The Super-Men (and -Women) of All-Planets

[Jim Kelly]

Defender of Lexor

Princess Jena of Adoria is a morally compromised character, but while she makes a lot of threats, she doesn’t carry through on them. So is she an out and out bad person or somewhere between good and evil?

I wonder if Lex Luthor can also be included here. Yes, he was Superman’s arch-foe and most of their encounters happened on Earth. But there was a time when Lex Luthor was a super-hero on his adopted planet of Lexor--where he was married and had a child. He even adopted a masked costumed identity as the Defender in “Luthor–Super-Hero,” SUPERMAN 168 (April ’64)--by Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan and George Klein.



At the beginning of this epic adventure, Lex is living peacefully with Ardora on Lexor where he is a respected scientist and a hero to the people. It’s the Man of Tomorrow who breaks the law by covertly landing on Lexor for the purpose of abducting his arch-enemy and taking him back to Earth, where he would be subject to Earth laws.

However, on Lexor, Superman has no extra-judicial standing. He shouldn’t legally be allowed to take Luthor away from a land where he is living a good life and drag him back to Earth. I’d argue that if the Man of Steel hadn’t pursued his boyhood friend, then Lex might not have been tempted back into a life of crime.

It just so happens that Superman helps the Lexorians--which is why Luthor allows him to leave this time--but this is pure happenstance. Given Clark always wanted Lex to reform--and he has reformed on Lexor--then that goal was achieved. He should have let sleeping dogs lie.

Note: I go into greater depth on Lexor beginning with post #337 and more on this story in post #340.

[Jim Kelly]

Super-Beings of All-Planets
--a chronological list by cover date of first meetings--
▽ indicates a Superboy adventure

• Mr. Mxyztplk of Zrfff in the 5th Dimension--aka Mxyzptlk, Maxy Z Toplik, John Trix, O’Rourke et al 03/44
• Regor of Uuz (Winki Lamm) 05-06/49

• ▽Marsboy of Mars (Sutri aka Joe Mars) 05-06/51
• The Menace of Zar 05/52
• Halk Kar of Thoron 01-02/53
• ▽Kral of Titan 10/54
• Vitor Vall of Skar; Vitar’s wife, son, daughter & parents 03/56
• Sharn of Iwo 09/56
• ▽Power-Boy of Juno (Zarl Vorne) 10/56
• Gollo of Zar 11/57
• Skyboy of Kormo (Tharn) 01-02/58
• The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh (Tlano) 02/58
• Kell Orr of Xenon 02/58
• ▽Dworn (aka Alan) 06/58
• ▽Vidal of the Inter-Galactic Patrol (Allen Greene) 05/59
• Superlad of Zollum (Jimmy Olsen) 09/59
• ▽The Super-Aliens of the Superboy Planet 12/59


• ▽Shar-La, the Space Traveller 01/60
• Hyper-Man of Oceania (Chester King) 06/60
• Princess Jena of Adoria 07/60
• Astounding Man of Roxnon 07/60
• ▽The Kryptonite Kid of Blor and his dog 09/60
• ▽Mighty Boy of Zumoor (Thomas Keith aka Zarl Kazzan) 12/60
• Miss Gzptlsnz of Zrfff in the 5th Dimension 04/61
• ▽Mon-El of Daxam (Lar Gand) 06/61
• Marvel Maid & Marvel Man of Terra (Lea Lindy & Ken Clark) 02/62
• Logi of Durim (aka "The Alien Super-Boy") 03/62
• Princess Ilona of the Sunev Galaxy 03/62
• Ilona’s four husbands of the Sunev Galaxy--Vangar, Duran, Rogor and Berek 03/62
• The Superwoman of Staryl (Luma Lynai) 06/62
• Princess Allura of the Ashtar Galaxy 10/62

• Super-Male of Soomar (Irn Brimba) 05/63
• Supposed Super-Suitors of Lois Lane 07/63
• Rona of the Seventh Dimension 12/63
• Defender of Lexor (Lex Luthor) 04/64
• Illena of Kromal 10/64
• Miss Platonia, Dialla of Platonia 03/65
• Galora, the Girl from Mord 09/66
• Aeroman and Windlass 12/66
• Solarman 12/66
• Serpento of Orzak 12/66
• Dr. Chill of Klon Kado 12/66
• Zardin the Boy Marvel of Nangar 12/66
•
• ▽Vau Sulor of Kaprice (aka Kit-El); plus Qor Sulor & family 04/67
• ▽Ron-Avon of Belgor (aka Ron Avnet) 09/67
• ▽Hyperboy of Trombus (aka Kirk Quentin); the Hyper-Family (Mr. & Mrs. Quentin) 01/68
• Dyno-Man of Sorrta 05/68
• Captain Thunder 06/74

