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  1. #76
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    Default Mr. Mxyztplk Seeks a Wife

    In the comics, the initial stories never indicate which dimension Mr. Mxyztplk is from, however from the way Mxy and his fellow imps talk it seems like their world is several dimensions beyond our three dimensions.


    The third adventure featuring Mxyztplk in the comic books, in SUPERMAN 33 (March-April 1945), does identify the world itself as Zrfff. In this story, “Dimensions of Danger” (by Don Cameron, Ira Yarbrough and George Roussos), nosey Lois finds that Clark has written down the word “Klptzyxm,” and pronouncing it aloud she is whisked off to Zrfff. Superman does the same in order to save the girl reporter.

    When Mr. Mxyztplk meets Lois Lane’s niece, Susie Tompkins, he recognizes her gift for imagination and turns all her fibs into truths--SUPERMAN 40 (May-June 1946)--1st story, “The Mxyztplk-Susie Alliance” by Don Cameron, Ira Yarbrough and Stan Kaye--cover by Wayne Boring and George Roussos.




    A few stories later, “The Cross-Country Chess Crimes”--in ACTION COMICS 112 (September 1947)--finally identifies which dimension Mxyztplk is from: the 6th Dimension!

    However, Alvin Schwartz and Win Mortimer offer the next Mxy yarn, the 1st story in SUPERMAN 51 (March-April 1948), which establishes once and for all that Zrfff is in the 5th Dimension. This is “Mr. Mxyztplk Seeks a Wife,” where the King of Zrfff is anxious to marry off his ugly daughter, but as no one will ask for her hand, his majesty commands his jester--Mxy--to marry her highness. Our favourite imp explains that he can’t marry the King’s daughter because he’s already engaged to marry Lois Lane on Earth.



    Mxy then comes to Earth and tries to get Lois to marry him, but the journalist issues a challenge--saying that if Mxyztplk proves to be a better reporter than her, she will marry him. The magical imp rises to the challenge, stealing an interview with recluse millionaire Seymour Salmon away from Lois Lane.

    Next, the pop-eyed pixie gets the scoop on an experimental rocket. And finally Perry White insists that as “ace reporters . . one of you ought to be able to get an interview with Superman! Get him to answer at least three questions!”

    Before Lois can begin to interview the Man of Tomorrow, Mxyztplk pulls a prank drawing Superman into action. In the middle of their struggles, Mxy asks three questions without Super realizing he’s being interviewed. The third question is “My goodness--where do you get your strength?” To which the Man of Steel replies, “From eating atom bombs, pest.”

    Having proved he’s the better reporter, the marriage of Mr. Mxyztplk and Lois Lane must go ahead. But as the couple exchange their wedding vows, Super objects to the lawful union by calling out Mxyztplk as an impostor, named Klptzyxm. When the Mr. says his name is not Klptzyxm, he’s forced back to the 5th Dimension. What happens there with the King’s daughter on Zrfff, the story doesn’t say.
    Last edited by Jim Kelly; 03-26-2024 at 05:41 PM.

  2. #77
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    Default Superman’s Super-Magic Show

    The 5th Dimension doesn’t seem too far beyond our own--especially as the 4th Dimension is time (as eventually established in SUPERMAN 86)--but Mxy seems able to travel to much higher dimensions. And he can send other people to different dimensions--he sends Lois Lane to the 8th Dimension in ACTION COMICS 208.

    For the most part, even though he’s a pain to Superman and Lois, Mr. Mxyztplk is not a villain. There’s the sense that he does what he does either because he doesn’t know any better--being so far beyond our three dimensional reality that he doesn’t understand the consequence of his actions--or because he’s just likes to create mischief. And, in fact, some of his magical feats are meant to do mankind good. As well, Super often treats Mxy with generosity, as if they are friends.

    ACTION COMICS No. 151 (December ’50) takes the imp down a darker path, as Mxyztplk forms an alliance with actual foes of Superman, the Prankster and Luthor, in “Superman’s Super-Magic Show” by Edmond Hamilton, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye. This seems an indication of where other writers would take the imp in the future--as an actual villain and not merely a pest. Yet this story brings Mxy’s run to an abrupt end for some time.



    Between 1944 and 1950, Mxy appears on average in two stories per year, but he doesn’t appear at all in 1951 and 1952. Finally, he returns in 1953, in SUPERMAN No. 82 (May-June ’53), “The Unemployed Superman,” in an updated wardrobe thanks to artist Al Plastino. From this moment on, while he continues to sport his trademark derby, Mxy now wears some sort of futuristic apparel, with various colour contrasts. In this issue, he wears a green and red outfit.



    Mxyztplk’s next appearance debuts his orange and purple look, which will eventually become his standard dress. That story is “The Fourth Dimension Gazette,” where Mxy publishes a newspaper that prints “tomorrow’s news today,” in SUPERMAN No. 86 (January ’54), art by Al Plastino.



