The wackiest of all of Superman’s rogues may have done him a huge favor. The interdimensional nuisance Mr. Mxyzptlk helped Clark Kent and Lois Lane get back together in a way only he could.
Of all the villains in Superman’s rogues’ gallery, by far the most strange has to be Mr. Mxyzptlk. As a resident of the fifth dimension, Mxyzptlk has powers far beyond those of anyone in the third dimension. But the all-powerful imp doesn’t seek world conquest or anything like that. Mxyzptlk just seeks out entertainment by toying with lower life forms. His favorite person to prank is Superman, who Mxyzptlk actually sees as a worthy foe. Unlike all the other lifeforms challenged by the jokester, Superman has consistently been able to put an end to the games by getting Mxyzptlk to reveal his name backwards, sending the villain back to his home dimension.
But for all the trouble he’s caused Superman, Mxyzptlk actually tried to help his longtime rival when it looked like Clark and Lois had called it quits for good. In Superman: The Man of Steel #56 by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove, Clark has come to realize his extradimensional tormentor is back again causing trouble. But Superman’s greatest villain is actually here to “help” people by giving them wishes, though it seems to be causing more harm than good. As Superman takes care of Mxyzptlk’s latest spree, the imp discovers that Lois has given Clark his engagement ring back. Unwilling to accept that the couple can break up, Mxyzptlk tries all sorts of magic to convince Lois to take Clark back, but nothing seems to take. However, once Superman uses his wish to send Mxyzptlk back to the fifth dimension, Clark and Lois decide to finally sit down and talk their problems out.
Even though he’s traditionally a villain, Mr. Mxyzptlk sincerely wanted to help Superman and Lois. While his approach was about as annoying as his usual adventures with the Man of Steel, this was a mission that Mxyzptlk took seriously, as if the entire world had ceased to be without Clark and Lois’s love in it. Sure, the couple may have eventually found their way back to one another, but Mr. Mxyzptlk’s gave them the kick in the pants they needed to move forward.
The relationship between Clark and Lois is one of comic books’ oldest love stories. From courting, to revealing his identity and ultimately marriage, Superman and Lois Lane’s romance has gone through a lot of stages, and that includes a few rough patches. And as much as he likes to beleaguer the Man of Steel, Mxyzptlk isn’t heartless and doesn’t want his adversary to suffer. Mxyzptlk recognized that Superman just wasn’t the same without Lois and that if he wanted to continue having fun, he needed to do his best to get the couple back on track. Of course, even the most powerful being can’t force love, but he did get Lois and Clark to hash out their feelings, putting them on a path to rekindle their relationship. Superman’s Mxyzptlk may be a villain, but that didn’t stop him from trying to play cupid when someone had to.
