The world's next Superman, Brandon Routh, paid a recent visit to a young leukemia victim at a Des Moines children's hospital, according to the Des Moines Register. Refreshingly, no mention of the actor's ample package is referenced in the report, though they do note that he brought his girlfriend along, throwing some Kryptonite on the gay super-rumors that have plagued the unknown actor since he landed the role:

Andrew Smith, 8, sat blushing in a leather chair in his room at Blank Children's Hospital when Routh and his girlfriend of two years, Courtney Ford of Los Angeles, popped in on Friday for a 10-minute visit. Andrew's arms locked stiff with nervousness and excitement as he held himself up in the chair and chatted with the actors. [...]

Routh and Ford were joined by Miss World 2005, Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir of Iceland, who signed a stock photo of herself in a bikini for Andrew, a second-grader from Huxley.

The reference to "actors," in the plural, threw us for a moment, but a quick trip to IMdB reveals that Routh's better half is an aspiring actress as well. We're still scratching our heads at how Iceland's Miss World figures into the scenario, or for that matter why she gave a second-grader a signed picture of her wearing nothing but a bikini. Let's give everyone involved the benefit of the doubt, however; perhaps they were just trying to provide a wider variety of achievable role models for the brave youngster beyond the fantastical "crimefighting superhero."

[Photo: Des Moines Register]

• Disguised as Iowa native, Superman visits hospital [DesMoinesRegister.com]
• Previously: Brokeback Krypton [Defamer]

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