SUPERMAN MEETS MR

SUPERMAN MEETS MR. CLEAN?

Article #7

While reading a recently purchased Batman: From the 30s to the 70s book from eBay, I was struck by something. In reading the few Superman-Batman team-up stories, it became interesting to note that Superman’s main role in many cases was that of the clean-up crew. Not only in team-ups, even in his own stories Superman’s main role is that of a one-man custodial engineer. Clearing out lava floes, icebergs, spilt radioisotopes, robotic refuse, crashed spaceships, and fallen giant Daily Planet globes and so on. And he always has to plug that hole in the Batcave every time he visits. Heck, he even has the criminal element pitching in as they continuously gather that horrid kryptonite that’s littering the landscape. In particular, a story entitled “Bat-Mite meets Mr. Mxyzptlk” from the Batman: 30s to 70s book, Superman shows his true cleaning prowess. He clears out some giant plants that look like animals, clears out a giant, alien, uhm, thing (it’s all dark and hairy with a giant eye and octopus arms that shoot flame, and, well, drug use was popular in the 60s right?). Seriously, if you ever get this book, don’t look at the monster. It still haunts my nightmares. Superman uses a super head-butt (ala Mr. Zidane) then hurls the monster into space.

And then there are the below panels…

Yes, that’s Superman using his hair as a mop! A MOP!!! The one question this story did not answer, how the heck did he get that syrup out of his hair? Wouldn’t it raise Lois Lane’s suspicions about his dual identity if Clark Kent showed up smelling of the House of Pancakes? And how, I ask you HOW, does one head of hair, no matter how super, soak up enough syrup to cover an entire street?

My head hurts just thinking about it.

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