Religion: Catholic 
Name: Louis Pasteur
Classification:
scientist
real/historical person
Publisher(s): 
Earliest Appearance Listed in This Database: Pasteur (1922)
Creators: Edmond Epardaud, Jean Benoit-Levy, Jean Epstein, Charles Mosnier (actor)
Number of Appearances: 24
Comic Book Appearances: 8
TV, Film Appearances: 16
Occupation: chemist, microbiologist
Race: white
Gender: male
In panel 6 on page 9 of the Superman story in Action Comics #18 (Dec. 1939), Superman was trying to inspire despondent scientist Henry Travers to keep working on a cure for the deadly Purple Plague which was killing untold victims in Metropolis. After one failed demonstration, Travers' fellow scientists called him a fraud and dismissed him from their scientific society.
Superman told Travers, "Buck up! Remember how Pasteur and other great scientists achieved results in the face of scorn from their fellow savants! Your ultimate is too important for you to permit yourself to be deterred by personal disgrace!"
Duly inspired, Travers went on to successfully a devise a cure for the Purple Plague, with Superman's assistance in obtaining some rare chemicals necessary for the investigation.
It is likely that Louis Pasteur has been mentioned in other DC comics, and has probably appeared as an actual character in time travel stories.
Louis Pasteur was Catholic, although as an adult he was mostly not a regular churchgoer. A number of Pasteur's relations were notably more devout than he was.
Action Comics (vol. 1) #19 (Dec. 1939): "Superman and the Purple Plague" (mentioned)Pasteur (1922) (lead character)
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur
- http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0040928/
- http://www.comicvine.com/louis-pasteur/29-15878/
- http://comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=244297