Jimmy Olsen Amnesiac Orphan

It seems hard to believe that with all the trials that Jimmy Olsen has been through, that he'd ever forget about them...

...but, that's just what happened here, under a cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #46 (July, 1960), as he lost him memory and ended up in an orphanage... 

...coincidentally, the one Supergirl was living in at the time!

Jimmy Olsen, Orphan!

In this story by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and John Forte, Jimmy gets an assignment to cover a flood (because both Lois and Clark were busy), but should be careful, as Superman is away in space.  At the town, Jimmy gets hit on the head while rescuing a cat, and loses his memory.  Jimmy is found with no identification, so ends up at an orphanage....but, it is in Midvale, where Supergirl lives as Linda Lee.  

There, Linda recognizes him, but as Superman's secret weapon at this time, cannot reveal herself as knowing him.  Linda tries to keep Jimmy from getting adopted before his memory returns.  Jimmy's memory returns as Linda triggers his memories (thanks to a previous meeting when Jimmy was a Wolf Man), but wants to stay to get a story about being an orphan.  Jimmy nearly discovers Linda's identity as Supergirl before Linda can get Superman to come and take the wayward cub reporter back to the Daily Planet. 

The Adventures Of Private Olsen

With all his years in comics, young Jimmy Olsen, a healthy lad, must at one point served in the United States Armed Forces... 

...and he did, in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #23 (September, 1957), under this cover by Curt Swan and Ray Burnley!

The Adventures Of Private Olsen

Here, in this tale by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley, Jimmy goes on a story for the Daily Planet, to find out what it's like to be in the army, getting a little help from Superman and his friend, Colonel Otis.  Going undercover as Private Hudson, Sgt. Blye decides to make a little money off the boy, by betting he'd fail, but also hedging his bet by making everyone else think he's a general's son, who would be a natural soldier. 

 

Superman comes in to help Jimmy succeed, and even Sgt. Blye comes around at the end, as Jimmy nearly gets launched into space, looking for the bet money Blye had collected.  Jimmy decides army life isn't for him, and goes back to do his story for Perry White.

Curt Swan Super Romance Artist?

Remembering artist Curt Swan on his birthday, and wondering, as it is February near Valentine's Day, why wasn't Curt used on romance comics?

Oddly, he wasn't, but here are a few issues with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen that show he has all the basics down, with weddings, jealousy, crying, fighting, shame and kissing....

Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane 7 and 31

Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane 29 and 30

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Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen 56 and 76

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen 21 and 98

Jimmy Olsen Monster Mash

Jimmy Olsen sure has become some strange monsters in his day, but he was the menace. 

But, for a couple of issues, Jimmy's monstrous transformations became a menace to him.

Let's see how these events happened...which both happened under covers by Curt Swan and George Klein.

The World Of Doomed Olsens!

First up, in a story by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #72 (October, 1963), Jimmy appeared on a Meet the Celebrities show, showing off a few of his past transformations.

Then, suddenly, a man calling himself the Collector appeared in a travelling bubble, taking Jimmy to the far away planet of Gion-El, where the Collector manifested alternate versions of Jimmy, including the Wolf-Man, Giant Turtle Man, Human Porcupine, Fat Boy and Elastic Lad.  Except for the mute Wolf-Man, they all verbally taunted the real Jimmy (rooted to one spot), at least until Jimmy got them to turn against the Collector (at least until the Collector rooted all them too).  

In frustration, Jimmy threw his mini-microphone at the Collector, and, as he dodged it, Jimmy figured out what was going on.  The Collector and alternate Jimmys were all members of the Legion of Super-Heroes (Mon-El as the Collector, and Proty II, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Bouncing Boy and Chameleon Boy as the Jimmys).  The Legion did this to see if Jimmy could spot the hoax.  When he did, they were to make him an honorary Legionnaire.

The World Of 1,000 Olsens!

Jimmy's second battle with himself (times 1000), happened in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #105 (September, 1967) by Otto Binder, E. Nelson Bridwell and Pete Costanza.

