This is "Out of Sight," a feature where I explore notable comic book moments that occurred off-panel. When I say "off-panel," I'm mostly talking about a character not being around and then showing up and us learning that something dramatic happened to them off-panel. I'm flexible enough that I can deal with maybe something "in between panels," as well. You can hit me up at brianc@cbr.com if you have a suggestion for a future column!

Today, based on a suggestion from reader Ed F., we see when Batman's trusted butler, Alfred, was first trusted with Superman's secret identity!

As you can tell from the fact that we're in "Out of Sight," you probably have figured out that there really wasn't some big story where Alfred learned Superman's identity. No, it was just sort of a thing at one point. But how long did THAT take?

I've written about this in the past, so you might be familiar with the idea, but for the most part, Superman and Batman lived VERY different lives throughout the Golden Age. All superheroes did. Their solo books didn't really tie into each other's solo books. So Alfred and Superman wouldn't even MEET, ya know?

It wasn't until Superman and Batman started sharing the lead feature in World's Finest Comics that Alfred could even MEET Superman, let alone know his secret identity!

The first time that the two shared a comic book together was in World's Finest Comics #77 (by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye) and the two did not share any scenes together...

World's Finest Comics #139 (by Dave Wood, Jim Mooney and Sheldon Moldoff) might actually be the answer. In that issue, Kathy Kane is playing the Lois Lane role of "I bet I know your secret identity!" and Batman figures he will include Superman's help to impersonate him, since Alfred can't do the acrobatic tricks the fill-in would need to do to fool Kathy. Bruce Wayne then calls Clark Kent to get Superman's help....

My only problem there is that other people HAVE contacted Clark Kent to get into contact with Superman, ya know? I think that you could make a very good argument that this is the moment where we knew Alfred knew Superman's identity (and, again, like all of these instances, Alfred obviously learned off-panel. It wasn't like, "I need Superman. Call Clark Kent for me, Alfred." "But why? Unless...WHAT?!?").

Superman and Alfred finally share a brief scene in World's Finest Comics #168 (by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and George Klein), but it is an inconsequential meeting...

Superman and Alfred don't share another scene for MANY issues (most of the times Alfred shows up, it just happened to be an Imaginary Story). Alfred shows up as a clone in World's Finest Comics #248. In World's Finest Comics #250 (by Gerry Conway, George Tuska and Vince Colletta), Alfred (and the rest of the world) have their memories wiped...

World's Finest Comics #275 (by Paul Kupperberg, Rich Buckler and Frank McLauglin) is another good "come on, he has to know, right?" moment that also keeps from going all the way, as Batman calls up Clark Kent for Superman...

But you'll note that the part where he says Clark Kent is only on Superman's side of the phone call, so Alfred very well might not have heard it. I still think that you could make a very good argument that, yeah, come on, that counts, too.

However, it's interesting to note that Alfred still talks to Superman like he DOESN'T know his secret identity, like in World's Finest Comics #276 (by Mike W. Barr, Rich Buckler and Bob Smith)...

And in this very touching sequence in World's Finest Comics #279 (by Mike W. Barr, Keith Pollard and Mike DeCarlo), it would be kind of weird for Alfred to have this touching moment and still call him Master Superman unless that's the only name he knows him by, right?

In the next issue (by Barr, Buckler and Smith), it's still just "Master Superman"...

Alfred even helps nurse an injured Superman back to health in World's Finest Comics #291 (by Doug Moench, Adrian Gonzales and Tony DeZuniga), but nothing about knowing his secret identity...

Okay, here's a crazy one. So, Batman quit the Justice League and thus he and Superman had a very strained relationship for a while. In World's Finest Comics #294 (by L.B. Kellog, Jerome Moore and Frank Giacoia), Clark Kent calls up Bruce Wayne and Bruce tells Alfred to ignore it, leading to Clark CRYING!

You'd like to believe that Alfred knew by this point, right? But technically, nothing absolutely incriminating is said. Clark doesn't say, "Tell him Superman is calling" or anything, so the plausible deniability is still there.

In World's Finest Comics #303 (by David Anthony Kraft, Mike Chen and Pablo Marcos), it's back to Master Superman, even as Alfred and Superman work together to stop a plague...

In World's Finest Comics #308 (by Kurt Busiek, George Tuska and Mark Alexander), Alfred wakes up Bruce to watch Clark Kent's newscast, but there is no indication that Alfred knows Clark's other identity...

Finally, though, in the next issue (by Busiek, Mark Texeira and Alfredo Alcala), Superman comes by and tells a Bruce a story with Alfred still in the room that involves his life as Clark Kent...

So that's got to be it. And you'll notice that it is very offhanded, so it really suggests that everyone assumed Alfred already knew, ya know?

Because it likely happened off-panel.

Anyhow, there ya go, Ed!

Thanks for the suggestion!

If anyone else has a suggestion for a notable plot point (or, like here, MULTIPLE plot points) that happened off-panel, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!