Superman "The Mark of Zorro" and "Robin Hood". The name of Superman's home city, Metropolis, was taken from the 1927 film of the same name. Popeye cartoons were also an influence. Clark Kent's harmless facade and dual identity was inspired by the protagonists of such movies as Don Diego de la Vega in "The Mark of Zorro" and Sir Percy Blakeney in "The Scarlet Pimpernel". Siegel thought this would make for interesting dramatic contrast and good humor. Another inspiration was slapstick comedian Harold Lloyd. The archetypal Lloyd character was a gentle man who finds himself abused by bullies but later in
Disentangling Old Percy Disentangling Old Percy "Disentangling Old Percy" is a short story by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse and one of seven stories featuring the fictional character Reggie Pepper. It was published in the US magazine "Collier's Weekly" on 30 March 1912 as "Disentangling Old Duggie". The story was published in "The Strand Magazine" in the UK in August 1912 as "Disentangling Old Percy". In the story, Reggie Pepper wants to help his pal Percy Craye when Percy's overbearing sister Florence Craye disapproves of Percy being engaged to a palm reader. The well-meaning young gentleman Reggie Pepper advises his friend Percy