Summary
Warning! Spoilers ahead forBatman / Superman: World’s Finest #27!Not only is heSuperman’spal, but Jimmy Olsen’s curious history comes back to create an unexpected superhero team. The world is in chaos right now as powerful imps begin using FIfth-Dimensional magic to test the might of its greatest heroes.
Superman, Batman, and Robin have reluctantly forged an alliance with ultra-powerful pestsMr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite. But even the Man of Steel and the Dynamic Duo are vexed by their incredibly buffed villains. Thankfully,Jimmy Olsen is on the sceneand he’s bringing one of the most unexpected teams to help save the day.
Jimmy Olsen’s Weirdest Transformations Form the Olsen Squad
InBatman / Superman: World’s Finest #27by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Travis Mercer, Tamra Bonvillain, and Steve Wands, Mr. Mxyzptlk wakes Bat-Mite up after he passed out during their encounter with Parasite and his villainous imp friend, Paras-Mite. To make matters worse, Batman, Robin, and Superman have all been rendered into 2D images on a nearby brick wall. Nearby Jimmy watches the madness unfold as hero after hero falls to the invading army of all-powerful imps. While Bat-Mite goes to help Clark and Bruce,Mxyzptlk turns his attention to Superman’s pal.
Turtle Man and Human Porcupine bring down Chemo while the fire-breathing Olsen literally roasts Black Manta.
Mxyzptlk reveals that he always keeps a close eye on Superman’s allies and brings up the fact that over the years, Jimmy Olsen has been through numerous transformations. The Fifth-Dimensional trickster postulates that all of Jimmy’s alter egos are still in Jimmy’s subconscious and uses a bit of magic to wake them up. After a nightmarish bit of body horror,Superman’s friend splits into several different versions of himself. Elastic Lad, Flamebird, Giant Turtle Man, the Human Octopus, the Human Flame-Thrower, the Human Porcupine, and the Wolf-Man of Metropolis unite as the Olsen Squad.
The Olsen Squad takes on the villains while Mxyzptlk handles the villainous imps. Turtle Man and Human Porcupine bring down Chemo while the fire-breathing Olsen literally roasts Black Manta. Wolf-Man stops Cheetah in her tracks and Elastic Lad wrangles Merlyn. But the most impressive sight is two Jimmys handling Zha-Vam, a Shazam-like villain who uses a belt to dial the powers of a god. Flamebird steals the belt and hands it off to Human Octopus,who accesses multiple god-level powers to take down the remaining Justice League villains.
Fans well-versed in Superman history know that these transformations are all from stories that were actually published throughout the Silver Age of Comic Books. The comicSuperman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsenwas a series that focused on the life of the Daily Planet’s premier photographer. But there was never a dull moment in Jimmy’s life as many issues saw him getting caught up in some unbelievable adventure,encountering a Superman-level threat by himself, or as many fans know, taking on wild and powerful personas.
Olsen infamously became Giant Turtle Man inSuperman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #53…
Every one of the personas that Mxyzptlk summons inBatman / Superman: World’s Finest #27is indeed from a real story.Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #31introduced Jimmy’s Elastic Lad persona, though his stretchy superhero days ended after kryptonite wound up taking his powers away.Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #33featured the title character getting flame breath after encountering a genetically-altered firefly (thankfully solved by a fire extinguisher).Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #41saw Olsen bite into an alien fruit and grow four additional arms,cured thanks to an antidote created by Superman.
Jimmy’s life only got wackier from there.Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #44had Superman’s pal become a werewolf in a misguided attempt to woo Lois Lane’s sister. Olsen infamously became Giant Turtle Man inSuperman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #53after being hit with an enlarging ray (later shrunk back with Brainiac tech). And Jimmy found himself in a prickly situation inSuperman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #65when an imp turned him into the Human Porcupine. Arguably, his most normal adventure came inSuperman #158whenJimmy and Superman became Flamebird and Nightwing while in the bottle city of Kandor.
Jimmy Olsen’s outrageous transformations are a well-known part of DC lore. His brief stint as Giant Turtle Man has been referenced as recently asFire & Ice: Welcome to SmallvilleandTitans: Beast World Tour: Metropolis. It would have been easy to just have Mr. Mxyzptlk summon up a cadre of Olsen’s weirdest forms for a crack at how wild Superman’s pal’s life has been. Instead,Batman / Superman: World’s Finesttakes this odd part of DC Comics history and turns it into an amazing superhero team.
Jimmy totally wrecked Tora and Bea’s salon inFire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3 (2023)!
The Olsen Squad doesn’t just come in and fight in generalized ways. They each play to their strengths to bring their opponents down. Turtle Man’s strength holds Chemo back before the Human Porcupine pops the villain and drains his chemicals. Wolf-Man’s animalistic strength is more than a match for Cheetah’s incredible speed and Human Flame-Thrower expertly takes out Black Manta. And the teamwork between Human Octopus and Flamebird brings downa surprisingly powerful villain that has arguably Shazam-level power.
The only real shame about the Olsen Squad is how brief their time is. Mxyzptlk only brought them to life so that he could focus on getting rid of the evil imps. But for the time the Olsen Squad is around, they are an absolute joy to watch. Not only are they a fun throwback to one of the silliest and most fun periods in comic book history, but they also prove themselves to be quite the fighting force. The Olsen Squad is exactlythe kind of thing DC Comics should embrace.
Fans Deserve More Fun Moments That Honor DC Universe History
DC Comics has several decades' worth of history under its belt and plenty of outrageous moments like Jimmy Olsen’s countless transformations. Bringing the more over-the-top and silly ideas of yesteryear can be quite fun, especially when used in new ways like the Olsen Squad. Even if it’s just for a brief fight scene, these kinds of zany moments are so unabashedly fun and real treats for hardcore fans. If this strange trip down memory lane withSuperman’spal proves anything, it’s that DC Comics needs more things like the Olsen Squad.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #27is available now from DC Comics.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
