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Countdown #41 "Where Mr. Action Is" BY FREE STEVE CHUNG Last week in Countdown #41, we saw Jimmy Olsen make the decision of adopting the costumed identity of Mr. Action, but what will that mean for the ace cub reporter? Will the teaser posters calling for the death of one of DC's favorite redheaded sons come to pass?
For those of you wondering about the name "Mr. Action" and how young Olsen came to choose this as his moniker, it's because it's a guise familiar with Superman's Pal. He's used "Mr. Action" before.
Olsen's title as "Mr. Action" began in the pages of Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #155 by the great Leo Dorfman and Kurt Schaffenberger.
Here are just some of the action-packed highlights:
As Mr. Action, the cub reporter has gone to bat for his fellow citizens in Metropolis, and solving their problems himself.
Being well-versed in the art of disguise, the honorary police officer used his knowledge to train the new "Masquerade Squad", and was implicated in aiding the underworld against this newly formed group.
In addition to evading the uniformed police officers, Jimbo has to contend with the "Masquerade Squad", and temporarily eludes them by adopting a feminine disguise.
When it appears that the cub reporter is caught red handed, he reveals that it was all a test set up by the police commissioner to see how much the "Masquerade Squad" learned from him.
Indeed, Olsen unmasks wanted criminal "Max the Actor" by seeing through his police officer's disguise, and writing up the story for the Daily Planet.
"The Day They Unmasked Mr. Action" occurred in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #159 (Aug., 1973).
In addition to his crime-fighting activities, Mr. Action also devotes his time towards charity, and enlists his pal in attracting volunteers for a new city hospital.
By this time, Jimmy has been reunited with Lucy Lane, and learned how a South American witch doctor saved her from a fever. The potion saved her life, but the side effect aged her prematurely, yet she retained her strength.
The ex-flight attendant becomes a volunteer at the hospital, where she and the cub reporter learn about a doctor's experiments with DNA.
Days later, there's a fire at the Northside Hospital, and Jimmy is there to cover the story.
Thinking that one of the children must still be inside, Lucy enters the blazing inferno. Having spotted the little blonde girl with braids and leg braces, Jimmy sees his sweetheart's predicament, and grabs two oxygen masks to save her.
Inside, Jimbo locates the unconscious Lucy, and the only way out is through the DNA lab. Unbeknownst to Mr. Action, her mask slips, but the nurse's life is saved by the quick actions of the firemen.
During the fire, the fumes from the DNA and other biochemicals were combined into vapor, causing Lucy's face to regain its youthful appearance. Olsen's discovery of the Fountain of Youth goes up in smoke, but he is more interested in rekindling his relationship with Lucy. Although she still loves him, the nurse has changed, and wants to devote her life to helping others. As she leads the children away into the night, the cub reporter learns what true heroism is all about.
Mr. Action helps Lucy lose "The Face Of A Nightmare" in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #161 (Nov., 1973).
Having worked alongside the likes of the Man of Steel, the Masked Manhunter, and the Boy Wonder, Jimmy Olsen teams up with Officer Corrigan to find out what's behind "The Rip-Off On Pier 13"
When Corrigan's plan to go undercover as a longshoreman to investigate Hook's gang goes awry, it's Mr. Action who decides to risk his life, and is hired by Harry the Hook himself.
His mini-movie camera records their every move, especially when Hook takes damaged crates to the far side of the pier.
It turns out that the crates are broken on purpose, where Hook steals the contents, and transfers them to a waiting crate. A trailer drives the stolen goods past the security guard as if they were regular shipments. The following days finds Hook changing tactics by having Jimmy working on the cargo nets, and there's no sign of the trailer. It turns out that Hook spotted the snooper, and decides to exact payment right now.
The others on the work crew exact their pound of flesh from Olsen, but he'll be darned if he uses his Superman signal watch to get out of this jam. Corrigan has been working overtime on finding out where the next shipment of valuable cargo will becoming in. If he handles this on his own, Corrigan could be promoted to Detective, and Mr. Action has got a plan.
The next day finds Corrigan inside a marked crate being unloaded by Harry the Hook and his crew. Jimmy is piloting a helicopter and taking shots with a telephoto camera. Hook gets suspicious when he spots the whirlybird overhead, and decides to dispose of the evidence. Before this can happen, Mr. Action uses the rotors to drive the crate back onto the pier.
The police officer emerges from the crate with his gun drawn. WHRRROOOSSSHHHH! Jimmy uses his eggbeater to tackle the smugglers and beat them at their own game. Hook and his crew are left high and dry in a damp cargo net. Thanks to their work, Corrigan becomes a detective, and Jimmy Olsen is awarded the gold shield of an honorary member of the police department.
Mr. Action proved himself a hero without pier in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #163 (Feb.-Mar., 1974).
While it appears that the cub reporter has found a costumed identity to suit himself, he soon learns that having a secret identity can be such a pain.
But what does the future hold for young James Bartholomew Olsen? How will Mr. Action fare in the Countdown? For that, gentle reader, keep checking out the weekly DC Event.
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I remember some of the original Mr. Action stories. They came right after Jack Kirby's run on the title. Kurt Schaffenberger's artwork was mighty sweet.
It's too bad Mr. Action never made it into the Teen Titans. Then he wouldn't have been seen as a joke or as the Titans' version of Snapper Carr.
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Yup, me too! I was reminded of that when I got the Kurt Schaffenberger book from TwoMorrows. It was a real delight!
I think my first image of Mr. Action was of him in a jumpsuit, using some judo throws to take care of some thugs. I remember thinking: "Whoa! Jimmy Olsen can do that?!?!" He sure seemed pretty capable!
Maybe all this attention in Countdown is to make Jimmy Olsen more in line with Rick Jones? I used to think that Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" movies was having adventures just like Jimmy Olsen would've had. Maybe BTTF sciptwriter Bob Gale could take a crack at a new Jimmy Olsen series!
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Well, both Jimmy and Marty have done time-travel, and that pretty much makes anything more or less possible.
Posts: 3532 | From: San Bruno | Registered: Aug 2002
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