5th Dimensional Imps
5th Dimensional Imps are a species that feature in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Pre-Crisis
During one visit to Earth, Mister Mxyzptlk took a young Jonathan Ross with him as he transformed Metropolis to make it more like his home in the 5th Dimension where he renamed the city Mxypolis. Ross was empowered with some of the Imps powers and later used them to trap Mxyzptlk forcing him to say his name to return to his dimension in order to escape the trap. With him gone, all of his changes to Metropolis were undone and turned back to normal. (Action Comics v1 #460)
Police from the 5th Dimension arrested Mr. Mxyzptlk after he was using a remote control device to get Jimmy Olsen to use Imp-like powers to pull pranks on Earth. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #74)
Mr. Mxyzptlk was apprehended in the fifth dimension after it was discovered that he had committed bigamy by marrying Ms. Gsptlsnz and Ms. Bgbznz. He was sentenced to imprisonment in a nullsphere so that he could not use his Zrfffian powers whilst Ms. Bgbznz got custody of the child Kytszbtn. The sorcerer Thul-Kar mentally approached Mr. Mxyzptlk and afforded him power in exchange for his fealty to Aethyr which he agreed as he desired revenge against Superman. (DC Comics Presents v1 #97)
In the 40th century, a descendant of Mister Mxyzptlk sought revenge against the legacy of Superman for the defeats of his ancestor and targeted Supergirl with the goal of ruining her reputation by making her appear as an outlaw. (Action Comics v1 #362)
Post-Crisis
According to Bat-Mite, imagination was considered the fifth dimension.
Modern
On Wonderworld's museum, there resided an evil imp who was trapped within a bottle with six dimension by the inhabitants of Omnitropolis. (JLA v1 #12) It was once attacked by the Ultimator of the ultimate Tenth Dimension. (New Year's Evil: Mr. Mxyzptlk v1 #1)
During the war between the royal courts of Lkz and Yz, Green Lantern and Captain Marvel entered into the 5th Dimension and appeal for the aid from the rest of the Imps. By this point, the Imp Qwsp had been rampaging among the lower dimension but the intervention of the rest of his compatriots saw him being arrested for assault under imprisonment article 173 leading to one million infinites in an 8-dimensional maze. (JLA v1 #31)
In the 853rd century, OWAC and the Laughing Virus met with criminal Imps who offered transform them along with their compatriots into 5th Dimensional beings in exchange for their vowels traded to them. This was stopped by the intervention of that century's Batman and Superman who were aided by Bat-Mite with Mxyzptlk. (DC One Million 80-Page Giant 1,000,000) During a battle with Epoch, the Lord of Time frozen the Batman and Superman of this era in a time-loop but the latter hero used his fifth dimensional ancestry to bypass the loop. (Superman/Batman v1 #80)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of history was created with a different timeline of events. 5th Dimensional Imps were inhabitants of the 5th Dimension that was composed of imagination which was the lifeblood of the Multiverse. It existed above the 4th Dimension of time but below the 6th Dimension which was a higher plane where governance of the Multiverse was made by the beings that manifested there. (Justice League v4 #19) Once upon an always, there ruled the King-Thing Brpxz of the Fivefold Country Zrfff who remained sad and alone after the loss of his Queen. His court made numerous attempts at making him happy but failed with even the Lord Vyndktvx failing until a magician named Mister Mxyzptlk who succeeded. In his jealousy, Vyndktvx stole the Multispear and intended to kill Mr. Mxyzptlk but was unaware that it was simply the king wearing the hat. The death of the king saw 230 worlds being killed instantly where only two planets gave unexpected resistance to the third dimensional Multitude. (Action Comics v2 #15) On Yod-Colu, the being that would become Brainiac determined the existence of the 5th Dimension and its inhabitants. It was this discovery that led him to learn the threat of the Multitude and that his own homeworld was in the path of the horde. Thus, he began experiments starting with his own son in order to upgrade his people in preparing for the coming invasion but was deemed a criminal by his kind. This led to his banishment where he became the Collector of Worlds after upgrading himself where he saved a city on Yod-Colu before it was destroyed by the Multitude. As a result, Vril Dox now known as Brainiac sought the means of stopping the threat from the 5th Dimension. (Superman v3 #23.2)
On Earth, the existence of the 5th Dimension was secretly discovered by Lionel Luthor after he was commissioned on a research project by Vandal Savage to study the cosmic forces of creation. He believed that the denizens called Imps who had appeared on the planet numerous times where they were referred to as Leprechauns and Boggarts. Luthor reasoned that this hypothetical 5th Dimension could open the doors to a higher 6th Dimension. (Justice League v4 #18)
After the Source Wall was broken, reality itself began to breakdown as the Multiverse was falling apart with the 5th Dimension similarly dying as a result. Imagination began to run wild as the Imps attempted to stem the tide of destruction but they were wasting away. (Justice League v4 #19)
Overview
These beings from the Fifth Dimension were described as being immortal quint-dimensional god-beings with time having no meaning to them. (Action Comics v1 #975) An Imp was capable of manipulating time and matter along with the power to impose new laws of physics through thought alone. (JLA v1 #28) This was referred to as 5th dimensional magic that allowed them to achieve these feats. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #65) Their lifeblood was a substance that the referred to as dytpjg. (Justice League v4 #19) Every Imp had a secret name that they kept hidden as another who learnt it was able to take their powers. (Superman: Emperor Joker v1 #1) As entities from Dimension Five, they were beings that had god-like powers. (Superman v3 #23.2) 5th Dimensional Imps were considered beings of infinite power. Speculation held that because of their nature that they did not understand the concept of mortality.
