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 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!). 

Lady Monsters In Charge

The Bride Of Frankenstein, Dracula's Wife and the mate of the Wolfman show who's really in charge in this cover of Mad House #105 (November, 1976) from Archie Comics.

Jughead Meets The Monsters

Jughead Jones is usually a hungry fellow, but here, in Archie's Madhouse #16 (December, 1961 in a cover by Samm Schwartz) , his appetite might work against him, as he wandered into a castle with the Wolfman and Dracula!

Monster Action Figures Are Universal

Two things were so far ahead of their time, that they are still important today.  Universal Monsters and Mego Toys.

Thankfully, these two things are still able to be enjoyed today with slightly more modern modifications.

The bestselling retro cloth line made its terrifying return in 2010 with the series one release of Universal Monsters action figures! Fans have waited for retro cloth figures of the true Universal Monsters for over 30 years. And here they are! Each sensational action figure stands 8-inches tall, with over 14 points of articulation and an authentically detailed cloth outfit. Scare some up for your collection...Frankenstein’s Monster and the Wolfman.

 

Frankenstein

Frankenstein’s Monster came alive in the movies with 1931 in Frankenstein, with Boris Karloff as the Monster.  Pieces of people animated by a scientist who wanted to show he had power over life and death, where the creature had more humanity than other people. 

Hugely successful, this inspired many a sequel, including Bride of Frankenstein from 1935, Son of Frankenstein in 1939 (both still with Boris Karloff as the Monster), the Ghost of Frankenstein in 1942 (with Lon Chaney Jr. as the Monster), Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman in 1943 (with Bela Lugosi as the Monster), House of Frankenstein in 1944, House of Dracula in 1945, and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948, all with Glenn Strange as the Monster. 

Though not officially one of Universal’s monster movies, Young Frankenstein with Peter Boyle as the Monster, is a priceless gem written by comedic genius Mel Brooks in the Universal Monster style, including being in glorious black and white.

Wolfman

The Wolfman changed for the first time in 1941, with Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, a man cursed to change into a wolf creature at the full moon.

Lon Chaney Jr. was also the Wolfman in all his sequel appearances under the Universal banner, including Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman in 1943, House of Frankenstein in 1944, House of Dracula in 1945, and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein in 1948. 

The Wolfman was also revived, as was Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy, as part of Hammer horror films (starting with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957, The Horror of Dracula in 1958, the Mummy in 1959 and the Curse of the Werewolf  in 1961, with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing being the notable actors in these productions, and took full advantage of color in the films, as well as later entries being…well, a little provocative and not for the children), and all four movie franchises enjoy some success today.

Let’s hope these retro-cloth figures continue, as it would be incredible to have versions of Dracula, the Mummy, the Phantom of the Opera, the Invisible Man, the Bride of Frankenstein and even Dr. Jekyll’s alter-ego Mr. Hyde and the Creature of the Black Lagoon as well!