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Religion: manifestly non-religious 
Name: Benny
Classification:
villain
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: Action Comics (vol. 1) #18 (Nov. 1939): "Superman's Super-Campaign"
Creators: Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster
Number of Appearances: 1
Enemy of: Superman, Senator Hastings
Ally: Trixie
Ally: Gene Powers
Employer: Hamilton
Employer: Morning Herald
Occupation: photographer
Gender: male
Note: conspired in blackmail scheme against U.S. Senator
Benny was a photographer that conspired in a blackmail scheme against U.S. Senator Hastings. Benny worked closely with Trixie, a beautiful woman. Trixie, wearing an alluring dress, appeared in the middle of the road as Senator Hastings drove home. Trixie looked distressed and claimed that her car had plunged over the cliff. Senator offered to drive the woman to town, but when she was in his car, she broke open a vial of sleep gas. Trixie then drove the Senator in his own car to the Wayside Inn, a notorious roadhouse. In a room in the inn, Trixie and the photographer posed the unconscious Senator in compromising ways and took photos. When the Senator was later shown one of the photos, it showed him in a smoke-filled room pouring alcoholic drinks with a woman of ill repute (Trixie) who was obviously not his wife.
Trixie and Bennie were working this blackmail scheme along with Gene Powers, a crooked reporter/gossip columnist for the tabloid newspaper The Morning Herald. It was later revealed that the newspaper's publisher (Hamilton) was in on the blackmail scheme as well.
Trixie and Benny demanded more money from Hamilton for their efforts. Instead of caving into their demands, Hamilton sent Gene Powers to murder Trixie and Benny.
Gene Powers confronted Trixie and Benny at the Wayside Inn, "What's this I hear about you two?"
Benny said, "We want more dough! We do all the work, and you try to hog the cash!"
Trixie said, "You can't get away with it, Powers!"
Gene Powers told them, "Listen, you chiseling smalltimers! I could have you run out of town so fast--!"
Then Benny started to pull his gun out of his coat pocket, saying, "Why you--!"
Trixie tried to warn Benny, who may have been "more" to her than simply a criminal co-conspirator: "Don't, Benny-- Don't!"
Gene Powers instantly had his own gun out and shot Benny. "Draw on me, wil you!" he said.
Benny fell from a single gunshot. Gene Powers was about to kill the cowering Trixie when Superman burst into room and put an end to Gene Power's murderous intentions.
It was never revealed whether or not Benny died from the single gunshot he received. Either way, Benny's story aptly illustrates Romans 6:23: "the wages of sin is death."
Action Comics (vol. 1) #18 (Nov. 1939): "Superman's Super-Campaign" (5-panel cameo)
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- https://www.comics.org/issue/548/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=60129