Origin
Born in the town of Steadfast in Middle America to a woman named Martha Rickard, Prez was so-named because his mother believed that he would one day grow up to be president. He was an idealistic and patriotic child; as he grew, he cultivated a dual fascination with American politics and clocks. He developed a great deal of skill in the repair of clocks. There were many clocks in Steadfast, but none of them ever read the same time. At the age of 16 he went around the town and adjusted or fixed every clock in town. That same year the voting age was lowered, and the first 18-year-old senator was elected; eventually the minimum age for president was lowered to 18. Two years later, Prez came to the attention of the sinister Boss Smiley, who offered to aid Prez in his campaign to become the country's youngest president. Prez refused him, and went on to make his own way on the campaign trail. He was elected president of the United States at the age of 19.
Creation
Prez was created by Joe Simon and Jerry Grandenetti.
Character Evolution
Prez was an excellent President. During his presidency he dealt with important political issues, such as the arms race and Middle Eastern relations, as well as villains such as a right-wing militia, Boss Smiley, legless vampires and evil chess players. In his second term of office he was the subject of an assassination attempt that he survived.
He was later implied to be the President of Earth-One, where he was rescued by Supergirl from a number of assassination attempts.
Alternate Versions
When he appeared in the Sandman series his fiancee was killed in the assassination attempt, and he left office after his second term and refused to return to politics. Instead he wandered America and became a semi-mythical figure. Eventually he died and the entire country mourned his passing, though none of them could account for how they knew he was dead. He was confronted in the afterlife by Boss Smiley, who attempted to manipulate Prez and keep him at his right hand. Morpheus intervened, however, and aided Prez in leaving Smiley's realm, showing him the way to wander across the manifold Americas that dot the multiverse.
In the one-shot Prez: Smells Like Teen President, the teenage protagonist believes himself to be the child of Prez, who he goes in search of. In this series Prez dies of brain cancer, a metaphor for the "cancerous" decay of the country under the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
In the Action Comics #9 back-up story, it was revealed than in Earth-23 Prez Rickard was the most popular president of the United States, only compared to acting president Calvin Ellis.
Another Prez was revealed as the financer of the Love Syndicate of Dreamworld in Earth-47.
Prez in Other Media
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Prez Rickard has become president toward the closing of the episode. He is opening a time capsule that had a juke box placed inside by Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman. The three heroes appear 50 years older and are reminiscent to the Kingdom Come Earth 22.
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