Religion: Catholic 
Name: Sarge
Other Names: Sergeant
Classification:
supporting character
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: Action Comics (vol. 1) #11 (Apr. 1939): "Superman and the "Black Gold" Swindle"
Creators: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster
Number of Appearances: 3
Occupation: police
Gender: male
The Superman story in Action Comics #11 (Apr. 1939) opens with an unnamed reporter and Clark Kent asking a police sergeant for any interesting news stories. "Sarge" tells them there is "no news today beyond a few drunks," but then an call comes in that interests both reporters. Sarge tells them: "Just a routine case: Guy commits suicide in broker's office!" The unnamed reporter and Clark Kent accompany Sarge to the office of Meek & Bronson - Brokers. There they find the man who committed suicide - dead on the floor of the office. In his hand he clutches his shares in the "Black Gold Oil Well."
In the story retroactively titled "The Slot Machine Racket." published in Superman #5 (Summer 1940), we can see why "Sarge" wore his policeman's cap on his head in all panels seen during his initial appearance: He's quite bald! (He does have some dark black hair at the back of his head and around his ears, however.)
In this story in Superman #5, Superman brings slot-machine racketeer Slug Kelly and some of his henchmen to police headquarters. The narrative caption in panel 6 of page 13 (the last page of this story) reads: "Shortly after -- Superman deposits the racketeers within a police station . . ."
Superman is seen flanked by Slug Kelly and one of the racketeer's henchmen, talking to a police sergeant behind a desk. Superman protests, "But these men confessed their crimes!"
The police sergeant explains, "Sorry, we can't hold them unless there are witnesses who overheard it!"
In the next panel the sergeant is shocked "as hundreds of school-children poor in the station."
The sergeant exclaims, "Begorra!"
Superman smiles and says, "There! Your witnesses, Sergeant! Enough of them?"
This exclamation is a euphemistic alteration of "by God." The phrase "Begorra" is Irish in origin. The sergeant is apparently Irish Catholic, and uses a euphemistic expression in order to avoid taking the Lord's name in vain.
It is quite possible that the police sergeants that appear in these two stories were never intentionally crafted by the writer Jerry Siegel or artist Joe Shuster as the exact same character. But both characters are dressed in the same formal blue police uniform, both look as though they could be the same person based on their admittedly non-descript face, both are called "Sarge" or "Sergeant" and both are working at the front of the local police station. All of his is enough to regard this police sergeant as the same character in both stories.
Superman once again deposits criminals at the police station with the Sergeant in the next story in this same issue. In the story retroactively titled "Campaign Against the Planet," Superman deposits villainous politician Alex Evell and a handful of his henchmen before the police sergeant in panel 6 on page 13.
The narrative caption here reads, ". . . depositing them inside a police station, then he springs off!"
Superman says, "Here are some customers for you, sergeant!"
The uniformed police sergeant, once again sitting behind the desk with a large globe lamp on it, exclaims in loud recognition, "Superman!"
Action Comics (vol. 1) #11 (Apr. 1939): "Superman and the "Black Gold" Swindle" (5-panel cameo)
Superman
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- https://www.comics.org/issue/420/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=59948
- https://www.comics.org/issue/882/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=44198