    Although his standard outfit is supposed to be futuristic, Mr. Mxyztplk loves to adopt disguises which often will put him in suits similar to those he wore in his early days. And in SUPERMAN 105 (May ’56) he spends most of his time in a regular suit with derby--plus fake moustache--as he works at the Daily Planet as a reporter under an assumed name (which is never given in the story). That issue brings this oddball run of Mxy stories to an end, as the magical imp takes another leave of absence from the comics.

  3. #78
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    Default The Menace of Mr. Mxyzptlk

    Between 1953 and 1956, Mxyztplk appeared in two stories per year on average, then he doesn’t appear at all in 1957 or 1958. And in 1959, when he does return in SUPERMAN 131 (August ’59), wearing the familiar orange and purple outfit (with derby), he is now called Mr. Mxyzptlk. Note the reversal of the two letters. The change in spelling is never explained. Previous to that, there was one instance where the imp seemed to forget his own name calling himself “Mxyzptlk” in ACTION COMICS 208; however, most of that story uses the original spelling, so it was probably just a letterer’s error.

    Jerry Coleman and Al Plastino provide the story for SUPERMAN 131, “The Menace of Mr. Mxyzptlk,” which has flashbacks to refresh Superman and the reader’s memory of who Mxy is and what he does. However, the previous adventures in the flashbacks, while similar to old stories of Mxyztplk, have key details that are different. Yet, one can imagine that this is the very same imp and the simple reversal of the t and the p is another one of his mind-games. As well, for much of the story, Mxy wears a suit that’s similar to his vintage apparel.



    The spelling change is minor. And we see in various stories that Mxy is apt to change his name--which affects the magic of his name, as in SUPERMAN 96 when he runs for mayor of Metropolis under the new name Maxy Z. Toplik. He has to say that name backward to be sent back to his homeworld. Or much later, in SUPERMAN 148 when he has legally changed his name to John Trix.

    The change in spelling proved lucky for the magical imp as he became a recurring figure throughout the 1960s. In 1961 alone, he appeared twelve times--more times than his ninety day limit should allow.

    The spelling change aside, there’s little difference between this imp and the one seen in SUPERMAN 105. For sure, if you compare him with the Mxyztplk from 1944, it seems like a lot has changed, but the change was gradual. In 1959, the timing might have seemed right for Mxy’s return, as Bat-Mite had already made his first appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS No. 287 (May ’59). The two pests would soon meet up in WORLD’S FINEST COMICS No. 113 (November ’60), in "Bat-Mite Meets Mr. Mxyzptlk" by Jerry Coleman, Dick Sprang and Sheldon Moldoff.



    This was a grand time for mischievous sprites--Xeen Arrow, Quisp, Zook, Mr. Genie and Mr. Yes among others.

  4. #79
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    Default The Dreams of Doom/The Kryptonite Kid

    The Kryptonite Kid of Blor and his dog

    In SUPERBOY 78 (January ’60), a tale from Jerry Siegel and George Papp--“The Ghost of Jor-El”--purports to give the magical imp an origin story, when Master Mxyzptlk comes to Earth for the first time, in defiance of his parents. His mother’s name is given as Tlndsa, while the father is called Fuzastl--these names don’t ring true as, by including vowels, they break the convention of using all consonants for Zrfffian names.



    As well, this yarn establishes that Mxyzptlk is colour-blind--mixing up red and green. However, given this detail never comes up again, it might not be true either.

    Although the imp--who here has a full head of red hair--first appears in his familiar orange and purple futuristic outfit, when he decides to attend Clark Kent’s school, Master Mxyzptlk switches to wearing a purple suit, similar to the one he wore in SUPERMAN 30. Unfortunately, he eschews the familiar derby or headgear of any kind.

    In the end, a message from Fuzastl tells Superboy how to defeat the young rascal and he’s sent back home.

    This young Mxyzptlk also plays a role in SUPERBOY No. 83 (September ’60)--cover art: Curt Swan and Stan Kaye.



    By Siegel and Papp,“The Dreams of Doom” is a particularily frightening adventure for Superboy and Krypto as both share the same dream, which threatens their doom from a young man and his dog, both of whom radiate lethal Kryptonite.

    It’s the idea that the Super Dog has the very same dream which makes this story so chilling. It elicits a certain sympathy to see the beloved Canine of Steel experiencing these traumas. And that the boy and the dog are threatened by another boy and his dog establishes these two dream figures as their natual adversaries.

    It turns out that the “Kryptonite Kid” was once an unnamed convict on the planet Blor. To get out of a long prison sentence (we never know what he did to deserve this punishment), he allows himself to be sent into space in an experimental satellite, with a laboratory dog. When the satellite passes through a cosmic cloud of Kryptonite dust, their biology is changed so they now radiate green Kryptonite. As all beings from Blor have telepathic abilities--the Kryptonite Kid and the Kryptonite Canine have telegraphed, through dreams, their immanent appearance.

