Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #110

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #110 (On Sale: February 27, 1968) features a cool Neal Adams cover. This thing reminds me of those great golden age Superman covers.

"Jimmy Olsen's Blackest Deeds" is by Jim Shooter, Curt Swan and George Klein. Jimmy Olsen volunteers for an experiment which allows him to go back in time and assume the bodies of men for which he is genetically similar (and by that they apparently mean other people who are side-kicks to heroes!). In one of his past lives, Jimmy was Janus, a friend of Julius Caesar. Jimmy learns that he betrayed Caesar and allowed the ruler to be assassinated.

In another of Jimmy's lives, he was Sir Oliver, a knight who served Richard the Lion-Hearted. During a battle, Jimmy was ordered to protect Richard, but he fled. Richard's attack succeeded, but the king was fatally wounded as a result of Jimmy's desertion.

Jimmy then takes the place of a Civil War soldier. After the war, the soldier is posted as a guard outside Ford Theatre while President Lincoln is watching a play. Jimmy falls asleep on guard duty and allows John Wilkes Booth to enter and kill Lincoln.

When Jimmy returns to the present he is disturbed that he brought about the downfall of great men. He worries that the same will happen to Superman, so he goes into exile.

The back-up story, "The Menace of Superman's Fan Mail," is a reprint from Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #35, by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and Stan Kaye. To increase circulation at the Daily Planet, Jimmy Olsen runs a promotion in which he will answer questions about Superman. Thousands of letters arrive, each asking a different question which Jimmy answers. Some letters ask for a personal response from Superman himself, who agrees to help.

A criminal named "Labs" Logan has developed a Kryptonite solution which he puts onto some return envelopes. When Superman licks them he is slowly poisoned. As the poison begins to take effect, Superman becomes weaker.

"Labs" forces Jimmy to give Superman another poisoned envelope, which when licked by Superman, causes him to pass out.

Edited by Mort Weisinger.