Jimmy Olsen 123-124 – Comics Archeology

JIMMY OLSEN 123 (1969)
by Leo Dorfman & Curt Swan
cover by Curt Swan

Remember when we were promised a story about Jimmy’s father aaaaaall the way back in issue #75? It’s time!

It’s Jimmy’s birthday AGAIN. At this rate it’s a wonder he’s not already older than Perry White.

Also: a gold-plated typewriter sounds like the worst idea ever.

Jimmy suspects this is a gift from Superman, but instead it’s from “a wealthy relative”.

Specifically his father! Amazingly we keep the same origin of issue #75… that wasn’t always a guarantee.

Brief as it is, this flashback is definitely the best part of the issue. It’s hard to make me feel bad for Jimmy Olsen, but this is done very well!

Instead of his father, Jimmy is lead to meet the manager of the Olsen Estate.

Now I know what you’re thinking: shouldn’t there be MORE insanity in a Jimmy Olsen story?
Don’t you worry!

Jimmy is naturally skeptical of all of this, but it doesn’t take much to convince him.
It’s not like this would be incredibly easy to fake!!!

Whatever the reason for locking himself inside the glass cage, it’s serious enough that the father wants ONLY Jimmy to know it.

Okay so the father wants to lock Jimmy Olsen in a cage forever?
BEST. CHARACTER. EVER.

But which souvenir will Jimmy take with him in his solitary confinement?

No kink shaming but I really don’t want to know what he plans to do with that statue.

And so we end with Superman finding Jimmy prisoner, leaving us with a cliffhanger.

Well that was… not even a story. Let’s jump straight into the conclusion and see if things start to make any sense.

JIMMY OLSEN 124 (1969)
by Leo Dorfman & Pete Costanza
cover by Curt Swan

After a recap of the first part, we learn that Jimmy’s father had amnesia.
You know the kind of convenient amnesia that makes you forget you have a son but allow you to continue your job just fine… I believe that’s called “child support amnesia”.

But he regained his memories when, years later, he got hit in the head. (!!!!)

This is all very confusing. He lost his memory but didn’t figure out he was Mark Olsen even though he was carrying around his own diary!?

And I guess he also traveled through time, unless the writer was convinced this is how people lived in Mexico in the 60s. (WTF!?)

HOW IS TURNING INTO REPTILES A FAMILY TRAIT!?

And that’s why Jimmy Olsen’s father has been imprisoned in a glass jail for years eating only stale bread.

But apparently this was too much for his health.

Yep. This is a story that someone was paid to write, draw, ink, color and distribute.

To give the comic SOME credit, Jimmy actually DOES spend a year in that cage!!!

So, uhm… Jimmy’s father didn’t have a beard. Was HE allowed a barber?

Well I for one think Jimmy is looking better than ever.

I would just point out that Jimmy took a book about Krypton with him, and it’s never used in the story. Instead the plot point goes to the almanac that was brought as a gift.

“Important mission”, yeah sure. It’s more likely that Jimmy is boring him out of his mind.

I WAS KIDDING!!!

And now, ladies and gentlemen… yes, you should’ve expected it, now the story loses its mind.
Yes.
NOW.

Full disclosure: I DIDN’T SKIP ANYTHING.

Okay, so… let’s take this step by step.
First of all: Superman hypnotized Jimmy’s father to check if he actually was Jimmy’s father.

Jimmy’s ACTUAL dad always knew that Jimmy was alive (!!!), but SOMEHOW lost track of him.

Until some detective found Jimmy while his father was doing some archeology.

Then Jimmy’s father died by smashing his head falling from the top of the temple. (!!!!!)

And his assistant ended up getting amnesia by using too much dynamite to blast the door to the temple.

So, uhm, yeah. Jimmy’s father is actually dead.

But wait! What about the whole curse and snake transformation thing!?

OH COME ON!!!

And so we end with Jimmy Olsen being adopted by his fake dad.

Wait wait wait… this guy is a millionaire remember? That means that Jimmy is going to be filthy rich for the rest of the series!
I mean it’s not like they’re going to completely drop this plot point, right?
Right?

Historical significance: 5/10
I’ve been wrong on those things before but I’m pretty sure Jimmy won’t be a millionaire in future stories. His father does show up again, which at least is something.

Silver Age-ness: 6/10
The first part is relatively painless, but holy crap do we get random in the second one!

Does it stand the test of time? 4/10
The presence of some effective pathos in the first part is what prevents this from getting a 0/10, but it’s still not a good story. And believe me the final twist comes out of absolutely nowhere!!!

Stupid Jimmy Olsen moment
In the first part, believing his father because he points out a scar that is presumably very easy to spot. In the second part, why exactly does he limit himself to one book? The “curse” was about being in solitary, and he didn’t have trouble switching the Kryton book for the almanac!

Interesting letters: someone give this girl a medal!!!