    Not only do they radiate Kryptonite, but their touch changes anything (except lead) to Kryptonite, as well.

    Mxyzptlk arrives as a deus ex machina to save Superboy and Krypto, by sending the Kid and the dog to prison in the 5th Dimension and by reversing the Kryptonite effects in Smallville. Mxy’s reason for doing so is he wants Superboy to live a long life, that he may continue to torture him in the future.

    Siegel and Papp give “The Kryptonite Kid” (and his dog) a reprieve, when the Blorians are released by their captors in the 5th Dimension and they return to Earth to menace Superboy and Krypto once more, in SUPERBOY No. 99 (September ’62)--cover by Curt Swan and George Klein.



    However, when the Kid and his pet pursue Krypto in a Kryptonite space ship, they are lured out into space and into a cosmic cloud of red Kryptonite that turns them a ruddy hue (a red Kryptonite effect) and reforms them. The Krypto they were chasing turns out to be a robot double.

    A caption at the end of the story suggests that the red K effect will wear off eventually--but there’s no reason to expect this would turn the Kid evil again. And the Kryptonite Kid doesn’t return any time soon, except in a dream sequence in SUPERBOY 128 (April ’66).

    One could have assumed that he and his dog lived a good life--except that he was brought back as Kryptonite Man for a brief appearance in SUPERMAN 299 (May ’76) and then again as Kryptonite Kid for ADVENTURE COMICS 454 (November-December ’77). Kryptonite Man also plays a role in “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” in 1986--but that story may be an imaginary story (aren’t they all).
    Last edited by Jim Kelly; 05-10-2020 at 09:06 PM.

  5. #80
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    Default Jimmy Olsen, Wolf Man

    Okay so now let's get back to Miss Gzptlsnz of Zrfff . . .

    When Jimmy first turned into a were-wolf--in SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 44 (April ’60)--it was due to a magic potion from the wizard Merlin--a potion Jimmy voluntarily drank, believing there’s no such thing as were-wolves. But, of course, the potion did turn him into a wolf man, when the moon came out, and the only cure was the kiss of a beautiful woman.

    Despite his best efforts to get beauties to kiss him, Jimmy can’t seem to get anyone to pucker up. He even offers a load of cash to a stranger in the park, but the woman just gives him a good bashing.

    In the end, Jimmy is freed from the curse when Superman gets his underage cousin to kiss Olsen in the dark. This was when Linda Lee was still at an orphanage and Supergirl hadn’t been revealed to the world. So all Jimmy knows is this young woman is “Miss X.”

    SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN No. 52 (April ’61) has Mr. Mxyzptlk, having ditched his girl friend Miss Gzptlsnz, to spend time on Earth, when he spies on Jim with Lucy. Upon seeing the blonde stewardess, Mxy is head over heels and conspires to turn her affections away from Olsen in hopes of having her for his own.

    The imp compells the cub reporter to take another swig of the Merlin mixture, believing that the sight of the ugly wolf man will scare Lucy away.

    Thus begins “Jimmy Olsen, Wolf Man” by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. Soon enough, to help out his pal, Supes fetches his underage cousin to kiss Jimmy in the dark again, as Miss X. But this has no effect. Nor do kisses from Lois Lane, Lucy Lane, Lori Lemaris and Lana Lang--but Jimmy sure is lucky to have so many beauties willing to kiss his furry puss in order to cure the curse. If Olsen wasn’t so busy feeling sorry for himself, he might have realized how much action he was getting.



    Finally, on a darkened street, a strange woman, in a veil, comes up to the lone wolf and gives him a big smack on the lips, which instantly transforms Jimmy back to his young, clean-shaven self. Thinking this must be some fantastic beauty, to have cured him where other lovelies failed, Jim pulls off her veil to see “a homely hag.” This is revealed to be Miss Gzptlsnz, the aforesaid girl friend of Mr. Mxyzptlk.

    In truth, as drawn in the comics, Miss Gzptlsnz is kind of cute and hardly out of Mxy’s league--he being rather silly looking himself.

    The magical maid tricks her errant boy friend into saying his name backward, then she goes back to the 5th Dimension on her own volition--to nag Mxy for the next ninety days.

    In the next issue, “The Black Magician,” the magical imp returns without his girl friend. He continues to carry a torch for Lucy Lane and shows up at a masquerade ball where Lucy along with the Planet staff is in attendance. The theme of the ball is King Arthur’s court and Mxy dons a disguise so he can have Lucy put his name on her dance card--which in this story he gives as “Joe Smith.”

    The imp then casts a spell to get rid of the competition from Jimmy Olsen, which sends the red-headed reporter back to the actual court of King Arthur. There Jimmy observes that Queen Guinivere looks exactly like Lucy, while a woman resembling Lois is her lady-in-waiting. Meanwhile, a Clark Kent double is the blacksmith and Perry White’s doppelganger is the town crier.