[Jim Kelly]

Illena of Kromal is another space-travelling woman. She pops up in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE No. 52 (October ’64), “The Lois Lane - Lana Lang Truce”; story: unknown writer; art: Kurt Schaffenberger.



After yet another blow-up between Lois and Lana, the two are on the outs with each other, yet a strange visitor from another planet convinces the two to call a truce. A turbaned temptress, Illena of Kromal, immediately attracts the attention of Superman, as soon as her saucer ship lands on Earth.

The Man of Might presumably never suspects Illena as anything other than what she claims to be and he seems to spare little thought for Lois and Lana as he begins squiring the alien lady around the globe.

Soon, Illena displays the power to turn living creatures to stone. And, while she seems to do this only for good, Lois rightly observes that is not something Superman would do--as he would never kill a living creature (even an evil one). Then, Lane and Lang discover that a spy Illena had turned to stone was actually a double agent, so really one of the good guys.

Yet, Lois thinks nothing of turning the tables on Illena and giving her the stone treatment.

Illena herself is, in fact, an agent of the Superman Revenge Squad (Agent X9831Q). Her stone transformations are accomplished thanks to a skull cap (under her turban) made from the snake scalp of that actual Medusa of myth. A pretty gruesome thing for a Code approved comic book.

Luckily for stone cold killer Lois, as well as Illena's petrified victims, the Man of Steel is able to use the skull cap to reverse the effect and bring them all back to life. So, despite her intentions, Lois isn’t guilty of murdering Illena.

Illena resembles not only several other female space travellers that were attracted to Superman, but those admirers of Jimmy Olsen, as well. More anon.

Note: The Revenge Squad gets a thorough examination beginning on post #294 and this story of Illena of Kromal (Agent X9831Q) is addressed again in post #312.

[Jim Kelly]

Superlad of Zollum (Jimmy Olsen)



Jimmy had many super-hero identities, but most of his adventures were on Earth or in the 30th century--so I’ve excluded those. However, he did on occasion go to other planets in the 20th century and display special powers there, such as in “The Superlad of Space,” SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 39 (September ’59); story: Otto Binder; art: Curt Swan & John Forte.



Jimmy (wearing his own Superman costume) steals on board on a rocketship to get a story, when it’s launched into space by the Man of Steel. Trapped in the space capsule, the boy reporter ends up on the planet Zollum where he has powers like those of his hero. The Zollians admire their new hero, but Jimmy is vexed by so much adulation and can’t maintain a secret identity because the aliens can read his thoughts.

A few years later, in another spaceship, Jimmy journeyed to the planet Rax--which he apparently visited before with Superman. This time, he was a willing traveller but someone else ended up going with him by accident. The story was “The Alien Jimmy Olsen Fan Club” in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 65 (December ’62); story: Jerry Siegel; art: Curt Swan & George Klein.



On his earlier trip with Superman to Rax, the red-haired reporter had worn a bow-tie and his signal watch. However this time, his head is shaved bald--he wanted his Jimmy Olsen robot to give him a crewcut like John Glenn and Alan Shepherd, but the robot made a mess of it--and, dressed in a space-suit (with no bow-tie), he also doesn’t have his signal watch (which wouldn’t have a strong enough signal to work in space, anyway). He gave the watch to his robot back on Earth.

Lucy Lane is the one who gets stuck on board the spaceship by accident, this time. And when they arrive on Rax, they are both arrested as criminals by the Raxians, who wear Jimmy Olsen red wigs and sport massive bow-ties with imitation signal watches. They don’t recognize the bald stranger in a spacesuit as being the hero they admire. The Earth couple are sentenced to death by being turned into stone. Luckily, Jimmy tricks his alien fans into using their signal watches--which all combined have a strong enough signal to attract Superman’s attention across space.

[Jim Kelly]

Princess Ilona of the Sunev Galaxy

Besides his fickle love interest, Lucy Lane, Jimmy had many other girl friends in his life, but these romances were always doomed to fail.

