- What that Imp doesn't know is that when I wanted to leave his world, I pronounced my real name backwards: Le-Lak. My real name; given to me by my Kryptonian parents, is... Kal-El!
- — Superman
Action Comics #273 is an issue of the series Action Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of February, 1961.
Synopsis for Superman: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk"
Superman is once more plagued by Mr. Mxyzptlk's foolish pranks and practical jokes. Mxy spreads sneezing powder which makes the Man of Steel destroy a distant Solar System with a super-sneeze, and he changes the moon into green cheese. This all keeps Superman from putting on a performance for the local orphanage.
Superman finally comes up with a way to send Mxyzptlk back: spraying him with a blue paint and then (as Clark Kent) suggesting that he see a doctor. Superman disguises himself a doctor and writers Mxyzptlk a prescription for 3 C.C.'s of "Kltpzyxm", and tricks the imp into reading it aloud, causing him to return to the Fifth Dimension. Superman rushes to the orphanage, to find that he is too late and it's been cancelled. Blaming Mr. Mxyzptlk, he decides to teach the imp a lesson and travels to the 5th Dimension.
As luck would have it, Mr. Mxyzptlk is running for mayor in the 5th Dimension, and so Superman decides to ruin his campaign. Appearing at all of Mxy's public appearances, Superman uses his super-powers to change signs, and create a general mess of things, earning the ire of the mischievous imp. Believing that he can get Superman to disappear by making the Man of Steel say his name backwards, he comes up with various ways to try and tricking him into saying "Namrepus." From trapping a robot of Jimmy Olsen in a safe, to "Zipbingo", to strange dragonfly races where the animals all are named a portion of "Namrepus", Mxy tries his best to get Superman to say his name backwards.
When Superman is finally tricked into saying "Namrepus", he doesn't disappear, to the consternation of Mxyzptlk. When news comes out that the imp lost the election Superman whispers one word, and is sent back to Earth. Mxyzptlk is stumped as to what it could be. Superman said his real name backwards: "Le-Lak" which is Kal-El backwards.
Appearing in Superman: "The World of Mr. Mxyzptlk"
Featured Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- J.B. Sawbones, M.D. (Hoax)
- Jimmy Olsen Robot
- Jor-El (Statue only)
- Superbaby (Statue only)
- Lara (Statue only)
- Metropolitans
- Mr. Druggist
- Perfume Co. President
- Zrfffians
Locations:
- Arctic Circle
- Smallville
- Earth's Moon
- Exquisit Perfumes Co.
- Fifth Dimension
- Dragon Races
- ZipBingo Parlour
- Dead Solar System
Items:
- Giant Spray Bottle
- Jimmy Olsen's Signal Watch (Mentioned only)
- Sneezing Powder
- Space Plague
- ZipBingo
Vehicles:
- Kryptonian Rocket
- "The Vote Boat"
Synopsis for Supergirl: "The Supergirl of Two Worlds!"
Continued from last issue... Posing as Marvel Maid on the planet Terra, Supergirl and Marvel Man work together to repair the Fortress of Marvels and return it to space. Marvel Man points out a mystery weapon that Marvel Maid found one day, and Supergirl recognizes it as Earth Lex Luthor's Disintegration Ray, which was thrown into space by Superman in a previous battle.
As Marvel Man returns to his guise of Ken Clark, prisoner, Marvel Maid returns from her mission in space. Impressed with Supergirl's work, she agrees to go to Earth and petition Superman to allow Supergirl to reveal herself to the public on Earth, while Supergirl continues to defend Terra as "Marvel Maid". Arriving on Earth, Marvel Maid decides to keep her presence secret due to her resemblance to Supergirl, and secretly saves a cable car from a lightning strike. Superman mistakes her for Supergirl.
Superman takes Marvel Maid to his Fortress of Solitude where he shows her that he has made a number of Supergirl robots as well as a secret series of films he recorded of Supergirl's many feats which he intends to show on the day which he reveals her to the public. Marvel Maid informs Superman who she really is, and asks Superman to consider revealing Supergirl to the public. She tells Superman of Supergirl's many feats on Terra, and while she messed up initially, being unaware of Terra's subtle differences to Earth (such as false icebergs being flammable) she still saved lives. Superman decides he wants to witness Supergirl in action and the two watch Terra from his computer.
There they witness as Supergirl tries to stop a sinking bridge not realizing that on Terra, bridges sink into the water when boats approach, prompting Marvel Man to go out and secretly save the ship. Superman considers this a total blunder, however Marvel Maid points out that there was a stalled car on the bridge, and while Supergirl may not have been aware of how draw bridges work on Terra, she still saved lives. Superman sends Marvel Maid back to Terra and tells her to send back Supergirl. Before doing so, Marvel Maid tells Marvel Man that he has proven himself capable and reveals him to the public with much fan fare.
Returning back to Earth, Superman regretfully informs Supergirl that she is not yet ready to reveal her to the public. He explains that whenever he goes to other worlds he always researches them first so that nothing takes him by surprise, and tells her that if she took time to read up on the planet Terra she could have avoided her troubles. Although disappointed, Supergirl hopes to some day prove herself to her cousin and knows that when she does, he'll be proud.
Appearing in Supergirl: "The Supergirl of Two Worlds!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Lex Luthor (In picture only) (Mentioned only)
Other Characters:
- Astronautess
- Krypto (Statue only)
Locations:
- Sun X45-266
- Jupiter
- Mars
- Terra
- Eiffel Tower
- Fortress of Marvels
- Macropolis
- Drawbridge
- Stadium
- Statue of Liberty
- Solar System
Items:
- Luthor's Disintegration Ray
- Supergirl Robots
Vehicles:
- Douglas DC-8
- Freighter
- Kryptonian Rocket
- Earth Rocket
Notes
- The Supergirl of Two Worlds is reprinted in The Supergirl Archives Vol. 2.
- This issue also has a one page feature "Pick a New Hair Style for Linda (Supergirl) Lee!" Asking readers to select a new hairstyle for Supergirl's civilian identity. The results appear in Action Comics #281.
Trivia
- In the time it takes to sneeze, Superman travels to another solar system.
- Superman confirms that Earth-One and the Fifth Dimension occupy the same space but different dimensional planes.
- Mister Mxyzptlk runs for mayor on the "Scatterbrain Ticket".
See Also