who was gregory reed?

[Anonymous]

[Captain Kal]

Gregory Reed was the actor who played Superman in Earth-One's Superman TV series.  His name is a play on the real world actor, George Reeves, who played Superman in our real world Superman TV series.  I believe a Hispanicized version of Greg (Jorge?) showed up recently Post Crisis.

FYI, I believe Superman gave Greg a pill he could take to simulate some of Superman's powers for 12 hours at a time.  I don't know the details of that or the story.

It's probably just a fluke that Christopher Reeve later played Superman in Superman: The Movie.

[Great Rao]

I believe that although the character of Gregory Reed was initialy based on George Reeves; after Superman: The Movie came out, he evolved into the Earth-1 Christopher Reeve.

[Captain Kal]

All I could find out was Greg had some of Superman's powers for 12 hours with that pill.  Does anybody know which specific powers he had?

[Gary]

Wasn't there another one where he switched bodies with the real Supes? Or am I thinking of a different character?

[Captain Kal]

In Gregory Reed's first appearance, he did use a black magic pentagram on his hand to switch bodies with the real Superman.  Interestingly, he couldn't control Superman's super-mass so his heavy body caused his mansion to fall into the ocean. (Act No. 414/1, Jul 1972: "Superman vs. Superstar!")

That story does imply that Superman's kryptonian super-mass is on a par with at least a house.  A standard two-story house weighs about 25 tons.  I suppose a mansion would be a lot heavier.  I'd guess that story implies he's at least 25 tons unless he's controlling his weight (pun unintended).

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Gregory_Reed

[Gernot]

One of my favorite Gregory Reed stories is also the first one I'd ever read of him.  

http://www.comicsarchives.org/SSOSV7.html  

This is Secret Society of Super-villains No.7, with Captain Comet, Hawkgirl, and Reed defeating three magicians during the filming of the first Superman movie.