also has an aunt, Kaye Daye, who is a mystery novelist who works with the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City. Morgan Edge ultimately fires Steve after many years due to his declining popularity with the viewing audience. Steve goes to Clark's apartment seeking solace, only to be attacked by a former college roommate who did not shrug off Steve's pranks as well as Clark did, and obtained superhuman powers to get revenge. In a rare display of genuine courage and humanity, Steve forces Clark to safety before confronting his opponent, although Clark returns as Superman and rescues Steve.