The best monster in DC’s Silver Age Superman comics returns sixty-four years after his debut in a futuristic timeline. While characters like Batman have more easily-recognizable foes, Superman’s rogue gallery is perhaps one of the most varied. There are aliens, robots, cyborgs, human billionaires, clones, reality-bending Fifth-Dimensional imps, and artificially-designed creatures of all kinds, just to name a few.
Superman has fought hundreds of enemies in his eighty-seven-year history, which also includes his alternate futures. For example, Adventures of Superman: Book Of El takes the Man of Steel to a future timeline. There, Superman sees through the seemingly utopian facade to learn that the future is still dominated by a variety of villains, including cults, robots, and an improved version of Brainiac himself.
Fortunately, Superman isn’t alone in this fight. DC’s future has welcomed many pure-hearted individuals who still embody Superman’s values, as well as lifelong allies who have an ace under their sleeve.
Jimmy Olsen’s Turtle Kaiju Transformation Returns
Adventures of Superman: Book of El #3; Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson; Art by Scott Godlewski, Alex Guimaraes, and Matt Herms
As Superman exchanges words with Brainiac, the Men of Summer arrive to eliminate the “chronicler of the Els,” an old librarian who protects Superman’s legacy in the future. This librarian is no other than Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen, who allegedly “spent a thousand years looking” for Clark Kent. Superman is too busy to intervene, but Jimmy doesn’t need any help, as he transforms into a giant turtle monster and crushes the Men of Summer all by himself.
Jimmy unlocked his turtle kaiju transformation in the 1961 Silver Age comic Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #53, where he was exposed to a strange enlarging ray during one of his many wild adventures. The serum caused his body to mutate into an enormous, reptilian creature with green, scaly skin and a turtle-like shell. Though initially horrified by his monstrous appearance, Jimmy eventually used his colossal strength to aid Superman before returning to normal.
Jimmy Olsen’s giant Turtle-Man form has reappeared a few times over the years, most recently in Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #3, where he transforms again from an allergic reaction to cats. Despite its comical origins, Jimmy Olsen’s Turtle-Man form possesses tremendous destructive power. While Jimmy rarely weaponizes it, his kaiju-sized alter ego could be terrifyingly effective if he made the most of it, as he illustrates in Adventures of Superman: Book of El.
Turtle-Man Is The Most Iconic Of Jimmy Olsen’s Transformations
Jimmy Olsen Has Pioneered Multiple Monikers
Over the decades, Jimmy Olsen has undergone countless bizarre transformations, but none are as iconic as Turtle-Man. Jimmy has become Elastic Lad after drinking an experimental serum and Flamebird while adventuring with Superman in Kandor. Other forms include a werewolf, a giant, a genie, and a Bizarro version of himself during the Silver Age’s wildest years.
Each of these transformations reflects Jimmy’s fearless curiosity and his role as Superman’s adventurous ally. Still, Turtle-Man stands above the rest because it perfectly embodies the surreal, comedic tone of the Silver Age. The fact that Jimmy is still able to transform in the far future proves Jimmy will never abandon his lighthearted origins.
- Created By
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Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
- First Appearance
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Action Comics
- Alias
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Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
- Alliance
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Justice League, Superman Family
- Race
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Kryptonian
- Franchise
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D.C.