This time around, Jimmy takes the Flying Newsroom of the Daily Planet to an observatory of Professor Worthington, where the Professor is disintegrated as he tells Jimmy of his discovery of a new asteroid he has named after Jimmy.  Checking his notes, Jimmy sees the asteroid is populated by versions of him.  With Superman off planet, Jimmy thinks he has no way there, just a flying saucer arrives, willing to take him there.  Jimmy goes, but isn't given the warm greeting as he's attacked by the Jimmys of that planet.  

Saved by one Jimmy, he is menaced by the Giant Turtle Man, saved by Elastic Lad, then ends up in prison with the Human Octopus, Human Porcupine and Wolf-Man, escaped by donning a beard, then met by an Agent Double 5 Jimmy, who saves him, giving him a Fat Boy Jimmy disguise.  In disguise, Jimmy finds Tempus, a mad clockmaker who wants to destroy the Earth, and is using robot duplicates of Jimmy (both good and evil) to move the asteroid into Earth.  Jimmy, sends the good Jimmys against the evil ones, sending the Giant Turtle Man smashing into the machine which was sending the asteroid at Earth (and powering the robot Jimmys).  Superman arrives to investigate the asteroid, taking Tempus in custody, and Jimmy back to Earth. 

Follow these links to see Jimmy as the Wolf Man, Giant Turtle Man, Human Porcupine and Octopus, Fat Jimmy Olsen and more (though they forgot Jimmy as Superman or as a gorilla), and come back later, at some point, to see coverage of Jimmy as Elastic Lad, Flamebird and Agent Double 5!

Jimmy Olsen's Animal Transformations

Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen, has changed into quite a few things over the decades...

...but here are a couple of his more animalistic transformations!

The Human Octopus!

It can be handy to have Jimmy Olsen around, but even moreso after his transformation in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #41 (December, 1959) by Robert Bernstein, Curt Swan and John Forte (under a cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye).

It's the usual story, Superman brings back some artifacts from outer space to show Jimmy, then leaves Jimmy alone with them.  Not paying attention, Jimmy eats one of them (instead of the pear he was eating)....and then, readers wait a night to see what happens to Jimmy!  This time, he grows four extra arms, but, Jimmy tries to see his change as a positive.  

Superman warns him there will be trouble, but Jimmy is resolute.  Now, Jimmy can do three times the typing at the Daily Planet....but, union reps say he should get three times the pay....resulting in Perry White having to let Jimmy go.  Jimmy tries amateur boxing, and is able to beat his opponent, but because of the weight of his extra arms doesn't qualify to win.  

Distracted drives force Jimmy off the road, then won't pick up the six-armed man.  This makes him late for a date with Lucy Lane at the county fair....yet he exceeds at a few tricks like target shooting and baseball and finds her (only to find she can't deal with his extra arms).  Olsen then gets "recruited" by criminals to be a pickpocket for them (but still gets caught).  Superman arrives to vouch for Jimmy's innocence, and comes up with a cure....or was this all really just a dream?

The Human Porcupine!

While that transformation was useful (at least for a bit), in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #65 (December, 1962) by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and George Klein (under a Swan/Klein cover), Jimmy got the point about how hard his transformations could be.

Jimmy found himself the unwanted focus of the attentions of Miss Gzptlsnz (the 5th dimensional girlfriend of Mr. Mxyzptlk), as she wanted to marry Jimmy.  Jimmy says no, then explained to Superman that he'd rather marry an animal.  Offended by that, Miss Gzptlsnz cast a spell that Jimmy would turn into the next animal he'd see....and, while Jimmy tried to maneuver that to his advantage, she let a porcupine go at the zoo, which Jimmy felt was worse than the time he became a wolf-man.  

So, Jimmy grew quills (that shot off when he got excited), and chased off Lucy Lane (who tried to hide in a balloon gondola), but Jimmy followed and found her, resulting in the balloon getting free, and nearly killing the two as his quills punctured the balloon, sending them to the ground (to be saved by Superman).  