They held the ability to travel through both time and Hypertime. Such was their control in the overworld that they were able to penetrate third dimensional space at any level and even control it. In fact, they demonstrated the ability to stop time and allow it to resume with ease. (JLA v1 #30)
Imp society held that only mischief was allowed in the 3rd dimension and not wide scale distortions. (JLA v1 #31) Most beings of the 5th dimension were content to remain there where they could endlessly reshape their own individual realities. (Countdown to Final Crisis v1 #23)
Practical jokes were considered an art form among the people of Zrfff but only if they were deemed harmless and very funny otherwise anything else was considered a crime with the accused taken before a court. (Superman v1 #335) One institution in the 5th Dimension was the Academy of Practical Joking with annual events for the Brxll Awards with the winner declared the best practical joker in their realm. (Superman v1 #154) Rules were set in place by the ruling council that sometimes barred inter-dimensional travel. (Superman v1 #283) Police from the 5th Dimension were dispatched to apprehend criminals from their realm. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #74) Criminals were to court for offenses with a judge presiding over sentence. (Superman v1 #335) There was, however, a criminal market who wanted to acquire vowels which they could not get in their home dimension. Thus, they consorted with the inhabitants of the lower dimensions for this treasure and offered to upgrade anyone into 5th Dimensional Genies. (DC One Million 80-Page Giant 1,000,000) For mentally disturbed Imps, they were incarcerated at a gooloogog which were mental institutions that had a vast array of equalizers to keep their magic under control. Any escapees were meant to be captured by the Imp-police. (Superman v1 #421)
Family was deemed a cherished institution among the people of Zrfff with bigamy being a crime. (DC Comics Presents v1 #97) Imp society was noted to hold a number of individuals holding the title of prince. (JLA v1 #30) With a supreme ruler holding the position of king. (Action Comics v2 #15)
Joljo was a unit of measurement for Imps that was analogous to years for their kind. (Superman v1 #421) The word foggraw was an untranslatable fifth dimensional curse. (DC Comics Presents v1 #97) They made use of hexnology that was a combination of magic and science. (Young Justice v1 #3) Fifth Dimension words were said to sometimes come out as thunder. (Action Comics v2 #15) Their science was so sophisticated that it appeared as sorcery to the inhabitants of the third dimension. Fifth dimensional engines appear to operate on pure imagination to the point that they generated thought pollution. (JLA v1 #31) One of their weapons was the Multitude which appeared as a spear to their kind but manifested as a host of monstrous angels in third dimensional space with the power to ravage entire worlds. Other weapons beyond the multi-pointed Multispear that were left over from Chromo-Conflict 2 were the Nothingcoat and the Imaginator. (Action Comics v2 #15) They made use of nullspheres that could be used to imprison their own kind and prevented them from using their Zrfffian powers. (DC Comics Presents v1 #97)
The Fifth Dimension was a real time and space with worlds that were beyond the understanding of three dimensional beings. (New Year's Evil: Mr. Mxyzptlk v1 #1) In their home dimension, water was orange and sand was kind of blue. (Action Comics v1 #460) The skies were orange and grass was blue with breezes carrying magic as well as laughter. It was claimed that the Fifth Dimension was not built for war. (JSA v1 #78)
Members
- Gzntplzk : queen of the Fifth Dimension who married the Superman of the 67th century and introduced new senses to the Superman Dynasty. (DC One Million v1 #1)
- Mr. Mxyzptlk :
- Qwsp :
- Gsptlnz : a female imp that was the daughter of King-Thing Brpxz and Princess of Zrrf who fell in love with Mxyzptlk. (Action Comics v1 #15)
- Vyndktvx : a male imp, Lord Vyndktvx who served King-Thing Brpxz and grew into an enemy of Mister Mxyzptlk. (Action Comics v1 #15)
- Gzntplzk : a female imp who at some point came the Quinto-Queen of Zrrrf and married Superman Purple thus introducing 5-D vision into the family line. (All-Star Superman v1 #6)
- Klyzyzk Klzntplkz : the male descendant of Superman who was protector of the 5th dimension and came as a result of Superman Purple marrying Quinto-Queen Gzntplzk. (All-Star Superman v1 #6)
- Bgbznz : female Imp who used her powers to make her appear as a beautiful woman that Mxyzptlk had been engaged to and wanted to marry. (Superman v1 #335) Mxyzptlk had married along with Gsptlsnz with this bigamy being a crime. (DC Comics Presents v1 #97) This was part of an older continuity and may no longer be in continuity.