    Merlin is at the court, but serves as the jester, no one yet knowing he is an actual magician.



    To throw suspicion off himself and onto Jimmy, Merlin casts many spells that make the court believe Jimmy has magic powers. However, Jim figures out that if Merlin is magical then he must also be from the 5th Dimension and so tricks the jester into saying his name backward.

    After Merlin has returned to the 5th Dimension, Jimmy is drawn back to the 20th century and the dance, where Lucy tricks Mxy into saying his name backward.

    This seems to be the first story that establishes all the magic spells wear off as soon as said imp returns to the 5th Dimension. Mxy actually had a three issue run in JO, as he also briefly made an appearance in the following issue--losing his trademark bowler, which Jimmy picks up at a haberdashery.
    Last edited by Jim Kelly; 05-05-2020 at 06:22 PM.

  6. #81
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    Default Lois Lane’s Fairy Godmother

    Miss Gzptlsnz returns in the pages of JIMMY OLSEN No. 65 (December ’62)--in a story by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein. Fed up with Mr. Mxyzptlk, Gz hopes that Jim will marry her, but when he rebuffs her and insults her behind her back, Miss Gzptlsnz gets revenge on him. As Jimmy is at the zoo, she curses him to gain the appearance of the next animal he sees, which turns out to be a porcupine.

    As “The Human Porcupine,” Olsen finds he’s not fit for anything else but being a sideshow freak, yet in the end he succeeds in tricking Gzptlsnz into saying her name backward when he tatoos his chest with a heart that says “Jimmy Loves Znsltpzg”--and the spell is reversed.



    Gz has to wait until the aforementioned SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN 100 for another chance at love with the faithless reporter--which doesn’t go so well for her, as already discussed.

    After that, Miss Gzptlsnz gets one more appearance in any comic books (that I know of) prior to the New 52 (where an updated version of her turned up in the new run of ACTION COMICS). This final appearance was in SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE No. 73 (April ’67), only a month after the hundredth issue of JIMMY OLSEN--in “Lois Lane’s Fairy Godmother.”



    Between 1962 and 1964, in our world, the Watusi enjoyed popularity as a dance craze before it died out, to be replaced by other dance crazes like the Mashed Potato, the Swim, the Freddie and the Jerk. However, as we saw in JIMMY OLSEN 100, in the world of Metropolis, the Watusi was still going strong in 1967--enough that it could compete with the Beatles.

    Further proof of its hold on Metropolitans is presented at the beginning of “Lois Lane’s Fairy Godmother” by Leo Dorfman and Kurt Schaffenberger. A rock musician has recovered from a wrist injury, at the hospital where Lois is a volunteer nurse, and to show his gratitude he strums a rocking number on his guitar--as Lois dances the Watusi to his song!

    She is then cornered by a bandaged women in a wheelchair who badgers Lois for self-lessly helping others at the hospital when she should be dedicating herself to landing Superman as a husband. This patient then transforms into a spritely beauty--a blonde in a red mini-dress, exceptionally well drawn by Schaffenberger--and says she’s Lane’s Fairy Godmother, Dody.

    Lois doesn’t believe her, mocking Dody’s act. However, with a wave of her starry wand, the Fairy performs several magic feats to convince Miss Lane of her bona fides. Yet later in the day, when a tired Lois returns to her apartment, she is doubting her senses, still not believing that there are such things as Fairy Godmothers in the world.

    But Dody is there at the apartment and performs yet more magic with her wand, giving the girl reporter a Dior gown and bringing the Metropolis Marvel to her door--who is dressed in a specially designed Superman tuxedo, with tophat. The Man of Might is put out, because he was on his way to give a scientific lecture when he was instantaneously brought to Lois Lane’s door with flowers and candy.

    After the disgruntled Kryptonian flies off, Lois is mortified and insists that Dody must stop trying to use magic to throw her and Superman together. She wants Superman to pursue her because he loves her, not because he’s being tricked into it.

    However, the next day, at the grand opening of the Metrodome Stadium, when the Man of Steel is supposed to engrave a plaque with the names of Metropolis Olympians, using his heat vision, he instead engraves “Superman Loves Lois Lane.” Lois and Lana are both there, in their capacity as reporters, and Lana is heartbroken. Superman, angry at another manipulation and believing Lois has somehow managed it, rebuffs her attempts to explain.

    Then at an additional event, when the Man of Tomorrow is demonstrating an odd pair of alien hand-cuffs, the cuffs suddenly link him and Lois together and can’t be broken. One more deed of Dody, using her wand from behind the scenes.

