Jimmy Olsen’s star has faded significantly in recent decades. Back in the 60s, Jimmy Olsen headlined his own comic that was the 4th best selling comic with an estimated 520,000 copies sold every month. Fast forward to 2016 and in Batman v Superman, Jimmy’s cameo ended with him getting shot in the head.
So while to modern audiences Jimmy might no longer be a household name, when Spider-Man was created Jimmy was one of the most popular characters in the medium, and certainly the most prominent teenager. When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko sat down to make a young superhero, with a cast full of teenagers, it’s inconceivable that Jimmy Olsen never crossed their mind. Jimmy Olsen would shape Spider-Man’s cast, either as a model for them to follow, or a status quo to react against.
Jimmy, unlike Robin, Kid Flash, Aqua Lad, or any other sidekick, doesn’t have powers, and doesn’t always go on adventures with Superman. A lot of the time he’s just a normal guy that weird stuff happens to. An everyman caught up in the weird world of Superman. Jimmy’s role in Superman is spelled out right in the title of his comic: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen.
So who’s Spider-Man’s pal?
Flash Thompson, like Jimmy, is a regular kid who’s friends with a superhero. But Jimmy’s relationship with Superman is pretty straightforward. Superman is the greatest man in the world who is right about everything. Jimmy is something like a hybrid of a son and a younger brother to Superman, always eager to please, and always subordinate to Superman. They’re like Ward and Beaver Cleaver.
Flash’s relationship to Peter Parker is a lot more interesting. While Flash might worship the buildings Spider-Man crawls on, at school Flash is the big man on campus and never hesitates to make Peter miserable. He bullies Peter and derides him as an egghead and a bookworm. And unlike Dr. Octopus, Flash isn’t a problem Peter can solve by punching.
While both Flash and Jimmy both idolize their respective heroes, there’s another key difference: Superman likes Jimmy back.
The Peter/Flash dynamic adds to the fun house mirror, low-rent Superman vibe the early Spider-Man stories have. Of course Superman’s #1 fan would be a respectful upstanding kid like Jimmy Olsen, someone that Superman could be proud of. Only a shabby hero like Spider-Man would be admired by someone like Flash Thompson.
There’s no love lost between Peter and Flash during the Ditko years. The two are constantly trading barbs, getting into fights. Flash thinks Peter’s trying to steal his girlfriend and calls him a pantywaist, all while starting a Spider-Man fan club that Peter’s not invited to. Peter hates having Flash as his biggest fan, and even briefly fantasizes about not saving him from Dr. Doom.
Flash’s love of Spider-Man isn’t purely a fun irony. It’s also rooted in Flash’s character. Flash is brave, assertive, and insults people he hates…just like Spider-Man. Of course Flash is a fan. They have more in common than either would admit. In a way, Flash is a walking embodiment of Peter’s id. Take away Peter’s brains, powers, and responsibilities, and Flash is what you’re left with.
Jimmy Olsen had much more bizarre adventures than Flash ever did but Jimmy himself feels old fashioned, a bit too “aw shucks” and straitlaced. Flash tones down the surrealism of Jimmy’s exploits and also has more of an edge, and thus modernizes the concept of the hero’s best friend. The fact that Spider-Man secretly hates Flash is a cherry on top.