- Merlin : an imp that lived in the age of King Arthur in his court who tried to convince him that the time displaced Jimmy Olsen was a wizard but was tricked into saying his name backwards sending him back to his home realm. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #53) This was part of an older continuity and may no longer be in continuity and seems separate from the mystical Merlin.
- Loki : an imp that lived in the age of Vikings who was an enemy of Thor and became an enemy of the time displaced Jimmy Olsen who theorized Loki as being an Imp where he tricked him into saying his name backwards sending him back to his home realm. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #55) This was part of an older continuity and may no longer be in continuity and seems separate from the Norse god Loki.
- Ramses : an imp that lived in Ancient Egypt who was a magician in Cleopatra's court and became an enemy of Superboy who had travelled back in time. The Imp took away his powers but Lana Lang tricked him into saying his name backwards sending Ramses back into his dimension. (Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen v1 #55) This was part of an older continuity and may no longer be in continuity.
- Grflznk : a police officer of Zrfff who was a finder of missing Imps and was in pursuit of the mischievous Mr. Mxyzptlk. (Superman v1 #283)
- Mxyzptlk V : a male distant relative of Mister Mxyzptlk who tormented the Legion of Super-Heroes in his guise as the Masked Man. (Adventure Comics v1 #310)
- Fuzastl : Mxyzptlk's father who opposed his pranks on Superboy and told the hero how to defeat his son leading to an enmity with his offspring. (Superboy v1 #78)
- Tlndsa : Mxyzptlk's mother. (Superboy v1 #78)
- Grbnsqz : Grbnsqz the Wagerer. (DC Retroactive: Superman - The '70s v1 #1)
- Fznpqwxyl : a male lawyer to Mxyzptlk who faced jail with Fznpqwxyl tried to defend him following his 127th offense. (Superman v1 #335)
- Grlprzr : male judge that convicted Mxyzptlk of his 127th offense and banished him to Earth for turning the Mayors children into chickens with him only being allowed back on Zrfff when he atoned for his actions. (Superman v1 #335)
- Nzykmulk : older and disturbed male cousin to Mxyzptlk who was involved in a grudge-war with him and was noted for being the black sheep of the family. (Superman v1 #421)
- Kytszbtn : newborn son of Mxyzptlk. (Action Comics v1 #574)
- Lkz :
- Yz :
Notes
Alternate Versions
- In Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade v1 #6 (2009) an alternate Earth setting which was shown that had Imps from the 5th Dimension. Mister Mxyzptlk was one of their number who participated in a game among his kind but broke the rules as he attempted to reshape all existence but was defeated by Supergirl. He was banished back to his native dimension where his kind decided to punish him by imprisoning him in the 2nd dimension as a piece of art.
In other media
Television
- In Superman: The Animated Series, these unidentified species were shown in the episode ""Mxyzpixilated" that were said to be a highly evolved higher dimensional beings from the 5th Dimension with god-like powers.
- In Supergirl, Imps were referenced first in the live-action television series in the episode "Mr. & Mrs Mxyzptlk". They were described as beings from the Fifth Dimension with these life forms possessing the ability to warp the third dimension according to their whims with these powers appearing almost like magic. In the third dimension, they appeared on numerous worlds and were well known for their mischievous ways. On Mars, one of their kind had moved the Xan'Xie Mountains halfway across the planet during the Zook Uprising. Daxamites had encountered the Imps who knew that they could enjoy parties but came to realise that they were very dangerous with them learning that the way to send them back to their dimension was by having them say their name backwards. As a result, on Daxam they had a zero tolerance policy towards the 5th Dimensional Beings and adopted a policy of killing them quickly. On Earth, 5th Dimensional incursions had come to the planet where they came regarding in human legend as reality bending creatures for centuries with genies, djinn and leprechauns being references to them.
- In Justice League Action, Mister Mister Mxyzptlk was referred to as being a 5th Dimensional Imp in the animated television series in the episode "Captain Bamboozle".
Video games
- In DC Legends, though no Imps appeared there was 5th Dimensional Energy which was used for upgrades in the iOS video game.
Appearances
- JLA v1 #28:
- JLA v1 #31:
- DC One Million v1 #1: (1998)
- DC One Million 80-Page Giant 1,000,000 v1 #1: (1999)
- Countdown to Final Crisis v1: (2007)
- Superman/Batman v1:
- Action Comics v2 #15: (2012)
- Superman v3 #23.2:
- Justice League v4:
External Links
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