    Jimmy’s Elastic Lad serum frees Lois from the cuffs (Superman has no such luck) and a weary Lois returns to her apartment, where she finds Dody asleep on the couch. Later, when the Fairy Godmother awakens, Lane suggests they play a game of Scrabble and when Lois lays out the letters Z-N-S-L-T-P-Z-G--Dody questions what kind of word is “znsltpzg” before realizing it’s Gzptlsnz backwards, transforming into Miss Gzptlsnz and disappearing into the 5th Dimension.



    Afterward, Lois explains to Superman that she tried to use the magic wand, when Dody was asleep, but that had no power, so she concluded the pixie must be Gzptlsnz. A diary, that the faux Fairy Godmother left behind, explains her reasoning. Her boyfriend, Mxyzptlk, was always rejecting the idea of marriage because he had to dedicate himself to his career of pestering Superman--just as Superman doesn’t get married because his career is more important to him.

    Miss Gzptlsnz set out to put Lois and Super together, so Mxy would see that if they could get married, then he could marry her.

    Of course, this shows that the 5th Dimensional imps simply don’t understand our world. Gzptlsnz was unable to see that her interference would drive the reporter and the super-hero apart, rather than bring them together.

    At the end of the story, as Lois coaxes Superman to kiss her, the scene switches to Gz and Mxy on the couch at his place watching the interdimensional TV, which shows Lois and Super smooching. “Pay attention! That’s how they do it in the 3rd Dimension!” she says, pointing at the screen. To which her boyfriend replies, “Bah! Quit trying to brainwash me!”

  7. #82
    Astonishing Member Johnny Thunders!'s Avatar
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    I read almost everything! The last stuff with Lois Lane I almost finished. Anyways! Those look like original comics! Wow! I absolutely love that splash page with Mxy marrying Lois. He looks like he really is going to make it work.

    I love the Kryptonite Man! That Curt Swan cover still looks terrifying!
    Last edited by Johnny Thunders!; 07-13-2018 at 08:24 AM.

  8. #83
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    I try to find scans online of the original pages as much as possible. I could use scans I've done from my own comics--but my files are too big and I don't want to go to all the trouble of reducing the size just so they'll fit on this message board. I wish I could find better scans online for SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE 73. That was the first LOIS LANE I ever bought as a kid and I loved how Schaffenberger drew the whole story. Dody is very cute.

  9. #84
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    Default The Super-Aliens of the Superboy Planet

    Prisoner of the Super-Heroes

    After their debut in ADVENTURE COMICS No. 247 (April ’58), “The Legion of Super-Heroes,” those mighty youths didn’t return to the comics again until ADVENTURE COMICS No. 267 (December ’59), “Prisoner of the Super-Heroes,” by Jerry Siegel and George Papp, twenty publication months later. And then, the only Legionnaires shown were the original three--Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy--and no new members. As well, all the action takes place in Superboy’s time, so we get no further information about their future--except that they lost some records of Superboy’s history in a fire.

    The three have come back into the past to enlist the aid of a great army of super-beings from across the galaxy who build a Superboy Planet as a permanent tribute to Superboy. However, when the LSH use a futurescope to check on those missing five years of history, they find that Superboy is destined to commit wanton destruction of property.

    To prevent this future from happening, the Legion set about humiliating the Boy of Steel in front of the townspeople of Smallville so they will all be disillusioned in him. Even Krypto abandons Superboy. And his foster parents are completely ashamed of him and regret ever having adopted Clark. Rejected by everyone, the Last Son of Krypton decides to leave the Earth, but as he flies through outer space he sees a crowd of super-beings all flying in the same direction. Following them he comes to the Superboy Planet. He thinks he’s being honoured. It’s a trap! The super-beings led by the three Legionnaires are there to imprison him (for crimes he has not yet committed).

    As this is in Superboy’s time, not the Legion’s, all the other alien super-beings shown must exist during the lifetime of Superman. The super-heroes we see in these panels are male and female and range in age.







    In fact, the futurescope was wrong and didn’t predict what would happen in five years, but rather what had happened in the present when Superboy, on orders of the President, had destroyed military property to erase a dangerous gas.

  10. #85
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    Default Superboy Meets Mighty Lad

    Animated aliens . . .

    THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY was a series of animated shorts that aired for three seasons on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The first season was part of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, the second season was part of THE SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE and the third season was part of THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN HOUR. Prolific character and voice actor, Bob Hastings, voiced Superboy/Clark Kent for all three seasons.

    In season 1 episode 9 (November 5th, 1966) “Superboy’s Strangest Foe,” the Boy and Dog of Steel encounter a pair of diminutive green aliens who create havoc with their toys. They turn out to be the offspring of adult extra-terrestrials that have crash landed on Earth. Script: George Kashdan.

    In season 2 episode 4 (September 30th, 1967) “The Great Space Race,” Superboy and Krypto run afoul of law enforcement officers from the planet Braxis (sp?) who have come to Earth in pursuit of the evil scientist Klarix (sp?) and his gang. Script: George Kashdan.

