Credits | Characters | Plot Summary | Comments | Reprinted In Jimmy Olsen Chronology | Legion Chronology Editor: Mort Weisinger Writer: Jerry Siegel Penciller: Curt Swan Inker: George Klein Feature Character: Jimmy Olsen Supporting Character: Superman Guest Legionnaires: Bouncing Boy (disguises himself as Fat Boy, a Jimmy Olsen transformation from Jimmy Olsen No. 49), Chameleon Boy (disguises himself as Elastic Lad), Colossal Boy (disguises himself as the giant Turtle Man from Jimmy Olsen No. 53), Cosmic Boy (disguises himself as the Human Porcupine from Jimmy Olsen No. 65), Lightning Lad, Mon-El (disguises himself as "the Collector"), Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Sun Boy, Triplicate Girl Honorary Legionnaire: Elastic Lad/Jimmy Olsen (joins this issue) Other Characters: The host of "Meet the Celebrities" TV show, the studio audience of "Meet the Celebrities", a METV cameraman, Miss Gzptlsnz (Zrfffian imp on newsreel clip), Proty II (disguises himself as Wolf Boy/Man, a Jimmy Olsen transformation from Jimmy Olsen No. 44 & 52), a 30th century cameraman, citizens of 30th c. Metropolis, the Legion of Substitute Heroes - Fire Lad, Polar Boy, Night Girl, and Stone Boy "The World of Doomed Olsens" (9 pages)
The elastic serum that Jimmy takes is not the same formula as he has used previously. This one appears to be a diluted, less efficacious version, since three drops of it gives him the power for three minutes, or, a drop per minute. Yet in Jimmy Olsen No. 62, inhaling the vapors of the serum gives him the power for a 24-hour period of time. Professor Potter, not mentioned in this story, must have given Jimmy a special diluted version because it was only to be used for a quick display of one of Jimmy's many transformations. There are three bottles on the table next to Jimmy. Sampling drops of the first bottle gave Jimmy Elastic Lad's power. The second bottle contained the serum that transforms him into a Wolf Man. The audience (and readers) never get to see what effect the third bottle's serum would have on him but it was most likely the potion that turned him into Fat Boy. The Collector's vehicle, while looking like a redressed time-globe, was not capable of time-travel since the Legionnaires had a time-globe hidden elsewhere with which to return to the future. "The Collector" imprisoned Jimmy on the planet "Gion-El", which is a big clue as to who the hoaxters are, since it is an anagram for "Legion" as well as sounding like a Kryptonian personal name.
The Legionnaires disguise themselves as various identities Jimmy has had over the years: Colossal Boy (Giant Turtle Man), Cosmic Boy (the Human Porcupine), Bouncing Boy (Fat Boy), Chameleon Boy (Elastic Lad), and Proty II is disguised as Wolf Man (also called Wolf Boy in this story). Proty II appears for the first time in this story. Chameleon Boy introduces him as a "friend of my first Protean pet, who died when he sacrificed his life for Saturn Girl". Chameleon Boy probably met Proty II when he took Proty's body back to his home-world. Although telepathic, Proty II is said to be mute in this story, even while in human form. Later he learns a trick to make it seem like he is talking. According to Mort Weisinger in the letter column of Adventure Comics No. 317:
Later, in the Adventure Comics No. 325 letter column, the editor adds new information about Proty II's abilities:
Strangely, Cosmic Boy wears a skin-colored body-suit over his costume while disguised as the Human Porcupine instead of just taking off his shirt. Reasons for why he might do this include any or all of the following: 1) Jimmy Olsen, being a red-head, has fairer skin than he does; 2) the mask would blend in more seemlessly; 3) to protect him from being jabbed by the quills; 4) to make a more dramatic revelation as Cosmic Boy. It is interesting how Chameleon Boy disguises himself as Elastic Lad in this story, when in Adventure Comics No. 372, he disguises himself as an elastic-bodied Legion Academy "drop-out" in order to infiltrate the Legion of Super-Villains training academy. Jimmy Olsen first met Mon-El in the Phantom Zone in Jimmy Olsen No. 62. Jimmy first met Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, and Bouncing Boy in Superman No. 156. He hadn't met Colossal Boy or Proty before this issue, so probably knows about them from Superman. Chameleon Boy says that Jimmy Olsen has helped the Legion "so much in the past", yet the only times previous to this that Jimmy met the Legion are in Jimmy Olsen No. 70, when Element Lad dropped in to help celebrate Superman's 25th anniversary, and in Superman No. 156, and he didn't exactly help any Legion members in that story. The only possible instance that Chameleon Boy could be referring to is Jimmy Olsen No. 63, in which Jimmy Olsen defeats the adult Legion of