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WHO COUNTS IN COUNTDOWN? Episode #30 - MISTER MXYZPTLK By Bruce MacIntosh Last week Mr. Mxyzptlk appeared for a single page in DC's Countdown, and then literally disappeared into a dimensional rift. Yes – this was a teaser, but I promise that DC isn't simply being cruel and yes, they do intend to explain how the mischievous imp fits into the coming Final Crisis. In fact, by diligently reading to the end of this article, you'll find out why I think the supernatural scoundrel from the 5th Dimension is the most important character in the entire Universe.
MISTER MXYZPTLK - MASTER OF MYSTICAL MISCHIEF
But first, let's clear up how the guy's name is supposed to be pronounced. It's Mix-yez-pittle-ik. He's very sensitive about that, so get it right.
Now, I'm going to give you a bit of history for the Magical Mite. I'll leave it to others to count the actual number of appearances, but I would be willing to guess that next to Lex Luthor, Mxy has appeared to plague his main foil Superman more than any other opponent over the years. He first appeared in Superman #30 (1944), and showed up to pull pranks on the Crimefighter from Krypton every few months, all through the Golden and Silver Ages.
In fact, the sheer number of appearances in the various Superman titles is so great, that it is far beyond what we need for this piece. So… we'll meet at the signpost that marks the border between the Bronze and "Modern" Ages, called Crisis on Infinite Earths. But before we do that, go ahead and head over to Steve Chung's great article last week on the Pulse (Click here:) "Zrrf's Up!" for a taste of Mxy's Silver Age Shenanigans. Don't forget to come back for the big reveal at the end of this article! I'll wait here:
…..
Back already? I don't know who's nuttier, Mr. Mxyzptlk or that Steve Chung guy!
Anyway, Superman's Golden and Silver Age writers delighted its juvenile readers with tales of the magical mite's practical jokes. There were only a few "rules", but they were consistent and any pre-teen reader could follow them. First, in order to get rid of Mr. Mxyzptlk, Superman simply had to get him to say (or spell) his own name backwards, "Kltpzyxm". Once he did, the prankster would return to the 5th Dimension and all the chaos he caused would return to normal, status quo ante bellum.
The other convention followed in every Mxyzptlk story was that after being returned to his own dimension, the imp could not return to the 3rd Dimension to pester Superman for at least 90 days. In the days long before the multiple-issue story arc, this gave kids something to look forward to and a reason to keep coming back and buying Superman titles.
As the 1970s and the "Bronze Age" dawned, and comics began to take themselves more seriously, Mxyzptlk's appearances waned a bit. In fact, it looked like they were going to get rid of him completely in the mid-80s. Although – unlike most of the characters in the DC Universe – Mxy made it through 1985's Crisis On Infinite Earths relatively unscathed, his main adversary Superman was due for a major overhaul. In the final issues of Action Comics (#583, Sep 1986) and Superman (#423, Sep 1986), Alan Moore wrote and the legendary Curt Swan illustrated Superman's "final" story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"
In that "final" story before Superman's origin, characters and background were rebooted by John Byrne and general DC directive, a decidedly less "impish" Mxyzptlk caused untold destruction and death among Superman's friends, family and foes, simply because he was bored of simply being mischievous and wanted to see what it was like to be truly "evil".
Superman's solution of sending Mxy to the Phantom Zone backfired and killed the magical maniac because he had simultaneously said his name backwards to send himself back to the 5th Dimension. Despite the fact it was an accident, Mxy's death violated Superman's vow to never take a life. So, in punishment he exposed himself to Gold Kryptonite, forever robbing him of his super powers. Although in this story the Man of Steel is never seen again (nor Clark Kent), it does have a happy ending in that Lois Lane later weds a non-super man named Jordan Elliot and they have a baby (who oddly has the ability to crush a diamond into coal.) They all lived happily ever after.
SUPERMAN IN THE 80s: BYRNE VICTIM Well, they didn't really live after that, happily or otherwise – because a few month's later creator John Byrne did that revisionist voodoo that he do so… often. This meant that Superman's story was a tabula rasa, a blank slate to be filled up again with so much chalk dust. And Mr. Mxyzptlk was one of the characters Byrne first re-imagined, back in Superman (Vol. 2) #11 (Nov 1987).
Superman #11 approached Mxy as if no one had ever seen him. And after all, no one had – it was John Byrne's new DC Universe. The story went that some Miami Vice reject showed up one day at the offices of the Daily Planet to put the moves on Lois Lane. Uncharacteristically, the rascally reporter blew off her work for a couple days, captivated by this mysterious man's charms. Turns out that it wasn't a man at all, but a magical being from the 5th Dimension who was just trying to draw Superman out. Once he did, he dumped Lois like a mannequin on the sidewalks of Metropolis. (No, really!)