Jimmy tried to make peace with Miss Gzptlsnz at a Chinese restaurant (really to get her to read a fortune cookie he rigged to make her say her name backward to send her home and undo the spell), but she was too smart for that one.  

Porcupine Jimmy annoyed Perry White, and was dispatched from the Daily Planet, and tried to find work as a sideshow freak.  This worked well, but he upset the other performers like the bearded lady and tattooed man.  This gave Jimmy an idea, and he called for Miss Gzptlsnz, saying he now truly loved her and would prove it with a tattoo on his chest....which she read (and was her name backwards).  She went back to the 5th dimension and Jimmy went back to normal (and the tattoo was in non-permanent ink, so he just washed it off!).

Of course, these weren't Jimmy's only times becoming more animalistic, in the past, he's been a gorilla...and even a giant turtle man!

That Jimmy is such an animal!

Jimmy Olsen Wolf-Man!

Things have gotten hairy for Jimmy Olsen before, but nothing beats the times Jimmy got REAL hairy....when he took a potion and turned into a....wolf-man!

 

Jimmy did this twice in his life, and here are the tales where it happened!

 

The Wolf-Man Of Metropolis

Being Superman's pal has advantages, like when the Man of Steel brings you exotic potions from Merlin...but, you shouldn't drink them like Jimmy Olsen did in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #44 (April, 1960) by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye (with a hair-raising cover by Swan and Kaye).

 

Of course the only potion to survive was one that would change Jimmy into a wolf-man, and this would cause trouble for Jimmy and his girlfriend Lucy (Lois Lane's sister).  Jimmy was suppose to take Lucy to a masquerade ball...but his change resulted in a change of costume for Lucy (and they won the prize as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf!).  But, Lucy wouldn't kiss Jimmy as a wolf at the end of the night (with a kiss from a pretty girl being the cure for the potion), so Jimmy was still cursed.  Jimmy changed back the next day, but Lois was suspicious.  

So, when Jimmy was headed to a movie set for an interview, Lois and Lucy arranged to drive him, and Jimmy changed just before he got onto set.  Thankfully, it was a monster movie, so Jimmy fit right in (foiling Lois' plans of catching him this time).  Next day, Jimmy took money out of the bank to pay a girl to kiss him (oh, the innocence of those days!!), but that didn't go well, resulting in Jimmy using his signal watch to call Superman (who promised to find a solution for Jimmy).  

Next night, Jimmy was using the Daily Planet's Flying Newsroom but had to land in the city due to high winds and low fuel (as he transformed mid-air)....coincidentally at Lois and Lucy's apartment (but, an ad for play for The Boy Who Cried Wolf saved Jimmy, allowing him to claim to be taking an extra job in advertising).  

Superman took Jimmy and his helicopter home, and had a solution for him, bringing a mysterious "Miss X" to kiss Jimmy (and cure him) in the dark.  Jimmy wondered who the girl was (and she was Supergirl, who was still Superman's secret weapon at this time!). 

Jimmy Olsen, Wolf-Man

To be fair, the second transformation really wasn't Jimmy's fault in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #52 (April, 1961) by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye (cover by Swan/Kaye), but it was another hair raising tale for the cub reporter!

 

This time, Mr. Mxyzptlk was on Earth to avoid his girlfriend, Miss Gzptlsnz, and became infatuated with Lucy Lane (Jimmy's girlfriend).  Lucy turns down Mxyzptlk's advances because she's Jimmy's girlfriend, but that just convinces the imp that he has to get rid of Jimmy.  

So, Mxyzptlk casts a spell on Jimmy to get him to drink the Wolf-Man potion!  Jimmy calls Superman, who promises to use the same solution (and goes to get Supergirl, who will meet Jimmy in a dark room as "Miss X")...except it doesn't work (as it is Mxy's magic that did it, not the potion!).  

Jimmy and Lois finish an assignment, but Jimmy is turning to a wolf-man as Lois finishes the story, and sees Jimmy's predicament.  Lois takes one for the team and kisses Jimmy (but it doesn't work!).  

