Who Is Mr. Mxyzptlk And Why Is He On ‘Supergirl’ This Week?
Who is this Mr. Mxyzptlk guy on Supergirl this week? Viewers of Supergirl who aren’t also big fans of the Superman comics might find him to be a bit puzzling, given the very short introduction he had at the end of last week’s episode. So this will be a look at all things Mxyzptlk. Okay, some things Mxyzptlk.
So, Who Is He?
As noted by TV Line, Mr. Mxyzptlk is a higher-dimensional cosmic being of almost unlimited power that has tormented Superman for decades in the comics and on television – although he’s never made an appearance in the movies. At least, not yet.
Mxyzptlk comes from the fifth dimension and has the ability to do or create virtually anything. Mxyzptlk is one of the oldest Superman villains, having been created in 1944 by the original creators of Superman himself, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
When it comes to understanding the power level of Mr. Mxyzptlk, a close comparison might be Q on Star Trek. Essentially, he is a god and can perform miraculous feats with his trans-dimensional abilities. Virtually no one in the DC universe can oppose him using force.
Mr. Mxyzptlk is clearly based in the trickster gods of many pagan religions, like Loki – yes, that Loki. But he takes the idea of being a pest to the stratosphere. He’s also very fond of crazy games and practical jokes. Dealing with a being like this isn’t easy – even for Superman or Supergirl. As powerful as they are, they are putty in the hands of Mxyzptlk.
In the old days in the comics, the only way to get Mxyzptlk to leave – for a while – was to get him to say or write his name backwards. During one of the many “crises” in which the DC writers reworked the DC universe, the character of Mxyzptlk was retconned so that he could chose to leave or set the parameters for leaving.
But even in later animated and live-action versions of the character of Mr. Mxyzptlk, they still stood by the old idea that he has to do the backwards name thing to be sent back to the fifth dimension. Who knows if that’s the approach they will use for Supergirl, but it seems unlikely. That would be a bit campy, even for Supergirl.
Why is Mr. Mxyzptlk On Supergirl?
One thing most people have noticed when they are watching Supergirl is that a lot of Superman’s enemies seem to show up. From General Zod to Reactron. The simple fact is, Supergirl in the comics has a fairly weak bullpen of villains to pull from.
This is why so many Superman adversaries seem to pop into town each week on Supergirl. Mr. Mxyzptlk appears to be just another example of this trend on the show. After all, she has to fight someone.
Mxyzptlk looks as though he is going to be portrayed in a very different way on the show. In the comics and the animated series –as well as one version in live action – Mxyzptlk is essentially a tiny balding man with a little derby hat and weird clothes. But it seems like Supergirl has decided to make him a hunk.
Since they appear – in the trailers – to be making him a romantic competitor with Mon-El for Kara’s affections, it was clearly necessary for him to be at least moderately attractive. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind the trickster nature of Mr. Mxyzptlk. Maybe the hot guy look is all just an illusion. By the end of the episode, Supergirl my find out Mxyzptlk looks exactly like he does in the comics.
[Featured Image by The CW]
