first appearance of specific MxyzPTlk (Action Comics 208 (1955)
Real Name:
(Pre-Crisis): acknowledged as "Mxyzptlk" by fellow fifth dimensional beings;
(Post-Crisis): unpronounceable
Mister Mxyzptlk is the name he adopts after he introduces himself to Superman and says that his real name would never translate to an Earth language (Superman Vol. 2 #11)
Nicknames: 'Mxy'
Former Aliases: None known
some confuse him with Mister Mxyztplk due to the published story of "World's Funniest" but this is contended not to be the same being despite his statement in that story
Other Current Aliases: Mister Mxyzptlk is the current aliases of his primary known form, but has assumed many different appearances for effects
Status
Occupation: Occupation unknown: Formerly student, adventurer, nusience
Legal Status: (Pre-Crisis) citizen of 5th Dimension with a criminal record there and in Earth 1 dimension Earth
(Post-Crisis) Legal status unknown, citizen of 5th Dimension
Identity: Publically known
Marital Status: Member of 'Qunito-partnership' including Ms. Gsptlnz
Group Affiliation: No known group affiliation
Base of Operations: 5th Dimension
Origin
Often Discribed as an 'imp' or an 'elf' Mr Mxyzptlk hails from the 5th dimension. His usual reason for visiting earth is to annoy Superman, something he does merely for entertainment.
Place of Birth: 5th Dimension
Known Relatives: No known relatives
First Appearance: Historic: Action Comics, No. 208 (Sept 1955)
New DC Primary Earth: Superman (Vol. 2) #11
Last appearance: (Earth 1 Reality Specific) DC Comics Presents #97 (Sept 1986)
(Post-Crisis): apparently killed by Ruin (Emil Hamilton) in Adventures of Superman #646 (Jan 2006)
History
Earth 1 reality history
Mxyzptlk was born into the fifth dimension and lived there until he became bored with his relatively uneventful life. Seeking exploration and entertainment, Mxyzptlk left and began to explore other realities. Unfamilar with so-called "lower lifeforms" of other dimensions, Mxyzptlk began experimenting with some of them, testing them in many different ways, some of which were later shown not to have survived Mxyzptlk's tests. Upon one of his trips to the third dimension, Mxyzptlk met his match in Superman (Earth-One). Frustrated that he could not enrage Superman and make him suffer, Mxyzptlk would return many times trying to engage Superman in ever more dangerous and destructive traps. He would continue to do this until the ruling members of his home dimension decided to curb his powers as Mxyzptlk had exceeded even their tolerable levels by engaging in "pranksterism exceeding the bounds of art" (DC Comics Present #97)
Over the years, Mxyzptlk returned to the third dimension mostly in his attempts to prove his superiority over Superman and defeat him. It was in his last return to the third dimension that Mxyzptlk decided to prove his superiority over Superman indirectly, by deciding to punish Kryptonian criminals from the Phanton Zone who thought to overwhelm Mxyzptlk and take over his seemingly infinite powers and escape. Mxyzptlk ultimately defeats them and decides to spend eternity teaching the Phantom Zone criminals "how to have fun", after absorbing them into himself so that he can torment them and make them miserable for the rest of infinitely. He tells Superman that he is finished with him, because he'll never be able to have quite the same amount of fun with him as he will with these other Kryptonians, and leaves Superman standing there, who finally realizes the true depth of sadistic evil and power that Mxyzptlk truly has.
New DC Primary Earth:
The history of the character is unknown before he introduces himself to Superman in his most known form. It is suggested that he visited the universe before in other forms.
Characteristics
According to some text, Mxyzptlk does not have a true physical presence in his native dimension.
Mxyzptlk primary form
The Earth 1 and Post-Crisis versions of Mxyzptlk are depicted as a short male human with exaggerated facial and physical features (large head with very thin elongated limbs). The general appearance of that form are
Height: 4' 06"
Weight: approximately 60 lbs
Eyes: Black/grey
Hair: exaggerated White hair pointing out parallel from the side of his head and bald on top
It should be noted that in many recent adventures, he has started to appear similar to Earth 2 MxyzTPlk but more like a midget W.C. Fields in detail, than the original rogue clown form he had.
Powers
Known Powers: Hailing from the 5th Dimension Mxyptlk can manipulate reality and the laws of this universe in such a way as to appear magical. Supposely the powers of Mxyptlk are based on some form of mental superscience that has literally almost infinite reserves and is thus not effected by true magick forms unlike the Earth 2 MxyTPlk
Known Abilities: effectively Infinite power for any effect that he chooses as he has converted living beings into living animated forms.
Strength Level: Untested but given his extradimensional origins it is unlikely to have an upper limit
The Earth 1 incarnation of Mxyzptlk could be temporarily depowered and forced back to his original dimension for a minimum of 90 days if he was able to be fooled into saying his name backwards (Klptzyxm).
Post-Crisis, this no longer applies to Mxyzptlk. In fact, he no longer has any real binding power over him other than a few higher power beings who are able to restrain him and his effects such as shown in his apparent death where the Presence effectively kills him with a regular arrow.
It is only by his agreement to some contract of a set of conditions that he agrees to does he voluntarily decide to leave the Earth dimension such as with the Red Kryptonite adventure.
Miscellaneous
Equipment: No known equipment.
Transportation: No known transportation.
Weapons: No known weapons.
Notes
- It should be noted that not only does the version of the character who is apparently killed in Adventures of Superman #646 LOOK like the Earth 2 Mister MxyzTPlk, he is SPECIFICALLY depowered because of the effects done to the Earth universe's MAGICK as noted in earlier Justice Society stories as well as him being able to disappear from the Earth dimension because of his usage of the incantation of "kltpzyxm" which he does after being shot through his chest.
Apparent death of MxyzPTlk looking like his Earth 2 counterpart
- This specifically contradicts all of the noted Post-Crisis adventures where Mxyzptlk only disappears because of his agreed to choice to leave such as getting Superman to paint Mxy face blue, as well as being immune from any lower dimension changes as his power came from some undetermined higher dimensional powers that were NOT effected by magick or physical sciences on the Earth dimension.
- Some suggest that this was really the Earth 2 Mister MxyzTPlk simply using his counterpart's name as this happened just before Kal-L returned to the DC universe due to the Infinite Crisis events.
Trivia
- Mxyzptlk was the ultimate villain in Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?. It was revealed that he was motivated purely by boredom and had spent the first 2 millenia of his existence not moving, the second 2 millenia being saintly and good and the third two millenia being mischevious, he would spend the next two millenia being evil and the two millenia after that being guilty. Given that this story is not part of cannon it is uncertain if this is true.
- The character was originally introduced as Mister Mxyztplk
- Pre-Crisis they were indicated by personal nature and powers to be two seperate beings
- According to "World's Funniest" the current incarnation of the character is supposed to have been both Earth 1 and 2 incarnations but this is largely not accepted as truth as Mxyzptlk has been shown at least on one occassion that he is far too vain to alter himself in any way so even in his altered world of reversed genders, he was still male, as well as the very different nature of their powers MxyzTPlk being true magic while MxyzPTlk uses some form of supposedly mental superscience
Recommended Readings
- JLA #31
- Young Justice #5
- World's Funniest
- Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
- Bizarro Comics Vol. 1
Related Articles
External Links
- [1] Supermanica Mxyzptlk page
References