Mxyzpixilated
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| Superman: The Animated Series episode | |
|---|---|
| |
| "Mxyzpixilated" | |
| Airdate: | September 20, 1997 (USA) |
| Production Number: | 021 |
| Airdate Order: | 21 |
| Animation Services by: | TMS-Kyokuichi Corporation |
| Written by: | Paul Dini |
| Directed by: | Dan Riba |
| Episode images (2) | |
"Mxyzpixilated" is the episode of Superman: The Animated Series. It depicts the appearance of Mr. Mxyzptlk (pronounced Mix-yeez-spit-lick in this series) in Metropolis. Superman suddenly finds himself getting tormented by an imp with powers so great they can only be called magic. When the imp gives Superman a rule for his leaving for 90 days, Superman manages to beat him at every turn.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
It's another typical day in Metropolis with Superman flying overhead. Suddenly, there's trouble as a strange little man walks through the middle of traffic calling for McGurk and causing traffic trouble. An armored truck speeds towards him. Superman swoops down and tries to hold back the truck but it suddenly turns into bubbles. Superman ends up on the street and looks at the little man who is also made of bubbles. The man mocks him and pops. Everything seems okay, so Superman leaves.
Later, Clark sits at his desk at the Daily Planet and notices Jimmy chuckling at a newspaper. Clark inquires as to what's so funny and Jimmy shows him a comic strip entitled "Mr. Mxyzptlk" starring the very same man Superman saw in the streets earlier that day. Clark tries to read the name as Miks-il-plik but the character jumps out of the newspaper and corrects him by saying he's Mix, Yeez, Spit, Lick. He then asks about McGurk. Clark grabs at him but the man turns into a newspaper. He asks Lois if she saw the weird man but she only dismisses this as a delusion.
Lois and Clark go to the art museum to work cover the opening and soon hear Mr. Mxyzptlk calling McGurk once again. He shows up and causes a stir amongst the guests. Clark tries to confront him but is unsuccessful. The curator decides to continue and shows the newest piece of their exhibit: Auguste Rodin's famous statue The Thinker. Mr. Mxyzptlk identifies the statue as McGurk and calls for it to come. The statue comes to life and walks away with him much to the surprise of the guests. Clark has had quite enough and slips away. He then confronts Mr. Mxyzptlk but the statue attacks him. Superman fights back and punches the head off the statue. The next thing he knows, the guests are in shock that Superman just knocked off the head of an ordinary statue. They are apparently unaware of the statue ever coming to life and Superman can only sheepishly claim it was "the little man."
Superman goes to see his parents Jonathan and Martha Kent and tells them about it. They assure him that there's nothing wrong and it's just "a brilliant god-like being from a dimension twice removed from ours is testing his powers." Shortly afterward, they start acting like chickens then turn into chickens. Mr. Mxyzptlk appears and turns them into ducks, then ostriches and finally into fierce alien creatures. Superman traps the two and insists they be turned back. Mr. Mxyzptlk turns them into a parody of "American Gothic" and explains that he's been tormenting humans for centuries. When Superman showed up he found a source of fun and claims he only wants to play a few games. Superman insists that a game must have rules so Mr. Mxyzptlk makes the rule that if he reveals his name backwards he'll leave for ninety days. Superman tricks him into saying his name backwards: Kyltpzyxm (Kill-tip-seize-em). Things go back to normal and his parents have no idea what happened.
Mr. Mxyzptlk shows up in another ninety days and is easily sent back before he can do anything. He shows up in yet another ninety days and once again gets sent back this time spelling his name backwards.
Back in the fifth dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk angrily complains about how Superman beat him again. His wife Gsptlsnz (Gez-pit-lez-nez) tries unsuccessfully to dissuade him from obsessing over Superman. She suggests Mr. Mxyzptlk destroy Superman before he can win. This starts Mr. Mxyzptlk on a ninety-day task of creating a battle suit all the while ignoring his wife. At last, he leaves with the new suit built but is sent back in less than five seconds.