    In season 3 episode 2 (September 21st, 1968) “Superboy Meets Mighty Lad,” the Boy of Steel encounters another super-powered youth who claims to be a survivor of Krypton, saying that he was in suspended animation before arriving on Earth. Krypto, however, senses something is not quite right and spurns the so-called Mighty Lad. In the end, Superboy learns that Mighty Lad is from a different planet and has used the advance science of that world to manufacture his super feats. Script: George Kashdan.



    https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8k4j3s

    https://superman.fandom.com/wiki/Sup...ets_Mighty_Lad
    Last edited by Jim Kelly; Yesterday at 02:29 AM.

  11. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Kelly View Post
    Animated aliens . . .

    THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY was a series of animated shorts that aired for three seasons on CBS between 1966 and 1969. The first season was part of THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, the second season was part of THE SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE and the third season was part of THE BATMAN/SUPERMAN HOUR. Prolific character and voice actor, Bob Hastings, voiced Superboy/Clark Kent for all three seasons.

    In season 3 episode 2 (September 21st, 1968) “Superboy Meets Mighty Lad,” the Boy of Steel encounters another super-powered youth who claims to be a survivor of Krypton, saying that he was in suspended animation before arriving on Earth. Krypto, however, senses something is not quite right and spurns the so-called Mighty Lad. In the end, Superboy learns that Mighty Lad is from a different planet and has used the advance science of that world to manufacture his super feats. Script: George Kashdan.

    I remembered Mighty Lad long after I stopped watching Superboy/man cartoons.

    Pity DC never did anything with him.

    TPTB never caught on to the fact that those cartoons were watched for decades by children. Those images stay in the mind.

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    With recent happenings in the DC universe, I was inspired to return to this thread and add some more super-folks on my list.

    Super-Beings of All-Planets;
    a chronological list by cover date of first meeting--
    ▽ indicates a Superboy adventure
    ✫ honourable mention


    • Mister Sinister in the 4th Dimension 05-06/42
    • Mr. Mxyztplk of Zrfff in the 5th Dimension--aka Mxyzptlk, Maxy Z Toplik, John Trix, O’Rourke et al 04/44
    • The Collector from Another Dimension 03-04/47
    • 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
    • The alien that said "Krllg" from an unnamed asteroid. 01-02/55
    • Vitor Vall of Skar; Vitar’s wife, son, daughter & parents 03/56
    • Sharn of Iwo 09/56
    • The souvenir crystal brain from another world 09/56
    • ▽Power-Boy of Juno (Zarl Vorne) 10/56
    • Danny the Dinosur, Dinosaur World 04/57
    • Gollo of Zar 11/57
    • Super Youth of Dorth (Jimmy Olsen) 12/57

    • 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
    • Two gambling co-workers from Xlym (plus their unseen "Supervisor") 07-08/58
    • Superman's Solar System 08/58
    • The aliens from "Planet-X" 09/58
    • The Jovians of Jupiter 10/58
    • ▽Vidal of the Inter-Galactic Patrol (Allen Greene) 05/59
    • Superlad of Zollum (Jimmy Olsen) 09/59
    • ▽Kosmon the Hunter and the “blob” 11/59
    • Khalex from an unnamed planet, the Police Chief of that planet 11/59
    • ▽The Super-Aliens of the Superboy Planet 12/59

    • ▽Shar-La, the Space Traveller 01/60
    • ▽Solar Boy (in another galaxy) 02/60
    • The unnamed movie mogul from Kzotl 03/60
    • The monster world where Jimmy Olsen is a horror picture star 03/60
    • Hyper-Man of Oceania (Chester King) 06/60
    • The mirror-bellied speculator 06/60
    • Princess Jena of Adoria 07/60
    • Astounding Man of Roxnon 07/60
    • ▽The Kryptonite Kid of Blor and his dog 09/60
    • Superman's Pet that said "Gleek" 09/60
    • ▽The Leader and his red invaders 10/60
    • Alba, leader of the resistance on Zoron 12/60
    • Chorn, leader of the Baxian invaders 12/60
    • ▽Mighty Boy of Zumoor (Thomas Keith aka Zarl Kazzan) 12/60

    • The Space Dragon "asteroid" 01/61
    • Miss Gzptlsnz of Zrfff in the 5th Dimension 04/61
    • Vathgar and the Skran of another dimension world 06/61
    • ▽Mon-El of Daxam (Lar Gand) 06/61
    • Klor of Belvos, Belvos council 12/61
    • 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 Xnorians of Xnor 03/62
    • The alien army from Xar 04/62
    • The Superwoman of Staryl (Luma Lynai) 06/62
    • Zerno, Sorceror from Ybor, his assistant Sborg 08/62
    • Princess Allura of the Ashtar Galaxy 10/62
    • ▽Valhalla of Super-Companions 12/62--Liquidman, Stormboy, Tree-Man, Telepathy Man, Shadowman
    • ▽Othar of Thrann, the Super-World 12/62
    • A travelling troupe of alien performers 12/62
    • Planets of Sinzar, Antella, Unxar, and Karos 12/62

