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Mister Mxyzptlk facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Mister Mxyzptlk (pronounced miks-YEZ-pit-ƏL-ik), often called Mxy, is a fun and tricky character from DC Comics' Superman comic books. He's an imp from another dimension who loves to play pranks on Superman. Sometimes he acts like a supervillain, and other times he's more like an antihero who just wants to cause some mischief.

Who is Mister Mxyzptlk?

Mister Mxyzptlk first appeared in Superman #30 in 1944. He was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Ira Yarborough. His first story was called "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyzptlk."

Mxy comes from the 5th dimension, a place where magic and impossible things are normal. He is known for his amazing powers that can change reality itself. He uses these powers to play cartoonish tricks on Superman.

Mxy's Powers and How He's Stopped

Mister Mxyzptlk has incredible reality-warping powers. This means he can change anything around him just by thinking about it! He might turn a building into a giant jelly donut or make Superman's cape disappear. He loves to cause chaos and challenge Superman's cleverness.

For a long time, there was a special way to send Mxy back to his home dimension. Superman had to trick him into saying or spelling his own name backwards: Kltpzyxm (pronounced "kel-tip-zix-um"). If Mxy said his name backwards, he would be sent back to the 5th dimension for at least 90 days.

However, after a big comic book event called Crisis on Infinite Earths, this rule changed. Now, Mxy only leaves when he agrees to. Superman usually has to complete a challenge Mxy sets, like getting Mxy to paint his own face blue.

Mxyzptlk in TV Shows

Mister Mxyzptlk has appeared in several live-action TV shows:

  • In 1993, Howie Mandel played him in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
  • In Smallville, a character named Mikhail Mxyzptlk was played by Trent Ford.
  • He also appeared in the TV series Supergirl. Peter Gadiot played him in the second season, and Thomas Lennon played him in the fifth season.

Recognition

Mister Mxyzptlk is a well-known character in the world of comics. In 2009, IGN (a popular website about video games and entertainment) ranked him as the 76th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time. This shows how memorable and unique his pranks and challenges are to Superman fans.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mister Mxyzptlk para niños

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