Mxy's Mix-Up

"**Mxy's Mix-Up**" is the twenty-ninth episode of Justice League Action.

## Summary

While the Justice League battle with Gorilla Grodd and his army, Mr. Mxyzptlk appears and causes more mayhem by moving the superheroes' minds to one another's bodies.

## Story

A flying transport lands outside the United Nations building in Metropolis (!?) and Gorilla Grodd with an army of ray-gun-armed gorillas disembarks. Grodd intends to abduct the UN delegates as an initial step in the gorilla conquest of the world. Batman and Superman, accompanied by the novice Stargirl, rush to the rescue. Stern Batman lectures the young superhero on being efficient and ruthless, but friendly Superman encourages her to relax. As the gorillas scale the UN building, the superheroes intervene and, after a fight, round them up into a makeshift cage of UN flagpoles. Stargirl shouts defiantly at Grodd despite having contributed little to his capture.

Then, to greatly complicate matters, the imp Mr. Mxyzptlk chooses this moment to pop out from the fifth dimension. Superman states that he will only disappear again if he says his own name backwards. Mxyzptlk is immediately annoyed by Stargirl's inability to recognise him, and, when she plays with his name by suggesting he is "Myx-ied up", he recognises a plan for mischief. Releasing the gorillas, he causes the minds of the three superheroes to transfer to each other's bodies to mix them up. Although the three realise what has happened to them, they still decide to deal with the gorillas but encounter difficulties with their new circumstances. Stargirl in Superman's body cannot control her flight, strength and heat vision; Superman in Batman's body cannot work the bat-equipment or get used to not being super; Batman gets carried away with Stargirl's youthful athleticism.

Grodd sees this as an opportunity to crush the Justice League and the battle continues, but the superheroes realise that they cannot win and decide instead to deal with Mxyzptlk first. They need backup, and Stargirl for some reason suggests Firestorm whom she had earlier described as, "an atomic guy with two personalities." Batman radios for what he calls "Bravo Squad" and asks them to bring Firestorm. Grodd claims victory while his gorillas surround the heroes and prepare to fire.

Then someone shouts an insult to Grodd and he turns around to see a crowd of Justice League heroes including the garrulous Firestorm. (The others are Flash, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, Plastic Man, Shazam and Zatanna). As Professor Stein admonishes Firestorm for his attention-seeking behaviour, Mxyzptlk responds by mixing up these extra bodies and minds too. This leads to even more chaos for the League and, although they are no closer to subduing Grodd, Batman is strangely confident of success. As Mxyzptlk laughs uncontrollably up in the air, he suddenly hears Professor Stein talking to him as though he is in his head. The spare personality of Firestorm has apparently found a new home. The Professor belittles him by suggesting that he has multiple personality disorders and states them as incomprehensible technical terms. Angry Mxyzptlk repeats them back, denying that he has them, but the last is just his name spelled backwards and so he disappears. The personality transfers caused by him are all reversed and the League returns to normal.

Grodd finally surrenders when he sees the restored Justice League assemble in front of him. When Stargirl is then commended for her insight into Firestorm's usefulness, she admits coyly that she just wanted to meet him.

## Notes

* This episode takes place before Field Trip and Chemistry since Stargirl did not know who Firestorm was.
* We ought to see Cyborg's mind enter the Martian Manhunter's body. It is the only bodyswap that is omitted.