Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 41

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 #41 December, 1959 Cover Artists Curt Swan Publisher DC Comics "The Human Octopus!" Writers Robert Bernstein Pencilers Curt Swan Inkers John Forte "The Robot Reporter!" Writers Otto Binder Pencilers Curt Swan Inkers Stan Kaye "Jimmy Olsen, the Boy Swordsman!" Writers Otto Binder Pencilers Curt Swan Inkers John Forte Previous Issue Next Issue Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #40 Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #42

Appearing in "The Human Octopus!"

Featured Characters:

• Jimmy Olsen

Supporting Characters:

•  Superman 
• Perry White
• Lucy Lane

Adversaries:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

• 
  
  

Synopsis for "The Human Octopus!"

Returning from a mission in space, Superman has an arm load of souvenirs for Jimmy to write articles about in the Daily Planet. While he is examining them, he accidentally bites into a strange alien fruit. When telling Superman about the incident, Superman informs Jimmy that the space fruit comes from a world populated with aliens that have six arms. Jimmy laughs off the possibility that the fruit might have an effect on him, however he isn't laughing the next morning when he wakes up to find that he has grown two extra pairs of arms.

In a panic he calls Superman, however when the Man of Steel arrives Jimmy has grown accustomed to his new limbs and begins showing off his ability to use them all at once doing independent tasks. While Jimmy embraces his new situation, Superman cautions him that his extra limbs might not be the blessing he was hoping for. Sure enough when Jimmy starts pumping out the work of three reporters the union tells Perry White that he either needs to pay him his worth or fire him. Unable to pay Jimmy three times his salary, Perry has no choice but to fire Jimmy. Olsen is not upset however as he believes that he can utilize his new appendages to form a new lucrative career.

First Jimmy tries out as a prize-fighter, using his extra arms to give him the advantage in the ring. However, he is disqualified from his first bout when it turns out that his extra limbs have added an extra 20 lbs to his weight and is therefor was undermatched. Later after getting into an automobile crash, Jimmy has trouble thumbing a ride back into town as people are too frightened to pull over. He next goes to a shooting gallery, using his six arms to win numerous prizes, hits three balls at once in the bating cage and sign numerous autographs. However, all this popularity soon has it's downside when Lucy Lane, worried that she is dating a freak, breaks off their relationship.

Worse, some crooks stick him up and threaten to shoot him unless he uses his six arms net them a huge pick-pocketing. Jimmy is caught however and arrested, however Jimmy is released when Superman arrives at the police station with the men who forced Jimmy to commit the crimes. With Jimmy wanting to be normal again Superman whips up an antidote. When Jimmy is cured, Superman points out that the fruit causes hallucinations, putting into question if events really happened. This is further compounded when Jimmy goes back to the Daily Planet to get his old job and Perry tells him that he doesn't recall firing Jimmy.

Appearing in "The Robot Reporter!"

Featured Characters:

• Jimmy Olsen

Supporting Characters:

• Superman
• Lucy Lane

Adversaries:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

• 
  
  

Synopsis for "The Robot Reporter!"

When Jimmy Olsen twists his ankle, his doctor tells him that he has to stay off his feet for 24 hours. This injury comes at a bad time as Jimmy has a list of scoops that he needs to go out and report. Superman arrives later in the day and presents Jimmy with a robot duplicate of himself and a device that allows Jimmy to control it remotely.

When Superman goes off to stop sun-matter that is being showered on the Earth, Jimmy dresses his robot in a suit and sends it out on his first task: To snap photos of King Vorda who is coming to America on a secret visit. When an assassin attempts to murder the king, Jimmy moves the robot into the path of the oncoming bullets. When the robot returns, Jimmy notices that not only is the suit ruined by a stray bullet also hit his camera and ruined the film.

Putting a new suit on the robot and giving it a spare camera, Jimmy sends it to cover Professor Santon's artificial lightning generator. Sure enough, the robots metallic body attracts the artificial lightning, causing the robot-Jimmy's clothing to be burned away and temporarily blinding Santon. Jimmy gets the robot out of there quickly and has it return to his apartment. There he finds that his camera is intact, but the film is once more ruined. With only his tuxedo left, Jimmy sends the robot out to cover an out of town archeologist digging.

However, the robot hits a snag when they find that the bridge to the site is down. Putting his clothing in a bag fround outside the Lumino Paint Co. the robot Jimmy walks through the water without the clothing or the camera getting wet and succeeds in taking the pictures. With the robot home, Jimmy takes off the tux so that he can wear it to the dance he's going to with Lucy Lane at the country club. However, Jimmy soon realizes that his tux is glowing and realizes his robot put his suit in a bag of luminous paint powder. To make matters worse, a woman thinking that Jimmy is on fire and dumps a bucket of water on him, causing his suit to shrink and tear.

With no other choice Jimmy is forced to steal the ragged clothing off a scarecrow and hope they pass for the dance. However, when he arrives he is so shabbily dressed he is thrown out. Later Jimmy gives back the robot to Superman, and makes up an excuse that all his suits are off at the dry cleaners.

Appearing in "Jimmy Olsen, the Boy Swordsman!"

Featured Characters:

• Jimmy Olsen

Supporting Characters:

• Superman
• Perry White
• Lois Lane

Adversaries:

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

• 
  
  

Synopsis for "Jimmy Olsen, the Boy Swordsman!"

While at the Metropolis Weapons Museum, Jimmy Olsen fools around with a sword that was once wielded by the famous Three Musketeers. While horsing around, Jimmy manages to cut the belt of a mans pants causing not only his pants, but two antique pistols the man was attempting to steal. When the security guard marvels at Olsen's seeming master swordsmanship, Jimmy is inspired to take up the hobby.

While showing off at the Daily Planet for Lois, Jimmy manages to masterfully slice Perry White's tie without harming his boss. Just then the Prime Minister of Valdania, a small nation where swords are still used, has come to see Jimmy to ask him to put on a performance for the king. Jimmy agrees to go, and soon learns at the area is terrorized by three criminal swordsmen: The Ace of Swords, Black Blade, and Slash Sabre. One by one, each of the crooks attempt to attack Jimmy, and Jimmy seemingly slays them all, winning a huge reward from the king.

When Jimmy is being brought back to the airport by the Prime Minister, he realizes that the entire episode has been a hoax carried out by the Prime Minister and the three criminal swordsmen who then attempt to rob Jimmy of his rewards. When one of the crooks accidentally activates Jimmy's signal watch, Superman comes to Jimmy's rescue, easily capturing the crooks. With the crooks defeated, Jimmy gives back the rewards he had "earned" and is brought back home by Superman.

Along the way, Jimmy vows never to never look at another sword again, and eats his words when he has to attend a friends military wedding.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 41 on the forums
• Images from Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen Vol 1 41

Footnotes

Try Your Luck

Random Character Random Comic Random Creator Random Publisher Random Animated film