Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #9 is an issue of the series Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (Volume 1) with a cover date of December, 1955.
Synopsis for "Jimmy Olsen, Cub Inventor"
Jimmy Olsen has taken up a new obsession: inventing. After failing to make an atomic fuel and a robot cat, he is visited by an inventor named Professor Hardy, who scoffs at Jimmy's failed inventions, unknowingly applying the failed atomic fuel to his bald head. Meanwhile, Superman attempts to foil some crooks but arrives too late on the scene to stop them. Afterwards Superman goes to pay Jimmy a visit to find him throwing out all his invention gear. Suddenly, Professor Hardy enters the room astonished that he has grown a full head of hair thanks to his contact with Jimmy's "Atomic Fuel" and this inspires Jimmy to start inventing again.
This inspires Jimmy to try and build a Space Radar, but apparently it only creates what Jimmy calls a "time radio" as it seemingly broadcasts voices from the past. When the discovery is published and it's potential use to capture the diamond thieves who recently got away from their robbery, they intend to steal the device from Olsen. When Jimmy spots this he uses the "Atomic Fuel" to grow an instant beard and call Superman for help.
Distracting the crooks long enough with a "mistaken identity" routine, Superman arrives and busts them. Later Superman reveals that the "Time Radio" was a hoax, and that Superman made it appear that the device was broadcasting the past by using Super Ventriloquism to imitate historical figures. Later as Jimmy is trying to shave off his new beard, Professor Hardy returns, now bald again, telling Jimmy that his hair growth formula was only temporary. Jimmy gets this advice a little too late and has been shaving a bald face the whole time and has given himself some nicks and scratches.
Appearing in "Jimmy Olsen, Cub Inventor"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Million Dollar Question"
When a group of criminals plant one of their goons as a contestant on the television program "Million Dollar Question" they happen to be competing on a day where all the questions asked have to do with Superman. In order to insure that their man has a edge up they have given him a wire and have tricked Jimmy Olsen into coming to their hide out and are holding him hostage so that he gives them all the right answers.
Clark Kent, watching the show at home, believes that Jimmy must be in trouble when the crook on the show is able to answer a question that only Jimmy would know the answer too. Changing into Superman, the Man of Steel quickly finds Jimmy and saves him, and exposes the criminals plot and disqualifying them from the prize money. Afterwards, although Jimmy is glad that he got out of his predicament alive, wishes he could have competed for the million dollar prize money.
Appearing in "The Million Dollar Question"
Featured Characters:
- Jimmy Olsen (Flashback and main story)
Supporting Characters:
- Superman/Clark Kent (Flashback and main story)
Antagonists:
- Barton Black (a.k.a. "Blacky" Barton) (Single appearance)
- Leonard "Lefty" Lake (Single appearance)
- Luthor (Flashback only)
- The Prankster (First appearance) (Flashback only)
- The Toyman (First appearance) (Flashback only)
Other Characters:
- Metropolis Police Department (Flashback only)
Locations:
Items:
- Green Kryptonite (Flashback only)
- Jimmy Olsen's Signal Watch
Vehicles:
- Flying Newsroom (Flashback only)
Synopsis for "The Missile of Steel"
With a meteor threatening to collide with the Earth, Superman must travel out into space to stop it. However, before he goes he builds a robot duplicate of himself which he gives to Jimmy, with a computer that controls it, so that Jimmy can send it out on patrols so that nobody is aware that Superman has left Metropolis, and Superman was hoping to take down the Brown Mob before this more important issue came up.
Jimmy uses the Superman robot to foil the Brown Gang's schemes and stop disasters. After Superman finishes his task by throwing the meteor into the sun, he returns to Earth. Witnessing Jimmy enjoying being "Superman", the Man of Steel decides not to ruin Jimmy's fun and takes the robots place pretending to be governed by Jimmy's actions. However when the Brown gang uses Green Kryptonite as a defensive weapon in their next heist, Superman's charade backfires on him.
Quick thinking Jimmy uses an alien boomerang to knock the Kryptonite out of the criminals' hands and away from Superman long enough for him to easily capture him. Later they use the Superman robot to dump the Kryptonite into the ocean.
Appearing in "The Missile of Steel"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- "The Million Dollar Question!" was reprinted in Superman Family #174.
- All three stories were reprinted in Showcase Presents: Superman Family Vol. 1.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- Superman Family Recommended Reading
- Action Comics (Volume 1)
- Adventure Comics (Volume 1)
- DC Comics Presents (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 1)
- Superboy (Volume 2)
- Supergirl (Volume 1)
- Supergirl (Volume 2)
- Superman (Volume 1)
- Superman Family (Volume 1)
- Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (Volume 1)
- Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen (Volume 1)
- World's Finest (Volume 1)
Links and References