Not to be confused with Superman’s Illena of Kromal, Princess Ilona of the Sunev Galaxy is a text book example of Jimmy’s bad dates. She first appears in “Jimmy Olsen--Freak,” SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 59 (March ’62); story: Leo Dorfman; art: Curt Swan & George Klein.



The opening of this tale provides more proof that Lucy Lane was dating around with a lot of older men, as Jimmy comes to her door with a box of candy for Valentine’s Day only to find a group of men (who mostly all seem over 40, some with silver hair) paying their attentions to the blonde stewardess.

Leaving the apartment of his fickle girl friend--yet determined to woo her with riches--Jimmy is surprised by an alien cutey who lands her space saucer near the parkbench where Jimmy has lighted and she begins immediately to fawn over him. She’s Princess Ilona of the Sunev Galaxy who has idolized the young man from afar for years and has now journeyed the cosmos to sue for his hand in marriage.

Toward this end, Ilona gifts her intended with a betrothal belt--each of the jewels on this golden belt grant Jimmy some new super-power (such as invisibility). The newly engaged couple go to the Valentine’s masquerade ball, where Lucy is juggling several suitors (again many elderly gents) but the men all become interested in Jimmy’s fiancee.

After the ball, as Jimmy heads home to pack all his stuff for the trip to the Sunev Galaxy, the cub reporter is ambushed by four older men, each with their own magic belts--which they use to turn Jimmy into a super-freak. Superman arrives and recognizes the men as Vangar, Duran, Rogor and Berek--the four husbands of Ilona!



Realizing that he would be joining Ilona’s harem, Jimmy wants out of the marriage. However, cancelling the wedding would cause an intergalactic incident, resulting in war between the Sunev Galaxy and Earth. Instead, Superman returns with two unattractive ladies, whom Jimmy claims are his wives. Ilona doesn’t want to share him with these “hags” and refuses to marry Olsen.

In actuality, the “hags” are Lois and Lana in disguise. And Jimmy returns to Lucy who is now thirsty for his company, but he plays hard to get, saying “Don’t call me! I’ll call you!”

[Jim Kelly]

One of Jimmy’s biggest loves was Princess Allura of the Ashtar Galaxy.



We first meet Allura in “Jimmy Olsen’s Super-Romance,” SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 64 (October ’62); story Leo Dorfman; art: John Forte; cover: Curt Swan & George Klein.

Truly a dysfunctional couple are Jimmy and Lucy. Once again in this story, Jimmy is jilted by Lucy when she’s the arm candy for the Army Air Corp’s Captain Corbin (a moustached pilot probably in his thirties).

However, Jimmy’s disappointment doesn’t last long as, back at his apartment, he’s contacted on a short wave radio by an admirer from another galaxy, who instructs him on how to create a mentor band, which boosts his intelligence. And with his higher I.Q., Jimmy builds an intergalactic video transceiver so he can see his lovely space princess, Allura, from the Ashtar Galaxy.

Thanks to his increased thinking powers, Jimmy performs some heroic feats and exposes Lucy’s Captain Corbin as an enemy spy, before Allura convinces him to break up with Lucy and journey to her galaxy, to be her super-husband. However, after Jimmy flies across the universe in a space suit and arrives on Allura’s homeworld, with its twin suns, the two long-distance lovers discover they are not to scale. To Jimmy Allura is a giantess, while to the princess the cub reporter appears too tiny.

Realizing their love is not to be, the mismatched pair must part. Jimmy (his mentor band burned up by friction) in his lonely apartment is once more pinning all his hopes for love on the Laodicean Lucy Lane.

[Jim Kelly]

Rona of the Seventh Dimension

Allura returns in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 77. But before we take a look at that adventure, we first must discuss yet another love gone wrong for Jimmy in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 73 (December ’63); “Jimmy’s Inter-Dimensional Romance”; art: John Forte & George Klein.

Jimmy hopes to win Lucy’s hand by sculpting her in stone. She models for him for weeks until she sees the finished product--and it’s not her. Instead, as if he were a modern day Pygmalion, Jimmy has been manipulated into sculpting an image of an unknown beauty.