In this Post-Crisis introductory tale, the imp's true name could not translate into any human tongue. So, he created a giant floating typewriter and randomly struck a bunch of keys: Mxyzptlk was now his name. He was not completely malicious, however, and had his own curious ethics when challenging Superman to warped games of his own design: He promised to return instantaneously to his own dimension for at least 90 days should Superman get him (willingly or otherwise) to say his own name backwards. In the end, Supes was able to do so by "rewiring" the mechanics of the giant typewriter so that when Mxy thought he was typing his name forwards, he was really striking the keys for the inverted spelling.
Byrne did not bring Mxy back for a return pestering for about eight months, in Adventures of Superman #441 (Jun 1988). There, the rascal turned Superman into a Saturday-morning cartoon (remember those?) – complete with cartoon physics – to battle opponents such as "Marvy Mouse" and blue-skinned "Dorfs". In re-reading this tale after 20 years, it brought back memories of how great was Jerry Ordway's art on this series.
In his second appearance, however, Mxy changed the rules of the game that would trigger a return to his own dimension, indicating he could re-set the rules with each visit. This time, Mxy would only disappear if Supes were able to get the scamp to color his own face blue. Naturally, by the end of the issue, Supes has switched the makeup powder at the TV studio of "Wheel of Torture" and the little rapscallion unwittingly powder-puffs himself a nice cerulean shade.
Things proceeded in more-or-less similar fashion for the next decade of Superman's comics, so let's fast-forward to Superman Man of Steel #75 (Jan 1998). This was a pastiche of the infamous "Death of Superman" story that had appeared in his companion title Superman #75 six years earlier – complete with a cover image of Mxy's purple Bowler hat and Superman boxer shorts flying at half-mast, just like on the original story's cover. This was during the period of Supey's blue-and-white costume and electromagnetic powers that are best ignored now.
This was actually a pretty good story, even though it features the (parody) return of the winner of my award for worst-supervillain-of-all-time, Doomsday. Mxyzptlk wants to feel what it's like to be dead, so he re-creates Doomsday, robs himself of his own "powers" and challenges the big pile of white, spiky rocks. The results are predictable, as Mxy soon goes to meet his maker – literally: He sees DC Editor Mike Carlin… who decides to either keep the pixie dead or revive him, depending on which side of the unique fold-out back cover you believe.
Mxyzptlk's next appearance was pretty fun, just like all of writer Peter David's contributions to the bygone Young Justice. In that comic's Issue #3 (Dec 1998), a young and scholarly Mxy appears to merely study the teen heroes of the 3rd Dimension, from an age before he had ever met Superman or even considered playing his periodic practical jokes on him. The teen heroes think this is great, until they visit the potential apocalyptic future that this would create. Ultimately, they convince Mxy that when he grows up, it is in the best interests of several Universes to forever torture the Man of Steel with his pranks.
The merry magician from the 5th Dimension next appeared in Superman Man of Steel #132 (Jan 2003) to teach Superman to lighten up. That's it: He endangers a lot of people, including a television Superman actor, and in the end everything is back to normal except the hundreds of people who will be in therapy for the rest of their lives.
Things take a much darker tone in Adventures of Superman #617 – 618 (Aug - Sep 2003) when, for reasons unknown, the magical mirth-maker appears in the form of business-suit clad male/female twins. The twins gravely injure Perry While and destroy Metropolis by repealing the law of gravity. Not sure what writer Joe Casey and guest artist Charlie Adlard were going for here, except to turn comics' only frivolous character into the same grim-'n-gritty as everyone else at the time.
In contrast, Adventures of Superman #638 (May 2005) was so sweet it kinda choked me up. The story: Mxyzptlk pops into the middle of Lois and Clark's potential-parenting conversation to present them with Baby Lara Lane-Kent. Yeah, it is a little sappy and heavy-handed when Lois tells Clark that her biological clock is ticking away, and predictable when Clark plays the "I can't right now, the fate of the universe rests on my shoulders" card.
But Greg Rucka's story is touching, and Matthew Clark's pencils and Andy Lanning's inks exceptionally alternate between touching and serious when appropriate.
Perfect for this story. A powerful reverse-image double-page spread in film noir style is followed by a delightful and funny Sunday comic strip in the style of Calvin and Hobbs. (Those pages were well worth the price of the comic alone.) On her 16th birthday, Mom and Dad present Lara with her own Super-uniform, since she has exhibited abilities that clearly indicate that she is a chip off Dad's genetic block.
Mxyzptlk giveth and Mxyzptlk taketh away, and in the end baby Lara is just a temporary point to be made. The Big Blue Bonehead can't understand how Mxy can show him a future that won't exist (like that ever happens in comics) and the magical mite has to spell it out for him: "It's a possible future. That's the point, Blue…. I told you, you got dark times ahead. Both of you. The way you get through 'em is by having faith in the future." And if tears aren't welling up in the readers' eyes, yet, Mxy closes by saying, "Everything that happens, it happens because of the two of you, y'know that?... Love, baby. It's the most powerful thing in any universe."
Excuse me while I mop up my tears.
Ok, all better now. Mr. Mxyzptlk appeared next in Adventures of Superman #646 (Jan 2006). No longer is he a mischievous cartoon figure. Because the events of Day of Vengeance eliminated all magic from the Earth, he is a broken down and nearly amnesiac human shell of his former self, unable to remember the pronunciation of the inverse of his name to return home.