Super-Villains. Now, this brings up the question of how the teenaged Legionnaires know about this instance, as the LSV comes from a time further in the future than the teenaged Legionnaires. Supergirl - no stranger to knowing about "adult" things concerning the Legion's future (see Action Comics No. 289) - was present in that story, taking the Villains back into their own future time to be incarcerated. Supergirl must have told the Legionnaires about the LSV, who are time-travelers, in case they come back in time to battle them (as they do in Adventure Comics No. 331). Knowing that Chameleon Boy is someone who is concerned about Durlan reputation in the galaxy (see Adventure Comics No. 350's "Meet the Legionnaires" text feature), she probably assured him that Chameleon Chief was not a Durlan (just as the Chameleon Men from Action Comics No. 287/2 were not Durlan). Impressed with Jimmy's performance, Chameleon Boy and Supergirl told the other Legionnaires of his good deed and he was nominated for membership. It is Chameleon Boy himself who explains to Jimmy that it is because he has helped the Legion "so much" (i.e. greatly) in the past. In a later story (Jimmy Olsen No. 85), Chameleon Boy gives Jimmy a gift of a serum which will duplicate his chameleon-powers in the honorary Legionnaire. Jimmy is made an honorary member and not a regular member because he fulfills only one of the three prerequisites - he is of good character. He could not be made a full member because, while Jimmy possesses a super-power as Elastic Lad, his ability is not natural but dependent on a serum. Jimmy was also over the age of 18 (being born in 1941, he was approximately 22 at the time of this tale). Cosmic Boy is the one to swear Jimmy into the team, although Saturn Girl is the current leader of the Legion. Knowing how much of a history buff Cosmic Boy is, Saturn Girl no doubt let him do the honors. Because the Legion of Substitute Heroes can be seen attending Jimmy's induction ceremony - and, at the time this story was published, the Subs existence wasn't yet known to the Legion - this story must chronologically take place after the events of Adventure Comics No. 315, not before. Members of the Subs were invited to attend the ceremony as a reward for all their secret assistance; they were not members of the Legion Reserve yet. This chronological "preview" is corroborated by the fact that Proty II is not seen in Adventure Comics No. 313-315 but is re-introduced in Adventure Comics in issue No. 316 at a commemorative ceremony for Proty.
It is interesting to note that, at the ceremony, Triplicate Girl and Bouncing Boy are standing next to each other as two of four "honor guards" present (the other two being Saturn Girl and Mon-El); by the adult Legion's time, Chuck and Luornu will have married. After the ceremony to make him an honorary member, Jimmy is given duplicates of some of the Legionnaires' costumes, including those belonging to Colossal Boy, Star Boy, and Sun Boy (as seen in Jimmy Olsen No. 77). Jimmy Olsen No. 140 (Aug. 1971) Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 2 Showcase Presents: The Legion of Super-Heroes Vol. 1 |
While appearing on the
"Meet the Celebrities" TV show, Jimmy Olsen
performs and shows clips of the fantastic transformations
he's taken over the years. Suddenly, an alien calling
himself "The Collector" appears in a
bubble-ship and accuses Jimmy of committing heinous
crimes against the people of his world. Jimmy had used
his Superman signal-watch 18 times in a one-month period,
and sonic waves penetrated into the Collector's dimension
and caused a chain reaction which destroyed an entire
city. As punishment, Jimmy is taken to the planet Gion-El
and condemned to spend his days tormented by his former
identities - the Wolf-Man, the giant Turtle Man, the
Human Porcupine and Fat Boy. Even Superman is unable to
help him and only when Jimmy throws a lead microphone at
the Collector, who instinctively ducks, it clues the
reporter in to the fact that it is really Mon-El in
disguise (who shunned lead out of habit). Then Jimmy
reveals, in turn, each Legionnaire who had been disguised
as a version of him and is congratulated for his good
thinking. Superman takes Jimmy to the 30th century where
the Legionnaires wait out front of the clubhouse.
Superman reveals that the reason for the hoax was a
super-initiation test, as he is going to be made an
honorary member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. In a
televised ceremony, Jimmy is inducted as the super-team's
newest member.
The Legionnaires,
disguised as Jimmy's past transformations, suddenly
appear in front of Jimmy and "the Collector"
(Mon-El) seemingly like magic. Mon-El must have whisked
them in at super-speed, just like when he placed the
plastic tree-roots on them at super-speed.