Left in the sunlight, the statue of this latter day Galatea comes to life and explains to Jim that she is Rona from the Seventh Dimension. She was imprisoned in stone but he has set her free. She rewards him with a serum that builds him up into a physical marvel. The sort of man Lucy always wanted. But now he is Rona’s and Lucy can’t have him.




In fact, Rona is a black widow who has already married and murdered several men. The Interdimensional Police Patrol imprisoned her in stone--in the Stone Zone--until she was released by Olsen’s sculpting.

Arrested by the Interdimensional Police, Rona is once more imprisoned in stone and sent to the Stone Zone. But you haven't seen the last of her.

[Jim Kelly]

In “The Colossus of Metropolis,” SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 77 (June ’64), as Jimmy sorts through his mementos, he remembers the women that loved him including Allura, Ilona and Rona. He seems to have forgotten that Rona wanted to murder him.



Meanwhile, Titano the Super-Ape has escaped from Earth’s prehistoric past through a time-warp and is menacing Lucy Lane in modern-day Metropolis. And Superman is stymied by the Super-Ape’s Kryptonite vision.

Having Colossal Boy’s growth serum and a replica of that Legionnaire’s costume, Jimmy becomes a 20th century Colossal Boy so he can take on Titano. Allura seeing that Jimmy is now on the same level as her and warm for his form, comes to Jimmy’s assistance.



Unfortunately the Colossal Boy formula wears off and Jimmy is reduced to his former size. Allura tricks Titano into taking a ride with her back to her homeworld in the Ashtar Galaxy--where he's released into the wild to live peacefully with other apes of his size. The end of the story, sweetly, pictures our Titano with his own mate.



Which is a nice ending for the Super-Ape--too bad later writers never respected this happy conclusion. Curt Swan and George Klein did the art for this one, but the writer remains unidentified.

[Jim Kelly]

Miss Platonia, Dialla of Platonia

“The Great Miss Universe Contest,” in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 83 (March ’65); was written by Sam Rolfe, who was a prolific TV writer--among his credits, he developed and worked on HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E--this might be the only comic book story he wrote. However, the art was by the dependable team of Curt Swan & George Klein.

When Perry White becomes invisible--thanks to Jimmy’s force field belt (a gift from Brainiac 5)--the cub reporter must take White’s place at the Miss Universe contest, as one of the judges. Jimmy is induced to vote for Miss Platonia, even though Lucy is one of the contestants (as Miss Metropolis).



Miss Platonia is not of this Earth, as she is Dialla of Platonia and she takes Olsen back to her home planet. Unlike with other women, where he was totally into it, given Dialla’s telepathic and telekinetic powers, Jim may not have gone with her of his own free will.



In any case, when they arrive at the planet of Platonia, Dialla reveals her true form as a protoplasmic creature and uses a conversion machine to change Jimmy into a Platonian, as well.



But before the protoplasmic Olsen can depart the interplanetary craft to marry Dialla on her homeworld, he’s pulled back into the space-ship, the saucer doors slam shut and it’s revealed that the invisible Perry White had chaperoned the couple on their cosmic flight, as the editor and his cub reporter make their escape back to Earth.

[Jim Kelly]

Galora, the Girl from Mord


SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 96 (September ’66) presented the full-length adventure called “The Prize is a Planet,” by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza; cover by Curt Swan and George Klein.

An agent from Mord, Galora is sent to Earth on the advice of the Mentors of Mord to find Jimmy Olsen.



Galora woos Jim, telling him that he is the idol of many women on Mord and she gives him a Dyna-Comb that turns him into a physical marvel. However, Jimmy must keep grooming his red locks with the Dyna-Comb for the Dyna effect to continue.

Next, Galora pretends to accidentally break the Dyna-Comb, but promises Olsen that there are a hundred super-gadgets like that on Mord, which would make him a Super-Olsen, if he accompanies her there. Yet, when they arrive on Mord, the red-headed hero discovers it was all an elaborate ruse. He was brought to Mord to be their champion in a battle with the challenger from Klon, Commander Krimm.

The two combatants battle using psycho-combat helmets--which materialize super-creatures that do the actual fighting. Thus Jimmy summons manifestations of Hercules, King Arthur, Perseus and Superman. Nevertheless, Olsen loses out to the creatures of Commander Krimm.

