Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #109

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #109 (On Sale: January 11, 1968) sports a pretty cool Neal Adams cover, the second of the eight covers Neal would do for DC this month.

"Luthor's Pal, Jimmy Olsen" is by Cary Bates and Pete Costanza. In this Weisinger-era imaginary story, before Jimmy Olsen arrived in Metropolis, Lex Luthor uses a time viewer to learn that Jimmy will become Superman's pal. Luthor changes history and rescues Jimmy from an accident that he himself caused. Lex then convinces Jimmy that his evil twin brother Lester framed him for the crimes for which Lex was convicted.

Lex and Jimmy become friends, a relationship Lex exploits. Lex gives Jimmy a signal watch, and the boy reporter helps Lex avoid capture. When Lena Thorul discovers Lex's hideout, Lex captures her. Lex then arms Jimmy with a belt filled with Kryptonite gas to kill Superman.

The back-up story, "The Human Octopus," reprinted from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #41, is by Robert Bernstein, Curt Swan and John Forte. Jimmy Olsen accidentally eats a fruit that Superman brought back from an alien world. The fruit causes Jimmy to grow four additional arms. Jimmy is happy at first (this guy Olsen is a strange bird!), but eventually the arms become a menace. Jimmy loses his job, his girlfriend, and he wrecks his car. The boy reporter finally asks Superman for help. The Man of Steel creates an antidote which does indeed restore Jimmy to normal.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.