Jimmy is on a date with Lucy the next day, and, at the end, changes into the wolf-man....and this time, will kiss him (but, again, still doesn't work).  Depressed,  Jimmy goes alone to the beach (and, true to Olsen luck, falls in the water).  He's rescued by Lori Lemaris (Superman's mermaid ex-girlfriend) who also kisses Jimmy (still....nothing).  

In desperation (yeah, right), Jimmy tries Lana Lang (again, no luck with that kiss either).  Yet a mystery woman shows up saying she has the cure....and her kiss does change Jimmy back!  She is Miss Gzptlsnz (in her first appearance), who came to Earth to check on her boyfriend (and is mad at him).  She tricks Mxyztplk into saying his name backwards and going home to the fifth dimension, and then soon joins him.  This all wraps up with Jimmy on a date with Lucy (who won't kiss him because she feels he got enough kisses lately!

The nice thing about these stories are that later issues of Jimmy Olsen's title reprinted them (in #104 and #122) as well as featuring other of Jimmy's changes (like that of his time as a giant turtle man and that as a freak)....and they also foreshadow other of Jimmy's changes of the Silver Age as well (some of which we'll cover next month!). 

Jimmy Olsen Big Transformation

True, Jimmy Olsen had some giant transformations, but he had some big ones too.  

Back in the days before fat shaming, Jimmy added a few pant sizes....and a lot more!

Here's how those changes went....

 

The Fat Boy Of Metropolis

First up, a big tale from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #49 (December, 1960) by an unidentified writer, with art by Curt Swan and John Forte, with Curt Swan and Stan Kaye providing the cover art.

Here, Jimmy is visiting Professor Potter's lab to check on his newest formula, but the professor isn't there though his new assistant, Dr. Rance is.

The professor has a formula that increases size and weight in animals, and Dr. Rance gives Jimmy some, claiming to mistake it for a soda pop (as it is a hot day, though, Rance's "gift" seemed to be a set up).  

Jimmy, continuing his cub reporter business, went to stay with editor Perry White who was helping him with a story, and due to the heat, slept on Perry's back porch.  Jimmy awoke the next morning to be more than twice the man he use to be....so much so, he needed to borrow a Santa suit from Perry just to have clothes to wear.  Jimmy still wanted to do his regular assignments, so he did (after being seen by a chimney by his girlfriend, Lucy Lane).  

Getting a new suit, Jimmy tried skydiving, firefighting and a carnival interview (thankfully saved from danger by Superman, except in the last case, where Jimmy offended Lucy with a misunderstanding with the carnival fat lady).  Still undeterred, Jimmy went to a planned interview with a maharajah on his boat offshore, where his extra weight would do him good....as the maharajah was to reward Jimmy with his weight in jewels for saving his life.  Superman then took Jimmy and the jewels home to Metropolis, but, it was revealed that the maharajah was really Rance in disguise, who set this up to get Superman to take his stolen gems past customs.  When Rance and his crew went to steal their jewels back, Superman was waiting.  Professor Potter found a cure, and Jimmy, at his normal weight, got jewels from the real maharajah (and likely made up with Lucy as well).

Jimmy Olsen, Freak

Next up for a huge adventure for Jimmy is Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #59 (March, 1962) by Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and George Klein, with a cover by Swan and Klein.

This time, Jimmy is upset by the number of suitors Lucy Lane has on Valentine's Day (all of whom have better gifts than Jimmy).  

Jimmy plots a way to make more money to buy Lucy some diamonds, when out of the sky comes a beautiful alien girl!  It is Princess Ilona of the Sunev galaxy, who states she has been watching Jimmy's adventures for years, has fallen in love with him and wants to marry him.  Ilona gives Jimmy a diamond studded belt, which gives him super powers like gravity control, the golden touch and invisibility.  Jimmy now wants to take Ilona to Lucy's costume ball that night, to show her his new fiancee.  