    • Super-Male of Soomar (Irn Brimba) 05/63
    • Supposed Super-Suitors of Lois Lane 07/63
    • Rona of the Seventh Dimension 12/63
    • ▽Super-Youth of Brozz (Frank Merrill) 12/63
    • Defender of Lexor (Lex Luthor) 04/64
    • Shalzor in galaxy K-4L; Paratopia; unnamed outlaw planet 04/64
    • Red Ant-Men, led by Vorax, from a distant world 09/64
    • Illena of Kromal 10/64
    • Miss Platonia, Dialla of Platonia 03/65
    • Plim from Antron; a Snork 04/65
    • Shara and Gnor from Salan 06/65
    • 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
    • ▽Zkor 06/68

    • The Sandman from Quarrm (aka the Sand Superman) 01/71
    • Captain Thunder (Willie Fawcett) 06/74
    • Vartox of Valeron (Vernon O’Valeron) 11/74
    • Karb-Brak from the Andromeda Galaxy (Andrew Meda) 06/76
    Last edited by Jim Kelly; 08-19-2020 at 02:19 PM.

  13. #88
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    Default Case of the Runaway Skyscrapers/The Case of the Living Trophies

    Mister Sinister of the Fourth Dimension

    Before Mister Mxyztplk appeared on the scene, there was another extra-dimensional Mister and that was Mister Sinister from the “weird purple hued world” of the Fourth Dimension, in “Case of the Runaway Skyscrapers,” by Jerry Siegel and John Sikela in SUPERMAN 16 (May-June ’42). Ogre-like in appearance, the purple-skinned brute issues rhyming threats to Metropolis and abducts their buildings into his own dimension. It appears that Mister Sinister is a frustrated poet, who having failed as a bard now seeks attention by threatening the Third Dimension.

    However, while he commands a gang of ordinary Earth crooks, on his world Mister Sinister only seems to have a phantom beast as his companion. Perhaps he was simply starved for companionship. Superman is able to chase Sinister through the dimensions of length, width and thickness--the two adversaries being stretched in these dimensions--yet the story gives no explanation how Superman manages this feat. In the end, Mister Sinister is left in his home dimension as nothing more than a shadow.




    The Collector from Another Dimension


    In the 1940s, it seems like Jerry Siegel had a hard time figuring out how Superman could leave our planet--maybe he didn’t believe Superman was powerful enough to travel through outer space on his own power--because the way to get Superman to other worlds always seems to be by travelling between dimensions--as with Messrs. Sinister and Mxyztplk--or with “The Case of the Living Trophies,” by Jerry Siegel, John Sikela and George Roussos in SUPERMAN 45 (March-April ’47).

    Again another interdimensional being comes to Metropolis, but instead of abducting buildings, this fellow abducts exceptional people, including Lois Lane (“the brainy type”). Seeing the pattern, Superman performs a series of super-feats to attract the attention of the Collector, so he is also abducted. In the world of this other unnamed dimension, the Collector and his companions are colourless, pointy-eared brutes.



    This story has the Caped Kryptonian display two different powers that we’ve rarely seen him use. First, Superman uses a psychic suggestion to get the Collector to divest himself of his inter-dimensional travel pack. Next, the Man of Steel transforms his size and appearance to take on the look of one of these other world beings and puts the Collector into one of the suspended animation containers that the brute had trapped his abductees.


  14. #89
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    Default The Super Pranks of Krypto/Krypto’s Mean Master

    A theme emerges with these stories, even though I wasn't looking for one--and that seems to be one of collecting--buildings, people, animals. Usually without permission.

    Kosmon the Hunter

    In “The Super Pranks of Krypto,” ADVENTURE COMICS 266 (November ’59)--by Jerry Siegel and George Papp--Krypto pulls off a series of Super Pranks and his master is not amused. Then Krypto flies off into outer space to join Kosmon the Hunter--whose main interest is in hunting down exotic animals in the universe and putting them in his private menagerie.

    When Superboy encounters Kosmon, it’s revealed that the Superdog is not in fact Krypto but a proto-plasmic creature that has assumed the form of Superboy’s beloved pet--while the real Krypto is being held prisoner by Kosmon in a Kryptonite cage. As Kosmon threatens to destroy the real Krypto, Superboy agrees to be placed inside a Kryptonite cage, as well; however the “blob” swallows the Boy of Steel and, encased inside its proto-plasm, Superboy regains his powers and easily breaks out of the cage and gets the jump on the Hunter.



    Kosmon looks like a prototype of Cosmic King from the Legion of Super-Villains. He wears a similar type of outfit and has a fishbowl helmet on his head. He also looks like a space knight, with his moustache, riding a robot horse and wielding a lightning lance. The proto-plasmic blob--from a lunar satellite in the Gyntu solar system--likewise seems like a prototype for Proty, Chameleon Boy’s pet from the Legion of Super-Heroes.

