The Simpsons has introduced plenty of unexpected characters over the years, including a surprising amount of relatives. But one of the most interesting may be Herb Powell, Homer Simpson's oft-forgotten half-brother. He only appeared a handful of times, and a certain vocal-only cameo hinted at his depressing fate.
Who is Herb Powell, and what happened to him?
In his youth, Abe Simpson married Mona Olsen and they had Homer. However, Season 2's "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" revealed that before Homer's birth, Abe had a bit of a wandering eye. This led him to spend a night with a woman named Gaby from a visiting carnival before he was married to Mona. Their encounter resulted in Herb's birth. A year later, Abe married Mona and the pair had Homer, with Mona asking Abe to keep Herb's existence a secret to ensure their son continued to respect his father. Homer only discovers the existence of Herb when his father has a near-death experience, confessing Herb's birth and eventual placement with the Shelbyville Orphanage.
Homer and the rest of the family hunt down Herb in the rest of the episode. They are surprised to find that he isn't just a kind and enthusiastic new family member, but also a major success in the modern-day. Herb was adopted by the Powells and quickly proved to have the kind of work ethic and drive that Homer always lacked. Putting himself through college, Herb eventually opened Powell Motors in Detroit, becoming a successful and wealthy car manufacturer. Herb and Homer quickly bonded, but Herb's attempts to indulge Homer's designs led to the creation of an unwieldy and expensive automobile (named "the Homer") that resulted in Herb's company going bankrupt.
Now destitute, Herb left the family blaming Homer, only to return in Season 3's "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" When the Simpsons find out Herb is living on the streets, he is given a room in their home. Eventually designing a translator for infants, Herb regains his fortune in part to a loan given to him by Homer, resulting in the brothers making peace.
Herb hasn't appeared on-screen in the show since then, although he did make a brief vocal cameo in the Season 24 episode, "Changing of the Guardian," when Homer and Marge try to find an acceptable guardian for the children in case of emergency. Although they try calling Herb to see if he could be of use, Herb's voicemail reveals that he had lost his fortune again under unknown circumstances.
Herb is a surprisingly under-utilized character in the history of the show. He could have potentially grown to be a counter to Marge's sisters, Patty and Selma, or remained a friendly family member for Bart and Lisa to bond with. It's likely his few appearances were partly due to his voice actor, Danny Devito, being in high-demand for much of his career as a comic actor. It could also be partly because the existence of Herb puts Abe and Mona Simpson in a bad light, as their refusal to accept Herb and instead put him up for adoption feels particularly cold from modern perspectives.
Herb's ultimate fate is also surprisingly sad, hinting that despite his apparent amends with Homer, the pair haven't ever done much to foster and grow that connection. Not only did Herb lose his brother, but he was left destitute multiple times. It's a tragic ending for one of the most obscure characters in the history of The Simpsons.
January 19, 2021 at 01:43AM
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The Simpsons: Homer's Secret Brother Met an Unfortunate Fate - CBR - Comic Book Resources
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