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While is becoming ever more popular to have real life individuals portray themselves in superhero movies in the context of their actual positions, comic book fans recognize this type of appearance from way back.

I want to know what Superhero (or Supervillain) has appeared with the most real life individuals within the pages of comic books. Some additional considerations.

  1. Comic books only please. No movies, T.V. or radio.
  2. It should be while the individual performing the cameo is/was alive (e.g. no counting Hitler after his death)
  3. The appearance of the person should be within the context of his/her real life profession/ability and should have some type of role in the story.
  4. It should include actual interaction of the comic book character with the real life person. E.g. it should NOT simply be an off-hand reference to "President So and So made a speech." or "Prime Minister whatsis revealed new legislation."
  5. Bonus consideration awarded for any real life individual that plays a fictional character which ALSO plays into the story. E.g. one of my favorite comic book episodes growing up was the Marvel Team-Up #74 by Chris Claremont and Bob Hall, published in 1978. In it John Belushi of Saturday Night Live fame appears with Spiderman and the Silver Samurai. John in the role of Samurai Futaba.

John Belushi battling the Silver Samurai

Note, this is an different from the all recent questions regarding Stan Lee comic book cameos such as Stan Lee Comic Book Cameos as this is from the POV of the comic book character, not vice versa.

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My guess is that Captain Marvel (the Fawcett/DC version) (or his alter ego Billy Batson, considered as the same character for the purposes of this answer) has appeared with the most real people in the pages of comic books.

How many is that? Too many to count—anyway, I'm not going to try and count them all. Instead, I will present a list of 30 real people that appeared in the first 37 issues of Captain Marvel Adventures. Seeing as Captain Marvel Adventures ran to 150 issues, and is only one of several comic books in which the Big Red Cheese appeared, I estimate that he has met more than 50 real people in the comics.

  1. Cedric Adams (Minneapolis radio personality): CMA #24, June 1943, "Captain Marvel and the Minneapolis Mystery!" pp. 4-19.
  2. Clinton Buehlman (Buffalo radio personality): CMA #31 January 1944 "Captain Marvel in Buffalo!" pp. 4-15.
  3. Daniel Butler (mayor of Omaha): CMA #33 March 1944, "Captain Marvel and the Omaha Adventure!" pp. 4-15.
  4. Ray Clark (Omaha radio newsman): CMA #33 March 1944, "Captain Marvel and the Omaha Adventure!" pp. 4-15.
  5. E. M. Dealey (Dallas newspaperman): CMA #32 February 1944, "Deep in the Heart of Dallas" pp. 4-17.
  6. Dizzy Dean (baseball player): CMA #36 June 1944 "Capt. Marvel and the St. Louis Cup" pp. 4-13.
  7. William F. Devin (mayor of Seattle): CMA #26 August 1943 "Sabotage in Seattle!" pp. 5-17.
  8. Father Flanagan (founder of Boys Town): CMA #33 March 1944, "Captain Marvel and the Omaha Adventure!" pp. 4-15.
  9. Gilbert Forbes (Indianapolis newscaster): CMA #35 May 1944 "Capt. Marvel Finds Action in Indianapolis" pp. 18-28.
  10. Hermann Goering (German politician): CMA #22 March 26, 1943 "Captain Marvel Battles Shipyard Sabotage" pp. 4-18.
  11. Joseph Goebbels (German politician): CMA #22 March 26, 1943 "Captain Marvel Battles Shipyard Sabotage" pp. 4-18.
  12. Robert A. Hefner (mayor of Oklahoma City): CMA #34 April 1944 "Capt. Marvel in Oklahoma City" pp. 4-14.
  13. Hirohito (Japanese emperor): CMA #12 June 26, 1942 "Capt. Marvel and the Truth Epidemic" pp. 39-50.
  14. Adolf Hitler (German politician): CMA #4 October 31, 1941 "Captain Marvel and the Tunnel of Invasion" pp. 21-36.
  15. Bob Hope (entertainer): CMA #35 May 1944 "Radar the International Policeman" pp. 4-15.
  16. Dorothy Lamour (actress): CMA #35 May 1944 "Radar the International Policeman" pp. 4-15.
  17. William G. Long (Seattle judge): CMA #26 August 1943 "Sabotage in Seattle!" pp. 5-17.
  18. Benito Mussolini (Italian politician): CMA #12 June 26, 1942 "Capt. Marvel and the Truth Epidemic" pp. 39-50.
  19. Chet Nelson (Rocky Mountain News sports editor): CMA #30 December 1943 "Captain Marvel Battles the $40,000,000 Denver Plot" pp. 4-15.
  20. Johnny O'Hara (St. Louis sports broadcaster): CMA #36 June 1944 "Capt. Marvel and the St. Louis Cup" pp. 4-13.
  21. Woodall Rodgers (mayor of Dallas): CMA #32 February 1944, "Deep in the Heart of Dallas" pp. 4-17.
  22. Wheeler Smith (Seattle radio personality): CMA #26 August 1943 "Sabotage in Seattle!" pp. 5-17.
  23. Billy Southworth (baseball manager) CMA #36 June 1944 "Capt. Marvel and the St. Louis Cup" pp. 4-13.
  24. Benjamin F. Stapleton (mayor of Denver): CMA #30 December 1943 "Captain Marvel Battles the $40,000,000 Denver Plot" pp. 4-15.
  25. Jimmy Stewart (Southern Methodist University football coach): CMA #32 February 1944, "Deep in the Heart of Dallas" pp. 4-17.
  26. Lowell Thomas (American radio & television newscaster): CMA #7 February 6, 1942 "Capt. Marvel and the Slayer on Skis" pp. 51-64.
  27. Robert Tyndall (mayor of Indianapolis): CMA #35 May 1944 "Capt. Marvel Finds Action in Indianapolis" pp. 18-28.
  28. Johnny Vander Meer (baseball player): CMA #37 July 1944 "Captain Marvel and His Battle of the Bubbles" pp. 4-13.
  29. Jim Wells (sports director, WBEN radio, Buffalo): CMA #31 January 1944 "Captain Marvel in Buffalo!" pp. 4-15.
  30. Gregor Ziemer (American writer): CMA #37 July 1944 "Captain Marvel and His Battle of the Bubbles" pp. 4-13.
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  • If this is not the greatest number, it certainly has to be in the top few. @user14111. Thank you for taking the time to respond to the question and documenting your answer so thoroughly.
    – beichst
    Commented Dec 23, 2015 at 4:19

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