Another ninety days pass and Clark moans over the impending visit of the imp. Soon after, Lois is turned into a horse. The entire staff is turned into animals with Jimmy being turned into a turtle and Perry into a walrus (other animals include a penguin, a pig, a poodle, a stork, a chimpanzee, a goat, a bear, a kangaroo and a frog). Mr. Mxyzptlk shows up and feeds Lois a carrot. Superman asks what he needs to do to get rid of him forever. Mr. Mxyzptlk says that Superman will have to get him to reveal his name backwards twice in a row. Superman refuses as he's tired of it and has decided to quit. Mr. Mxyzptlk threatens to leave Superman's friends as they are, and also to tell the world that Superman is Clark Kent but this comes to naught.
Superman goes flying but Mr. Mxyzptlk follows after him claiming he can't be out flown. Superman continues on but Mr. Mxyzptlk turns into a plane and starts firing at him. Superman is somewhat hurt by the bullets but manages to grab the lid off of a water tower and deflects Mr. Mxyzptlk's bullets back at him. Now angered Mr. Mxyzptlk turns into "the ultimate smart bomb" which has a kryptonite warhead. Superman starts to fly erratically trying to escape but to no avail. Mr. Mxyzptlk eventually catches up with Superman and knocks him down. The imp basks in his victory but soon finds that he was tricked into skywriting his name backwards twice. He is then banished from the third dimension and everything goes to normal.
In spite of Superman's seemingly permanent victory, Mr. Mxyzptlk still obsesses over him and vows to one day return.
[edit] Background Information
[edit] Production Inconsistencies
- Since the Second Day of the episode, as shown on the newspaper comic page, is August 21 the ending of it being on May 22 would show that only 9 months have passed. Possibly the producers accidentally didn't count the three months of George, Relish, and Pants since they didn't put in a "three months later" clip for that scene
[edit] Trivia
- If the episode started on August 20 then it would either have to be in 1993 or 1999 (however, '99 is unlikely since the episode aired in '97), If the episode was meant to start on May 20 then it would most likely take place in 1994 0r 2000 (which is also unlikely for before mentioned reason).
- Mr. Mxyzptlk calling McGurk is a tribute to the very first comic story of Mr. Mxyzptlk. His design was based off of the character's Golden Age version.
- The strip "Mr. Mxyzptlk" is said to be written by Siegel and Shuster. This is a tribute to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman.
- Miks-il-plik is the pronunciation of "Mxyzptlk" used in Super Friends.
- This episode takes place over a period of one year and 2 days, the second longest time period of any episode of the series.
- In the animal scene in the Daily Planet, it changes from day to night to day again between three scenes.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Streaky, who became Streaky the Supercat in the Golden Age comics and in the unconnected animated series Krypto the Superdog. However, he never gains powers in this show but Mxyzptlk uses his powers to make Streaky fly around the kitchen.
- According to the commentary on the DVD, this is the favorite episode of Paul Dini.
- Bruce Timm and Paul Dini revealed in their DVD commentary that they had hoped to bring Mr. Mxyzptlk back for an episode of Justice League but they never did because they could not conceive of a sufficiently good story for him.
- Jimmy turning into a turtle refers to an old alter ego of his in the comics, Turtle Boy.
- This episode was featured as a bonus episode on the 2-disc DVD of Superman: Doomsday.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Tim Daly | Superman/Clark Kent |
| Dana Delany | Lois Lane |
| David Kaufman | Jimmy Olsen |
| Shelley Fabares | Martha Kent |
| Mike Farrell | Jonathan Kent |
| Tress MacNeille | Curator |
| Frank Welker | Evil Creatures |
| Gilbert Gottfried | Mr. Mxyzptlk |
| Sandra Bernhard | Gsptlsnz |
[edit] Quotes
Superman: I can't even say your name forward, how am I supposed to say it backward? |
Superman: Oh, it's you again, Mr. Kyltpzxm. |
Mr. Mxyzptlk: Bye, Gzpy, don't wait up! (vanishes to Earth) |
Lois: (notices a penguin waddle by her desk) Was that a penguin? |
Mr. Mxyzptlk: Hey! Hey! You can't just walk out! If you do, your friends will stay mindless beasts! |
Mr. Mxyzptlk: (In writing over his head) ¡*%#! |
Mr. Mxyzptlk I won! I won! Ah ha ha ha! In your face, Superman! |
| Previously produced episode: "Identity Crisis" | Episodes of Superman: The Animated Series | Next produced episode: "Speed Demons" |
| Previously aired episode: "Target" | Next aired episode: "Action Figures" |
