Superman & Batman Generations: An Imaginary Tale - 1959; Strange Days

• John Byrne - Artist, Writer, Letterer:
• Trish Mulvihill - colorist:

• Name:
Batman
• Secret Identity:
Bruce Wayne
• Costume Design:
Blue boots, small eared-cowl, slightly cloak-like cape, gloves, and (for lack of a better term) groin highlights, gray body with a small black bat insignia, wide and squarish gold utility belt.

• Name:
Superman
• Secret Identity:
Clark Kent
• Primary Costume Design:
We first see Superman as a gigantic green-skinned Frankenstein's monster look alike. He's wearing red boots, red groin-highlights, a gold utility belt, blue leggings and a blue shirt with the small rounded diamond symbol with a red outline and the red "s" in a yellow field. His cape is knee length with just a little flourish.
• Secondary Costume Design:
The costume is the same as above, but he returns to the normal statue and coloration.

• Name:
Robin
• Secret Identity:
Bruce Wayne II
• Costume Design:
Green "elf" style shoes, possibly skin colored tights, green groin-area highlights that resemble scale mail, are red chested and green sleeve shirt with thin rectangular gold buttons, a thin black belt with a gold buckle, and a short yellow cape reaching to the small of his back. Notably, this robin has platinum blonde hair.

• Name:
Brainiac
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
No image.

• Name:
The Animated Warehouse
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
A green warehouse with six green legs and a human face (though not a head) on the front of the building.

• Name:
Mxyzptlk
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
A small child sized nearly bald white male wearing an orange-brown body suit with reddish-purple boots, gloves, and a ridiculously small bowler on his shiny head, a black belt with a white buckle, and a small cloud that he rests on.

• Name:
Bat-Mite
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
An infant sized humanoid wearing a mock blue and gray Bat-man outfit that has long ears on the cowl with one ear bent down, and a black lightning bolt in a white oval.

• Name:
The Borton Empire
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
Large purple ape-like aliens that wear yellow and orange space suits and fish-bowl helmets, large blaster rifles

• Name:
Giant Lizard Man
• Secret Identity:
Monster movie poster
• Costume Design:
Large green scaled fish man with dorsal spiny-fins, clawed and webbed feet and hands, pretty much the creature from the black lagoon

• Name:
Giant Robot
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
Large clunky fifties era robot with glass casing head and crabby claws, all painted green.

• Name:
Unammed Monster
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
Gigantic hairy bulbous one-eyed flame tentacled land octopus monster with differentiated arm and leg tentacles

• Name:
Alexander "Lex" Luthor
• Secret Identity:
None
• Costume Design:
A grizzled old bald man in a black trench coat.

• Name:
Jimmy Olsen
• Costume Design:
Yellow and dark yellow checkered sport coat, white shirt, red bow-tie, purple and blue alien "mentallo-Helmet".

• Name:
Kara Kent
• Costume Design:
Little girl, blonde hair, green dress, black penny loafers.

• Name:
Lois Kent
• Costume Design:
Black hair, notably smoking, white blouse, yellow and brown leopard print tights

• Name:
Epsilon Eridani Aliens
• Costume Design:
Green skin, very skinny, large pointy ears, very tired simian looking faces, orange, yellow outfits with green boots, gloves, and belts.

• Name:
Alfred Pennyworth
• Costume Design:
Black shoes, pinstripe black pants, greenish vest, graying balding older white male, very much the image of a butler

• Name:
Richard "Dick" Greyson
• Costume Design:
Slacks and a leather flight-style jacket, carrying a brown leather briefcase.

The story opens with Batman complaining about his age as he descends over some undefined industrial complex by means of a bat-copter/chair. Below him is a warehouse that seems to have come alive, sporting six legs and a face on the short side of the warehouse. The building/creature is subdued rodeo style while GPD looks on while cracking campy jokes: "Batman's riding that thing like a Bat-Cowboy!". Batman is quick to call out to Bat-mite, assuming him to be behind the mysterious change, only to be surprised by Mxyzptlk.

Meanwhile out in Metropolis harbor Superman has been mutated by exposure to red kryptonite as a result of the nefarious plans of Braniac (who doesn't appear in this issue). Superman now has the form of a gigantic Frankenstein's monster - fortunately his costume was also mutated to fit his multi-story height. Jimmy Olsen has the Mentallo helmet, a treasure from some unrecounted adventure of Superman on planet X, and he can penetrate through the madness of the red kryptonite to keep Superman from causing any serious harm until the effects of red K wear off. According to Jimmy Red K always produces a unique mutation which only lasts for twenty four hours.

"At the suburban home of the Kent family..." the charming young Kara Kent arrives to find her mother, Lois, watching the daily news of Superman and smoking a sophisticated cigarettes. Kara has come inside to show her mother that her feet no longer touch the ground, much to Lois's surprise. Elsewhere Superman is giving thanks to a balding Jimmy Olsen when out of nowhere Bat-mite appears asking "Mr. Superman" for help. Similarly Batman is informed by Mxyzpytlk that he has been made part of a contest between Mxyzpytlk and Bat-mite. It is a contest to find out which of the superheroes, specifically Batman and Superman, is the most powerful.

As the buildings in the distance below begin to take on menacing looking faces, Superman chases after Bat-mite in search of answers. Bat-mite reveals the secret origin of the contest between the two inter-dimensional imps. Both he and Myxzytpl were transported onto the vessel of the aliens (whose name is unpronounceable even to fifth dimensional beings) of the fourth planet of the star Epsilon Eridini. To make a long story short the aliens were a peaceful race whose home was invaded by the Borton Empire and forced into slave labor. Using stolen equipment from the Bortons, the aliens learned of Earth and her superheroes. The aliens managed to get a small vessel, and they were determined to acquire the aid of the most powerful do-gooder on earth. The only problem was that the aliens couldn't decide between Superman and Batman, and so they set up a challenge, the afore mentioned contest. The only catch was that each imp had to test the other's superhero - just to keep things on the up and up. Just as Bat-mite finishes his tale, he causes the image of a lizard-man monster to come alive from a movie billboard.

We are quickly returned to the Kent household where Lois provides Kara with a red jewel to wear that will prevent her feet from floating above the ground. Lois recalls to herself that the gem was made by Clark to prevent Kara from developing super powers while she was still in utero. Though the gem is red, it is not red K. It is simply a gem that simulates the effect of a red sun, thus preventing a kryptionian from accumulating super human (and arguably extra-normal kryptonian)powers.

A brief visit to the bat-cave finds Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne II (or Junior)discussing the young Bruce's career as a crime fighter. It seems young Bruce is practicing in a Robin outfit, intent upon assuming the mantle. Dick has stopped by to visit, taking a break from work in the D.A.'s office.

Batman and Superman are now faced each with their own specially crafted monster to fight, courtesy of our favorite extra-dimensional characters. Superman faces the afore mentioned fish man, while Batman is attacked by a giant robot. Superman manages to drag his opponent to the location of the robot where the two meanies fight each other. Bat-mite and Myxzytlk argue about this, and finally Mr. M. summons a very Looney-Toonsesque monster. Superman and Batman pretend to take the fall, and as the two imps continue to bicker over this, the aliens that set up the contest in the first place teleport them away - and naturally the big nasty disappears. The aliens of course have reasoned that Mr. M and Bat-mite are of course the most power super heroes the universe have to offer.

This episode ends with the first hint of what truly makes this series great. A withered old Lex Luther approaches Joel Kent playing in the streets with something to tell him...