Are you ready to take a trip to the Fifth Dimension?

Probably not. Trust us, things can get a little zany there.

Let’s explore the mischievous and mind-bending corners of the DC Universe, where the Fifth Dimension is a playground for magical imps and genies. These pint-sized troublemakers, with their knack for reality-altering antics, have been a source of delightful chaos for heroes and villains alike. You may have recently seen Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite create trouble in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #26, but they’re only the beginning. From evil war criminals to truly annoying fanboys, imps can be just as diverse and distinct as us. Let’s round up five of DC’s most memorable ones and see what sets them all apart!
 

Mister Mxyzptlk

First Appearance: 1944’s Superman #30

Brief Bio: Mister Mxyzptlk is a prankster imp from the Fifth Dimension. He enjoys bedeviling Superman with magical acts of mischief. Oh, and he’s a snappy dresser too. I dig the little bowler hat. Mxyzptlk can be sent back to his home dimension if he’s tricked into saying his name backwards.

Notable Acts of Mischief: Mxyzptlk once conducted an entire opera production of Faust in the clouds. How is this a prank? It was part of some weird plan to prove that Lois Lane’s niece Susie wasn’t a liar, but to be honest, I think an opera performance in the clouds is awesome. (1946’s Superman #40)
 

Bat-Mite

First Appearance: 1959’s Detective Comics #267

Brief Bio: Like many people reading this article, Bat-Mite is a huge Batman fan. The difference is Bat-Mite is a Fifth Dimensional imp with phenomenal cosmic powers. He’s used those powers to try to help Batman, but usually winds up going overboard. This makes things difficult for the Dark Knight, who finds Bat-Mite to be an annoyance.

Notable Acts of Mischief: Bat-Mite once broke the fourth wall, traveled to the real world, and invaded the offices of DC Comics. He demanded that DC give him his own ongoing feature. To be fair, DC obliged decades later with the 2015 series Bat-Mite. (1979’s Detective Comics #482)
 

Qwsp

First Appearance: 1962’s Aquaman #1

Brief Bio: Qwsp is a Fifth Dimensional imp who disguised himself as a water sprite named…well, Quisp (these guys can change reality, but apparently they’re complete garbage at coming up with effective disguises). While in his Quisp persona, he pretended to be Aquaman’s magical bumbling ally, but secretly regarded the sea king as his enemy. They had silly adventures in the Silver Age, but once Aquaman took a darker turn in the ‘90s, Qwsp decided to follow suit and become a broody villain.

Notable Acts of Mischief: Qswp decided to prank Aquaman by starting an inter-dimensional war between two Fifth Dimensional beings named Yz and Lkz. The conflict spanned multiple dimensions and almost destroyed all reality. April Fools? (1999’s JLA #28-31)
 

Yz, the Thunderbolt

First Appearance: 1940’s Flash Comics #1

Brief Bio: The Thunderbolt isn’t technically an imp, but no breakdown of Fifth Dimensional pranksters would be complete without him. Yz is a Fifth Dimensional genie who lives inside a pink pen. That pen infamously wound up in the hands of Johnny Thunder, who used it to become an unlikely hero. As the Thunderbolt, Yz would help Johnny stop criminals. However, his magic is powerful, but sometimes clumsy—often with hilarious results. Still, together with Johnny, Yz became one of the founding members of the Justice Society of America. Years later, the pen would be passed on to Jakeem Williams. 

Notable Acts of Mischief: After Eclipso spent an entire season bedeviling the Justice Society on TV’s Stargirl, Yz defeated him by turning him into a piece of toast. It only took him a second. (To be fair, the JSA did weaken him first, but it’s still a hilarious way to finish off a villain)
 

Dyxl, aka Nite-Mite

First Appearance: 2022’s Nightwing #97 (in disguise), Nightwing #98 (full debut)

Brief Bio: Dyxl is a Fifth Dimensional imp who adores Dick Grayson. Inspired by Nightwing’s heroism, he developed the persona of Nite-Mite. To his credit, Dyxl saw how annoying Bat-Mite could be and resolved to be less of a nuisance. And he did help Nightwing defeat a group of demons…even if he annoyed Dick every step of the way.

Notable Acts of Mischief: Nite-Mite transformed Haley into a talking superhero dog! The cruelest part of this act of mischief was the fact that the transformation wasn’t permanent. You can’t give us talking superhero Haley and then take it away! (Nightwing #98)
 

So, what does this teach us? That no matter how obsessed you may be with Batman, you’re still just his second biggest fan. Also, if life happens to throw an imp your way, it’s best just to embrace the chaos. Besides, who doesn’t like toast?
 

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.