SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN 016 (1956)
By Otto Binder & Curt Swan
This time Jimmy gains invulnerability.
Couldn’t they just give him all of Superman’s powers instead of doing one at a time?
For once we don’t start with a crazy inventor, but with Lois trying to get rid of Jimmy once and for all by disfiguring him spilling coffee on Jimmy and discovering he’s invulnerable.
But he’s too busy eating berries and writing his article to notice THE ADULT WOMAN STANDING RIGHT BEHIND HIM.
Naturally she bothers Clark with this. He’s too busy sitting at his desk in a very awkward and uncomfortable way.
Superman, despite having super-senses that border on omniscience, doesn’t notice that his foot is on fire until Lois points it out.
How’s he going to get out of this one?
Easy enough. Space berries.
Sounds legit.
Nice detail about Superman using animal testing to find the perfect poison testing alien foods on mice to avoid poisoning Jimmy.
Whatever it is… Jimmy is invulnerable.
At least it’s a harmless power. It’s not like he can screw it up, right?
Jimmy is a little too eager to test his invulnerability.
Yes, that’s a panel of Jimmy Olsen TRYING TO SAW OFF HIS OWN LEG.
Don’t say I never do anything for you.
Unlike in previous instances of Jimmy gaining powers, where his first instinct was to show off in front of his colleagues, this time he decides to play the hero.
Just how dangerous is it to live in Metropolis? People must die violently every second when there aren’t heroes around!!!
Meanwhile, Superman figures out what made Jimmy invincible.
It has something to do with FLYING CLOSE TO AN ATOMIC EXPLOSION.
Unfortunately, it’s a well-known scientific fact that nuclear invincibility is temporary.
Also: Lois decides to become invulnerable as well, and Superman plays along.
Which means that, once Jimmy’s invulnerability has faded, he has to save them both from harm.
And he demonstrates that they aren’t invulnerable in a needlessly dickish way.
Historical significance: 0/10
As usual, completely forgotten to time.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
I love how everyone immediately accepts both explanations of how to gain invulnerability, like that’s not even among the top twenty strangest things they ever heard.
Does it stand the test of time? 3/10
Jimmy trying to be a hero with his powers, and Lois exploiting the fact that she doesn’t need Superman’s help anymore, are the only parts that could possibly be saved.
Stupid Jimmy Olsen moment
Remarkably, nothing after he gets his powers. But even if he couldn’t be hurt, how could he not notice Lois behind him?
Superpower count: 6
Adding invulnerability to flight, x-ray vision, heat vision, invisibility and super-speed.