To Olsen's dismay, it turns out a loss is what Mord wanted all the time. The Klon invasion force were going to conquer Mord because they thought the planet was a threat to their empire, yet Jimmy’s loss showed them otherwise. Olsen was chosen by the Mentors of Mord because he’s such a loser.

[Jim Kelly]

SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 100 (March ’67) went on sale January 12th, 1967, and offers positive proof that Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Lane are monumental morons, in “Jimmy Olsen’s Weirdo Wedding” by Leo Dorfman and Pete Costanza--cover by Curt Swan and George Klein.



Apparently, even though they were in the Abbey Road studios recording the album that would be SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND--John, Paul, George and Ringo decided to put on one last live performance at the Metropolis Stadium in early 1967.

And as Jimmy’s anniversary adventure begins, Perry White graciously gives Olsen two tickets to see that rare performance. Anxious to capture the heart of his Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Jim intends to take her to the Met Stadium to see the Fab Four from Liverpool. But the silly sister Lane jilts James to instead go dancing at the Club Watusi with another of her pilot paramours--this one named Vince.



Jimmy uses the last ounces of the serum he got from Rona (of the 7th dimension), to bulk up his build and become a strongman once again--and go to the Club Watusi, rather than see the greatest band on the planet. Yeesh!

When Rona’s formula wears off, Vince gives Jimmy a sound beating at the Club Watusi, but this stirs up Lucy’s affections for our ginger Romeo and she agrees to marry Olsen right then.

The next day, Jimmy throws out his little black book and the mementos of past lovers--as he flashes back on his romances with Allura from the Ashtar Galaxy and Dialla from Platania. He then zips off to the 30th century, to a meeting of the Legion of Super-Heroes (being himself an honourary member)--he’s disappointed to find out that he just missed one of their greatest adventures, defeating the Sun-Eater (in ADVENTURE COMICS 352 - 353).

And he sadly must break the news to Saturn Girl, Light Lass and Duo Damsel that he is getting married, as he still believes that these three super-females are carrying a torch for him--recalling how they fell for him in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 76, “Elastic Lad and his Legion Romances.” Saturn Girl telepathically tells her compatriots to play along with the deception--as they never really were in love with Jimmy, but let him continue to think so.

Finally the big day arrives, but Miss Gzptlsnz--the imp from the 5th dimension--is still angry that Jimmy jilted her and plots against the bride and groom. Disguised as Supergirl she has given Lucy a magic lipstick laced with red Kryptonite that has the effect of turning Superman into a Super-Mole every time that Jimmy and Lucy kiss. As they do when they say “I do.”

Upon realizing the disastrous effects from their smooches, they plan to annul their marriage; however, at the courthouse, Gzptlsnz reveals it was all her doing. But just then Rona from the 7th dimension shows up--having escaped her stone prison in the Stone Zone--and puts a curse on the newlyweds so that every time they kiss, one of their friends will turn to stone.

But then the Interdimensional Police Patrol arrive to cart Rona back to the Stone Zone--which as with 5th dimensional imps has the effect of reversing all Rona’s magic. Feeling like they can go ahead with their marriage, yet another ex-lover shows up. This time it’s Dialla from Platonia, who wants Jimmy back. He tells her to beat it, but Lucy has had it with all Jim’s exes and she insists on going through with the annulment.



And they didn't live happily ever after. Should've seen the Beatles, you idiots.

[Jim Kelly]

Getting turned to stone or the threat of getting turned to stone was a recurring plot element in a lot of the previous stories that I looked at. And even beyond these alien and interdimensional characters, there were many other kinds of stories where this happened in the 1960s Superman titles. The myth of Perseus and Medusa is mentioned quite often.

For example in the epic battle between Superman and ZHA-VAM, stretching over three issues, between ACTION COMICS 351 and 353, the Man of Steel is turned into the “Man of Stone,” as seen on issue 352’s cover.



Given these stories were by many different writers, I would surmise that it was their editor, Mort Weisinger, who had the fixation with being turned to stone. Was this a fear that haunted Mort?

Being curious if there’s some deep, psychological symbolism in it, I found that there is something called the Medusa Complex in psychology. Wikipedia says: “The term Medusa Complex was coined in 1948 by Gaston Bachelard to cover the feeling of petrification induced by the threat of the parental gaze. A mute, paralysed fury responds to the danger of the obliteration of an individual consciousness by an external Other (and perhaps by the corresponding internalised desire to obliterate the subjectivity of others in turn).”

