Cory Renwald

Context

Cory Renwald is a good-guy CIA agent. He featured in several Superman stories during the early 1980s, before the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Background

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Powers and Abilities

Cory is a fully qualified and trained CIA operative.

He is able to hear most enemies sneaking up behind him and taking them out. He is also well-versed in lockpicking and searching.

Cory is also an accomplished disguise artist, approximately equal to Nightwing.

Cory also has a tendency to seek unconventional routes of escape when under pursuit. Such as using a trenchcoat to hang-glide from the GBS building to a rooftop across the street. While afflicted with amnesia, no less.

History

At 16 years of age Cory Renwald was caught burglarizing Jonathan Kent’s farmhouse in Smallville. He was arrested by Douglas Parker for the effort. At the Kents’ request, Cory was sentenced to probation in their custody until he turned 18.

The Kents managed to wear down Cory’s belligerent attitude and reform him. And Cory unwittingly assisted the Kents in building up the patience they would need years later to raise a certain Kryptonian infant.

By the time Cory was 25, he was working for the CIA. He had begun working as a double-agent, ostensibly working for the Soviet Union. He’d become trusted by the Soviets by the time a US satellite began to fall into the outskirts of Smallville, ten miles south of Smallville Dam.

It was then Cory saw Jonathan Kent again, this time offering Cory and his two “friends” help with their flat tire, which they declined. Jonathan and Clark then “unwittingly” set up their campsite on the edge of the satellite’s touchdown area. This forced Cory to shoot then both with “poison” darts from his rifle.

Fortunately, Cory was able to divert his comrades back to their primary task after they’d found Clark lacking a pulse. After the spies’ magne-beamer shut off for a second, a “miraculous” gust of wind put the satellite back in its range. This allowed them to retrieve the satellite and the “important” technical data therein.

Several years later, Cory found himself investigating Clark based on instructions from a fake superior officer. But in accusing Clark Kent of treason, the imposter gave away the falsehood of his identity. Superman revealed his true identity as Raymond Maxwell Jensen, the Parasite.

It was after that that Cory told Clark about his experience with Jonathan and Martha.

Quotes

“Need I remind you of the two dead bodies back there ? Suppose Superboy wraps up the dam crisis and finds us on the murder scene ?”

“Don’t look so surprised, Superman — after all, you, above all others, should realize that things aren’t always quite as they seem on the surface ! But the truth will out… once you peel away the layers of pretension and get to the truth !”

“I’ve no intention of permitting a mere teenager – even a super-powered one – to interfere with an espionage operation our government’s been planning for months !”

Misc. Universe History

Cory served in the Agency during Jack Bristow’s heyday. This leaves a distinct possibility for a connection between them, which may come in handy if Jack or Sydney ever needed to contact Clark, one of his co-workers at the Planet, or even the Man of Steel.

Of course, this could go the other way if someone at the Planet needs info on Milo Rambaldi or other CIA matters.

By Robert Marcum.

Source of Character: Superman (Pre-Crisis).