Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #31
In "The E-L-A-S-T-I-C Lad," Jimmy Olsen takes a whimsical turn as he interviews a collector of legendary hats—Napoleon, Robin Hood, even a London Bobby—and spins a playful prank that sets off a chain of astonishing feats. With a mix of bold imagination and Superman’s quiet guidance, Jimmy channels the powers of history’s most famous hat-wearers, from acrobatic escapes to daring rescues, all while chasing down crooks and uncovering secrets. Written by Bill Finger and brought to life with Curt Swan’s crisp art and Ray Burnley’s dynamic inks, this 1958 classic features a cover by Curt Swan and Al Plastino, capturing Jimmy’s zany transformation in vivid detail.
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Jimmy interviews a collector of famous men's hats - Napoleon, Robin Hood, Fleming of the London Bobbies - then pranks him that the hats give the wearer the person's abilities. Soon Jimmy is tracking an escape lion like Eric Danton and shooting it with a toy bow, yanking an engine out of a crooks' car like Houdini, and rowing after bandits like Captain Alan who defeated Blackbeard - all with Superman's unseen help! He even picks up Clark Kent's old hat to become a world-famous reporter!
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).