This seems like it could have been one of Weisinger’s phobias. The editor was noted for being neurotic--and that might explain why he got out his frustrations by berating those around him. Some sort of control issue.

For more about the magnum opus that is the 100th issue of SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN, you can check out this review on Stupid Comics.



Miss Gzptlsnz plays a key role in that story and I would be remiss if I didn’t give some of her background. But to talk about her, we first have to talk about--

Well, I can see this is going to take some time, so you might want to grab a coffee and a bite to eat, before I get too deep into this long meandering history.

[Jim Kelly]

SUPERMAN 22 (May-June 1943)--1st story, “Meet the Squiffles” by Jerry Siegel and Peter Riss:

So we need to talk about one of the most significant characters in the annals of Superman and that is Mr. Mxyztplk, later known as Mr. Mxyzptlk (and if you don’t see the difference then you don’t mind your p’s and t’s). Mxy has been around since SUPERMAN 30 (September 1944)–on sale July 5th, 1944. Or actually earlier than that.

I say that Mxy was introduced in the comic books in 1944, but really a similar such character pops up in SUPERMAN 22, which begins with this introduction--

Do you believe in leprechauns? Have you ever seen elves or goblins with your own eyes? Perhaps one is looking over your shoulder at the printed page this very moment. Turn quickly! If you’re fortunate you may catch a glimpse of him before he scampers from view!

The leader of the Squiffles, Ixnayalpay, makes a Faustian bargain with Adolf Hitler--Herr Schikelgruber--to aid der Fuhrer in defeating the American war industry.



Ixnayalpay--whose name translates as “Nix Pal” in Pig Latin--takes the form of an aircraft industry executive, while the other Squiffles harry and sabotage the efforts of the industry’s test pilots. When Clark Kent gets wind of this tale he investigates, which eventually leads Superman to England, to enlist the aid of the Gremlins against the Squiffles.

The story concludes in something of a stalemate as Superman and the Gremlins drive back the Squiffles but don’t end them. However, the leader of the Gremlins promises Superman that they will see to it that the Squiffles are not successful against the Allies. And when the story concludes, Ixnayalpay demands payment from Hitler--then the story takes a dark turn as the Squiffle enters Adolf’s body--“And so, Ixnayalpay merges with all the other demons who have taken possession of Adolf Hitler Schikelgruber, the mad tyrant who would rule the world.”

In this story, we see that the Man of Tomorrow can easily be defeated by magic and must rely on other magic forces to hold his own. So it makes sense to me, that if there were Gremlins and Squiffles involved in the Second World War, then that explains why the Man of Steel never directly tried to end the war on his own. At least, it’s a good fictional excuse.

The name “gremlin” had been known for a few generations in the Royal Air Force. The RAF had a superstition about mythical creatures that caused mechanical problems with airplanes, who they called gremlins. Being in the RAF, Roald Dahl popularized this idea in a story he wrote for COSMOPOLITAN which was published in a December 1942 issue. Dahl than revised that story and published it as a picture book from Random House in 1943. At the same time Walt Disney had bought the rights to the story and was developing it for animation, but never ultimately released such a cartoon. However, this story was adapted in WALT DISNEY’S COMICS AND STORIES Nos. 33 (June ’43) - 41 (February ’44).



Gremlins would also show up in a number of Warner Brothers cartoons during the war.

Other than sounding similar to words like squiggle and squirrel, I don’t know where Jerry Siegel got the name “Squiffle” or if it has an origin like gremlin. Being the son of Lithuanian, Jewish parents, it’s possible there was some myth or story he knew from them. Both the Gremlins and the Squiffles act like Kobolds in German tales. These are impish creatures who play tricks on people--the most famous Kobold being Pumuckl.

[Jim Kelly]

The Squiffles never return nor is Hitler’s demon possession developed further, but a year later another magical creature, “The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk,” shows up in SUPERMAN No. 30 (September-October ’44); story: Jerry Siegel; art: Joe Shuster & Ira Yarbrough.



Jerry Siegel purportedly wanted to create a rascal that would give Bugs Bunny a run for his money. The name itself, with all the consonants, was probably inspired by Joe Btfsplk from Al Capp’s LIL ABNER. In that strip, the hapless Btfsplk is a jinx, who always has a dark cloud above his head. As well, being Jewish, Siegel may have had to study Biblical Hebrew which is all consonants.