This is undoubtedly the most stylistically and artistically unique of all Mxy's appearances before or since: Until the final page of this story, every panel in which he appears is colored only in blacks, whites and grays – perhaps indicative of the lack of depth to his current state of memory, or possibly the stark contrast to his formerly Technicolor personality. Nevertheless, the effect is striking and well executed – even when artist Karl Kerschl invokes the oft-copied "Nighthawks" painting by Edward Hopper. (Depression-era realist painter, best recognized for his depictions of solitude in American life.)
In the end, Mxy's friendship with Superman leads to his self-sacrifice in taking a Kryptonite spear in the chest from the villain of the story, Ruin. After the emotional roller-coaster, punctuated by the alternating gray-scale to full-color scenes, this was both a shocking ending to the issue as well as the character.
The dimensional door is still left open for Mxy's return as he is shown (in very small lettering) to be uttering his reverse-name to return home. Such is bourn out by the opening splash page of the subsequent issue of Adventures of Superman (#647, Feb 2006), which depicts a "flash" in Superman's open arms where Mxy had been at the end of the previous issue.
Although Adventures of Superman #646 depicted the Mischievous Mite's swan song, it turns out that it was not yet officially curtains for Mr. Mxyzptlk:
THIS ARTICLE'S BIG REVEAL Simultaneous with his "final" appearance in Adventures of Superman, Mxy played an integral role in the six-part "With a Vengeance!" storyline that ran in Superman/Batman #20 - #25. Specifically, he was in Issues #23 - #25 (Nov 2005 – May 2006).
Anyone who has been reading my column for the last few weeks knows that the Superman/Batman title drives me crazy, because while I'm not completely obsessed with DC continuity, I do like to know where certain events and stories fit in: Are they completely imaginary tales, do some elements fit into the big picture, or is DC Editorial going to try to retrofit continuity to conform with the events of a Superman/Batman story ( i.e., Metal Men)?
Although it did directly conflict with another story running at the exact time where Mxy died this story actually didn't bother me as much as some of the others. It introduced parallel-Earth versions of our favorite heroes, and I'm a sucker for that. (Which is why I loved52, I loveCountdown and all its spin-off mini-series! All hail DC!)
Briefly, Mxy and the Joker are playing chess with figures of superheroes. Some we are used to (like Batman and Superman, Bizarro and Supergirl) and some are brand new, like their alternate-"Earth" reverse-gender versions: Superwoman, Batwoman, and the analogue of Supergirl called Super-Lad! There's even a couple of knock-down drag-out battles with a supergroup called the Maximums. (A send-up of that other comics company's Ultimates.)
This may be a bit of a SPOILER, here, but I guess you could figure out that the events of the "With a Vengeance!" story were at least partially driven by Mr. Mxyzptlk, so the ultimate result is that the good guys win in the end and therefore all the hoopla of the previous six issues are reversed; everything goes back to normal and Mxy goes home.
But the part we care about here is that in an alternate timeline that had been since eliminated, the all-powerful Darkseid had done Superman a solid. In effect, Supes owed him a big payback. Although that timeline no longer existed, Superman somehow still remembers this debt, and being ever the boy scout he is convinced by Metron of the New Gods that he must repay it.
Problem is that Supes had recently thrown Darkseid into the Source Wall, a sort of cosmic Velcro ™ - since any super being who is tossed onto it stays until forcibly removed. Now, in repayment of his debt, Superman yanks the big guy out of the Wall – and Darkseid double-crosses Supes by flinging him into the wall in his place.
Here's part of the big reveal I promised at the beginning of this article. Thanks for sticking around:
At the conclusion of the Superman/Batman epic, Mr. Mxyzptlk reveals that Darkseid's future was still to be determined and that their destinies were tied together. Darkseid asks Mxy, "Imp. This… Crisis you speak of. What role do I play?
"You don't," the mystical mite answers. "We… Have a future together that has yet to be revealed… 'From the fourth world into the fifth dimension!' Kinda like that ring tone, Big D."
Remember way back on the first page of the first issue of Countdown (#52)? Darkseid playing with his superhero action figures. Now, Mxyzptlk shows up and is yanked out of his own dimension. Whatever happens next, it is a good bet that both Darkseid and Mxyzptlk will play a huge role in the upcoming Final Crisis and Death of the New Gods. In fact, he will be so integral to either causing or preventing the Great Disaster, that as indicated at the beginning of this article, I think that right now he is the most important character in the entire DC Universe.
NEXT WEEK IN WHO COUNTS IN COUNTDOWN? Karate Kid continues to take center stage in Countdown as he searches for the origin and cure for his mysterious ailment. We are learning that whatever the disease, it is somehow connected to the impending Great Disaster. The Kid is being accompanied in his quest by his beautiful fellow Legionnaire, Una. Not much has been said about the girl who is one-third of the famous Triplicate Girl, so that's who we'll be scrutinizing next week!
I'm out of here… > HsotnIcam Ecurb! <
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