Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #33
In "The Legends That Came to Life!", Jimmy Olsen finds himself in the spotlight on a quiz show, answering questions about mythical figures—only to see those legends literally come to life when a lightning-struck nuclear dump channels the collective imagination of millions. With Jack Frost spreading deadly cold, a giant devouring everything in sight, and a kryptonite-wielding Pied Piper leading the chaos, Superman races to contain the supernatural mayhem. Written by Otto Binder and brought to life by Curt Swan’s dynamic art with Ray Burnley’s inks, this 1958 classic features a dazzling cover by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye, blending science fiction and folklore in a uniquely imaginative tale.
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Lightning strikes a nuclear dump and creates a giant prism, while across town, Jimmy answers questions on a quiz show about Jack Frost, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Pied Piper. The "super-powerful mental force" of 60,000,000 viewers makes the legends come to life from the radioactive prism. Superman must chase off killing frost, overfeed a giant, and rescue entranced cops before the legends gang up with kryptonite. Jimmy conjures a duplicate Superman to the rescue, and shattering the prism banishes the legends.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).