SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN 026 (1958)
By Otto Binder & Curt Swan
A Jimmy-Olsen-gets-powers story that doesn’t start with a crazy scientist! I didn’t know those existed!
No, it starts at a carnival, where Jimmy Olsen is suddenly super-heavy.
This is apparently a job for Superman!
By which I mean Superman doesn’t do anything.
Which might’ve been for the better, and not just because we’ve seen Superman isn’t above making fat jokes: the following day Jimmy is back to his regular weight.
And yet, the following day, he’s super-heavy once again.
Jimmy is afraid that Perry White will be mad at him because of the damages caused, but Perry has a better idea: turn this into a publicity stunt for the Daily Planet!
I have SO many questions…
First of all, HOW is this going to sell newspapers!?
Second, how is Perry able to arrange all of this in ONE DAY!?
So… Jimmy is as heavy as two elephants now.
I always knew he was dense, but this is going above and beyond!
Even more than that: he’s so heavy that FREAKIN’ SUPERMAN can’t lift him.
Which, in the Silver Age, would mean that Jimmy Olsen is heavier than the planet.
Naturally, since Jimmy turns super-heavy only when Superman is around, it means that until they find a solution it’s better if they don’t meet.
Ten bucks this is all just an elaborate hoax by Superman to get rid of him.
Jimmy’s vow to never call for Superman lasts a whole day, before he gets caught by some counterfeiters during and investigation and hides in a trunk.
Jimmy calls Superman, so naturally once they get close enough this all leads to the criminals getting arrested.
Next we have some bank robbers who break a fire hydrant as a distraction to keep the cops busy while they BLOW UP THE VAULT.
But Jimmy stops this crime as well.
All things considered, Jimmy is using his super-heaviness pretty well so far.
Then he gets kidnapped off-screen.
This plan is kind of clever and amazingly stupid at the same time.
It’s clever because this ensures that Jimmy’s death will be at least in part Superman’s fault.
It’s unbelievably stupid because if they wanted him dead they could’ve killed him immediately! Sure, Superman won’t be there when he dies, but do they really think he’s going to be hurt!?
How’s Jimmy going to get out of this one? By breaking his signal watch.
And no, his watch WASN’T shown glowing the other times he became super-heavy: this comes out of nowhere.
As for why the watch made Jimmy super-heavy… it’s apparently something created by a “rare metal” when it’s exposed to x-rays.
Sounds legit.
Historical significance: 0/10
Once again, mercifully forgotten by time.
Silver Age-ness: 4/10
Metals that can transform a person super-strength into another person’s weight? That’s one of the most normal things you can find in the DC Silver Age!
Does it stand the test of time? 6/10
If you forget the explanation on HOW Jimmy becomes super-heavy, it’s surprisingly okay.
Stupid Jimmy Olsen moment
“My signal watch glows every time this incredibly weird thing happens to me! That’s never happened before! Should I investigate this? Nah, let’s forget it until the end of the story”.
Superpower count: 15
Is “super-weight” a superpower? Jimmy uses it to fight crime, so I’m counting it.