Mr. Mxyzptlk (pronounced /mɪksˈjɛzpɪtlɪk/ ahd: mĭks-yĕzʹpĭt-lĭk or /mɪksˈjɛzpɪtəlɪk/ ahd: mĭks-yĕzʹpĭt-l-ĭk), sometimes called Mxy, is a supervillain imp who appears in DC Comics' Superman comic books. He has encountered Batman and Bat-Mite several times.
Character History[]
"Mister Mxyztplk" was introduced as an imp from the "fifth dimension". Not being bound by our physical laws, he can do things that seem to be magical. In his first appearance, Mxyztplk wreaks havoc across Metropolis by using his powers to pull all manner of pranks. What's more, he destroys Superman's worldview of himself. Mxyztplk jumps out a window, fooling Superman into thinking Mxyztplk is committing suicide.
When he appears unharmed, an astonished Superman exclaims "I-I thought I was the only man who could fly!!" Mxyztplk soon tells Superman that he is a jester in his home dimension, explaining why he uses his powers to play practical jokes. Mxyzptlk later has his powers temporarily stolen by the Joker; interested in seeing how somebody else would do at his job, Mxyzptlk intends to give the Joker only 1% of his power.
The Joker tricks Mxyzptlk into revealing his secret imp name and thus acquires 99% of Mxyzptlk's power, leaving him mostly powerless. The imp is also unable to remember what to do to break the chain of events that daily culminates with Superman being dragged back to Arkham Asylum by Bizarro. Fortunately, Mxyzptlk is able to reveal the truth about the world to Superman, who, despite his current lack of faith in himself — caused mainly by the fact that not even Lois Lane believes in him in this world — manages to find the power to defeat the Joker.
Superman realizes that, for all his power, the Joker still cannot erase Batman, as the Joker defines himself by his constant opposition to the Dark Knight, Superman manages to shatter the Joker's control of reality. However, Mxyzptlk saves some of the Joker's creations and transfers them into the 'real' world, including Scorch, Gorgeous Gilly, Ignition (he was actually not of the Joker's creation), and the new Bizarro.
In Superman & Batman: Generations, he appears, along with Bat-Mite. The two imps are testing Batman and Superman, each trying to prove that their hero is the greatest. They are doing so in order for two aliens to take the greatest hero to the other side of the universe to save their planet (Bat-Mite is doing so because he truly wants to help, Mxy is doing so merely because it would take Superman centuries to return from the other side of the universe). However, each one must test the other's hero, so Mxy tests Batman, and vice-versa. After a huge battle, the aliens decide to take Bat-Mite and Mxy back to their planet.
Powers and Abilities[]
Mr. Mxyzptlk has access to fifth-dimensional technology that to third-dimensional beings may as well be magic. His abilities are only limited by his willpower; for example, if he wanted to turn Superman into dust by snapping his fingers, it would happen. His only apparent weakness is the ability to send him back to the fifth dimension by getting him to speak his name backwards, made easier by his gullible nature, and it is only a temporary deterrent. In addition, Mxyzptlk never uses his powers in a deliberately malevolent way, since he would get bored very quickly, though he has shown the odd steak of maliciousness. He tends to use his powers in ways that are more annoying than anything else. A point as to the nature of Mr. Mxyzptlk has been raised in Batman #680. Batman asks his 5th Dimension counterpart Bat-Mite if he is really an imp from the 5th Dimension or just a figment of his imagination, to which Bat-Mite responds that the two are one and the same.
In other media[]
In Batman: The Animated Series, Mr. Mxyzptlk briefly appeared as a silent, animatronic toy created by Dr. Karl Rossum in the 3rd season episode "Deep Freeze". His design is identical to the Silver Age version, and he was seen riding on a flying carpet. Bat-Mite, Streaky the Supercat, and Krypto the Superdog can also be seen.
In Smallville, Mxyzptlk was incarnated as a foreign-exchange student with the ability to change the circumstances around him with a vocal command. He used his abilities to take bets on local sporting events and push the odds in his favor.