Geez, I was gonna say he's still in the top ten worst billionaires, but I'm not even positive about that.

Hmm, it's been over four years since I've blogged any Simon Stagg appearances? Admittedly, the antics of an amoral, horrible tycoon douchebag are far less amusing nowadays. I'm not even sure Stagg will even seem as bad anymore, since that bar has been raised. Then again, Stagg actually had money...usually. From 1973, World's Finest #220, "Tears of an Element Man!" Written by Bob Haney, art by J.C. (John Calnan.)

When Sapphire is kidnapped and they send a ransom note for $5 million (over 30 million in today-money!) Rex more-or-less has to shame daddy Simon into paying, even though he actually had that in cash, on hand! Rex offers to make the drop, but Simon argues they would be on the lookout for an Element Man-trap, and does it himself. And...nothing. After almost 24 hours, Rex has to shake the drop location out of Simon, then tracks the kidnappers to a cement works, where he is first shot then trapped in concrete. Neither of which slow Metamorpho down much! But he's already too late!

Sapphire is dead, killed since Simon paid the ransom in counterfeit money! The kidnappers had given her a lethal injection; but not unlike a fairy tale, Rex's kiss--and his tears--bring Sapphire back. Simon tries to backpedal, that he didn't know the money was bogus, but come on. Traditionally, this would be where I would say Simon Stagg is the wooooooorst, but again, we've probably all seen worse, haven't we?

For some reason, I was just stricken with the urge to see the presumably immortal Metamorpho (or, rather, killed and revived dozens of times) in the 31st century with the Legion of Super-Heroes; pitting their faux-future slang against his hip patter...