Jimmy goes as a "spaceman" and dances all night with Ilona in front of Lucy, then let's her know they are to be wed.  Lucy is heartbroken as Jimmy leaves to get his belongings together to leave with Ilona the next morning.  That morning, Jimmy, still wearing his spacesuit, meets four other aliens, who are Ilona's four husbands!  The group take an instant dislike to Jimmy, using their power belts to make him fat, then grow his tongue, ears and hair as Jimmy calls for Superman with his signal watch.  Superman shows up and knows the husbands, convincing them to change Jimmy back to normal, but tells Jimmy he can't pull out of the marriage without causing a galaxy wide war.  Still, they come up with a plan, with Superman bringing two old hags Jimmy claims are his other wives who will have to come with them.  Ilona disavows her plans, and leaves with her four husbands.  The hags were really Lois Lane and Lana Lang in disguise, who Jimmy swears to secrecy about what they did, so Jimmy can make Lucy (Lois' sister) still sweat over not being nicer to him.  

All in all, Jimmy was lucky that Lucy Lane still loved him for all he put her through, and that his weight problem was so easy to fix.  

Would that it were as easy for the rest of us (though both Lois Lane and Superman had to face this problem as well!).

 

A Pair Of Giant Jimmy Olsen Transformations

Jimmy Olsen had a few giant issues during his publication, and had a few opportunities where he turned into a giant!

Here (though one cover doesn't look it), is a couple of times Jimmy was truly larger than life!

 

The Human Skyscraper

First up, from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #28 (April, 1958) by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley (under an unrelated cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye), Jimmy goes ape over Metropolis after growing to giant-sized!

Jimmy has a toothache, so, instead of going to a dentist, he goes to see inventor Professor Potter, who shows off his new growing formula.  When Jimmy's tooth bothers him, the Professor gives him a pill for the pain.  Jimmy takes off in the Flying Newsroom, looking for a story as a foreign dignitary comes in by ocean liner, but a storm gets Jimmy to crash the helicopter on an island instead.  

Jimmy awakes, to find himself bound and naked on the beach, having grown to Gulliver sized!  Jimmy calls out to a passing ship, but triggers an avalanche, knocking him unconscious.  The ship crew hear his call, and its captain, Wonders Wilson, trades with the natives to take the large comatose man back to civilization.  

Planning to show off his King (Kong)-sized wonder, Wilson sets up Olsen on display (who awakes, but is dazed and childlike due to a blow on his head, and goes ape, though without being furry like a time when he became a gorilla).  Jimmy breaks free of his bonds, while Clark Kent finds out about Jimmy's condition, and checks with Professor Potter (who realizes he must have given Jimmy the growing formula, and looks for a cure). 

Superman distracts Jimmy to prevent him from destroying (most) of Metropolis, and realizes, as Jimmy climbs a building with a spire (to get the needle on top to poke at his aching tooth), that Jimmy has a tooth needed to be pulled.  After getting Jimmy some anesthetic, Superman has the tooth pulled (a good thing too, as the gas also happened, coincidentally!!!, to cure Jimmy's gigantism!).  Superman retrieves the damaged helicopter as Jimmy promises to see a dentist regularly twice a year from now on!

 

The Giant Turtle Man

Jimmy's other giant transformation (covered here) is one of his most famous (or is that infamous?), the Giant Turtle Man evolution from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #53 (June, 1961) under a Curt Swan and Stan Kaye cover, with a story by Jerry Siegel, Curt Swan and John Forte.

This time around, Jimmy, Lois Lane and Clark Kent are on an ocean cruise, where Jimmy wanders off on a beach, and finds a trunk full of advanced gadgets, and, trying one, finds it can enlarge living creatures.  Lois convinces him to lock it up, and bring it back to the ship, where he planned to show Clark (but, Clark got lost on the island, and stayed behind, missing the ship leaving...an excuse to allow him to head off to a long deep space mission).  

Jimmy accidentally triggers his signal watch, so Superman shows up before leaving for space, and warns Jimmy NOT to fool around with items in the chest as he heads into space.  

