The life of Superman has been haunted and tormented by one villain more than any other. But the cruel tricks and Fifth-Dimensional sorcery of Mister Mxyztplk may finally come to an end, now that Superman has finally unlocked his own magical imp. And this higher-level being may have a chance at becoming thhe most powerful being in DC’s entire universe.
Superman Finally Creates His Own Sidekick Imp, Kal-Elf
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #4 by W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, Chris O’Halloran
There is a very good chance that even lifelong fans of the DC Universe may have a love/hate relationship with the likes of Mister Mxyztplk, Bat-Mite, and the other reality-warping inhabitants of DC’s infamous “Fifth Dimension.” Effectively set in a realm of imagination far beyond anything resembling reality, tales of the strange location (and its denizens) are often “too weird” for traditional superhero fans.
But nothing is too weird for the ongoing Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum from DC Black Label, pitting Kal-El against the weirdest varieties of Kryptonite ever discovered. So when a strange chunk of rainbow Kryptonite draws him into the Fifth Dimension, the Man of Steel’s sanity is at stake as much as his very life (with the loss of one leading to death in the real world).
As Mxy explains, the very existence of the Fifth Dimension is in danger of being erased by one unimaginative child. But with no imp-familiar to help guide his mind like the teamwork of Batman and Bat-Mite, Kal-El must do the impossible, and think one up. Thankfully, there’s no better place to dream something into reality than the Fifth Dimension.
And as Kal-Elf soon demonstrates, his superlative skills and power are just as potent in this magical realm as the real Superman’s back on Earth. With virtually no limits on his abilities or referential skills (immediately citing the John Williams score to Superman: The Movie as his entrance theme), Kal-Elf quickly dominates the dreamscape as handily as Kal-El rules the real.
The day is saved, and Superman returned home, but there is no denying that after half a century Superman has finally been given not just a Fifth Dimensional imp to ruin his day, but a familiar to fight beside. And there is no putting this genie back in his bottle.
What Will The Future Hold For Superman’s New Elf Sidekick?
Now that the series has introduced both Superman’s own god-tier Fifth Dimensional imp, and the exact tool he needs to travel there intentionally, a new era of Superman comics has been opened up to creators. As mentioned above, the era of Bat-Mite hijinks was certainly not for everyone (least of all modern readers). Despite that, Kal-Elf marks a historic debut for DC Comics.
It may be too soon to imagine what Black Label series could reunite Kal-El and Elf for an unforgettable, psychedelic battle through non-linear space. But based on the work from the creative team of Prince and Morazzo in this issue, this dynamic duo is simply too good to not capitalize on. It may take some time, but this won’t be the last DC fans see of Kal-Elf, Superman’s 5D familiar.
Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #4 is available now from DC Comics.
- 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.