I imagine another inspiration for Mxyztplk was Rumpelstiltskin (or Rumpelstiltschen in German), a fabled figure whose story has appeared in many lands, in many languages. Guessing the name of the imp causes Rumpelstiltskin to run away, just as tricking Mxy into saying his name in reverse (or spelling it in reverse) sends him away--but for how long varies in the early stories, before finally the 90 day minimum is established.

Upon first arriving in Metropolis, the diminutive gentleman in the derby and three-piece suit goes on a spree, commiting several pranks before he attracts the attention of the Man of Tomorrow. As he later explains to Superman, he is a being from another dimension, where he was a court-jester, until he read a book by a scholar which revealed two words to him: one that would get him to our dimension and another word that would take him home.

This explanation suggests that Mxyztplk is not his true name but simply a magical formulation, given that when he is tricked into saying the reverse, Klptzyxm--as happens at the end of this story and so many others to follow--he pops back to wherever it is he came from.

[Jim Kelly]

Although “The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk”was the first story written, it ended up coming out after the magical imp had already appeared in the Superman newspaper strip. Whitney Ellsworth (senior editor of the Superman comics) was writing the strip at the time--with Wayne Boring the resident artist--and recognizing the genius of Siegel’s creation, Ellsworth rushed to get Mxy into the comic strip dailies first.

Thus Mr. Mxyztplk first became visible (inside Clark’s desk drawer) on March 1st, 1944, a Wednesday--although he had been invisible for a week before that. Note that this was a leap year, so there was a February 29th that year.



Mxyztplk is said to be outer-dimensional. He demonstrates to Superman that he can also become two dimensional and even one dimensional. At one point in the dailies, the pop-eyed pest leaves the scene to chill in the 8th Dimension. He also explains to the Man of Tomorrow that for him three dimensional beings are like ants, so he doesn’t really care what happens to them

And it’s in these dailies where Mr. Mxyztplk routinely uses the name Super for Superman. This becomes the fashion in the comic books, as well, thereafter.

Meanwhile, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World (Miss Dreamface) arrives in Metropolis. For most of the continuity, Boring never shows her face, which only serves to hype up how beautiful she must be. A thousand men stand outside her apartment building, desperate to have a glimpse of her beautiful face. The Man of Tomorrow himself is afraid to look at her, as Clark Kent he already caught sight of her once with his x-ray vision and that was enough to throw him in a tizzy.

When Mxy sees Miss Dreamface, he also falls in love and begs her to marry him. But she will have none of it, as she has fixed her cap on Super. Instead of being her husband, Mr. Mxyztplk settles for being her slave and he disperses the thousand suitors by stealing away their pants, so they run away in embarrassment.

Miss Dreamface wants to be wealthy and powerful and she knows with Superman she can have the world at her feet. So she commands Mxyztplk to bring Super to her, but when Mxy has made good on this promise, she dismisses him. As it is a leap year, Miss Dreamface has the right to ask the Man of Steel to marry her and he nearly agrees to the proposal--so in love with her is he.

Yet she would have him forsake his mission, abandon humanity, to rule the world by her side. And the Man of Tomorrow is fine with that, until finally he’s brought back to his senses and realizes the absurdity of such a marriage. He must be a bachelor (for now).

Meanwhile, Mr. Mxyztplk plots revenge on Miss Dreamface by tampering with the brakes in her car; however, when the Most Beautiful Woman seems to die in the resulting car crash, Mxy is mortified--he wanted to create mischief but not kill.

Miss Dreamface’s most devoted admirer is Ted, who has known her all her life (long before she was the Most Beautiful Woman in the World) and he loves her for herself not her looks. The aged Agatha who is some sort of servant to Miss Dreamface (their relationship is never made quite clear) has no good opinion of the Miss, yet Ted does--even though the young woman seems terribly vain and unsympathetic.

Mr. Mxyztplk is gotten rid of in this tale, not by saying his name backwards, but simply because Ted punches him in the face--which Superman concludes “shattered the slender thread of psychic balance which allowed him to remain on Earth.”

For a fuller detailing of this continuity you can go to Comics Oughta be Fun!. Or better yet, buy the book, SUPERMAN: THE GOLDEN-AGE DAILIES 1942 - 1944 (IDW, 2016).