JIMMY OLSEN 120 (1969)
by Leo Dorfman & Pete Costanza
cover by Curt Swan
The first One Punch Man was surprisingly less popular than you’d expect.
We begin with a surprisingly buff Jimmy Olsen working out in a gym, where he discovers he has super-strength.
That’s because Jimmy took some kind of super-steroids.
He’s so strong that he can’t even get on the ring without breaking something!
Jimmy immediately wins the fight because he didn’t realize he was being played.
As you might expect, Jimmy was doing all of this because he was assigned to write a story for the Daily Planet.
You might also expect him to immediately quit his job because he’s Jimmy Olsen.
He took the serum from a guy who runs a boxing gym, then Jimmy discovered that he was suddenly unbeatable at boxing, so naturally he plans to get rich… as a bullfighter.
Okay, I know that bullfighting is a cruel sport that should be abolished.
But, and here me out on this… bullfighting where the bulls get to clobber unarmed idiots who volunteered for it? Suddenly it doesn’t sound like a bad idea!
Unfortunately Superman has to spoil it.
Some much-needed character development for Jimmy!
This could lead to a story that really delves into his deeply disturbed mind.
Or Jimmy could randomly get super-strength for real.
So… yeah. This random Professor Potter knockoff really did invent the super-strength serum and sold it thinking it didn’t work, while actually it does.
HOW ARE YOU THIS STUPID, JIMMY!?!?
And suddenly it’s a contest between The Worst and The Idiot.
If you ever need a confirmation that Jimmy is an irredeemably broken character at this point, these panels are two pages apart!!!
I’m genuinely curious if anyone reading this was actually rooting for Jimmy.
Especially when HE KILLS PERRY WHITE!!!
Oh so we’re supposed to feel sorry for Jimmy now?
Yeah… I’m not buying that THIS is the face of a guy who just realized the horror of his actions. At most he looks like he’s thinking “oh well, s#it happens”.
Surprisingly, Jimmy is arrested. Because it’s illegal for a boxer to strike an ordinary citizen. (WTF!?)
And what do you know, the professor was right!
You know who else was right, Jimmy?
Jimmy Olsen.
Surprising: Perry is still alive!
Not surprising: Jimmy is still a piece of s#it!
We’re just one step above “I’ll #### your #### if you let me out of this”, aren’t we?
I’m being hard on Jimmy, but we can never forget that Silver Age Superman was just. The. Worst.
See guys? There’s no reason to fight. YOU’RE BOTH TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
Jesus Christ this series sometimes ಠ_ಠ
Historical significance: 0/10
There is precisely zero chance that Jimmy will remember this issue’s lesson.
Silver Age-ness: 5/10
The average 60s nonsense.
Does it stand the test of time? -5/10
Jimmy is even more awful than usual, and that’s saying something! He immediately discards and insults his friends the moment he thinks he has a chance to be famous, he’s needlessly confrontational for no reason and doesn’t learn from his mistakes even if they happened two pages earlier!!!
Stupid Jimmy Olsen moment
Superpowers count: 43
I’ve lost count of how many times Jimmy has already been super-strong, so the total count is not increasing.