The Prankster and Superman, from the cover of Action Comics #95.

The Prankster (real name: Oswald Loomis) is a fictional character and villain who appears in Superman stories published by DC Comics. The Prankster's first appearance was in Action Comics #51 in 1942. Image File history File links Prankster. ... Image File history File links Prankster. ... Superman, aka Man of Steel, is a fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, and for several decades has been one of the most popular and well-known comic book icons of all-time. ... Cover of Action Comics #1, which featured the debut of Superman. ... A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... A typical cartoon villain. ... Superman, aka Man of Steel, is a fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, and for several decades has been one of the most popular and well-known comic book icons of all-time. ... The current DC Comics logo, adopted in May 2005. ... Cover of Action Comics #1, which featured the debut of Superman. ... This article is about the year. ...

The Prankster's particular gimmick was the use of various practical jokes and gags in committing his crimes. This, coupled with his cartoonish appearance, caused many to write him off as a "joke villain", until the early 2000s, when writers improved upon the character by giving him a more svelte appearance, as well as high tech weaponry that made him a more serious threat. A practical joke or prank is a practice intended to be humorous (usually in action, not just in words) in which another person is fooled, annoyed, or embarrassed in what the perpetrator imagines to be a mild and light-hearted fashion. ... A gag is usually a device designed to prevent speech, often as a restraint device to stop the subject from calling for help. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Post Crisis

Comedian Oswald Loomis had his own sitcom called "Uncle Oswald", which was specifically tailored for his brand of comedy. Though successful for many years, the ratings eventually fell, leading to the show's cancellation. Due to typecasting, he found it difficult to find new employment. Angered and bitter that his gravy train had come to an end, Loomis sought revenge on the network executives that were responsible for his show's cancellation, but was foiled by Superman.

He was eventually given a younger, more athletic body presumably by Neron. His personality was changed as well, no longer an inept goofball, he was now an eccentric madman seeking to unleash his twisted brand of laughter upon the world. By this time, Metropolis had been upgraded by Brianiac 13. The Prankster took advantage of the new technology, creating high tech gadgets and weaponry, which retained a comical theme. He quickly challenged Superman again. By this time, Superman was suffering from kryptonite poisoning during their battle, and was hospitalized in S.T.A.R. Labs shortly therafter. Neron Real name Neron Publisher DC Comics First appearance Underworld Unleased #1 Created by {{{creators}}} Neron is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. ... Brainiac is a fictional supervillain in DC Comics, most often appearing as an opponent of Superman. ... Superman, Phantom Zone criminals, and Jimmy Olsen, in front of a display of kryptonite models. ... This article is about the fictional organization in DC Comics. ...

During the Critical Condition storyline, scientists learned that the cause of Superman's illness was a nanovirus carrying a small grain of kryptonite. They proposed to shrink Steel, Superboy, and Supergirl to microscopic size, and send them into Superman's bloodstream to destroy the virus. However, the Prankster subdued Steel, stole his armor, and attempted to sabotage their efforts. Though he failed, he escaped, with Steel's armor still in his possession. He used the armor to attack Supergirl, before Steel reaquired it via a remote failsafe. A mite next to a gear set produced using MEMS, the precursor to nanotechnology. ... Steel is a name used by several fictional characters owned and published by DC Comics in their universe. ... Superboy is the name of five fictional characters published by DC Comics. ... Supergirl is a DC Comics superhero, generally considered the female counterpart to Superman. ...

The Prankster next performed a series of criminal favors for Lord Satanus, before losing favor with the demon. Later on, when Manchester Black revealed Superman's identity, the Prankster was one of many villains involved in the campaign to destroy Superman's life, though he forgot Superman's identity when Black was defeated. Blaze and Satanus are demonic supervillain siblings in the DC Comics Universe. ... Manchester Black is a fictional character, an anti-hero in the DC Comics universe. ...

Other media

The Prankster (Bronson Pinchot) threatens Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher) on Lois & Clark.

The Prankster was portrayed by Bronson Pinchot in two episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Here his name was Kyle Griffin, a man who was sent to jail five years earlier due to one of Lois Lane's articles. In the first episode titled The Prankster he breaks out of prison and goes after Lois posing as her secret admirer. He returned later in the season, with light ray capable of freezing people (including Superman). He attempted to use this device to kidnap the President of the United States, who was visiting Metropolis. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (433x651, 24 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (433x651, 24 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Bronson Pinchot (right) as Balki with Mark Linn-Baker as Larry on Perfect Strangers. ... Teri Hatcher at the 2005 Golden Globes award ceremony Teri Lynn Hatcher (born December 8, 1964 in Sunnyvale, California) is an American actress. ... Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action television series based on the Superman comic books. ... Bronson Pinchot (right) as Balki with Mark Linn-Baker as Larry on Perfect Strangers. ... Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action television series based on the Superman comic books. ...

External links

• Supermanica entry on the pre-Crisis Prankster