    Solar Boy

    In SUPERBOY 77 (December ’59), “The Space Adventures of Krypto!” by Jerry Siegel and George Papp shows the kind of things that Krypto gets up to when he’s away from Earth, on his many romps through outer space. In that story, Krypto rescues a kitten that was sent into orbit by the inhabitants of another world; while on a different planet, the pointy-eared humans make him their king lavishing him with gifts; and on a far flung asteroid he encounters dog-eating trees and other threats. The story is quite interesting in that there’s no dialogue except for the beginning and ending panels with Superboy--and the bulk of the story is told from Krypto’s thought balloons.

    Another of Krypto’s adventures in outer space is recounted in ADVENTURE COMICS 269 (February ’60), “Krypto’s Mean Master,” by Jerry Siegel and George Papp.



    When Superboy gets mad at Krypto for pulling another prank and sends him off to the moon as punishment, the Superdog decides to leave his mean master for good and explores the cosmos. Eventually he ends up on another planet like ours, but in a different galaxy where he encounters another teen like Superboy, called Solar Boy--so-called because he gets his daily super-powers from a device that uses solar rays, invented by his late father.



    At first Krypto is charmed by his new master, before being betrayed by Solar Boy, who siphons off the canine’s super-powers and cages our poor pooch. Like Kosmon the Hunter, Solar Boy collects and cages exotic animals and it turns out that, in the past, Solar Boy had visited Earth where he attempted to take two gorillas from the zoo, but he was stopped by Superboy and Krypto. Now, as revenge, Solar Boy subjects the Superdog to a series of cruel tortures, taking sadistic pleasure in Krypto’s suffering. However, the Canine from Krypton succeeds in sabotaging the cabinet that gives Solar Boy his powers and that siphons off Krypto’s, thus turning the tables on his mean master.

    Perhaps as a prototype for Sun Boy, Solar Boy has a yellow sun on his chest and is dressed in an outfit like Superboy’s, except his is green and yellow and he has no trunks. Despite being a clear sociopath, the people on his native planet tolerate him, so he’s apparently not considered an outlaw and has the freedom to do the despicable things he does--maybe on account of his late father being a scientific genius.

  15. #90
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    Default Duel for Earth/Dial M for Monster

    Strange Visitors: Superboy vs the Leader

    In “The Duel for Earth,” by Jerry Siegel and George Papp, from ADVENTURE COMICS 277 (October ’60), when an alien spaceship lands somewhere in the USA, the American military plan to launch an attack, but Superboy convinces the generals to give him one hour to parlay with the invaders before taking any action. The red coloured, bald aliens with antennae, wearing green onesies, assume themselves superior to anyone on Earth; however, upon encountering the Boy of Steel, they are stunned that he seems more powerful than they, which gives them pause as they take him to be an example of the average human of Earth.

    Nevertheless, they have faith in the power of their spaceship and challenge Superboy to a duel between their weaponry and his abilities. The Teen from Krypton proves successful in countering all their attacks on the Earth. But when the Leader of the alien force challenges Superboy to pierce the hull of their ship, the Boy of Steel proves unable to do so and merely bounces off the exterior. So they agree to leave the planet with honour as it seems any war would be a stalemate.

    But as Superboy explains to the military after, he only pretended that he could not break through the metal of their ship. He wisely decided that if he damaged the ship, then the aliens would have to stay on Earth and not depart. This way Superboy allowed them to leave with honour and without admitting defeat.



    There’s no name given for the aliens or for which planet they came from.

    Strange Visitors: the People of Xnor

    One day the people of Xnor decide to do a student exchange program with Earth, but neglect to inform our planet, in “Dial M for Monster,” ADVENTURE COMICS 294 (March ’62), by Jerry Siegel and Al Plastino.

    While students from Smallville High School are shocked to find themselves suddenly on Xnor, the Xnorian students are quite happy to visit Superboy’s home town. As drawn by Plastino, the Xnorians--who are called monsters by some folks--are quite funny to look at and hardly seem all that threatening.

    At first, they are not welcomed in Smallville, and on their homeworld the Xnorians there consider taking reprisals against the students that are hostage on Xnor. Superboy sees this and warns everyone off from being anything but pleasant to the Xnorians that are their guests. The townsfolk quickly change their tune and the little sight gags of what they do to ingratiate themselves to the Xnor people, as all the while they can’t stand them, is quite hilarious.

    Meanwhile, Superboy secretly does everything he can to make the visit as uncomfortable as possilbe for the Xnorians, so they will go away on their own accord. And they do, deciding to up sticks and spark out for the 5th dimensional world of Mxyzptlk.



    Metal is the thing that Xnorians most like to chow down on.

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