Of course, as Lois shows Jimmy things she got, including a pet turtle, Jimmy accidentally triggers the growth ray, and, as it strikes him and the turtle, they both grow, and Jimmy also takes on some turtle traits.  As a Giant Turtle Man, Jimmy attacks a local bridge, tearing it apart, and taking the pieces to stuff in a volcano.  He does the same with a few submarines (using transatlantic cable to rope them up).  Superman returns from space, and stops Jimmy after Lois fills him in.

Then, Superman gets a telepathic message from his old college girlfriend, mermaid Lori Lemaris, who informs Superman that Jimmy's growth and menace came from Atlantean Goxo, who was a criminal scientist, who was to be exiled, and put together a trunk of weapons for someone to find, so that someone would grow, and he could take telepathic control of them (to fill a volcano on an island, to stop a group of scientists from finding the pirate treasure on the island).  After shrinking Jimmy with Brainiac's shrinking ray (which also took out Jimmy's "turtleness") Superman and Jimmy go to retrieve the pirate booty from the island!

This Jimmy Olsen transformation would return many times (as others of his did), but editor Mort Weisinger might have been a little biased towards this one, and he used the idea in his Thrilling Wonder Stories anthology as well.  Later Superman writers would use it too, first as a pizza pitchman for a new job for Jimmy as he was away from the Daily Planet for a time, then in the Countdown To The Final Crisis as well.  Thankfully, the Brave and the Bold cartoon this back for fun (and many other of Jimmy's changes as well).

Jimmy wouldn't get to be a giant much in later years (though he gave it a shot with borrowing Legion of Super-Heroes member Colossal Boy's uniform for an issue), but, as you can see here, Giant Jimmy Olsen issues were a popular thing, even giving Jimmy's human skyscraper a cover feature!

 

Jimmy Olsen's Gorilla Transformation

 

Looking back to the past, at a time when bow ties were cool, and covers with gorillas were even cooler.

So. of course, Jimmy Olsen would take advantage of that (not to mention his ability to find his way into secret labs and drink unknown formulas).....and turn himself into a gorilla!

Don't go ape....but, read on as we see how this happened in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #24 (October, 1957) under a cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye (and, later, the secret behind the second cover).

The Gorilla Reporter

In a story by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Ray Burnley, Jimmy Olsen was helping Professor Thorne out with his telepathizer machine (a machine which was to allow man to communicate with animals) when the gorilla, Bonzo, pushed some buttons as Jimmy was using his signal watch to call Superman...and Jimmy and Bonzo switched minds!  

After a little confusion, Superman took the ape-minded Jimmy's body to a retreat to be safe, while the new simian Olsen got use to his new life as a gorilla!  With some precautions, Jimmy took to the beat, covering a wrestling match (of Golden George vs the Gorilla), helped out at a movie premiere (getting the gorilla star of the movie to put his paw print in cement), and even patrolling with Superman (who was having no luck finding a way to switch Jimmy and Bonzo back).  

Meanwhile, Jimmy's body got loose, and headed to Metropolis (where, luckily, Jimmy caught him after saving Clark Kent from being locked in a bank vault).  Superman suggested having the ape-minded Jimmy push the buttons on the machine again....and, while he was busy, activated Jimmy's signal watch.  It was the signal watch that provided the extra power, which switched their minds again, leaving the professor and Superman to deal with a happy Jimmy, and poor Perry White to deal with his new, now fully simian reporter!

But, what about Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #116 (December, 1968), with its cover by Curt Swan and Mike Esposito?

Well, that was just a reprint of the original tale, likely brought about by the realization of how cool the original one was (or, just a deadline doom leaving one third of the mag in need of a story...

..and maybe just give a gorilla cover one more try...

...this time to cash in on the popularity of the Planet of the Apes movie....released that year!).

 

Of course, Jimmy had a few other strange transformations, as well as a few other primate encounters, but those are strange tales better off covered later....or maybe what Jimmy does in the jungle should stay in the jungle!