Mister Mxyzptlk (/ˌmɪksjɛzˈpɪtəlɪk/ MIKS-yez-PIT-əl-ik or /ˈmɪksɪlplɪk/ MIK-sil-plik), sometimes called Mxy, is a character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is usually presented as a trickster in the classical mythological sense. Mxyzptlk possesses reality-warping powers with which he enjoys tormenting Superman or making life difficult. His portrayal has varied, with him being an outright supervillain in some media, and an antihero in others.
Mr. Mxyzptlk was created to appear in Superman #30 (September / October 1944), in the story "The Mysterious Mr. Mxyztplk" (the original spelling), by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Ira Yarborough.[1] Due to publishing lag time, the character saw print first in the Superman daily comic strip by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist Wayne Boring.[2]
In most of Mxyzptlk's appearances in DC Comics, he can be stopped only by tricking him into saying or spelling his own name backwards, which will return him to his home in the fifth dimension and keep him there for a minimum of 90 days.[3] This limitation of the character was modified in the 1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, upon which Mxyzptlk changes his condition to leave to a new requirement each story, such as having Superman succeed in getting him to paint his own face blue.[4]
Mxyzptlk has appeared in various television adaptations of Superman. He first appeared in the 1966 animated series The New Adventures of Superman, voiced by Gilbert Mack, and later appeared in Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends franchise, voiced by Frank Welker, the 1988-1992 television series Superboy, portrayed by Michael J. Pollard, and the 1993 television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, portrayed by Howie Mandel. He also appeared in the 2001 television series Smallville played by Trent Ford, and in the Arrowverse television series Supergirl played by Peter Gadiot in the second season, and by Thomas Lennon in the fifth and sixth seasons, while Gilbert Gottfried prominently voiced the character in several voice-acting-related projects until his death.
