Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Who's Who: Eyeful Ethel

Eyeful Ethel
by Russell & Siskoid


Real Name: Ethel Lyn Niwtyn
Super-Power(s): 360-degree vision
Planet of Origin: Earth
Relationship to Legion: Villain

Legion Log
Eyeful Ethel attempted to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, hoping that her ability to see in every direction at once would earn her membership. Unfortunately, she was rejected when the Legionnaires decided that her multi-vision ability was deemed insufficiently useful to them.

Eyeful Ethel then struck up a friendship with a fellow rejected applicant, Tusker. Instead of attempting to join the Legion of Substitute Heroes, however, the couple embarked on a life of crime.

Eventually they attempted to become members of the Legion of Super-Villains. As an entry test to  join that group, Eyeful Ethel and Tusker went to the planet Bismoll, where they assisted Computo and Pulsar Stargrave in their attempts to take over that planet. They were unsuccessful, eventually being defeated by the Substitute Heroes.

Eyeful Ethel's origin and background from Who's Who were not revealed during either of her actual appearances.

After the so-called Five-Year Gap, a giant robot in the form of Eyeful Ethel was used by Prince Evillo on Tartarus. It was downed by Matter-Eater Lad and Sugyn, and crushed Evillo's palace.

Eyeful Ethel appears in neither the Reboot, nor the Threeboot.

After Infinite Crisis, Eyeful Ethel's original history has presumably been more or less restored. Some time later, she got a makeover, her powers were upgraded so she could spontaneously grow eyes anywhere on her body, and she joined Earth-Man's Justice League. As a former teacher, she was in charge of a misinformation campaign that painted Superman as a human being, and all aliens as dangerous and evil. She was taken down by Rainbow Girl of the Legion of Substitute Heroes.

Important Eyeful Ethel stories:

Adventure Comics #330
(reprinted in The Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4
and Showcase Presents: The Legion Vol. 2)
Eyeful Ethel applies to the Legion

Legion of Substitute Heroes Special #1
 
Eyeful Ethel and Tusker try to sabotage Bismoll's computer central

Eyeful Ethel and Tusker are blasted by Pulsar Stargrave. 
They are later apprehended by the Legion of Substitute Heroes

Legion of Super-Heroes (v4) #49

On Tartarus, Prince Evillo has a giant Eyeful Ethel robot

Action Comics (v1) #862
After Infinite Crisis, Eyeful Ethel joins the Justice League of Earth, but is defeated by Rainbow Girl

1 comment:

  1. I had to go double-check on Rainbow Girl. My first thought was flashing back to the time Color Kid was infected by the sex-change virus (courtesy Infectious Lass), and thought it was somehow permanent.

    Thank God Rainbow Girl is a different character. And she's from Xolnar, which I remembered from the Khund invasion from the 5 Years Later period.

    Remembering that makes me feel slightly less guilty about the Rainbow Girl/Color Kid mixup.

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