My favorite appearances of Mxy lately were just before Infinite Crisis. First, he stopped time while Superman was dealing with a hostage situation to warn him about the upcoming Crisis(and also referred directly to S:TAS), and a few months later he showed Clark and Lois how they might do as parents(pretty well, as it turns out). The art parodied Sin City and Calvin and Hobbes at various points.

I’ll admit to having a soft spot for Emperor Joker, just because it was so damn weird! A look at what would happen if someone truly dangerous was given Mxy’s powers.

Wasn’t there an issue during Superman’s exile from earth storyline where, since Supes wasn’t on Earth, Mxy decided to bedevil Lex Luthor? And Lex had to get him to shave his head bald as lex’s to make him disappear.

Yes, and Luthor taught Mxyzptlk about lying through that experience.

The next time Mxyzptlk was back, Superman had to beat the Flash in a race around the world. Only the Flash won. But it turns out Mxyzptlk was lying and had to go back.

I believe that most people pronounce it Mix-Eeee-Pit-Lick, but I’m sure there are several other ways. If Mxyzptlk was real, he’d probably be delighted at how frustrated he made everyone trying to figure out how to say his name

So how is that name pronounced?

If you can believe Julie Schwartz (via Jonni DC, Continuity Cop), Mxyzptlk is pronounced “Mix-yez-Pitel-ick” (emphasis on the P); Mxyztplk is pronounced “Mux-izt-pulk.” From Ambush Bug #2, July ’85.

As for “why pick on Superman?” – my hypothosis is that he does pick on other characters, both super and civilian, but those characters don’t have their own books so we don’t see it happening. There’s gotta be something going on in the fourth dimension we don’t know about.

After Byrne modernized most of the traditional Superman villains, making them ostensibly more realistic but often more boring, it was a breath of fresh air when he used Mxy and got some classic Super-whimsy back into the books.

Yes, he got killed at the end of the (annoying endless) Ruin story, but that was pre-IC, and anyway I’m perfectly happy to believe that Mxy can’t be killed while in the 3rd dimension (with the “ripped in half between the Phantom Zone and the 5th dimension” being a special kind of exception). Whether it’s innate to Mxy or because Superboy punched stuff or because Mr. Mind ate stuff, he’s back from the dead and that’s all to the good.

I remember reading that story where Superman went to the 5th dimension and haunted Mxy. One of my favourite Pre-Crisis stories ever. Anyone remember which issue of which comic had it? Was it one of the Superman Family books?

The only other creature I can compare Mxy to is the Flintstone’s Great Gazoo. I suppose I’d like Gazoo better if Gottfried voiced him instead of Harvey Korman. It would be better still if Mxy was in a Flintstones cartoon. On Adult Swim. Alternately directed by John K. or early David Lynch. That would rock, so to speak.

Also the only of my top ten not in yet.

sgt pepper – In one of the Super Friends cartoons, they pronounced it something like “Mix-yez-pittle-ick”, and that seems to be the dominant pronunciation.

I’ve always said Mix-al-plik, but that doesn’t make perfect sense from the spelling (and where’d I pick that up from? Is that how they said it on one of the cartoons?)